Deal of the week

Although they deserve no praise for going along with the music industry's attempts to monitor internet activity, fair play to Eircom for coming up with a solution to the file-sharing issue. The launch of the Eircom Music Hub which allows Eircom broadband customers to stream music for free – a subscription service is available for non-customers – is an innovative approach and should have been something that the music industry itself developed.

Tip of the week

With Smartphones set to be a top seller this Christmas, it is important to bear in mind that they present significant security issues. IT security provider Threatscape recently warned users that they need to self-censor when using their iPhone – logging out of email or social networking sites, deleting any private information and if using WiFi do so only when it is encryption enabled. Above all, learn how to wipe your information remotely, if your phone is lost or stolen.

Bad value of the week

The decision of major retailers to open on St Stephen's Day only serves to demonstrate the ludicrousness of Christmas spending. Every day during the festive season, people battle through crowds to buy presents which, in all likelihood, will be available for 30% to 50% less the day after Christmas.

Budget 2011: Pensions

» Lump sums restricted to €200,000 from 1 January; from €200k to €575k standard rate (20%) applies, above that amount marginal rate applies.

» PRSI relief for employers has been halved from 10.75% to 5.4%.

» Contributions no longer receive relief from PRSI/universal health charge.