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Finch usage tracker for OS X disappoints
For $8.99, Touch Studio's Finch app for OS X promises to to quietly track your computer usage as you work. With it, you should be able to monitor which apps and sites you spend the most time in, and adjust your workday accordingly. Finch runs in your menu bar, keeping track of your usage by monitoring window title bars. It offers instant reports showing the duration of window use per app. The problem is that Finch doesn't do this very well. Monitoring While The User is Absent If you leave a window open when you're rushing out to dinner, Finch records the entire time it's there. There doesn't seem to be any activity trigger beyond the fact that the window is on-screen. In my tests, that caused a lot of false-data which showed I spent more time at certain sites than I actually did. There really needs to be some kind of time-out on these. Incorrect Multiple Results What's more, Finch sometimes had problems keeping track of staying on the same page. While writing up this post, it reported dozens of visits, all to the same page, the one I'm typing into right now. Nothing changed as far as I can tell in my title bar, even when I hit the "Save" button at regular intervals. No Application-by-Application Results Finch doesn't group its results by application because it only looks at titles, I couldn't build up usage stats for "How long was I in Email? How long in Firefox? In Safari? In Echofon?" You'd imagine that would be a big part of analyzing usage patterns, but it's not part of the app. No Sessions Nor can you create regular sessions to automatically monitor your workday. I'm only interested in usage between 7:30 AM and 3:30 PM. Finch provides no support for this kind of regular monitoring and no way to do session-by-session trend analysis. Stalking Finally, there's one more thing. And it's totally not Finch's fault. The app is creepy. It's like an electronic stalker looking over your shoulder. Every window you visit. Every website, no matter how stupid or crazy or embarrassing is listed in the results. There's no way to filter with Finch to only look at the usage patterns that are relevant to you. If you click a RickRoll link in your business e-mail, that site is going to be added to your Finch history. Summary All in all, I like the idea behind Finch better than the implementation. I hope Touch Studio continues developing the product but does so in a way that better lends itself to business use and "Getting Things Done" (GTD) analysis. As is, I cannot recommend it.
T-Mobile to begin charging overage on its 200MB plans on August 14th?
Say it isn't so! T-Mobile, flooded by larger-than-expected demand on data, may be just a matter of days away from making a polarizing change to its 200MB internet plans. As the feature currently stands, going over your limit results in a throttling of broadband speeds, forcing your browser to surf and download at a ridiculously slow pace. The rumored adjustment to the plan, however, would take away the option completely and replace it with usage charges. Each additional MB used, according to the leaked docs, will tack an extra dime onto your monthly bill. Fortunately, the overage is capped at $30 -- preventing several potential panic attacks at the mailbox -- and only affects the lower plan; additionally, anyone currently on the 200MB plan will be grandfathered, thus retaining their unlimited (albeit throttled) internet. Those on the 2GB plan can breathe easily for now, but there's no telling when the policy will spread like wildfire throughout the remainder of T-Mobile's data offerings. The change, slated to take place on August 14th, has yet to be officially confirmed by Bellevue. Meanwhile, we continue to watch as our options for limitless internet slowly fade away into the darkness.
Verizon unlimited data to end in July
Bad news, Verizon users. The rumors were true, and Verizon will be ending its unlimited data plan this July. According to AllThingsD, Verizon confirms it's moving "to a more usage based model in July," with exact details to come later on. Unfortunately, it's unclear what Verizon still plans to do -- the company has said that its unlimited plans were always only for a temporary time, though AT&T, of course, grandfathered its unlimited plans in (and I'm still using one, though I can't ever change it or add things like hotspot or tethering). It sounds like Verizon wants to shut down the plans for good, but there may still be a chance for someone on an unlimited plan currently to keep it. We'll have to see. In the meantime, yes, change is in the air for affected Verizon users. With mobile bandwidth rising as quickly as it is, these companies are pushing as quickly as possible to move towards more usage-based plans.
