Skiing and snowboarding at Seven Springs. Ice skating at PPG Place. Building snowmen or going sledding in the backyard. … Or shoveling the sidewalk, clearing off the car, and praying for roads that aren’t ‘slippy’. Whatever you associate with winter in the Burgh, keeping your tech safe from freezing temperatures is critical for preserving performance and battery life. Follow these basic precautions to keep your tech nice and toasty during the frigid winter season.

Never Leave Tech in an Unheated Car

When you’re on the go, chances are you have at least one device with you, like your phone or laptop. Extremely cold temperatures can cause serious, long-term damage to your gadgets, such as ruining the battery or causing permanent damage to (or shattering) the screen.

Keep tech in carry-on bags when flying — the cabin is heated, while not all cargo holds are. In addition, bags are shuttled between airport gates on open luggage carts. Similarly, warm up the car before getting in, put devices in an insulated carrying case, and keep tech items in the heated area of your car.

Protect Your Phone During Outdoor Winter Activities

Winter is full of fun activities, like ice skating, sled riding, snowball fights, and making snow angels. But these activities become much less fun if your phone is ruined in the process. Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive to extreme cold. Turn your device off or put it in power save mode while outdoors so the low temps do not drain your phone battery or affect the phone's functionality. It’s important to also keep it in a waterproof pouch, even if you don’t plan to roll around in the snow. Many retailers like Amazon feature reusable, waterproof phone pouches for great prices. You can use a Ziploc bag in a pinch, but they can be unreliable and rip open.

Although waterproof pouches keep your phone safe from water damage, it doesn’t protect against freezing temperatures or getting smashed with rough activities. So you should still keep it inside an insulated, padded pocket in your coat. Pockets on the inside lining keep your phone closer to your body heat, which is even better!

Prepare for Power Outages

Between high power demands for heating needs and nasty winter storms that bring down power lines, electrical outages are most likely to occur in the winter (in areas that have a real winter, at least). Be prepared for the inevitable.

• Stay updated on weather forecasts to help you prepare for potential tech-related issues. This gives you time to save files, power down, and get devices and chargers fully juiced. 
• Have a battery-operated power bank/charger for times when the electricity is out. If the storm is expected to be lengthy or there was significant damage to the power, keep your devices off or in power-save mode.
• Regular backups are crucial to protect your important files, in case a power outage leads to data loss. You have 5 TB of OneDrive storage through Pitt for work and academic files. Back up personal files to an external drive or a Google or other cloud account.

Warm Up Devices Slowly

If your device gets left in the car or sits on your front porch after being shipped, your instinct may be to rush it inside and put it in a warm spot. However, bringing it to room temperature too quickly can lead to condensation build-up inside the case, causing long-term damage to the device’s CPU or screen. It’s better to allow your tech to come to room temperature slowly. Put it in a cool place (like the basement or beside a window) first before bringing into a warmer spot in the home. Don’t power it on until it has reached room temperature.

If Your Phone Gets Wet, You Can (Probably) Save It

If you cell phone ends up in the snow, slush, or a wintry puddle, all is not lost. Here’s how to maximize your chances of saving that wet, freezing device.

1. This one is obvious: remove your phone from the snow, slush, or puddle immediately.
2. Once it’s removed, turn it off immediately so the battery isn’t damaged. Then, check the charging ports and around the edges for signs of water.
3. If you have a removable battery (iPhones unfortunately do not), remove and dry it. This gives your device a better chance of survival.
4. Hold a vacuum hose or dust buster a few inches from your device (not right on it) and suck the water out of the charging and headphone ports, seams, and speaker. (Note: do not use a hair dryer! This blows water into the device and the heat can cause damage.)
5. Search your house for silica packets (the little pouches labeled “Do not eat”). Rice in a bowl may work too, but not nearly as well. Let your device sit powered off in the silica or rice for as long as possible, ideally at least 72 hours, before turning it back on.

These next few months can be filled with lots of wintry fun. Don’t carelessness ruin it. Grab a pair of touchscreen-friendly gloves, take steps to keep your tech safe, and you’ll be set all winter long.

-- By Karen Beaudway, Pitt IT Blogger