Survey Says...

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No, it's not Family Fued...

It's a study about cell phones and driving:

No Talking While Driving

According to The Harris Poll of 2,163 adults surveyed online between June 13 and 20, 2011, 60% of drivers with cell phones use them while driving even though 91% of adults know it is unsafe to do so. This is particularly common among younger drivers with cell phones. In addition, 22% of drivers with cell phones send or read text messages while driving. However, the percentage of drivers with cell phones who use them while driving has fallen over the last two years, from 72% in 2009 to 60% now. And, the number who text while driving has fallen a little from 27% to 22%.

Trend Of Talking On Cell Phone While Driving (% Of Adults Who Drive And Have A Cell Phone)
	2006	May 2009	June 2011
Talk while driving (net)	73%	72%	60%
All the time	6	10	5
Sometimes	67	62	55
Never	27	28	40
Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%)

Several studies have shown that drivers who use cell phones while driving are much more likely to be involved with accidents, and it is believed that texting is even more dangerous. Recent research has shown that both hand held and hands-free cell phones are almost equally dangerous because they are equally likely to distract drivers. However, 77% of the public believe that hands-free phones are safer.

72% of Echo Boomers, aged 18-34, and 69% of Gen Xers, aged 35-46 are more likely to use cell phones while driving than Baby Boomers, aged 47-65 (59%), and much more likely than drivers over 65 (32%) to do so

Frequency Of Talking On Cell Phone While Driving (% of Adults who drive and have a cell phone)
		Generation				Type of driver
Frequency	Total June 2011	(18-34)	(35-46)	(47-65)	(66+)	>Avg.	Avg.
Talk while driving (NET)	60%	72	69	59	32	62	59	38
All the time	5%	11	6	3	*	7	3	4
Sometimes	55%	61	64	56	31	55	56	34
Never	40	28	31	41	68	38	41	62
Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%)

57% of drivers rate themselves as better than average drivers. Only 1% rate themselves as worse than average. 66% of men are much more likely than women (48%) to think that they are better than average drivers

Texting while driving is also much more common among younger drivers. 49% of drivers with cell phones under 35 send or read text messages while driving compared to only 24% of Gen X, 11% of Baby Boomers and less than 1% of people over 65.

Frequency Of Sending Or Receiving Text Messages On Cell Phone While Driving (Base: Those Who Drive And Have A Cell Phone)
Frequency	May 2009	June 2011	Generation
			(18-34)	(35-46)	(47-65)	(66+)
All the time	5%	2	7	1	*	*
Sometimes	22%	20	42	23	11	*
Never	74%	78	51	76	89	100
Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%)

60% of drivers who use cell phones while driving use hand-held phones. This number has declined from 72% in 2006 and 66% in 2009;

Hold Cell Phone Or Use Hands-Free Device While Driving - Trend (Base: Adults Who Ever Talk On A Cell Phone While Driving)
Phone	2006	May 2009	June 2011
Hold phone	72%	66	60
Hands-free device	28%	34	40
Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%)

The large majority who know that it is dangerous to use a cell phone while driving has increased from 82% in 2006 to 91%

Hands-Free Phone Is Safer? - Trend (Base: All Adults)
	2006	May 2009	June 2011
Safer (NET)	70%	71%	77%
Much safer	13	19	14
Somewhat safer	57	52	63
Just as safe	22	20	17
More dangerous (NET)	8	9	6
Somewhat more dangerous	6	7	5
Much more dangerous	2	2	2
Source: HarrisInteractive, July 2011 (Note: rounding; * signifies less than .05%)

The percentage of the public who live in states that require (or, which they believe, require) the use of hands-free phones has increased from 14% in 2006 to 38% now.

The implications of these findings point to several important conclusions, says the report:

• Most drivers with cell phones are behaving in ways (talking on cell phones and/or reading or sending texts) that greatly increase the likelihood that they will be involved in accidents, and injure themselves and others
• Furthermore, many of them believe, probably wrongly, that if they use hands-free phones they are safer
• The problem may be made worse by the fact that most drivers think they are better than average drivers and, perhaps, that their driving skills can keep them out of trouble

The report concludes that "... the need for laws to ban all cell phone use and texting while driving, including the use of hands-free phones, except in emergencies..."

This Harris Poll was conducted online within the United States. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

For more from Harris, please visit here.

This report is from Mediapost.

