Managing battery life on an Android device can be frustrating. Many applications run in the background and system processes suck a lot of power, even when the phone is idling. Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich did a lot to improve the transparency of what apps are affecting performance and battery life, but there are still a few tricks to squeeze out a few more hours of battery life out of your Android phone.

Enter JuiceDefender.

This battery management application claims to save hours on your battery, but how exactly does it work? Does it actually work?

Today sees the release of LavaSoft's Ad-Aware Free Antivirus+ 10. It is a major improvement, putting it in the same league as favorites Avast, Avira and AVG.

The free version is now much more powerful and won't bug users about premium updates, which is an excellent development. It's got a really clear interface, is relatively light on resources and effective.

The desktop version of Chrome is one of my favorite browsers. Considering that I'm entrenched in Google with Google+, Gmail, Google Music, and my Android phone running 2.3.4 (Gingerbread represent!); it's nice to have everything connected.

On Android devices, depending on the hardware maker, the stock browser is bad. Meaning almost worthless to view anything. My 4G LTE connection doesn't even help. Third party browsers like Dolphin Browser HD are great alternatives, but even they have loading issues.

Now Google has Chrome in Beta, I'm very interested if the speed of the desktop program can be matched on Android 4.0.

Even in beta, Chrome is almost perfect.

Nokia has announced its first Windows Phone 7 devices at the giant’s Nokia World event in London. The long-awaited LUMIA 800 and 710 were revealed amid fanfare about their software capabilities. Besides including all the standard Windows Phone Mango tools, the LUMIA 800 integrates bespoke Nokia services such as turn-by-turn voice navigation, a music service and an ESPN sports hub.

I think it’s fair to say that with Nokia now packing Windows Phone 7 into its new devices, Microsoft’s mobile operating system has become a strong alternative to the iPhone and the top-end Android devices.

If you’re choosing a phone now, you should definitely give some consideration to Windows Phone 7 - it has a number of advantages over iOS and Android. Here’s a quick run-down of some of the reasons to switch to Windows Phone 7:

Today sees the release of version 1.8 of Minecraft, known as the Adventure Update. It aims to give players more to do, while making the world feel more dynamic.

Improved Graphics and Sound

There are some nice cosmetic changes, including an HD texture pack, better lighting from torches and even prettier sunsets and sunrises! The game launcher also looks better in 1.8.

More game elements

Animals and monsters in Mincraft interact with each other more in this update, meaning you'll see monsters fighting each other as well as just you! There are also new blocks to use and craft, including glass panes for better looking windows.

The biggest addition for me is the generated villages, (which will be populated in the next update). These are optional, but it will be interesting to see how they change the atmosphere of the game.

Another change to the environment is a new range of biomes, meaning greater variety in the scenary. It certainly looks more dramatic now.

Game Modes

Survival mode now includes a food meter, so you'll get hungry and need to find food. Otherwise this mode is fairly unchanged - the upcoming NPCs and later 'Adventure Mode' should address that.

There is now a 'Creative Mode', which makes you invincible, gives you unlimited resources, allows you to fly, and fast forward/rewind time! This mode is ideal for players who just want to get on and build cool stuff, without worrying about staying alive. Check out our Minecraft 1.8 flyover video above.

"There are no real-life viruses for Mac OS X. There never have been."

A point of frequent disagreement between Mac and Windows evangelists is security. With the arrival of OS X, Apple and some of its customers used the threat of viruses on Windows as a key selling point for its Mac line of computers. After that came a backlash of articles and posts claiming that OS X was in fact no safer than Windows and could even be at more risk.

There are three key areas to look at when it comes to this topic: Hacking, and its security implications for OS X, Security through obscurity, and System architecture. Read on to see why I argue that Mac OS X is just as safe as Windows 7, and how it might actually be even more secure than Microsoft's latest OS.

[Image includes elements created by Graham Colm]

Hacking, PwntoOwn and implications for OS X

Every year, Apple's web browser Safari gets some bad press for being 'the first browser to be hacked' at the Pwn2own security event. The results of the contest are frequently used to dismiss Apple's claims that its products are 'more secure'. I'm convinced that the vast majority of people who read reports (often on mainstream news sites like The Guardian) about Mac OS being 'hacked' at Pwn2own have little understanding of what the term 'hacked' means, or the terms of the contest.

Windows 7 has been with us for one and half years now and thoughts are naturally turning to its successor, Windows 8. Nobody knows an awful lot about Microsoft’s next desktop operating system, but the odd tidbit or two has filtered through in the shape of leaked screenshots and even a (seemingly) official Windows 8 wallpaper from the Milestone 3 development version of the OS.

We’ve gathered together the information that exists about Windows 8 and compiled this short dossier of its possible features.

Aero Lite theme using the ‘Ribbon’

Windows 8 will surely use the Aero theme, but it’s likely to get some important tweaks. Although the general appearance of the windows won’t change, the new default theme, Aero Lite will put less strain on the system. Windows 8, in fact, is designed to run even on low-end devices.

Some enthusiasts have already begun creating Windows 8-inspired themes, such as Aero Lite for 7

The Windows 8 interface should have a lot in common with the Metro UI found in Windows Phone 7. This approach to marrying desktop and mobile platforms is the latest craze among manufacturers, and is something we’ll also see in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. The most likely outcome? That Aero Lite will be used in embedded systems, and regular Aero on standard machines.

Sleeping scores highly in my list of favorite things, so it's no wonder I welcomed the chance to review Android app Sleep as an Droid with welcome arms when I saw it covered on Lifehacker a little while ago. Even the first line of the app's description makes me feel relaxed - "Track your sleep and wake up gently with nature sounds in optimal sleep phase". Could it get any better?

I liked the sound of Sleep as an Droid so much that I decided to try it out myself for a few days before reviewing it for Softonic. As well as being interested in the app on a personal level, I thought that given the nature of the function of Sleep as an Droid, it would be better tested over a few days. To use Sleep as an Droid, you first need to make sure your battery is fully charged, or, as the developer's recommend, keep it plugged in. That's not an option for me, so I took my chances. It worked fine, especially when I turned off unnecessary battery wasters, such as wi-fi and updates.

The next step is to set your alarm. To make sure you get it right - and to get the most out of the app - have a look at this before you're feeling sleepy! The basics are the same as always - what alarm tone you want and if you want the alarm to repeat or not. You can also schedule different schedules for different days. After these basics are taken care of, however, it's time to get to the interesting bits.