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July 22nd, 2008

90% of Americans 18-28-year-old own a PC

Posted by AM @ 10:30 pm

Categories: PCs, Television

Tags: Generation X, Mobile, PC, Generation Y, AM

According to the Forrester Research, although Gen Y is a small generation of 18- to 28-year-olds, comprising only 38 mln US adults, it sets the pace for technology adoption. 90% of Gen Yers own a PC, and 82% own a mobile phone. But it is technology use that sets this generation apart: Gen Y spends more time online — for leisure or work — than watching TV; 72% of Gen Y mobile phone owners send or receive text messages; 42% of online Gen Yers watch Internet video at least monthly. In contrast, Gen X, which is comprised of 29- to 42-year-olds - 63 mln US adults — uses technology when it intersects with a personal need or fulfills a desire. For example, 32% of Gen X households own an HDTV, and 29% have a DVR. In the past three months, 69% of online Gen Xers shopped online and 65% banked online, higher percentages than any other generation. Gen X is also ramping up its Internet and mobile activities, including reading blogs (21% of online Gen Xers do it at least monthly, up from 15% in 2007) and texting (61% of Gen X mobile subscribers do it today, up from 49% in 2007).

July 22nd, 2008

Top US search engines in May 2008

Posted by NB @ 10:17 am

Categories: Internet usage, Search engines

Tags: Search Engine, Site, Search, NB

Core Search Entity Apr-08 May-08 Growth
Total Core Search 10,582 10,777 2%
Google Sites 6,514 6,664 2%
Yahoo! Sites 2,159 2,221 3%
Microsoft Sites 961 920 -4%
AOL LLC 491 486 -1%
Ask Network 458 486 6%
Source: comScore

July 21st, 2008

65% of US households play video games, 38% have consoles, 40% are female

Posted by AM @ 7:13 pm

Categories: Software, Consoles, Consumer electronics

Tags: Console, Video Game, Video, Games, Personal Technology, AM

40% of US gamers are women, Entertainment Software Association says. 65% of American households play computer and video games. 38% of American homes have a video game console. The average game player is 35 years old. One out of four gamers are over age 50. Women age 18 or older represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (33%) than boys age 17 or younger (18%). 41% of Americans expect to purchase one or more games 2008. 94% of parents are present when games are purchased or rented. 88% of parents report always or sometimes monitoring the games their children play. 63% of parents believe games are a positive part of their children’s lives.

July 21st, 2008

19% of all online users are seriously into sports

Posted by AM @ 7:08 pm

Categories: Internet usage, WWW

Tags: Video, Corporate Communications, Marketing, AM

Serious sports fans comprise 19% of overall online users and represent one of the most lucrative audiences online, JupiterResearch claims. With a tendency to spend more time online, watch more video online, and shop more online, sports sites must integrate the right mix of video and social experiences into their destinations. 21% of serious sports fans, who tend to be younger males between the ages of 25-34, view streaming video monthly. With young men leading the pack in video activity, and with sports content translating well into the short-clip, “snacking” environment of Web video, sports sites have a perfect opportunity to emerge as leaders in online video.

July 21st, 2008

LCD TVs recommended over plasma TVs in retail, Samsung and Sony top recommended brands

Posted by AM @ 7:07 pm

Categories: Consumer electronics, Television

Tags: Sony Corp., Brand, LCD TV, Plasma TV, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Salesperson, LCD, Branding, Monitors & Displays, TVs

At a rate of more than three to one, retail electronics salespersons are recommending liquid crystal display (LCD) flat screen TVs instead of sets using plasma technology to shoppers who are seeking to purchase big screen televisions (sets with screens measuring 40 inches or larger), according to the J.D.Power and Associates. High proportion of recommendations of LCD sets is primarily due to retail salespersons’ lack of knowledge regarding recent improvements in plasma technology. For example, more than one-third (38%) of salespersons told their customers that LCD sets last longer. Also, 37% of salespersons warned their customers that images may be permanently burned onto the screens of plasma TVs.

During Q2 2008, among LCD TV brands, Samsung and Sony were recommended by salespersons 35% and 28% of the time, respectively. Vizio sets were recommended approximately 7% of the time. No other LCD brand received a recommendation rate of more than 2%. Among plasma television brands, Panasonic was recommended by
salespersons 37% of the time, while Samsung and Pioneer were recommended 14% and 12% of the time, respectively.