Verizon's tiered data plans won't affect grandfathered customers after all?
Yesterday's revelation that Verizon may soon be enforcing usage-based data plans came as a slap in the face to many, but there may be at least one speck of sunlight shining through the dark clouds above. Screenshots appeared today, purportedly from employee communications, that would go a long way toward assuaging our worst nightmares: Verizon is indeed planning to mirror AT&T's policy of letting current customers hang onto their grandfathered data plans -- even when renewing contracts. It's probably best to keep your fingers crossed, but we understand if your hands are busy clutching those old plans as if your life depended on it.
Device Analyzer Android study wants to track your every move, if you'll let it
And here we thought folks were concerned about protecting their personal data. As it turns out, however, a surprising chunk of Android users have volunteered to give a group of University of Cambridge researchers a look at exactly how they use their cellphones. By downloading the Device Analyzer app from the Android market, more than 1,000 participants have allowed the data collection program to harvest statistics in the background while they use their phones. Those statistics -- varying from when the power is switched on, to which apps are in use -- are then made available to users via the Device Analyzer website. Of course, this is Cambridge, a rather well respected institution of higher learning, and the researchers involved say the data collected is stripped of personal information "as best as possible," but we're not keen on anyone peeping our cell stats. If you're an Android exhibitionist, however, you can sign up for the study at the source link below.
15% of mobile apps launched while offline
Real-time analytics firm Localytics has issued a report that says 15 percent of all mobile apps are launched while the device they are running on is offline. That's a clear sign that developers would be serving their users better if they built "offline" modes into more apps, according to Ryan Kim of GigaOm. After all, while wireless networks are expanding all the time in the form of 3G, 4G and Wi-Fi, there are still many places where you can't get connected (like in a subway). Kim is correct is his assertion that developers should keep lack of a connection in mind and build in offline modes to their apps. This is especially true for mapping applications. I travel to foreign countries a lot, and there isn't a better example of when you need access to maps then when traveling internationally. But if you don't want to pay international data fees, you're stuck with using your iPhone or iPad in Wi-Fi zones. This is why I've always been an advocate of aggressive map caching, or even building a feature into the Google Maps app that allows users to download complete tile packs of cities so that they have access to maps when not on a data network. But Kim makes another excellent argument for offline mode in apps: As a developer you want users to be as engaged with your app as possible. Adding Instapaper-like features (essentially saving content offline) or more aggressive caching to your apps would allow users to use them to some degree even when not connected to a network, rather than getting a useless login screen. Localytics used its proprietary product to come up with the numbers for offline data use on iOS, Android, BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 devices by comparing the time difference between when an app was opened and when its analytics data was uploaded to their servers.
Nielsen: iPad maintains 82% of tablet market
No surprises here: the iPad is dominating the tablet market in the US right now, with over 80 percent of users owning a version of Apple's tablet. The latest survey by Nielsen gives that figure, and says that 3G and Wi-Fi versions are almost equally split among owners, with 39% sticking with Wi-Fi, and 43% preferring 3G. "Dominating" is exactly the right word, too -- the Samsung Galaxy is the next tablet on the list, with only a 4% market share, and the Motorola Xoom only showed up with 2%. Sure, the tablet market is still developing quickly, but for now, Apple has it locked down and then some. Nielsen also polled about how people use their tablets, and over half of users are the only people who use the tablet they own, so it's still a very personal device. 35% of tablet users say they use their desktop computer less, and 32% of tablet and laptop owners say they use the more traditional laptop less. And as for why users are using their tablets, the portability seems to be a big draw, with 31% of respondents listing tablets as "easy to carry/take with you." [via AppleInsider]
Survey: Games top usage on tablets, too
According to a survey done by Google's AdMob, games are the number one use of most tablet computers out there, including Apple's own iPad and iPad 2. As you can see from the chart above, 84% of tablet owners play games on their devices, a use that's apparently ahead of even email checking, search, or newsreading and social networking. That's interesting -- when the iPad was first introduced, Steve sat on a couch and read email and news, but it turns out that once you get these things in people's hands, the number one thing they're doing is playing games. Just like the iPhone, playing games are a big deal on these mobile devices, and they're also a big way Apple has been able to sell both apps and hardware. Additionally, 38% of respondents say they use their tablets more than two hours a day, and 82% have been using their tablets at home. Anecdotally, I'll guess that these are still supplementary devices, though -- people are using their tablets while watching TV or otherwise engaging rather than using them directly. Only 28% of respondents say the tablet is their primary computer, but 43% say they do use the tablet more than a traditional PC. Interesting to see how usage patterns on tablets are really inserting themselves into an everyday work flow.
