Every year around this time, I like to talk about our computing devices during bad weather. Why now? We’re located in Florida and it’s hurricane season, that’s why! Even if you’re not affected by hurricanes, all of us can be hit by bad weather. With that in mind, let’s explore what we should do with our computing devices.

Staying Home With Your Computing Devices During Bad Weather

If you’re affected by bad weather but don’t have to leave your home, here are some things you should know/do:

USB Charging Hub

Since we often lose our electricity during bad weather, be sure to have at least one USB charging hub. It should be fully charged before the bad weather hits. (I own three of them!) The charging hub allows you to recharge your phone, tablet, and maybe even a laptop. It can keep you connected to the outside world when there are only candles burning inside. Here’s the one I use (Note: the price may vary from the picture.):

UPS

If you own a traditional desktop computer or an all-in-one (like an iMac), you should be using a UPS (Uninterruptable Power Supply). The purpose of a UPS is to protect your computer during a storm or anytime you might lose power in your home. The device is a surge protector with a battery backup. Every one of our desktops is plugged into a UPS as is our modem. We lose power and our devices stay on! (You might note that each of our smart TVs is also plugged into a UPS.) While there are many makes and models, you shouldn’t use anything less than 425VA (Volt/Amps). Here’s one of the ones we use (Note: the price may vary from the picture.):

Surge Protector

If you use anything other than a desktop or all-in-one, you need a surge protector. (Since laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc., have their own batteries, you only need to protect them from surges.) Bad weather can bring all kinds of power surges and you need to protect your computing devices. Here’s the one I use:

Save Energy

Even with the devices I’ve listed above, there are steps you can take to protect your computing devices during bad weather. Here are a few ideas you should consider:

• Lower the screen brightness on your laptops, tablets, and smartphones to conserve battery power.
• Turn off location services on your smartphone.
• Close unnecessary apps on your devices which, again, will help conserve battery power.
• Turn devices off that you’re not using. Example: instead of letting your laptop sit in Sleep Mode, turn it off if you’re not planning on using it for a long time.

Leaving Your Home During Bad Weather

In my next post, I’ll explain what to do with your computing devices if bad weather is forcing you to leave.

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