August 2006
Mobile manners, digital decorum and email etiquette in Asia

Sixty percent of Asian consumers are unable to live without their mobile phone and two thirds of Asians believe digital devices should come with user etiquette manuals, according to a Synovate survey. Exploring Asian consumer attitudes towards wireless manners, Synovate surveyed 3,363 respondents in the markets of China, Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand about their most essential digital device, their most annoying digital behaviours, and whether they had ever been 'dumped' by SMS.

July 2006
GM Foods – Delight or Fright?

Anything that makes food taste better is fine, according to 62 percent of South Africans who are familiar with genetically modified foods, global market research company Synovate has revealed. That statement is sure to be anathema to the 89 percent of corresponding Greeks who believe such products may be harmful.

June 2006
Living with or without - technology

Almost half of us think new technology looks cool even if we don't understand it, according to a recent Synovate survey. The global market research company also learned that while a mobile phone is the gadget most people could not live without, almost one-quarter of respondents claim they could live without any of their high-tech toys. Synovate surveyed 5,500 respondents in Canada, China, France, Hungary, India, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Taiwan and Thailand, asking about their attitudes toward the latest technological devices.

May 2006
Are we ready for alternative engine technologies?

Despite record oil prices in most countries and concerns about global pollution levels, awareness and adoption of alternative fuel engine technologies are fairly low, according to a recent Synovate survey. Even direct injection diesel engines are an unknown for many consumers outside Western Europe, with one-third of those surveyed never having heard of such technology.

February 2004
Phone number portability - do consumers really care?

In recent years, number portability (the ability to retain your phone number while switching to another carrier) has been a hot issue in the US. Network operators and consumer advocates weighed in strongly on either side of the argument. Finally, the US telecommunications regulator, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), mandated compulsory cell phone number portability across US networks. The ruling came into effect on 24 November 2003.