Here are some tips to extend the life of lithium-based batteries

1. Avoid frequent full discharges. Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion batteries than one deep use and recharge. Lithium-ion batteries do not have "memory" like nickel-based batteries, so performing recharges of a partially full battery does not cause any damage to the battery or affect it's ability to hold a complete charge. does not cause . Short battery life in a laptop is usually cause by exposure to heat over the life of the battery, not the cycle of recharging.

2. Batteries with gauges (such as on laptops, ipods, camcorder, cameras, etc) should be calibrated by performing a full discharge once every 30 charges. Running the battery down completely in the equipment does this. If full discharges are not performed on the battery, the gauge will become increasingly less accurate and this may lead to the device turning off unexpectedly since the gauge read that more battery life existed when in fact the battery was fully discharged.

3. Keep the lithium-ion batteries cool as much as possible. Avoid leaving devices with lithium-ion batteries in hot cars. Don't store devices with li-ion batteries in room locations where they will be subjected to large amounts of direct sunlight. Too cold is also bad. So much as possible, do not allow lithium-ion batteries to freeze.

4. When running on direct power, consider removing the battery from your laptop. Some manufacturers suggest not doing this, but their concerns are more about what can get into the battery compartment. If you want to maximize the life of your laptop battery, removing it when plugged in will have a large effect.

5. Don't purchase spare lithium-ion batteries possible future use. The batteries have a limited lifetime even when not being used. If you aren't going to use a li-ion battery now, don't buy it now. When you do buy a lithium-ion battery, pay attention to the manufacturing dates. Do not buy old batteries even if they seem like a good deal.

6. If you already have a spare lithium-ion battery, use one to the fullest and keep the other cool. Store the battery at a charge level of 40% and put it in the refrigerator... but make sure that the battery does not freeze.