July 20th, 2008

Fastest-growing US web sites in May 2008

Posted by NB @ 12:43 pm

Categories: Internet usage, WWW, Web traffic

Tags: Web, InfoSpace Inc., Web Site, Internet, Web Site Development, Vertical Industries, Advertising & Promotion, Web Technology, Benefits, Healthcare

Apr-08 May-08 Growth, % Rank
Total Internet : Total Audience 190,728 190,858 1 N/A
Proflowers.com 1,301 5,453 319 200
Vonage Holdings Corp 2,202 4,832 119 227
Vlaze Media Networks, Inc. 4,021 7,162 78 153
Discovery.com Sites 8,800 15,473 76 62
IRS.gov 23,354 31,113 33 20
United Health Group 3,999 5,302 33 203
Infospace Network 7,005 8,988 28 119
Groupe Lagardere 3,738 4,763 27 233
Hollywood.Net 6,111 7,665 25 141
Toyota 5,123 6,418 25 172
Source: comScore

July 20th, 2008

Average US household credit card debt is $8,565

Posted by AM @ 12:28 pm

Categories: General

Tags: Credit Card, Debt, Sales Channel, Financial Services, Sales, AM

Americans carry $2.56 trln in consumer debt, up 22% since 2000 alone, according to the Federal Reserve Board. The average household’s credit card debt is $8,565, up almost 15% from 2000. ?verage US student emerges from college carrying $20,000 in educational debt. Household debt, including mortgages and credit cards, represents 19% of household assets, compared with 13% in 1980. Share of disposable income that consumers must set aside to service their debt has risen to 14.5% from 11% just 15 years ago. US savings rate, which exceeded 8% of disposable income in 1968, stood at 0.4% at the end of the first quarter of 2008, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

July 20th, 2008

41% of online buyers of music ordered a CD and 58% downloaded digital files

Posted by NB @ 10:44 am

Categories: Music, E-commerce

Tags: CD, Buyer, Music, NB

41% of online buyers of music ordered a compact disc and 58% downloaded digital files, according to Pew Internet Project. Put differently, 13% of music buyers say their most recent music purchase was a digital download of music files. 51% of music buyers who used the internet in their research said that online information had no impact at all; 37% said it had a minor impact; 12% said it had a major impact.

July 19th, 2008

$7.4 bln of venture capital invested into US startups in Q2 2008

Posted by AM @ 11:31 pm

Categories: Venture capital

Tags: Venture Capital, Investment, Finance, Financing Startups, AM

The pace of US venture capital investments remained steady at $7.4 bln during Q2 2008 despite a wobbly stock market that has made it increasingly difficult for the financiers of new ideas to cash out of startups. The amount of money spread across 990 deals in Q2 2008 was unchanged from the same time 2007, according to National Venture Capital Association, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Thomson Reuters.

July 19th, 2008

Malware rates up 278% in the first half of 2008

Posted by AM @ 10:54 pm

Categories: Software, Security

Tags: Malware, Spyware, Adware & Malware, Cyberthreats, Viruses And Worms, Security, AM

Malware has risen by 278% in the first half of 2008, thanks to the large number of websites comprised last month, according to ScanSafe. Trojans are the most commonly blocked malware, they increased from 4% of malware in January 2008 to 27% in June 2008.

July 19th, 2008

US video hardware and software sales up 53% un June 2008

Posted by AM @ 10:52 pm

Categories: Consoles

Tags: Software, Video, Hardware, Sales Strategy, Sales Force Management, Corporate Communications, Games, Sales, Marketing, Personal Technology

US sales of video game hardware and software rose 53% in June 2008 when compared to June 2007, NPD reported. For the first half of 2008, the US video game industry has generated $8.3 bln in sales. This is a 36% increase in sales from the same period a year before. “Metal Gear Solid 4″ claimed the top slot as June’s best-selling game.

July 19th, 2008

56% of music buyers could buy music online

Posted by NB @ 10:43 am

Categories: Music, E-commerce

Tags: Music, NB

56% of those who bought music most recently said they could have made the purchase online, while 37% said they could not have, according to Pew Internet Project. Among the 22% of music purchasers who bought most recently online, 61% could have bought their music in a store, with 35% saying they could not have done that. Just 7% of online music purchasers said they visited a store to sample music or ask for some help before getting their music online.

July 18th, 2008

78% of US cell phone purchases are made in store

Posted by NB @ 11:39 am

Categories: Mobile usage, Handhelds, E-commerce

Tags: Phone, Cell Phone, Cellular Phones, Telecom & Utilities, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, NB

The overwhelming majority of cell phone buyers make the purchase in a store - some 78% do, with 12% buying online and 9% by some other means. Among the narrower set of those who use the internet in their cell phone research, 26% bought their device online. 75% of those who bought online could have bought their phone in a store if they had wanted. 61% who bought their phone in a store could have bought online, though 30% said they could not have done that, according to Pew Internet Project. With the sizable influence online information exerts on 39% of cell phone purchasers, it is understandable that this group is more likely to buy their phones online. Some 26% of this group bought a cell phone online, although 70% still go down to the store.

