The number of Americans with large video files stored on their PCs rose from 8 percent last year to 13 percent in March 2005, according to a survey conducted by market research firm NPD Group. Of the 13 percent who had a 150MB video file on their computers -- about the size of a half-hour TV show -- each additionally had an average of 15 such files on their PCs. "What will trouble many, especially in the film and video industry, is that some consumer collections include material that is clearly pirated," said NPD analyst Russ Crupnick. "In March, we noted several dozen full-length theatrical films on computers well before their expected DVD release date, including Ocean's Twelve, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Million Dollar Baby, The Aviator, The Ring Two, and Team America World Police." NPD plans to launch an ongoing PC survey of 40,000 panelist volunteers called MovieWatch Digital in the fourth quarter of 2005, which will monitor consumer interaction with digital video files.
The rapid evolution of digital payment technologies is reshaping global financial apps, with instant payment platforms emerging as a transformative force. These innovative payment systems are streamlining transactions and also driving financial inclusion or economic growth across diverse markets. The recent worldwide market study by ABI Research provides compelling evidence of the explosive growth in instant payment transactions. Instant Payments Market Development According to ABI findings, the top eight global instant payment platforms are projected to see their transaction volumes skyrocket from 213 billion in 2023 to 681.1 billion by 2028. This remarkable growth trajectory underscores the increasing adoption and importance of instant payment solutions in our increasingly online world. One key driver is the global rise in Peer-to-Peer (P2P) payments. "Account-to-account wallets, which have seen widespread use in P2P transfers, are experiencing increased usage given their use in