Christians Approve Of Internet Dating

Many Christians believe that it is acceptable to meet and date people online, according to a recent survey.

God can bring people together using internet dating sites was the general consensus from the survey, which was carried out by the popular Christian portal ChristiaNet.com. Of the 314 people surveyed, 157 answered a positive yes to the question of whether Christians should date on the internet. And 98 readers were unsure about meeting someone on the Internet. Bill Cooper, president of ChristiaNet, said: "Christian singles should choose a Christian site for meeting other believers."

An unnamed contributor to the site said that she and her husband met online and have been happily married for seven years. However, another contributor wrote: "No, absolutely not!" "There is no safe way to really know who you are hooking up with on the internet."

ChristiaNet is currently one of the largest international Christian web portals on the net. For information on other digital products and services visit www.dsldance.com

Public warned of fake government emails

Internet users have been warned of thousands of fake emails purporting to be from various government agencies being disseminated around the internet.

The emails pretend to be from agencies such as the Justice Department, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Those that receive the emails are asked to divulge personal details such as social security numbers and bank account information.

Lois Greisman, associate director of the FTC's division of marketing practices, said: "We are the agency that brought you the Do Not Call Registry and CAN-SPAM. "We're not likely to send out unsolicited emails." CAN-SPAM is a law from 2003 that restricts the sending of commercial spam emails. According to a report from the Anti-Phishing Working Group, the number of phishing websites rose to 37,438 in May of this year, compared to 11,976 during the same month in 2006.

Last month, the Treasury said that it has received thousands of complaints about spam emails claiming to be from the IRS. For more information on digital products and services visit www.dsldance.com

Verizon Introduces FiOS Media Guide

Verizon has announced that it is to offer an interactive media guide for its FiOS customers.

The guide will let users of the service swiftly and efficiently find the content that they wish to peruse. FiOS is Verizon's fiber to the home telecommunications and broadband service. Verizon is the first carrier in the US to offer such a service.

Shawn Strickland, Verizon vice president of video solutions, said: "We've capitalized on our investment in an ultra-fast, highly responsive fiber-optic network to deliver a customer experience that marries the best interactivity of the web with the highest-quality programming experience in the marketplace." The guide merges the television, Internet and other media and makes it simpler for users to customize and enjoy media, added Mr. Strickland.

FiOS customers will not be charged for the new guide, which can be obtained through a network download. The word fios is an ancient Irish term for knowledge, claims Verizon.

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iPhone Hacked

Apple's much-touted new iPhone has been hacked into by a team of security experts in Maryland.

Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) has claimed that it has found a flaw in the iPhone which could let hackers access private data kept on the phone. A cyber criminal could gain entry to the phone either through a wireless access point or a website, according to ISE. Since its release earlier this month hackers all over the world have been trying to find a weakness in iPhone, however this is the first successful attempt.

ISE explained that the iPhone connects to wireless internet networks by name, so an attacker could conceivably make up a network with the same name as one already used by the phone. Then instead of accessing a web page, the phone would access exploit code, allowing a hacker to control the phone. A spokesperson from Apple told the New York Times: "Apple takes security very seriously and has a great track record of addressing potential vulnerabilities before they can affect users."

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Swedish granny sets fastest Internet record

A 75-year-old Swedish woman has become the owner of the fastest residential broadband connection in the world.

Sigbritt Lothberg's 40 gigabits-per-second connection was set up for her by her son, Peter, a networking expert who works for Cisco Systems. Mr. Lothberg said: "We wanted to show that that there are no limitations to internet speed. "She's a brand new internet user. She didn't even have a computer before."

A new modulation technique was used in setting up the connection, involving the sending of information between two routers spaced 1,240 miles apart, with no transponders in between. Using her high-speed internet connection, Ms Lothberg could download an entire movie in less than two seconds. This is thousands of times faster than a regular residential connection.

Ms Lothberg lives in Karlstad in central Sweden and mainly uses her connection to read online newspapers. The average residential internet connection speed is eight Mbps.

For more information on high-speed Internet connections visit www.dsldance.com

ATT concentrates on products for disabled customers

Communications giant ATT is focusing on developing new products for its disabled customers, the company has claimed.

Those with impaired vision or blindness are being targeted by two new products called Mobile Speak and Mobile Magnifier. To develop the products, ATT worked with Code Factory, a developer of software solutions for the blind. Currently ATT is getting advice from experts within the disabled community on designing further services to aid the visually impaired.

