Posts Tagged ‘consumers’

Copyright hurdle for fast internet

Tuesday, April 19th, 2011

Proposed changes to copyright law could have a negative effect on the uptake of ultra-fast broadband, according to Rene Summer, an international industry analyst.

Under current copyright law, the copyright holders are in control of the distribution of content, rather than offering flexibility to users.

Whilst we’d all love faster broadband, without copyright holders offering their content via online mediums, such as the ability to stream movies, we are limited in how we can use the ultra-fast broadband network.

You can read more at the nzherald.

How young is too young for Facebook?

Friday, August 13th, 2010

13 years old, apparently, is the youngest age at which Facebook allows a user to sign on.  However, users younger than 13 do have Facebook accounts, according to an article on www.seek.com.au today.

Parents on the whole are positive about the effects of social networking, and use of technology to keep in touch with their kids.  However, the flipside is cyber bullying or cyberstalking.

Researchers at University of Waikato, caution against over- reacting.  Parents are advised that “Strict, inflexible rules tend to be counter-productive and can increase the allure of ‘forbidden’ technology“.

Similarly, Netsafe, a non-profit organisation which promotes cyber-responsibility, advises that “parents should play a supervisory role while their kids are young, preparing them to make good decisions when they’re old enough to be independent”.

New Zealanders jump on electronic spending

Friday, July 9th, 2010

The month of June has lead to increased use of credit cards, in anticipation of the GST rising and looming tax cuts.

All of the industry groups showed increases for the month, with the leaders in retail sales being food, liquor and chemist sales.

Consumers seem more upbeat with their financial position, in comparison with spending habits during the recession.

To view the full article, click here.