Prolonging the life of Lithium-Ion batteries in portable devices

Did you know that there are certain steps that you can take to prolong the battery life of your laptop or other portable device? Lithium based batteries are a huge improvement over Ni-Cad batteries but they still require care to obtain the maximum life span. 

• Batteries need to be exercised. Continuous charging is bad. At least once every two months, you should run the device off the battery and discharge it to the point of low battery warning. You should then wait 2-3 hours and then fully charge the device.
• Avoid frequent full discharges.
• Heat is bad. Store the device or spare battery in a cool place. 
• Never store a device in the discharged state. Optimum charge level for long-term storage is 40%. Keep unused spare Lithium-Ion batteries in the refrigerator at 40% charge level.

More detailed information can be found at: Battery University