Tech Tuesday Tip

Every once in awhile you need to listen to the radio.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine wanted to listen to a guest on a local talk show that airs on one of my radio stations, WGL 1250AM The River, in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

We have a website and most people can listen live by following the link on the home page at http://www.1250theriver.com/.

But there is another way that I discovered recently to listen to radio stations not just locally but all over the country. It's called Tune In Radio. You can find it on the web at http://tunein.com/

They boast about access to over 30,000 stations, and there are applications for all major mobile devices and smartphones.

Tech Tuesday Tip

Here's a simple privacy tip. You can remove your info from the online white pages by going here:

www.anywho.com


Works with landlines, not cell phones.

Wirelessly Wired

I recall a family friend of ours was one of the first I knew who carried an iPhone and he seemed to be connected to it all the time.

I wondered, what was so important that needed his attention on a Friday or Saturday evening while we were dining together.

Then this summer I got a Droid. And I've had to be careful not to do the same.

Last weekend, my kids were over for my birthday and there were 3 droids and an iPod out at one time checking on "things". This was okay, because all of us were using them.

It's when you are the one without one that you find it the most annoying.

Still, there are some manners we should follow, like these from the DLM blog:

Sir, Please Put the Phone Down. 5 Tips to Free You From The Shackles of your Phone

Posted: 12 Dec 2010 08:40 AM PST

Are you similar to many other people and a little too attached to your cellphone? Does it seem only appropriate that when your cellphone rings you should answer it the vast majority of the time regardless of who you are with or what you are doing? Are there Twitter or Facebook alerts popping up every three seconds? Is there really anything wrong with multitasking and taking the occasional call during dinner, or checking e-mail while you are in a meeting?

Believe it or not, your cellphone is possibly causing you more harm than good. The majority of us probably need to take a look and change how we manage our cellphone use. Honestly, how many people can you see right now? How many are nursing their iPhone like it's a newborn?

Don't get me wrong, I am just as attached to my cellphone as anyone. My Droid literally changed my life; e-mail and texts are an essential part of my day and I honestly don't remember how I existed without instant access to the internet.

But, have you noticed how cellphones have a tendency to just take over and constantly demand a significant part of your attention? You can go through life on autopilot jumping from one e-mail to the next, responding to voice mail messages, and not really ever paying enough attention to the experiences happening right in front of you. It is not that you are totally oblivious to what is going on, but let's face it, if you are continually being disrupted by your cellphone, you are just not nearly as engaged as you could be.

Cellphones are literally masters of distraction and they can take your attention away from just about anything instantly and consistently.

The Negatives to Being "On Demand"
The ability to instantly connect with anyone has its advantages, but it also has its costs if not managed properly. Don't underestimate the damage caused by allowing your cellphone to constantly require you to multitask.

Research has proven that workers distracted by email and phone calls suffer from many issues, even including a fall in IQ during the period of distraction. "Those who are constantly breaking away from tasks to react to email or text messages suffer similar effects on the mind equivalent to losing a night's sleep." The same study also found multitasking has a negative physical effect, prompting the release of stress hormones and adrenaline.

And, the usual justification that multitasking allows you to accomplish more also doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. Another study confirmed that people who multitask actually end up being less efficient.

Stop Being Used By Your Cellphone
Stop allowing your cellphone to hold your attention and mind hostage. It is time to reclaim your attention span.

Now, this doesn't mean that every once in a while you can't make an exception and take a call or check an e-mail while you are doing something else. The problem is when switching back and forth from one task to cell phone management is your standard operating procedure. And, if we notice this is one of our bad habits, we need to start work on changing it.

5 Tips to Help Free You From Being Held Hostage By Your Cellphone:

1. Turn off the ringer from time to time.
   As scary as that may sound, there are just sometimes you shouldn't be interrupted. Reserve blocks of times to devote your complete attention to things you need to get done, your kids, your spouse, your driving! Turn your ringer off during holidays and other family or alone time so you can really engage and enjoy those experiences.
   


2. Turn off your notification light.
   Make a leap of faith and realize everything will not explode just because you don't instantly know when an e-mail or text message comes in. Yes, this may take some getting used to, but, it really is liberating and allows you to decide the best time to read e-mails and texts instead of always checking your phone every time you notice the notification light flashing.
   


