New data from Google shows a dramatic spike in tablet use during the evening. While not entirely surprising, it supports the theory that people break out their iPads etc. while sitting on the couch after work -- often while watching TV. So tablets are like vampires, because they come out after dark and suck away users' attention.

The data looks at search volume by device throughout the day. Mobile devices get fairly steady usage but pick up in the evenings. Desktops are the platform of choice during the work day. Perhaps the most interesting part is not that tablets spike in the evenings, but that their usage is still so limited during the day when users have other devices available.

The conclusion for advertisers is pretty clear. Consumers are using all of these devices -- sometimes in series, sometimes in parallel. Plans that ignore a segment of the device market reduce the chance of breaking through to an increasingly multi-platform user.