Mobile Technology and the Social Media

Save Power in your iPhone: Tips to Save Battery

2011-09-26T18:15:00.000-07:00

“What’s new with the iPhone 5?” This is the usual question for everyone who heard that the iPhone 5 is now coming in a few weeks. For iPhone users, you can really say that the iPhone is an amazing smartphone. But sad to say, it also needs to improve its battery. Yes, the iPhone 5 battery should be improved when they will release it probably next month. In the meantime, there are things you can do to save power in the iPhone battery. Some of these solutions will limit your iPhone’s full potential, but can be very useful in times you really need to extend your battery life throughout the day.

When you are using actively your iPhone, sometimes it will not last through the day. You need to recharge your iPhone before the day is done. So, what if you don’t have access to power source right away? You then should save power before you can recharge. Here are some tips to save battery on your iPhone.

Lock your iPhone when not in use. Why wait for the auto-lock feature to turn your iPhone into sleep mode? Tapping the sleep button on the upper part of your iPhone will immediately lock and turn to sleep mode. It has also an auto-lock feature which can be set for at least 1 minute to automatically lock your iPhone when not being used.

Adjust to lower the screen brightness. To adjust brightness, go to Settings app and tap on Brightness. This is the next best thing to do I you want that your iPhone will stay longer. If you have a jailbroken iPhone, you can install SBSettings from Cydia so you can adjust the brightness in just a single slide in your status bar.

Install Running Indicator. Aside from SBSettings, Running Indicator is a jailbreak tweak that will let you know which apps are running. You can determine these apps because they glow brighter than dormant apps and a little “x” on the upper left of the icon. You can then turn this app OFF by tapping the “x” on the icon. This helps to save power on your precious battery when you needed most. Make sure to add http://rpetri.ch/repo in Cydia repo and search for “running indicator” to install this tweak.

Disable 3G Network. Turning your 3G network drains your battery faster than EDGE or WiFi. So, the wise thing to do is turn OFF your 3G when you are connected to WiFi or if you are not using the internet. To turn OFF 3G, go to Settings >General>Network> and toggle the button to OFF.

Turn OFF “Ask to Join Networks” feature in the Network Settings. Since your iPhone will constantly search for WiFi networks available in your area, turn this option OFF so you can save power on your battery. You can do this by navigating to Settings>Network>WiFi and turn OFF the toggle for “Ask to Join Networks”. You can still join a network manually.

Turn OFF Notifications. If you have enabled Notifications Option, your iPhone will always search for the latest notifications you may have. The best example is from Facebook. If someone writes on your wall, it will notify you. This is exactly the same with Twitter and other apps. So, turning this option OFF will definitely save your battery life. Go to Settings and select “OFF” under Notifications.

Turn OFF the Data Push and Fetch Features. Go a step further by making the Mail and other apps check in with the servers less frequently after turning OFF Notifications. To increase fetch interval, go to Mail, Contacts, Calendars and select “Hourly” from the option of Fetch New Data. You cannot get mail or calendar invitations unless you will do it manually. This helps to save power in your iPhone battery.

Enable Airplane Mode. When you really don’t need any internet connection, learn to use Airplane Mode from time to time. This will disable all network connections in your iPhone making it function just like an iPod. This will greatly help in increasing the life of your iPhone battery.

If you have more tips on how to save power on iPhone battery, feel free to write it on the comment section below. Thank you!

Google+ App for iOS Updated to fix Bugs and re-Sharing

2011-09-08T18:04:00.000-07:00

While Facebook is in a hurry to carry on the competition in social networking through the release of their latest update for iOS, Google+ has also updated its mobile app. Google has pushed out an updated version of its iphone, ipod, ipad apps via the App Store, bringing with it various bug fixes, along with the much wished for ‘reshare’ feature.

The update brings the app up to version number 1.0.3.2124, and attempts to give the iOS app parity with its Android-based cousin. The reshare ability was added to the Android app recently, and Apple’s App Store approval process has been the reason for the delay on this side of the iPhone/Android divide.

Google’s release notes detail the changes in this particular release of the app, with bug fixes being the order of the day.

§ Reshare support

§ Set your profile photo

§ Improved autocomplete in Huddle

§ Properly refresh notifications when returning to the app

§ Create new circle from Circles destination

§ Fixed 2-step verification issues

One thing that is still very much missing from this update is an iPad version. With Twitter’s iPad app already best-in-class, and Facebook’s app on its way, Google will need to get an iPad app out sooner rather than later.

“Resharing is easy. Simply tap on a post (like you would to +1 it). At the bottom near the comment box, you’ll see a small arrow.Click it and you’ll see the option to “Share this post”. Just choose your audience, add a comment if you like, and hit Post.”

Facebook Update for iPhone Released

2011-09-07T19:44:00.000-07:00

Facebook has recently released a huge update over their mobile app for iOS. Facebook 3.5 is now available in the App Store which fixes bugs and added new features to the iPhone and iPod Touch. This also primarily stops the jailbreak hack that enable iPad version. Facebook will soon release its official iPad app very soon, with version 3.5 being the last update before an iPad counterpart will be available.

Here are the latest features for Facebook 3.5:

Made it easier to share with who you want

Added the ability to tag friends and places in posts
Added the ability to share external links from a web view
Added new design for Profile and Group Wall
Improved the sharing tool to add privacy controls on posts and match your settings on the web site

Improvements and bug fixes

Improved Notifications speed
Fixed a number of Chat bugs
Made it easier to select filters in News Feed
Fixed a bug with the Notifications bar disappearing
Fixed a number of Photos bugs
Improved performance and stability overall

While Facebook 3.5 version has brought a lot of good things for the iPhone users, we also hope for the iPad version to be released sooner!

Wireless Audio System from iHome iW1 – Best Airplay Device for your Home

2011-09-06T10:13:00.000-07:00

The most common add-on gadget for your iPhone and iPod are the docking stations which are very common nowadays. These docking stations provide your iPhone and iPod a charging station while playing music. But the sad thing about docking station is that you cannot use your iDevice since it will remain tethered while playing music. Airplay feature from Apple provides a solution and iHome iW1 provides wireless audio system that will enable users to conveniently play music over WiFi using iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

A free application that can be downloaded from iTunes App Store will be installed in your iDevices to enable controls for playing music. It also serves as a remote control to adjust the volume, equalizer power and iPod functions. The iHome iW1 boasted its two speakers and two tweeters feature with Bongiovi Acoustics Digital Power Stations which effectively improves brightness, clarity and presence and delivers deeper, more resonant bass and crystal clear highs, based on iHome iW1 technical specifications.

iHome iW1 is very portable device while playing music without power chords provided by lithium-Ion battery. It can also be used by other music players since it has an input jack for MP3. The most attractive feature on this gadget is its Airplay capability that frees you from the docking stations.

You can visit www.applebitzjailbreak.com for more information about jailbreaking your iDevices.

Mobile Technology and the Social Media

2011-09-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

Greetings to everyone who happened to stumble on my site. I started this blog because I want to share my ideas and knowledge about mobile devices, the effects of social media to every group of people and the connection between mobile technology in social media. Please subscribe and make sure to bookmark my site. I also write for InfoBarrel and my jailbreaking site which is focused on Apple devices. Thank you and see you around.