Our annual data consumption estimated at 9.57 zettabytes or 9,570,000,000,000,000,000,000 bytes
The internet is a mighty big place that's only growing larger each day. That makes it a perfectly unwieldy thing to measure, but the traffic it generates has nonetheless been subjected to a rigorous estimation project by a group of UC San Diego academics. Their findings, published online this month, reveal that in 2008 some 9.57 zettabytes made their way in and out of servers across the globe. Some data bits, such as an email passing through multiple servers, might be counted more than once in their accounting, but the overall result is still considered an under-estimation because it doesn't address privately built servers, such as those Google, Microsoft and others run in their backyards. On a per-worker basis (using a 3.18 billion human workforce number), all this data consumption amounts to 12GB daily or around 3TB per year. So it seems that while we might not have yet reached the bliss of the paperless office, we're guzzling down data as if we were. Check out the report below for fuller details on the study and its methodology.
Galaxy Indulge microSDHC card regularly reports back to MetroPCS (but hey, you get Iron Man 2 for free!)
If you're the kind of person who buys phones based on Hollywood tie-in deals (and for your sake, we hope you're not) you'll be pleased to know that the Samsung Galaxy Indulge comes pre-loaded with Iron Man 2. That's right, a sequel to a movie you only ever saw half of, once, while it was on the TV over the bar at Armand's on Liberty Ave. (assuming that you're a certain Engadget editor, and for your sake we hope you're not) is coming pre-loaded on the world's first Android-packing, LTE smartphone. And if that wasn't enough, the SanDisk microSDHC card that the movie is stored on regularly reports back to MetroPCS with usage statistics: This intelligent SanDisk mobile memory card provides specific, real-time network data to MetroPCS to measure customer interest in digital content. Details of aggregated, anonymous consumer usage will allow MetroPCS to determine the impact of its movie offering, which in turn allows them to provide customers with more customized content and services in the future. We're sure everything is on the up-and-up here, but for some reason we don't think most consumers will be comfortable with storage that reports regularly to a carrier -- for any reason. Still, things could be much worse: you could be stuck with the pre-loaded Iron Man app on an LG Ally.
Mobile share reports put Android in first for ads, RIM with most subscribers
Two big mobile market share reports have just released, both of them offering up some interesting news for Apple in the world of mobile phone OS users. First up, IDC's report sends Google's Android OS to a whopping 59 percent share, up from 48.6 percent last year. Apple, IDC says, will likely finish with less than 10 percent of the total market. That's not necessarily bad news -- Apple is one company, and Google's Android phone comes in a variety of flavors from different manufacturers. IDC also says the mobile ad market has reached US$368 million, double what it was last year, and may double again next year to almost $2 billion. That's a big pizza pie, of which Apple currently has around 8 percent thanks to iAd. comScore has also released a mobile trends report, sitting Apple behind RIM in the top smartphone subscribers. The difference here is that comScore's looking at subscribers, not users, and RIM's large enterprise base allows it some leeway here. RIM has 36 percent of the market compared to Apple's 25 percent, though in just the past few months, RIM has fallen over three points. There's also some information about how people are using their smartphones, and the number one usage, according to comScore, is text messaging, with 68 percent of mobile subscribers texting. Browsing on the phone, and downloading and using apps also both score high, but strangely, nowhere on the list is there information that anyone, you know, actually uses their phones to call people. Maybe that's just assumed?
