With the heatwave that is hitting the country this month, electrical grids are pushed to the maximum. As such, brown outs are common. But when you have no electricity at all, how can you guarantee that your smart phone or tablet’s battery will go the distance? Here’s a few tips on how to squeeze every last minute out of your gadget’s battery.

1. Get a backup

Having a backup battery is often a great way to extend the life of your gadget. For some, like owners of the HTC Thunderbolt or Sprint Echo, having an extended battery is a way of life just to get through the day. But backups, whether a dedicated battery that you install, or one that is built into a protective case, like the Mophie Juice Pack Air (http://www.gadgetreview.com/2010/11/mophie-juice-pack-air-review-for-the-iphone-4.html) can be a godsend when you need extra time before hitting the plugs to recharge.

2. Engage your autolock feature

This has a two-fold benefit. First, it will put your phone’s display to sleep after a set time (mine’s a minute), and two, it can also be set with a password so that if someone steals your phone or you lose it, after ten tries, the phone erases all data.

3. Adjust your display settings

I like a bright screen and as such, I usually turn off the auto-brightness feature of my iPhone and adjust it myself. That way, I can determine how much I need at any given time. It also allowed me to turn it way down to save battery power during my recent power outage. Having the auto-brightness setting enabled can also help in that it uses the proximity sensor to determine the most efficient screen brightness during the day. Additionally, after using it, click the lock button to put it to sleep manually. This will save a we bit as the phone isn’t waiting for the autolock to engage.

4. Turn on WiFi and 3G/4G Data

If you’re going to be out all day, you really don’t need the phone’s WiFi radio searching for a signal. Doing so bleeds out battery power. So why not turn it off until you really need it? And turning off 3G/4G data in favor of a slower EDGE just to get you through the time won’t hurt either.

5. Avoid extreme temperatures with your phone

Extreme cold or heat will drain your battery faster than a vampire during Spring Break in Miami. The ideal temperature of your gadget is 72℉, 22℃. So keep it out of direct sunlight in the summer, and in your pocket during the winter.

6. Turn off your push feature

Rather than have data pushed to your phone all day, set the phone to search for emails, status updates, and text messages at intervals. This will save power – and data cap space – as your phone isn’t always searching for data that isn’t there.

7. Turn off Bluetooth

If you aren’t driving around and looking silly with a stubby headset sticking out of your hear, make sure your bluetooth capability is disabled.
8. Put the display to sleep while on a call. If you’re using your earbuds to talk, the phone will stay on until the autolock engages. So why not just put it to sleep manually? Also, limit any additional multitasking while on the phone. If you’re talking the old fashioned way, the phone’s proximity sensor will dim the screen while you’ve got it against your ear. So you’re good to go there.

9. Turn off additional apps completely

Most apps get left on when you leave them, and deactivating them completely will prevent them from using CPU power while inactive. This also gives you the benefit of having a faster phone when you need it.

10. Use your laptop to charge it

When our power was out last night and the battery started to die, I remembered that my laptop battery was completely fresh. So I hooked up my phone and topped it off using the laptop’s power through USB. And it only used up about 25% topping off both my phone and the backup battery (of which I have two).

11. Finally, limit the playtime

In situations where you don’t know when you’ll be able to recharge your battery, it’s probably best to prioritize your use of your gadget for the most important things like making phone calls, etc. Watching YouTube Videos or playing Angry Birds nonstop will leave you in the dark after only a few hours. So remember what’s important. You can do without playtime for a day to make sure people can keep in touch.

The EDC Experience gives viewers a chance to go behind the scenes of what it’s like to attend the festival, which just might inspire you to become a DJ after you finish watching the movie. We’ve got you covered and have some cool gadgets to help you on your musical journey!

Phone Apps: Beatronik’s DJStudio for Android and DeeJay for iPhone

Start practicing your DJ skills on your phone with Beatronik’s DJ-oriented apps. For those that have Android devices, DJStudio features a variety of cool functions, such as: crossfading, cueing, looping, twin decks on the same screen and an automatic crossfade called Automix. For iPhone users, DeeJay Remix is a unique virtual turntabl,e which combines a classic disc deck and a built-in sound sequencer (soundMatrix). In a party, your sofa or your bed, have a turntable at your fingertips and let express your creativity with both apps!

Plastinkuzz DJ Scratch Card

Every DJ needs a business card, so why not one that puts vinyl in your pocket! The Plastinkuzz DJ Scratch Card is a plastic business card with a turntable on the back that allows you to make scratching noises when you rub your fingernail on it. Cool and musical, the Plastinkuzz DJ Scratch Card will help you spread the word about your newfound DJ skills!

Numark iDJ Live

Once you’ve gotten perfected your DJ skills on your phone, it’s time to move on to something a bit more realistic, like Numark’s iDJ Live. The DJ software controller for your iPad (or even iPhone or iPod) enables you to DJ parties, events and even clubs, using the music that is already on your iPod via Algoriddim’s djay or other Core MIDI-enabled apps. Even if you’ve never tired the real thing, iDJ Live makes the entire process simple.

