study posts

One in Three Teen Texters Drives While Thumbing

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Nov 17th 2009 at 3:20PM

By now, you'd have to live under a rock to be unaware of the dangers of texting while driving. There have been more studies on the subject than we can count. Despite raising awareness, all this information isn't doing much to change drivers' behavior. According to MSNBC, the Pew Internet & American Life Project recently released a study finding that over a third of 16- and 17-year-old texters drive while doing so. Yes, some of the most inexperienced drivers on the road are busy playing on cell phones instead of focusing on the road.

But they're not alone. The study also found that 48-percent of children between 12 and 17 years old said they'd ridden in the car of somebody who was texting. This means parents might not be setting the best example for their youngsters. One kid surveyed in the study said his dad "drives like he's drunk" while using his cell phone in the car (which, we know from other studies, might be an understatement). On the other end of the spectrum, another kid said "it's fine" to text while operating a vehicle, and that he wears sunglasses so police won't see him looking at the screen.

Sorry to break it to that last kid, but there's no disputing that texting while driving is very dangerous. The challenge is finding a way to break the habits of cell phone users. Different states have enacted bans on the practice, but we need an all-encompassing federal ban to really make a change. Even then, though, it'll be tough to cause a change in hearts and minds. [From: MSNBC]

Tags: cellphone, danger, driving, study, teens, texting, texting while driving, TextingWhileDriving, top

Audio/Video, iPod

Radio and CDs Still More Popular than MP3s, Finds Study

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Nov 4th 2009 at 3:54PM

Believe it or not, digital media and iPods aren't the most popular way to consume audio entertainment. In fact, it's not even close. The most popular source of audio media, according to the Council for Research Excellence (PDF), is good ol' broadcast radio.

According to the study, which followed around 300 adults in five U.S. cities, some 77-percent of Americans listen to some broadcast radio on any given day. Compare that with the second place source, CD and cassettes, which only 37-percent listen to on a daily basis, and you've got an utter dominance of the market. Portable media devices like the iPod didn't even come in third. Despite garnering most of the media attention, MP3s were beaten out by radio, CD, and even satellite radio.

Tags: audio, digital audio, digital audio player, digital media, DigitalAudio, DigitalAudioPlayer, DigitalMedia, radio, study, top

DVR Viewers Watch Commercials, Help Ratings

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Nov 2nd 2009 at 4:42PM

DVR Viewers Sitting Through Commercials, Saving Shows

It was once thought that DVRs would destroy television. The theory was that people would stop watching live TV, and, of course, skip all the commercials -- the primary revenue stream for TV networks. But, oddly, as DVRs become more commonplace, fewer DVR viewers are fast-forwarding through advertisements.

According to Nielsen, the number of homes in the U.S. with DVRs has jumped from 28-percent last year, to 33-percent as 2009 winds to a close. The real shock, though, is that 46-percent of viewers between 18 and 49 years old (the most important advertising block) are actually sitting through the recorded advertisements. This is contrary to research from Oliver Wyman published last summer, which found that 85-percent of DVR owners were skipping at least three-quarters of commercials.

Tags: advertising, dvr, Nielsen, study, top, tv, tv ratings, TvRatings

Cell Phones

Cell Phones Now Blamed for Damaging Bones

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Oct 30th 2009 at 5:20PM

Yesterday it was cancer, and today it's bone degeneration. A recent study is blaming cell phones for reducing bone density in an area of the hip often used for bone grafts.

Turkish researchers believe that wearing a cell phone on a belt clip (which other researchers recommend as a way to prevent low sperm counts) may result in lower bone density, due to the phone's electromagnetic radiation. The research team used x-rays to measure the density of the upper pelvic ridges of 150 men. All of those men carried cell phones on their belts for, on average, 15 hours a day, and had been doing so for an average of six years. The measurements revealed slightly reduced bone density on the side where the men wore their cell phones.

Tags: bone density, BoneDensity, cellphone, cellphonehealth, electromagnetic radiation, ElectromagneticRadiation, health, study

'Shocking' Study: More Exercise Equipment, Fewer TVs Make Home Healthier

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Oct 29th 2009 at 8:30AM

We can't believe it took a scientific study to discover this, but apparently, you're more likely to lose weight if you own more pieces of exercise equipment than televisions. Ever heard of common sense, people? According to a transcript of Scientific American's 60-Second Science podcast, a study that appeared in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found people who lost 10-percent of their body weight and kept if off for at least five years owned fewer TVs and more exercise equipment than their heftier counterparts.

