NYT papers in 2011 : 31 black authors, 655 white ones

source: poynter.org

Last week, The Rumpus published a piece by Roxane Gay titled "Where Things Stand," in which Gay reported that nearly 90 percent of books reviewed in The New York Times are written by whites. Gay researched the racial background of every author critiqued by the paper in 2011. She yielded predictably striking results: 31 black authors, 655 white ones. Eighty-one reviewed books in all by writers of color. "I don't know how to solve this problem or what to do with this information," wrote Gay, who is black. Still. "I like knowing where things stand."

Two days after Gay's count hit, a writer at Poynter called me, looking to commission a piece on the subject. We are both white. We first worked together several years ago, at a newspaper edited by a white man, then again at a website edited by the same white man. When we left, we both recommended each other to different white female editors, who would later hire us in newsrooms staffed with mostly white writers and editors. This is the grim reality of the mainstream journalism network. But as I navigated a series of publications helmed by white men stacked all the way to the top, the success of a white female writer like me seemed like some kind of demographic victory.

Roxane Gay: "It's an easy out—oh, it's way too hard to figure out the race thing."

Gay's count comes on the heels of widespread media concern over the lack of representation of women in literary journalism. VIDA, an organization for women in the literary arts, has assessed the gender breakdown of major literary publications for two years running. In March, GOOD Magazine, where I worked until recently, published my own gender count of the bylines at publications targeting young readers. When white author Jonathan Franzen published his novel "Freedom" to fawning reviews in 2010, white author Jodi Picoult questioned the media's outsized veneration of male writers. On NPR, white author Jennifer Weiner debated the issue with The New York Times Book Review's white editor Sam Tanenhaus.

A similar conversation has not emerged over literary journalism's extreme whiteness. "Race often gets lost in the gender conversation as if it's an issue we'll get to later," Gay wrote in her post. (And in fact I never got around to executing a byline count by race at GOOD.)

This is partly a matter of logistics. Most bylines can be instantly sifted by gender, but race is more difficult to parse. The 50-50 gender ratio is easy to quantify, but the racial breakdown of the U.S. population is complex. It took Gay, an assistant professor of English at Eastern Illinois University, 14 weeks to complete her research, employing a student for 16 hours a week to mine authors' ethnic backgrounds. They couldn't confirm the race of six authors. Gay plans to execute a similar count for the bylines of The Times' book reviewers, when she gets the time. And that's just one publication.

Gay's numbers are more difficult to process in a much larger sense. While racial inequality in the United States runs deep throughout a writer's development, from preschooler to New York Times book editor, the same can not be said for women, who make up 73 percent of journalism and mass communication graduates and likely a healthy proportion of MFA holders, too.

The whiteness of The New York Times Book Review represents the structural inequality of elite journalism stacked on the structural inequality of elite publishing stacked on the structural inequality of income and education in this country. But for women, the system is breaking down at an advanced stage of the game. When female graduates don't end up in newsrooms, female MFA program stars don't get book deals, or female editors are not promoted up the chain, publications can be held accountable for that problem. When writers of color are disenfranchised at every stage of the process, everyone is to blame, so no one is.

"It's an easy out — oh, it's way too hard to figure out the race thing," Gay told me over the phone. "People will always say, 'It's not a situational problem, it's a historical problem.' " Yes, journalism's race problem is the product of historical injustice. But it's also the product of a busy editor's mental pathway, which must flip quickly through its virtual Rolodex to find the first acceptable writer to turn a piece around by deadline. When that Rolodex is stocked with whites — and most of the time, it is — the byline count perpetuates itself.

White editors grow comfortable in their relationships with white writers. They read books written by white people. Writers of color look elsewhere. "I've heard of writers of color who do stop pitching certain organizations," Gay says. "You start to think, 'Why should I bother?' "

Gay says that her own "Benetton-like" network was formed over "a series of small steps that's taken years." Last year, Stephen Elliott, The Rumpus' white editor, reached out to Gay to commission a piece on white author Blake Butler. Gay turned around and pitched an essay critiquing the way The New York Times covered the sexual assault of a young girl. She's since written 20 more pieces for the publication. "[T]he topics [Gay] covers are ones in which The Rumpus has vast room for improvement," an editor's note appended to Gay's piece last week reads. "We strive to better ourselves every day."

