Projected mobile phone unit sales in 2013 as strong smartphone growth continues, according to CCS Insight Market Forecast: 1.86 billion

Year by which CCS Insight predicts that the combined number of mobile phones and tablets in use will exceed the world's population: 2017

Source: CCS Insight.

Percentage of Americans who agree that "staycations" are a thing of the past, with nearly half also agreeing that a vacation isn't a vacation unless you pack up and leave town, according to a survey by Kelton: 57

Percentage of American vacationers who set a budget: 81

Percentage of these folks spend more than they plan: 36

Source: Kelton Research.

Percentage of information workers who said using social tools -- defined as instant messaging, text messaging, video conferencing, news feeds, social networks and team sites such as SharePoint -- has increased their productivity, according to a poll of employees across 32 countries conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Microsoft: 46

Percentage who say these tools have reduced their efficiency: 9

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs RS.

Year that a patent was granted to inventor Americus Callahan of Chicago for something that most of us would rather not see -- an envelope with a transparent window in it, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1902

Estimated number of post offices there were in the United States the year Callahan's invention was introduced: 76,000

Estimated number of post offices there are today: 27,000

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of Americans who say religion is losing its influence on American life, according to a Gallup Poll: 77

Percentage of respondents who say American society would be better off if more Americans were religious: 75

Source: Gallup.

Percentage of global mid-market businesses for which the promise of superior data-driven decision-making is motivating them to either invest in or investigate "Big Data," according to Techaisle: 43

Of these mid-market businesses, percentage that are actively investing in Big Data-related projects: 18

Percentage who mention that they have either none or very limited capabilities of analyzing unstructured data: 70

Source: Techaisle.

Ranks of Vienna, Zurich, Auckland (New Zealand), Munich and Vancouver (Canada) on the list of 221 cities with the world's best quality of living, according to the Mercer 2012 Quality of Living Survey: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Ranks of Honolulu, San Francisco and Boston as the top-ranked U.S. cities for overall quality of living, on the list: 28, 29, 35

Source: Mercer.

Percentage of parents who knew that children 4 to 6 years old, weighing 40 to 60 pounds, should travel in a booster seat, according to a literature review appearing in the June 2013 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS): 46

Percentage of fatally injured children younger than age 5 who were completely unrestrained during motor vehicle crashes: 46

Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Percentage of adults who feel that credit cards are important to the U.S. economy, according to a poll conducted on behalf of the American Bankers Association: 72

Percentage of Americans who have at least one credit card (not including ATM or debit cards): 76

Percentage of those with at least one credit card who say that they personally use a credit card at least once a week: 57

Source: American Bankers Association.

Percentage increase in the number of people reporting a healthy work/life balance since 2011, according to an ongoing survey by Captivate's Office Pulse: 11

Percentage increase in respondents reporting working more than nine hours a day: 30

Source: Captivate.

Idle Thought

"It usually takes me more than three weeks to prepare a good impromptu speech." -- Mark Twain

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Estimated number of fathers in America, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 70.1 million

Estimated number of "stay-at-home" dads in the U.S.: 154,000

Percentage of fathers with employed wives who were the primary caregiver for their preschooler: 20

Percentage of fathers who provided the most hours of care for their grade-school-aged child: 6

Estimated number of children who live apart from their biological fathers: 24 million

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of U.S. adults who agree that being able to borrow or rent someone's property or belongings online is a great way to save money, according to a poll conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs on behalf of Airbnb: 56

Percentage of respondents who agree that sharing one's property/belongings online is a great way to have an extra source of income: 47

Percentage of all respondents who have shared something online with someone they didn't previously know, such as skills (10 percent), tools (7 percent), a room in their home (6 percent), their car (5 percent), their entire home (3 percent) or something else (3 percent): 17

Source: Ipsos Public Affairs.

Percentage of Americans who feel "very attached" or "somewhat attached" to their cars, according to a survey by autotrader.com: 70

Percentage who describe their vehicle as an "old friend": 36

Percentage who say they feel sad when they think about parting ways with it: 26

Source: Auto Trader.com.

Value of Dad's at-home household contributions this year, according to Insure.com's Father's Day Index, based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data: $20,248

Percentage of American adults who believe businesses should be required to give paid family leave: 77

Percentage of dads who are the primary grocery shoppers in the family, up from 10 percent in 1995: 52

Source: Insure.com.

Percentage of fathers today who say they are spending more time with their children than their own fathers spent with them, according to a national survey by the Ad Council: 86

Percentage of fathers who reported feeling financial pressure in their role as a father: 81

Percentage of today's fathers who admitted they could improve their parenting skills: 70

Source: Ad Council.

Percentage of men who say they leave their desks one time or less in a workday, compared to 12 percent of women, according to a study conducted for CareerBuilder: 20

Percentage of all workers who say they get up from their desk 10 or more times per day: 40

Percentage who eat lunch at their desk every day: 39

Source: CareerBuilder.com.

