I do wish these apps wouldn't open up randomly. There doesn't seem to be any point in doing this. But, this phone still runs fantastic, so I'm not complaining.
For battery life tips, go to
www.goodandevo.net
I increased my battery life greatly by doing several of those tips. One of the most important tips for battery life is to turn off "always on mobile data". It's under menu > settings > wireless & networks > mobile networks. After your phone is in stand by for a few minutes, it turns off the 3g radio, and comes back on when you wake the phone up. But it won't affect your gmail notifications. Can't speak for exchange notifications.