TNS, which was the force behind the Digital Life project, explained in a statement, "The research shows four out of five online users in China (88%) and over half of those in Brazil (51%) have written their own blog or forum entry, compared to only 32% in the US."

Also, "The number of online consumers who have ever uploaded photos to social networks or photo sharing sites is 92% in Thailand, 88% in Malaysia and 87% in Vietnam, whilst developed markets are more conservative.  Less than a third of online consumers in Japan (28%) and under half of those in Germany (48%) have uploaded photos to such sites."

Then there’s the graph below to consider, as well.

All of this speaks to the importance of the Facebook Translations app and other efforts to introduce existing sites to new communities.  The Digital Life project shows there are all sorts of potential fans for companies to win (and eyeballs to monetize).

One interesting stat about things closer to home: 36 percent of Americans think they’ll increase their use of social networks via mobile tech.

In the U.S. 38 percent of those surveyed cited online news as the most trusted source of information, while 34 percent trusted newspapers and 33 percent TV news.

Globally, the most trusted information source was friends, with 42 percent of those surveyed saying they trusted word-of-mouth recommendations. Almost an equal number trusted TV news (41%), online news (40%) and newspapers (39%).

"It’s interesting to see how trusted online news is – with consumers clearly understanding the difference between which online channels can be trusted and which cannot," said Arno Hummerston, Managing Director, TNS Global Interactive. 

"Instead of fighting the web revolution, newspapers seem to be trying to move their business models online, and it seems as though the combination of quality content and a recognized brand name is working, with readership figures of most national newspaper websites up over the last year."

In Western Europe, UK Internet users trusted newspapers the least, while those in France, Italy and Spain put the least trust in TV news.

Private blogs were the least trusted source in almost every country. China was the exception, with 24 percent of Internet users saying they trust them more than free papers and company brochures.

Being able to watch content on their own time and their own convenience are the main reasons people go online. Other reasons include skipping commercials and portability. About 72 percent of households log on for entertainment purposes daily, and in one in ten cities entertainment is the most popular Internet activity.

"Most consumers are pressed for time and require flexibility in their daily schedules and TV viewing habits," says Lynn Franco, Director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center.

"Being able to watch broadcasts on their own time and at their convenience are clearly reasons why we are seeing a greater number turning to the Internet. And, it is the reason why we would expect to see this trend continue."

The most popular types of programming viewed online are news, drama, comedy, reality shows and sports, with user generated content trailing close behind. Among people connecting to online programming, 43 percent view the news, 39 percent watch dramas, 34 percent watch comedies, 23 percent watch reality shows, 16 percent view sports, and 15 percent view user generated content.

Other categories attracting viewers include previews, additional content from popular shows, soap operas and advertisements.

Almost nine out of ten online TV viewers watch online broadcasts at home. About 15 percent watch at work, and 6 percent watch TV online from other locations, including the library or a friend’s home.

"The shift from appointment TV to content on demand is well underway," says Michael Saxon, Senior Vice President, Brand and Communications, TNS.

"Fundamentally, consumers expect content to be available when they want it, and on the screen of their choice – TV, PC, or mobile. For consumers, PCs enhance content on demand from simply time-shifting to place-shifting. Online content can be viewed in any room in the house, or at work or school."
 
The most common ways to watch broadcasts online are streaming video, used by 68 percent of online TV viewers, and free download, used by 38 percent of viewers.

The most popular online destination for broadcasts are the official TV channel homepage, visited by 65 percent of viewers, and YouTube visited by 41 percent of viewers. Other sites used for access include iTunes, Hulu, file sharing sites, social networking sites and Limewire.

The report is based on a quarterly survey of 10,000 households.
 

TNS will initially pay $75 million in cash for Compete and depending on revenue performance over the next two years it could pay an additional $75 million.

Compete launched in 2000 and gets its data from its own panel and Internet service providers. The company will continue to operate as a stand-alone company but will merge its clickstream data with TNS.

"Marrying online and offline consumer data with media spending and exposure is the holy grail of marketing," the Compete blog stated.

" All of our marketer, agency and media partners will benefit from access to new consumer, brand and media research that will revolutionize how they plan and measure their performance. It’s a big, exciting vision that neither company could do on its own."

Compete lost $4.5 million in 2007 "as it invested in building its panel and industry expertise." Compete’s revenue for 2007 was $14.9 million, 50 percent higher than the year before. Gross assets were $11.2 million.

"In the longer term, we will look at the opportunities to add further value by using our Worldpanel, Retail & Shopper and audience measurement capabilities to integrate data on purchasing and viewing behavior with internet search and shopping behavior," said David Lowden, Chief Executive of TNS.

"We believe this will allow TNS to develop new syndicated and custom products, unique in our industry."