Who's Got Game? Apparently, Women

Recent Nielsen Games data released by eMarketer shows reveals that women are catching up to men in both the PC and console gaming arenas.

According to the report, the largest percentage of any group were women ages 25 to 54, who comprise 29% of all PC game players. Women ages 55 and up were 17% of the market, who spent the second-highest number of minutes playing. They were also the third-largest group, behind men 25 to 54. And although many of the top 10 PC games played by women come prepackaged with their computers, online and downloadable games (such as World of Warcraft and PictureKa! Museum Mayhem) made up about half the list.

Women can also increasingly be found playing console games, including the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and Sony PlayStation 3. Women ages 25 and older tended to be more faithful to their consoles than men of the same age.

Earth Day Post: Top Green Sites for Women

In honor of Earth Day, below are some great green sites for women:

• Feelgood Style is a fashion and beauty blog focusing on sustainable and eco-friendly products. The site provides deals, tips, and information about upscale fashion and beauty products.
• Eco-Office Gals has green tips, news, product reviews and giveaways to promoting green living, both at home and in the workplace.
  
• Care2 offers green recipes, natural hair tips, and a conscious consumer section with giveaways for organic kids' clothes and animal-friendly handbags. They even have eco-horoscopes, dubbed "greenoscopes."
• Ecorazzi is the Perez Hilton of green gossip. Want to know which American Idol star is donating a portion of her new song's sales to the Humane Society? Or get the dish on Oprah's Earth Day show? Ecorazzi spills it all.
  
• Dirty Diaper Laundry calls itself a blog for "green, hip, forward thinking mamas." Started by a 24 year old new mom, the site offers information about green baby products, bargains, and giveaways.
• Crafting a Green World offers DIY projects that incorporate reused, recycled, and natural materials. The site features knitting, sewing, crocheting, and other project ideas for eco-friendly and fashionable clothes, crafts, and gifts.

And, while not specifically targeted towards women, these websites are great resources for green consumers of both sexes:

• The Daily Green
• CNN Money's The Business of Green
• Green News and Opinion on The Huffington Post
• The Ecologist
  

UK Women's Online Activities

EMarketer recently released a report in conjunction with IPC Media about the online activities of women in the UK. According to the report, 74% of UK female Internet users went online on a daily basis in 2008, up from 71% in 2007. Women logged on more during the week but spent more time online during the weekends, spending an average of 20 more minutes per session.

The most popular activity among the women surveyed was shopping. 97% of respondents researched products online, and 92% purchased items online. Social networking sites were also ranked as a highly popular activity. 66% of respondents have visited Facebook and 41% have visited MySpace. The table below highlights the 2008 worldwide growth of Facebook, and its negative impact on other social networks, including MySpace and Bebo, which previously boasted a strong UK presence.

Wedding Planning Gets Social On Facebook

Wedding planning has always been a group activity- mothers, sisters, and bridesmaids have traditionally chipped in with their advice and opinions. Nowadays, wedding planning is more social than ever, thanks to the slew of Facebook applications targeting brides-to-be.

Weddingbook, which was acquired by The Knot several months ago, provides a full suite of functions for women planning their wedding. Users can fill out a wedding profile with wedding details, a countdown, and registry info. Additionally, brides can add Facebook friends to their wedding party and guest list. Additionally, there are message boards where brides-to-be can connect with one another on a variety of topics, from rings and the ceremony to wedding woes. Weddingbook also offers a list of local vendors and a search box that sifts through TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com.

The Wedding Budget application offers an itemized breakdown based on your overall wedding budget and number of guests. The budget covers all items, including the reception, photo/video, fashion, music, flowers and decoration, rings, transport and hotel, ceremony, and stationary.

And, since one of the centerpieces of wedding planning is finding a dress, the Wedding Dress application shows popular and recently added wedding dress photos. Users can also upload their own dresses to the list, or share dresses they like with friends in order to get their opinion.