Quick-fire questions & answers

What’s the best protection from mud for an iPhone?

A sealed case cover, such as the Griffin Survivor Extreme, seals controls and ports and provides water resistance. Mud is often quite abrasive, so inspect the case when in use. When it’s soiled, rinse the case clean and use an old soft toothbrush to gently remove debris.

How can I extend battery life in patchy coverage?

In areas with patchy coverage, searching for a signal is a substantial drain on your iPhone’s battery. Low Power Mode does little to help, though. The only way to get better battery life is to switch on Airplane mode until you’re back in better cellular reception conditions.

How do I get my Mac to remember its volume setting?

If your Mac is forgetting its sound volume setting when starting up, this is because it isn’t being stored in NVRAM (formerly PRAM). Reset that by starting with the Cmd+Opt+P+R keys held down until the second startup chime (or more than 20 seconds on a new MacBook Pro), then release them and let your Mac start up normally.

Does keeping my hard drive awake help it last longer?

Spinning up a hard drive increases mechanical wear. Hard drives last longer if you set Energy Saver to not put them to sleep, and leave your Mac running at all times rather than shutting it down at the end of each day.