Correction: This post originally said the victim of a sexual assault was black; while a New York Times report identified her as someone "whose parents are immigrants from Mexico" it offered no identification of her race.

Related: Why women don't contribute to opinion pages as often as men & what we can do about it | National Magazine Awards to honor men this year

(BN) BRICs Biggest Currency Depreciation Since 1998 to Worsen

Bloomberg News, sent from my Android phone

The largest emerging markets, whose economies grew more than four-fold in the past decade, are making losers out of everyone from central bankers to Procter & Gamble Co. (PG) as their currencies post the biggest declines since at least 1998.

For the first time in 13 years, the real, ruble and rupee are weakening the most among developing-nation currencies, while the yuan has depreciated more than in any other period since its 1994 devaluation. P&G, the world's largest consumer-goods maker, cut its profit forecast for the second time in two months last week in part because of currency losses. Brazil's Fibria Celulose SA (FIBR3), the biggest pulp producer, asked banks to loosen restrictions on dollar loans after the real hit a three-year low.

Investors are fleeing the four biggest emerging markets, known as the BRICs, after Brazil's consumer default rate rose to the highest level since 2009, prices for Russian oil exports fell to an 18-month low, India's budget deficit widened and Chinese home prices slumped. Investors are bracing for more losses as economic growth slows.

"I am quite bearish," Stephen Jen, a managing partner at hedge fund SLJ Macro Partners LLP and a former economist at the International Monetary Fund, said in a phone interview from London. "When the global economy and capital flow slow down, it's going to expose a lot of problems in these countries and make people stop and ask questions. A run on the currency could be particularly ugly."

Ruble's Retreat

Currencies from Brazil, Russia and India will probably decline at least 15 percent by year-end, said Jen, the former head of global currency research at Morgan Stanley.

Brazil's real lost 12 percent so far this quarter, the biggest drop among the 31 most-actively traded currencies tracked by Bloomberg. The 11.5 percent depreciation in the ruble and 10 percent drop in the rupee was almost twice the retreat in the euro. China's yuan, which was kept unchanged during the global financial crisis in 2008 and 2009, fell 1.2 percent since March after the government widened the amount the currency is allowed to fluctuate each day.

The ruble sank 2.4 percent last week, while the rupee fell 2.9 percent to a record low against the dollar and the real dropped 0.8 percent. The rupee rebounded 1.2 percent today as the finance ministry may today announce a plan to allow foreigners to buy more Indian debt, said a government official, who asked not to be identified. The yuan fell as much as 0.3 percent to 6.3827 per dollar, the weakest since Nov. 29.

Foreign Reserves

A decade after Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS)'s Jim O'Neill coined the term BRIC, China has become the second-largest economy while Brazil, India and Russia are among the 11 biggest worldwide. Their combined gross domestic product rose to $13.3 trillion last year from $2.8 trillion in 2002 as their share of the global economy increased to 19 percent from 8 percent, according to IMF data. Together, they control $4.4 trillion in foreign-exchange reserves, about 40 percent of the total.

The MSCI BRIC Index (MXBRIC) of shares has surged 281 percent during the past decade, compared with 34 percent for the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (SPX) as the real and the yuan strengthened more than 30 percent. Local-currency debt in the BRIC nations returned an average 86 percent in dollar terms since data for JPMorgan Chase & Co. indexes on all four countries began in October 2005, versus a 48 percent increase in U.S. Treasuries.

The countries are still strong enough to account for 80 percent of growth at New York-based Goldman Sachs, the fifth- biggest U.S. bank by assets, Chief Executive Officer Lloyd Blankfein said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in Russia's second-largest city on June 21.

