Apple started the smartphone revolution with their iPhones, a device acknowledged worldwide for the way it’s changed the landscape of the tech industry. But for all the iPhones well deserved merits and uses, the device has always been plagued with problems surrounding its battery life.

If your iPhone battery runs into the red during a full day of regular use, you might want to consider methods that will improve its battery life. Try some of these tips below.

Battery Saving Apps

Though it sounds somewhat counterintuitive, there are some apps for the iPhone that actually help it conserve battery life. Appventions offers a $0.99 app called Battery Boost Pro (iTunes link) that helps conserve battery life on your iPhone by prioritizing functions away from things that typically drain your battery life. Battery Boost Pro also offers helpful tips for users to increase the battery life of their iPhones on their own.

Another app, Battery Doctor Pro (iTunes link), also works to conserve iPhone battery life. Battery Doctor Pro is also $0.99 at the Applications Store, and it seems to be the more popular app of the two. The app will provide you with a detailed charge log so you can keep track of the frequency of your battery charges, and works to maximize the longevity of your iPhone’s battery lifespan.

Battery Saving Accessories

There’s a battery case by Mophie designed to increase the overall lifespan of your iPhone. There’s a small external battery built into the Mophie case which can extend the battery life of your iPhone by up to eight hours!

There are also a number of third party retailers who sell kits and replacement batteries designed for longer battery life. The company Milliamp offers a number of battery replacement kits for any generation of iPhone (or iPod), all meant to give your device ample battery life for a day’s usage.

If you do consider one of these third party users, you should check you iPhone’s warranty and Terms of Service before replacing any items on your device. If you accidentally break something in your iPhone while installing third party hardware, there’s no telling if Apple will be willing to help you out.

Practical methods

If you don’t want to invest in any products to improve your iPhone’s battery life, then you have to be smart about how you use it if you hope to make it through a full day without charging. Basic rules of thumb are using the web less on your phone, deactivating the auto-retrieve settings on your email, and disabling your iPhone’s ability to constantly check for WiFi.

Of course Apple has a few “common sense” tips to offer for those suffering from perpetual battery life in the red. Among their recommendations include turning off push notifications, reducing the use of GPS locating services, and lowering the standard brightness of your iPhone. You’ll notice a small increase in your battery life to be sure, but it won’t be anything to write home about. And, as always, they recommend that you check frequently for software updates that may include new methods for improving battery life.

Guest post: This article is written is by Kimberly Wilson, who is from accreted online colleges, she writes on topics including career, education, student life, college life, home improvement, time management etc.
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Tips to Increase your iPhone Battery Life is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Nokia Lumia 800 (Malaysia) is to be launched in Malaysia tomorrow. DiGi telco make a step ahead and allows customer to pre-order the 1st Nokia Windows Phone on its online store. Read on for the details of DiGi Lumia 800 plans.

Update: DiGi Nokia Lumia 800 pre-order has ended. The official launch is on Feb 10, 2012.

DiGi Lumia 800 Plans

The recommended retail price for non-contract Nokia Lumia 800 is RM 1650 (~USD547). With DiGi Smart Plan contract, the smartphone body price starts from RM 1449 to as low as RM 1099.

Check out the DiGi Nokia Lumia 800 plans table below:

I’ll attend the Nokia Lumia 800 & Lumia 710 launch event in Malaysia. Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for real time updates.

DiGi Nokia Lumia 800 Plans Revealed is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Google has introduced the Chrome for Android (beta) for Android 4.0 (ICS), which brings speed and simplicity of desktop Chrome to Android phone and tablet. It enables you to sync bookmarks and tabs across devices.

Chrome for Android Features:

1. Browse fast with accelerated page loading, scrolling, and zooming
2. Search and navigate directly from the omnibox
3. Open and switch between unlimited tabs in an easy-to-view stack
4. Sign in to Chrome to sync your bookmarks and view tabs you have opened on your computer
5. Send pages from desktop Chrome to your smartphone or tablet with one click and read them on the go, even if you’re offline
6. Browse privately in Incognito mode

Not support Adobe Flash!

On the side note, Adobe has confirmed that Chrome for Android does not support Flash:

…Adobe is no longer developing Flash Player for mobile browsers, and thus Chrome for Android Beta does not support Flash content. Flash Player continues to be supported within the current Android browser.

No surprise there as Adobe announced in November 2011 that Adobe is no longer developing Flash Player for mobile browsers.

Android phone seller should stop highlight “supporting flash” as a feature in 2012! It’s HTML5 now.

Download Chrome for Android

Chrome for Android Beta is for Android 4.0 (ICS) only. You can download it from Android Market.

