Free Apps Eat Your Smartphone Battery

judgecorp writes "Here's a reason to pay for smartphone apps: the free versions can spend three times as much energy finding and serving ads as they do serving their actual purpose. Research from a Purdue University scientist found that as much as 75 percent of the energy used by free apps (PDF) goes on accessing location services, finding suitable advertisements and displaying them."

Comments

Re:What?!?

[kenh]

Apps that download ads use 100% more energy downlaoding ads than apps that don't download ads... Who knew?

Next up, parked cars consume 100% less gas than cars being driven down the road.

And there is a study underway in Europe that hopes to confirm my suspicion that empty boxes weigh less than full boxes.

Re:Ads? What are they?

[artor3]

Since you obviously read Slashdot, I'd say you see at least a couple every day. They're just disguised as stories.

Re:Not always true

[courteaudotbiz]

But if you use AdBlock Free, does it suck up your battery to display ads?

Re:Not a problem

[Oswald McWeany]

You can get angry birds easily on any platform.

1) Place phone on birdfeeder.
2) Fill birdfeeder with catfood.

Re:Correction

[cpu6502]

In other news:

Ads on television waste anywhere from 1/3rd to one-half the power used while watching TV. ;-) Back in the 1960/70s when ads were only 9 minutes per hour, TV ads only wasted 15% power.