studies

New study suggests e-book piracy is on the rise

Last January a company called Attributor conducted its first e-book piracy study. And back in May, I mentioned that study in piece called "Is Pad supercharging e-book piracy?" Well, Attributor has conducted a second study more recently and come up with some interesting data.

The company says its key findings are:

50 percent increase in online searches for pirated downloads throughout the past year 1.5-3 million daily Google queries for pirated e-books 20 percent increase in demand for pirated downloads since the iPad became widely available in mid-May 2010 54 percent increase in pirated e-book demand since … Read more

Survey: Most won't buy new TV just to get 3D

Vendors might be trying to push 3D on consumers, but few appear willing to jump to the technology, a study released today by Deloitte has found.

According to the international accounting and consulting firm, 83 percent of consumers say that 3D isn't enough to make them want to buy a new television. Moreover, 60 percent of respondents said they simply aren't willing to pay extra for a television with 3D capabilities. Just 21 percent of those surveyed said they would pay 10 percent more for a 3D television over a set that doesn't have the technology.

A … Read more

Pew: Adults text, but teens do it five times as much

Nearly three-quarters of adult mobile phone users text message others, but the average teenager sends and receives five times as many messages as an adult, Pew Internet found in a recent study.

Currently, 72 percent of adults text message, up from 65 percent back in 2009. But it's teens who are leading the "texting" charge. Pew found that 87 percent of teens text others, averaging a whopping 50 messages sent and received per day. The average adult sends and receives just 10 messages each day.

Teens are also more likely to be "heavy texters." Pew … Read more

Apple's ally: Engineer says Consumer Reports study flawed

As iPhone 4 hits seem to keep piling up, Apple finds a friend in an electromagnetic engineer and self-described "mobile topic expert" who claims that Consumer Reports failed to provide a truly scientific test of the antenna issues facing Apple's iPhone 4.

Bob Egan, now a technology blogger and global head of research & chief analyst at the TowerGroup, claims that the Consumer Reports study, which had the popular independent customer advocacy group unable to recommend purchasing the iPhone 4, has many inherent flaws and can barely be counted as scientific.

Egan writes, "Bottom line. From … Read more

Study: TV, video games corrode kids' attention

The screen-time debate lives on.

This round goes to the opponents.

According to a new study from Iowa State University, television and video games cause attention problems for children.

The study, published this week in the medical journal Pediatrics, examined 1,323 kids in "middle childhood" over a 13-month period. The participants were asked to play video games and watch television. (Twist their arms.) The researchers then asked for reports from the children's parents and teachers to see how well they were paying attention at both home and school.

Based on those reports, researchers found that "… Read more

Report: Market for fuel cell vehicles to take off by 2020

Fuel cell vehicles will overcome obstacles and the market will start to see growth within 10 years, according to a report released Wednesday by Pike Research.

The research analyst asserts in its report "Fuel Cell Vehicles" that after years of development, fuel cell vehicles may be "on the verge of commercialization by mid-decade."

The U.S. is predicted to be the largest fuel cell vehicle (FCV) market with about 134,000 vehicles sold annually, followed by China (about 129,000 FCVs), and Germany (about 127,000 FCVs).

A total of about 670,000 fuel cell light … Read more

Shocker: Movie theater 3D glasses carry bacteria

With an increasing number of 3D movies hitting theaters, we'll be wearing theater-provided 3D glasses more often. The only problem is, those glasses could harbor all kinds of bacteria that might make some of us think twice about seeing "Avatar" for the fourth time.

According to Good Housekeeping, which tested movie theater 3D glasses that were both unwrapped and wrapped in plastic, several of the frames carried "bacteria that can cause conjunctivitis, skin infections, food poisoning, or even sepsis or pneumonia."

The publication's research lab found that "none of the glasses" it … Read more

Study: Violent games 'harmless for vast majority'

Those who worry that violent video games are dangerous for all youths may want to hear what researchers had to say in a recent journal from the American Psychological Association.

According to the Review of General Psychology, the Texas A&M researchers examined 118 teens and found violent video games are actually quite safe for most youths to play. The only youths who shouldn't play violent video games, researchers found, are those who tend to be "highly neurotic, less agreeable, and less conscientious." Those who didn't posses those personality traits were not adversely affected by … Read more

The sum is greater than the parts

For some of us, calculus was a long time ago, but it sure would have been easier if Math Center Level 2 been around. It's a package of precalculus and calculus tools from Tvalx, a tongue-twisting name for a company that specializes in math software. It's mostly designed for math students, but it's also useful to teachers and anyone who wants to brush up on their calculus skills or who just needs a good scientific calculator.

Math Center Level 2 combines several tools in one download. The small main interface has nothing more than Program and Help … Read more