studies
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Does depression lead to cellphone addiction, or vice versa?
In another classic "chicken-or-the-egg" type of conundrum, a newly released study is claiming that instead of a so-called "cellphone addiction" causing people depression and lower self-esteem, as we'd previously heard, the supposed addiction may actually be triggered by those very same negative feelings. In a study of school-aged South Korean children, Dr. Jee Hyan Ha found that those students who used their phones the most (90 or more times a day, including SMS) also tended to score higher on a psychological test intended to measure a person's level of depression. Although none of the students' scores reached the level of clinical depression, the heaviest users were observed to have significantly more self-identity issues than average, suggesting to researchers that communicating via cellphone made the "addicts" feel popular. So which is it: does heavy cellphone use lead to depression, or does depression lead to heavy cellphone use -- or is it just a vicious cycle with no end and no beginning?[Via textually]
UK drivers distracted by more than cellphones
By now we're all aware of the dangers caused by the distraction of using a cellphone while driving, right? Still, despite common sense and even a ban on cellphone usage while driving, more than half of the UK motorists polled in a recent survey continue to yap away. But what's most interesting here, are all the other distractions UK drivers (and presumably us Yanks) take part in on the motorways: 75% eat and drink while driving, 40% are looking at maps (and cliff-luring GPS devices), 25% smoke cigarettes, 66% are shouting and gesticulating at other drivers, 3% shave some part of their bodies, and 20% have engaged in "passion" presumably with the 33% of drivers who admit to dressing and undressing behind the wheel. The study doesn't reveal how many women are putting on makeup but 80% of those surveyed thought they should be fined... without mercy. Ok, we added that last "mercy" bit in, but one arbitrary law is as good as the next. [Via Techdirt]
Electricity may cause cancer, leukaemia, depression, etc.
Ok everyone, get your alarmist hats on tight over your already firmly planted tin-foil ones. We've heard the argument made before -- and believe us, it's a tough sell to us gadget dorks, but two official Department of Health reports, a Health Protection Agency (HPA) meeting, and the UN's World Health Organisation (WHO) have all convened on today's scary gadget-related disease du jour sure to make the hypochondriacs and "electric allergics" cringe with self-justification. The bend is to convince everyone that electromagnetic "smog" -- excessive electrical, radio, and microwave pollution -- could "interfere with the tiny natural electrical currents" of our nervous systems, as concluded by a National Radiological Protection Board survey that found children living close to power lines were developing leukaemia. Sure, that study might be getting a little post hoc ergo propter hoc on us, but the WHO and other health specialists are now beginning to blame electromagnetic fields as being a "likely cause" of up to 30% of childhood cancers, adult leukaemia, depression, brain cancers, possibly breast cancer, and even up to 1/10th of all miscarriages. Bold claims, and they kind of lost us when they got into the "allergic to electricity" argument, but hey, who are we to argue with peoples' gadgety ailments? Perhaps it's time for Engadget to pack up shop and move to the mountains to. Who's with us -- post-Engadget gadget-recovery commune? Nobody? Aight, we'll see this one through, then, like the rest of them.
Cellphone towers beat radar at detecting rain, say researchers
Proving once again that wireless technology isn't all bad, researchers from the University of Tel Aviv have determined that cellphone towers are as good as, if not better than, traditional meteorological techniques at measuring rainfall patterns. The team took data already documented by the carriers about each tower's signal strength over time and compared it to information that had been collected by radar and rain gauges, and found that not only did the towers accurately detect the electromagnetic disturbances inherent to storms, but that the degree of change in signal strength was directly proportional to actual rainfall. While widespread utilization of this data could probably have an immediate effect on forecasting if combined with current methodology, the researchers have an even more ambitious goal of detecting signal variations from the end-user -- that is, on consumers' handsets -- for aggregation into even more precise and localized reports once weather-related changes can be teased out from among the many other signal strength variants.[Via Slashdot]
Defining academic scholarship in games [Update 1]
The International Game Developers Association's "Culture Clash" column this month takes a look at the boundary between games and scholarship. Academia, and games academia in particular, can be the victim of a lot of stereotyping, but if developers look beyond the tweed-clad perceptions they may find a valuable resource:"One application of game studies is to help make better games by better understanding the medium. We've already seen it in a few places – think about Microsoft's HCI and usability labcoats working with Bungie on Halo, or behavioral scientists colluding with developers to make next-gen MMOs even more engaging."Of course, persuading your college professor that studying World of Warcraft is really going to help your tribal ethnography project is a different problem, but we've heard of several college papers that studied games.[Via Acid for Blood][Update 1 - fixed IGDA typo]
Study likens cellphone dependence to an addiction
A recent study by the Queensland University in Australia discovered what we've already pretty much known from several years of smartphone ownership, which is that people's reliance on their cellphones can often take the form of an addiction. Diana James and her colleagues analyzed the behavior of mobile owners 45-and-under in situations where they were separated from their phones, and found that many displayed the same withdrawal symptoms common to smoking, gambling, or eating addictions: lower self esteem, nervousness, and in some cases, even deep agitation. Besides emotional problems, excessive calling and texting can lead to steep cellphone bills and even the occasional repetitive stress injury, warns James, who says that if you're using your phone to make yourself feel better at the expense of your job or your health, then you may have a problem. Don't worry, though, you're not alone...[Via textually]
Are portables killing our eyes?
