Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Business, Company and industry information for Asia, Latin America, Eastern
Europe, Africa and the Middle East
By ISI Emerging Markets
Are you looking for Emerging Market Business Information and Data?
Whether you are looking for current news, hard-to-get company and industry information, financial market data or macroeconomic analysis, ISI Emerging Markets is the definitive information resource you need.Information on emerging economies can be hard to find, but reliable and current data is vital for making an investment decision. The Emerging Markets Information Service (EMIS), from ISI Emerging Markets, offers aggregated content from over 16,000 publications, via an interface that is availablein over 18 languages, plus masses of proprietary news analysis, company profiles and other data.
Whether you are looking for current news, hard-to-get company and industry information, financial market data or macroeconomic analysis, ISI Emerging Markets is the definitive information resource you need.Information on emerging economies can be hard to find, but reliable and current data is vital for making an investment decision. The Emerging Markets Information Service (EMIS), from ISI Emerging Markets, offers aggregated content from over 16,000 publications, via an interface that is availablein over 18 languages, plus masses of proprietary news analysis, company profiles and other data.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Developing countries must boost broadband: U.N.
Jonathan Lynn
GENEVA
Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:06am EDT
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GENEVA (Reuters) - Developing countries risk missing out on the benefits of information technology because of their lack of broadband infrastructure, a U.N. agency said.
Technology China Japan
Lack of broadband Internet access deprives countries of the possibility of building up offshoring industries, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report late on Thursday.
It also prevents people from tapping into all the advantages of mobile phones, whose use is exploding in poor countries.
"The narrowing of the digital divide remains a key development challenge," UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Petko Draganov said.
"What is known as the broadband gap for example is becoming a serious handicap for companies in many poor countries," he told a briefing to launch UNCTAD's Information Economy Report.
Companies and consumers are 200 times more likely to have access to broadband in developed countries than in the poorest Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the report shows.
And the cost of broadband access varies widely -- over $1,300 a month in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic and Swaziland against less than $13 in Egypt or Tunisia.
Broadband is essential for offshoring industries such as call centers and back offices, which many developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia want to develop and expand.
Such industries are likely to expand despite the economic crisis because they enable companies in rich countries to cut costs, UNCTAD notes.
Broadband allows consumers to make better use of their mobile phones -- rapidly overtaking computers as the information and communications technology (ICT) tool of choice in developing countries.
People in poor countries are using mobile phones for banking, to check markets and monitor the weather -- reducing the need for travel and boosting productivity, UNCTAD noted.
As a result mobile phone usage is growing. In Africa there are already 20 times more mobile subscribers than fixed lines, and India added almost 100 million new mobile subscribers in the first seven months of this year, it said.
However, the economic crisis has hit sales of ICT goods such as phones and computers and trade in them declined dramatically last year, according to figures from the top six exporters -- China, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, United States and Germany.
Exports have recovered this year, especially from China, now by far the biggest ICT goods exporter.
This is part of a continuing shift to dominance of the sector by Asia, which already accounted for more than half of ICT goods exports by 2007, UNCTAD said.
ICT exports are not only growing faster in China than elsewhere, but are also the fastest growing sector in China.
(Editing by Jon Boyle)
Jonathan Lynn
GENEVA
Mon Oct 26, 2009 8:06am EDT
addImpression("10036173_Related News");
removeImpression();
addImpression("10036174_Related News (Auto)");
GENEVA (Reuters) - Developing countries risk missing out on the benefits of information technology because of their lack of broadband infrastructure, a U.N. agency said.
Technology China Japan
Lack of broadband Internet access deprives countries of the possibility of building up offshoring industries, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report late on Thursday.
It also prevents people from tapping into all the advantages of mobile phones, whose use is exploding in poor countries.
"The narrowing of the digital divide remains a key development challenge," UNCTAD Deputy Secretary-General Petko Draganov said.
"What is known as the broadband gap for example is becoming a serious handicap for companies in many poor countries," he told a briefing to launch UNCTAD's Information Economy Report.
