Summer doesn’t just mean mangoes and vacations for many of us. The literal dark side of the coin is the power cuts that are often part and parcel of the season.
#5. Invest in a good power bank
Sure your phone has that new ultra rapid superfast blazecharge ™ built-in, But fat lot of good it would do when you are sweltering it out during the 2 hour scheduled ‘load shedding’. Grab one of these high-capacity fast charging power banks and you can continue binge-watching your favourite show. Better make it family friendly though – because you are going to have your bored folks looking over your shoulder.
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#4. A few USB lights
Be sure to grab a couple of these flexible LED lights that you can plug into a powerbank and not lose the plot on that page turner that you have been reading. For a little under Rs.200, you can pick up a couple of these or even a combo of a light and a fan. Plug the fan to the side of your laptop and you won’t have to sweat it out while you are watching the latest talking Stuff videos.
You might also want to get a micro USB to USB or USB C to USB adapter too. This will let you plug these lights into your phone.
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#3. Use the sun
Don’t worry, we aren’t ignoring the outdoors. Pick up any of these solar lights, and you can be sure that your home is lit up even when the neighbourhood is dark. These are a great idea even when there are no power cuts. Who wouldn’t want lower power bills.
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#2. Inverter bulbs to the rescue
We now have rechargeable emergency lights that fit into your bulb socket. We are not talking the ones that you plug in and recharge. These LED bulbs look and work like the CFL or LED bulb that you probably have in your home already. Only that this one has a battery built-in which recharges when there is power. And of course, it works when there is no power too.
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#1. Wifi is oxygen
The horrors of having to do without the latest cat video delivered wirelessly to your phone is something I hope you never have to experience. And with a UPS for your WiFi router, you would never have to. Just make sure you check the power plug of your router and select the right model since there are separate models based on the input voltage.
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Let us know if you have any other tips for the summer (staying hydrated is a good one). Have we missed out on any other tips? Let us know.
Vinayak Nair is a self-confessed geek from the days when computer memory was measured in Kilobytes. I create YouTube videos on 3D Printing, DIY Projects, Everyday tech reviews and also delve into gaming.