In an interesting move, the Weather Channel Companies has added Andy Miller to its board.

While such adds are not usually the biggest of news, the appointment of the high-profile former CEO and co-founder of mobile advertising firm Quattro Wireless as a director is an interesting early move by new CEO David Kenny.

The longtime digital and advertising exec just got there himself, and is likely to double down on mobile efforts at the media company interested in many fronts (fronts? weather? get it?!?). (Kenny also serves on the board of Yahoo.)

It makes sense, given that so many more people will be increasingly accessing all kinds of weather info — including video — on their mobile devices rather than the Web. Expertise in mobile advertising, then, will be key.

Miller, as you might recall, sold Quattro to Apple for $275 million in 2010, and became its head of mobile advertising before leaving that post last year. At Apple, he headed up the iAd division, which is the mobile advertising network for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

He is now at the venture firm Highland Capital Partners.

Here’s the official press release:

THE WEATHER CHANNEL COMPANIES APPOINTS ANDY MILLER TO ITS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ATLANTA — March 8, 2012 – The Weather Channel Companies (TWCC) today announced the appointment of Andy Miller to its board of directors. Miller, a general partner at Highland Capital Partners, is a mobile expert and visionary entrepreneur who led mobile advertising at Apple and was the co-founder and CEO of Quattro Wireless.

“Andy is the ideal choice to be the first outside director on our board, and we will benefit from his vast knowledge of mobile and his perspective gained from years of experience successfully starting and growing companies,” said David Kenny, chairman and CEO, TWCC. “As a leader in mobile with potential for tremendous growth globally, Andy’s contributions will help guide as we grow mobile and our entire digital portfolio.”

“I have watched The Weather Channel’s progress in the digital space for years, both as part of my work and as a consumer and have believed in the strength and potential for this business,” said Miller. “I am certain that the opportunity to work with the company as it builds new products and sets it sights on global expansion will be a rewarding one.”

As a general partner at Highland Capital Partners, Miller is focused on identifying and working with the most promising technology companies in Silicon Valley. He currently represents Highland on the boards of Digg, Game Closure and Impermium. Miller joined Highland from Apple Inc., where he reported directly to Steve Jobs and was vice president, mobile advertising. At Apple, he headed up the iAd division, the mobile advertising network for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad line of mobile devices.

Previously, Miller was the co-founder and CEO of Quattro Wireless, the mobile advertising company that was acquired by Apple in 2009. Prior to that, he had responsibility for business development, sales and strategy for what became North America’s dominant mobile aggregator, mQube, which was acquired by VeriSign in 2006. Miller has also held the position of CEO of WatchPoint Media, an MIT Media Lab interactive TV spinoff, that was sold to Goldpocket/Tandberg Television in 2003.

Miller has a bachelor’s degree from Union College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School. He lives in the Bay area with his wife and two boys. An avid baseball fan, he is a co-owner of the Colorado Rockies Advanced Single A franchise, the Modesto Nuts.

I wasn’t looking at the next generation of devices, but rather the next generation of people who will be using those devices. Like many youngsters, my 6-year-old cousin and almost-3-year-old cousin need no introduction to touchscreen devices.

My cousins have long enjoyed playing with my iPad, as well as their dad’s iPod touch. This year, they added two more devices to their lives: For Christmas, their dad got an iPad that they occasionally let him use. And the older of the two girls also got a kid-oriented tablet — the LeapPad Explorer, by LeapFrog.

The LeapPad is proving quite popular. It plays matching games, assembles scrapbooks and takes pictures and videos.

And while it took the kids no time at all, their parents spent about nine hours trying to get the thing to properly sync with one of their computers so they could download games.

For those uninitiated with LeapFrog, it’s an educational-technology company that creates all kinds of fun tech geared exclusively for kids. The LeapPad is this year’s hot toy, riding the coattails of the iPad’s popularity. Past Leap devices have overlaid educational gaming on top of other popular tech shapes. Indeed, sitting unused in a corner of the house was the Leapster Explorer — a device that plays many of the same titles as the LeapPad, but is shaped more like a Nintendo Game Boy. The company has also made devices that offer a kid’s take on a laptop and grocery store price scanner, among other digital products.

