battery

Apple confirmed some users are experiencing "lower than expected battery life on iOS 5 devices" yesterday, and promised that a software update can be expected in the next few weeks, which should wipe the problem clean. Can't wait that long cause your battery drains too fast? Below, a few tips to save your battery life until the problem is resolved.

• Lower your screen brightness — Just like on your laptop, you can lower the screen brightness on your iPhone to increase battery life. Just head to Settings > Brightness to adjust.
• Use WiFi where you can — Instead of downloading apps, making Google Voice calls, or browsing the web over your cellular or 3G connection, find a WiFi hot spot or use your home's WiFi network instead. This will keep your data charges down and will improve battery life since your phone won't be searching for a data signal.
• Block GPS tracking in apps — If you're using lots of apps that include automatic GPS location and tagging (à la Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), your phone is working overtime to locate you. If you don't need to geotag your posts and updates, keep the GPS off.
• Turn your iPhone's "Fetch" and "Push" off — I have my iPhone set to "fetch" my data every 30 minutes and a ton of apps set to push new messages and alerts as they happen. This is great for keeping up with news and messages when I'm at home, but bad for your data and battery. To turn your "fetch" functions off on your iPhone, just go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, and Calendars > Fetch New Data > Manually. You can also turn off your email and calendar "push" from this screen. To turn off app "push" notifications, head to Settings > Notifications, then switch to off.
• Shut down apps often — Do you shut down your apps after you're done using them? If not, you're using up lots of battery by allowing those apps to run. To shut down apps after use, double tap on the home button to get to your app drawer. To close open apps, just hold down on one until you see the wiggle, then click on the "X" to shut down.

That's certainly one question that stumps (and annoys!) this geek girl all the time. A recent piece in The New York Times hits the spot with a guide to increasing your gadgets' battery life. Among the article's suggestions are to turn off WiFi and Bluetooth functions, and check your "push" function at the door — it's a battery drainer for sure.

But I also have a few suggestions of my own. To find out what they are, just read more

I passed by the HyperMac booth while at Macworld yesterday, and although I have my own pics, these photos are way better than the ones I took from the expo. That's not to say they aren't great looking pieces of machinery in real life, it's just that the contrasting colors in these promo pics are so fab, I just had to show them off. Who knew batteries could look so great?

The ultra-portable HyperMac external battery packs are the perfect size to toss in your bag in case you need some extra juice for your iPod, iPhone, iPad, or any other USB device that may need a charge while you're out and about. Appropriately called Nano, Micro, and Mini, these guys can fully charge an iPhone from up to three to six times via their lithium ion cells and look great doing it too. Prices range from $70 - $120, and you can get your own online now.

To see more photos, just read more

You may be able to cut your dependance on electricity, and kill those pesky power vampires for good . . . at least when it comes to your iPhone. The RollerGen iPhone charger just received a nod as a finalist in the 2010 Greener Gadgets Design Competition, and uses the power of your legs to charge your favorite gadget. Just attach the specialized rack to your bike, and roll on, sister — the power generated by your movement will juice up your iPhone, no power-sucking outlets needed.

One of the downsides to being an active iPhone user is the toll it takes on the battery life. I'm generally pleased with how long my battery lasts, but I like to conserve while I can. This iPhone feature is perfect because it allows you to view your phone's battery life as a percentage next to the battery icon.

To turn it on, tap "Settings," "General," then "Usage" and set the battery percentage option to "On." This shows how much juice you have left in an easy-to-read percentage form, so you can keep searching for the latest updates on the Apple tablet, or holster that baby until you can find a charger.

Do you have a helpful iPhone tip you'd love to share? Create a PopSugar account or log in to your account. Then join the iPhone Tips group where you can share your tip and tell us why they make your life easier. And your handy tip or trick could be featured on GeekSugar! Here's a detailed guide to posting questions or posts to groups if you are new to the PopSugar Community.

In-flight fires caused by gadgets are back in the news after a recent piece in the New York Times warned of yet another risk: fires caused by the rechargable lithium batteries in handheld credit-card machines used by flight attendants to ring up purchases. The Federal Aviation Administration considers the batteries hazardous, and requires special training for flight attendants on airlines who carry spare batteries (some airlines, like Delta and JetBlue, don't carry spare batteries at all).

No fires from the readers have been reported, but according to the same article, in the last two years, a portable DVD has caught fire on a plane, a flashlight placed in a storage compartment exploded, turning into a projectile, and eight people were injured when a battery fell against a metal seat frame and exploded.

The best way to keep devices from overheating, or worse, catching fire? Keep them out of overhead compartments, and turn them off completely before storing them for flight. Do you take special precautions when flying with gadgets?

Like humans, batteries are perishable products that deteriorate from the start of their lives. But, like eating well and using SPF, there are a few things you can do to slow their aging. Following an old wives' tale, my grandmother always kept her batteries in the freezer. As it turns out, that's not an ideal place to store them. Learn how to store your batteries when you read more