Question about full cycle charges and battery life

Question

So I've had the new iPad since day 1 and absolutely love it, though recently I've noticed that my battery life doesn't seem to hold up as well as it has in the past. I've done three full cycle charges since getting it however during my latest one I accidently brought along my iPod wall charger and not the one that comes with the iPad. My iPad was fully discharged and I plugged it in assuming that in the 7 hour window I had that it would be fully charged within 5 hours, but this was not the case due to me having the wrong charger. After about 7 hrs of charging it was only at around 60-70% so I had to unplug it, bring it home, then plug it in once more using the correct charger. Probably a fairly obvious question but does this not count as a full cycle charge because I unplugged it? Should I perform another full cycle charge even though this most recent one was not even a week ago. I know you're supposed to completely discharge your battery as few times as possible so it worries me having to do it again so soon.
About battery life, I've noticed lately that my iPad battery seems to be depleting quicker than normal, and was hoping that perhaps this was caused by being overdue for a full-cycle charge which I may have flubbed as seen above. I'm aware of a majority of the little tips and tricks to prolong battery life however I'm not so knowledgeable on the "do's and don'ts" of charging the actual iPad so any information on that would be helpful. I should also note that unfortunately I accidently left by iPad in a hot car for a little over an hour and was tremendously devastated knowing what this can do to the battery, so could this be the main cause for a seemingly weaker battery?
Thanks for any feedback!  

Answer 1

The quickest way (and really the only way) to charge your iPad is with the included 10W USB Power Adapter. iPad will also charge, although more slowly, when attached to a computer with a high-power USB port (many recent Mac computers) or with an iPhone Power Adapter (5W). When attached to a computer via a standard USB port (most PCs or older Mac computers) iPad will charge very slowly (but iPad indicates not charging). Make sure your computer is on while charging iPad via USB. If iPad is connected to a computer that’s turned off or is in sleep or standby mode, the iPad battery will continue to drain.
Apple recommends that once a month you let the iPad fully discharge & then recharge to 100%.
How to Calibrate Your Mac, iPhone, or iPad Battery
http://www.macblend.com/how-to-calibrate-your-mac-iphone-or-ipad-battery/
At this link http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/galaxy-tab-android-tablet,3014-11.html , tests show that the iPad 2 battery (25 watt-hours) will charge to 90% in 3 hours 1 minute. It will charge to 100% in 4 hours 2 minutes. The new iPad has a larger capacity battery (42 watt-hours), so using the 10W charger will obviously take longer. If you are using your iPad while charging, it will take even longer. It's best to turn your new iPad OFF and charge over night. Also look at The iPad's charging challenge explained http://www.macworld.com/article/1150356/ipadcharging.html
Also, if you have a 3rd generation iPad, look at
Apple: iPad Battery Nothing to Get Charged Up About
http://allthingsd.com/20120327/apple-ipad-battery-nothing-to-get-charged-up-abou t/
Apple Explains New iPad's Continued Charging Beyond 100% Battery Level
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/27/apple-explains-new-ipads-continued-charging- beyond-100-battery-level/
New iPad Takes Much Longer to Charge Than iPad 2
http://www.iphonehacks.com/2012/03/new-ipad-takes-much-longer-to-charge-than-ipa d-2.html
Apple Batteries - iPad http://www.apple.com/batteries/ipad.html
Extend iPad Battery Life (Look at pjl123 comment)
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3921324?tstart=30
New iPad Slow to Recharge, Barely Charges During Use
http://www.pcworld.com/article/252326/new_ipad_slow_to_recharge_barely_charges_d uring_use.html
Tips About Charging for New iPad 3
http://goodscool-electronics.blogspot.com/2012/04/tips-about-charging-for-new-ip ad-3.html
Prolong battery lifespan for iPad / iPad 2 / iPad 3: charging tips
http://thehowto.wikidot.com/prolong-battery-lifespan-for-ipad
In rare instances when using the Camera Connection Kit, you may notice that iPad does not charge after using the Camera Connection Kit. Disconnecting and reconnecting the iPad from the charger will resolve this issue.
 Cheers, Tom