studies

One of the many findings of a recent Pew Research Center study called "Americans and their cell phones" is that "42 percent of cell phone owners used their phone for entertainment when they were bored."

The study also found that 40 percent or respondents have used their phone to deal with an emergency and that "13 percent of cell owners pretended to be using their phone in order to avoid interacting with the people around them." For more, see Eric Mack's post "Ever faked a cell phone call? You're not alone.&… Read more

Today, Google bought Motorola Mobility and the world stopped.

While it did, I had time to open an e-mail from the folks at Hunch, a Web site that tries to take decisions out of your hands (and your head).

The e-mail contained an interesting infographic that offered some of the most graphic (if not always the most informational) illustration of the difference between Android users and those who prefer iPhones.

Firstly, and perhaps most stunningly, Android users are 86 percent more likely than iPhone users to live in the countryside. What can this possibly mean? Possibly nothing, but wait. Those … Read more

In one short year, Apple has toppled Nokia and taken control of the worldwide smartphone market.

According to research firm IDC, Apple's sales of 20.3 million iPhones worldwide during the second quarter of 2011 helped the company secure 19.1 percent market share and lead all other vendors. The company's shipments grew 141.7 percent compared to the second quarter of 2010 when it sold just 8.4 million iPhones and secured 13 percent share.

Apple's growth is all the more impressive when one considers that the iPhone 4 has been on store shelves for over … Read more

A new annual study on the cost of cybercrime conducted by the Ponemon Institute has found that the expense of dealing with cybercrime is on the rise from last year.

The study, which was funded by Hewlett-Packard, found that the median cost of cybercrime to the 50 organizations it surveyed was $5.9 million per year, based on a range of $1.5 million to $36.5 million per year. That's up 56 percent from the $3.8 million median found in last year's study, which ranged from $1 million to $53 million per year.

That large median … Read more

Televisions that can connect to the Web and offer built-in applications are set to see strong sales growth in the coming years, a new study from research firm In-Stat has found.

According to the company, shipments of smart TVs will be up by an average of 36 percent over the next five years.

Built-in applications are becoming an increasingly common feature in HDTVs. A host of HDTV makers, including Samsung, Vizio, and Panasonic, among others, currently offer users the ability to access apps from their televisions. Several companies offer apps on televisions, including Netflix, Vudu, and YouTube.

In-Stat's study … Read more

The number of devices that will support 802.11n Wi-Fi is expected to explode in the coming years, according to a study from research firm In-Stat.

The study says 53 million consumer-electronics devices allowed for connectivity to wireless-N networks last year. That figure is expected to jump to 82 million next year and nearly 300 million in 2015, representing 465 percent growth over five years.

Early versions of wireless networking standards, including 802.11b and 802.11g, employed the 2.4GHz frequency band. However, 802.11n uses the 5GHz band as well. The technology, which offers more range than its … Read more

Formulas Lite is a collection of important information and tools to help students get through some of the tougher subjects in school.

The meat of the Formulas Lite app is in the Subjects tab, where you'll find a huge database of must-know formulas for mathematics, physics, and chemistry. Within each of these top-level subjects, formulas are further organized by topic. For instance, under mathematics you'll see formulas organized in branches from algebra to statistics. Under physics, you'll see formulas organized in branches from relativity to torque. Within the chemistry section, you'll also find a functional periodic … Read more

StudyDroid 2.0 is like an infinite deck of digital flash cards for your Android mobile device. With this app, you can create and study from flash cards on the go, without being weighed down or limited by the constraints of a traditional, physical deck.

With StudyDroid 2.0, you can create as many flash cards as you like and organize them into Packs. When you open a Pack, studying is as easy as swiping left or right to move between cards, or tapping a card to reveal its other side. If you feel like you've sufficiently memorized a … Read more

The Bible is a complex document, and studying it can be a lifelong endeavor for clergy and laypeople alike. Bible Analyzer is a tool that can help you with your Bible studies, whether you're preparing a sermon or just trying to deepen your understanding for your own benefit.

At first glance, Bible Analyzer's interface is a little overwhelming, with six different modules containing all sorts of different information. Take a little time to familiarize yourself, though, and it starts to make sense pretty quickly. A narrow module on the left lists all of the Bible's books in … Read more