Memory Stick and Battery Basics

The manual tells you about things called batteries and Memory Stick Duos. It doesn't tell you much about taking care of them, though. The Memory Sticks are fragile little guys, and you should treat them with respect and care so you don't render them useless. The battery could use a bit of TLC as well, as its lifespan depends quite a bit on how you treat it.

Caring for Memory Sticks

The tiny Memory Stick Duo (Figure 2.8), which is a flash memory device, can hold a whole bunch of data, depending upon its capacity. Whether one came with your PSP or you had to buy it separately, the device requires a touch of careas well as a touch of not touching it where you shouldn't touch it.

Figure 2.8. A Memory Stick Duo. Use with care.

Flash memory is a special type of memory used by many small devices for storing data. Such devices include cameras, USB drives, MP3 players, phones, and PDAs. Flash memory is nonvolatile, meaning that it will keep its data intact even if it's not powered. Flash memory isn't magnetic memory, like a computer hard drive or floppy disk, so it can't be erased by magnets.

Never touch the contacts, which are those little gold metal things that line one edge of the card. The contacts facilitate the PSP's ability to read from and write to the Memory Stick Duo, and if they get dirtywith oil from your fingers, for examplethe PSP might not be able to use the Memory Stick.

If the PSP gives you a memory-card error, turn it off, and eject the Memory Stick Duo. Then carefully clean the contacts with an ordinary pencil eraser. Wipe the Memory Stick off with a soft cloth, and pop it back in the PSP.

When a Memory Stick Duo is outside the PSP, keep it in the itty-bitty plastic case that it came in. If you don't have the case anymore, keep the Memory Stick in a small container, such as a 35mm film canister.

Don't leave a Memory Stick in direct sunlight, even if it's in a container of some sort, including the PSP.

Don't let it freeze. Don't leave it in the car's glove box on a cold winter night.

Don't swallow it. It might not come out in the same condition as when it went in.

Don't worry if the guys at the airport want to put the bag it's in through the x-ray machine. It won't harm the Memory Stick; neither will it erase the data on it.

Caring for the Battery

The battery (Figure 2.9) in your PSP is the groovy type. It's a lithiumion battery, which is superior to other types of rechargeable batteries (such as nickel metal hydrate) because you don't have to wait for it to discharge before you charge it back up. You can charge it any time, and it won't lose its "memory" and artificially erode its capacity.

Figure 2.9. Your PSP's battery. It doesn't give you a lot of playing time, so use the tips in this section to get the most out of it.

The battery does require some care and knowledge, however. Many a PSP owner has complained that the battery barely lasts 3 hours when Sony said it would last 3 to 6 hours.

To increase that time as much as possible, try these tips:

• Lower the screen brightness to as low as you can stand it. Brighter screens use more power.
  
  
• Use headphones instead of the built-in speakers, as the latter use more juice.
  
  
• Turn off the WLAN switch when you're not using it. The WLAN has its own logic circuitry that uses power.
  
  
• Choose what you do. Games with detailed 3D graphics for the CPU and GPU to crunch require more power than Web surfing or watching movies.
  
  

You also want to extend the overall life of your battery. It should last for about 2 years before the charge diminishes to the point at which you'd trade your firstborn child for a new one.

The contacts are recessed in the battery pack, but they're exposed in the PSP. Don't touch them or get them dirty; you could cause poor contact between the battery and the PSP, which could result in premature shutdowns.

Don't leave the battery in the PSP for long periods without using it. If you plan to abandon your PSP for more than a month or so, remove the battery. Try to leave the battery with around 40 percent of a charge if you plan to store it for a long time. Store it in a cool place, like the refrigerator. No, I'm not kidding.

Heat isn't good for the battery. Don't leave it in direct sunlight, near a furnace outlet, or in any other hot area. There's no need to freeze the battery, but try to keep it cool.