iPad owners' usage increasing over time
Business Insider recently surveyed 500 iPad users about their habits with some interesting results. Among the most interesting is that nearly 80 percent of respondents (77.6) said they use their iPads more often now than they did when they first got them, suggesting that, after the novelty had worn off, customers continued to use their iPads. Even more so, in fact. The study also found that 71 percent of participants use their iPads between one and five hours per day. Additionally, 28.9 percent said that their iPad has become their primary computer. Personally, I use mine as a supplement, but my wife hasn't touched our MacBook Pro since the iPad came home. Most participants reported spending the bulk of their iPad time browsing the Web (37.7 percent) while 39.4 percent claim to have downloaded between 20 and 50 apps (most people paid for about 10 apps). There's more, of course, which you can read here. It's an interesting study with a decent-sized sample.
iPad ads more lucrative than iPhone spots
Here's an interesting little finding regarding Apple's iOS devices -- Mobclix claims that for the month of July 2010, ads on the iPad were actually more lucrative than ads running on iPhone apps. The effective cost per thousand impressions is actually five times higher on the iPad than on the iPhone, which means that because there are fewer iPads around (but presumably ad rates are currently around even for the two devices), advertisers are actually paying much more to reach the same amount of people on the larger device as the smaller one. But that cost is paying off -- iPad users tend to spend about three times as much time playing with apps on their devices versus iPhone users of the same apps. Of course, given the brevity of a typical iPhone usage profile, that's still only about ten minutes more per app on the iPad. But it's quite clear already that the iPad presents a different use case, and that advertisers will have to consider the two almost completely different audiences. Keep in mind that the iPad is still in its relative infancy -- the iPhone has only been around for a few years, but we're still only talking about a few months (and even less than that, considering these numbers come from July) on the iPad. It'll be interesting to see how these two devices continue to diverge in the future.
Android 2.1 becomes most used version, just in time to be obviated by Froyo
Rejoice, oh Android lovers. Thy OS of choice has finally graduated to the point where its latest variant is also the most used -- a statistic that is likely to last for only a day given Google's intent to reveal Android 2.2, or Froyo, at its I/O conference tomorrow. For the first time since El Goog's been keeping these platform version stats, 2.1 has risen above 1.5, the previous incumbent, having grown from 32.4 percent on May 3 (chart after the break) to 37.2 percent on May 17. This rapid ascension can only be expected to accelerate with more devices getting their Eclair permissions slips, and let's not forget that Google will be trying its hardest with 2.2 to make upgrades easier for phone makers to implement. Onwards and upwards we go. [Thanks, Chris D]
NPD: 75 percent of US iPhone, iPod touch users download content, other 25 percent think Opera Mini is a tiny concert
While we can't honestly imagine an iDevice user going about their life without connecting to the iTunes App Store at least once in a blue moon -- if not on a semi-permanent basis -- the statistically-significant NPD Group decided to look into the matter regardless. Sure enough, the org reports that a full three-quarters of iPhone and iPod touch users in the US do indeed download apps and entertainment content from the internet. In case you're wondering, that figure beats the pants off those connecting from their video game consoles (19 percent) or Blu-ray players (17 percent), but both of those are obviously biased towards physical, disc-based media. Before you dismiss these findings as obvious, however, let's read between the lines -- if 75 percent of Apple's touchscreen devices are pulling content from the web, that means the other one-quarter have gone without. If not apps, what the heck are those devices being used for?
Dear Aunt TUAW: Which 3G plan should I opt for?