Companies and consumers are 200 times more likely to have access to broadband in developed countries than in the poorest Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the report shows.
And the cost of broadband access varies widely -- over $1,300 a month in Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic and Swaziland against less than $13 in Egypt or Tunisia.
Broadband is essential for offshoring industries such as call centers and back offices, which many developing countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Asia want to develop and expand.
Such industries are likely to expand despite the economic crisis because they enable companies in rich countries to cut costs, UNCTAD notes.
Broadband allows consumers to make better use of their mobile phones -- rapidly overtaking computers as the information and communications technology (ICT) tool of choice in developing countries.
People in poor countries are using mobile phones for banking, to check markets and monitor the weather -- reducing the need for travel and boosting productivity, UNCTAD noted.
As a result mobile phone usage is growing. In Africa there are already 20 times more mobile subscribers than fixed lines, and India added almost 100 million new mobile subscribers in the first seven months of this year, it said.
However, the economic crisis has hit sales of ICT goods such as phones and computers and trade in them declined dramatically last year, according to figures from the top six exporters -- China, Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, United States and Germany.
Exports have recovered this year, especially from China, now by far the biggest ICT goods exporter.
This is part of a continuing shift to dominance of the sector by Asia, which already accounted for more than half of ICT goods exports by 2007, UNCTAD said.
ICT exports are not only growing faster in China than elsewhere, but are also the fastest growing sector in China.
(Editing by Jon Boyle)
Developing countries urge WTO trade pact
Monday November 30, 07:40 PM
Over 100 developing countries called on Sunday for an "urgent" conclusion of negotiations for a world trade liberalisation pact, a day before a key World Trade Organisation ministerial conference.
"The ministers of the G20 called for urgent action on the Doha Round," according to a statement issued by G20 major developing countries led by India and Brazil, and endorsed by the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries, the African group as well as the Least Developed Countries.
Launched in the Qatari capital in 2001, the Doha Round aims at lifting developing countries out of poverty by striking an accord that will cut agriculture subsidies and tariffs on industrial goods.
However, negotiations have been dogged by disagreements on how much major trading blocs such as the United States and the European Union should reduce aid to their farmers and the extent to which developing countries such as India, China and South Africa should lower tariffs on industrial products.
"There is urgent need to translate political statements into concrete engagements in Geneva in order to accomplish the shared objective of concluding the Round in 2010," said the statement issued after a meeting between G20 ministers.
Without naming names, Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim pointed in particular to "one country which is stopping us from moving forward."
However, another Latin American diplomat was more explicit, saying: "We clearly lack an explicit position from one of the most important members of the negotiations. We are of course talking about the United States."
He added that the WTO ministerial meeting "should pressure" Barack Obama's administration to take a deeper engagement on trade talks.
World leaders have pledged at several occasions to conclude trade talks but deadlines have been repeatedly missed.
The latest deadline sees negotiations concluding in 2010.
But analysts say that the United States, occupied by domestic problems such as health care and the war in Afghanistan as well as a Democratic-led Congress largely hostile to trade liberalisation, is dragging its feet on putting concrete trade reforms on the table.
G20 countries, including China and Indonesia, on Sunday agreed that "in order to achieve convergence, there is a need for a process that would lead to a narrowing of differences on remaining issues within the next few months.
"The ministers also agreed that there should be a multilateral opportunity early next year to evaluate the progress made, identify remaining obstacles and explore ways to successfully conclude the DDA (Doha Development Agenda) before the end of 2010."
The latest financial crisis which wreaked havoc across the world had also "highlighted the importance and value of a development-oriented and rules-based multilateral trading system," they said.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Technology Solutions
Global eProcure’s Integrated Technology Suite
Global eProcure offers a fully integrated sourcing and procurement technology suite. Our innovative technology is delivered on-demand and is built on a foundation of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Clients have the flexibility to pick and choose those modules (shown below) that best meet their sourcing and procurement needs. Global eProcure's tools have been widely used and adopted over the past 9 years due to its user-friendly design, state-of-the-art functionality, and ease of implementation. The fact that the technology can be up and running quickly has allowed our client to more rapidly realize savings and show a ROI on their investment. We offer all the components of sourcing including Spend Analysis (eSpend), Supplier Discovery and Assessment (eSupplier), eRFX and eAuctions, and Contract Management (eContract).
