With the launch of the iPhone 4S the issue of voice search has become rather a hot topic. This survey from goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com was however conducted before the launch of the device.
Demographics
Between the 30th of September and the 4th of October 2011 1,091 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.9% of the sample were male, 16.8% in their teens, 18.2% in their twenties, 21.2% in their thirties, 16.1% in their forties, 15.6% in their fifties, and 12.1% aged sixty or older.
The introduction to this survey reports that first off the mark was Microsoft following their purchase of Tellme in March of 2007, which they then added to Windows Mobile 6.5 in 2009. Next, Google introduced voice search in 2010 for Android v2.2 (Froyo), and finally Apple introduced Siri to the recently-released iPhone4 S after buying out Siri in 2010, although Siri had initially offered their app on the iPhone 3GS at a date that I cannot determine right now. Perhaps someone can ask Siri when she was born?
Here’s docomo advertising Android starring Ken Watanabe as a tablet – the voice search appears at the very end.
Over the 5th and 6th of September 2011 1,112 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 70.8% of the sample were female, 13.5% in their teens, 18.2% in their twenties, 28.1% in their thirties, 25.5% in their forties, 8.7% in their fifties, and 6.0% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.
Talking about the last answer, it implies dropping one’s sprog at the city hospital versus this joint (here is their web site) that I couldn’t even afford if it were just an ordinary hotel!
This week’s new survey series is into electronic books, conducted by goo Research and reported on by japan.internet.com as usual.
Demographics
Between the 26th and 28th of September 2011 1,078 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.5% of the sample were male, 16.3% in their teens, 18.1% in their twenties, 21.3% in their thirties, 16.3% in their forties, and 27.9% aged fifty or older.
If I exclude online manuals, I’ve read exactly one electronic book, on a iPaq PDA. Actually, make that two, as I had the very dubious pleasure of reading this on a PC and had almost succeeded in forgetting about it until now.
As the price of a basic e-ink Kindle has seriously dropped, if it’s offered for a similar price in Japan I could very well pick it up myself. I wouldn’t even consider picking up an e-bookified Android tablet, not without some major subsidies to soften the blow of the loss of functionality. Read the rest of this entry »
A recent survey from goo Research that for a change wasn’t the first in a new series looked at online shopping for foodstuff, and was reported on by japan.internet.com.
Demographics
Between the 26th and 30th of September 2011 1,095 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.3% of the sample were male, 16.6% in their teens, 18.0% in their twenties, 21.3% in their thirties, 15.9% in their forties, 15.9% in their fifties, and 12.3% aged sixty or older.
My wife most often buys rice online, as carrying 10 kilos back from the supermarket on the train is out of the question! Next would be cakes, although she hasn’t bought much recently. Her favourite shop is R.L Waffle, but they have a shop in the department store at the next station down the line, so I’m not convinced that it’s actually any cheaper (my season ticket makes the train ride free, versus the cost of chilled delivery) and certainly not really that simpler, although they usually do chuck in a freebie or two along with the order. Read the rest of this entry »
DIMSDRIVE Research recently reported on a survey conducted last year into beauty equipment.
Demographics
Between the 2nd and 16th of September 2010 (not 2011) 6,436 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 50.5% of the sample were female, 0.3% in their teens, 11.2% in their twenties, 32.7% in their thirties, 36.0% in their forties, 17.9% in their fifties, and 1.9% aged sixty or older.
My wife fancies a steamer, in particular this device, as the word on the street is very positive, it seems. The roller type mentioned in the survey have been in vogue the last couple of years, being platinum and/or germanium-coated rollers that you roll over your face and miracles happen! This smells completely and utterly of snake-oil to me; I could accept an argument that the rolling in itself had some benefit, but the metals are just flat-out quackery.
A recent survey from Central Research Service Inc looked at popular sports, their 19th such annual survey, which found much to my surprise that sumo had lost little of its popularity despite the match-fixing scandal.
Demographics
Between the 7th and 18th of July 2011 4,000 adult members of the public were randomly selected, and 1,269 of them, or 31.7%, agreed to answer the questionnaire in face-to-face interviews. More specific demographic information was not provided.
I haven’t a clue of the name of my favourite some wrestler – let me look it up – ah yes, Takanoyama (High/Proud Mountain). He became my favourite when I saw him competing at the recent basho and took pity on the wee diddy.
Over the 5th and 6th of September 2011 1,112 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 70.8% of the sample were female, 13.5% in their teens, 18.2% in their twenties, 28.1% in their thirties, 25.5% in their forties, 8.7% in their fifties, and 6.0% aged sixty or older. Note that the score in the results refers to the relative number of votes for each option, not a percentage of the total sample.
Having never played Mario Kart in any incarnation, I cannot comment on this survey, so instead here’s some action from the game.
This survey from goo Research, reported on by japan.internet.com, into bicycles found just over 50% wanting an electric bike, but of course there’s always a gap between “wanting” and “purchasing”.
Demographics
Between the 20th and 22nd September 2011 1,101 members of the goo Research online monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 52.8% of the sample were male, 16.5% in their teens, 18.1% in their twenties, 21.3% in their thirties, 16.2% in their forties, 15.8% in their fifties, and 12.2% aged sixty or older.
For some reason the introduction to the article mentioned that you can get Doraemon and Snoopy limited edition folding bicycles, which are rather popular with certain segments of the population. So there you go.
Bicycles are in the news recently, specifically piste bikes as they are known in Japan, bikes with fixed gears and no brakes except for back-pedalling, so are illegal due to the lack of brakes. I’ve not seen them around my neck of the woods, but seem to be popular in Tokyo, causing quite a number of accidents. Read the rest of this entry »
Between the 30th of August and the 2nd of September 2011 1,010 computer-using and mobile phone-owning members of the goo Research monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 54.3% of the sample were male, 16.8% were in their teens, 20.5% in their twenties, 19.6% in their thirties, 21.4% in their forties, and 21.7% in their fifties. Furthermore, 50.7% used standard mobile phones and 49.3% smartphones, 54.8% had laptops as their primary computer at home, 44.9% with desktops, and 0.4% with tablets.
I print out stuff about once a month or so, usually emails; before you condemn me for wasting paper, in my defense they are emails from my mother and I translate them with the in-laws. Perhaps if I had a smartphone, or even a tablet, I could save a sheet of paper or two a year… Read the rest of this entry »
A recently-reported, but not recently-conducted survey conducted by DIMSDRIVE Research looked at computer security.
Demographics
Between the 16th of September and the 7th of November 2010 7,937 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group with a home computer completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 51.1% of the sample were male, 0.7% in their teens, 11.2% in their twenties, 31.9% in their thirties, 33.1% in their forties, 15.4% in their fifties, and 7.7% aged sixty or older.
My main security software is Microsoft Security Essentials, which does the business. On my desktop PC running Vista, the daily updates then scans really bog the machine down for 30 minutes, despite setting it to only use 30% or less of the system resources. I used to run Avast!, again free, but it prompts once a year for a free license update, but last year I just couldn’t get the message to go away. It’s quite sad that most people get stuck with commercial packages that they don’t really rate very highly just because it comes bundled on the computer. Read the rest of this entry »
This week’s new survey series is into 
goo Research recently took a look at the lightly related topics of 
A recently-reported, but not recently-conducted survey conducted by DIMSDRIVE Research looked at 
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