So What Does Eat Your Phone’s Data Allowance?

Ever wondered what does take up your phone’s data allowance? Try using a few simple data-usage tools on your smartphone and find out. Apple includes a bandwidth meter on the iPhone (open the Settings app, tap its General heading, then Network) and the 3G and 4G versions of the iPad (Settings, then Cellular Data). This will report the total data consumed by the device; third-party apps can provide the same info for WiFi-only iPads and the iPod touch. On Google's Android, the Ice Cream Sandwich version now shipping on a few devices offers a more nuanced data-usage gauge that breaks down the bill on an app-by-app basis.

The simple answer to the question? Web video. The best solution? Try to useWiFi instead of 3G or 4G whenever possible.

The Future of Money in a Mobile Age

When I use the Starbucks app on my smart phone to pay for a cup of tea in the morning, I often think how convenient it is and wonder when our wallets will become unnecessary as long as we have our phones. Now, the folks at the Pew Internet and American Life Project have done a survey on just that subject and their findings are fairly predictable. Many people (65%) surveyed said that the security, convenience, and other benefits of “mobile wallet” systems will lead to widespread adoption of these technologies for everyday purchases by 2020.  Others—including some who are generally positive about the future of mobile payments—expect this process to unfold relatively slowly due to a combination of privacy fears, a desire for anonymous payments, demographic inertia, a lack of infrastructure to support widespread adoption, and resistance from those with a financial stake in the existing payment structure.

Could Somebody Please Fix Online Shopping?

How many times have you gone online to an e-commerce site, gotten all excited because it offered the lowest-priced items on the Web, and added a whole bunch of goodies to your cart, only to abandon your cart and the site because you got blindsided by the ridiculous shipping cost? Or what about the sites that offered "free shipping," but after you ordered, they took way too long to process your order and ship it out? In Molly Wood’s latest blog on the CNet site, "Can't someone please fix online shipping, already?", she calls out e-commerce sites that just don't have their shipping act together and says that if they don't get it right, Amazon will run away with all e-commerce business. What are your thoughts on the subject?

Demand Your Personal Data Back?

Tim Berners-Lee, one of the pioneers of the Internet, recently gave an interview urging Internet users to demand their personal data back from Facebook and Google and to further insist on the means to use that data to make their personal life easier. There is some common sense to that. It would be great to have your computer help you manage what you eat, your exercise level, and more. Berners-Lee also cites that it would be great to have your computer tell you what you should read in the morning based on past preferences. (The latter I find a bit dangerous to democracy as I am not really interested necessarily in just what Google thinks I should read, but it would be helpful if my computer could help keep me up with issues of interest.) Berners-Lee also recognizes that online privacy is a balancing act, and thinks the “do not track” feature, being debated by the Federal Trade Commission, would increase web users' confidence that data about them was not being abused. The “do not track” feature would mean you could "flip a switch" on your browser (like Safari, Chrome, or FireFox) which would prevent the tracking of your online activity.

Social Games and Charitable Causes

Social gaming's demographic is 55% women, averaging 48 years old, PopCap Games says. Because that is the same demographic that controls the family pocketbook, that makes the space more attractive to cause-marketers who are following pioneering games like FarmVille, CityVille and Mafia Wars, Pincus and Hartman with a charity button such as Reebok's "Darfur is Dying" with integrations in games from Zynga on Facebook. The idea is to turn play into real live action. When people play, they’re not only having fun, they’re being creative, experimenting, exploring new ideas and pushing back against established rule sets. Study after study shows that people retain information better when it’s imbedded in a game and that they are engaged with their subject matter on a far deeper level when they’re playing than when they’re simply reading or watching a screen. They also are madly motivated to pursue the goals set forth in the game.

Canadian School Finds Texting Between Students and Teachers Keeps Students in Class

A school in Canada is using school-issued cellphones to allow students and teachers to communicate in and out of the classroom. The initiative is intended to engage students and curb absenteeism and low retention rates by allowing teachers and students to stay in contact via text messaging. While so many other schools are asking students to park their cell phone at the door, the success of this pilot group has officials discussing various ways to expand the cellphone program. Isn’t it time to really look at what cellphones can do at school?

Buying “Friends“ Online – a New Business Trick?

Getting folks to “like” your business on sites like Facebook these days is driving some businesses to hire service providers to buy them online supporters to boost the number of seemingly happy customers. There are countless sites solely dedicated to boosting online popularity, such as getmorefansandlikes.com, likesandfollowers.com and fanpagehookup.com with evidence that 20,000 Facebook “likes” can be “bought” for as little as $30.

Internet on Airplanes: The Coming Attraction

It looks like the airlines are beginning to expand their in-flight Internet service – of course, at an extra charge – and will be going to satellites to do so. Look for more airlines with more such services later this year and make sure you have your privacy settings in place because being on a plane is a little like being in a coffee shop, where with the right software, someone could take a peek at your computer.

Facebook Quietly Removes the Word “Privacy” From Its Privacy Policy

Back in the fall, Facebook quietly wiped the word “privacy” off of its privacy policy and started calling it their “data use” policy instead. Somehow, that change slipped under the radar and, of the users who recently reviewed a draft of their new “Statement of Rights and Responsibilities,” many made it clear that they reject the change. Of particular concern in the new draft is the line that states, "When you or others who can see your content and information use an application, your content and information is shared with the application."

Does the idea that apps that your friends install can access your information disturb you? Guess what?  Facebook's current terms allow apps to tap into all of the information that the app's users have access to. The policy revision is intended to make that reality clearer to Facebook's users. Want to keep apps from stealing your data? Find out how to set granular controls on your "privacy settings" page on Facebook.

 

A Thumbing Rule

Don't conflate "digital natives" with tech-savvy, says John Merrow of Learning Matters. Just because kids are multi-tasking on snazzy devices doesn't mean they're using them productively. He observes there's a "1-9-90" rule of thumb: 1% use today's technology to create, 9% focus on curating and critiquing, and a disappointing 90% just consume. (For help making sure that your kids are in the 1%, see Power to Learn’s Computers & Homework article archive.)