Paul Schroeder, vice president of programs and policy for the American Foundation for the Blind, said: "The partnership of companies such as Code Factory and ATT bodes well for those in the disabled community, demonstrating that they have not forgotten the visually impaired demographic." Such companies are looking for fresh and "unorthodox" ways of extending their services to the disabled community, Mr. Schroeder added.

Meanwhile, ATT has added its support to the Federal Communication Commission's proposals for the auction of the 700 MHz spectrum auction, which would expand choice for those who use wireless.

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Internet Key Issue In Hollywood Contract Talks

The impact of the Internet is expected to be a major factor in current talks between Hollywood screen writers and studio executives.

How much screenwriters should get paid when their work is broadcast over the Internet is potentially an issue that could result in strikes. Executives have argued that screenwriters should wait up to three years to see whether trends in Internet viewing either change or look to be set.

The business model of broadcasting content over the Internet, iPods and cell phones is still unproven, they argue. David Young, the chief negotiator for the Screenwriters Guild, recently told an audience of screenwriters at the Beverly Wilshire hotel: "Their pie has been growing and growing, while our share has been slowly shrinking. We cannot let that continue. "Clearly, this is a seminal and critical negotiation for us."

The last time that screenwriters went on strike was in 1988. The strike lasted 22 days and cost the industry an estimated $500 million. For information on digital products and services visit www.dsldance.com

Google plans search service

Internet search giant Google is to debut a new mobile search service that will let users search for ringtones, games and other content online, reports the Wall Street Journal.

The move is part of a wider effort by the company to invest more heavily in the wireless sector and challenge companies such as Verizon Wireless and AT&T. Though Google already has a mobile version of its popular web search, the company now plans to become a mobile access point for all internet content.

Seattle-based Medio, which currently runs a similar service for T-Mobile and Verizon, is another company that could be threatened by the new service. Google also unveiled at the beginning of this week a new service that will allow small and medium-sized companies to offer customers a search function on their websites. Dubbed Google Custom Search Business Edition, the product will cost $100 per year and will not require the businesses to display Google advertisements.

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Phillies star to be Verizon ambassador

Phillies star to be Verizon ambassador
Versatile and popular Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard is to become Verizon's so-called "home-run ambassador" the communications giant has announced.

Ryan, who is the reigning National League MVP, is to feature in promotional ads and will make personal appearances throughout the local area. The move is the latest by the company in a wider effort to improve its visibility and profile.

Phillip H Brown, the Verizon vice president of sales and local marketing for Pennsylvania and Delaware, said: "Ryan Howard is the perfect fit for Verizon. "Just as Ryan brings the power of his bat to the ball park every game, Verizon brings the power of its unequaled network to its customers every day."

After making his debut in 2005, Howard, 27, won the National League Rookie of the Year and in 2006 led all major league players in home runs, RBIs and times on base. He was also the fastest player to reach 100 home runs in major league history.

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Hummer.com Proves Most Useful To Online Shoppers

A new survey conducted by J D Power and Associates has revealed that Hummer.com was considered to be the most useful web site for online consumers shopping for new vehicles.

The 2007 Manufacturer Web Site Evaluation Study was based on a number of criteria, including appearance, speed, navigation and information or content. The firm found that Hummer.com received an 870 point score out of a possible 1,000, beating the likes of Toyota, Jeep, Suzuki, Land Rover and Lexus. Steve Witten, executive director of marketing and media research at J D Power and Associates, said that the manufacturer had achieved the top spot for the third time.

"A continuing focus on clear, simple navigation and crisp images and videos that demonstrate both the appearance of Hummer's models, as well as the features included in them, allow Hummer to regain the highest ranking for usefulness among automotive manufacturer web sites," he remarked. Shopping online is one of a number of popular activities enjoyed by American internet users, with a recent survey by Edison Media Research noting that 33 per cent of consumers over the age of 12 consider the net to be an essential item.http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

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Online Gamers Increase By 17%

The number of internet users who enjoy online gaming increased significantly over the course of the last year, a new report has revealed.

Research by comScore found that the number of unique visitors to gaming sites reached 217 million globally, representing an annual increase of 17 percent. Bob Ivans, managing director of comScore Europe, said that one in four internet users now visit gaming sites, demonstrating the popularity of the sector.

