Updating your iPhone to the most recent version of iOS will ensure that your battery is being used most efficiently by hardware and software. Here are some other tips that will improve both battery life and lifespan so your iPhone will last for years to come.

Avoid Extreme Temperatures

An iPhone’s battery is designed to perform ideally between 62°–72° F (16°–22° C). You can maximize phone battery by keeping your phone within the ideal temperature range and avoiding extreme temperatures.

In fact, exposing a battery to a temperature over 95° F (35° C) or charging an iPhone in high temperatures can cause permanent damage. On the colder end of the spectrum, battery performance is only temporarily hampered and should return to normal when the phone warms up.

Adjust Screen Brightness

When your phone has to emit more light, it will draw more power from the battery. Dimming your screen’s brightness or setting your phone to automatically adjust its brightness based on your surroundings will allow you to extend your phone’s battery life.

• To set your dimness, simply swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone screen to open the Control Center and then drag the brightness slider down accordingly.
• To turn on Auto-Brightness, open your phone Settings, select “Display and Brightness” and turn on the “Auto-Brightness” option.

Use Wi-Fi

When accessing data on your iPhone, Wi-Fi always consumes less battery power than your cell phone’s data network. Additionally, Wi-Fi connections are often faster and more reliable than a typical 4G network, although this can vary depending on how many users are sharing the connection.

The two ways that you can turn on Wi-Fi and maximize phone battery are:

• Swipe up on your screen to open up the Control Center, then tap on Wi-Fi, and select your desired Wi-Fi network.
• Open up Settings, select Wi-Fi and connect to your preferred Wi-Fi network.

Kill Idle Apps

Running multiple apps simultaneously is one of the biggest consumers of battery life. There are a couple of ways to go about closing down active and inactive apps.

• Double-tap the home button on your phone. This should bring up a carousel that shows all currently running app processes. Swipe up to close any app you don’t need running in the background.
• Restart your phone. This will close all unnecessary apps and ensure that you’re getting the best battery life possible.

Visit a Certified Repair Shop

In the event that your battery is simply no longer holding a charge, you can visit or send your phone out to a certified phone repair shop. Here, the technician will diagnose any issues with your phone. It is not recommended that you attempt to replace your own battery, as this is a labor-intensive and precise maneuver. If you follow the above measures to increase your battery life and lifespan, though, it’s unlikely that you will have to resort to this measure any time soon.

Extending your phone’s battery life and lifespan isn’t difficult. These days, we all depend upon our phones for essential daily needs like communication and navigation. With these tricks in tow, you should be able to carry your phone on you all day long without worrying about hitting those dreaded single-digit battery percentages.

What tips do you use to maximize your iPhone battery?

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New phones come with the peace of mind of knowing that the device is in factory-fresh condition. However, buying a refurbished phone from a reputable seller also guarantees a device in good condition with significantly lower costs. With the high prices of many new smartphones, here are some reasons why a used or refurbished phone may be a better investment for you.

Price and Affordability

Refurbished iPhones typically cost less than their brand new counterparts of the same make and model. At a time when brand new smartphones often cost more than $500 or even close to $1,000, refurbished smartphones can save you up to 50 percent or more off original pricing.

Good for the Environment

When you buy a used or refurbished phone, you’re engaging in a form of recycling. Old phones are otherwise disposed of, contributing to pollution. New phones require manufacturers to deplete more of the earth’s raw materials, so by buying a refurbished phone, you’re investing in sustainability and a better environment.

Think of the millions of people buying used and refurbished phones—you’ll be part of a significant positive impact on the planet.

Test–Drive Advantage

Instead of buying an expensive, brand-new smartphone that you might end up disliking soon afterward, you could purchase a used or refurbished device with a similar brand or operating system to the new phone that interests you. This way, you’ll get to test-drive that type of phone before making a significant investment in the new device of your choice.

Would you consider a used or refurbished iPhone? Check out Gazelle.com to learn more.

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Setting Up the Companion App

Under the Bluetooth settings menu on the latest iOS 8.2 beta, there is a new option for connecting the iPhone to an Apple Watch device. Users will install the Apple Watch Companion app on their iPhone and use it to download applications to the Apple Watch and control watch settings.

Accessibility Features

Since the watch lacks a keyboard, 9to5Mac reports that the app will let users answer messages via voice command, a transcribed response or an actual voice message. Users can choose either option on a case-by-case basis or by default.

Accessibility features for the smartwatch are expected to be robust, much like they are on other Apple products. Accessibility settings can be managed in the Compatibility app or accessed by triple clicking the Digital Crown on the watch itself. One such setting is the VoiceOver feature that can read texts displayed on the watch screen. Using two fingers, a user can scroll through the text intended to be spoken. VoiceOver is activated one of two ways, either by double-tapping the watch display or lifting the watch. VoiceOver—plus additional settings like Zoom, MonoAudio, and Reduce Motion—can all be controlled from the Compatibility app.