Export Boost

Weaker currencies will stimulate economic expansion by making exports more competitive, said Warren Hyland, an emerging-market money manager at Schroder Investment Management, which oversees about $319 billion worldwide. He's been buying ruble bonds of Russian companies.

Earnings at the nation's commodity producers, including OAO GMK Norilsk Nickel (GMKN) and Polyus Gold International Ltd. (PGIL), will get a boost because their sales are in dollars while the bulk of their costs are in rubles, New York-based Morgan Stanley said in a report this month.

Weaker currencies are hurting U.S. companies that rely on developing-nation revenue to offset slower growth in the U.S., Europe and Japan.

Lower Forecasts

P&G, led by Chief Executive Officer Bob McDonald, said in a June 20 presentation at the Deutsche Bank Global Consumer Conference in Paris that foreign-currency fluctuations will cut 2013 earnings growth for the maker of Tide washing detergent and Bounty paper towels by about 4 percentage points. China is the Cincinnati-based company's second-largest market and some of the firm's biggest businesses are in Russia and Brazil, P&G said.

Philip Morris International Inc. (PM), the world's largest listed tobacco company, reduced its 2012 earnings forecast the next day because of currency swings. The New York-based maker of Marlboro cigarettes gets more than 40 percent of its operating profit from Asia and Latin America, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

A weaker real and lower interest rates in Brazil may reduce Coca-Cola Co. (KO)'s second-quarter profit by $30 million, according to JPMorgan. The Atlanta-based company left about $3 billion in cash in Brazil at the end of 2011 to take advantage of the country's higher interest rates, Chief Financial Officer Gary Fayard said in a conference call in February. Half of the positions were left unhedged, he said.

Pandit's Expansion

Brazil's central bank President Alexandre Tombini has cut the benchmark Selic rate by 2.5 percentage points this year to 8.5 percent, while the real has depreciated 9.7 percent.

"We continue to be concerned by Coke's reliance on this income source," JPMorgan analysts led by John Faucher wrote in a note to clients on June 7, reducing their 2012 profit estimate to $4 a share from $4.06.

Kent Landers, a spokesman for Coca-Cola, declined to comment.

Citigroup Inc. (C), which has been expanding in Latin America and Asia under Chief Executive Officer Vikram Pandit, may take a $3 billion to $5 billion "hit" this quarter related to foreign exchange losses, Charles Peabody, a New York-based analyst at Portales Partners LLC, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on June 20. The losses may reduce Citigroup's book value, or assets minus liabilities, he said.

Peabody, whose recommendations on shares of New York-based Citigroup during the past year produced the highest total return among 31 forecasters tracked by Bloomberg, cut his rating on the stock to the equivalent of sell from buy in March.

Fibria Debt

"Citi's unique global footprint and exposure to the higher economic growth regions of the world will drive above-average book value growth over time," Jon Diat, a Citigroup spokesman, said in an e-mail. "The suggestion that having non-U.S. exposure is somehow detrimental to Citi's ability to continue to grow value over time is simply wrong."

Local companies in the BRIC countries are also being hurt. Sao Paulo-based Fibria said on June 11 that it renegotiated loan covenants after the real's decline increased the cost of servicing foreign obligations. About 90 percent of the company's net debt is in dollars, according to company filings.

The rupee's drop has hurt Indian companies by fueling inflation and reducing the scope for lower borrowing costs, said V. Ashok, the chief financial officer of Essar Group, the utility and shipping company owned by billionaire brothers Shashi and Ravi Ruia. India's central bank unexpectedly left interest rates unchanged on June 18.

Yuan Debt

"One has no clue where it is going to end," Ashok said in a June 22 phone interview from Mumbai. "The uncertainty and the volatility is the biggest concern."