Percentage of today's millennials -- 18 to 30 years old -- who believe technology has made it easier to get a job, according to Telefonica's Global Millennial Survey: 73

Percentage who believe "technology creates opportunities for all," as opposed to a select few: 77

Percentage who believe technology brings people closer together: 65

Source: Telefonica.

Percentage of lawyers who cited "flexible work hours or telecommuting" as one of the best incentives for recruiting and retaining legal professionals, according to research by Robert Half Legal: 69

Ranks of "free or subsidized training or education" (50 percent), "on-site perks" (33 percent) and "higher compensation" (14 percent) on the list of the best incentives for recruiting and retaining legal professionals: 2, 3, 4

Source: Robert Half Legal.

Percentage of office workers who can name work habits that boost their chances of pain, according to research released by the American Osteopathic Association: 94

Ranks of hunching over a desk, sitting in an uncomfortable chair and staring at a computer monitor on the list of things that office workers are mostly likely to consider to cause pain: 1, 2, 3

Source: American Osteopathic Association.

Percentage of travelers who say free Wi-Fi is the No. 1 factor in choosing a hotel, even on leisure stays, according to a survey by accommodation booking service Hotels.com: 34

Percentage of respondents who said free Wi-Fi is their No. 1 must-have when traveling for business: 56

Source: Hotels.com.

Idle Thought

"The words a father speaks to his children in the privacy of the home are not overheard at the time, but, as in whispering galleries, they will be clearly heard at the end and by posterity." -- Jean Paul Richter, writer

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)

Percentage of urban traffic congestion that is caused by the daily struggle to find parking, according to a study by IBM and Streetline Inc.: 30

Average time drivers have spent in pursuit of a coveted spot: 20 minutes

In a yearlong study, vehicle emissions resulting from drivers looking for parking in a 15-block district in Los Angeles: 730 tons of carbon dioxide

Source: IBM.

Percentage of organizations that indicated poor frontline leadership resulted in turnover of leaders themselves or their team members, according to a survey conducted by Development Dimensions International (DDI) in conjunction with HR.com and the Institute for Human Resources: 59

Percentage of respondents who reported a loss of productivity: 65

Percentage who reported loss of team member engagement: 69

Source: DDI.

Percentage of Americans who said they have made purchases they can't afford in order to be perceived as having a certain lifestyle, according to a Country Financial Security Index survey: 10

Percentage of 18- to 29-year-olds who stretch their paychecks because they feel pressure to keep up appearances: 20

Source: Country Financial.

Year that San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge opened and was hailed as a technological marvel, as it continues to be, according to the U.S. Census Bureau: 1937

Estimated number of other bridges in the U.S., forming a vital part of the nation's highway system: 604,000

Of these, percentage that are considered deficient and obsolete to cope with modern traffic: 25

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Percentage of all households with children under the age of 18 that include mothers who are either the sole or primary source of income for the family, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau: 40

In 1960, percentage of mothers who were either the sole or primary source of income for the family: 11

Source: Pew Research Center's Social & Demographic Trends.

Percentage of middle-class Americans who have been outside the middle class in their own lifetime, according to a poll by The Allstate Corporation and National Journal: 51

Percentage of Americans who believe that being middle class today means keeping up with expenses and holding a steady job while not falling behind or taking on too much debt: 54

Source: Allstate Insurance Co.

Percentage of singles who would not date someone with considerable credit card debt (more than $5,000), according to a survey by Match.com: 65

Percentage of singles who would not date a virgin (33 percent of men and 51 percent of women): 42

Percentage of women who are not likely to date someone shorter than themselves: 71

Source: Match.com.

Percentage of consumers who consider people who use coupons to be "savvy" vs. "cheap": 59 percent vs. 9 percent

Percentage who would consider using a coupon on a date and wouldn't try to hide it: 71

Source: RetailMeNot.com.

Percentage of newlyweds who say the bride and groom must be the first to post a picture of their wedding to a social media site, according to a survey by David's Bridal: 52

Percentage of brides who will update their Facebook status to "married" or update their new name within a day of walking down the aisle: 59

Source: David's Bridal Inc.

Percentage of parents who are concerned that children are suffering negative health consequences from spending too much time on electronic devices instead of physical activities, according to a Mason-Dixon survey conducted on behalf of the Water Quality and Health Council: 93

Percentage who said electronics, such as video games, smartphones and tablets, interfere with traditional family activities: 86

Source: Mason-Dixon Polling.

Idle Thought

"Only mediocrity can be trusted to be always at its best. Genius must always have lapses proportionate to its triumphs." -- Max Beerbohm

(Readers can contact John MacIntyre at johnmacintyre(at)bwr.eastlink.ca.)