July 18th, 2008

Top social networking sites in France in April 2008

Posted by NB @ 7:38 am

Categories: Internet usage, WWW

Tags: Network, Social Networking, Online Communications, Marketing, Advertising & Promotion, NB

Property Minutes spent % of time spent on social networks Minutes per Visitor
French Internet Audience 46,532 N/A 1,518
Social Networking 2,708 100.0 163
Skyrock Network 1,987 73.4 173
Facebook.com 335 12.4 106
MySpace.com 94 3.5 31
Netlog.com 59 2.2 85
Badoo.com 29 1.1 66
Hi5.com 23 0.8 24
Trombi.com 7 0.3 6
Orkut 6 0.2 181
Flickr.com 6 0.2 7
Bahu.com 5 0.2 37
Source: comScore

July 18th, 2008

Top social networking sites in France in April 2008

Posted by NB @ 7:36 am

Categories: Internet usage, Web traffic

Tags: Network, Social Networking, Online Communications, Marketing, Advertising & Promotion, NB

Property Apr-2007 Apr-2008 % Change
Total French Internet Audience 25,388 30,649 21%
Social Networking 12,244 16,601 36%
Skyrock Network 8,562 11,504 34%
Facebook.com 106 3,161 2,877%
MySpace.com 2,068 3,006 45%
Tromibi.com 775 1,299 68%
Hi5.com 1,311 939 -28%
Flickr.com 522 879 68%
Netlog.com 947 686 -27%
Lexode.com 712 556 -22%
Badoo.com 589 441 -25%
Viadeo 226 376 66%
Source: comScore

July 17th, 2008

Top online ad campaigns by fast food chains

Posted by NB @ 2:26 pm

Categories: Internet usage, WWW, Advertising, Web traffic

Tags: Food, Advertisement, Online Advertising, Food & Beverage, Manufacturing, NB

Advertiser Ad views, 000 Share of ads Unique ad viewers, 000 Frequency
McDonald’s 295,884 33.6% 51,897 5.7
Quiznos.com 98,041 11.1% 16,390 6.0
KFC.com 84,974 9.6% 12,620 6.7
PapaJohns.com 82,298 9.3% 17,115 4.8
Subway 8,150 8.9% 15,478 5.0
Dunkin’ Brands 71,713 8.1% 23,240 3.1
PizzaHut.com 60,327 6.8% 15,366 3.9
SonicDriveIn.com 45,064 5.1% 7,070 6.4
Wendy’ 43,344 4.9% 11,280 3.8
Burger King 21,493 2.4% 3,494 6.2
Source: comScore

July 17th, 2008

Google has 77.4% of US search ad market

Posted by AM @ 12:59 pm

Categories: WWW, Advertising, Search engines

Tags: Google Inc., Internet Search Advertising, Yahoo! Inc., Microsoft Live Search, Microsoft Corp., Search, Marketing Research, Marketing, AM

For every new $1 spent on paid search in Q2 2008 versus Q2 2007, $1.10 went to Google. Yahoo lost $0.09, and Microsoft lost $0.01. Advertisers are putting all of their new search dollars into Google, and pulling money out of Yahoo Search and Microsoft Live Search, Efficient Frontier says. Google maintained its 77.4% share of US search marketing dollars, while Yahoo captured 17.8% of spending and Microsoft Live Search maintained its 4.8% share.

July 17th, 2008

Top US Web sites in May 2008

Posted by NB @ 11:54 am

Categories: Internet usage, WWW, Web traffic

Tags: Web, Web Site, Wiki, Web Site Development, Branding, Advertising & Promotion, Online Communications, Internet, Marketing, NB

Brand Audience, 000 Time Per
User
1. Google 121,991 1:15:27
2. Yahoo! 114,661 3:13:38
3. Microsoft 97,663 0:44:04
4. MSN/Windows Live 97,626 2:06:54
5. AOL Media Network 89,736 3:37:37
6. Fox Interactive Media 70,250 1:50:01
7. YouTube 69,329 0:55:51
8. Wikipedia 57,285 0:17:10
9. eBay 55,633 1:50:51
10. Apple 50,531 1:06:02
Source: Nielsen

July 17th, 2008

68% of cell phone buyers consult the owner’s manual

Posted by NB @ 11:44 am

Categories: Mobile usage, Handhelds, Consumer electronics

Tags: Phone, Cell Phone, Cellular Phones, Telecom & Utilities, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, NB

68% of people take to the owner’s manual to figure out the new device, according to Pew Internet Project. Some people will go further, especially if they meet a problem that they can’t address themselves. Here is what cell phone buyers said they did when they encountered problems with their cell phone: 23% visited a cell phone store; 18% called their phone carrier; 9% called the cell phone manufacturer; 7% (of internet users) went online for information or help; 4% discussed the cell phone in an online forum or community.

July 17th, 2008

New and returning visitors to social networks in May 2008

Posted by NB @ 6:34 am

Categories: Internet usage, WWW, Web traffic

Tags: Bebo, Network, Social Networking, Online Communications, Marketing, Advertising & Promotion, NB

Rank Name Domain Returning New
1 MySpace www.myspace.com 95% 5%
2 Facebook www.facebook.com 93% 7%
3 MyYearbook.com www.myyearbook.com 89% 11%
4 Bebo www.bebo.com 82% 18%
5 BlackPlanet.com www.blackplanet.com 89% 11%
Source: Hitwise
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