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Do smart phones make you smarter? Now there's a good question. My sense is, no.  I wrote recently that they may help us do many things but in the end, they may just dumb us down. Now a study says modern techie devices can be helpful and make life easier, but there are serious drawbacks, says a Texas A&M University professor who studies technology, according to newswise.com. Jonathan Coopersmith, professor of history at Texas A&M, says modern technological devices used to demand learning specific skills and acquiring the necessary resources to do them. "For example, if you wanted to make a film, you got a movie camera and the supporting technologies (film, lights, editing equipment), and then learned how to use them and hire a crew to handle all of the equipment. Next, you would shoot the movie, then develop and edit the film, and the final step would be to make copies and distribute them," the web site reports. “But many of those steps are elimin...

You see it everywhere, people talking on their phones or pecking at the keyboards (maybe you do it, too). But a new study has looked into what causes this behavior - known as 'phubbing' - and how it's come to be regarded as normal, according to newswise.com. Research from psychologists at the University of Kent suggests people's internet addiction is leading them increasingly to 'phub' - and experience being 'phubbed' - in social situations. This, in turn, leads them to view this phubbing behaviour as normal. The research, by Varoth Chotpitayasunondh and Professor Karen Douglas from the University's School of Psychology, identified a number of factors that were linked to smartphone addiction. These were Internet addiction, a fear of missing out and a lack of self-control. Who knew?  I tend to think people who do this when I'm around have better things to do, but isn't it interesting that it might be that they're afraid o...