Wherever we are and whatever we do, we spend most of our time with our tech devices every day. But how often do we actually maintain them?
Tech devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops are like vehicles, appliances and any other kind of machines – they require regular maintenance so that they can last longer, and in turn we can continue to use them without the need to fork out money to replace them frequently.
If you haven’t made it a habit already, give yourself a head start with the following suggestions to constantly keep your devices in good shape:
Clean them up
We tend to leave smears and smudges on our tech devices when we use them. Thus, wipe the surfaces of your devices regularly to prevent bacteria growth, and so that you can continue to use them comfortably.
A tech clean-up also applies to your devices’ internal system to ensure peak performance. This includes deleting unnecessary files and data, as well as Internet cookies; clearing your browsing history and system cache; and emptying your recycle bin.
Keep them cool
Machines can’t function optimally when being exposed to prolonged heat.
Therefore it’s highly important to keep your tech devices under cool conditions and dust-free to avoid stressing them out and simultaneously increase their lifespan.
If you can’t use your laptop in an air-conditioned room, invest in a good cooling pad and use them in a space with plenty of airflow.
Should you ever experienced overheating from your smartphone and tablet, turn them off until they cool down and disable or uninstall apps that you rarely use, since the more apps run in the background, the more heated your devices get.
Beef up protection
Many people tend to forget that smartphones and tablets work like computers and laptops. Needless to say, even these tech devices need some security.
Install an antivirus programme and keep it updated to guard your devices against viruses. You can also install anti-spyware, adware and anti-malware software, as well as enable your network firewall to boost your devices’ security.
Update regularly
It’s crucial that whatever programmes that you use in your tech devices are running with the latest version, because outdated ones are vulnerable to security threats. You can update them automatically or set aside a day for a weekly manual update.
Monitor your usage
As long as you’re consistent with practising the aforementioned suggestions and you’re always careful with the way you use your tech devices, monitoring your usage won’t be an inconvenience.
There are many ways to go about this; some examples include downloading and installing apps and software from trusted sources, backing up your files at least every month, and avoiding suspicious websites.
This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Zaman Mansang (AZAM) Sarawak – to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
This article first appeared on The Borneo Post, published in the print version on Saturday, July 6, 2019.
Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels.
