This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Keep your smartphone safe from the heat with tips from AT&T

The second major heat wave of summer 2013 is here, and now's a good time to remember to protect your trusty smartphone from the heat. Below are some tips from AT&T to keep your smartphone cool and connected this summer.:

 

  • Keep your phone in a cool place - don't leave your phone in a hot car or trunk. Mobile phones can retain heat very quickly.
  • Never handle a phone when it's too hot to touch. Bring it to a cool place and leave it alone until it's safe to touch. Certain mobile devices may actually warn you from using the device until it cools down.
  • Water can be a major foe for mobile phones. Keep your phone protected when you go to the beach or pool – An Otterbox cover is a good option, but plastic baggies can work just as well. Try to keep your phone in a shady, or covered, spot while you're taking a dip. And check your pockets – it's very common to jump into a pool without realizing your phone's in your swim trunks!
  • There are lots of apps that are perfect to track heat waves, such as Weatherbug (Android, iOS) and AccuWeather (Android, iOS). Plus:
  • Drinking Water (Android) reminds you to stay hydrated and keeps track of your water drinking habits. 
  • Not sure what to wear out into the hot summer sun? Cloth (iOS) helps you pick your outfit based on the weather conditions.
  • Find the best beaches with Beachfinder (iOS), the largest searchable database of North American beaches with more than 5,300 sandy hot spots – many of them here in New England. Get directions, share photos and read comments about the beaches nearest to you. 
  • Don't get sunburned while soaking up the sun!  MyUVAlert (Android, iOS) offers local UV index forecasts, sunscreen reapplication reminders and sun protection tips. 
  • What is summer without a trip into the great outdoors? Camp Finder (Android) is the #1 RV and tent camping app that makes it easy to find campgrounds, RV parks and RV resorts across the USA.
  • Planning a road trip to escape the New England heat? Keep the kids entertained while they learn about geography with Learn the States (IOS).
  • And as always, AT&T reminds you never to text and drive on your way to the beach, pool or other summer hotspots. Memorial Day to Labor Day are the "100 deadliest days" on the road for teen drivers. Drivers who text are 23 times more likely to be in an accident or near-accident. While 97 percent of teens know that texting while driving is dangerous, 43 percent of them admit to sending a text while driving – and 75 percent say the practice is common among their friends.  Take the pledge never to text and drive by visiting any of our New England stores or itcanwait.com. 
  • Want help curbing the urge to text while driving? AT&T's DriveMode app is a free app that sends a customizable auto-reply message to incoming texts, letting friends and family know you're behind the wheel and that you will reply when it's safe.

Find out what's happening in Framinghamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?