Look, if you need a study to open your eyes to this connection, you have bigger problems than being overweight. We love to kick back in front of the TV as much as the next guy, but we also know that doing so too often can lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. A little restraint (and, unfortunately, a little exercise, too) goes a long way when it comes to living healthy. If restraint isn't your strong point, there is technology out there that will help instead of hinder weight loss. Oh yeah, putting down the remote control every once in a while isn't a bad idea, either. [From: Scientific American]

Tags: exercise, fitness, health, study, television, top, weight loss, WeightLoss

Cell Phones

Number of People Who Refuse Cell Phones Dwindles

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Oct 25th 2009 at 8:38AM

While it's hard for us to imagine, there's still a small segment of those who don't have a cell phone. They claim life is simpler when you can't be reached all the time, but we beg to differ. Have you ever tried meeting a friend without a cell phone for drinks? According to The New York Times, a recent study from the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that most people who don't have a cell phone are older, less educated, or simply can't afford one.

According to the same study, 85-percent of adult Americans do use a cell phone, but there's still a subgroup within that remaining 15-percent who choose to stay off the grid. Take Gregory Han, a 34-year-old L.A. writer and editor, for example. "It's a luxury not to be reached when I'm out and about," he told the New York Times. Han uses instant messages in lieu of text messages, and Skype when he wants to call his mother. Those alternatives usually work, but sometimes, as Jenna Catsos learned, a mobile device can be quite helpful -- like when your transmission on your car stops working. "It's situations like that when I would really love to have a phone," she says.

Tags: mobile, pew, PewResearchCenter, study, top

Web, Social Networking

More People Updating Their Status Than Ever, Study Finds

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Oct 22nd 2009 at 1:00PM

The human obsession with "status" is almost as old as human history itself. Though the word has a historically hierarchical connotation, contemporary usage of "status" often has a different, more Twitter-ized meaning. Yet the fascination remains strong and, in a hyper-connected world, is rapidly intensifying.

According to a study conducted as part of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, approximately one in every five Internet users either maintains their status via some social networking medium like Twitter or Facebook, or uses similar sites to keep track of others' statuses. A full 19-percent of those surveyed reported using status-updating Web sites, a marked increase from the 11-percent that similar surveys found last April and December.

Tags: facebook, pew, research, status updates, StatusUpdates, study, top, twitter

Cell Phones

Clown on a Unicycle Goes Unnoticed by Cell Phone Users

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Oct 21st 2009 at 2:16PM

It's conventional wisdom at this point that cell phones are distracting, and that even simple activities like walking can become dangerous endeavors when mixed with texting. We've read, and reported on, study after study concerning cell phone users' lack of awareness, but the particulars of one such study, reported by LiveScience, stands out.

One part of the study, headed by Ira Hyman, Jr. of Western Washington University, involved interviewing 150 students who had just walked across the university's campus. He tried to ascertain whether or not the students had seen anything strange on their stroll. Hyman (Stop giggling... what are you, six?) was hoping the interviewees spotted one of his students who was dressed in a clown suit and riding a unicycle around a prominent sculpture on campus. When asked directly if they had seen such a clown, those who were speaking on the phone or text messaging were far less likely to have noticed the odd scene than were other participants.

Tags: clown, distraction, research, study, texting while walking, TextingWhileWalking, top, university

Web

The Internet Changes Your Brain, Study Shows

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Oct 20th 2009 at 5:38PM

The Internet has firmly burrowed its way into our psyches. We think in 140-character bursts. We Google our memory when we can't, for the life of us, remember the name of that guy from 'Ghost.' We meet new people and imagine a reconfiguration of our Facebook friends list. The Internet has fundamentally changed the way we think, and a newly released study may provide hard, scientific proof of what we've always known.

In a recent UCLA study, adults with little Internet wherewithal showed noticeable changes in brain activity after just one week of online exposure. In fact, researchers suggest that the Internet may even help stimulate and enhance cognition in older adults, a finding that could have significant implications for Alzheimer's and dementia research. The study looked at a group of older adults, aged 55 to 78, half of whom used the Internet on a daily basis and half of whom hardly at all. After researchers used an MRI to examine brain activity while subjects performed online searches, the volunteers were sent home. While there, they spent an hour a day performing Web searches, for a total of seven days. Among the novices, researchers found increased activity in the neural regions controlling language, memory, and vision. Perhaps more interestingly, they discovered that after only one week, those with little prior experience displayed brain activity very similar to that of the more savvy users.

Tags: brain, health, internet, mind, research, study, top

Cell Phones, Web

People Get Anxious When Disconnected, Finds Study

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Oct 15th 2009 at 8:10AM

You know that pit in your stomach you get when you're out at night, you reach in your pocket for the obligatory, mindless, precautionary cell phone check, and (gasp!) the battery's dead? Or how your hands get all clammy and your mouth turns to the Mojave desert whenever you're trying to check your e-mail, but, for whatever reason, your Internet connection just won't cooperate? Don't worry. You're not alone.