A weaker yuan is sapping demand for local-currency debt sold in Hong Kong, where international investors speculate on China's foreign exchange rate. The average yield rose to a four- month high of 5.35 percent on June 5 from 4.82 percent at the end of March, according to data compiled by Bank of America Corp. Wang Changshun, chairman of Air China Ltd. (601111), told reporters this month that the company's income from foreign-currency transactions will drop about 80 percent.

"All the BRIC looked ugly," John Taylor, who oversees $3.5 billion as founder of currency hedge fund FX Concepts LLC in New York, said in an phone interview on June 19. The real and ruble will suffer "fairly decent" declines later this year as a global recession spurs investors to buy dollars as a haven, Taylor said.

Bearish Bets

After spending most of last year introducing policies to weaken their currencies, emerging-market governments are now working to limit the slide amid capital outflows.

Brazil's government pared a tax on overseas loans on June 14 and has used swaps to add dollars to the market. Russia's central bank sold U.S. currency this month to slow the ruble's retreat, according to Chairman Sergey Ignatiev. India cut the amount of overseas income companies can hold in foreign exchange last month, spurring them to repatriate earnings. The government and central bank plan to unveil steps today to support the rupee, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee told reporters in Kolkata on June 23.

Investors withdrew $6.3 billion from Brazil's stocks and bonds in May, the most since at least 2010, central bank data show. Russian capital outflows reached a net $46.5 billion in the first five months of the year, including $5.8 billion in May, which is "a lot" for the country, Ignatiev told reporters in St. Petersburg on June 6.

Derivatives traders see no sign of a turnaround.

Wagers on a weaker real on Sao Paulo-based BM&FBovespa's futures exchange rose to $4.7 billion on June 12, the most since February 2010, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Bad Loans

Option traders are the most bearish on the ruble since October and they expect price swings in the rupee to be the biggest in Asia, the data show. Twelve-month forward contracts on the yuan are pricing in a further decline of 0.7 percent in 12 months.

A surge in bad loans in Brazil will weaken the real further, said Amit Rajpal, who manages global financial funds for London-based Marshall Wace LLP. The default rate on consumer debt rose to 7.6 percent in April, matching the highest level since December 2009, as lending growth slowed to 18 percent from a record 34 percent in September 2008, according to the central bank.

"What we'll see now is basically a full-blown credit problem," said Rajpal, who predicts rising defaults in Brazil will resemble the collapse of the U.S. subprime mortgage market five years ago.

India Deficit

In India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is grappling with trade and budget deficits, corruption scandals and fighting in the ruling coalition. The country may become the first among the BRIC nations to lose its investment-grade rating, Standard & Poor's and Fitch Ratings said this month. India's budget gap amounted to 5.8 percent of gross domestic product, compared with 4.2 percent in Portugal and 3.9 percent in Italy, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

China has cut its growth target this year to 7.5 percent, from the 8 percent goal that had been in place since 2005. Home values fell in a record 54 of 70 cities tracked by the government in May, while industrial production growth slowed to a three-year low in April.

In Russia, the price of Urals crude, the country's main export blend, sank 26 percent this quarter. Russia relies on oil and gas for about 50 percent of its budget revenue.

Investors are still too bullish on assets in the BRIC nations as Europe's debt crisis weighs on emerging economies, said Eric Fine, a money manager at Van Eck Global.

"They will do poorly when the world is doing poorly," Fine, whose firm oversees about $35 billion, said in a phone interview from New York. "I don't believe in decoupling."

To contact the reporters on this story: Ye Xie in New York at yxie6@bloomberg.net; Michael Patterson in London at mpatterson10@bloomberg.net;

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Laura Zelenko at lzelenko@bloomberg.net; Dave Liedtka at dliedtka@bloomberg.net

Find out more about Bloomberg for Android: http://m.bloomberg.com/android

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Adel Hamza on Egyptian New President : "Al Qaeda is holding celebrations all over the world now."

source: reuters

Muslims elsewhere said they were also pleased with the result, but some had advice for the new president.

