Winter-ize your technology!

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The cold isn't just hard on your car, it's also hard on what you keep in it. Laptops, cell phones, tablets, and other hand-held devices are especially vulnerable to damage from the cold. Here's what tech experts recommend for keeping your technology safe.

• Keep your technology out of the trunk! Just a few hours in the trunk can do damage.


• If you're headed into the cold, bundle up your devices, just like you would bundle up your children. Keep your gadgets covered, so any residual heat will lessen the effects of the cold.


• Don't forget to turn off your devices! Be sure to power down all the way - not just to sleep mode - to keep data safe.


• When you go inside, let your laptop or phone warm up before you boot up! Your devices should be at room temperature before you turn them on, to keep damaging condensation away.


• The cold drains your batteries faster, so keep a charger on-hand.


• Freezing temperatures can make screens on your phone, computer, or tablet more likely to break, so keep them in protective cases.