A recent survey shows just how dependent we've become on communications, and reveals that many of us feel "anxious" when disconnected from the Internet or a mobile phone network. The study, undertaken by Future Laboratory for Virgin Media, found that 85-percent of full-time moms are connected to the Internet all day, and that a third of all surveyed didn't feel "guilty" about having their cell phones or computers turned on at all times. In fact, full-time parents were the most likely to be connected, with about 49-percent saying that they keep their digital TV roaring throughout the day. This demographic also uses cell phones more often than any other. Siobhan Freegard, co-founder of the parenting social network Netmums, rationalizes that statistic by pointing out that new mothers, in particular, "are confined to the house for quite long periods," and that Internet and cell phone connectivity is their primary "link to the outside world."

Tags: anxiety, cell phone, CellPhone, connectivity, internet, internet addiction, InternetAddiction, study, top

You Can Think Your Way to High Definition, Finds Study

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Oct 9th 2009 at 8:25AM

This probably isn't too shocking, but a recent study has shown that if you want a better picture from your TV all you have to do is think it's better.

According to a Dutch study published in the journal Computers in Entertainment, the mere suggestion that the quality of an image on television was better was enough to make participants perceive it as such. The researchers showed the same video clip to two different groups of 30 people. The first group was told they would be watching a standard definition DVD quality clip, while the second was told that they would be watching a high definition video. The illusion was backed up with some environmental trickery -- an extra thick cable ran into the TV and the room was filled with posters touting the wonders of high-definition.

Tags: funny, hdtv, research, study, top

Web, Social Networking

Most U.S. Companies Blocking Facebook and Twitter, Finds Survey

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Oct 8th 2009 at 8:25AM

Large corporate offices make a habit of blocking certain Web sites -- particularly personal e-mail, video sharing, and social networking sites. But, according to a recent survey compiled by Robert Half Technology, it appears that smaller businesses are locking out employees, too.

The survey of 1,400 Chief Information Officers (CIOs) from across the U.S. found that 54-percent of companies completely block access to social networking sites, while 19-percent block their use outside of "business purposes." Dave Willmer, executive director of Robert Half Technology, noted in a press release, "Using social networking sites may divert employees' attention away from more pressing priorities." Given the recent rash of people being fired over Facebook and Twitter, we imagine such policies might also serve to protect employees from themselves.

Tags: facebook, office, productivity, social networking, SocialNetworking, study, survey, top, twitter, work, workplace

Web

Scientists Identify Future Web Addicts

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Oct 7th 2009 at 5:20PM

With all the recent controversy surrounding Internet boot camps for teens, scientists are looking for ways to stop the problem before it starts. That means finding out not only why kids become addicted to the Web, but also which kids are most likely to suffer from this addiction.

New Scientist reports that Taiwanese scientists recently identified a group of mental health conditions that increase the likelihood that a child will become addicted to the Web. After studying 2,300 kids over a two-year period, psychologist Chih-Hung Ko and his team determined that depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social phobia, or feelings of hostility often indicated that a kid would become addicted. While that's true for boys and girls, the scientists learned that social phobia and depression were much stronger predictors in girls than boys.

Tags: addiction, health, internet, kids, mental health, MentalHealth, science, study, top

MySpace, Web, Social Networking

Facebook Users Are Richer Than MySpace Users, Study Finds

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Sep 30th 2009 at 8:59AM

We can hear the schoolyard taunts already: "You're so poor, you can't even afford to use Facebook!" Strangely enough, this statement might be pretty close to the truth. According to Computer World, a Nielsen study found that more affluent people use Facebook, while less affluent users are on MySpace. In the study, users of seven social networking sites were split into three groups based on affluence. The results showed that the richest group was 25-percent more likely to use Facebook than the least rich group. On the other hand, the least rich group was 37-percent more likely to use MySpace than the richest group.

Could it be because more middle-aged people, who might have steady jobs, are flocking to Facebook? Quite possibly. According to ReadWriteWeb, the study also found that Facebook users are more likely to use business networking site LinkedIn. Just because you have a MySpace profile doesn't mean you're bound for destitution. After all, if Tila Tequila used the site to climb the social networking caste system, you can, too. [From: Computer World and ReadWriteWeb]

Tags: facebook, linked in, LinkedIn, money, myspace, nielsen, social networking, SocialNetworking, study, top, wealth

Web

Viagra Spam Actually Making Money Off Gullible Browsers

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Sep 28th 2009 at 12:25PM

Everyone hates spam. We've all sat in front of our inboxes, scratching our heads in bewilderment, trying to imagine who would ever click on these "get-rich-quick" or "lose-weight-fast" links that scream for our attention and grab our elbows at every turn. One type of spam advertiser in particular, though, apparently gets a sufficient "rise" out of consumers to financially justify its existence.

According to researchers from Sophos, spam for pharmaceutical products -- including those ubiquitous, slightly uncomfortable Viagra and Cialis ads -- can actually turn a pretty profit for online pharmacies, drug companies, and their spam distributors. The report focuses on Russian spam networks known as "partnerka," which also act as the engines powering Canada's largest pharmaceutical spam businesses.

Tags: email, spam, study, top, viagra

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'Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

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Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.

Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.

Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.

Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.

HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.

HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.

HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.

GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.

Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.

Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.

Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.

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