In Algeria, Atef Kedadra, a senior journalist on the country's El Khabar daily newspaper said Morsy's victory carried tremendous symbolic importance but he would now have to show he was inclusive. "If he appoints only Islamists, he will lose because the Islamists are not used to ruling a country."

In Abu Dhabi, a 37-year-old government employee who gave his name as Seif, was upbeat. "I am sure Egypt has a bright future. The Brothers are forced to keep up with modernity, progress and openness. They don't want to destroy or harm their country."

Catherine al-Talli, a prominent Syrian human rights lawyer, said events in Egypt were likely to encourage the opposition battling President Bashar al-Assad.

"It shows that the popular will brings about democratic change, and that when the people chose to rise against repression they can defeat it," she said.

The opposition Syrian National Council agreed, calling Morsy's victory "a source of hope for the rebellious Syrian people".

In Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Laya, a woman who goes to Cairo frequently said she was concerned about how Morsy's victory would change the way women were treated.

"They will think it's now okay to approach girls and reprimand them for the way they dress," she told Reuters.

Other Muslims said they worried Morsy's victory could open the door to fundamentalism.

"Egypt, the most moderate Arab state, run by fundamental Islamists, that's what I call a living nightmare," said Adel Hamza, a 42-year-old music lecturer in Baghdad.

"Al Qaeda is holding celebrations all over the world now."

Muhammad Mursi: Will he be an inclusive leader?

source: reuters

Mohamed Morsy's victory in Egypt's presidential election takes the Muslim Brotherhood's long power struggle with the military into a new round that will be fought inside the institutions of state themselves and may force new compromises on the Islamists.

Stripped of many of its powers in the past week by the generals, the presidency Morsy is set to assume bears little resemblance to the one that Hosni Mubarak was forced to give up 16 months ago after three decades in charge.

That, together with a host of other factors, will put a break on how much Morsy, 60, will be able do in office.

Despite the historic magnitude of his victory - Morsy is Egypt's first freely elected leader and comes from a group outlawed for most of its 84-year existence - the chances of rapid changes in domestic or foreign policies appear faint.

Some of Morsy's more ambitious campaign pledges - his promise to implement Islamic sharia, for example - could well be shelved as the realities of office bite in a country that is deeply divided by the idea of Brotherhood rule.

As things stand now, Morsy does not even have a parliament to pass such legislation, even if he wanted to, although he will form both a presidential administration and appoint a prime minister and government. But the Brotherhood-led legislature, elected in January, was dissolved by the generals who have given themselves the power over legislation in its absence.

"Morsy's thinking was to get a foothold in the presidency and to use some of the informal powers that come with it - being the figurehead - to try to slowly accumulate powers to offset the military council," said Joshua Stacher, an assistant professor of political science at Kent State University.

"But what we have is a situation where the civilian, elected president will be taking the blame for Egypt's continuing problems, while the military council is above such criticism. It has become king-like," he said.

A constant theme of Egyptian history since army officers overthrew the king in 1952, the old rivalry between the Islamists and the military looks set to continue.

"EGYPT'S NEW COHABITATION"

Even with its flaws, the presidency and the popular mandate it represents adds a string to the Brotherhood's bow as it gets ready for a struggle of even greater importance than the historic presidential election: the fate of a new constitution which will define Egypt's new system of government.

"The Muslim Brotherhood will take what they've got - a prize unimaginable to them 18 months ago. An imperfect presidency is way better than none at all," said a Western diplomat in Cairo.

"It's part of the new and delicate act of political compromise - part of Egypt's new cohabitation."

The yet-to-be written constitution will set out the extent of the presidential powers and the role of the military establishment, which the Brotherhood has said appears bent on making sure it is written in a way that protects army interests.

The Brotherhood had secured a decent say in the body that started work on the constitution last week. But the generals have also given themselves new powers over the process, including the right to set up a new constitution-writing body if the existing one is deemed to have failed.

A court, which sits on Tuesday, is to review a challenge to the legitimacy of the current drafting body.

