Battery shouldn't change -but it won't improve either as you might expect, since you're lowering the brightness. He said the LEDs are driven with a PWM adjustable constant current source. If he's just paralleling the resistor with the LEDs then he's just diverting some of the current they'd get at any given brightness level, so reducing their overall brightness a bit -mostly apparent on the low end.
Had a look inside my Glo. Phew. Going to need the BIG lighted magnifying glass for this one. I may wise up and get the local HDTV repair guy to stick this resistor in for me since he has a nice surface mount rig in his shop.
Whoops he beat me to it...
Apparently, I failed to note there was another page to the thread and replied at the bottom of the previous one. DOH!