Best Android battery saving apps

Have you ever found yourself wishing that your Android's battery would last longer? Be it an app that's too greedy on resources, ever-larger display sizes that use up power faster, or our constant desire to play mobile games that keep our screens lit up for hours at a time, we're eating up battery life faster than we'd like.

It isn't all bad news. As a platform, Android keeps getting more efficient at task management, and multitasking is smarter than ever. Still, battery life never seems to live up to our hopes or expectations.

Thankfully, several high-end handsets now have custom touches built in that will adjust settings based on remaining battery life in an effort to squeeze out just a few more minutes. HTC recently introduced a new "extreme power mode" for the One M8 and Samsung has an "ultra power saving" feature in the Galaxy S5.  Unfortunately, you have to curtail your usual usage to make the most of these, so they aren't the most convenient for relying on every day.

Fantastic Tips on Taking Good Selfies That You'll Be Proud of...

If you’ve been living in a tent on the tundra or under a rock in your backyard, you may not have heard the term “selfie.” In your defense, the term itself isn’t really that old – it was coined in 2005 as a way to describe a special kind of self-portrait. A selfie isn’t usually a carefully composed image of the photographer in his studio, taken with a tripod mounted camera on the timer setting (though it can be). “Selfie” usually refers to an image that is much more informal that that, generally taken with a digital camera or smart phone held at arm’s length, snapped on the fly and usually destined for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or some other form of social media.

Now you know what a Selfie is, but have you even taken a good one?

SwiftKey for Android is now free, adds more customizable keyboards

SwiftKey has always been popular with Android users, but it’s about to attract a lot more: the company announced that its alternative keyboard app will now be available for free on the Google Play store. The app is also adding new customizable keyboard themes and support for 800 emoji characters.

If you’ve been paying the premium price for SwiftKey all this time, the app’s creators will reward you with a free “Premier Pack” of 10 keyboard themes, which normally costs $5. It’s not too big of a perk, but it’s better than nothing.

Nokia Lumia 1320 lands in US this Friday

The Lumia 1320, you may or may not recall, was unveiled back in October, with China and Vietnam selected as its first launch locations.

Younger brother of of the Lumia 1520, the 1320 Windows Phone is now on its way to the US, with Cricket Wireless announcing today it’ll start offering the 6-inch giant from this Friday off-contract for a promotional price of $230 after a $50 mail-in rebate. From July 10, however, you’ll need to cough up an extra $50.

The guy who leaked the iPhone 5C now has an iPhone 6

With LG, Samsung, HTC and Sony having all announced their 2014 flagship devices, eyes are firmly on Apple as we await the iPhone 6 - and it's the subject of yet another leak.

Spotted by GforGames, Taiwanese driving and movie star Jimmy Lin has posted some images to social network Weibo apparently showing off the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 alongside the iPhone 5S.

Samsung Galaxy S5 mini gets a thorough inspection in new hi-res images

We've just been handed the biggest Samsung Galaxy S5 mini leak yet, as a bunch of high-res pictures have spilled onto the web for our viewing pleasure.

Overall, the S5 mini seems to ape the flagship's design - the dotted plastic back, heart-rate monitor - but hits it with a shrink ray.

That iPad split-screen feature you’ve been waiting for? It’s in the iOS 8 code

The mere mention of the possibility that Apple might include split-screen functionality in iOS 8 caused a real ruckus on the Internet. Nearly everyone was shocked and excited to hear that Apple was finally thinking beyond one window at a time.

Then, WWDC 2014 came and went, with no mention of what would have been a real standout feature. Of course, adding split-screen functionality would also have been a huge concession to the multitasking thinking behind Windows 8 and Android, so perhaps Apple wasn’t quite ready to hear the I-told-you-sos. Now, one developer has spotted a bit of code that indicates split-screen functionality is possible in iOS 8.

Facebook pulls back Slingshot messaging app

Facebook recently launched its Snapchat-rivalling Slingshot app, before swiftly pulling it.

Facebook has been working on a video messaging app that matches the ephemeral tone of the hugely popular Snapchat.

Slingshot will apparently allow users to quickly send short video messages and photos to friends, the contents of which will then expire after a single view. You can also annotate these messages with text and other scribblings.

Apple patent may track weightlifting progress with rumored iWatch

Apple is going all out when it comes to health and fitness. After hiring several healthcare professionals, the company launched Healthkit with iOS 8 at WWDC to help users keep track of all their fitness data.

Even though Apple hasn’t released the much-rumored iWatch yet, it is hard at work developing technology that will work hand-in-hand with a smartwatch. One new patent hints that Apple plans to track your weightlifting progress using a series of sensors; the data would then be transmitted to other mobile devices, including a smartwatch.

OnePlus One Problems: Is it too good to be true?

What's wrong with the OnePlus One?

The OnePlus One is among the more interesting phones we’ve seen over the last year. At first it seems too good to be true.

It has a 1080p screen, the same processor as the Galaxy S5, a respectable camera and 4G, but costs less than half the price of the rivals from the bigger names. Are you going to get stung if you buy a OnePlus One?

Here are the issues that are worth thinking about before you get too excited.

Sony Xperia M2 review

Given the critical acclaim that the newly launched Sony Xperia Z2 has received, it is vital that Sony follows up with equally impressive mid range handsets if it is to compete with Apple and Samsung. Enter the Sony Xperia M2.

Not too long ago it seemed that Sony might have been out of the mobile running. Shoot forward to 2014 and Sony has established itself at the top, although the Japanese firm has yet to firmly prove itself with a truly decent midrange handset. Could things be about to change with the Xperia M2?

iPhone 6 5.5-inch could hit this year after all

Apple’s much rumoured 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could be launched this year after all, according to a reputable analyst’s report.

Previous reports suggested that Apple would launch a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 towards the end of this year, but that a second, larger iPhone device would slip into next year.

Beam Rider Retro - Android Game Review

Beam Rider Retro:  I love old school games and I just can’t get enough of them.  Now I’ve come across one title which reminds me of the 1980s Star Wars game where you’re flying through the pits of the Death Star (… ever wondered what mad man designed that monstrosity??)  Beam Rider is like Vector graphics in an Atari jacked up on steroids… (yes we like that!)

As with all great space ships, Beam Rider has a beautiful hull which would never go through a planet atmosphere but it is fully optimised for flying through the tunnels in space.  Interestingly enough, the tunnels in this game are always straight and conveniently have green lines on them to identify which parts are safe.

Skype for iPhone to get major update, redesigned from ground up

Microsoft’s trying to get everyone excited about Skype for iPhone with the promise of an update it describes as “the biggest change ever” for the software.

“iPhone will soon join the redesigned Skype mobile app club, and we can’t wait for you to try it,” Skype’s Eric Lin said in a blog post about the update, which is set to roll out in the coming days.

Forgot where you parked the car? It's cool, iOS 8 will have you covered

iOS 8 might not deliver the improvements to Apple Maps that Cupertino intended, but there's one nifty feature that might make its way through.

As spotted in a screenshot, iOS 8 contains files that reference parking pins, which we assume would give you a reminder of where you parked the car.