May 21, 2013
Would you believe that many computers and smartphones can run cooler and consume less power? A trick exists, called undervolting, which can increase your CPU's efficiency with few drawbacks. If performed right, devices generally produce less heat while exhibiting improved battery performance. The process can require a great deal of patience and confidence as the potential for disaster exists.
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May 10, 2013
My phone's anemic battery life really drained the fun away from an otherwise awesome phone, the Nexus 4. Overnight, it would typically lose about 30-50% of its battery charge – while idle! I would get about two or three hours of use before needing to recharge. However, my battery problems went away after using a single app: Wakelock Detector. Unlike other battery analysis apps, Wake Lock Detector provides an easy method to seek out app issues causing battery drain.
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May 7, 2013
Whenever I travel, I always make sure that I have some way of charging my iPhone and iPad on the go. Looking for a wall socket to charge up whilst remaining there for the entire duration is not an option in my book. Recently, I've been using the HyperJuice Plug 15,600 mAh external battery pack, and even though it isn't a battery case per se, I've found that it suits me perfectly for longer trips. Let's take a look at it. And yes, we're giving it away to one of you!
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April 16, 2013
A nameless writer once remarked, “If you’re not paying for the product, you are the product.” While probably in reference to broadcast television, the saying also applies to Google’s recent introduction of several poorly implemented services in newer versions of Android. Over the past year, you may have noticed programs running on your device that you never signed up for or installed. These purported "free" services come with a hidden price.
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April 12, 2013
Smartphones can be important tools in an emergency. Besides providing the chance to call for help, a phone can act as a flashlight, compass and GPS. But all of a phone’s functions rely on the battery and the features most useful in a pinch are the ones that consume the most charge. Once the battery is flat, the phone becomes nothing more than a lump of plastic and metal.
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March 19, 2013
Batteries are batteries right? Sure, and computers are computers, and tires are tires. Oh, what's that? You say there's a big difference between a Mac and PC, and tractor tires and car tires? Well, so too there are big differences between the different types of batteries that are available. Obviously the physical sizes are different like your AAA's and your D's, but the differences go deeper. The construction and composition of the charge generating materials can be significantly different as well.
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February 20, 2013
Whether you’re using a desktop computer or a laptop, your computer’s motherboard contains an integrated battery. Unlike a standard laptop battery, the motherboard’s battery doesn’t power your computer while you're using it. Quite the opposite, actually – the battery is tiny and only active when you’re not actually using your computer.
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January 22, 2013
Have you ever forget to charge your phone overnight and, come morning, realize your phone’s battery life sucks? A portion of your troubles probably relate to Android’s inherent design flaws - in particular, its poor background app management. Another large part of your problems could originate from poorly designed apps that you unwittingly installed. Together, these two problems devastate battery life.
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December 19, 2012
So how do you know how well your battery is holding up? And if you just got a new Android, how can you make sure you are getting the most efficient use of your battery power? Are you burning up the juice with services like GPS or Wi-Fi that you may not always need? Isn't it a pain to keep turning those things on and off? How does a person manage all of that and stay sane?
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December 5, 2012
The HP TouchPad is a remarkable piece of kit. This tablet computer with its dual core CPU was released with a buggy version of the webOS operating system back in mid-2011 and failed to capture the imagination of app developers, leading to HP dropping the device within weeks of its launch. The ensuing firesale resulted in tablets being picked up brand new for under $100 on both sides of the Atlantic.
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November 15, 2012
About 10% of an average home’s power use is dedicated to computers. That is the average for the United States, however, and is only an average. Users who are computer enthusiasts may find that their computer accounts for a much larger portion of their power bill. It’s simple logic. The more the computer is used, the more power it draws.Yet not all computers are the same, and they are not all used the same way.
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October 4, 2012
We live in a wireless world. Except we don’t. Sure, we can send huge amounts of information across the airwaves, but the devices capable of sending and receiving it are tied down to power cords. Batteries allow some freedom but, eventually, we all have to come back around to the familiar face of the power outlet. What if we didn’t? What if we could charge anywhere, at any time?
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August 24, 2012
In a society where energy costs are rising, brownouts and blackouts are more common and the urge to stay connected is ever-greater, knowing how to manage your mobile phone’s battery as effectively as possible is increasingly important. This isn’t only to keep costs down – it’s also about staying in communication with emails and social networking services as well as text messaging and phone calls.
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August 17, 2012
The Mobee Magic Charger is a cost efficient solution for powering Apple's Magic Mouse. Instead of replacing the batteries in your Magic Mouse every 2 weeks, the Mobee Magic Charger utilises a rechargeable battery pack and clever induction charging technology to keep your Magic Mouse charged up and ready to go. We'll take an in-depth look at the Mobee Magic Charger today. Plus, when we're done, we're giving this review unit away!
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August 11, 2012
In a perfect world, our smartphones would know exactly when they should be silent, when they need to remind us of things, and when they should conserve battery. By default, however, our phones don't do this, and there haven't been any apps which can change the phone's settings for us. At least, that's been the case until now. "Smart Settings" is an app for Android which focuses on changing your phone's behaviors at certain moments.
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