Global eProcure’s Integrated Technology Suite
Global eProcure offers a fully integrated sourcing and procurement technology suite. Our innovative technology is delivered on-demand and is built on a foundation of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Clients have the flexibility to pick and choose those modules (shown below) that best meet their sourcing and procurement needs. Global eProcure's tools have been widely used and adopted over the past 9 years due to its user-friendly design, state-of-the-art functionality, and ease of implementation. The fact that the technology can be up and running quickly has allowed our client to more rapidly realize savings and show a ROI on their investment. We offer all the components of sourcing including Spend Analysis (eSpend), Supplier Discovery and Assessment (eSupplier), eRFX and eAuctions, and Contract Management (eContract).
Internet and Developing Countries - Pros and Cons
By Uwe Afemann, Computer Center of the University of Osnabrück, Germany
International Workshop
Social Usage of Internet in Malaysia
March 22 - 25, 2000
Internet - another panacea to solve world's problems?
"E-velopment", short for "electronic commerce and development" is the latest bait being offered to induce reluctant and laggard countries into the brave, new globalised world, according to some experts at the UNCTAD X conference in Thailand in February 2000.[1] Nearly all papers and studies about telecommunication describe this technology crucial for the development of economic and social progress in our world. Intensifying the use of telecommunication and especially the use of international computer networks would reduce the gap between the rich North and the poor South and would help overcome poverty in the opinion of the most important representatives of telecommunication firms in the North. In cooperation with World Bank, UNESCO, USAID and other international institutions they try to convince decision makers of the Third World that an investment in the new media would be inevitable for participation in progress and improvement of life conditions for all. Here the particular interest of multi national consortiums of industrialized countries is obvious, because they will mainly participate in implementing telephone and data lines in developing countries. They all will get a big part of a 1.500 trillion dollar cake in the communication sector.[2]
Like the automobile that was celebrated as the most promising achievement, now telecommunication is thought to be the panacea for all problems. Despite the unsolved problems of computer waste and the unforeseeable implications for different societies and communities the use of computer networks is still propagated in an uncritical manner, because it promises great profits for multinationals from the North.
By Uwe Afemann, Computer Center of the University of Osnabrück, Germany
International Workshop
Social Usage of Internet in Malaysia
March 22 - 25, 2000
Internet - another panacea to solve world's problems?
"E-velopment", short for "electronic commerce and development" is the latest bait being offered to induce reluctant and laggard countries into the brave, new globalised world, according to some experts at the UNCTAD X conference in Thailand in February 2000.[1] Nearly all papers and studies about telecommunication describe this technology crucial for the development of economic and social progress in our world. Intensifying the use of telecommunication and especially the use of international computer networks would reduce the gap between the rich North and the poor South and would help overcome poverty in the opinion of the most important representatives of telecommunication firms in the North. In cooperation with World Bank, UNESCO, USAID and other international institutions they try to convince decision makers of the Third World that an investment in the new media would be inevitable for participation in progress and improvement of life conditions for all. Here the particular interest of multi national consortiums of industrialized countries is obvious, because they will mainly participate in implementing telephone and data lines in developing countries. They all will get a big part of a 1.500 trillion dollar cake in the communication sector.[2]
Like the automobile that was celebrated as the most promising achievement, now telecommunication is thought to be the panacea for all problems. Despite the unsolved problems of computer waste and the unforeseeable implications for different societies and communities the use of computer networks is still propagated in an uncritical manner, because it promises great profits for multinationals from the North.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Face book strikes
Technology
The business and culture of our digital lives,
from the L.A. Times
Facebook strikes back against Seppukoo
December 11, 2009 | 3:04 pm
After yesterday's post, Facebook users are saying that they are getting blocked from sharing Seppukoo.com with friends.