As if we weren't already worried enough about our cellphone causing Blackberry thumb, certain indecisiveness, and, of course, brain cancer, the WSJ is now reporting that according to some leading opticians, portables, especially with small screens and smaller fonts, could be causing irreversible eye strain and damage to our vision. Apparently the action of focusing for long periods of time on small spacial areas held relatively closely to the body -- especially displays with poor contrast ratios, and bad glare -- tends to overwork the eye's ciliary muscles, and might be causing deteriorated vision in the same young group of patients now visiting doctors for other technologically related ailments, like portable audio related hearing loss -- a group far too young to be coming in for their annual eyes, ears, and artificial hip-bone checkup. [Via TechDirt]
Cellphones do/don't make you indecisive?
With most people unconvinced or just plain agnostic about conflicting reports regarding cellphone radiation leading to cancer, researchers have decided to turn their gaze to the important topic of... indecisiveness? Turns out an Australian study points to electromagnetic radiation from your mobile phone as an impairment to your ability to make snap decision, such as when driving a car. It seems quite obvious that talking on a phone can and does make people worse drivers, but these findings seem to come from study participants who were given straight up radiation, so they shouldn't have been distracted by a conversation during tests. Another interesting finding of the study was that the participants showed a slight improvement in working memory, such as remembering a phone number long enough to dial it. Other than a few scientific high fives, we can't imagine these findings making much of a societal impact, but it's always good to know.
Interview With Author of Synthetic Worlds
We reported a while back on Edward Castranova, one of the prominent economist studying the economy of MMO's. Businessweek Online has a featured interview with Mr. Castranova (I wonder if he's related to the new drummer for Journey?), in which he discusses his new book on the subject, and the future of online MMO economies.The economic aspects of MMO's are a fascinating subject for me, as I've said before, and this article is a great read for anyone interested in the subject. You can find the full interview here.
Study confirms the obvious: chatting behind the wheel is dangerous
A new study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Virgina Tech Transportation Institute using vehicle-embedded sensors and videocams has confirmed what most of us already knew, which is that talking on your cellphone make you more susceptible to getting in an accident. Of the 82 crashes and 761 "near misses" experienced by 241 drivers over the course of the yearlong study, dialing and talking on a cellphone were the second and third most common causes, respectively, after drowsiness. Moreover, dialing a phone nearly triples your chances of getting into an accident, concluded the study, which showed that driving distractions in general played a role in almost 80% of the accidents recorded. If proof like this doesn't shock legislators into addressing this problem, our only hope seems to be voluntary measures adopted by wireless carriers, such as the clever audible stoplight alert system we brought you yesterday.
Cellphones are dangerous/not dangerous, FDA edition
Remember that Swedish study which concluded that if you use a cellphone for 1 hour a day then you face a 240 percent increased risk of growing a big-azz cancerous tumor on the side of your head in oh, about ten years? Well the FDA is saying hold the, er, phone claiming the Swedish findings are "difficult to interpret" and contradict (and corroborate, for that matter) earlier studies, namely in Britain and The Netherlands. In the past the FDA and FCC have taken the position that there is no known cancer risk with the use of cellphones, and if there is, it is likely very small. Hmmm, sounds like they've got their own internal contradictions to sort out before cleaning the houses of others. Anyway, rest assured that this debate will be brought to a swift and rock-solid conclusion folks 'cause the FDA is planning to "convene a meeting in the near future" to evaluate all the evidence and identify gaps that warrant further research. Well, everything seems to be under control then -- we'll go back to watching TV.
New HSDPA speed record set by Nortel and Qualcomm
We're sure tales of HSDPA speed feats will quickly grow old, but it's hard not to mention the recent 7.2Mbps record set by Nortel and Qualcomm. The speed trumps that of most fixed broadband connections, and was accomplished using forthcoming equipment from both manufacturers. Tests were run over all current UMTS spectrum, and the technology will be on display for video streaming at next week's CTIA Wireless tradeshow.
