Recent research conducted by Yahoo! and Ipsos reveals that while 12% of surveyed Yahoo users know what RSS is, only 4% of surveyed Internet users use it [PDF] and know they use it. Podcasting is also reviewed, with the conclusion that 2% of surveyed people use it. The increasing number of blogs should go with an increasing number of syndicated readers, as they are now an important part of the web
US Government backed policy changes have led ICANN to redelegate top level domains in such a way as to provide greater state-controlled censorship on the internet, reduce people’s ability to use the internet to communicate freely, and leave expansion of the internet in the hands of the people least capable of doing the job
Microsoft has big plans for the trusty old C:\ prompt. For its upcoming Windows Vista operating system, the company is developing a new command-line interface, or shell — the text-based controls typically accessed by clicking Command Prompt (under Start Menu, Programs, Accessories) in Windows XP
Maglite will soon be adding LED flashlights to their product line — via digg
Europe is planning to build their own satellite-navigation network that will be backward and forward compatible. There’s going to be five levels ranging from free (1m accuracy) to commercial (1cm accuracy). Provision is also being made for a search and rescue mode where a signal can be sent to confirm that help is on the way. The system will supposedly even work with existing US network after upgrades to the network
Deep in a remote, fog-layered hollow near Sugar Grove, West Virginia, hidden by fortress-like mountains, sits the United State’s largest eavesdropping bug. Located in a radio quiet
zone, the station’s large parabolic dishes secretly and silently sweep in millions of private telephone calls and e-mail messages an hour. Run by the ultra-secret National Security Agency, the listening post intercepts all international communications entering the eastern United States. Another NSA listening post, in Yakima, Washington, eavesdrops on the western half of the country. Both are part of ECHELON
The volume of information that the NSA has harvested from telecommunication data and voice networks, without court-approved warrants, is much larger than the White House has acknowledged
The US government has been collecting information on peaceful war protest groups reminiscent of the Vietnam-era investigations. Is anyone surprised? — via morons.org
The US Department of Transportation has been handing millions of dollars to state governments for GPS-tracking pilot projects designed to track vehicles wherever they go. So far, Washington state and Oregon have received fat federal checks to figure out how to levy these mileage-based road user fees
. The Office of Transportation Policy Studies, part of the Federal Highway Administration, is about to announce another round of grants totaling some $11 million — via digg
G-Gnome — creator of the previously mentioned Orac³ — is hard at work on another casemodding masterpiece. His Weapon of Mass Destruction is designed to look like the archetype doomsday device; all tough, machined, stainless steel complete with keylocks, illuminated warning lights … and a huge timing device that blinked away the hours, minutes and seconds with glowing red finality
Hard-drive specialist Seagate is to acquire storage company Maxtor in an all-stock transaction valued at around US$1.9 billion
The French Parliament voted into law an amendment to the DADVSI bill that allows free sharing of music and movies over the internet, considering the downloaded files as a private copy. This decision goes against the French government and the music industry’s recommendations, who argue the deputies only wanted to show their independence from the government. The initial bill’s detractors who pushed for this amendment want a tax for author rights to be paid by everyone on the ISP fees
Using a network of cameras that can record number plates, Britain plans to build a database of vehicle movement for police and security services: rollout begins in March
eBay’s plan to allow pets to be sold on its auction site has been howled down by thousands of users, forcing the company to quickly abandon the idea. People feared changing eBay policy to allow sales of creatures other than fish and snails would invite abusive animal breeders such as puppy farms
. eBay then proposed limiting online pet postings to animal shelters, but users argued that it would be too difficult to cull the illegal breeders from legitimate shelters
Google and Time Warner have announced that Google will invest US$1 billion for a 5% stake in the media company’s AOL unit as part of a partnership that expands their existing search engine deal to include collaboration on advertising, instant messaging and video
A while ago, Microsoft stopped updating IE for Mac, freezing it at version 5. But according to Microsoft, all support will cease 31 December 2005, and any official distribution with cease 31 January 2006. They also suggest that Macintosh users migrate to more recent web browsing technologies such as Apple’s Safari
Andreas Pavel invented the device known today as the Walkman. But it took more than 25 years of battling Sony and others in courts and patent offices around the world before he finally won the right to say it: Andreas Pavel invented the portable personal stereo player
After starting a small row in cyberspace by trying to come up with its own name for RSS feeds, Microsoft has let it be known that it now accepts that RSS is here to stay, and one division within the company has even accomplished that most unusual of feats: an accommodation with an open source group
Companies and law enforcement agencies are becoming increasing frustrated and concerned at the high amount of fraud at eBay. There are reports that it can take two months for eBay to pass details to fraud investigators, and that even for companies with a special relationship
with eBay it can take five days for fraudulent auctions to be shut down. With all the amount of profits that eBay makes, then there is ample scope for additional staff. Frankly, it is totally unsatisfactory
A sub-orbital mission to determine whether spider-like robots could construct complex structures in space is set to launch in January
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