For those in higher latitudes, it will be becoming colder now as Winter approaches and it’s worth beginning to think about protecting your electronic devices from the cold.

In the Brave New World of the 21st Century, we now have many devices which are easily portable either in your pocket or in your car. Many of these devices, however are not hardened against the cold and the problems it brings.

So, I have a short piece of simple advice for this Winter.

If you have taken a powered-down device out in the cold or left it in a cold place such as your car for a period of time, do not immediately power it on.

It is quite possible as the cool device was moved into a warmer area that moisture could have condensed onto electronic components and provided a potential short circuit waiting to happen.

So, quite simply allow time for the device to warm back up to room-temperature before switching it on. This may take several hours depending on humidity but will allow the condensation to evaporate. It is worth the wait to protect your devices.