You may have noticed that as you download more and more apps onto your iOS devices, your battery seems to last for increasingly shorter amounts of time. This is because all those little apps on your device─which are programs, remember─start to tax your devices’ battery supplies in order to function to full capacity.

But there are some good iOS battery tips that can keep your iOS device up and running before you get that final, distressing powering-down in the middle of some important task. Here are the top five.

Top Five iOS Battery Tips

1. Disable Push Email Notification

If left unchecked, your phone or tablet will constantly try to update your email deliveries, even if there are none to report. All of this requires energy on the part of your device. Unless you have a necessity to be updated at all times, you can disable the Push notification, manually check for messages, or you can select to have a scheduler check for messages at regular intervals.

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Whether you are the connoisseur or the social drinker or the souse, there are some drinking apps out there for the drinker in all of us. The following are the top five for the iOS plus one for responsible drinking.

1. Mixologist ($0.99)

This is the drinking man’s app, for the Donald Drapers and Barney Gumbles alike. With a virtual liquor cabinet of up to 1,300 ingredients, you can find a drink for almost occasion. The app also includes recommendations for the proper glassware to use (not everything should be served in a plastic tumbler). It even has GPS to direct you to the nearest watering holes if your needs are a little more immediate.

2. GetDrunker ($0.99)

This is the no-holds-barred drinking app. It’s the kind of app you want to have when you look in your fridge and all you see is Coke, vodka, cranberry juice, and cream, which yields no fewer than seven drink possibilities (from the 2-parts-vodka, six-parts-Coke Dr. Zhivago to the 5-parts-Coke, 1-part-cranberry juice, 1-part vodka Mersh). With a list of the 39 most common items to be found in a frat house fridge, this app is sure to please the latenight drinker whose already had a few and does not have the brainpower left to consider a larger set of ingredients.

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In June of last year, Olloclip founders Patrick O’Neil and Chong Pak made a video pledge on Kickstarter.com for their iPhone 4 and 4s lens adapter, the Olloclip. In the video, there is a demonstration of what the little lens converter from Huntington Beach can do.

The Olloclip is a triple lens system, with one ‘clip’ being double-sided (180-degree fisheye on one side and wide angle on the other) and the second clip being a macro. They are precision all-glass, multi-element optics. It works with all your favourite apps, like Instagram and Hipstamatic, and even the videoconferencing app, Facetime.

The video pledge goes on to show you some pretty nifty shots using the various Olloclip lenses and the iPhone 4. It can also be used with the HD video camera. The lens is compatible with the iPhone 4s, whose 8-megapixel camera begins to give it the kind of versatility you would expect from a regular point-and-shoot digital camera. But with the attachable lenses that Olloclip offers, the possibilities have now been expanded.

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Apple Produces a Camera-less iPhone 4S for Singapore Soldiers

Smart phones are all about the features, right?  So why would anyone pay more for a phone that offers less?

How about when your boss tells you to.  And particularly when your boss is Singapore’s Ministry of Defense, known to the in crowd as “MINDEF.”  If you’ve been thinking that a career in the Singaporean military could be right up your alley, here’s a bit of information that you might want to factor in to your decision:  Soldiers in Singapore are prohibited from owning camera-equipped cell phones.

This has become more of a problem recently, as even the most basic cell phones come with camera features.  However – trust Apple to ensure that they are optimizing every possible segment of the marketplace – there is now a camera-free iPhone 4S available to those poor, device-deprived soldiers.  Singaporean operator M1 has the phone on offer right now, saying that both the front- and rear-facing cameras are missing from this particular model.  The price?  These special iPhones are about $38 more expensive than the full-featured equivalent.  Perhaps that goes down a little easier if you look at the exclusive MINDEF approval as a pricey-but-necessary feature itself.  That feature is no doubt worth the extra cash to soldiers serving their mandatory two-year tour of duty.

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Big Nate Stays Old School in a Digital World

Lincoln Pierce may be the most reluctant success in comic book history.

Ok, so he may not be so reluctant as an artist and writer; Pierce is the creator of “Big Nate”, the comic book franchise that first arrived on the syndicate two decades ago. Big Nate hit the big time in the mid-90s, and since then the strip has gone from being a newspaper favourite to a “Big Nate” book series that spent a year on the New York Times bestseller list, selling more than 3.5 million copies.  It also became part of the wildly popular Poptropica site as “Big Nate Island”, debuting on the site on Valentine’s Day 2009. (It promptly crashed the site’s server after millions of readers flocked to the site).

A year ago, Pierce’s book publisher approached the artist about creating his first app.  And when the publisher had a developer follow that up by developing iterations of the app, there was one small problem. Pierce was incredibly low tech. He had neither the knowledge nor the technology to view the new creations.

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Kik App — No Pun Intended

Kik has become one of the leading companies in instant messaging, with over 6 million users worldwide. Along the way, the company faced a few legal problems over patent infringement with Research In Motion (RIM, makers of BlackBerry), but that hasn’t stopped the firm from continuing to grow. And now they’ve seen a new business venture on the horizon. Not only do they want users to be able to connect via their application, they also want to make a content-sharing application that will allow users to share documents with one another.

Kik to Start

The new API is designed to help users share content from one app to the same app on another device. With this API, there will be no need to utilize Facebook, Twitter, or emails to send links to open webpages. Users will be enabled to send each other restaurant reviews, drawings, and even gameplay levels. In order to do this, both users need to have Kik installed. If, however, a user doesn’t have the application, they will get a message prompting them to download it. How thoughtful.

