10.18.2006

Is it TRUE? Do Black People have a high speed internet connection?

To date there has been much debate about the DIGITAL DIVIDE - one school of thought is that "WE" are online but only as consumers or parttime users of the net only at work. However it appears that this is only part of the "Black" experience online. What are your thoughts? and HOW DO YOU ACCESS the Net? DIALUP/BROADBAND-CABLE/BROADBAND-DSL/CELLPHONE-WIRELESS - Before you add your comments read the survey very interesting. Please add your voice to this conversation....... P.S. the link to the report is at the end of report.

AOL study shows blacks outpace general market in Internet use Users frustrated by lack of targeted content(October 10, 2005)

A newly released study from America Online shows that African Americans' use of the Internet outpaces the general market in many ways. According to the 2005 AOL African American Cyberstudy, conducted for AOL by IMAGES Market Research, two-thirds of online African American households have a high-speed connection vs. 53% of the general population. Nearly 80% of African Americans have access to the Internet – close to the 88% of the general population. And those African-Americans currently not online are more likely to get connected within the next 6 to 12 months.

The study also revealed that African Americans are embracing the Internet as an indispensable lifestyle tool and a tremendous resource. They report spending more time on the Internet (5 hours a day vs. 2.9 hours a day for the general online population). And they are far more likely to use the Web to access a variety of information: news (68% vs. 56%), entertainment (55% vs. 26%), health related issues (72% vs. 53%), financial questions/needs (60% vs. 40%) and sports (39% vs. 26%). Other popular activities include: using a search engine (92%), communicating with family and friends (86%), using the Internet to get driving directions (85%), opening a bank account or online banking (62%) and listening to music online (62%). In addition, 62% of African Americans feel the Internet is helpful with individual career advancement and is a useful education tool (80%) for all ages."

As we look to offer marketers with the most relevant information about online behaviors of various demographics, we are excited to announce the findings of the first African American Cyberstudy," said Michael Barrett, executive vice president, AOL Media Networks. "We are committed to provide the advertising community with new data about the changing nature of online behaviors to better serve their needs.""The study clearly demonstrates that African Americans have turned to the Internet to save time and make their lives more efficient and enjoyable," said Bret Moore, publisher of AOL Black Voices. "The Internet is truly a color-blind and equal-opportunity tool that African Americans are using in a very purposeful way to attain their goals and realize their dreams."

However, the study also found that an overwhelming number of African Americans say there isn’t enough online content that “speaks” to them as a distinct culture with its own dynamic needs and values. The survey also found that almost three-quarters (73%) of African Americans respond favorably to advertising with multiple cultures featured. And 68% favor companies that benefit the African American community.

Topline Findings -
Nearly Eight in ten African Americans surveyed are currently using the Internet – the remaining 21% are more likely than the general online population to jump on the Internet within the next 6-12 months.-

Already, 64% of African Americans online have broadband access – vs. 53% of the Total Population - African Americans are far more likely than other online users to use the Web to access a variety of information: news (68% vs. 56%), entertainment (55% vs. 26%), music (49% vs. 21%), and sports (39% vs. 26%). -

The most popular online activities among African Americans are using a search engine (92%), communicating with friends and family (86%), and getting driving directions and maps (85%).- Almost two-thirds (62%) of African Americans feel the Internet is helpful with individual career advancements.- Seventy-six percent of African Americans view the Internet as a big time-saver, saying it allows them to access large amounts of information quickly and get more things done in a day.-

African Americans spend an average of 5 hours per day on the Internet while all others spend 2.9 hours a day.- Online African Americans report they use the Internet an average of 6 days per week, compared to 5 days per week for all others.

Researching and Buying Products and Services Online - Forty-nine percent of African Americans feel the Internet is the best source of information on consumer products.- Almost three-quarters (70%) have researched an item online and subsequently purchased it in a store.Finding Relevant Information Online- Seventy-two percent of online African Americans say the need to obtain general information prompted initial use. -Fifty-four percent feel the Internet provides more information about healthcare issues important to African Americans than any other sources.

And African Americans are far more likely to turn to the Internet for healthcare-related searches than all others (64% vs. 53%). -Sixty percent believe the Internet is the best source for financial information.- The Ability to get entertainment information quickly is a big draw for African Americans (75%). -

Forty Two percent of African Americans go online to learn about new styles & fashion information. Discovering Entertainment Online - African Americans view the Internet as an entertainment medium, using it to view video clips and download music.-

Seventy-three percent of African Americans feel on-demand entertainment is an important benefit of the Internet.- Seventy-eight percent see the Internet as a time-saver allowing them to avoid waiting in line for tickets.-The most common movie-related reasons to go online are to look for a movie they may want to see (73%) and to search for a theater or movie time (68%).Using the Internet to Communicate - Eighty-six percent of African Americans use the Internet to communicate with family and friends.- Thirty percent of respondents use instant messaging occasionally or more.

