What’s your computing style? Know from smartphone

WASHINGTON - The applications you add to your smartphone can define you as a specific “appitypes”, says a technology expert.

Trevor Pinch, professor of science and technology studies at the Cornell University in US, used survey data on applications usage from 5,000 smartphone users in 10 countries to create appitypes to help define user profiles.

For example, Pinch said an “appcentric” is an extreme user who uses the mobile phone as their main computing device for anything from data management to playing games.

The “appthusiast” is someone who feels the need to search out and download the latest applications. The “live wire” downloads a mix of fitness, social and travel apps, according to a Cornell statement.

The creator appitype is “the Picasso of personality types when it comes to app habits,” says Pinch.

“Creators are very expressive and carry a multitude of apps that allow them to be spontaneously creative. They could be art teachers, therapists with a penchant for drawing or heavy metal heads. The entertainment industry is full of creators.”

The survey found that Germans were downloading flashlight and alarm clock applications, Pinch said, while Brazilians download lots of music and social networking applications.

The Chinese download news applications. South Africans prefer social networking applications. While previous data had been collected on the number of applications users have, there was no global survey of smartphone users, until now.

“Think about connections between humans and technology,” Pinch said. “You can have smartphones with you all the time. You can sleep with the thing if you want. These apps capture people’s imagination and add mobility.”