RealNetworks to Combine Audio, Video Platforms (BrowserWatch, September 24th)
In what could be construed as a further assault upon Microsoft's online platform dominance, or just a handy development to a product usually considered a mere plugin, RealNetworks today unveiled the RealOne Platform. RealOne is a stand-alone platform that combines the company's RealPlayer and RealJukebox.

Visa Pushes U-Commerce (E-Commerce Guide, September 19th)
Following on from pioneering moves by Verisign and Mastercard, credit card giant Visa has debuted a technology that it rfers to as Mobile 3-D Secure aimed at ensuring the integrity of transactions made through mobile devices.

Japanese Team Makes Optical Data Breakthrough (IDG.net, September 18th)
A formidable research force consisting of the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and the R&D departments of electronics powerhouses Sharp Corp and TDK Corp claim to have refined optical storage technology by reducing the size of the dots that red lasers are able to read and comprehend on the surface of a disk so as to increase a disk's potential storage capacity to 25 times that of 4.7GB DVDs.

Crucial E-Mail (eMarketer, September 18th)
Jonathan Jackson here reflects on the power of email as a substitute for more established avenues of communication in times of crisis, while also noting the sensitivity with which many marketers treated the medium during the daya following the attacks upon New York and Washington.

Post-Hype, M-Commerce Re-Assesses, Regroups, Refocuses (M-Commerce Times, September 17th)
Just as sky-high predictions for e-commerce growth failed to materialize in many cases, or delivered the bulk of the markets rewards to just the few leading players in others, this article attempts to push the hype surrounding mobile commerce aside in order to reveal the market's opportunities and real strengths.

Reading Your Mouse Movements (BBC News, September 10th)
A study presently being carried out at good-ol' MIT has found that a net user's behaviour, tech familiarity, likes, dislikes and, to some degree, his thoughts may be gauged according to how that user moves his mouse. It is proposed that amongst the practical applications of the study, which is continuing as we speak, are web pages that change according to the predicted desires of the user, or a development and refinement of increasinly responsive and personalized web interfaces.

Unwired and Online Around the World (eMarketer, September 10th)
eMarketer has presented stats regarding Japan's incredible lead in the wireless internet space, with some 72% of the tech-savvy country's cellphone-equipped public using the devices to access the internet.

Study: iTV Battles Almost Complete Lack of Interest (allNetDevices, September 5th)
Beyond any technological and regulatory limitations upon the expansion of the medium, it seems that one of the biggest hindrances to a successful widespread adoption of interactive television is a lack of consumer interest.

Motorola Claims Semiconductor Breakthrough (InfoWorld.com, September 4th)
Motorola announced Tuesday that it has honed an innovative new class of high-performance chips. The technology has seen standard silicon semiconductor technology combine with compound semiconductors known as III-V materials for the first time in order to facilitate developments that will see chips become smaller, faster and cheaper than the present silicon-centric designs.