Europeans eager for love online
Fewer people are signing up to costly dating Web sites in the US, but Europeans are still searching for love online, research shows. The BBC reports that thousands of people will spend this Valentine`s Day with a date or partner they first met online.
But while Europe`s online dating market grew by 43% in 2005, the numbers of US subscribers fell for the first time. Some 5% of users in the US used paid dating Web sites in 2005, down 1% from 2004, according to Jupiter Research.
US Internet users blamed the high cost of subscriptions to online dating sites for a falling membership rate in 2005.
RSA turns everyday gadgets into security tokens
RSA Security is expected to announce a new user authentication method designed to replace traditional security tokens with cellphones, PDAs and other devices loaded with RSA`s SecurID algorithm.
CNet reports that the new approach is designed to address concerns about the ease of use and implementation costs of current authentication methods.
When logging on to a network, employees can type in their user name and connect a device such as a PDA directly to the PC, allowing it to read off the device to authenticate the user. If a direct connection isn`t possible, users may also have their device generate a token number that can be entered into the computer as a second form of identification.
Apple applies for virtual clickwheel patent
Claims that Apple is preparing an iPod-branded video player were strengthened late last week when it emerged the company has filed a patent application for a device that uses virtual clickwheel technology, reports The Register.
Drawings of the device show that it is similar to a tablet computer Apple patented last year and operates virtual GUI control elements depending on where the user touches the screen.
It was shown to be running a range of applications, among them iTunes, iPhoto and a word processor, each with virtual controllers representing physical equivalents, including a keyboard and clickwheel.