A pop-up error message appears if you even try to put the site URL in a comment:
“Warning: This Message Contains Blocked Content
Some content in this message has been reported as abusive by Facebook users.”
Simon Axten, spokesman for Facebook, said in an e-mail that Facebook has an automated system that blocks links for known spam, malware and phishing sites.
“The same system that blocks these links may also be deployed for sites that violate our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities,” Axten said. “This particular site asks for log-in credentials, scrapes Facebook pages and spams users, all of which are violations.”
Guy McMuster, art director for the group that runs Seppukoo.com, said in an e-mail that any mention of the site has been blocked since yesterday. Now, he said, “we're studying a counter-strategy.”
-- W.J. Hennigan
The business and culture of our digital lives,
from the L.A. Times
Facebook strikes back against Seppukoo
December 11, 2009 | 3:04 pm
After yesterday's post, Facebook users are saying that they are getting blocked from sharing Seppukoo.com with friends.
A pop-up error message appears if you even try to put the site URL in a comment:
“Warning: This Message Contains Blocked Content
Some content in this message has been reported as abusive by Facebook users.”
Simon Axten, spokesman for Facebook, said in an e-mail that Facebook has an automated system that blocks links for known spam, malware and phishing sites.
“The same system that blocks these links may also be deployed for sites that violate our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities,” Axten said. “This particular site asks for log-in credentials, scrapes Facebook pages and spams users, all of which are violations.”
Guy McMuster, art director for the group that runs Seppukoo.com, said in an e-mail that any mention of the site has been blocked since yesterday. Now, he said, “we're studying a counter-strategy.”
-- W.J. Hennigan
ICT Development
The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, Vol 39 (2009)
Information Literacy in Kenya
Khushbu Tilvawala, Michael David Myers, Antonio Díaz Andrade
Abstract
There are a growing number of information and communications technologies (ICT) initiatives in developing countries. These initiatives are usually undertaken on the basis that they are important for social and economic development. However, one barrier to the efficient utilisation of ICT in developing countries is the relatively low level of information literacy. Without the ability to manipulate and use information effectively, investments in ICT-for-development projects may be unsuccessful. In this research project, three ICT initiatives in Kenya are analysed in the light of the dimensions of information literacy. Implications for other developing countries are discussed.
Information Literacy in Kenya
Khushbu Tilvawala, Michael David Myers, Antonio Díaz Andrade
Abstract
There are a growing number of information and communications technologies (ICT) initiatives in developing countries. These initiatives are usually undertaken on the basis that they are important for social and economic development. However, one barrier to the efficient utilisation of ICT in developing countries is the relatively low level of information literacy. Without the ability to manipulate and use information effectively, investments in ICT-for-development projects may be unsuccessful. In this research project, three ICT initiatives in Kenya are analysed in the light of the dimensions of information literacy. Implications for other developing countries are discussed.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Social networks and kids: How young is too young?
By Doug Gross, CNN
cnnAuthor = "By Doug Gross, CNN";
A growing number of children are flouting minimum-age requirements on social-networking sites such as Facebook.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Facebook, MySpace require users to be 13, but the sites can't really enforce it
Study found 38 percent of kids ages 12 to 14 have online profiles
One Georgia parent allows kids to use networking sites, but with rules, supervision
Expert: Kids' social networking use is "pretty harmless"
var cnnRelatedTopicKeys = [];
RELATED TOPICS
cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('Facebook_Inc');
Facebook Inc.
cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('MySpace_Inc');
MySpace Inc.
cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('Children_s_Health');
Children's Health
(CNN) -- Status updates, photo tagging and FarmVille aren't just for adults or even teenagers anymore.
Researchers say a growing number of children are flouting age requirements on sites such as Facebook and MySpace, or using social-networking sites designed just for them.
Facebook and MySpace require users to be at least 13. But they have no practical way to verify ages, and many young users pretend to be older when signing up.
Some scientists worry that pre-adolescent use of the sites, which some therapists have linked to Internet addiction among adults, could be damaging to children's relationships and brains.