Based on current 2320 user reviews, the app gets a average rating of 4.3 out of 10. Not suitable to set as default browser for the moment…

My two cents

I like the sync features for bookmarks and view tabs, and the ability to send pages from desktop Chrome. I believe that Chrome will soon replace Android browser and become the default web browser for Android platform.

Chrome for desktop is currently the 2nd most popular web browser in the World.

Google Announce Chrome Beta for Android – Not Support Flash is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Nokia has announced the Nokia Belle update for the latest Symbian smartphones: N8, E7, E6, X7, C6-01, C7, and Nokia Oro. Nokia Belle will be make available for Nokia 500 within next few weeks. Read on for the details

Nokia Belle gives your Symbian smartphone a new look, 6 home screens, new widgets, improved status bar, new Nokia Maps, improved video recording, web browsing, and more. More about Belle features and screenshots.

To update to Nokia Belle (It’s free!), you simply connect your phone to your computer and click the software update icon in Nokia Suite version 3.3 (download link).

Here is step-by-step instruction video to show you how to update your phone to Nokia Belle:

Nokia is rolling out the Belle update to other countries. You can check availability here.

Download Nokia Symbian Belle Update for N8, E7, E6, X7, C6-01, C7, Oro is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

While Nokia Lumia 800 only to be released later this week in Malaysia, Nokia has confirmed the availability of white Lumia 800, beginning later this month.

White Lumia 800 has the same specs: 3.7″ AMOLED display, 1.4GHz processor, 8MP camera, etc. It will launch first in UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Scandinavia, Finland, Poland and Switzerland.

Which colour are you prefer: black, magenta, cyan, or white?

(via Engadget)

Nokia Lumia 800 White is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 are the first Nokia phones running Windows Phone platform. Both smartphones are to be launched in Malaysia in Feb 2012. In this article, you will learn about the Nokia Lumia phones release date, specifications, and prices in Malaysia.

Malaysia Nokia Lumia release date

LiewCF Tech Blog has invited by Nokia Malaysia to the launch of Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710 in Malaysia at 10 February 2012. We will have a chance to speak to Nokia and Microsoft representatives and get a chance to experience the Nokia Lumia devices. Exciting? Yes, we are!

Check out the Nokia Lumia phones specs below.

Nokia Lumia 710 Specs

Nokia Lumia 710 has 3.7-inch ClearBlack TFT touch-screen display with 800 x 480 resolution. The phone’s measurement is 119 mm x 62.4 mm x 12.5 mm, weight only 126 gram.  It is powered by 1.4 GHz single-core processor and 512 MB RAM, running Windows Phone 7.5 Mango mobile operating system. The internal storage is 8GB, no slot for micro-SD card.

Lumia 710 has a 5 MP camera with LED flash,  802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, micro-USB port. The Windows Phone uses a 1300mAh battery, claims to have a 3G talk time up to 7.6 hours or 6 hours video playback.

Nokia Lumia 710 is available in 2 colours: Black and White. The back cover is interchangeable to different colours: black, white, cyan, fuchsia, and yellow.

Nokia Lumia 800 Specs

Nokia Lumia 800 looks almost identical to Nokia N9, the first and last MeeGo phone. It has curved 3.7″ AMOLED ClearBlack glass touchscreen display with 800 x 480 resolution. Lumia 800 is using the the same 1.4 Ghz processor and 512 MB RAM as Lumia 710. Both smartphones are running Windows Phone 7.5 Mango platform, have   802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 connectivity, micro-USB port.

Nokia Lumia 800 has 16 GB internal storage, which is 2x more than Lumia 710′s. The high-end phone has 8 megapixel camera with a f/2.2 Carl Zeiss lens with dual LED flash. Both Windows Phone can capture 720p video capture at 30 frames-per-second.

Lumia 800 build-in 1450 mAh battery and claims to give you up to 9.5 hours of 3G talk time, or 6.5 hours video playback time. The phone weight 142 gram, measurement is 116.5mm x 61.2 mm x 12.1 mm.

Nokia Lumia video

Malaysia Nokia Lumia Prices

Now still 7 days to the Malaysia Nokia Lumia release date. We haven’t get the official recommended retail price yet. However, our friend at MalaysianWireless revealed that Malaysia Nokia Lumia 800 is RM1650 (~USD $546) and Nokia Lumia 710 is RM999 (~USD $330). We would say that’s a competitive pricing.

My two cents

Based on the specifications, the only major differences between Lumia 800 (high-end) and Lumia 710 (lower-cost) are the display (AMOLED vs TFT), internal storage space (16GB vs 8GB), and the phone camera (8MP vs 5MP). If you are not mobile-phone-photog, Lumia 710 can save you RM650 to buy other gadgets.

