Spam
slam? Not quite, it may actually be up
If
you’ve been trying to figure out if the new federal anti-spam law is
having an effect, Brightmail has taken the guess-work
out of it. The spam filtering company says that during the week since the
law went into action there was no change from December. In fact, America
Online Inc. said spam increased by 10 percent from overseas, which may be
from spammers trying to elude the U.S. law. Analysts warn that by creating
official guidelines stating what’s acceptable, the federal law has made
unsolicited mail legal, even though it remains unwanted. Filtering tools
have not worked well, either, because many spammers have adjusted quickly
with countermeasures.
XM
traffic updates spark radio debate
XM Satellite Radio wants to give you a local traffic
report, but non-satellite radio stations aren’t wild about the idea.
Last week XM promised a new instant traffic and weather service, providing
information about 21 metropolitan markets and several interstate
corridors, would be launched March 1. XM said the service would offer
subscribers more detailed and current information concerning road and
weather conditions than available anywhere else on the radio. But Edward
Fritts, chief executive officer and president of the National Association
of Broadcasters, questioned the service’s legality. Fritts said in a
statement that it represents a back-door attempt to evade Federal
Communication Commission regulations, which confine satellite radio to a
national service. XM charges $9.99 a month, including traffic and weather
channels.
Nearly
half of moneyed households have high-speed
High-speed internet connections are now a staple in
high-end homes housing active online shoppers. A new study from Knowledge
Networks/SRI’s The Home Technology Monitor™ finds that broadband
households are 50 percent more likely to be active online shoppers. The
survey, which is based on 1,526 interviews conducted in August and
September 2003, shows that broadband access in connected homes earning
$75,000 or more per year has grown 25 percent since the spring, from 40 to
45 percent. Faster internet connections have been seen more in all online
households, rising from 26 percent to 34 percent. Of those broadband
households, 64 percent report doing some internet shopping in the past 60
days.
Study:
Brit workers avoid Big Brother with IM
British
workers have found a way to get around corporate oversight. A new survey
conducted by enterprise security firm SurfControl shows that workers in
the U.K. are using unregulated consumer versions of instant messaging
communication technology. SurfControl found that 42 percent of
non-managerial employees said they would rather use IM than e-mail because
of its speed. Sounds good, but the reason IT administrators should be
alarmed is that 31 percent said they used consumer-grade IM because it
allows them to engage in activities they would normally avoid over
corporate e-mail – use your imagination to figure out what those are.
SurfControl says it has seen more IM users in the workplace due to
restricted use of e-mail.
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