Financial Goals and Management a Priority- Six in ten African Americans look for information about financial products online.- Online banking services are already widely used, with 71% of African Americans indicating it’s their leading online financial activity.- Forty-six percent are likely to start or increase their investment practices in the near future.-

Online African Americans earning $100K or more are significantly more likely to track their investments or stock portfolio online.Automotive Information and Buying-African Americans are more likely than all others to cite the Internet as the best source of information for automotive-related issues (63% vs. 44%). -

Researching different vehicle types (62%) was the most common reason for automotive-related Internet usage.- Slightly more than half (52%) have used the Internet to price shop new cars.- Over one-third (37%) of African Americans plan to purchase a new or used car in the next 12 months compared to 22% of all others.Getting Going Starts with Going Online- African Americans are avid travelers: 2/3 of African Americans have traveled domestically in the past 12 months.-

African Americans are more likely than all others to report the Internet as the best source of travel-related information (79% vs. 73%).

MethodologyThe 2005 AOL African American Cyberstudy conducted by IMAGES Market Research comprises three phases.

In the first Qualitative Phase, focus groups were conducted among African Americans with a home ISP in three cities, Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. Six focus groups contributed, with participants in two age groups, 18-34 year-olds(3) and 35-54 year-olds(3).

The Quantitative Phase followed in May 2005 with a web survey of 1,016 African American Internet users.

A simultaneous study of 550 phone interviews was also conducted to obtain comparative perspective (300 African American sample and 250 general market (GM) sample). The web survey portion was done using a national database of African American panel members. An invitation e-mail was sent to their address and respondents were given a link to access the survey. A combination of RDD (Random Digit Dialing) and African American listed sample was used for the telephone portion of the study. A Two-Step Cluster Analysis procedure was applied to the 1,016 online completed surveys of African Americans who have online service providers. The resulting four clusters are psychographic groupings that represent respondents who participated in the web survey. America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. IMAGES Market Research is a full service multicultural marketing communications company headquartered in Atlanta http://www.targetmarketnews.com/storyid10100501.htm

10.17.2006

Pumpkin power for phone networks in Africa

To make sure the last unconquered unconsumerized untechnologized continent is conquered and converted into WalMart ready consumers it appears that companies are even willing to go "GREEN" to make sure that everyone can say "WHERE you AT?" or "Can you hear me now? what do you think?

Pumpkin power for phone networks in Africa
Starting in Nigeria, fuel will come from palm, groundnut, pumpkin seeds

AMSTERDAM - Palm and pumpkin seed oil could soon be generating electricity to help power mobile phone networks across Africa under a plan to replace fossil fuels with sustainable biofuels made from crops grown by local farmers.

Swedish telecoms networks group Ericsson and South African cellphone operator MTN said on Wednesday they want to start replacing diesel with biofuels in electricity generating stations powering mobile phone base stations in rural Africa.

Supported by the GSM Association's development fund, they will start with a project in Nigeria to use biofuels for power generators supplying mobile base stations located beyond the reach of the electricity grid.

"We're planning to replicate this in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. India and Bangladesh have also expressed interest," said Ben Soppitt, programme manager emerging markets at the GSM Association (GSMA).
Starting in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, fuel will be processed from palm, groundnut, pumpkin seeds and jatropha.

The crops to generate the biofuel will be cultivated close to the base stations, helping local farmers, cutting dependency on fossil fuels and reducing fuel transportation needs. The cost of fuel, including security to protect transport and storage, can be 80 percent of the cost of a rural phone network. MTN operates in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East and had 31 million subscribers, while Ericsson is the world's biggest mobile phone networks company with around 30 percent market share.

Africa take the lead"The early adoption of biofuel-powered mobile networks would place Africa at the forefront of a new wave of innovation," said Karel Pienaar, chief technology officer at MTN. Soppitt said the mobile industry could be the world's first to put alternative energy at the core of its operations. "Ericsson has been working on this for a while, and with their significant market share the entire market will move with them," he said.

Rural areas in emerging economies where most new mobile phone subscribers come from are often not connected to the electricity grid, which means that the base stations to connect mobile phone users to the network are powered by generators.

In Nigeria, 75 percent of the country is not grid-connected.

Fuel consumption by these base stations can be significant. Ericsson estimates 25,000 litres of fuel are needed every year to power a base station. The same amount would power close to 20 cars, each driving 20,000 kilometres, for a year.

Worldwide, tens of thousands of new base stations are erected every year, most of them in rural areas as operators aim to expand the coverage of their networks. There are currently close to 2.5 billion mobile phone users on the planet.

The GSMA hopes that the introduction of biofuels will be significantly cheaper than using diesel, and hopes for total cost reductions of 30 percent or more.

"You need to achieve a 30 percent improvement to create sufficient momentum for change," Soppitt said. Ericsson estimates around 0.5 square kilometres of palm oil crops are needed to generate the fuel for 20 base stations, the equivalent of 83 football fields.

The crops will be processed into fuel at local facilities.
Ericsson will control farming methods, making sure crops are not genetically manipulated, are grown sustainably and do not require fresh clearing of land by cutting forests.
Solar and wind energy are also being investigated as alternative power sources for remote base stations.

8.30.2006

Consumer Reports creates VIRUSES?

In order to truly test antiVirus and spyware software - Consumer Reports wanted to truly test the Software programs ability to stop a virus or spyware that it they have not been exposed to. Wait isn't that what software is supposed to do? So why is McAfee upset? Could it be because their software did poorly???HAHAHA Hmmmm......Tell me what you think
http://redtape.msnbc.com/2006/08/consumer_report.html

8.29.2006




These are my daily websites for tech stuff:

http://ptech.wsj.com/archive.html
Walter Mossberg has excellent reviews of computer products

http://www.engadget.com/
Engadget gives you the pictures of brand new products
up and close.


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