Cellphones are dangerous/not dangerous, Swedish edition
We all know those Swedes have been toting cellphones a bit longer than your average user. Therefore, it makes sense to run a study on their brain cancer victims since they've been soaking up the most radiation since the introduction of the mobile phone in the 80's. To our untrained eyes the results don't seem incredibly conclusive, but the Swedish National Institute for Working Life, which conducted the study, says their findings show that among heave phone users there's a 240 percent increased risk of a malignant tumor on the side of the head the phone is used. They also mention the indecipherable stat that of the 905 people studied, all of whom had malignant brain tumors, 85 of them were heavy mobile phone users. We're actually surprised the number is that low in a country with a near one to one ratio of phones and people, but that's probably just the large lump in our head talking. As usual, the study recommends using a handsfree device, but we're not exactly quaking in our aluminum foil-lined boots.[Thanks, Alex]
Consumers are/aren't hot for mobile TV, Part IV
In a first for our series on figuring out whether or not consumers are interested in mobile TV, a non-carrier-sponsored study is echoing results by Nokia and Siemens that show a good chunk of folks are open to streaming video on their cellphones. Before we make too much of the JupiterResearch survey, though, it should be noted that the numbers they report seem a bit contradictory. Even though the firm makes a broad initial statement that 41% of mobile subscribers are interested in video content, they go on to specify that only 17% of respondents were interested in TV on their handsets and just 11% are down with short, streamed video clips. So what type of mobile video do the rest of that 41% want that isn't either TV or short clips? Your guess is as good as ours.
Vodafone study: cellphones are good for healthcare
There's a new study in town, kids: it's published by Vodafone and the Imperial College, London, and states that -- surprise, surprise -- mobile phones are becoming increasingly essential in providing expeditious and efficient health care services. All snark aside, we don't doubt the (British) health care system does stand to save some bucks with things like automated SMS appointment reminders, so if you're inclined to slog through a 40-page report citing 150 usage cases for text messaging in the health care industry, be our guest. We just ask that no matter who comes up with these things, they don't stop at thinking that mobile technology can benefit health care only so far as SMS is concerned.[Via textually]
China, Japan, S. Korea launch study to develop fiber optic-speed WANs
In a move that will no doubt make the US lag even further behind Asian countries in high-speed wireless technologies, China, Japan, and South Korea have launched a joint study with hopes of developing a common standard for cellular data transmission that is as fast as fiber optic cables. The study, which will also look at ways of dealing with spam, was announced by Japanese Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Heizo Takenaka at a three-way conference between the nations in Amoy, China. Hey guys, if anything good comes out of your study, could you like do us a solid and pass the specifics our way -- we could really use some help over here.[Via picturephoning]
Cradling phone possibly dangerous to British youth, sez Jabra
In yet another instance of statistics being manipulated to suit the surveyor's interests, Jabra has dropped a press release warning of their "shocking new research" that claims multi-tasking while on the phone is a potential health risk to British youth. TNS, who did the survey for Jabra, contacted 1,008 people over 16 by telephone (making the situation worse, it would seem) to discover that 78% of mobile phone users have experienced back, neck or head pain at some undetermined time in their lives. Meanwhile, Jabra reports that "experts say [these types of pains] can be a direct result of holding your mobile phone between your ear and neck while trying to do other tasks simultaneously," which the survey claims 88% of people do. So even though there is no statistical correlation made between the pain sufferers and the multi-taskers, completely-disinterested Jabra suggests that we all purchase hands-free headsets just to be safe, preferably one of the five Jabra models listed in detail at the end of the release.
Korea says send out the (phone) clones
It might be an enjoyable gag for us, but Korea sees phone clones as a big threat, and are offering up to a $10,000 reward for those who report cloned phones. That's just in special cases, and the regular reward is around $100, but it does show that the Korean government isn't just going to take it. They do define a cloned handset as one illegally programmed with the electronic serial number of its target, so mere look-alikes don't count. As you can see in the chart, this is definitely an emerging problem, and by the looks of things 2006 won't be an off year for the cloners. Korea's carriers also have launched a new verification system for checking phones, but we're sure there will be plenty of bounties to be had.[Via textually.org]
Text messaging bigger than Hollywood?
We find this one a little hard to believe, but according to at least one set of stats, text messaging is a bigger business than the movie industry. Revenues for texting in 2005 were about $75 billion, vs. $30 billion for Hollywood. Text is even bigger than the video game biz, which only brings in $40 billion. And, to top it off, texting has a 90% profit margin. Given that texting is bigger than the movie business, we assume it's only a matter of time before it has its own stars and scandals. Oh, wait, it's already got that, right Paris?
More delays in store for e911?
It's no secret that e911 hasn't had the smoothest of rollouts. Now it's really out of the box since a new report has come out from the Government Accountability Office stating: “Three states reported that it will take more than five years to have wireless E-911 completely implemented in their states and five others said that the technology might never be fully implemented in their states.” Not great news after waiting roughly nine years for the FCC's demands to be carried out, but at least they're coming clean.
