Smart-phones are always getting thinner, faster and better equipped cameras, but what about batteries? With every process upgrade, and increase in RAM, there is a knock-on effect when it comes to battery life, and when you have a built-in battery like on the iPhone 5 this means carrying a charger and hunting for outlets.

But now there is another way. Mophie have just announced the Juice Pack Air for the iPhone 5 which gives the Apple smart-phone a 1,700mAh back-up battery, which wraps around the phone and doubles as a protective shell.

The Mophie Juice Pack Air adds up to 10-hours of 3G talk-time, boosts audio performance thanks to clever speaker redirection and is available in white, black or red for $100.

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Recently Apple attempted to answer a common user complaint regarding Wi-Fi issues in iOS 6. The new iOS 6.0.2 update was geared towards the iPad Mini and iPhone 5 in particular, but applied to the iPad and other devices with iOS 6 issues as well.

While it is debatable as to whether this even solved the intended problem, now we have reports that this update might be causing a new issue as well.  Shortly after this update, owners have been complaining of that their batteries are draining at a much quicker rate than before upgrading to 6.0.2.

Twitter was inundated with reports from users complaining of the battery drain on their devices.  The battery drain does not seem to be earth shattering, but it is a significant different.  One user stated, “I was able to go to bed with my phone at 100% charge and wake up with 100%, since updating I wake up with it around 90% charged.”

Apple has yet to release any news or statements regarding this problem, but with the iOS 6.1 being right around the corner, they may just ignore it and make sure the new update doesn’t have the same issues of battery drain as the 6.0.2 update.

Have you experienced this increased battery drain or is your device getting the same battery performance as usual?

The post iPhone 5 and Mini Having Battery Issues After Receiving Update appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The Samsung Galaxy S3 has quickly became one of the most popular phones on the market today.  Is it the perfect smartphone? Some would say it is pretty close, though it would be nice if it had a bigger battery. Perhaps something like the Motorola Droid RAZR MAXX HD’s 3300mAh Battery?  While they won’t be able to get something quite that big, Samsung has released an extended battery for the Galaxy S3 giving it an extra 900mAh.

The 3000mAh battery will set Galaxy S3 owners back $64, but they will also have to sacrifice a bit more than just a little cash.  You will lose that sleek look that comes with the Galaxy S3 as the larger battery will create a slight hump on the backside of the phone.

The batteries are available now.  Is the extra juice worth losing the sleek lines?  Sound off and let us know what you think.

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With the patent wars still going strong, tensions are high in technology land. Just two months after Apple walked away from the courtroom a billion dollars richer, the Silicon Valley giant is trying to further distance itself from Samsung.

In the past, Samsung was the main provider of MacBook and iPad batteries. Now, according to TechCrunch, Apple is switching to Chinese Companies Amperex Technology Limited and Tianjin Lishen Battery. This isn’t stunning or even new for Apple. In fact, Apple chose to use LG displays on the new iPad mini instead of going with Samsung displays as it did on the regular iPads. Additionally, Apple axed YouTube and Google Maps from iOS6.

We have already seen shortages in Apple products due to the fact that they could not produce fast enough. Coincidentally, this year’s shortage was notably bad at the same time Apple switched off of Samsung displays. Therefore, this move away from Samsung batteries could lead to more shortages even in Apple computers. Now that Samsung has become a main competitor in the smartphone, tablet, and even computer markets, we might see continued partnerships but when possible the two companies will do their best to distance themselves from one another.

What do you think of this news, is it wise on Apple’s part to push further away from Samsung, or not?

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The post Apple Stops Using Samsung Batteries in the iPad and Macbooks appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Today’s car batteries are massive, yet can only go about 100 miles, and can never come close to gasoline. But a new technology currently being developed under IBM’s “Battery 500 Project”, could result in a battery that would power cars for more than 500 miles on a single charge. They are developing a light-weight, ultra high-density lithium-air battery, or air-breathing battery, which actually breathes air.

In a lithium-air battery, oxygen will react with the soft element lithium to create lithium peroxide and electrical energy. When the battery is recharged, the process is reversed and oxygen is released. Since the oxygen used for the reaction comes from the atmosphere, the battery will be much lighter compared to conventional batteries.