But many other experts say there's not any solid research to back that up and that most children seem to use social-media sites in moderation, and in positive ways.
"For the most part, although there's so much press about all the bad things they're doing, much of what they do on these sites is stuff they would be doing anyway," said Kaveri Subrahmanyam, a professor of psychology at California State University-Los Angeles.
In two surveys reported this year by Pew Internet Research -- of 700 and 935 teens, respectively -- 38 percent of respondents ages 12 to 14 said they had an online profile of some sort.
Sixty-one percent of those in the study, ages 12 to 17, said they use social-networking sites to send messages to friends, and 42 percent said they do so every day.
The data in the study was from 2006, so it's not a stretch to assume those numbers are higher this year. Research on younger children is limited, but anecdotal evidence shows that many of them are also logging on.
CNN iReport: How much do you let your kids reveal on social networking sites?
"Of course they are," said Amanda Lenhart, a senior researcher at Pew and one of the report's authors. "They're using them because that's where their social world is. Because there's no effective way to age-verify ... children very quickly realize, 'I just say I'm 14 years old, and they'll let me use this.' "
Marc Bigbie, a software salesman who lives near Savannah, Georgia, said he has three children -- 14, 12 and 11 -- who all have accounts on at least one social-networking site.
His oldest daughter, then 11, was the first in the family to create an account, on MySpace. And it was without her parents' permission.
"It was kind of a negative thing at first," he said. "We kind of took it away from her. But, finally, we said, 'You can have it, but we need the password so we can be on there at any time.' "
Since then, all three of the kids have gotten Facebook accounts, with their parents even agreeing to fudge their ages.
Bigbie said he makes sure his children's accounts are set to provide as little personal information as possible, and they allow their activity to be seen only by confirmed friends. He and his wife monitor the pages to make sure they know the friends that their children have added.
He said the oldest daughter is the only one who uses the account almost every day, while the younger children log on briefly every now and then.
In the past couple of years, some scientists have voiced concerns that children are spending too much on these sites and that such online socializing could have lasting negative effects as they mature.
"My fear is that these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment," Susan Greenfield, an Oxford University neurocientist and director of Britain's Royal Institution, told London's Daily Mail in February.
"I often wonder whether real conversation in real time may eventually give way to these sanitized and easier [online] screen dialogues," she said.
Other scientists criticized Greenfield's comments, calling them speculation, not science.
Subrahmaynam said a study of high school students showed that in most cases, the people they interact with most often online are people they also socialize with in person.
Children today have spent their whole lives on computers, and their brains are better adapted than those of adults to integrate online activities with their offline lives, she said.
"You'll always have the small minority of kids who are not using it appropriately," she said. "I do think you're going to have a few people that are doing things that kids probably couldn't do with telephones a generation ago.
"But we don't want to get swept away by the general fear. It's here, and it's pretty harmless."
Many parents also worry that younger users of social sites could be targets for online predators. While there are some concerns that kids aren't mature enough to make good decisions about their privacy, Subrahmaynam and Lenhart said most are savvy enough by their early teens to know what, and who, to avoid. Younger children, they say, need more parental supervision.
Alternately, a growing number of networking sites are geared specifically toward younger users. Sites such as Disney's Club Penguin -- mainly a game site, but with limited social functions -- WebKinz and Whyville feature more restricted and supervised networking.
Such kids-oriented sites are "sort of a training ground" for future use of mainstream social networks, Lenhart said.
Children as young as 5 have accounts at KidSwirl, a kids' social-networking site patterned loosely on Facebook, said creator Toby Clark.
Clark said the average user spends about five minutes on the site per visit -- far less than Facebook's average of more than 20 minutes.
He said he limits the amount of time his two children, 9 and 6, spend on the site, but that any parent who bans their children from such sites isn't facing the facts.
"The reality is that we're a technology-driven generation," said Clark, who launched the site in February and said it has about 10,000 users. "That's not going to change."
So what long-term effect will social networking have on children? Scientists say it may be hard to know for sure.
"We've lost the control group," Subrahmanyam said. "How do you find a group of kids that are not using the computer?"
