Dotcom 2.0

INTERNET USE HAS GROWN MORE IN 2005 than at its peak during the dotcom boom, according to analysis by Netcraft. In 2005, there were more than 17 million new websites compared to 16 million during the dotcom boom in 2000.

Netcraft suggests that the surge of Internet use this year stems largely from the number of small businesses using the web today.

Read BBC: Web enjoys year of biggest growth

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An Apple a Day…

  • Sales of iPods were up 220 percent in the fourth quarter, compared with the same period a year earlier.
  • During the fourth quarter Apple also sold 1.2 million of its Macintosh computers, a year-on-year rise of 48 percent.
  • “We’re thrilled to have concluded the best year in Apple’s history,” Steve Jobs, Apple CEO

But why aren’t shareholders jumping up for joy?

Read: iPod helps Apple quadruple profit

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Microsoft and Yahoo Messaging Merge

MICROSOFT AND YAHOO will announce today their decision to bridge their Instant Messaging (IM) services, allowing MSN Messengers to interface with Yahoo Messengers and vice versa. This should put some pressure on AOL, who is currently the market leader in the IM arena. While both Microsoft and Yahoo offer both voice and text messaging on their platforms, only text will be allowed over this newly constructed bridge.

Read: Messaging Agreement Expected by 2 Rivals

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H5N1 Alert

THERE HASN’T BEEN THIS MUCH HYPE about impending doom since Y2K. The Avian Bird Flu has biologists putting in extra hours, politicians allocating funds and the general public in an anxious state. The fact is; according to various credible sources, a pandemic is very possible, if not likely. Some estimate that up to 100 million people could die if H5N1 adapts to allow person-to-person exposure. There’s Ireland gone 25 times over! President Bush is pushing to have a sufficient supply of vaccine. At present, there is only enough for less than two percent of the US population. Most European countries have enough for 20 to 40% of their population. Of course, people all over the world have already begun to stockpile water and prescription medications in the event of an outbreak. Over-reactive? Alarmist? Reasonable?

Read CNN.com: Bird flu pandemic risk “very vigh”

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Natural Disasters of Biblical Proportions

WITH RELIEF SPOKESMEN now predicting that the death toll from South Asia’s earthquake will reach up to 80,000; it might be time for us to take our environment a bit more seriously. Latest reports from Pakistan suggest 42,000 casualies thusfar from the quake. One day can change the world.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy.

For coverage of the earthquake, read CNN: Quake Death Toll Rises to 42,000

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