Search Engines From Mars, Web Directories from Venus (SearchEngineWatch, May 29th)
The internet infrastructure research project supported by NASA and DARPA, and with IP-developer and internet pioneer Vint Cerf amongst its ranks has just released an 'architectural definition' of the Interplanetary Internet (IPN). This is the first major document released in regards to the project, which hopes to have a robust communications protocol in place to improve data transfer between the earth and various other heavenly bodies.

Meet the Future: The 'X Internet' (NewsFactor, May 25th)
Forrester Research, in a report that highlights the weaknesses inherent in the present usage of the internet, has suggested that broadband access and advances in XML and other standards capable of being used to create executable files will see the emergence of a richer, and increasingly interactive multimedia experience shortly.

TDI Signs New Clients to Streetbeam Ads (internet.com, May 24th)
Outdoors advertising company TDI has announced that several major players have expressed interest in its alliance with Streetbeam, in which narrow strips are installed to the edges of TDI's billboards, bus shelters and pay phone displays, allowing Palm users to download custom coupons, calendars and other applications to their PDAs. These applications will relate to the advertising message presented on the spots.

New Iomega Drive 'Peerless' in Storage Capacity (USA Today, May 24th)
By name and by nature, Iomega's latest portable storage device really is without equal. Boasting capacity of 10-20GB, the Peerless portable harddrives are small enough to fit into a jacket pocket, and will eventually be equipped with the ability to operate across various digital media, such as in-car audio devices, PCs, digital TVs, etc, to bring supreme usability to portable storage.

Can Television Survive the Internet? (NewsFactor, May 23rd)
A Canadian firm claims to have perfected a technology that will allow it to restrict the disemmination of media signals over the internet to users of specific nations. The technology, initially designed as a targeting capability for advertisers, will undoubtedly change the way the internet is viewed, if successful.

IBM "pixie dust" Breaks Hard Drive Barrier (CNET News.com, May 21st)
Just as industry analysts were predicting a slowdown in the exponential growth rate of hard drive capacities, IMB has unveiled a new technoology, dubbed 'pixie dust' that promises to take PC hard drives close to the 400GB capacity mark by 2003.

Mobile Commerce: Projections Up in the Air (eMarketer, May 18th)
The near-future market for mobile commerce remains shaky if the results of the study performed by consultancy AT Kearney are anything to go by. Their latest survey noted that consumer interest in using mobiloe devices to carry out e-commerce purchases has declined steeply from the same time last year.

Broadband's Next Wave: Wireless? (BW Online, May 17th)
A new technology launched in Denmark, MMDS (multichannel multipoint distribution system), could turn the broadband market on its head by providing super-fast fixed wireless access over a wide, inexpensive network. The system will also serve voice over IP, making it an attractive technology for long distance and local telcos, who will be able to deliver a variety of services over the one network, without investing in the expensive infrastructure necessary to launch cable or DSL networks.

The End of the Web as We Know It (internet.com, May 17th)
The CEO of Forrester Research has outlined that his vision of the internet's future is a device driven "X Internet" whereby multiple devices, systems and disposable applications will link real-world responses and intuitive processes to create an always-on immersive experience that breaks througn the bounds that presently shape the print-centric web.

New Wireless Tech Marks an End to Checkout Lines (M-Commerce Times, May 16th)
A new "smart tag" wireless technology known as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is viewed as the likely successor to the ubiquitous bar code. The technology allows special readers to debit funds from an account you establish to allow consumers to pass through toll gates, petrol stations and all manner of retail outlets without making stops at the checkout. Simply passing by a reader will trigger the appropriate charges.

Growing Invisibility is Internet's Utility (WashTech.com, May 16th)
This article gives a great summary of the rushed development and marketing of the commercial internet, and the steps required prior to the next-generayion internet becoming truly immersive and universally accepted.

True Convergence: PS2 and the Web (Wired News, May 14th)
To a large degree, set-top boxes, iTV and related technologies have yet to stir up huge interest from consumers or developers. Another tool of convergence, though, namely the multi-functional PS2 entertainment console, has already proven attractive. Now, Japanese users of the console are able to use the device to surf the net using the revolutionary ErgoBrowser.

Will Voice Navigation Turbo-Charge Wireless (M-Commerce Times, May 10th)
Porting the visual web over to wireless devices equipped with tiny screens was always an ill-conceived notion. It's no wonder that wireless internet uptake has been slower than expected. Now, VoiceXML, a new wireless standard approved by the W3C promises to take better advantage of the properties of hand-held devices by supporting advanced voice recognition services.

XML Adoption Gaining Speed (internet.com, May 10th)
Due mainly to its appeal as a common B2B development platform, XML's popularity is on a steep incline throughout the world, with the US lagging behind somewhat.

Terawave Clears Bandwidth Bottleneck (internet.com, May 9th)
Attempting to overcome to tyranny of distance imposed by present DSL networks, Terawave has developed a passive optical networking (PON) systems that unites copper DSL with fibre to deliver high bandwidth access to a greater population.

E-Commerce Gets Easier When the Price is Right (internet.com, May 8th)
With the assistance of relatively affordable systems, e-commerce merchants may take advantage of live price-changing features that outperform any real-world alternative. These systems can shift prices on the fly, while computing and optimizing to find the most profitable balance between trading volume and price in order to maximise a merchant's returns in a competitive environment.

Sun Delivers 10 Terabyte NAS Appliance (NetworkStorageForum, May 8th)
In a huge leap forward for NAS (Network Attached Storage) hardware, Sun Microsystems has developed a filer that can scale up to a stellar 10TB of usable capacity.

WWW10: Pull or Push? How About Both? (InfoWorld.com, May 3rd)
Although Wired covers and MIT directors touted for years that push technologies were an indicator of the future direction taken by the Net, no protocol has yet lived up to the promise. One report presented at the WWW10 conference, however, suggests that an active combination of push and pull delivery mechanisms could dramatically increase the efficiency of data delivery one new protocols were approved as standard.

Satellite Internet Access Up in the Air (Forbes.com, May 3rd)
While satellite networks can bring broadback access to rural and regional areas where DSL and cable services are unavailable, the market is considered by many to be too small to bring decent returns in a competitive market.

Media Time: Who's Watching? (eMarketer, May 3rd)
This report outlining the media usage of US audiences notes that while usage of other media is expected to remain flat throughout the next three years, consumer's exposure to the internet will grow at an average annual rate of 21%. Another indicator saw that internet users feel more inforlved with the medium than users of television or radio.

Livewire: Fly the Wired Skies (Excite News, May 2nd)
Do you ever feel withdrawal symptoms from being disconnected while flying? How would you feel about being able to access the net from your seat as you jet around the world? Networking and device technology providers aim to give traveling executives exactly this ability, utilising satellite hookups to provide always-on net access.