And these batteries have a much higher energy density than lithium-ion ones. Theoretically, the maximum energy density of lithium-air batteries is 12 kWh/kg. That’s around 15 times greater than li-ion, but more importantly comparable to gasoline. If the project is a success, lithium-air might not only replace li-ion, but also gasoline. That won’t happen anytime soon, but it’s certainly possible.

The talks about lithium-air battery actually started way back in 1970, but at the time we did not have the materials required to build one. But li-air is possible today as we have graphene and carbon nanotubes, and also IBM’s famous computer architecture, Blue Gene. IBM has received assistance from Asahi Kasei and Central Glass.

The post IBM’s 500 Mile Lithium-Air Battery Breathes Air (Video) appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Those of you who rely so heavily on the iPhone, so much so that it is is the key to outside world, you’ll be amazed to see it’s also the key to an electric scooter. But not just any electric scooter, we are talking about the Scoot from San Francisco-based startup Scoot Networks. The company plans to rent out Scoots as a cheap and eco-friendly way to get around, and all you need is your iPhone to start the vehicle.

The company owns 20 scooters so far and is conducting a test service in San Francisco. The service is expected to be available in late 2012 or early 2013 to people 21 and older in the city. The scooters feature a plastic-covered smartphone dock, and to rent it you have to dock your iPhone (needs to have the Scoot Networks’ app) which will then act as both the scooter key and dashboard (Android phone docking will eventually arrive).

After docking, the handset will ping a server to check whether the vehicle is available and if it is, and if you are an approved rider, the server sends a code to the phone that will unlock the scooter. At present, you have to press a virtual “start” button on the device to turn the scooter on. While riding, the phone will show you your speed and range based on the battery life of the vehicle, and there will also be an on-screen map.

The Scoot will be available for $5 per hour or you can take one at 5 p.m. and return it at 9 a.m. the next day for the same price. It can reach up to 30 miles per hour and will go 25 miles on a single charge (recharging takes 6 to 8 hours).

According to the company’s founder Michael Keating, “We really do want folks to make this a big part of how they get around town. If they do, we think they’ll really like it. It’ll save them time, it’ll save them money, and it will make the whole city work better“.  And since these are small vehicles and won’t be allowed to be rented for more than 2 days, it is expected that the service will be allowed in most states.

But a few analysts believe that the business won’t become big as it will most likely become popular only in areas like university campuses and also because many would prefer a bicycle if the destination is not too far away. What do you think?  Would you scoot?

The post Scoot: iPhone Enhanced Electric Scooter Rentals appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

We have heard a lot of rumors about Sprint’s version of the HTC One X, and many believe that the handset will be announced by HTC and the carrier at the event scheduled for April 4^th. Well, now it appears like that is exactly what’s going to happen. According to a new rumor, which comes to us via Android Central and if their anonymous insider is right, the One X will be released on the Sprint LTE network on June 6^th as the HTC EVO ONE.

The rumor suggests that the device will arrive with the following specs:

• 4.7 inch, 720p AMOLED screen
• 1.5 dual-core Krait processor
• 2650mah non-removal battery
• 16GB internal memory
• microSD card slot
• Android 4.0 with 4.0 sense
• 8-megapixel camera with 2.0 front-facing camera
• LTE
• Beats by Dre audio

The handset is also said to be black and red in color and come with a kickstand.  But since the device has a microSD card slot, larger battery and support for LTE, we don’t think it’s going to be very thin. That suggestion does not make sense.

But, as you might know, Sprint markets high-end HTC phones as EVO devices, and they also released the original EVO and EVO 3D in June. The timing makes sense, but we won’t have to wait too long to know if it does happen next week.

The post HTC One X May Come to Sprint as HTC EVO ONE on June 6th appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

So, after lining up for hours on end, you finally got your hands on the new iPad. You’re amazed by the improved graphics performance and enthralled by the new Retina display, but your hands are starting to catch on fire. Yup, it looks like the new iPad could have an overheating problem, and it isn’t even summer yet.

