The realm of digital music players has a verifiable leader: the Apple iPod. This little device is in many homes, backpacks, and pockets across the nation. The name iPod is synonymous with music and video. But sometimes the battery life of iPod doesn't exactly keep pace with a user's appetite for entertainment. That being said, here are some things you can do to prolong the runtime of your iPod battery and keep your tunes playing without interruptions.

Put it to sleep

Perhaps the easiest thing you can do to keep your iPod battery from running low too quickly is to put it to sleep while you aren't using it. This can be done by holding the play/pause button until the screen turns off. This will save the battery, but leaving an iPod in sleep mode for several days or more will still result in battery loss. It is a good idea to charge the iPod every now and then even when it isn't used much.

Don't Skip

For those of you who are never content with the current song or video and want to see what's coming next, try to refrain from too much skipping. The iPod is designed to play continuously for long periods of time, but skipping songs will quickly drain battery life. Also, when the iPod is in shuffle mode, the battery will drain quicker.

Watch Movies on a TV

One of the most attractive things about the new 5th Generation and 5.5 Generation iPods is their ability to play videos. iTunes even offers movie and TV show downloads for these devices. However, while watching video on the go seem appealing, it may be about the only thing you get to do with your iPod for the day. Video playback drains the iPod battery quicker than anything. If you have a short video to watch while riding to work or on an airplane, go right ahead. But, if you need to have a Lord of the Rings marathon, I suggest you do it at home.

Counter-Clockwise is the Way to Go

Another attractive aspect of the iPod is the click-wheel, a small circular controller used by sliding the thumb around it in either direction to scroll songs, increase volume, etc. For the battery-optimized iPod, counter clockwise is your friend. In other words, less is more. Lower settings in screen brightness, volume, etc. ultimately equal better battery life. Put the screen brightness at the lowest comfortable level. Keep the volume at a low point that is still easily heard. Doing these things will add precious minutes to your playback time.

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