Dear Aunt TUAW, I'm getting a new iPad 3G. I understand the bit about no contract and $15 a month for 250mb but wonder about how does 250mb relate to web usage. I have heard some say the web surfing can consume a lot of "bandwidth" but have no idea what that means relative to 250mb of data plan use. I am not an AT&T fan (still waiting for Verizon or Sprint to get the iPhone) and am always reluctant to sign up for a 2 year contract for anything. My wife has an iPad wireless model and she has had no trouble web surfing, e-mail etc, at the house or our apartment in the city.
iPad claiming .03% of all 'net traffic already
I must say, my iPad has become my primary way to access the Web when I'm at home, and it looks like Apple's latest device is getting a lot of exercise from other iPad users too. In a report from NetApplications, the iPad averaged 0.03 percent, per day, of all Web traffic for the ten days after its launch. Launch weekend had particularly high numbers, and then the numbers trended down as people went back to work, presumably without their iPads. The numbers actually approach the number of users for Blackberry and Google Android phones. That doesn't seem like a large percentage necessarily (it's less than half of one percent), but when you consider that it's .03% of all Web traffic, for a device less than a week old, it is worth noting. NetApplications' numbers are based on a selective sampling of Web sites whose logs they have access to and can analyze. Of course, the iPhone and iPod touch have higher numbers, 0.51 and 0.11 respectively. But even after just a week of sale, the iPad is challenging other browsing devices. It's likely that the iPad numbers will climb even higher, both when the 3G model comes out later this month, and when the iPad has an international release. We'll be on the lookout for other data and keep you posted. For our iPad users out there, is your experience similar to mine? Has the iPad become a preferred device for dealing with mail and the Web when you are home, or even at work? [Via Ars Technica]
Millions of app store downloads everywhere
Last year was a big one for mobile downloads, according to a number of sources. A Quantcast mobile trends report says that mobile web activity grew 110% in the US throughout 2009, and of course Apple was responsible for most of that, with a 65% market share, 41% from the iPhone and the rest from the iPod touch. Apple's market share slightly dropped in 2009 (due to increasing competition), but it's still head and shoulders above everyone else. App downloads are huge as well. Not only did Apple announce that three billion downloads, but Gameloft says they've reached 10 million paid downloads of apps by themselves, and developer Lima Sky (makers of Doodle Jump, one of our favorite games of 2009), says downloads skyrocketed after Christmas, with over 500,000 downloads of their app in December of 2009 alone. The App Store is doing big business lately -- it's probably a safe bet to say that 2009 kicked off a golden age of mobile web activity. And all indications are that 2010 will be even more interesting.
Study: Android and iPhone users show same usage trends, heavy app usage
A study put together by analytics firms comScore and Compete says that while Android and iPhone users probably aren't the same people, they certainly act like it. Usage patterns line up almost exactly across the board, differing by only a few percentage points in categories from social networking to mobile media to instant messaging. The only place they really differ is in email usage -- 63% of Android users reported that they used their smartphones for email, while 87% of iPhone users said the same. The firms also asked smartphone users how they used apps overall, and it's probably not surprising to find that iPhone users are in apps over half the time they're on their phones, compared to using just the web browser. Android users report figures almost as high, with 44% saying that they use apps more than half the time. With so many developers out there working hard to streamline and improve the user interface in specific apps, it's no wonder native applications are the main reason most people pull out their iPhones. And if you want, this can just add fuel to the fire on the speculation that Apple will release a bigger version of the iPhone designed to just run apps rather than worry about that pesky "calling" feature. [via Mashable]
Comcast delivers data usage meter in Portland, Oregon
The lucky residents of Portland, Oregon are the first to test out Comcast's just deployed and long-expected data usage meter for its customers. The interface is self-explanatory, but customers who have long been trying to guesstimate how close they are to their 250GB limit should be jumping for joy right about now. Comcast says the data is refreshed about every three hours, and that the median usage of its customers is somewhere around 2 - 4GB per month. No word on further rollout of the usage meter -- but we'll keep our eyes peeled for you. [Thanks, Jerry]