Kik is also implementing an option called Apps That Kik in Kik Messenger, another thoughtful way to introduce you to other apps that are enabled by Kik. The new version of Kik Messenger became available on the 22nd of December and is currently compatible with Android and iOS devices. Kik is also working on having the API on FileKicker, DrinkOwl, Smiler, Zwonks, and FlyScreen.

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Banjo Web App Makes Local Connections Even Easier

Half a million smartphone app downloads is a milestone many aspire to but few achieve—and one that Banjo has surpassed. And from all appearances, they are going full speed ahead. The Banjo app that lets you keep track of what’s going on in your neck of the woods is now available for all on the Web.

Dueling Banjo

Banjo pulls recent and current updates and location information from popular social standards Facebook, Twitter, and Foursquare. It then allows users to search by location and discover what is being said where and by whom. The beauty of the service is that you don’t need to be a user of social media sites to participate. Anyone with a smartphone (and now anyone with access to a web browser) can use the service to get a feel of the social pulse of potentially any place on the planet.

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Launch Center iOS Now Available 

When developer App Cubby initially submitted its Launch Center app it was rejected by Apple. At the time Apple cited what it described as inappropriate use of the Notification Center. The developed subsequently removed integration features and resubmitted the app which now has been accepted by Apple. Integration would  allow users to add shortcuts directly to Notification Center, a feature that is common in jailbroken devices. The news of Apple approval and availability comes a time when Apple has been cracking down on launcher apps. The Cupertino based company pulled similar app Quick Pick which had integration features even though it was initially approved and available in the Appstore.

These moves tend to reinforce the narrative that Apple is against competition. It also provides ammunition for those who say that Apple is primarily concerned with maintaining its walled ecosystem of apps and content with a heavily locked-down device. Attention will now be focused on other launcher apps for iOS to see if developers fall in line with Apple’s  ruling or attempt creative workarounds.

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FilmOn Strikes Back —  Announces FilmOn Air ATSC TV Receiver

FilmOn, the Internet-based TV provider, is set to offer a new device dubbed the “FilmOn Air” to consumers. The FilmOn Air is an ATSC TV receiver dongle. It is expected to cost $95.95 as a stand-alone device. It will also be bundled free with an annual subscription for its online service. The subscription includes around 120 channels and costs $149.95. Current subscribers will receive the device free.

The Air is very compact device that will connect directly to your iPhone. Since it relies on over-the-air broadcasts, it can tip toe around issues raised by major broadcasters regarding the legality of its current Internet-based offering. The device is said to be compatible with Android and iOS phones and tablets. It is claimed that it will also work with both PC and Macs. In addition to allowing you to view over-the-air broadcasts the device will also allow users to record shows. It has a battery that is said to be good for about 5 hours and will feature pass-through charging. That last feature will allow users to use the Air and charge their device at the same time making battery life less of an issue.

FilmOn Still in Litigation

FilmOn initially launched an Internet-based TV service in September 2010. That service delivered HD channels that were available over the air and charged users a monthly fee. Major broadcasters soon went to court to prevent FilmOn, which is owned by billionaire David Alki, from using its content. The case is still ongoing and FilmOn has been blocked from re-broadcasting the disputed content. Presently, the online service continues to operate using programs from smaller content providers. The company cites exemptions for cable TV providers as one of the reasons it believes they should be allowed to provide the copyrighted material.

The new device essentially circumvents the court ruling. It will allow current and new subscribers to watch OTA content from major broadcasters on their mobile devices at no additional cost. The device is expected to be available in February and there is no indication if it will have any impact on the ongoing case.

Tweet Speaker a Bargain For Twitter Users

Tweet Speaker, the app by App Cubby that lets you listen to your tweets is now on sale for a limited time on the App Store.  The app was originally released last October for $2.99 but is now available for just 99 cents.

Do you remember what an answering machine is?  It was a device that you connected to your archaic house phone. You came home pressed the play button and it replayed all the calls you would have otherwise missed while you were out.  Tweet Speaker takes that basic concept and builds on it to create an app that Twitter addicts will surely love.

Tweet Speakers does not simply read out your tweets. It gives you a variety of tools to customize the experience. You can choose to create what amounts to a custom podcast or you can use the smartly designed timeline dial to simply play back all your content.

Tweet Speaker Packed With Perfect Features

The app has a slick feel to it. Its design is well done and the interface is very intuitive. At the bottom there are three main buttons:  “Voice,” “Play,” and “Airplay.” Above that there is a classic radio dial style depiction of your timeline. You can use this dial to move back and forward in your timeline and choose a starting point for Tweet Speaker. Above your timeline dial you will find your tweet stream.

You can choose any of your lists, or you can choose to start at any point in your  overall timeline and then press play. Tweet Speaker will then read out your tweets in a human sounding voice. The app is specifically designed for Twitter and understands its jargon. It will for example know that RT means “re-tweet.”  It will also recognize and read out links that are embedded. Various options (including the ability to change the speech rate) round out a very well-designed offering. The app also has integration features allowing you to link it to other twitter clients. That feature allows Tweet Speaker to pick up where you left off so you don’t have to listen to tweets you have already read.

One Tweet Deal

Tweet Speaker is one of those apps that just seem to work. If you are heavy Twitter user you should definitely give it a try.  Available for 99 cents at the App Store, for iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.