usage

Check memory usage for Firefox add-ons

Using many Firefox add-ons at once can cause the application to dramatically slow down. This is because for each add-on, you're using a piece of your computer's memory. The most obvious solution is to uninstall some of them, but perhaps that's not a good option for you.

As an alternative, try checking out how much memory each add-on is using. Firefox provides information on memory allocation (about:memory), but it isn't in the most user-friendly format. The next best option is to install yet another add-on. However, this particular add-on will report its own memory usage … Read more

Amazon Kindle Fire gains Web usage market share on iPad loss

Web usage of Apple's iPad fell more than 7 percent in North America after Christmas, while competing tablets from Amazon, Google, and Samsung all registered gains, according to a new study released today.

While the iPad dominates the market with 78.8 percent Web usage, its usage after Christmas dropped 7.14 percent, according to Chitika Insights, which sampled hundreds of millions of smartphone and tablet ad impressions in the U.S. and Canada between December 1 and December 27. The Kindle Fire -- the distant second-place player in the market -- gained 3 percent to account for 7.… Read more

Microsoft Surface still the top Windows 8 device, ad data says

Microsoft's Surface RT tablet remains the single most popular Windows 8/RT device, though its lead isn't as pronounced as a month ago, according to an update of usage statistics.

The Microsoft tablet is still the single most popular device, but its share of usage among Window 8/RT devices has fallen by almost half compared to last month, according to AdDuplex, a Windows ad-serving business.

The ranking is based on data collected from 71 active Windows 8/RT apps on the AdDuplex network on December 7. The numbers don't appear to say anything about trends in … Read more

iOS, Android, and Web traffic: Same old, same old

Apple and Google are very nearly in the same spot as they were six months ago when it comes to Web traffic, a new study says.

Advertising and analytics company Chitika today put out new numbers from a six-month study of U.S. and Canadian Web traffic collected from ad impressions by iOS and Android devices. The main finding is that both mobile operating systems are still very nearly in the same spot as where they started, despite major product launches on both sides.

Apple closed in on 67 percent of the overall Web traffic that Chitika recorded, ending on … Read more

Netflix gobbles a third of peak Internet traffic in North America

Netflix users are turning into the biggest data hogs in North America, a new report suggests.

The report from Sandvine, a company that sells Internet traffic-management systems, finds that Netflix use accounts for 33 percent of all downstream traffic in North America during the peak hours between 9 p.m. and 12 a.m. By contrast, Amazon and Hulu only account for 1.8 percent and 1.4 percent of downstream traffic, respectively.

During peak time, 65 percent of all fixed-line data traffic across North America is delivered through audio- or video-streaming services, so Netflix accounts for a little over … Read more

Apple fixes data usage snafu on Verizon iPhone 5

Apple issued a software update for the iPhone 5 on Verizon Wireless's network Sunday that will fix a problem that causes some Verizon iPhone 5 customers to use their Verizon data allotment when they they're connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Apple issued a the software update on Sunday and posted instructions for getting the update.

1. Tap Settings > General > About.

2. Wait for the following alert to appear:

3. Tap OK to install the update.

4. Hold the Sleep/Wake button down until you see "slide to power off".

5. Slide to power off.… Read more

Monitor your PC bandwidth usage with NetSpeedMonitor

Unlimited data plans are being killed off by mobile carriers, one by one. Even home Internet connections aren't truly unlimited. Monitoring apps, whether for your smartphone or for your computer, can help you find out how much bandwidth you're actually using.

NetSpeedMonitor (32-bit | 64-bit) is a small Windows program that runs in the taskbar and displays your data usage at a glance. It's particularly useful for tracking your data usage if you tether your PC to your smartphone. If you're a Verizon customer, you may want to check out CNET's FAQ on Verizon's tethering settlement with the FCC.… Read more

Internet usage patterns may signal depression, study finds

The amount and type of online activity Internet users exhibit may be indicators of depression, findings a group of researchers hopes will lead to software tools to help identify depressive behavior.

People who showed symptoms of depression tended to use the Internet differently than those who didn't show signs of depression, researchers said in a New York Times opinion piece today. Some of that behavior included obsessively checking e-mail, watching lots of videos, and switching frequently among multiple apps, according to a new study by researchers from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

The researchers asked 216 college … Read more

Pay-per-use bandwidth? Not without some ground rules

Update: May 17, 2012 Do I get results, or what? Less than a day after this column posted, Comcast announced it would ditch its 250GB data cap in favor of a 300GB cap with the option to buy additional 50GB chunks for $10 each. Not bad, although it's amusing timing given their current fight over Net neutrality and cap-free Xfinity on-demand streaming.

Bandwidth caps, the death of unlimited data plans, throttling, "data hog" accusations...I get it. Pay-per-use bandwidth is inevitable: the end of unlimited Internet access is at hand. Bandwidth is a limited resource, especially on … Read more