Q: What can I do to get better battery life from my smartphone? It doesn’t even get me through the afternoon on most days. — Ed

It all started in 1961 in Jean Nidetch's living room in New York City. A few overweight friends met each week to talk and troubleshoot their way through a sensible but strict diet from the health department's obesity clinic.

Many of us are familiar with keyless entry -- where a vehicle recognizes when you get close to your car, and unlocks the door.

Desert Rivers Audubon, which hosts monthly nature programs for families in Gilbert and Chandler, will give outdoors enthusiasts a primer on using smart phones to connect with nature.

In recent national news, three major car crashes claimed the lives of 15 teenagers in Ohio, Illinois and Texas. Unfortunately, that is more of a common occurrence than we realize, and those are just the ones that made national news. The Governor’s Highway Safety Association (GHSA) recently reported that teenage driver fatalities were up in 2012 from previous years. Until now, the numbers were beginning to trend downwards and many attributed it to Graduated Drivers License (GDL) Laws that were being enacted around the country.

Q: Is a VPN the safest way to use an unsecured (public) Wi-Fi connection? Are there other ways to stay safe? Are there any free VPNs out there for personal use? — Kevin

I am trying to find a way to legally copy DVDs we own to an external hard drive for storage connected to my laptop. When we take long road trips it would be nice to not have to haul all our movies along. — Bill

My interface with Hollywood chiefly consists of driving each weekday underneath the Interstate 10 sign downtown saying “Los Angeles” near my exit, thinking that I should just keep going west, to take a long-delayed shot at pitching my screenplay.

George Orwell, in his “1984” book, used the word “groupthink” to mean the making of sheep-like decisions as a group while discouraging individual thought. Well, here’s an antonym I call “Reverse-Think,” meaning to NOT think like the group.

Q: Does it affect your iPhone’s battery life when you charge it every night? I have found a lot of conflicting answers on the web. — Madeline

Q: How do I know if I downloaded the (Facebook Photo Sync) app (by accident)? - Donna

Here are 10 tips to keep your holiday shopping season a little more jolly and a lot less jarring on the wallet.

The city of Phoenix Public Information Office and the Information Technology Services Department are gearing up to update the city’s official website, phoenix.gov, in 2013 and are seeking feedback from residents on the current website and ideas for enhancements.

Black Friday often means incredible deals, right? It’s the truth we’ve all been led to believe, but it’s only the case in some of the circumstances.

Google has started shipping a larger version of its Nexus tablet computer, one that comes closer to competing with Apple’s full-size iPad and other tablets. Here’s a look at how the Nexus 10 compares with other tablets with similar screens.

Reports claiming Apple is already working on the iPhone 5s are circling the internet Monday.

Q: How does Microsoft’s Surface tablet compare to the iPad? -- Jesse

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Apple's iPad Mini will bring a lot more excitement and a little more confusion to the holiday shopping season.

NEW YORK -- Those who follow Apple believe they have figured out most of the particulars of a smaller iPad expected to be revealed on Tuesday. One big question remains, though: What will it cost?

Time waits for no man, and neither does technology.

Q: I love the new panoramic photos I can take with my iPhone, but when I share them on Facebook, they are too small. Help! - Sandy

Time waits for no man, and neither does technology.

Q: I upgraded my iPhone 4S to iOS 6 and heard about all the problems with the new Maps app that Apple switched to; is there a way to get Google Maps back on my phone or something else that’s more reliable? — Samuel

Lines grew in anticipation outside Apple stores across the Valley Friday morning.