Of course, the iPad itself boasts plenty of educational content, and was also an instant hit with the girls, who enjoyed tapping on its virtual piano and playing a game called Temple Run.

What struck me is the place that both devices had in my cousins’ lives. They used the LeapPad on their own and together, and shared the iPad — at least on occasion — with their dad.

More importantly, it reinforces the fact that the next generation of computer buyers is already having their minds shaped. And their expectations are high. Everything should be a touchscreen and instantly responsive. Devices should also be versatile and capable of quickly learning new tricks. And, by default, Apple is the gold standard.

While even the most basic phones come with a phone number and the ability to send text messages, an increasing number of people are choosing alternatives such as Google Voice and Pinger.

Some do so to avoid a phone and contract entirely, pairing those services with an iPod touch or other device. Others use the alternative services to add a second line to their cellphone or to avoid pricey text message charges.

On Wednesday, Pinger said it is beefing up its iOS service with the addition of voicemail.

As with all Pinger apps, it’s free and ad-supported. Existing users who want to use voicemail will be asked to ditch their old Pinger app and download a new one.

Pinger, which has 15 million users overall, is most popular on iPod touches. But interestingly, 30 percent of Pinger users are on smartphones, according to Pinger co-founder Joe Sipher.

The market for services that replace the traditional ones provided by the carrier is growing, with apps like WhatsApp and Touch quietly becoming some of the most popular downloads in the market.

Voicemail itself has been seen as a potential beachhead for so-called “over-the-top” services. French carrier Orange released an iOS app that replaces the iPhone’s built-in voicemail app with one that allows users to record separate messages depending on who is calling.

AllThingsD’s Ina Fried contributed to this report.

Among the three characteristics most tied to iPad purchasing are being male, a pet-owner and into video games. Close behind are scientists, travelers (both international and domestic) and, bizarrely, organic food proponents. Perhaps the latter, though, is tied to having the kind of disposable income necessary to purchase a device that, while undeniably fun and useful, likely doesn’t replace any other device.

Of course, as previously mentioned, the tablet’s popularity extends even to female liberal arts majors who don’t care whether their food is processed. Indeed, a recent survey by Nielsen shows that the iPad is tops on the holiday wish lists for kids of all genders and food preferences.

Apple actually swept the top three spots on that list, with the iPod touch and the iPhone being the next most popular wishes among the 6-to-12-year-old set. As a point of reference, the iPad and iPod touch also topped last year’s survey, so it appears not all kids are getting their first pick of presents. It would seem some are being told they had better get an iJob first.

My iPhone 4S gets much worse battery life than my iPhone 4 did. I need to charge it by midafternoon, whereas the prior model easily lasted all day. Do you know why and what can be done about it?

A:

Apple says it has found some bugs in its new iPhone and iPad operating system, called iOS 5, which adversely affect battery life for some users. It is promising to release a new version that addresses the problem in a few weeks.

I have heard from several users of the new iPhone 4S and from others who upgraded their older models to the new operating system that their battery lives have degraded.

However, in my own tests and experience, I have seen no reduction in battery life on my upgraded iPhone 4, which still comfortably lasts a full day. And the iPhone 4S Apple lent me for testing also made it through a whole day, every day.

If you can’t wait for Apple’s fix, some websites have reported major improvements by changing a simple setting. You go to Location Services, then System Services, and turn off “Setting Time Zone.” I haven’t tested this and don’t know if it works.

Q:

What is the cheapest device you would recommend to be able to do Skype or any other way of doing video chat?

A:

I’d consider the $199 iPod Touch, which has a front camera, can run several different video chat apps, and requires no monthly cellular service payments.

Another option would be the least expensive Windows laptop or netbook with a built-in webcam. You could also do this with a smartphone, but then you’d likely be paying a monthly bill. Another option is a tablet capable of video chatting, but most cost more than $199.

Q:

How do I sync my new Android phone with my Mac?

A:

Android is generally designed to sync things like contacts and calendar items with online services, especially Google’s, but not with local data on either PCs or Macs.

