MacBook Doesn't Disappoint: Mossberg

Batteries can't be replaced, but few do so anyway

(NEWSER) - Removable notebook batteries are convenient in theory, but hardly anyone actually replaces them. Apple and other firms are responding with sealed-in batteries, which, Apple says, can be bigger and thus last longer. Walter Mossberg ran his “own harsh battery test” on the new MacBook Pros and found their sealed-in powerhouses “excellent,” he writes for the Wall Street Journal. More»

Lots of users still complaining after iOS 5 update

(NEWSER) - The early reviews are in, and Apple's software update to fix the fast-draining battery of the iPhone 4S isn't working for everyone, reports Gizmodo . Sample complaint in the Apple Support forums: "New update is not help at all. I opened Safari and lost 2% just by opening it." Others are reporting new problems, including apps that won't load. "Perhaps Apple's first usage of the over-the-air updating may be bumpier than we expected," writes Jesus Diaz. CNET reports the same. Stay tuned. More»

Software update designed to correct weak battery life in iPhone 4S

(NEWSER) - The battery troubles of the iPhone 4S may be over. After acknowledging that “a small number of users” were having issues with their batteries when using iOS 5, Apple has produced a new version of the operating system, iOS 5.0.1, aimed at fixing the bug. The source of the trouble remains unclear, notes TechCrunch . The update also offers iCloud fixes ... and improves the phone's understanding of Australian accents. All users should have it available today either in iTunes or via Wi-Fi. More»

Critics love the awesome camera, screen, and new features

(NEWSER) - The iPhone 4 hits tomorrow, and tech reviewers everywhere are incredibly impressed. Here's what they're saying:

• The iPhone 4 is “a major leap over its already excellent predecessor,” writes Walt Mossberg of the Wall Street Journal . The new features work very well, and the redesign “manages to make the 3GS appear bulbous by comparison.”
• David Pogue of the New York Times almost doesn’t bother reviewing it. “What’s the point?” he writes. They’ve already sold tons of these. “The public seems perfectly capable of sniffing out a winner without the help of tech critics.” But for the record, yes, the iPhone 4 is "sweet."

(NEWSER) - Lost amid the hoopla over the new iPhone 3GS is an annoying flaw: its battery rarely gets through the day without pooping out. Apple's website now advises users to temporarily shut down certain features, including the 3G network itself, to prolong battery life, reports the Los Angeles Times. Battery life depends largely on how many gizmos are running; Luddites who use their iPhones simply to talk can figure on about 7 hours. More»