Special Tips for E-Reader Battery Power

If you own an e-reader, and especially if you are an avid reader who uses it often, battery life is a big deal. Nothing is more disappointing than an e-reader that loses power right in the middle of an exciting plot twist, or just when you have some free time to do pleasure reading. To get the most from any e-reader, it helps to also maximize the battery that keeps it going strong. Here are some helpful tips on how to do that so whenever you are in the mood for readying your e-book is wide awake and ready to go.

Charging a Lithium-ion Battery

When you first purchase a new e-reader, if the battery is not yet charged then it is a good idea to charge it for 8-12 hours. If your new e-reader battery is low when you first power it up, the same procedure applies. Give it a good overnight charge before beginning to use it.

The newer lithium-ion batteries, unlike their less advanced predecessors, don’t need to be run all the way down or discharged before recharging them. That used to be the case, but letting batteries discharge all the way no longer helps to extend their life or improve performance. Today’s e-reader batteries can be recharged or “topped-off” whenever it’s convenient for you.
Ways to Conserve Battery Power
To make your battery charge last longer, you should remember to power-off the device when not in use. You can also adjust the lighting settings, as long as the illumination is still adequate for you to be able to read comfortably. You definitely don’t want to sacrifice eye health and comfort in exchange for battery longevity!

One of the easiest ways to save on power is to disable your Wi-Fi connection when it is not needed. If you are just reading your book, for example, but still have the device connected to Wi-Fi, that will gobble up a lot more electricity and shorten the time you need between charges.

Handy Accessories

Many consumers praise the Kindle “PowerFast” chargers that are sold by Amazon.com, because those are not just ideal chargers for Kindle products but they can also accelerate charging time. Most people report that when using PowerFast chargers they can fully charge their e-reader hours faster than they can with the standard Kindle charger.

Of course it is good to have charging options, like a car charger adaptor that you can plug into the vehicle’s electrical socket. Many newer vehicles also accept USB connections, and you may even have a 12-volt outlet. In that case just carry the same charger or plug-in cord you use inside your home when you go on a road trip. External battery packs, like those made by Mophie, are also great for travel or other times when you are away from a power source. Just make sure you also buy the appropriate adapters so that you can plug your particular device into the unit.

E-Readers are Cool and Should Stay That Way

Winter is almost here, so many people aren’t worried about possibly overheating their e-reader device, the way they may be concerned during the blazing heat of summer. It’s not advised to subject these gadgets to direct sunlight, for instance, or to leave them in a hot vehicle.

But in winter the risk may still be there, because people may inadvertently expose an e-reader to extreme temperatures by leaving it near an artificial source of heat like a space heater. The same goes for leaving your device too close to the fireplace, so just keep that in mind to avoid damage or other problems.

Solar Power

Then again, harnessing the heat of the sun can be a cool thing, too. At the tech event called the Mobile World Congress 2015, Sunpartner Technologies and Bookeen, a pioneering e-­‐reader maker, said that they are working together on a solar-powered e-reader solution.

The idea is to use a product called “Wysips” which is basically a transparent component that can be applied to virtually into any surface, transforming it into a solar panel. The technology may be available in 2016, and if it is successful it could eliminate the need to ever plug your gadget into a charger.