At this point, all the evidence is anecdotal, but there have been several posts across forums saying that the new iPad gets pretty darn hot. Yes, we can all expect our tablets and other electronics to get warm with extensive use, but it looks like the 3rd-generation iPad is suffering from a “debilitating jump in temperature.” This isn’t just a comfort thing, as there have been reports of the new iPad sporadically shutting itself down.

The message that appears on the screen? “The iPad needs to cool down.”  The overheating is mostly isolated to just one corner of the tablet and the initial blame is being laid on the larger battery and more powerful processor. The unibody design doesn’t allow for much cooling either.

Did you get a new iPad? Have you experienced any of these problems?

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Tesla Motors might be hiding a big battery issue from their customers. Apparently, the company’s electric vehicles, including their Roadster and the upcoming Model S, feature a battery pack which if completely discharged might leave a huge financial burden on the unfortunate owner. But is the owner unfortunate, or simply a bit careless?

According to an article by Michael Degusta over at theunderstatement.com, if a Tesla electric car, such as the Roadster is parked unplugged, it will eventually become what the company calls a “brick”. The vehicle can no more be started or even pushed down the road. This is the result of the car’s always-on subsystems which continually feed on the battery.

And when the battery dies, the owner ends up paying Tesla approximately $40,000 for replacing the battery pack. Reportedly, there is no protection available via warranty or a car insurance policy for this particular problem. Apparently, at least five Tesla owners were unfortunate enough to end up with this problem. Degusta says Tesla is unwilling to let their customers know about the issue, although they know that it’s a big one.

But don’t you have a slight feeling that Degusta’s argument is nonsense. That’s because it is.

If you are familiar with electric cars or batteries or even smartphones, you might know the fact that the battery which is not recharged will eventually die. And since the battery pack on a Roadster is not your usual $100 laptop battery, people will have to pay a huge price for not finding the time for maintenance.

And a Tesla, as you know, has an electric motor. There is lot less maintenance required for the vehicle when compared to a vehicle with a combustion engine. So it’s not too difficult to pay attention to the charge in the battery packs. And the company has designed the car in such a way that it warns the owner (and even the company, in the case of the latest Roadster) when the battery is low. The owners who ended up with a brick might have ignored all the warnings.

So who is culpable here?

Tesla has this to say in response to Degusta’s article: “All automobiles require some level of owner care. For example, combustion vehicles require regular oil changes or the engine will be destroyed. Electric vehicles should be plugged in and charging when not in use for maximum performance. All batteries are subject to damage if the charge is kept at zero for long periods of time. However, Tesla avoids this problem in virtually all instances with numerous counter-measures. Tesla batteries can remain unplugged for weeks (or even months), without reaching zero state of charge. Owners of Roadster 2.0 and all subsequent Tesla products can request that their vehicle alert Tesla if SOC falls to a low level. All Tesla vehicles emit various visual and audible warnings if the battery pack falls below 5 percent SOC. Tesla provides extensive maintenance recommendations as part of the customer experience”.

The post Who Bricked The Electric Car? You Did! appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

The LG Optimus Vu will certainly bring a visual treat to your eyes all thanks to the 5-inch IPS display (1024×768) that features a bright 4:3 aspect ratio. The Vu is thinner (measures in at 8.5 mm) than the Galaxy Note, and the rectangular tablet features a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, an 8MP rear camera and a 1.3MP front shooter.

NFC, and is LTE enabled, and 32GB of built-in storage is more than enough for a lot for pictures, videos, and apps. But there’s no indication about an SD or microSD card slot anywhere in the press release. Other features include HDMI and DLNA, and it will come with LG’S “Rubberdium pen” (also known as a “stylus”).

But the disappointment is that the device runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread. They have promised an upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich within three months of launch.  The Galaxy Note has a 2,500mAh battery, which should provide a longer run time than the Vu’s 2,080 mAh battery. That might be an advantage for the Note, since those looking to take advantage of LTE will be sucking alot of juice.

No hints about when the device will arrive in the US. Meanwhile, we will take a closer look at the device at the upcoming MWC.

The post LG Optimus Vu 5-Inch Galaxy Note Rival Now Official appeared first on Mobile Magazine.