usage

How to reduce and keep track of your monthly data usage

With data plan pricing on the rise and unlimited plans being throttled (seriously, why bother calling it "unlimited"?!), it's increasingly important to control your data usage.

As we gradually move toward a cloud-based mobile experience with services such as iCloud, Amazon Cloud, and Google Music, going over your data limits will be easy. Naturally, service providers like AT&T and Verizon don't mind--they'll gladly hit you with a $10 to $30 overage charge whenever you exceed your allotted bytes.

Connecting to Wi-Fi as often as possible is key to minimizing cellular data usage, but … Read more

Avoid overage charges with My Data Manager

My Data Manager by Mobidia provides a simple, passive way of tracking your Android device's data usage. It's perfect if you have a limited data plan and are constantly trying to avoid those annoying overage charges.

Once you install My Data Manager, it automatically starts tracking your home data usage, roaming, and Wi-Fi usage, all in real time. It lists all of the active, data-connected apps on your device, the amount of raw data used in MBs, and the percentage of data transfer currently being used by each app. It even has pie charts.

But that's just … Read more

China Internet users top half a billion, many more to go

China's Internet user tally is growing by tens of millions of people every year, the China Internet Network Information Center has revealed.

According to Reuters, which obtained a report from the organization and published its results today, China had 505 million Internet users at the end of the November 2011--a figure that exceeds the entire populations of many countries, including the U.S.

What's more, there's nothing but room for that number to grow. According to the Information Center, China's Internet penetration rate is just 37.7 percent. To put that figure into perspective, over … Read more

Devour data much? Apple's Siri surely does

iPhone 4S owners are most likely to consume boatloads of data, a new study from mobile network management company Arieso has found.

According to the company, iPhone 4S owners use twice as much data as iPhone 4 users and three times as much data as iPhone 3G owners. In the company's 2010 study, the iPhone 4 was the top data user.

How did the iPhone 4S take the crown, you ask? Simple, says Arieso chief technology officer Michael Flanagan in an interview published today by Bloomberg: Siri.

Apple's virtual personal assistant, which lets users find content from the … Read more

How to use Android 4.0 to help you manage your data plan

Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich has added a key feature for those who are on a capped mobile data plan with their wireless carrier.

ICS gives users the ability to monitor the amount of mobile data being used on their device, and in some cases, automatically turn off mobile data. … Read more

How often do you use your iPad?

According to CNET UK's Crave blog, in a recent survey conducted by coupon site MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, out of a group of 1,531 U.K. iPad owners, many claimed their iPads were largely going unused. We want to know what our readers think.

According to the poll, 26 percent of iPad owners responding to the poll only use the tablet once per week while 10 percent say they may not use it at all. While those numbers come from a small sample size on a single site's survey, I wanted to know if our readers were having similar usage patterns with their iPads.

I find I use my mine nearly every day, whether I'm reading a book, catching up on the latest social goings-on with Facebook, or mulling over a crossword puzzle. The iPad also comes in handy for creating some cool content for my film experiments and perfecting my musical chops in GarageBand.

How do you use your iPad? Answer the poll and let me know in the comments!… Read more

Prevent iCloud Documents & Data from using your data plan

If you aren't fortunate enough to still be on an unlimited data plan, you may be paranoid about how much data you are using on a daily basis. With iCloud and the eventual release of more iCloud-enabled apps, the amount of data being used by your device is inevitably going to go up. … Read more

Google, Facebook top U.S. Web destinations in July

Google was by far the most popular online destination in July among Americans, according to data released yesterday by Nielsen.

According to the research firm, 172.5 million unique visitors in the U.S. went to Google in July, spending an average of nearly 1.5 hours on the site. The world's top social network, Facebook, had nearly 159 million unique visitors. However, the social network was far and away their favorite place to be, with folks spending an average of over 5 hours on the site during the month.

Yahoo came in third place in Nielsen's study … Read more

Is AT&T considering throttling heavy data users?

AT&T may be looking at new ways to control data hogs on its wireless network.

The company is rumored to be considering throttling super-heavy data users and restricting them to slower speeds in an effort to better manage its network and keep up with demand for mobile data, according to the blog 9to5mac.

The new policy could start the first in October, which is right around the time that Apple is expected to launch its next generation iPhone, the blog said.

AT&T wouldn't be the first wireless operator to employ such tactics. T-Mobile USA, which … Read more

How long can Sprint keep its unlimited plans up?

Sprint Nextel's unlimited data plan will eventually face its limits.

As the only carrier that can now boast of offering an all-you-can-eat buffet of data with no strings attached, Sprint has become a haven for bandwidth hogs. It's a boon to customer growth and gives the company a competitive edge beyond pricing or network quality. Unfortunately, it's also tough for the company to reverse its position.

The growth also comes at a cost. The more heavy users jump on the Sprint ship, the heavier the burden the carrier will start to feel. The company has employed tricks … Read more