3. Use your cell phone; don't let it use you.
   It's great that you can do just about everything on your cellphone, but when you pick it up to use it, decide what you are going to do, use it, and get out. If you are going to return e-mails, then don't end up surfing around the internet. Have a plan every time you pick up your cell phone and stick to it.
   


4. Screen your calls and e-mails.
   Prioritize paying attention to who you are with or what you are currently doing. Take a look at who is trying to contact you and decide if you really need to respond right away. No one really knows whether or not you are available so you can decide to not answer your cell phone unless it really is necessary.
   


5. Reserve blocks of time to check your messages and respond.
   Take periods of time to check and return all your messages. Perhaps you have a block of time you take every morning, afternoon, and evening. This way your messages don't accumulate and you can be fairly confident you are not going to miss anything really time sensitive because you are checking your messages regularly. If you are a heavy user, you may need to have more check-ins throughout the day. Figure out what works best for you, but the key is to not consistently and continually check messages throughout the day.

Manage Your Cellphone and Everything Will Improve
If you are interested in really getting the most out of all your experiences, increasing your productivity and being less stressed and overwhelmed, start paying attention to how you are using your cellphone. You will be amazed at the positive impact that managing your cellphone in the right way will have on everything you do.

Written on 3/17/2009 by Sibyl Chavis. Sibyl writes about the importance of seeing life from a different perspective and discovering alternaviews. She is an avid reader and blogger and has spent her career as an executive in the legal and human resources fields. As a human resources professional, she has many years of experience counseling, coaching and helping other people realize their potential. Visit her blog at www.alternaview.com.

Photo Credit: Symic

All thumbs?

I used to hate it when my kids would send me a text message.

My phone didn't have a qwerty keyboard and it was a pain in the 277. (Figure it out)

Then this summer I got my first smart phone and I have multiple keyboard options including slide out, and a couple of on-screen gizmos.

I still don't text like my kids but now I at least am using more of my allotted monthly text messages. And I use my index finger, not thumbs.

Pew Report: Grown-Ups Text, Too

Adults aren't as avid text messagers as teens are, but a growing number are letting their fingers do the talking via cell phone. The proportion of U.S. adults who send and receive text messages has grown from 65% to 72% from September 2009 to May 2010, according to a new Pew Research Center study on mobile use.

But they still have a long way to go to catch up with their teen counterparts, who typically exchange 50 text messages a day compared to 10 by adults. The study found that heavy adult texters tend to be heavy users of voice calling, while light texters -- those who exchange 1 to 10 messages a day -- don't make up for less texting with more calling.

Voice service remains the primary cell phone function for most adults, who exchange five calls a day. Looking at how use varies by gender, the Pew report found that women make slightly fewer calls per day. More than a quarter (26%) of men send and receive 6 to 10 calls a day, while 20% of women exchange that many calls.

A recent Nielsen study found that women on average spend 22% more time talking on cell phones (856.3 minutes a month compared to men's 666.7). The Pew study, however, didn't compare cell phone use by men and women by minute.

In terms of behavior, women are slightly more likely to place frequent calls to just say hello and chat and report on where they are or find out where someone else is. Men are more likely to make calls about coordinating where to meet others, and to exchange calls about work. Both men and women were likely to have long conversations to discuss important personal matters on the cell phone. Nearly three-quarters (72%) of cell phone owners overall use their devices to have long personal conversations with someone, although these conversations generally take place less frequently than coordinating a meeting, checking in or just friendly chatting.

The use of cell phones for more than brief exchanges underscores recent research by Pew indicating 23% of Americans have only a cell phone for calls and another 17% have a landline but receive most of their calls on their handset. African-American and Hispanic mobile users are more likely than whites to make and receive large numbers of calls each day and are more likely to text. One in eight (12%) African-American phone owners and 14% of Hispanic cell users exchange more than 30 calls on a typical day, while just 4% of their white counterparts make and receive the same number of calls.

African-Americans and Hispanics typically exchange a median of 10 texts a day compared to 5 for whites. So nearly everyone has a cell phone and is talking or texting away. But how do people really feel about their devices? As you might guess, attitudes are mixed. Nine out of 10 adult cell users say their phone makes them feel safer and helps them connect to family and friends.

But that appreciation is tempered by the annoyance factor. Some 86% of cell phone users agree it's rude when someone repeatedly interrupts a conversation or meeting to check their cell phone, and two in five cell phone owners say they're irritated when a call or text interrupts them.