By Doug Gross, CNN
cnnAuthor = "By Doug Gross, CNN";
A growing number of children are flouting minimum-age requirements on social-networking sites such as Facebook.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Facebook, MySpace require users to be 13, but the sites can't really enforce it
Study found 38 percent of kids ages 12 to 14 have online profiles
One Georgia parent allows kids to use networking sites, but with rules, supervision
Expert: Kids' social networking use is "pretty harmless"
var cnnRelatedTopicKeys = [];
RELATED TOPICS
cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('Facebook_Inc');
Facebook Inc.
cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('MySpace_Inc');
MySpace Inc.
cnnRelatedTopicKeys.push('Children_s_Health');
Children's Health
(CNN) -- Status updates, photo tagging and FarmVille aren't just for adults or even teenagers anymore.
Researchers say a growing number of children are flouting age requirements on sites such as Facebook and MySpace, or using social-networking sites designed just for them.
Facebook and MySpace require users to be at least 13. But they have no practical way to verify ages, and many young users pretend to be older when signing up.
Some scientists worry that pre-adolescent use of the sites, which some therapists have linked to Internet addiction among adults, could be damaging to children's relationships and brains.
But many other experts say there's not any solid research to back that up and that most children seem to use social-media sites in moderation, and in positive ways.
"For the most part, although there's so much press about all the bad things they're doing, much of what they do on these sites is stuff they would be doing anyway," said Kaveri Subrahmanyam, a professor of psychology at California State University-Los Angeles.
In two surveys reported this year by Pew Internet Research -- of 700 and 935 teens, respectively -- 38 percent of respondents ages 12 to 14 said they had an online profile of some sort.
Sixty-one percent of those in the study, ages 12 to 17, said they use social-networking sites to send messages to friends, and 42 percent said they do so every day.
The data in the study was from 2006, so it's not a stretch to assume those numbers are higher this year. Research on younger children is limited, but anecdotal evidence shows that many of them are also logging on.
CNN iReport: How much do you let your kids reveal on social networking sites?
"Of course they are," said Amanda Lenhart, a senior researcher at Pew and one of the report's authors. "They're using them because that's where their social world is. Because there's no effective way to age-verify ... children very quickly realize, 'I just say I'm 14 years old, and they'll let me use this.' "
Marc Bigbie, a software salesman who lives near Savannah, Georgia, said he has three children -- 14, 12 and 11 -- who all have accounts on at least one social-networking site.
His oldest daughter, then 11, was the first in the family to create an account, on MySpace. And it was without her parents' permission.
"It was kind of a negative thing at first," he said. "We kind of took it away from her. But, finally, we said, 'You can have it, but we need the password so we can be on there at any time.' "
Since then, all three of the kids have gotten Facebook accounts, with their parents even agreeing to fudge their ages.
Bigbie said he makes sure his children's accounts are set to provide as little personal information as possible, and they allow their activity to be seen only by confirmed friends. He and his wife monitor the pages to make sure they know the friends that their children have added.
He said the oldest daughter is the only one who uses the account almost every day, while the younger children log on briefly every now and then.
In the past couple of years, some scientists have voiced concerns that children are spending too much on these sites and that such online socializing could have lasting negative effects as they mature.
"My fear is that these technologies are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and who live for the moment," Susan Greenfield, an Oxford University neurocientist and director of Britain's Royal Institution, told London's Daily Mail in February.
"I often wonder whether real conversation in real time may eventually give way to these sanitized and easier [online] screen dialogues," she said.
Other scientists criticized Greenfield's comments, calling them speculation, not science.
Subrahmaynam said a study of high school students showed that in most cases, the people they interact with most often online are people they also socialize with in person.
Children today have spent their whole lives on computers, and their brains are better adapted than those of adults to integrate online activities with their offline lives, she said.
"You'll always have the small minority of kids who are not using it appropriately," she said. "I do think you're going to have a few people that are doing things that kids probably couldn't do with telephones a generation ago.
"But we don't want to get swept away by the general fear. It's here, and it's pretty harmless."