I have generally found in testing Android phones that you can drag over large files like songs and photos from a Mac by just plugging in the phone via a USB cable and dragging over the files manually.

However, there’s a $40 program called The Missing Sync for Android that claims to facilitate syncing Android phones with both PCs and Macs. I haven’t tested it.

Google on Wednesday released an iOS app for Gmail, bringing a native email client to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

However, the reaction from early downloaders was nearly universally negative, with editors from Mashable, Engadget and other sites all having nothing nice to say.

“I have to admit, I’m near tears at how bad this gmail app is,” wrote the Verge’s Chris Ziegler in a post on Twitter. “Is it okay to cry?”

“Yeah, it’s horrible,” responded Engadget’s Myriam Joire.

For those who still want to experience it firsthand, the app is available from the App Store and works on all devices running iOS 4 and later.

UPDATE: Google says the Web has a point, and has pulled the app. Here’s the text of a Google+ “Googla culpa” post from Google “apps guy” Dave Girouard: “Earlier today we launched a new Gmail app for iOS. Unfortunately, it contained a bug which broke notifications and caused users to see an error message when first opening the app. We’ve removed the app while we correct the problem, and we’re working to bring you a new version soon. Everyone who’s already installed the app can continue to use it.”

The app will work on iPhones from the iPhone 3GS on forward as well as the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch. It’s free to those who have the iPad app and $4.99 for new purchases.

Among its features, the program will let users plug an electric guitar into their iPhone or iPod touch, or record voice and other acoustic sound via the device’s built-in mic.

This closely follows moves by other major retail chains, such as Lowe’s, Home Depot, Nordstrom and Urban Outfitters, in embracing what could be called iCommerce.

As in the other cases, the devices are not intended to replace the cash register, but rather to assist customers. Associates will be able to tap the screen to check available inventory, order products online and access product information and videos, right where the customer is standing.

I’ve written previously about how retailers of all different sizes are now using iPads, but it’s amazing how much tablets are redefining both digital e-commerce and physical shopping experiences.

The retailers include large chains — Lowe’s plans to roll out 42,000 handheld devices in the U.S. and Canada — and midsize companies, such as Pacific Sunwear, which expects to buy up to 900 devices this year for its apparel stores.

Even smaller retailers, such as wineries and coffee shops, are using iPads, often as a replacement for registers, which can not only cost a lot but can also be very bulky. Companies such as Square, Verifone and Intuit have built applications and accompanying swipe dongles to assist with credit card payments.

Sears also believes there’s a practical purpose to rolling out the devices. It said that employees will be able to use them to manage tasks and increase productivity, including assisting customers faster than before.

As part of the tech push, Sears will also be offering free Wi-Fi to customers so they can use their own smartphones or tablets to surf the Web, shop online or compare prices before they purchase.

That figure confirms that Nintendo is definitely one of this country’s leading portable gaming manufacturers, but for comparison’s sake, we dug up numbers for the iPod touch, which is likely Apple’s most comparable device, rather than the always-connected iPhone or its larger and more expensive cousin, the iPad.

In a lawsuit, Apple revealed that as of March 2011 it had sold more than 60 million iPod touch devices worldwide since late 2007.

While those aren’t entirely comparable numbers — one is worldwide and the other is only in the U.S. — many are saying that Apple’s products are starting to eat into Nintendo’s traditional base of players. With these figures being so close, and Apple claiming that the iPod touch is the No. 1 portable game player, you can start to see why.

Last month, Nintendo sold more than 260,000 Nintendo 3DS units in the U.S., an increase of more than 10 percent from the previous month, following a much-needed price drop on Aug. 12.

The numbers were part of the NPD Group’s monthly figures, which state the overall health of the videogame industry. Generally, September is a sleepy month, as consumers hold off on making any big purchases and manufacturers delay big launches until the holidays.

The NPD Group said spending on hardware and software in September totaled $1.16 billion, falling 6 percent from the same period a year earlier, when consumers spent $1.23 billion. The sales only represent physical retail sales and do not include digital sales, which are fast becoming a big chunk of the industry.

During the month, software sales were helped out by the newly released Madden NFL by Electronic Arts, which was the top selling-game during the month.