"DEEP STATE"

And beyond the Brotherhood's struggle with the military lies another, potentially more challenging opponent for Morsy: the entrenched interests of agencies accustomed to doing things the old way. The so-called "deep state", including shadowy security agencies, will likely prove a major obstacle to change.

"President Morsy will struggle to control the levers of state. He will likely face foot-dragging and perhaps outright attempts to undermine his initiatives from key institutions," Elijah Zarwan, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said in Cairo.

"Faced with such resistance, frustration may tempt him to fall into the trap of attempting to throw his new weight around," he added. "This would be a mistake."

With a convincing, but far from crushing, 3.5-percentage point victory margin over Ahmed Shafik, Mubarak's last prime minister, Morsy immediately faced calls to make overtures to those who have been alarmed by the Brotherhood's rise.

In his first remarks as president-elect, he promised to be a president for all. He has pledged to build a broad administration - something analysts say would be a major asset to the Brotherhood as it pursues its reform agenda.

That process of forming an administration starts on Monday. Among names cited by senior Brotherhood officials, reformist former U.N. diplomat Mohamed ElBaradei has been sounded out on his interest. Shafik also said he was available, if asked.

Brotherhood activists have promised to extend street protests to force the generals to backtrack on the recent decisions that have taken some of the shine off Morsy's win.

But behind closed doors, the Brotherhood will also continue to seek compromise with the generals, as they have done in the past few days since the constitutional decree was issued.

"Nobody should doubt there is going to be deal-making," said Shadi Hamid, director of the Brookings Doha Center.

"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces still has the tanks and guns and the Brotherhood still understands that," he said. "There has to be some temporary power-sharing agreement.

"There has to be give and take."

Mustapha Kamal Al-Sayyid, a professor of political science at Cairo University, said: "There are some very important, divisive issues between them.

"It is important for Morsy to either resolve them or to accept some compromise, because otherwise his rule will be marred."

(Editing by Alastair Macdonald)

Five ways to extend the battery life on your smartphone

source: Yahoo news

While smartphones are taking on many of the features of personal computers, it is not really practical to leave them plugged into a wall throughout the day. This is a problem as apps, navigation services and faster network connections are causing our batteries to run out of juice more quickly than ever.

Thankfully, there are some obvious and not so obvious ways to extend battery life on our phones. Here are five tips worth exploring right away.

Know the good apps from the bad

Did you know that many of the more than one million apps available to download to smartphones contain programming errors and software bugs that mishandle power control? This means your devices can remain active when they should be sleeping. Yikes! Fortunately, not all apps are bad apples. In fact, there are a few out there dedicated to improving battery life. One recent offering called Carat (available on both iOS and Android devices) does more than simply monitor battery use. Over time, it observes how you use your smartphone and then makes suggestions about which apps you might be able to ditch to save battery juice. The app is still very much a work in progress, but it offers a lot of potential and at the very least can help you identify the most rotten app offenders.

If you're an Android user, an app like JuiceDefender could be well worth a look. It offers many customizable features to help you get the best battery life. It can automatically and transparently manage most battery draining components, like 3G/4G connectivity and Wi-Fi. You can set a schedule when you want things to switch on or off, and the app is even "location aware" so it knows when to do things like switch off Wi-Fi when you are away from a known signal.

A more extreme and controversial way to save battery life on Android devices is to "root" the phones by using a custom read-only memory (ROM). While this can improve battery life by removing the pre-installed apps that drain juice every time you turn on your phone, rooting may lead to other complications that only advanced users can figure out. And most manufacturers and carriers won't honor warranties after a phone has been rooted. So proceed with caution, if at all.

Learn to identify apps running in the background (and know how to close them)

There is a good chance that there are apps running in the background of your phone that you think you closed or reappear each time you reboot your device. Fortunately, it's easy to identify and correct this on the iOS and Android operating systems with a few easy steps.

