STORAGE

Does Music and Movie Downloading Harm CD and DVD Salses?

With Millions of songs and movies both legallyand illegally available on the Internet, the entertainments industry claims that sharing music is harming CD and DVD sales, which result in less money in the artist and studios pockets. When Apple Computer announced that the company would sell movies through its iTunes online service, large retailer chains complained that their DVD movies sales would suffer. Both retailers and the entertainment companies make far more money when someone purchases a CD or DVD instead of buying the media online. A study by researchers showed that the availibility and sharing or recend CD releases did not have an effect on the sales of the CDs. While music publishing companies have seen a modest decline in sales since the advent of illegal music sharing, They have released significantly fewer titles, and some claim that the quality of music has declined.Also CD and DVD sales my have been exceptionally high in the 1990s as people replaced older media, such as cassete tepes and VHS tapes, with the newwer CD and DVD formats. Do readily available online music and movies harm CD and DVD sales? Why? Are there any situations in which tha availability can increase sales? How? Are the entertainment industry and retail chain complaints justified? Why?

Is the Blu-ray and HD DVD Competition good for Consumers?

In the early 1980s, a battle raged over the VHS and Betamax video tape formats. Eventually, the VHS format won over the hearts and dollars of consumers despite experts claims of the superiority of the Betamax format, and the Betamax format remains a footnote in the history of consumers electrinics. Today, a similar rivalry exists between the Blu-ray and HD DVD formats as two competing groupof consumers electronic corporate giants vie to get their players and discs in your home. Some difference exist between the standards. While a Blu-ray Disc (BD) can hold more data than an HD DVD disc, the HD DVD players are much less expensive and still include enough capacity to hold a high-definition movie. HD DVD disc are less expensive to make, though more movie studios have announced support for Blu-ray. Some consumers advocates claim that the competition between the standards will benefit consumers as each side tries to win through lower prices and more feature. Others claim that two standards hurt consumers because some studios, computer companies, and software providers will choose to support only one format. If this happens, consumers may choose to purchase both types of devices or, in frustration, not purchase a player at all. Some predict that high-definition DVD players eventuprices will go up if one format eventually wins over the other? Why or why not? With limited shelf space, how should video rental and retail stores cope with keeping both formats for a movie in stock?



Should the World Become a Cashless Society?
Do you toss your loose change in a jar with the hopes ofmaking a special purchase with the savings someday? This habit may become futile if the world goes chaless. Some forecasters say that the world is moving toward a chasless society. One form of payment that could end the need for cash is the smart card, which can store a dollar amount whenever a transaction is made. Advocates claim that smart card would eliminate muggings and robberies, make it difficult to purchase illegal goods, and reduce taxes by identifying tax cheats. Also, payment using biometrics, such as finger prints, is becoming more common. Several high profile security breaches at cradit reporting and credit card companies, however, have heightened concerns over privacy. In a recent survey, most Americans said that they would not use a smart card even if privacy was graduateed. Another survey shows that most Americans belive that fingerprints are a trustworthy from of identifications. A cash purchase preserves a record of the transaction that could become available to other merchants, advertisers, goverment agencies, or hackers. Considering the advantages and disadvantages, should the world become a cahsless society? Why or why not? Whould you be comfortable using a smart card of fingerprint instead of cash for all transactions? Why?

Who Should Be Looking at Your Medical Records?

A medical transcriber based in a foreign country and hired by a U>S. medical center thereatened to post private medical records to the Internet if she was not paid more. With the widespread use of computers and an exploison in data storage capacity arround the world, private informations. such as medical records, requires increased diligence by companies, goverments, and individuals to maintain this privacy. The goverment would like most Americans health care records available in privacy-protected electronic format by 2014. although these records wil be stored by corporation or the goverment, individuals will have complate control, or ownership, of these electronic records. Updates to the health Insurance probability and accountability act (HIPAA) efective in 2003 set rigorous standards for medical record privacy. The law, however, still leaves much of your medical information at risk. The law does not cover financial records, education records, or employment records-each of which may contain medical information about you. Your medical information also may be examined by insurance companies, goverment agencies, the medical information Bureau (MIB), employers, and the courts. You also inadvertently may pass on medical information to direct markerters when you participate in formal health screenings or surveys. groups has resulted in unwanted attention, and they later regret the disclousers. Proponents of better prepared when they see patients, physicians will make fewer errors, and insurance companies can better root out fraud. Should more limits be placed on what other people can do with your medical information? Why or why not? What are the advantages of increased access to medical records? What are the disadvantages?