Iain Thomson in San Francisco, vnunet.com, Friday 4 July 2008 at 23:28:00

Economic stimulus package works wonders

President Bush's economic stimulus plan which involved sending cheques of up to $1,200 to every taxpayer has provided a boom to the online porn industry, according to market research. The Adult Internet Market Research Company (AIMRCo) identified an " uncharacteristic" increase in spending on online pornography since the cheques were sent out. Kirk Mishkin, head research consultant at AIMRCo, said: "Typically the summer is a slow period for this market. "But many of the sites we surveyed have reported 20 to 30 per cent growth in membership rates since mid-May when the cheques were sent out." The rebates were supposed to stimulate to the flagging US consumer sector, but it seems that many people are using them for a different kind of stimulation. Jillian Fox, a spokeswoman for LSGmodels.com, one of the sites reporting figures to AIMRCo, said: "In a June 2008 survey of our members, 32 per cent referenced the recent stimulus package as part of their decision to either become a new member, or renew an existing membership. "Getting more people to buy porn was probably the last thing Bush had on his mind when he came up with his 'stimulus package'. But we'll take it."

Iain Thomson in San Francisco, vnunet.com, Friday 4 July 2008 at 23:28:00

Economic stimulus package behind higher porn spending

President Bush's economic stimulus plan, which involved sending out checks of up to $1,200 to every taxpayer, has provided a boom to the online porn industry, according to market research. Research by the Adult Internet Market Research Company (AIMRCo) has found that, since the checks were sent out, there has been an uncharacteristic increase in spending for online pornography sites. According to Kirk Mishkin, head research consultant for AIMRCo, "Many of the sites we surveyed have reported 20 to 30 per cent growth in membership rates since mid-May when the checks were first sent out, and typically the summer is a slow period for this market." The checks were suppose to be used to provide a stimulus to the flagging US consumer sector but the research found many people were using them for a different kind of stimulation. Jillian Fox, spokeswoman for LSGmodels.com, one of the sites reporting figures to AIMRCo, said, "In a June 15, 2008 survey to our members, 32 per cent of respondents referenced the recent stimulus package as part of their decision to either become a new member, or renew an existing membership." "Getting more people to buy porn was probably the last thing Bush had on his mind when he came up with his 'stimulus package,' but we'll take it."

Shaun Nichols in California, vnunet.com, Friday 4 July 2008 at 22:50:00

Rates boosted for new handsets

AT&T has revealed a new pricing structure for the iPhone 3G in the US. The company is making a few changes to its monthly plan, boosting rates and adding a separate charge for text messages. Users will pay an extra $10 for the upgrade from a slower Edge connection to the 3G network. Prices will range from a $69.99 monthly plan with 450 anytime minutes and 5,000 night and weekend minutes, to a $129 plan with unlimited minutes. Each of the plans will include unlimited data transfers. SMS will be separate, with prices ranging from $5 per month for 200 messages to $20 per month for unlimited messages. AT&T also revealed a new pricing plan for the handsets. Customers signing a two-year contract can pick up the iPhone 3G for $199 (8GB) or $299 (16GB). Customers not deemed eligible for an upgrade will have to pay $399 and $499 respectively for the iPhone 3G. "We cannot wait to offer the iPhone 3G to our customers, and we want to make sure that the buying process is as easy as possible," said Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive at AT&T's wireless unit. "Considering all the great new features of the iPhone 3G, we think our pricing and monthly plans present a tremendous value for consumers and businesses alike." AT&T said that it will also soon offer the iPhone without a contract for $599 (8GB) and $699 (16GB). The handsets themselves will still be locked into the network, although the iPhone hacking community will no doubt be hard at work on another 'jailbreak' procedure. Apple has long distanced itself from the efforts to remove the iPhone from its exclusive network. The company has said that, while it does not deliberately cripple hacked iPhones, it will not be held responsible for the compatibility issues that often arise with firmware updates. The iPhone 3G will go on sale on 11 July at 8.00am and will be available only at Apple and AT&T retail stores.

Guy Dixon, vnunet.com, Friday 4 July 2008 at 16:40:00

Workshop foreman gets 16 million junk emails a year

An anti-spam software company has revealed that three of the UK's five most spammed individuals use Orange as their ISP. Figures released by ClearMyMail show that the three Orange customers have around 63,339 spam emails blocked every day and 23,118,735 spam emails blocked every year. ClearMyMail failed to establish a connection between a customer's choice of ISP and the amount of spam they receive, but did name the UK's most spammed citizen, Exeter-based Colin Wells. According to ClearMyMail, 44,000 spam emails heading for Wells's inbox are blocked each day, amounting to around 16 million a year. At the height of the problem Wells, a workshop foreman for Stagecoach buses, was spending two hours a day deleting spam from his account, making the prospect of "taking a week's holiday a complete nightmare". The UK's second most spammed individual, who also uses Orange as their ISP, is fortunate by comparison with just 13,578 daily junk messages. The third, fourth and fifth most spammed British citizens get 12,428, 5,760 and 3,982 spam mails a day respectively.

Ian Williams, vnunet.com, Friday 4 July 2008 at 16:14:00

Watchdog vows to halve emissions by 2020

Ofcom has set out a target to halve its annual level of carbon dioxide emissions by 2020. The communications watchdog said that the target forms part of its 'Footprint' project which seeks to reduce carbon emissions across the entire organisation. Ofcom aims to reduce its emissions by 25 per cent by 2012, and will use audits to monitor its progress scheduled for 2009 and 2011. The results will be measured against the organisation's Carbon Audit and Ecological Footprint (PDF). "Ofcom takes its role in minimising its impact on the environment very seriously and looks forward to working with government and stakeholders to achieve the common goal of reducing our carbon emissions," said Ed Richards, chief executive of Ofcom. Ofcom will implement a number of initiatives to reduce the power used by its information systems and buildings, minimise business travel and increasing flexible working. It has also pledged to reduce paper consumption and encourage recycling, while putting a low-carbon procurement strategy in place.