Gemini DJ FirstMix

Employing the popular tried-and-true setup of two decks and a mixer, the Gemini DJ FirstMix is a very comprehensive DJ too that allows you to take your DJ’ing skills to new heights. Whether you’re an aspiring DJ or just a music lover, FirstMix allows you to discover your talents in a fun and easy way! Boasting many of the best features from Gemini’s professional DJ products, FirstMix interfaces with your PC or Mac via a standard USB connection, so you can easily use the included MixVibes Cross LE software to choose songs and sound files from your existing collections, even your iTunes libraries.

Numark DJ In A Box

Once you’ve mastered your talent on all the other, it’s time to up the ante with Numark’s DJ In A Box which has everything you need to perform and record with vinyl and an iPod! You can also perform with tracks from your iPod, connect optional gear like CD players, mics, and preview your mix in HF125 DJ headphones. Once you’re able to flawlessly mix on these babies, you just might be ready to take your skills and showcase your talents to the rest of the world…who knows, if you’re really good, you might be in the next EDC movie!

My roommate absolutely loathes clutter with an undying eternal passion.  To help him with that constant anxiety is the Bahem (sounds like a clear your throat noise, probably intended) Clutter Free Storage Table from HotSnow.

Looking an sounding like an IKEA product, the Bahem effectively “pseudo”  hides everything but the end of the wire and the connected gadget.  Only in the design process as of now, I’m sure this is just the first of many furniture designs to incorporate the never ending cell phone and gadget charging debacle.

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Have you ever want to just zone out with the stars when taking a steamy bath?  Sega Toys HomeStar Aqua Planetarium will provide just that.  This waterproof little planetarium will project thousands of your favorites stars in a circular pattern on your bathroom ceiling.

The LED lighting system runs off of 4 AAA batteries and displays stars continuously for three hours.  Seems like a great gift idea for the dreamer or junkie in your family.  On sale now for $66

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Forgetting a digital camera on a hot night out can be potentially devastating.  To help you stay connected with all you gadgets and such, a new wall decal has emerged to keep you and your gear in check.

I kinda wish there was more decals to choose from and mix and match.  Especially for those who smoke things.  What about condoms too?

The vinyl decal can be applied to any smooth surface and is available now in a variety of colors.  $25 gets you this item.

[via Unplggd]

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Cold eyes got you down?  Supporting USB 1.1 and 2.0, this new Eye Warmer set-up from Thanko assures you that warm towel feeling you been missing all these years.  On sale now for just $22 you really owe it to yourself to not buy this for yourself or your friends and enemies.

Thanko really has some creative minds at work as the never cease to amaze with their vast array odd products.

File under crap gadgets?

[via CrunchGear]

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Anybody looking for weird and obscure USB gadgets this holiday season may want to check this out.   It’s a mini-USB humidifier that’s shaped like some weird Japanese beer can.  When those long stints at your computer leave you exceptionally dry, this may be the perfect solution.

Using this mini-humidifier is a moist breeze as you just add water and plug it in and you are ready to go.  Available now for pre-order, this gadget will ship at the end of the month for about $65.

[via Akihabaranews]

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While it may look a little frumpy, it also looks pretty cool, especially for $12.  Featuring three rotary 2.0 compatible USB inputs, it also sports a multi-card reader(MS/M2/SD/SDHC/MicroSD), and a fahrenheit thermometer.

What temperature does it measure though?  The room it’s in or the heat of the actual hub?  Useful?  Who knows.  While sort of on par with the Griffin Simplifi, it’s nice to see USB hubs take on more responsibility.  This USB hub is available in three colors and is 0n sale now.

[via GeekAlerts]

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You’ve got to hand it to Elijah Wood for just plain old dramatic tension, folks–the man’s convinced that, someday, our gadgets will destroy humanity.

Here’s what he had to say about the Blackberry Uprising:

‘It’s madness. If it gets out of control and if it’s used for the wrong reasons or if it takes us away from our own humanity, then maybe that will be our downfall.”

Okay, so you’d think that a guy who genuinely believed this might well choose to set an example for the rest of us and toss out his own hardware first, right?  Well, sadly, you’d be very muchly wrong.  The hobbit’s got a cell phone and a Blackberry, which he keeps on him at all times.  He even cites his iPod as the reason he got into DJing.  Though give him credit, he does keep them out of sight and out of use during restaurant meals and at movie theatres.

So maybe it’s not quite as dire as he predicted.  But I guess if your iPod ever announces it wants to take over the world, maybe you’d better take it seriously…

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Congratulations, folks–America is now officially the Land of the Geek.  We’re a nation of total gadget addicts, or so says a study from Forrester Research.  Here are some highlights from said study, which surveyed 53,668 households in the United States and Canada by mail:

Half are gamers.

Sixty-three percent have a broadband Internet connection.

Three-quarters have cell phones and PCs.

Ten million American households added an HDTV in the last year.

It’s clear, folks–we love our tech.  Whether we want to chronicle the growth of our children or just have some fun after work, we turn straight for boxes of plastic and metal to handle that.  This survey makes a lot of sense given that our economy is somewhere around seventy percent consumer-driven, and consumers have to have something to buy.  It’s small wonder we turn to devices that save labor or entertain.

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