Mobile music lovers know all too well a portable player is only as good as its battery life. But many who purchased the iPhone or iPod touch have voiced their concerns over the device's relatively weak battery life. If you love your iPhone or iPod touch but doubt you have enough juice to make it through an extended remix of Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," take heed to the following tips to maximize your battery life -- without having to buy one of those snap-on battery packs.

Keep in mind many of these tips apply to other MP3 players and cell phones as well.

1.    Dim the brightness on your iPhone or iPod touch using the slider, as the brighter you keep your screen the faster it'll eat away at your battery.

2.    Built-in radio technology, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, can be draining on the battery when in use, so if you don't need it, turn it off in the Settings options. That said, iPhone users who like to surf the Net might extend the battery's life by using Wi-Fi instead of EDGE.

3.    Disable push mail on your iPhone if you don't need it. Go to Settings, then       Mail, Advanced and then set Use Push Mail to Off.

4.    Using the equalizer (EQ) settings for your music can decrease battery life, so turn this option to Off (Settings > iPod > EQ), if you can.

5.    Don't leave your iPod touch or iPhone in the heat, such as in a car on a hot day, which could compromise the battery life for your iPod (and its overall longevity).

6.    Always download the latest software upgrades for the iPod touch or iPhone, as Apple engineers try to find new ways to extend battery life.

7.    Load up your iPod with compressed songs (e.g. AAC or MP3 files) as opposed to larger or uncompressed songs (including WAV or AIFF files).

8.    Make sure you lock the touch screen before putting your iPod touch or iPhone away into your pocket, purse or backpack, as you may inadvertently drain the device of its power by hitting the Play button.