Fifty, 60 and 70-year-olds are nearly as tech savvy as younger consumers, claims a study of 3,135 adults by the Consumer Electronics Association and TNS Compete. Some examples from the findings: those in their 50s are just as likely to have a high-definition TV as those younger than 50; 80% of 60-somethings reported using a cell phone in the past week--nearly the same usage rate as 18-34 year-olds; 71% of 60-somethings and 52% of 70-somethings reported using a search engine in the past week, compared to 77% of 18-34 year-olds. The online survey was conducted in November 2008. When it …

With products that make it easier to find stories from any news outlet across the Web, it's not obvious that Google, which seems to rake in advertising dollars at the industry's expense, would be so interested in saving newspapers, but that's exactly what CEO Eric Schmidt tells Fortune's Adam Lashinsky. While the answer to the industry's woes isn't obvious, either, Schmidt reveals that Google would like to lend a helping hand. "Google can't make the cost of newsprint go down," Schmidt said. "We also can't materially change the way consumers behave, and consumers are in fact moving their lives online. …

Cisco Systems is kicking off the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show by announcing Eos, a platform for creating social networks. The idea is to allow media companies to create, manage and grow their own communities by providing tools to make building social networking sites easy. According to CNet, Cisco is going after big media companies here (think Ning for large corporations). The technology comes from Five Across, a social networking software startup Cisco bought last year. Cisco exec Dan Scheinman, who heads Eos, says the new software platform addresses a crucial problem facing media companies today. "The reality is that …

Netbooks, those lightweight, low-cost, energy-efficient, highly portable laptops designed to handle Web browsing and little else, are all the rage at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, notes BusinessWeek's Olga Kharif, as manufacturers show off a slew of new devices in all shapes, sizes and prices. The major question, of course, is whether consumer demand will be high enough; according to Forrester Research, about one in five consumers who plan to purchase a new computer in the next year say they will spend less due to current economic conditions. IDC, another researcher, reckons that about 21 million netbooks …

Time Warner was forced to write down the value of its cable, publishing and Internet assets by about $25 billion in the fourth quarter, leading the media giant to an overall loss for 2008. According to a statement made by the company on Wednesday, the weak economy has hurt AOL and its publishing unit more than expected. At a conference in New York last month, Chairman CEO Jeff Bewkes described advertising sales as "disappointing." Time Warner shares fell 71 cents or 6.5% on the news. The company's share price lost 39% of its value last year. "It's a little startling …

Most pundits agree that Apple's announcements at this year's Macworld were underwhelming, to say the least. However, GigaOm's Om Malik says there was one announcement that stood out: The news of DRM-free sales from all major music labels at variable prices through iTunes. Now, the world's largest online music store will start selling songs for 69 cents, 99 cents or $1.29 a pop. Who cares about this? Digital rights management watchers certainly do, but what about the average consumer? Malik points out that Apple has such a stranglehold on the digital music market that most are happy to buy songs …

AT&T has solidified itself as the nation's No. 1 wireless provider thanks in part to the deal that makes it the exclusive U.S. carrier of Apple's iPhone. Thus far, AT&T has registered about five million iPhones onto its network, Fortune says. These subscribers are loyal, and they spend twice as much on their phone bills as the average wireless user. More important, perhaps, is the credibility that comes with being the sole carrier of such a media darling. Overall, AT&T has 75 million wireless users, four million more than No. 2 Verizon Wireless. However, AT&T's exclusive deal with Apple isn't …