Security Features

Security features in the Apple Watch iPhone app include the ability to erase all data from the watch in the event it is stolen or compromised. Similar to the iPhone, Apple Watch users can establish a four-digit passcode. When the “Erase Data” feature is enabled, Apple Watch would erase all data after ten failed sign-in attempts.

This security passcode is also required to make payments via Apple Pay. According to 9to5Mac, users will have to re-enter all Apple Pay credit card details each time the passcode is removed or changed. Users can enable a setting that allows them to unlock their watch by unlocking a connected iPhone. This allows for the use of longer passwords, which can make the watch more secure. However, this feature only works when the watch is being worn.

Other Key Functions

Health and fitness is a significant Companion app component. Users can receive notifications if they’ve been sitting too long. They can even monitor physical activities and track step counts, fitness level, heart rate and calories burned. Through the app, users can set time intervals at which to receive progress updates, and they can enable and disable reminders, achievements and other health features as needed.

The Companion iPhone app also displays how much storage capacity the Apple Watch has remaining, as well as the number of apps, pictures and songs stored on the wearable device. The app will let users customize the appearance of applications on the Apple Watch home screen, including to digitally “Monogram” their own initials on the face of the watch.

Apple Watch Release Date

The Apple Watch is expected to be released in March of this year. The device is only compatible with iPhone 5 and newer models, and the starting price for the watch will be in the $349 range.

Which feature of the Apple Watch Companion app appeals most to you?

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When we think of smart appliances, one of the last things that comes to mind is the refrigerator. However, this very important household appliance is indeed experiencing innovation. Here are some exciting trends you can expect to see in refrigerators and other kitchen devices starting in 2015.

Wi-Fi Enabled Refrigerator

A significant leap from previous refrigerator models, the Wi-Fi Refrigerator from Samsung debuted at CES 2014, and comes with a smart screen to which content on other television sets in the home can transfer. Users can also make and receive phone calls directly from the fridge.

This smart appliance is expected to launch in Canada at the end of 2014, with expanded release in other regions of the world expected in 2015.

Talk to Your Fridge

This year, LG showcased its HomeChat technology, which allows users to virtually talk to their home appliances about things that are particularly helpful when they’re out of the house. In partnership with Japanese mobile message platform Line, LG is preparing for 2015 by integrating HomeChat with several other LG smart appliances, including refrigerators, washers, dryers, robotic vacuum cleaners, and ovens. The service works by sending a text message to the home appliance, which then delivers a reply according to the content of the message sent. According to remarks by LG in Gizmag, “you will literally be able to ask your washer ‘What’re you doing?’ or your fridge ‘Do we have beer?’ and they will respond just as a person would.”

Sync Home Appliances

According to The Verge, Whirlpool is working on its next-gen connected kitchen suite. The concept would allow your fridge, oven, stove, dishwasher, and washing machine to sync and communicate with one another while being controlled from a central app. The company will design the refrigerator to keep an inventory of all its content, then suggest and program recipes into a smart oven. The platform may also determine the type of stain on a dress and instruct the washer to adjust its system in a way that effectively removes the stain.

Which of these innovations are you most excited about?

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Check the Specs

After a brief foray into eccentric designs, like the BlackBerry Passport, the company is now returning to its roots by focusing on enhanced security and a physical QWERTY keyboard, made famous by earlier generations of the device. The BlackBerry Classic builds upon a similar design of the BlackBerry Bold.

Tech Times reports that the device will retail for $449 and come with a call and hang-up button right below the screen. It has a Qualcomm 1.5 GHz MSM 8960 processor, 2 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of storage and a MicroSD slot that can expand the storage capacity by 128 GB. The Classic runs on the security-focused BlackBerry 10 operating system and uses the native BlackBerry Browser.

Expected Rollout

Following the lackluster market performance of previous BlackBerry releases, major phone carriers have been reluctant to stock new BlackBerry devices. But the tide might be changing for the better, as The Toronto Star quotes Chief Executive John Chen having stated, “It took us a year to re-establish those links (and) nearly all major carriers around the world are starting to engage with us.”

BlackBerry is looking to re-engage with T-Mobile, and AT&T is already slated to carry the Classic smartphone. This is a significant move, because AT&T was the first carrier to offer BlackBerry devices in the United States in 1999. Verizon will also carry the classic beginning in early 2015.

Canadian customers will be able to purchase the Classic through major carriers such as Telus, Rogers, and Bell, though the device will be available for purchase online for all of North America through BlackBerry.com and Amazon.com.

