Diamonds are no longer a girl's best friend, according to a new U.S. study that found three of four women would prefer a new plasma TV to a diamond necklace. The survey, commissioned by U.S. cable television's Oxygen Network that is operated by women, found the technology gender gap has virtually closed with the majority of women snapping up new technology and using it easily. Women were found on average to own 6.6 technology devices while men own 6.9, and four out of every five women felt comfortable using technology with 46 percent doing their own computer trouble-shooting. "People make the assumption that women are not as advanced as men when it comes to technology and I was surprised at the parity men and women now have in terms of technology," Geraldine Laybourne, chairman and chief executive of Oxygen Network said. The Girls Gone Wired survey of 1,400 women and 700 men aged 15 to 49, which was conducted by market researcher TRU, found that given the choice, women would opt for tech items rather than luxury items like jewelry or vacations. The study found 77 percent of women surveyed would prefer a new plasma television to a diamond solitaire necklace and 56 percent would opt for a new plasma TV over a weekend vacation in Florida. Even shoes lost out. The study found 86 percent would prefer a new digital video camera to a pair of designer shoes. The study found over the next five years women see themselves increasing their activities in six tech areas: digital cameras, cell phones, e-mail, camera phones, text messaging and instant messaging. Laybourne said this increasing use of technology among women was expected to continue. (Agencies)

美國一項最新調查表明，鉆石不再是女性的最愛了。四分之三的女性寧可要一臺新等離子電視機，而不要鉆石項鏈。 這項由女性經營管理的美國“氧氣”有線電視網委托所做的調查發現，隨著大多數女性購買新興科技產品并能自如地運用它們，女性和男性在科技產品運用方面的差距幾乎已經不存在了。 調查發現，女性平均每人擁有科技產品6.6件，而男性為每人6.9件。此外，五分之四的女性能自如地使用科技產品，46％的女性能夠自己處理電腦故障。 “氧氣”有線電視網主席、首席執行官杰拉爾丁·萊伯恩說：“人們總認為，在使用科技產品方面，女性不如男性‘先進’。而如今，女性和男性在這方面已經是'勢均力敵'了，我感到很驚訝。” 此項名為“女性連接科技”的調查由TRU市場調查公司開展，共有1400名女性和700名男性參與，調查對象的年齡在15歲至49歲之間。調查發現，如果要選擇的話，女性寧可選擇科技產品，而不是奢侈品，如珠寶或假期。 調查發現77％的受訪女性更想要一臺新等離子電視，而不是鉆石項鏈；56％的女性更青睞一臺新等離子電視，而不愿周末去佛羅里達度假。 就連鞋子也受到了冷落。調查結果顯示，與一雙新款女鞋相比，86％的女性更希望得到一臺新數碼攝像機。 調查顯示，在未來五年內，女性涉足越來越多的六大科技領域包括：數碼相機、手機、電子郵件、可視電話、短信和網上即時通訊。 萊伯恩說，女性越來越多使用科技產品的趨勢將持續下去。 (英語點津姍姍編輯)