Does anyone test things anymore? 

Apple recently acknowledged that some iPhone 4S users aren't getting the battery life they should and released an iOS update intended to fix those problems. However, the effectiveness of the fix appears to vary widely, with some Ars readers reporting improvements while others claim battery life got worse. Apple released the first beta of iOS 5.1 to developers on Monday, which is expected to include additional battery life fixes, but early reports suggest it offers no reprieve from the problem.

We spoke to a couple analysts to try and understand what might be the root cause of the problem, and why Apple has had such a hard time fixing it. It turns out, the answer isn't very simple because smartphones aren't simple devices.

As smartphones take on more and more useful features, how we use than can have a major effect on battery life. "I'm not seeing an issue myself," Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg told Ars, "except there are more features I use on a regular basis which do affect battery life. As with all devices, what features you use extensively will affect battery life." 

Read the rest of the article...

Damn... pissed I would be... 

Passengers on a flight from Lismore to Sydney last Friday saw black smoke in the cabin, only to find that the source was a passenger's Apple iPhone 4, which had seemingly combusted mid flight.

The iPhone began glowing red and emitting dense smoke on flight ZL319 last week, according to Regional Express (REX).

The iPhone had to be extinguished by the cabin crew.

"In accordance with company standard safety procedures, the flight attendant carried out recovery actions immediately, and the red glow was extinguished successfully. All passengers and crew on-board were unharmed," REX said in a statement. 

Read and see what an iPhone 4s looks like burned...

Nice little FAQ for... the planet...

After upgrading to iOS 5 on my iPhone 4, I noticed that my Twitter app was not behaving up to snuff. My troubleshooting investigation led to some interesting realizations about how Twitter is integrated in iOS 5.

Twitter's role in Apple's latest mobile operating system is a bit different from other apps. The issue I was having was that the Mentions tab in my Twitter app was not updating. I knew from reading my account feed that some of my Twitter followers were sending me tweets, but I was not getting notified and they were not appearing in my Mentions list. 

Read the entire FAQ....

Walmart... I love ya!

And, they're off! Only days after the latest iPhone was released, Walmart retail stores have taken the lead in the price drop race. See your local store for availability details on the 16GB for AT&T or Verizon, in black or white, which is going for $11 less than what Apple charges directly. The iPhone 4S features an 8MP camera, 1080p video capture at 30 fps with image stabilization, dual-antenna system, AirPlay Mirroring, Siri voice-activated assistant, and more.

See the drop and get yours!