So here's a bit of intelligence that to us is not at all surprising. A new study conducted by Accenture finds that technologies that enable ad-skipping through commercials, along with on-demand video services, are expected to weaken TV ad revenue growth through 2009. What a surprise.

It's that time again. Tax time. Traffic to online tax information and prep sites is spiking. In fact, 68 percent of people have either filed their taxes online or are still planning to do so, according to a study conducted by Claria's Feedback Research unit.

Is there any doubt that consumers are taking issues of health and wellness into their own hands? Between diets, fitness programs, and chronic disease management, there is a wealth of credible information on the Web. WebMD, for starters, is a great resource for consumers, physicians, and other health providers. In matters of health, the Web has been a great enabler.

"There are no new users anymore!" erupts Michael Zimbalist, president of the Online Publishers Association (OPA). Michael uttered the declaration in a characteristic burst of irony and exuberance during coffee with the Minute last week.

Satellite radio rocks these days, and here's some news that the sector hopes will improve its distribution. AOL today says it's teaming up with XM Satellite Radio to offer a co-branded online radio service that will debut this summer in conjunction with AOL's launch of AOL.com as a Web portal. The co-branded radio service will be available to AOL members at no additional cost.

Is it us, or are there tons of announcements about Web video recently? MSN and iFilm have teamed up; MSN will deliver iFilm video clips to MSN Video's free streaming entertainment channel. The clips will be refreshed in real time. MSN also inked a deal with Dennis Publishing to offer five video clips a week from Maxim. The video content will include photos, celebrity interviews, and music reviews.

Guess what? Women make up the majority of Internet users in the United States and their influence online is growing, according to a new report from eMarketer. The report, "Women Online in the U.S.: A Growing Majority," maintains that marketers need to organize their online efforts with women in mind because women comprise 51.6 percent of the U.S. online population. In fact, by 2008, women will account for 52.6 percent of total online users in the United States, according to eMarketer estimates. In absolute numbers, that means that in 2008 there will be roughly 10 million more females ages …

Talk about consumer-generated media. Apparently hackers have turned Sony's latest portable game player, the PSP handheld, into a device for online chat, Web browsing, and a venue for movies and music.

The only thing worse than returning from a week away, is coming back sick - and that is the Minute's minor misfortune this week. Some wretched rhinovirus accompanied me to Paris, looming just beneath the surface like a harpy waiting to swoop in for the kill. It landed with me at JFK and has yet to be properly quarantined and retired. So amid the snuffling (yes, it's a word) and coughing, we recall an airy pastiche of café crème, pastry, Picasso paintings, children sweetly calling, "Maman," walks along the Seine, and spring blooming in earnest, far earlier than in …

The first quarter ended last week with mixed messages for online advertising. The good news is that many market indications were up from last year. Yahoo! shares were up 8 percent relative to Standard & Poor's and Google shares were up 2 percent for the last two weeks of March, according to a report issued Friday by Merrill Lynch analysts Lauren Rich Fine and Justin Post.