low-power mode Archives

AppWizard

March 27, 2026

I Ran 80 Miles on the Path of the Gods to Test the Garmin InReach Mini 3 Plus

The inReach Mini 3 Plus offers satellite messaging capabilities but has limited mapping features compared to the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro and Garmin Forerunner 970. It provides alerts only if users veer 50 meters off course, unlike the Fenix, which offers upcoming turn notifications. Its notable features include live tracking, SOS emergency capabilities, and voice messaging, allowing users to send 30-second voice notes or longer messages via the Garmin Messenger app. Voice messages are transcribed for recipients, and replies are received on the device. Photos can be sent through Messenger, but satellite transmission can take up to 10 minutes. The battery life claims 55 hours with performance messaging and two-minute location updates, extending to 350 hours in low-power mode. During a test, the device used 68% of its battery over 21.5 hours of continuous tracking and navigation. Charging takes just over an hour. The inReach Mini 3 Plus is durable, user-friendly, and compact, making it suitable for extended adventures, though potential buyers should consider the purchase price, activation fee, and monthly subscription. It is particularly beneficial for those frequently outside cellular coverage.

Winsage

December 26, 2025

New Runtime Standby ABI Proposed For Linux Akin To Microsoft Windows’ “Modern Standby”

A new runtime standby ABI has been proposed in the Linux kernel community through a post-Christmas patch series led by Antheas Kapenekakis. This initiative aims to implement a feature similar to Microsoft's "Modern Standby," allowing devices to maintain network connectivity while appearing to be in a sleep state. The patches provide a more robust solution than previous efforts, enabling user-space control over ACPI LPS0 display notifications. The series introduces a mechanism for firing Modern Standby firmware notifications without suspending the kernel, allowing the device to appear asleep while still performing basic computations. The first part of the series modifies the existing DSMs to be called at the beginning of the suspend sequence and exposes a transition function through /sys/power/standby for user-space interaction. The RFC patch series, including documentation on the proposed interface, is available for review.

AppWizard

November 25, 2025

Own an Android phone? 12 settings I changed to greatly extend its battery life

Many users seek to extend battery life on Android devices, especially budget models. Here are twelve settings that can enhance battery performance: 1. Turn off the always-on display to improve battery life. 2. Enable Adaptive Battery to optimize resource management based on usage patterns. 3. Activate Battery Saver mode to limit background activity and visual effects. 4. Switch to dark mode to reduce energy consumption on OLED displays. 5. Adjust display brightness and sleep time to enhance battery longevity. 6. Remove unused accounts to prevent background syncing that drains battery. 7. Turn off keyboard sounds and haptics to conserve energy. 8. Reduce notifications to limit background activity that drains battery. 9. Turn off "Hey Google" detection to prevent unnecessary battery drain. 10. Reduce the screen's refresh rate to improve battery performance. 11. Turn off unused wireless features like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and location services. 12. Use low-power mode to limit background activity and reduce screen brightness in critical situations.

AppWizard

November 5, 2025

Finally! The Steam Deck can now download games in a new ‘display-off, low-power’ mode before automatically going to sleep

Valve has introduced a feature for the Steam Deck that allows users to download games while the device's screen is turned off. This feature is available in the beta version of the Steam Deck client and activates automatically when the device is plugged in. Users can initiate downloads and press the power button to continue downloading with the screen off, entering a low-power mode. In this mode, users can check download progress by pressing any button or moving the device. If the device is unplugged and the battery drops below 20%, it will automatically enter sleep mode to prevent data corruption during downloads. This feature is expected to move from the beta version to the stable version of SteamOS within the next month.