I’ll attend the Malaysia Nokia Lumia launch event. Let me know if you have any questions regarding the Nokia Lumia phones. Please follow me on twitter and facebook fan page for the upcoming updates.

Malaysia Nokia Lumia 800 and Lumia 710: Release Date, Price, Specs is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Absinthe, the untethered jailbreak tool for A5-powered devices (iPhone 4S and iPad 2) running iOS 5/5.0.1, has been released by Chronic Dev-team. There’s about 1 million downloads in a little over 3 days after release.

In this article, you will learn where to download the jailbreak tool and how to jailbreak your iPhone 4S and iPad 2.

Where to download Absinthe jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iPad 2?

You can download the latest version of Absinthe jailbreak tool from this iClarified’s page. The following are the current version’s direct download links for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating system:

Absinthe 0.3 (Win): absinthe-win-0.3.zip
Absinthe 0.3 (Mac): absinthe-mac-0.3.zip
Absinthe 0.3 (Linux): absinthe-linux-0.3.tar.gz

How to jailbreak iPhone 4S and iPad 2 using Absinthe?

Warning: Make sure you have backup your iDevice before using the jailbreak tool.

After you have downloaded the Absinthe, it is quite easy to jailbreak your iPhone 4S/iPad 2:

1. Launch Absinthe application
2. When prompted, connect your iPhone 4S/iPad 2 that you want to jailbreak to the computer via USB cable. Make sure you have remove any passcodes or VPN settings you’ve previousl set.
3. Click on the “Jailbreak” button and wait…
4. When the app tells you it is “almost done”, you need to unlock your iDevice and tap on the Absinthe icon (app icon with skull inside) to complete your jailbreak.
5. You’ll get a configuration error, ignore it. Your iDevice will reboot in a minute and you’ll get Cydia app, which allow you to install jailbreak apps!

For more information, please check out iClarified jailbreak wizard.

My two cents

Personally, I don’t jailbreak my iPhone 4S and iPad. Yes, you can customize a jailbroken iDevice to your preferences. So far, I don’t see any killer feature that make me want to jailbreak (No, installing pirate apps is NOT a “feature”).

Do you jailbreak your devices? What are the recommended jailbreak apps, customizations, and system extensions?

Untether Jailbreak for iPhone 4S and iPad 2 (Absinthe) is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Thanks to all the participants in the i-mobile i693 Android smartphone review and giveaway. There were 1,375 total entries in the 2 weeks contest period. And we got a winner randomly picked by computer.

The winner is… Badiuzaman Mohd Noor. Congratulations! He has been contacted to receive the gift.

LiewCF Tech Blog often has free giveaway to reward our readers. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to be the first to know the coming giveaway, as well as latest tech news and tips.

I would like to thank i-mobile for giving the i-mobile i693. Interested in sponsoring? I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with me.

i-mobile i693 Android Smartphone Giveaway Winner is… is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

LiewCF Tech Blog has received I-mobile i693 Android smartphone for review and give it away to blog reader after this review!

What’s in the box?

For your information, I-mobile is a brand originated from Thailand. Their products includes feature phones to budget Android smartphones and tablets.

I-mobile i693 is considered their higher-end model. The retail price was RM638 but now you can get it for RM468 or lower at hypermarket and authorized dealer. It comes with removable battery, USB cable, charger, headset, and user manual.

Specs

I-mobile i693 does not have high-end specs. It is powered by 600 Mhz processor, running Android 2.2 Froyo operating system. The 3.2 inch TFT touch screen display support 480×800 resolution and 262k HVGA colours. 5.0 MP camera without flash. No secondary camera. Support MicroSD memory card (not included) up to 16GB.

Design

There are 2 colors available, grey and white. The one I received is white. At first glance, I was attracted by its sexy white, shiny and curved body. It’s only 13.4 mm thick. At closer look, its plastic body is not to my liking.

On the left-side of the phone, there’s lock button and volume control buttons. One the right-side, you get 3.5mm jack, MicroSD memory card slot, mini USB port, and a dedicated camera shutter button.

Under the 3.2 inch touch screen display, you have 4 menu buttons (back, menu, home, search) and mic. The menu buttons are small and slim, a bit hard to press. For a couple times, I keep touching on the menu logo with backlight and thought they are touch-sensitive buttons.

The 5.0 MP camera and loudspeaker are located at the back of i-mobile i693. The camera has no flash.

Widgets

Immediately after start up, there’s a “ComBar” on home screen which looks like Thailand entertainment related widget (Thai language) and few other business related widgets that doesn’t seem to work in Malaysia (oil price, gold price, weather).

