batteries

iOS 5.0.1 didn't fix battery drain bug, say some users

Apple rolled out iOS 5.0.1 yesterday in large part to squash a battery drain bug, but some users say their batteries are still losing charge at a fast rate.

A variety of comments on the Apple Support Forums have so far revealed several people who say the fix did nothing to improve battery life.

Here are just a few comments among the range of unhappy users:

"Upgraded to 5.0.1 this morning. Still draining at the exact same rate. Unplugged with a full charge 2 1/2 hours ago, and already down to 80% with light … Read more

iOS 5.0.1 fixes battery drain bug, say early testers

Apple's iOS 5.0.1 update, which the company released today ahead of schedule, apparently fixes the battery drain problem, at least according to some early testers.

Based on comments made by users who've installed the update, Wired found that most are enjoying a big boost in battery power. Followers of Wired on Twitter chimed in after the magazine posted a tweet asking who has updated to iOS 5.0.1 and if it improved their battery life.

In response, Wired reader Donald Kuntzman reportedly called the update "nothing short of amazing," saying that his iPhone … Read more

Get a Mophie Juice Pack external iDevice battery for $17.95

Today's post is dedicated to my father-in-law, Don Whalen, an incredibly skilled, larger-than-life man I loved and admired. He passed away suddenly last night.

iPhone battery problems got you down? Or perhaps you have an older iPod or iPad with a battery that just doesn't hold a charge like it used to. Whatever the case, it's always a good idea to pack a power pack.

Today only, and while supplies last, Laalo has the Mophie Juice Pack Boost external battery for $17.95, plus $4.95 for shipping. The Mophie has a built-in, retractable connector for … Read more

View the story of the Volvo C30 Electric

The Volvo C30 Electric is already out on the roads in Europe, but this week the Swedish automaker released 10 video clips documenting the development of new technology for the C30.

According to Volvo, the C30 Electric had a short development time, and the process involved about 100 research and development specialists.

Click on the links below to view videos two through 10, to learn more about testing, safety, engineering and other aspects of the C30's development.

The films include "A Milestone in the Automotive Industry" (below), "Battery System," "Electrical Architecture and Electrical Safety,&… Read more

Apple seeds iOS 5.0.1 to end users for battery testing

Apple has begun seeding iOS 5.0.1 to select end users to begin battery testing, according to a report from 9to5Mac. Specifically the early release of the iOS update is going to users who explained battery issues to AppleCare after the release of iOS 5 earlier this fall.

9to5Mac also reports that the iOS 5.0.1 update brings improvements to Siri for Australian users as well as several other bug fixes and multitouch gestures for the original iPad. Apple Store employees are also being briefed on the situation and are instructed to tell customers to wait for the … Read more

BatterySense helps you track your iPhone's battery power

For iPhone 4S users hit by the battery drain problem, there's now an app that tries to help them get the most out of their current charge.

Updated last week to support Apple's latest iPhone, BatterySense can't conjure up any more power from your battery. But it does tell you how much time is left on your current charge depending on what you're doing. And it offers some tips and tricks on how to get more out of a single charge.

Created by the folks at Philips, the free app works on the iPhone, iPad, and … Read more

Five other fixes I want in iOS 5.0.1

As CNET reported last week, Apple is not only aware of the battery problems associated with iOS 5, but has already pushed out a second beta of iOS 5.0.1--which promises to fix them.

My take: why stop there? Apple's already prepping an update, so why not address some of iOS 5's other quirks, annoyances, and omissions? Here are five I'm secretly hoping will get fixed in 5.0.1:

1. A snooze option for reminders. The new Reminders app? Awesome. Long overdue. Love it. But it's missing one crucial feature: a snooze option. … Read more

On the road with the Verizon iPhone 4S

The iPhone 4S on Verizon offered a good balance between call quality and data speeds during travels in California.

Question: Which is more important, call quality or data speeds? Let me state my bias up front: The Web running on 3G is really important to me. On any device. Whether it's a MacBook connected to a MiFi hot spot, a 3G iPad 2, or an iPhone. That said, is it important enough to justify sacrificing voice call quality?

This week I spent a lot of my time obsessing about the Web performance of my new Verizon iPhone 4S during … Read more

Apple's iOS 5 battery fix en route (Apple Talk Weekly)

This week brought good news for those affected with lackluster iPhone battery life after upgrading to iOS 5. Help is on the way.

Apple copped to the quick drainage problem and said it was working on a fix in the form of a software update that will arrive to users in the "next few weeks."

In the meantime, the company pushed out two uncharacteristically quick, nearly back to back betas of iOS 5.0.1 to developers, the software that includes the fix, along with patches to other bugs that were in the initial release of the iOS … Read more