Monitoring use of electronic devices

There is a wealth of data that can be gleaned from setting up electronic devices to monitor the characteristics of their use. Logging software usage and device input usage is merely a question of writing software to capture data that already exists. Obviously web browsing habits are already captured via cookies, and are a valuable source of information. But there are many other types of data that could be used, for example the typing speed (using a keystroke logger), frequency of typo (by looking at frequency of use of the backspace key), mouse movement speed, etc.

In terms of monitoring the physical environment surrounding the device, eye tracking is common. But there are further opportunities to capture data. For example, 3D imagers and accelerometers could be used to capture the posture and position of the person using the device, allowing real-time recommendations to improve posture. Likewise, lighting levels can be determined from a light sensor, allowing recommendations to be made on lighting levels.