Many parents also worry that younger users of social sites could be targets for online predators. While there are some concerns that kids aren't mature enough to make good decisions about their privacy, Subrahmaynam and Lenhart said most are savvy enough by their early teens to know what, and who, to avoid. Younger children, they say, need more parental supervision.
Alternately, a growing number of networking sites are geared specifically toward younger users. Sites such as Disney's Club Penguin -- mainly a game site, but with limited social functions -- WebKinz and Whyville feature more restricted and supervised networking.
Such kids-oriented sites are "sort of a training ground" for future use of mainstream social networks, Lenhart said.
Children as young as 5 have accounts at KidSwirl, a kids' social-networking site patterned loosely on Facebook, said creator Toby Clark.
Clark said the average user spends about five minutes on the site per visit -- far less than Facebook's average of more than 20 minutes.
He said he limits the amount of time his two children, 9 and 6, spend on the site, but that any parent who bans their children from such sites isn't facing the facts.
"The reality is that we're a technology-driven generation," said Clark, who launched the site in February and said it has about 10,000 users. "That's not going to change."
So what long-term effect will social networking have on children? Scientists say it may be hard to know for sure.
"We've lost the control group," Subrahmanyam said. "How do you find a group of kids that are not using the computer?"
Lattest Business News
Best Buy plans movie download service with Sonic
Tue Nov 3, 2009 9:18am EST
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Best Buy Co Inc plans to start an online service that allows consumers to buy, rent and download movies and television shows, the electronics retailer said on Tuesday.
The system, based on Sonic Solutions' Roxio CinemaNow service, would be built into devices sold at its stores, including television sets, portable media players, computers, mobile phones and other devices from a variety of manufacturers.
Best Buy said it has set a multiyear agreement to license Roxio CinemaNow technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Best Buy acquired warrants enabling it to purchase shares of Sonic Solutions common stock.
It expects to provide access to new movies, independent films, and older catalog movies, with some new titles available on the same day as the comparable DVD goes on sale.
The service could compete with a number of established online media destinations including Amazon.com Inc, and Apple Inc's iTunes store.
"Our relationship with Sonic Solutions allows Best Buy to quickly establish a strong position in the digital delivery of video entertainment," Brian Dunn, chief executive of Best Buy, said in a statement.
Best Buy bought digital music service Napster Inc about one year ago in an effort to compete with Apple's dominant iTunes service.
The company did not give the name of the service, or when it would launch.
(Reporting by Franklin Paul, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Best Buy plans movie download service with Sonic
Tue Nov 3, 2009 9:18am EST
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Best Buy Co Inc plans to start an online service that allows consumers to buy, rent and download movies and television shows, the electronics retailer said on Tuesday.
The system, based on Sonic Solutions' Roxio CinemaNow service, would be built into devices sold at its stores, including television sets, portable media players, computers, mobile phones and other devices from a variety of manufacturers.
Best Buy said it has set a multiyear agreement to license Roxio CinemaNow technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Best Buy acquired warrants enabling it to purchase shares of Sonic Solutions common stock.
It expects to provide access to new movies, independent films, and older catalog movies, with some new titles available on the same day as the comparable DVD goes on sale.
The service could compete with a number of established online media destinations including Amazon.com Inc, and Apple Inc's iTunes store.
"Our relationship with Sonic Solutions allows Best Buy to quickly establish a strong position in the digital delivery of video entertainment," Brian Dunn, chief executive of Best Buy, said in a statement.
Best Buy bought digital music service Napster Inc about one year ago in an effort to compete with Apple's dominant iTunes service.
The company did not give the name of the service, or when it would launch.
(Reporting by Franklin Paul, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)
© Thomson Reuters 2009 All rights reserved
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Ethiopia's poverty-stricken economy is based on agriculture, accounting for almost half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $350 million in 2006, but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the IMF forgave Ethiopia's debt. Under Ethiopia's constitution, the state owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to a 3.3% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns helped agricultural and GDP growth recover during 2004-08.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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