Once again, some iPhone owners have experienced problems with their battery life after updating to the latest firmware, in this case iOS 5.1.1. Updating over-the-air is convenient, but for some it caused battery life to be noticeably shorter despite the fixing of several bugs. Problems including 2G to 3G network switching and AirPlay video bugs were among the problems fixed.

This is nice, but when your battery takes a hit this can seem to be the bigger problem. The good news is that thanks to CNET there are simple steps that will return your battery to its full potential.

Apple is working on powering its massive data centers from 100% renewable energy sources. A 20-megawatt solar photovoltaic electric generating facility has just been approved for the Maiden, NC facility. 60 percent of the facility's electricity consumption will be generated on site by solar and fuel cells, with the remaining 40 percent coming from external renewable energy providers.

A new data center in Prineville, OR will come online with 100 percent renewable energy from the start. Apple also plans to renovate its Newark, CA data center starting in 2013, and will move that location to clean energy as well. The announcements come on the heels of several Greenpeace actions to bring attention to data center power consumption.

Like clockwork, the next version of Apple's mobile operating system has been spotted by developers. The company routinely tests new versions of iOS ahead of release, and iOS 6 is no different. Some reports claim Apple will announce some of the firmware's features at WWDC in early June.

Apple is planning some significant changes to iOS 6, including replacing Google maps with its own software. Another reported change would allow developers to create applications that interact with Siri.

Two different iPhone 4S owners sued Apple for "false and misleading" advertising in March, which helped kick off a few different class action lawsuits. David Jones filed a complaint with a U.S. District Court alleging "Apple disseminates false and deceptive representations regarding the functionality of the Siri feature." Other complaints ranged from not being able to recreate Apple's the ‘Rock God’ Siri commercial in real life, and Siri not giving proper directions.

Apple has responded with a motion to dismiss the class-action lawsuits:

"They offer only general descriptions of Apple’s advertisements, incomplete summaries of Apple’s website materials, and vague descriptions of their alleged—and highly individualized—disappointment with Siri. Tellingly, although Plaintiffs claim they became dissatisfied with Siri’s performance “soon after” purchasing their iPhones, they made no attempt to avail themselves of Apple’s 30-day return policy or one-year warranty—which remains in effect. Instead, they seek to take an alleged personal grievance about the purported performance of a popular product and turn it into a nationwide class action under California’s consumer protection statutes. The Complaint does not come close to meeting the heavy burden necessary to sustain such claims."

Verizon Wireless has announced a major expansion of 4G LTE service to 28 new markets tomorrow, which is May 17. Verizon remains ahead of its competitors in the LTE rollout, with 258 markets served, covering over two-thirds of the US population.

The next generation iPhone, reportedly entering production this summer, is widely expected to include 4G LTE capabilities. Until then, iOS users will need a new iPad + Cellular to access download speeds faster than a cable modem on Verizon.