With so many financial burdens currently being placed on American households, it is all too easy to fall victim to credit card debt. Although it can be advantageous to have a large available credit line, there are additional responsibilities that come with the freedom of having multiple credit cards, larger credit lines and a continuous temptation to charge large amounts of money on credit accounts. Studies have shown that individuals with larger credit limits are statistically more likely to succumb to the temptation of making excessive purchases. Thus, it is imperative to find a comfortable medium between having a large credit line and a modest one.

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Consumer behaviors have shifted drastically over the past few years as social media plays an increasingly important role in the way people communicate. During its broadcast of the Academy Awards this coming Sunday, ABC plans to take advantage of the chatter that will inevitably come on the Internet during the show.

In an effort to benefit from the increased attention on the network, Disney-owned ABC built a companion website that will show behind-the-scenes video streams, allowing viewers to check out what Oscar winners do once they walk backstage. ABC is the first broadcast network to tie in a big event like the Oscars with a social media interplay, and analysts affirm other networks could soon follow suit – depending on the outcome.

Broadcast networks like CBS, Fox and NBC are no longer the dominant force in pop culture like they once were; as a result, executives are trying out new media initiatives that would have seemed impossibly far fetched only a few years ago. Read full article…

Australias economy is not out of the woods yet, with new figures suggesting business conditions will remain hard across the country for some time yet.

While a number of recent reports have warned that the recent floods seen in Queensland will hit everyday consumers hard, with banks tipped to put up rates on debit cards or home loans in order to compensate for their losses, figures show that this may have been the case even without the natural disaster hitting.

Indeed, according to the National Australia Bank (NAB), business conditions were weakening at a steady rate towards the end of 2010, with its business conditions index dropping markedly several weeks before the first of the floods hit.

Notably, several of the sectors most likely to impact upon the lives of ordinary Australians, such as utilities, finance and agribusiness were all seen to suffer at the end of the year, with conditions found to be tough in the state of Victoria as well as Queensland.

Meanwhile, shares in some of Australias biggest banks have taken a hit in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake.

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Presidents Day weekend is coming up and for some out there the day is more than just a celebration of our nation’s past presidents – it’s also a great time to find great deals.

Consumer Reports has a roundup of the best deals companies are offering this weekend. The consumer watchdog magazine recommends that bargain hunters do their deal scouting ahead of time, comparison shop and scrutinize the return policy at every store they purchase something from.

SanDisk, the manufacturer of memory products, is taking up to 70 percent off the price of many items including Flash drives, memory cards and Sansa Fuse MP3 players. Moreover, computer giant Dell is offering a number of deals on its PC offerings; the Inspiron 15 laptop will be sold for $399.99 this weekend – a $184 discount.

Buy.com will offer daily deals over the weekend on computers, televisions, GPS devices and other electronic devices. Read full article…

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Part of the PC Mag Digital Network, GoodCleanTech’s mission is to keep its readers informed about all that is environmentally friendly in the worlds of computers, cars, fuel, power and more. The site offers new, tips, advice and ideas on “how to do more with less.” Scan the editors’ highlights of just-released products and breaking environmental news, then check out their picks for the greenest products in such categories as laptops, monitors, cell phones and more.  The site also offers some helpful white papers on topics such as how to buy a new phone system.