Mobile Internet makes its way into cars

Just as radios evolved from hulking home consoles into expected accessories in virtually all cars, so may Wi-Fi Internet access break free to become a commonplace automotive feature. That’s the hope of Autonet Mobile, a company that supplies in-car Wi-Fi routers that let passengers use laptops and other mobile devices in their vehicles.

By 2016, consumers will consider such Internet connectivity as important as traditional features such as safety and fuel economy, said Thilo Koslowski, vice president of the Automotive Manufacturing Industry Advisory Service at market researcher Gartner, Inc.

Autonet Mobile sells its $499 routers through Chrysler and Cadillac dealers as manufacturer-endorsed, dealer-installed options for those cars, branded as Uconnect Web and Cadillac Wi-Fi, respectively. Its routers can also be added to any car after a vehicle is purchased.

RSS Basics for Beginners On Internet Marketing

With the increase in popularity, RSS feeds are now becoming a rather popular sighting on many of your favorite websites. You may or may not be familiar with what it is, what it does, and if it has anything to offer you. Thus, here is a basic run down on the RSS feed and what it might offer you if you are interested.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication which basically means that the information passed through the feed may or may not be directly accessed from the originating website. Joe's website might send a feed they acquired from Fred's site, and vice verse.

As Web communication shrinks, so do links

On the short-messaging service Twitter, space is at a premium: You've got 140 characters to make your point, and you probably don't want to waste half of it on a super-sized link to your latest YouTube obsession.

There's an increasingly popular quick fix: a free URL shortener. On one of these Web sites, you can plug in a long Internet address, known as a URL, and it will assign you a much shorter one that is easier to post in e-mails, on Twitter, Facebook or anywhere else. Some link-shrinkers let you personalize the new address with a unique phrase such as your name, or show you how many people click the link after you've posted it.