Apps

There’s only few default apps which includes social apps like facebook, foursquare and fring.

My two cents

I-mobile i693 is quite responsive but with little delay when scrolling screen. No problem playing 2D games like the famous Angry Birds. By the way, the speaker is loud and clear!

Not sure whether it is hardware problem or app bugs, I encountered few system errors while reviewing.

I didn’t test the 5 MP camera because I-mobile i693’s camera refuse to work without a microSD card and I don’t have it.

To summarize, I-mobile i693 has a beautiful body and o.k. hardware. The 5MP camera is more advance than other Android smartphones with 2MP camera in the same price range.

Visit I-mobile website for more information. Remember to check out their promotions, too!

How to win?

Simply follow the instruction below to win this i-mobile i693 smartphone. Winner will be selected randomly. The more entries you got, the higher chance you will win.

[Update (Jan 9): Giveaway contest has ended. The winner is…]

Editor’s note: I would like to thank i-mobile for giving the i-mobile i693. Interested in sponsoring? I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch with me.

i-mobile i693 Android Smartphone Review and Giveaway is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Editor’s note: iPhone 4S has finally launched in Malaysia and many people were eagerly to be iPhone 4S owner at the launch day. Amelia Hunter has a different option though. She bought iPhone 4S, but regret for buying it. Read on for her reasons.

When the iPhone 4S was just released, I was among those who fell in love with it from the first sight. I read many user reviews and articles about it, watched videos demonstrating its unboxing, software features, camera and other advantages. And what I liked most in the new iPhone was… Siri, of course. I found many funny articles about Siri’s smart and funny responses and about the Easter Eggs hidden in it. I really liked it and decided to buy an iPhone at last (though I wanted to buy a Galaxy Nexus first).

About a week ago I bought a SIM-free iPhone 4S. My new device from Apple looks great, has a very nice build quality, a powerful camera and rather good performance, but still it’s not what I expected, so, to tell the truth, I was a bit disappointed. Below I’ll try to explain why I am disappointed in the new iPhone and bring 4 reasons not to buy it:

1. Siri isn’t that great

As I have said above, Siri was one of the main reasons I bought the iPhone 4S – I really wanted to have a look at this smart user assistant that could speak with me and understand what I said… But Siri turned out to be not that great.

First of all, it takes Siri several long moments to understand what you’re saying – I ask her my questions and wait for some 5-10 seconds for her to respond.

Second, sometimes Siri doesn’t understand what I’m saying. I’m a journalist and I’ve always thought I have no problem with my pronunciation, but it took me some 5 or 6 attempts to make Siri understand what I was asking “Who is” and not “Boys”, “Please” or even “Cool ease” (they don’t even sound similar, heh…).

Third, Siri uses the Internet connection to function, so if there’s a slight problem with the connection, or if you don’t want to keep it on, you won’t be able to “chat” with your smart assistant.

2. Too expensive

The unlocked iPhone 4S is rather expensive – the 16GB version costs about $650 (at Amazon). But the problem is – not only buying an iPhone takes much money, having an iPhone takes much money, too!

As I said above, Siri uses the Internet connection to work, plus the phone has a lot of features that will need the Internet, too (haven’t found all to turn them off yet). So in these few days my phone spent about £10 on doing nothing (does Siri consume THAT much?).

Maybe it’s because my phone is unlocked, and it would be cheaper if I had an iPhone 4S on contract (UK). But anyway it’s a fact that the iPhone 4S consumes a lot of money.

3. Glass body

It’s a shame that only after buying the new iPhone 4S I stumbled upon this drop test on YouTube showing how fragile the phone is:

I haven’t bought a protective case for my phone yet and now, after watching this video, I’m really afraid to drop it. Seems like its glass case won’t survive even a single drop… Will a case really protect it? I’m not sure about this now…

4. Privacy problems?

In my old Samsung phone I could protect my photos, text messages and any directories I wanted with a password so no one could ever see them without knowing the password (maybe there’s something I’d like to hide, after all…), but I can’t see a similar feature in the iPhone 4S.

I don’t know, maybe I haven’t found the right way to do this yet or maybe there’s an app for that, but at the moment this is a big shortcoming for me anyway…

Of course, the iPhone 4S has a lot of advantages, too, and it’s a good phone overall, but the little problems I mentioned above (they’re all my opinion, of course, and I guess there are many people for whom those are not shortcomings at all) really made me regret for buying it…

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by Amelia Hunter. If you would like to contribute too, please contact me.

4 Reasons NOT to Buy iPhone 4S is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.