Whether you’re running or relaxing, you want your iPod to go the distance. Follow these tips from touchtip.com to increase your iPod or iPhone battery life (more on the site):

Adjust brightness

Dimming your phone’s screen is another way to extend battery life. Go to Settings > Brightness and drag the slider to the left to lower the default screen brightness. Turning the Auto-Brightness allows your phone screen to adjust its brightness based on current lighting conditions. Go to Settings > Brightness and set Auto-Brightness to On.

Turn off Wi-Fi

If you rarely use Wi-Fi, you can turn it off to save power. Go to Settings > Wi-Fi and set Wi-Fi to off. If you frequently use your iPhone to browse the web, battery life may be improved using Wi-Fi instead of EDGE.

Turn off Bluetooth

If you rarely use a Bluetooth headset or car kit, you can turn off Bluetooth to save power. Go to Settings > General > Bluetooth and set Bluetooth to Off.

Photo CC 2.0, Ayton

You can take precautions to keep thieves away from your GPS, but it wouldn’t hurt to prepare for the worst. GJ’s Computer Services Blog explains how to protect your information when programming your GPS:

• Do not enter your real address details in the My Home Location. People do this all the time, but this is the last piece of information you want thieves to have.
• Enter your street name or nearby street with no house number.
• Enter the address details of your nearest local police station.
• Create some other diversionary address that does not in any way lead to your property.

Photo CC 2.0, Jimmy Joe

If you’re traveling with your iPhone beware! You could easily rack up all kinds of charges without even realizing it. Newsweek compiled a list of 8 tips to keep your bill reasonable, including:

When overseas, turn Data Roaming off. International data is not covered under your plan. Because the iPhone is constantly seeking large amounts of data, you could be unpleasantly surprised by data charges while you’re traveling overseas—even if you rarely use the device.

Use WiFi instead of the 3G network on post-July 11^th iPhones. The chips required to receive info over the 3G network pull a huge amount of battery power, and your iPhone will likely run down faster when using it.

Turn off your iPhone’s Auto Check function for email. Check email manually using WiFi instead of having emails downloaded to your iPhone automatically. That way, your iPhone won’t constantly be seeking new messages—and adding charges to your phone bill—while it’s in your pocket.

Photo CC 2.0, Vincent J. Brown

Working on implementing a complete home security system? Use this checklist by Internet Mother Lode to map your course (elaboration on the site):

1. Home security lighting.
2. Secure all doors and windows.
3. Home alarm systems.
4. Home security cameras.
5. Motion Detection Cameras.
6. Video Surveillance monitors.
7. Safes.
8. Cancel Deliveries when you’re away.
9. Internal Security Lights
10. Secure Outside Areas

Photo CC 2.0, JustABigGeek

If you want to keep your home safe a security system is a good investment. However, it doesn’t hurt to take some basic security precautions. Gather.com suggests:

• Double check all doors and door frames for signs of weakness or rot
• Install deadbolts if you don’t have them

Make sure your doors have:

• Solid core
• Hinges on the inside
• Chain locks
• Peep hole
• Metal strike plates

Your windows should have:

• Sash locks on them
• Lamination to add strength (if they’re not on a security system)

Photo CC 2.0, documentarist

Who wants to go back and forth between multiple systems? Convert your DVDs to Apple TV in 6 steps. Here are the first two:

1. Download PQ (or Jesterware) DVD to Apple TV Video Converter Suite, then install and run it. Click “Open DVD” or “Open Video File” to load the DVD/video files you would like to convert to Apple TV.

2. Begin converting by hitting “Record It.” You can also choose both the starting point and stop point of the input video for clip or segment conversion.

Visit eHow for the rest!

You don’t need a top-of-the-line camera to take amazing digital photos. Howtodothings.com offers 5 tips to improve your shots, including:

Get in close and keep it simple. Removing the clutter from the shot takes out distractions.

Pre-focus for faster and sharper images. If you experience a delay (also known as shutter lag) when snapping your photos, it’s because you haven’t told the camera what to focus on before taking the shot. Press and hold the shutter button half-way down when preparing to take a photo, and then all the way down to take it.

Turn on Image Stabilization of Vibration Reduction if your camera has it. This will enable your camera to take a sharper image at a slower shutter speed without blur in the image from your camera shaking.

Photo CC 2.0, digital_andy

If your laundry is taking forever to dry, it’s likely because your dryer has poor air circulation. The first thing you should do, according to wikiHow, is check the exhaust hose to see if its kinked or full of lint.

• Disconnect the hose from the dryer for a couple loads. If your dryer runs properly, you’ll know the hose is the problem.
• Clean out the hose or install a new one.
• Once it’s installed, go outside and check the airflow coming out.

TIPS:

Reduce lint build up by putting vinegar in the last rinse cycle.

Speed up drying time by putting a couple dry towels in with the load.

Photo CC 2.0, tophertron