What do you think of the QWERTY keyboard’s return to BlackBerry smartphones?

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When it comes to smart wearable devices, media attention has revolved mostly around Google Glass and smartwatches, especially the Samsung Galaxy Gear watch and the Apple Watch. But as wearable tech develops, consumers may be wondering if this technology can evolve beyond its current position as an intelligent fashion accessory to become an essential part of everyday life. Here’s a look into wearable device concepts currently in development and expected to launch over the next 12 months.

Wearable Augmented Reality

Tech innovators and proponents of wearable devices understand that technology only has a future if it evolves to seamlessly bridge the divide between the physical and virtual worlds.

According to TechRadar, Google Glass developers are working on a sleeker design that does not have the bulky projector seen in the prototype version. Google engineers are faced with the task of allowing users to use information from virtual reality while also remaining aware of their immediate environment. The ultimate intention is to augment the user’s awareness of surroundings while not getting in the way of social interactions. Even though the prototype model has been available in limited quantities since 2013, a general release date for Google Glass is expected in 2015, according to AndroidHeadlines. Samsung Gear Blink and Sony’s SmartEyeglass are two other augmented reality wearable devices anticipated in 2015.

Immersive Experience

Wristify, an MIT-developed, climate-controlling wristband prototype, could make air conditioners obsolete. The device provides natural cooling or warmth by responding to surroundings and communicating with the user, according to Gizmag. Along the same track, California-based Cyrano Sciences is working to develop an electric nose intended to detect dangerous gases in manufacturing industries and mines.

In the future, wearable devices could be replaced by electronic implants to provide a highly immersive digital experience. San Francisco-based NewDealDesign has conceptualized digital implants that monitor health conditions while conducting other programmable functions, like automatically unlocking doors.

Next-Gen Health

Health and fitness wearables have dominated the Consumer Electronics Show in recent years. However, other areas of health are also being touched by the wearable trend. iQ by Intel reports that BABYBE, makers of a portable artificial incubation mattress worn around a baby to help premature infants grow, is bringing haptic information from the mother to the baby in real-time. The use of wearable tech in non-traditional fields such as this is expected to advance over the next year.

The Bionic Man

Future wearable devices could also make wearable bionics a crucial technology for businesses and individuals in data-intensive and manufacturing industries. The ProGlove production tool gives users a new level of business intelligence and control in the field of production management. Similarly, the Open Bionics low-cost robotic hand is intended to replicate a fully-functional human hand and is expected to eventually be available for under $100.

An array of wearable devices are scheduled to be introduced in 2015 from industry leaders and innovators alike. But despite the devices’ increased practicality and svelte designs, unless wearables become more affordable, the technology will likely remain a luxury item for the vast number of tech consumers.

Which of these wearable devices of the future are you most excited about?

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A New Wi-Fi Standard?

This Wi-Fi standard, known officially as “802.11ad,” was originally developed by the Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig), which merged with the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2013. However, the original iteration of 802.11 ad Wi-Fi was faced with the challenge of working only within a short range of about 15 feet, and the signal was unable to penetrate walls. Samsung says it has overcome these barriers. A remaining challenge is getting all major smartphone manufacturers to adopt the technology; even devices that are 60 GHz-enabled cannot enjoy maximum Internet speeds until service providers support such capability.

If Samsung’s claims are accurate, its high-quality 60 GHz Wi-Fi technology will eliminate problems arising from signal interference when several smartphones are working within close proximity, as is the case in the workplace. Moreover, Samsung can get the 802.11ad technology faster to market, being that it is one of the world’s largest smartphone makers. This differentiating factor means that, while its predecessor (WiGig) might have invented the technology in theory, Samsung is more likely to implement the fastest Wi-Fi in reality.

When and Where to Expect the Fastest Wi-Fi

According to the Samsung blog, the company intends to apply its new Wi-Fi technology not only on smartphones, but also on “audio-visual and medical devices, as well as telecommunications equipment.” Samsung’s Wi-Fi developments will play a central role in its Internet of Things strategy, which is currently being led by the Samsung Smart Home system.

Commercialization of the technology is expected to start as soon as early next year, and it is possible that 60 GHz-enabled smartphones could be on the market less than a year from now.

Are you excited for faster Wi-Fi on your smartphone?

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Rumored Release Date

During its most recent launch event, Apple not only unveiled the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but also said that its smartwatch will launch in early 2015—but the company refrained from specifying any dates. As The Information reports, even some of Apple’s partners and employees had been anticipating a pre-holiday-season release date. A person “briefed by the Apple department involved in shipping” told the publication’s Jessica Lessin and Amir Efrati that Apple is reportedly targeting a mid-February launch. However, the unidentified source also said that the company would be “lucky to ship it by Valentine’s Day.”