On iOS, a double click of the home button pops up a row of icons at the bottom of the screen. These are the most recent apps that you used. Holding your finger on one of the icons for a second brings up the ability to fully 'kill' the app in question. Do this regularly and you will very quickly discover some battery life improvements.

On Android, in the "Settings" screen, choose "Applications." Under the "Running Services" tab you'll be able to see which apps are still running, even if you think you've backed out of them and closed them down. It's usually safe to stop certain apps, but it should be noted that some system apps run all the time, and terminating them early could cause issues. For example, killing certain Google services may mean you don't get notified of incoming Gmail, so exercise caution.

Speaking of Google, Android users should also check the "Accounts & Sync" section in their Settings. Turning off automatic syncing for some of the apps may help gain back some battery life. Sure, you may still want to always sync your email, but you might be able to live without constantly syncing services like weather, Flickr, Twitter and other services perhaps. This advice applies to both iOS and Android users: check all your apps and see if they have options that let you switch off background syncing or updates. Some Android users also swear by various 'task killer' apps to keep their phone running smoothly and free of battery-sapping processes.

Keep your battery cool when charging (and while in use)

Your smartphone most likely uses a Lithium Ion (Li-ion) battery. Be aware that extreme temperatures can negatively impact battery life so whenever possible keep your device in elements between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit. While a frigid phone should reclaim its functionality once it returns to room temperature, an overheated device could permanently ruin your battery. Over the course of a year, prolonged exposure to climates above 95 degrees could reduce a phone capacity by as much as 35 percent.

Beyond the obvious tips of keeping your phone out of the sun for prolonged periods of time or removing it from the car's glove compartment on a hot summer day, there are less straightforward and equally important methods you can embrace to keep it cool. Remove any protective cover or accessory every time your phone is being charged. When you're walking around, keep your phone in a ventilated holster or belt clip rather than a sweaty hand or pocket. And while over-charging will also contribute to an overheated phone, Ars Technica reminds us that it's best to plug your phone in when low on juice rather than to run it out completely.

Only use 4G connections and other advanced services when you need to

While Apple's iPhone continues to be a 3G-only device for now (expect 4G LTE capabilities for its next iteration come October), Android users are enjoying the spoils of running their smartphones on super-fast 4G LTE networks offered by Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. Trouble is, 4G can be a real battery zapper, especially if you're using it in an area of marginal coverage. If in doubt, your Android probably has a toggle setting where you can set your phone to use only 3G, You will soon see an extension to battery life that way while not really compromising speed or service.

And disabling a 4G connection when not needed is just the start. If you know you're going to be away from home or a known wireless Internet connection, turn off your Wi-Fi locator. Also, GPS is particularly handy if you find yourself navigating somewhere new, but don't leave it on all the time if you're not using it. The same thing applies to Bluetooth.

One of the biggest battery suckers of modern smartphones are their bright, high-resolution displays. Automatic brightness controls that adapt to light can help, and you may want to check sound and vibration notifications and adjust those too.

Invest in an extra battery, booster or charger

If you discover your smartphone seems to be running out of battery life quicker than ever despite your habits remaining unchanged, it could be worth investing in a spare or new battery. It's worth noting that aftermarket batteries not made by the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are considerably cheaper. They do, however, vary in quality. Some aftermarket batteries can be trusted, but be aware of 'too good to be true' prices for smartphone batteries on retailers like eBay. You could end up with junk, or worse, a faulty battery that permanently damage your device. Buy carefully and smartly from trusted retailers to be safe.

And if you own an iPhone or other smartphone that doesn't allow you to remove or replace its battery, consider buying a battery booster or at least an extra charger. Though they will add a bit of bulk to your usually-svelte device, something like the Mophie Juice Pack Air could effectively double the talk time of your iPhone 4 or 4S. There's even the ReVIVE Series Solar Restore, a solar-powered accessory that will give a little bit of extra battery boost to your smartphone. Though these can only charge about 50 percent of an internal battery, that could still be enough to get you through the day. If not, an extra charger for the car or office should do the trick.