study

Video games are blamed for a lot of things -- exposing kids to violence, encouraging antisocial behaviour, and generally 'rotting' peoples' brains. But a new study finds that a computer game called 'NeuroRacer' can actually improve neurological (or ... brain) activity. In fact, the game is apparently having the most positive impact on players over age 60. NeuroRacer was specially designed for the Gazzaley Lab at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). There, neuroscientist Adam Gazzaley and a team of researchers have been using the game to test its impact on the neurological activity ... (view more)

A new study has found that Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE) browser is more error-prone than every one of its major competitors. But there is some good news for Microsoft and avid IE users. The study was carried out by software development company ... Sauce Labs, which offers developers an automated testing system designed to save time and hassle. Its recent browser study was no small operation: Sauce Labs used 55 million tests to determine an accurate error rate for the world's most popular web browsers and applications. Mozilla's Firefox the Browser to Beat Finishing first in the study was ... (view more)

The percentage of people willing to pay for online news appears to be on the rise. However, an international study suggests the vast majority of people are still unwilling to pay for the news they find on the Internet. Reuters has published a study ... based on research in nine countries. The study examines the way people consume news on the Internet, both via laptop and desktop computers and through portable devices, like smartphones. (Source: digitalnewsreport.org ) Researchers found the percentage of people who had paid for an online news service, such as a digital newspaper subscription, ... (view more)

Think you're a safe driver because you use hands-free technologies to communicate with friends and family while behind the wheel? Think again. The American Automobile Association (AAA) is recommending drivers not use such tools at all while driving ... their vehicles. The recommendation follows a study by a cognitive distraction researcher and his team at the University of Utah. The researchers carried out a series of tests that showed drivers could still be distracted when using hands-free communications tools. AAA chief Robert Darbelnet said the group's suggestion to avoid the technology might ... (view more)

A new report has found that Microsoft's Internet Explorer web browser uses less power than the competition. According to a study commissioned by the Redmond, Washington-based firm, Internet Explorer is 18 per cent more energy-efficient than Google ... Chrome (version 26) and Mozilla's Firefox (version 21). The study was carried out by the Center for Sustainable Energy Systems, which examined the power consumption of web browsers running on laptop and desktop computers. PC Magazine notes that if every user of Chrome or Firefox switched to using Internet Explorer 10 and the Windows 8 operating ... (view more)

A new study by J.D. Power finds that Apple iPad owners are very satisfied with their purchase. In fact, for the second year in a row iPad owners were more satisfied with their buy than purchasers of other tablet devices. J.D. Power's report, which ... is called the "2013 U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Study," asked just under 2,000 tablet users to score their devices. Apple iPad Performs Well in Every Category Tablet users rated their devices using five different categories, including: Performance Ease of operation Styling and design Features Cost The Apple iPad , which scored high in every one of ... (view more)

The Department of Transportation (DoT) is calling on automakers to disable technologies that allow someone to send text messages while driving. However, the DoT is only making recommendations and cannot yet force automotive firms to follow its ... advice. The new guidelines are based around electronic devices that are built directly into vehicles, such as GPS navigation devices and communications tools. The DoT has two main recommendations. The first is that such equipment should never force a driver to stop looking at the road for more than two seconds at a time to carry out an action. Officials ... (view more)