November 2002 Archived Article Abstracts

"MINUSCULE mobile telephones, tiny electronic organizers and portable DVD players are nice. But they'd be so much less cumbersome if they were surgically implanted under your skin."

"If silicon, not silicone, becomes the favored implant of the future, we could bridge the final divide that keeps us from being truly wired. Think of the applications: e-mail transmitters lodged under your skin; remote controls that let you change the channel with a thumb click; global positioning systems that tell you, your spouse and your government where you are at every moment."

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Intel Corp. (INTC.O) will this week start selling its fastest-yet Pentium 4 that also tricks software into thinking that there are two chips in a PC -- speeding up programs and boosting overall computer performance, the company and analysts said on Monday.

"The new 3-gigahertz Pentium 4 will feature what Intel calls Hyper-Threading technology, which makes one processor appear as if it were two processors to operating-system software and applications, analysts said, boosting performance as much as 25 percent on certain software programs."

In the current world of search engines, less is more--and AltaVista is angling for both.

The struggling company is trying to recapture its former glory as a search engine heavyweight with a newly redesigned Web site, featuring a sleek, spare look that takes a cue from current search champ Google. The new site is scheduled to launch Tuesday. -[ZDNet]-

"October saw an increase in the amount of unsolicited email being sent worldwide, as measured by anti-spam firm Brightmail."

"Brightmail intercepted more than 5.35 million spam emails during October, up from 5.28 million during September." -[silicon.com]-

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit www.ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

The links below will take you to the respective FTC page (article/notice).

The Federal Trade Commission today received a petition - jointly submitted by three consumer groups - to adopt rules governing the distribution of unsolicited commercial email, commonly known as spam. The proposal, which specifically addresses unfair and deceptive trade practices under the Federal Trade Commission Act, was submitted by The Telecommunications and Research Action Center, the National Consumers League, and Consumer Action.

Report the problem to the FTC. Send the actual spam item to uce@ftc.gov. Be sure to include the full email header so that your complaint can be followed up. If your complaint has to do with "remove me" or "unsubscribe" offers not working, complete and submit the FTC's complaint form at www.ftc.gov. Consumers can forward unwanted spam to the FTC at uce@ftc.gov.

Chain letters that involve money or valuable items and promise big returns are illegal. If you start one or send one on, you are breaking the law. Chances are you will receive little or no money back on your "investment." Despite the claims, a chain letter will never make you rich.

Scammers Claim The FTC Will Confirm Legality of Illegal Scheme. They arrive unexpectedly by e-mail: chances to earn easy money in a short period of time by following a simple program. They're intriguing. They're inviting. They're illegal. Now, the Federal Trade Commission is launching a three-point program to crack down on deceptive spam.

"This chain letter deceptively claims the program is legal and urges recruits who question its legitimacy to contact the FTC's Associate Director for Marketing Practices. Well, I am the Associate Director for Marketing Practices," said Eileen Harrington, "and these chain letters are illegal."

Many major search engines get their results by turning to third-party "search providers" to "power" their listings. To make matters more confusing, these search providers may run their own search engine sites, as well.

This chart explains who the major providers are. Knowing who powers whom is helpful for those who are wondering which companies are "winning" in the competitive market of powering search.

Nielsen//NetRatings is one of the leading internet audience information and analysis services. NetRatings provides worldwide web site ratings based on a sample of over 225,000 individuals in 26 countries. These web surfers have real-time meters on their computers which monitor the sites they visit. This metered information is compiled to produce NetRatings results.