Battery

Vox: a minimalistic spin on the battery indicator

Looking for a minimalistic battery indicator, yet don't want to fool with any WinterBoard themes? If so, then you just got a brand new option. Vox is a recently released jailbreak tweak that reimagines the stock battery indicator for something a bit more subtle and minimalistic.

The tweak outright forgoes the numerical percentage, and eschews the skeuomorphic battery indicator for something a bit more abstract. Have a look at our video walkthrough for more details...

iOS 7: Charging

As you know, many an item has changed with iOS 7 from a visual perspective. We've already covered some of the details of the Lock screen, booting, etc. What about something as subtle as the visual cues when the device begins to charge? Indeed, those have been totally revamped as well, and the changes, I believe, are for the better. Take a look...

Belkin launches new Grip Power Battery Case for the iPhone 5

Belkin, a California-based maker of consumer electronics and accessories, today announced its first entry into the iPhone 5 battery case space with the Grip Power. Similar to Mophie's popular Juice Pack line, the Grip Power is a case that has a built-in backup battery.

The Grip's power block is of the 2000mAh variety, which Belkin says is good enough to double the battery life of your late-model iPhone. And with its shock-resistant outer shell and anti-glare camera ring, it makes for a decent case in terms of protection as well...

Mophie unveils new 2,100 mAh Juice Pack Plus for iPhone 5

Good news for all of you iPhone power users out there. The California-based accessory-maker Mophie took the wraps off a new battery case today for the iPhone 5: the Juice Pack Plus.

This is the third case we've seen from Mophie for the iPhone 5, and it's also the most powerful. Forget about built-in 1500 and 1700 mAh batteries, this one has a 2,100 mAh pack...

Apple’s battery patents hint at rounded gizmos

The days of boxy computers are history, so why are the batteries which power them still the same shape? That's the question a pair of new Apple patent applications seek to answer. The patents filed in 2011 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office describe "non-rectangular batteries for portable devices."

The iPhone and iPad maker outlines a way to customize the shape of batteries to fit the flexibility of today's consumer electronics, including the growing array of wearable devices, such as the highly-discussed iWatch or Google's Glass eyewear...

Is Google Now draining your iPhone’s battery?

Google's take on search AI dubbed Google Now went live Monday via an update to the Internet giant's native iOS Search app.

Today, a number of users took to the Internet to complain about the application's excessive power drain due to a possible glitch in how it retrieves your location in the background...

Live Battery Indicator now available for free on Cydia

Live Battery Indicator, a jailbreak tweak that merges the battery bar and the battery percentage into one, is now available for free download on Cydia’s BigBoss repo. I must say that I was quite surprised at the reception that this tweak, a very simple one, received in our preview. A lot of you guys seemed to be keenly interested in its release.

Live Battery Indicator performs pretty much exactly like it did in my preview build of the tweak. Just like the preview version, there are no options or settings to configure, and once it's installed it starts working immediately.

There is one unsuspected surprise that you'll find when installing the official version of Live Battery Indicator, though. Can you guess what it is?

Live Battery Indicator merges battery percentage with a circular icon

I've received quite a few inquiries about my iPod touch's battery over the last few days. More specifically, people want to know exactly how I got new battery icon with the battery percentage in the middle.

This is the result of an upcoming jailbreak tweak called Live Battery Icon. It ditches the standard battery icon for a new-fangled circular indicator with the battery percentage neatly situated in the center.

The Braven 600 portable speaker is on point

Having reviewed different ranges of audio accessories for iOS devices, until now, I had yet to review a portable wireless speaker set. There are plenty around, but none of them ever piqued my interest. Unless my wife started asking about them, I would not have considered owning a wireless speaker considering I have a pretty serious home system and a pair of nice headphones.

After spotting the Braven 600, I figured why not give it a shot. It seemed like a well-built option, considering the price. Braven is a company with which I was not immediately familiar, but when I opened the box, I was quite surprised at the well-packaged speaker. It's a perky little thing, for the size, and it is a nice addition to my current line up. Follow me past the fold for the full details...

The iTorch, a portable iPhone charger that lights the way

Since my visit to CES 2013, a quest for a backup portable iPhone charger began. Running around the world's largest trade show peddling for power was pretty ugly. New Trent was kind enough to send one over for review and it fitted the bill for my charging woes. A simple, travel size device, the iTorch IMP52D provided a full charge in just under 2 hours for my iPhone 5...

iBatteryInfo provides useful battery data when unplugging your device

If your device's battery life is a major concern for you, there are a number of jailbreak tweaks out there that will help you monitor and get the most out of it. There's BatteryDoctorPro, Battery Status and BattSaver, to name a few.

Today we're adding another one to the list, a new tweak called iBatteryInfo. This simple utility offers up all kinds of useful data, like whether or not your battery is fully charged, when plugging in and unplugging your iOS device...

BatteryDoctorPro: power management, NC settings toggles, app switcher and more

Every once in a while, a good jailbreak app or tweak sneaks past our radar. We feel we do a pretty good job of covering most new notable Cydia packages, but every now and then, one slips through the cracks. And that's exactly what's happened with BatteryDoctorPro.

For those who aren't familiar with it, BatteryDoctorPro is a jailbreak app that monitors your iPhone or iPod touch usage to essentially lengthen your battery life. But it also has Notification Center settings toggles, a multitasking bar and several other handy features...