Year: 2001

President Bush yesterday renewed a ban on Internet taxes, ensuring that millions of U.S. Internet shoppers will not have to pay new taxes on their online purchases for at least another two years, according to c|net. The ban was first passed by legislators in 1998 to prevent taxation from slowing the growth of the e-tailing industry. The Bush White House expects online spending to account for 15 percent of sales during the holiday season.

Graphic Simulations Corporation is now shipping Red Faction, a unique first-person shooter developed by Volition that was first released on the PlayStation 2 this past spring. Players take the role of Parker, a miner employed on the distant planet of Mars who suddenly finds himself an integral part of an uprising against the Ultor Corporation.

Universal Music Group has announced that it plans to release “More Fast and Furious,” a follow-up soundtrack to the popular movie featuring street racing, in December as one of its first CDs in the U.S. to feature copy protection. While the intent of the technology is to prevent piracy, Universal admits that the CD will be unplayable on some CD players, including those on DVD players, game consoles such as the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, and Macintosh computers.

A CBS Marketwatch article recaps some recent Internet usage statistics. One out of every three of the world’s largest Web sites are employing pop-up or pop-under ads, according to a new survey from Cyveillance. The tactic, which most Web surfers find little more than frustrating, has become increasingly popular in the wake of significantly decreased online ad spending.