Last-Minute Preparations

Apple and Quanta reportedly agreed to a deal that does not allow the latter to manufacture any other smartwatches while producing the Apple Watch. Quanta has allegedly started hiring more workers to meet Apple’s demands and expectations, but if mass production does not start until January 2015, Apple’s “early 2015” goal may prove difficult to attain.

Created in Limited Quantities

G for Games, a popular Chinese Apple outlet, cites sources from Apple’s supply chain that say the smartwatch will be launched in February, but in limited numbers. The recent troubles encountered by GT Advanced—Apple’s supplier for the sapphire glass on their display screens—may account for both the delay and the reportedly small size of the release.

Watch Makes Public Debut

Apple Watch was first unveiled during the company’s September 9 event, and the tech giant’s first smartwatch made an early public appearance on September 30. For one day only, several Apple Watch models were displayed in the front windows of Colette, a well-known Paris boutique. Included in the one-day-only display were models from the Sport Collection and the 18-karat gold model from the Edition Collection, which is available in 38 mm and 42 mm sizes.

Will you be purchasing an Apple Watch when it is released?

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Ping is, according to a Medium post by Secret principal designer Ben Lee, “a simple product.” Lee emphasizes that there are no sign ups and no user names, “just content.” In an email to Re/code, Secret Inc. CEO David Byttow confirmed that this app is not related to Secret and added that it has the ability to adapt to the user. Byttow revealed that Ping “evolves itself” as the user interacts with it.

How Did Ping Appear?

Lee admits that Ping was “born out of a weekend hackathon where the goal was an exercise in simplicity,” VentureBeat reports. The team was fascinated with the concept of Ping: Namely, the possibility of an app that understands its user’s interests and delivers relevant news and entertainment simply, as pure content.

How the Ping App Works

Ping automatically activates whenever a phone’s screen locks. From the lock screen, a user can select content by placing a finger on a dot at the corner of the screen and dragging the dot to open up a new screen. Users can choose to subscribe to a variety of categories, such as “apps worth downloading” and “daily fortune cookies,” and Ping sends out notifications with new content.

Behind the Design

A series of developments have allowed the team behind the Ping app to spend more time on how elements act, feel, and sound. Instead of moving between screens, for example, the user navigates with what Lee calls “portals.” Portals can be pulled open and peeked into without committing.

Secret Versus Ping

Secret remains a hot topic, even in the wake of Ping’s release. However, as Secret CEO David Byttow insists, the two apps have different uses. While Secret was created to allow people to share their feelings and experiences in an anonymous environment, Ping has nothing to do with the outer world. On the contrary, Ping has been created to adapt to each individual and gradually “evolve itself” to suit the personal interests of each user.

Ping from Secret Inc. is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.

Would you give Ping a try?

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Over the weekend, Apple shared a short list of HealthKit apps to use with the new platform. Here are some that promise to transform HealthKit into a unique experience for iOS 8 users:

1. UP Tracks Steps, Sleep, and Food

Jawbone’s UP app used to work only with its line of wearable bands, but now it fully integrates into the Apple HealthKit folder. This app tracks a person’s steps, sleep times, and food intake. While the first two can be easily tracked with the activity-tracking band, if the user wants to include food tracking, he or she must manually enter the food items’ names or scan their bar codes.

The UP app allows users to connect with friends and offers words of encouragement, including a congratulatory gesture upon reaching each goal or milestone.

2. MyFitnessPal Offers a Hardcore Diet and Exercise Regimen

With MyFitnessPal, getting started is as simple as signing up and setting a fitness goal. After users are asked a number of questions about how active they are, the app calculates the total number of calories the user should take in on a daily basis. It will also tell users the dates for each milestone and the corresponding approximate weight loss.

3. CARROT Fit Sticks to a Military-Style Approach

The CARROT Fit app promises to whip users into shape by feeding data to HealthKit regarding a person’s weight, calorie intake, and workouts, and it keeps a close eye on the user’s actions. Users have the opportunity to accumulate points and unlock new levels. After unlocking each level, the user receives a reward within the app. The app boasts such features as an exercise calendar, a BMI calculator, and “a pretty graph” to track your progress.

4. Human Keeps People Active

The Human app is quite simple: All a user has to do is stay active for at least 30 consecutive minutes per day. It is more for people who want to stay healthy and maintain a level of fitness rather than those looking to lose weight.

5. Fitnet Helps Users Find a Live Trainer

Fitnet allows users to choose a real-life trainer who will follow their progress. It offers both encouragement and tips through an in-app messaging system. Although the service is free, every trainer handpicked by the team behind the app currently has a wait list.

Have any of these Apple HealthKit fitness apps influenced your daily habits?

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