Hasta La Gadget!

OTI report finds US and Canada have the most expensive cellphone plans, India and Hong Kong the cheapest originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 09:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Keep that bottle of Purell handy for your iPhone or Droid display is a germ magnet, says a recent Stanford University study. Phone displays attract viruses and transfer it to finger tips, says the study.

“About 20 to 30 percent viruses transfer to the glass from someone’s fingers and about the same will transfer to a fingertip on contact,” Tim Julian, a doctoral student at Stanford who recently published a paper on the transfer of virus between finger pads and glass surfaces told Wired.com

Other researchers have shown that a similar amount, and possibly more, can go from the fingers to nose and lips. On average, people touch their lips or mouth around 10 to 25 times in an hour.

It’s not the first time cellphones have been shown to be germ-infested. In 2007, British mobile phone retailer Dial-a-phone swabbed objects such as toilet seats, keyboards and the bottoms of shoes and analyzed the bacteria in them. When compared with mobile devices, they found the average mobile phone contained more bacteria than a toilet seat.

The Sacramento Bee quotes an unspecified British study to say mobile phones harbor 18 times more bacteria than a flush handle in a typical men’s restroom.

Julian’s research, which was published recently in the Journal of Applied Microbiology, didn’t go that far. But, he says, it is clear that the viruses transmitted through displays have the potential to harm, though the risk remains low.

During the flu-season though, cellphone users may not be as much at risk because influenza and common cold are largely airborne.

There’s one way to stave off the germs: Washing hands before touching the screen can help reduce the amount of virus transmitted from and to the display, says the study.

See Also:

• Sharp Plans 3-D Cellphone This Year
• Android App Uses Cellphone Camera to Measure Air Pollution
• Apple Redefines Remote Control — Now, It’s Your Cellphone
• Carriers Get Serious about Cellphone Recycling

Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

[via The Sacramento Bee via Engadget]

We’ve mixed feelings on 3D as a whole, and it seems that the vast majority of consumers do as well. We’ve seen quite a few lovely implementations, and there’s hardly a better way to watch sports away from the field, but those dreaded 3D glasses are likely keeping most people an arm’s length away. According to a new report from DisplaySearch, 3DTVs will make up just two percent of all flat panels shipped in 2010. Paul Gray, Director of TV Electronics Research, noted that “while TV manufacturers have bold plans and a lot of new products, consumers remain cautious,” continuing by stating that “consumers have been told that 3D TV is the future, but there still remains a huge price jump and little 3D content to watch.” In particular, “North American consumers appear to be playing a waiting game,” and in Western Europe, the sales of 3D glasses to sets has failed to hit 1:1. That said, the report feels rather strongly about the future, noting that 90 million 3DTV sets are expected to ship in 2014. Of course, if we’ve only got two or three 2D options to choose from by then, the estimated skyrocketing makes a lot more sense…

Continue reading DisplaySearch: consumers playing a ‘wait and see’ game with 3DTVs

DisplaySearch: consumers playing a ‘wait and see’ game with 3DTVs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Oct 2010 09:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Had your current cellphone for the better part of the this century? Turns out you aren’t the only one — according to new research gathered by J.D. Power and Associates, Americans are holding onto their mobiles for longer than ever these days. In fact, the study found that the length of time customers keep their traditional wireless cell phone has increased by 17 percent from 2009, with the average customer holding onto their phone for around 20.5 months. That’s the longest period since this study began tracking the data in 1999, when the average was 17.3 months. Kirk Parsons, senior director of wireless services at the company, feels that the recent economic downturn has a lot to do with folks keeping their existing phones longer, while we’re guessing that it has to do with existing phones simply being “good enough.”

Furthermore, anyone who is even remotely tuned into the mobile world knows that widespread 4G is just around the bend, giving folks reason to hold off on renewing their contract until WiMAX / LTE comes to their carrier of choice. Curiously, phone prices are lower than ever before, which should mean that it’s even less expensive to upgrade now than in the past. Of course, none of that matters if your existing phone contract isn’t up (or you aren’t due for a discounted renewal), and the savings on the hardware is likely being devoured by the extra fees we’re paying for messaging and data. So, are you in the “run it till it dies” camp, or are you wondering who on Earth this survey (shown in full after the break) is referring to?

Continue reading Study: we’re keeping our mobiles longer, despite sinking prices

Study: we’re keeping our mobiles longer, despite sinking prices originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We hold great respect for the Pew Internet and American Life Project, whose statistical practices are transparent, robust and rarely filled with logical holes, but we have to wonder why the organization decided to ask if Americans would support affordable high-speed internet using their tax dollars. 53% of 2,252 telephoned adults said it shouldn’t be a major priority, which is significant, to be sure, but when Pew’s 2009 study showed that most individuals without broadband don’t want it, and their 2008 survey confirmed that 62 percent of dial-up users were still A-OK, we have to imagine researchers might have seen this coming. Those with broadband don’t need it, those without it don’t want it. Never mind about education, health, economic reform — you know, all those other priorities. Nevertheless, these are interesting results, and if you’re a proponent of the FCC’s National Broadband Plan you’d best have a look.

Pew study finds majority of Americans don’t want government to prioritize affordable broadband originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Aug 2010 08:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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