"The fact that these websites are pulling in over a quarter of the total worldwide internet population shows what a global phenomenon gaming has become," Mr Ivans stated. Advertisers may find that the online gaming industry is particularly attractive, as the firm's research showed that the average gamer visits a site nine times each month, he added. Last month, Ronald M Davis, present of the American Medical Association, said that although more studies needed to be carried out into video games, parents should "closely monitor" their children's use of games and the internet.

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Google acquires online security firm

Google has announced that it has acquired Postini, a provider of security and compliance solutions for business and other users around the world.

The deal is said to be worth $625 million and will see Postini, which provides services to over 35,000 businesses, become a subsidiary of Google. The company's message security and encryption services can be used to help protect a company's email and other web-based communication systems.

Commenting on the agreement, Eric Schmidt, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Google, said: "With this transaction, we're reinforcing our commitment to delivering compelling hosted applications to businesses of all sizes." Using Postini's expertise, Google's hosting applications can help to "streamline" information security mandates for its client organizations, he added. Postini claims that its security technology helps to block more than one billion spam emails and processes two billion connections every day.

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New "Thank You" Web Site Launched

New "thank you" web site launched

As social networking sites become increasingly popular, internet users will soon be able to post messages of gratitude and share their experiences on a new web site. Unveiled this week, Thanks-o-meter.com provides a total of the number of "thank you" messages posted by visitors, as well as offering statistics showing which categories are the most selected.

George Garner, creator of the site, said: "I'd like it to become a catalyst for bringing attention to the positive things happening in our communities." Visitors are also able to write their own stories and attach private messages to their postings.

The growth in popularity of social networking sites was recently illustrated by figures publishhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifed by comScore which showed that in May the number of people in the US using Facebook.com reached 26.6 million. According to the company, this figure represented an 89 per cent increase on the number of unique visitors recorded during the corresponding month last year.

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PCs to become 'second screens' in US homes

Video content transmitted via PCs is becoming increasingly prevalent in American homes, according to a new survey.

In a yearly study about trends in usage of the internet and technology, called The Face of the Web, it emerged that online video activities are driving growth in the digital media sector.

The Ipsos Insight research found that at the end of 2006, 36 percent of Americans have watched video streams or TV programs online. This is an increase of eight percent from the year before. In addition, three-quarters of adults have used the internet to watch videos in the 30 days before the poll.

Video content is a "predominant" part of the daily lives of Americans, according to the executive vice president and managing director of Ipsos Insight's technology and communications practice, Brian Cruikshank. "Increasing penetration of broadband access and PC ownership globally signals that the PC will begin to really assert itself as a 'second screen' within the household," he added.

Research by consultancy Point Topic revealed last month that the US has the highest level of broadband penetration in the world, with more than 60 million subscribers.

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Online Music Service Sales Increase

The music industry suffered a significant loss in physical music sales in 2006, but the digital music market continued to grow, a new report has revealed.

According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), physical music shipments, such as CDs, fell by 11 percent to $17.5 billion last year, while digital shipments increased by 85 percent to $2.1 billion. Commenting on the figures, IFPI chairman John Kennedy said that the industry had hoped the loss in physical sales would have been offset by the growth in music downloads. "But while digital sales have grown as expected, physical sales have fallen by more than expected," he remarked.

The IFPI stated that digital music formats, which include those downloaded onto computers and cell phones, accounted for 11 per cent of total shipments last year. In related news, reports earlier this week suggested that Universal did not intend to renew its contract with Apple's iTunes for the online distribution of its music.

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Yahoo! launches new online marketing tool

Yahoo! has announced the launch of a new customized advertising product that tailors promotions to the web users' characteristics.

SmartAds enables marketers to target Internet users by taking their age, gender, location and online use into account, CNET News reports.

Yahoo! spokesperson Guade Paez described the new service, which also boasts an advertisement creation tool, as "behavioral targeting".

"This makes display advertising more of a direct response vehicle than just branding," she commented.

According to the news provider, the new advertisements are expected to first appear on Yahoo!'s publisher sites before being rolled out across its other partner web sites.

Last month, Yahoo! combined its US-based search and display advertising sales teams as part of its continuing effort to meet the requirements of its marketing customers.

Sue Decker, president of the firm, said that by joining the two services, Yahoo! could "better serve" its advertisers and build upon its position in the market.

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