Microsoft has issued a record eight critical patches for it’s Windows operating system this week – so get patching!

MPs are to be thrown out of the Commons if they use Blackberries in the chamber…

…no problem for Prime Minister Tony Blair then, who happily confessed his technophobia to MPs in Prime Minister’s questions this week.

Inventor of the world wide web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee has been named Greatest Briton 2004.

British consumers are the most active online shoppers in Europe according to the EIAA.

AOL has revamped its search engine in partnership with Fast Search & Transfer.

eBay reported disappointing results…

…whilst Yahoo! saw its profits double, boosted by online advertising.

December was a record month for interactive TV advertising.

Google launched a beta version of its video search in the US, which allows you to search across a number of TV programmes.

The BBC re-launched its online radio player.

iTunes announced it has sold more than 250 million songs since launch.

Spam will account for nearly 95% of all e-mail by mid-2006 according to Spamhaus.

There are now more than 1.2 million digital radios in the UK.

Apple has announced a two-for-one stock split to take place on 18 February after the close of NASDAQ.

Planet-Tolkien.com, the unofficial Lord of the Rings web site is up for sale on eBay.

Top UK brand searches

1. eBay
2. Yahoo
3. Hotmail
4. Argos
5. Ask Jeeves

Microsoft joins the search engine big league

Microsoft has finally switched from using Yahoo! powered results to its own proprietary search engine, which officially launched last week. Although Yahoo! no longer supplies the main search results, it does still provide the sponsored links and paid for listings via Yahoo-owned Overture.

Search pundits have welcomed the new search engine to the market, but have noted that, although offering more search choice, it offers little more than its competitors such as Google and Ask Jeeves.

The new search engine does however incorporate over 1.5 million entries form the Microsoft owned encyclopaedia Encarta. The toolbar also offers direct access to the online version of the encyclopaedia.

Microsoft also offers a 'desktop search link' - if you are using Internet Explorer - that enables you to switch between searching the web or searching your own computer.

Now it is launched, Microsoft is also promising several enhancements to follow. These include a blog search feature, vertical searches and the MSN sponsored link programme, which is the Microsoft equivalent of Adwords.

http://search.msn.com/

MPs risk misrepresentation charges on the web

MPs risk breaking electoral rules if they don't get their web sites in order in time for the general election, expected 5 May.

The Electoral Commission's guidelines state that once parliament is dissolved for the election, MPs lose the right to call themselves MPs. This rule applies online just as it does offline and covers letters, printed materials - and web sites.

To comply, any references to "MP" must be removed. Anyone still using the letters MP is effectively misrepresenting themselves. Unfortunately, there are now well over 100 MPs with personal web sites that include the suffix "MP", the most obvious example being www.michaelhowardmp.com

During the last general election in 2001, the commission forced such high profile members as Anne Widdecombe and Gavin Strang to remove their web sites. Others added disclaimers or swiftly edited content to remove any offending occurrences of "MP".

Obviously this sort of action is easier if it is altering content, but rather harder if it is your registered domain as in Michael Howard's case. Unless MPs switch off their web sites as soon as parliament is dissolved, one can expect to hear claims of electoral rule breaking being made throughout hustings.

Cyber love conquers all!

Finally, as Valentines day is almost upon us, here's a heart warming tale of the flames of true love being rekindled thanks to the Internet - or maybe not.

A Jordanian couple met and fell in love on an Internet chat room. After an intense cyber-affair over three months, the couple decided to get married. Both had been using false names and when they met for the first time found out that they were both married - to each other!

Unfortunately, they had been separated for several months and had met in the chat room by pure chance - perhaps it just goes to show that love conquers all?

Only on the web:

From the Herbie Hancock robot to the electric boogaloo, for a free virtual dance class try out Poplockin'!
http://www.poplockin.com

Blatant plug:

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About:

Esquared is a regular digest of news, opinion and developments within interactive communications which we find interesting and hope you will too. If you want more information about anything that we mention, or have any comments, please call us on 01992 500990 or e-mail esquared@experience-engine.co.uk.