Why Change Is So Hard: Self-Control Is Exhaustible

By: Dan Heath / FastCompany
June 2, 2010

You hear something a lot about change: People won’t change because they’re too lazy. Well, I’m here to stick up for the lazy people. In fact, I want to argue that what looks like laziness is actually exhaustion. The proof comes from a psychology study that is absolutely fascinating.

So picture this: Students come into a lab. It smells amazing—someone has just baked chocolate-chip cookies. On a table in front of them, there are two bowls. One has the fresh-baked cookies. The other has a bunch of radishes. Some of the students are asked to eat some cookies but no radishes. Others are told to eat radishes but no cookies, and while they sit there, nibbling on rabbit food, the researchers leave the room – which is intended to tempt them and is frankly kind of sadistic. But in the study none of the radish-eaters slipped – they showed admirable self-control. And meanwhile, it probably goes without saying that the people gorging on cookies didn’t experience much temptation.

How Americans use web for community news

Americans are increasingly using internet tools to keep informed about what is happening in their communities, according to a new report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Among the findings:

• 22% of all adults (representing 28% of internet users) signed up to receive alerts about local issues (such as traffic, school events, weather warnings or crime alerts) via email or text messaging.

• 20% of all adults (27% of internet users) used digital tools to talk to their neighbors and keep informed about community issues.
• Fourteen percent (14%) of internet users – or 11% of all American adults –  read a blog dealing with community issues in the twelve months preceding the survey
• Nearly one in ten social network users (8%) joined an online group focused on community issues in the preceding twelve months—that works out to 5% of all internet users and 4% of all American adults.
• Among adults who use Twitter or other status update services, 14% use these sites to follow their neighbors—that works out to 3% of all internet users and 2% of all American adults.

At new dating site, over an argument about an iPad

SAN FRANCISCO – Apple Inc.'s ads used to challenge consumers to "think different." Now a website wants to help fans of the iPhone and Mac computer maker date different, too.

Called Cupidtino, an homage to Apple's home base in Cupertino, Calif., the site aims to connect Apple aficionados with like-minded "Machearts." The idea is that if you love the iPhone and Mac maker's products you might be best suited to date a fellow Apple fan.

Data mining your digital footprints

 Snapshot of Mobile App Market

June 1, 2010

“There’s an app for that” is Apple’s catch phrase to promote the literally thousands of applications that can be downloaded to an iPhone. Whether you want to check the weather or traffic, bide time playing a game, or study a new language, there is likely a free or paid application that you can access. While Apple may be best known for mobile apps, BlackBerry, Android and other devices also have a huge range of apps available in their stores, as well as in those operated by mobile service providers. With smartphones expected to overtake feature phones in the U.S. by 2011, the popularity of mobile apps will only grow. To get a better sense of what’s popular and what’s not now, Nielsen recently launched its ‘App Playbook,’ surveying more than 4,200 people who had downloaded an application in the past 30 days.

Key Stats

• 21% of American wireless subscribers have a smartphone at Q4 2009, up from 19% in the previous quarter and significantly higher than the 14% at the end of 2008
• 14% of mobile subscribers have downloaded an app in the last 30 days
• Average number of apps: Smartphone: 22, Feature phone: 10
  • BlackBerry: 10
  • iPhone:37
  • Android: 22
  • Palm: 14
  • Windows Mobile: 13

Who is downloading what?

Entrepreneur turns pennies into million-dollar business