That doesn't mean people won't lie down with their cell phones at the end of the day. More than two-thirds (65%) of mobile users say they have slept with their cell phone on or kept it right next to the bed. Furthermore, adults who have slept with or near their phones are also more likely to feel positively about their phone, according to the Pew study -- and even respect it in the morning.

The findings in the Pew report were based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International between April 29 and May 30, 2010, among a sample of 2,252 adults ages 18 and older. Teen data was drawn from interviews conducted between June 26 and September 24, 2009, with a sample of 800 teens ages 12 to 17, and a parent or guardian.

(Source: Online Media Daily, 09/03/10)

Tech Tuesday Tip

This is a bit self-serving. See, last month I got a Droid and I'm often looking for ways to tweak it and find apps that will allow me to use it the way I want to use it.

I know a lot of folks, including my step-daughter have iPhones, but I wanted to stick with Verizon.

So a couple of days ago, I found this from the MakeUseOf.com website:

Top 5 Sites to Help You Find Apps for Your Android Phone

by Steven Campbell on Jul. 16th, 2010

One thing that Google likes to be known for is speed. In fact, their Android phones have taken off so fast that they have yet to release a full-featured app store to the public. While their current Android Market serves its purpose, it’s hardly iTunes. The organization and efficiency with which Apple runs its app store is one of the reasons the iPhone is the most popular phone on the market year in and year out.

I don’t imagine it will take Google very long to catch up (I did say they were fast), but until then, it would be nice to have some alternatives to finding killer apps for your Android phone.

In this article, I am going to share the top websites for finding the best Android applications. These sites should hold you over until Google releases their app store to the public.

[Note]: If you aren’t impressed by any of the apps you find in the Android Market, why don’t you try writing your own? Who knows, your app could end up on these websites in the near future.

Android Market

The current Android Market is a good place to start. As you’ll see, there isn’t too much organization here, but the site does display all of the top ranked applications and games. You can click on the Top Free tab, which allows you to view all of the top free apps by their respective categories.

Clicking on an app will display screenshots of it off to the right, as well as a small description of the application and the name of its developer(s). I’d assume that this would be the location of the future Google app store, but it’s hard to assume anything like that with Google.

AndroidZoom

Android Zoom is an even better alternative to the current Android Market in my opinion. Paul covered AndroidZoom in his 6 Android Websites You Should Check Out article back in January. (Also see AndroLib)

With AndroidZoom, you can view all of the latest Android applications and sort them by the newest, most popular, and highest rated. You can also separate them by free and paid, along with selecting from the different categories on the left-hand side of the page.

Click on an app and you are taken to a screen where you can view a short description, see related apps, and download. When you click Download, you are taken to a page that gives you three options.

You can use a QR code scanner and take a picture of the image (with your phone) to download the app, follow directions to manually install from the Android Market, or receive a direct download link on your phone’s email.

Cyrket

Cyrket provides application statistics for all of the apps in the Android Market. The default sort method is alphabetical, so don’t let it scare you when you visit the page and only see Chinese symbols. You can sort the listings by most expensive, least expensive, popularity, and highest rating. You can also opt to see only the free apps.

When you click on an app, you are taken to a screen with the app’s description, screenshots, and a long thread of users’ comments that you can use to get feedback.

101 Best Android Apps

101 Best Android Apps is another great place to get information and ratings on a lot of Android applications. Apps are sorted by many different categories (e.g. Business, Education) and topics (e.g. Music, News) and you can choose to see the best rated apps by day, week, month, or all time.

The site allows you to rate apps and it provides very nice, large screenshots. If you click more info, you can view a few more screen shots, a description, and comments.

AppBrain

AppBrain has lists and lists of Android apps. You can view all the hottest apps, the latest ones, or pick your favorite categories. Reviews and download information accompany the apps and you can utilize the search feature to find what you’re looking for.

If you create an account on AppBrain (links your Google account), you can enjoy added benefits. With an account, you can easily install and manage your apps directly from the web browser, sync your apps easily with their native Android app, and share the apps installed on your phone with your friends.

What do you think of the sites listed? Did I forget any? Will you be utilizing any of these resources for your Android application needs? Leave your thoughts, ideas, and comments below!

Image Credit: lwallenstein

(By) Steven Campbell - a tech enthusiast and social media blogger. Check out his Social Branding Blog