Report: Time Warner to Test Pay-Per-Download Monthly Pricing

In a move that’s sure to rile many of its’ customers, Time Warner says it plans to test a new pricing structure for high-speed Internet usage that charges subscribers based on the amount of content they download. The report comes by way of a story by the Associated Press and some snooping from the Web site BroadbandReports.com.

Time Warner currently charges customers a flat monthly rate for Internet access. According to reports Time Warner will test a new pricing model that creates a multi-tiered pricing plan based on broadband usage. Time Warner would put caps on usage and charge more should you use too much bandwidth based on your monthly plan. For example, if you view too many streamed online videos, buy too many songs from iTunes, or are a heavy user of P2P services than you might get hit with a Time Warner “overage charge.”

According to the AP report only 5 percent of Time Warner users are responsible for gobbling up 50 percent of its bandwidth traffic. So 5 percent of Time Warner customers are likely going to be very upset by the plan should it become more than a test.

Currently Time Warner is publicly stating a trial of the pricing plan will begin in Beaumont, Texas. The trial will only affect new Time Warner customers and no change will be made to the billing of existing customers.

Clearly from Time Warner’s perspective, if you are downloading more content then you are using up more bandwidth and should be charged more.

-from PCWorld.com

Consumers Retrench As Economy Weakens

Joi Freemont, a dentist in suburban Atlanta, doesn’t have to look further than her appointment book to tell that people are worried about money.Patients who used to get their teeth whitened all the time “now want to think about it a bit,” she said. Braces? “People were getting them for the kids, for themselves, but now they’re waiting,” she added. And when people get cavities, they have their fillings done one a month, not five or six at a time, she said.

As a result, Freemont and her husband are worried their income could drop and are trying to be more prudent with their money. They’re monitoring spending more closely and continuing to whittle down their credit card balances and her dental school debt, she said.

“We know how to put the brakes on if we have to,” said Freemont, 35.

Across America, there are growing signs that consumers are worried about the weakening economy, which could slip into recession. While some say Americans are not famed for their belt-tightening tactics, there are signs that people are trying to improve their personal balance sheets so they’re ready for tougher times.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Economy.com, said the economic signals “are flashing yellow,” suggesting that consumers need to take care.

Jobs are getting harder to find, while the crisis in the mortgage industry has made it more difficult for homeowners to borrow against their houses, closing down what has been a major source of extra cash in recent years. Consumers’ budgets have been squeezed by rising food and fuel prices.

Credit card balances surged through the fall months, according to Federal Reserve figures. Now delinquency rates on consumer loans are rising, the American Bankers Association reported recently. Even companies that cater to higher-income families, such as American Express Co., are feeling the pinch.

When the economy stumbles, “you have to begin living within your means, or you’ll be forced to do so,” Zandi said.

But Americans are much better spenders than savers, said Greg McBride, senior financial analyst with Bankrate.com, an online financial information service.

“Consumer spending isn’t something that gets turned on and off like a light switch,” he said. “People will say they need to cut back, but they often lack the willpower to do it.”

Still, it appears that people are starting to make an effort.

-from Yahoo.com, credited to the AP

AT&T’s SIM-Only Option Loosens the Shackles

AT&T has begun to offer a new SIM-only service via their online store. For $5 ($10, minus a $5 online discount), new customers are able purchase a SIM card on the AT&T network, without receiving a new handset. It appears you are then free to use the SIM card with unlocked handsets and AT&T locked cellphones. Unfortunately, the two year contract still stands, with the exception of the pre-paid options.

-Gizmodo.com

Study: Caffeine may boost miscarriage risk

New research out Monday may have expecting moms rethinking their drinking habits.

A new study has found that pregnant women who consumed more than 200 milligrams of caffeine a day, equivalent to about two cups of coffee, had twice the risk of miscarriage as the women who consumed no caffeine at all. The findings are published in Monday’s Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Previous studies have found similar results, but Dr. De-Kun Li, lead author and investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research, is quick to point out the significance of his findings. “We were able to address the issue of if the increase is really due to caffeine or due to women changing their drinking patterns. Other studies have reported the same results but had some biases in the research.”

HOW MUCH BUZZ?

Just how much is 200 milligrams of caffeine? We did the math for you.

 

 

• one to two cups of coffee (12 oz. serving)

   

• two to three cups of tea (12 oz. serving)

   

• one to three energy drinks

   

• about five cans of soda

 

Amounts are estimates; actual caffeine content may vary by brand

The Kaiser study looked at 1,063 women in the early stage of pregnancy. Among women who consumed no caffeine, the miscarriage rate was 12.5 percent. In comparison, 25.5 percent of women who consumed more than 200 mg of caffeine a day miscarried. Although there was an increased risk for women who consumed fewer than 200 mg of caffeine a day, the lead investigator says the increase is not statistically significant.

Researchers say it made no difference whether the caffeine came from coffee, soda, tea or hot chocolate.

Caffeine is dangerous during pregnancy, Li said, because it can cross through the placenta to the fetus and can be difficult for the fetus to metabolize the caffeine. Caffeine may influence cell development and decrease blood flow to the placenta, he added. If arteries are constricted it may restrict blood flow which can result in miscarriage.

-from CNN.com