According to a report on 49 metro markets by The Media Audit, more than 20 percent of all those who go online regularly or occasionally during an average weekday visit automotive web sites. "The audience numbers are surprisingly strong," says Bob Jordan, President of International Demographics, Inc.

comScore Media Metrix announced that in September, the total number of U.S. Internet users passed the 150 million mark for the first time ever. Further, the total amount of time spent by Americans on the Internet grew by 3 percent in September, although the month of September is one day, or 3 percent, shorter than August.

BIGresearch's monthly Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, featuring detailed information on how consumers spend and intend to spend money, reports that 39.8% of consumers polled are "confident or very confident" about a strong economy during the next six months. This is an attitude up from September and 14 points higher than October last year.

Nokia Executive Vice President Anssi Vanjoki speaking to a World Association of Newspapers conference in Helsinki, Finland, reported that adults use mobile telephones to make their lives easier. Kids just want to have fun. "Older people use mobile phones for efficiency. Have you ever heard a young person talk about efficiency? It's not their concept," said Mr Vanjoki. "For young people, it is more about excitement and fun. They develop incredible uses for these devices. They play with them." And he says that has very serious implications for media businesses.

According to the latest large-scale national survey, Technology User Profile 2003 Annual Edition by MetaFacts, the average age of both home and workplace personal computers is growing, while the self-employed are replacing their personal computers faster than one year ago

BizRate.com reports that $12.43 billion was generated in online retail sales in the US in the third quarter of this year.

According to a just-released Knowledge Networks/SRI study, part of the ongoing service "The Home Technology Monitor," 61% of children now have a television set in their bedrooms, 17% have their own PC - and own-room access to such media technologies is linked to substantial changes in how kids use media.

According to a recent comScore analysis, online directory and newspaper preferences differ greatly by local markets. Based upon the comScore Media Metrix Local Market Reporting system, there is significant variation in activity at directory search sites. In many cases, this variation corresponded to relationships that specific yellow pages directories have with consumers through local telephone companies. For example, Internet users in Austin, Houston and Green Bay are disproportionately likely to visit SmartPages.com, which is owned by SBC, a major provider of local telephone services in those markets.

For the last week in September it's electronics over education and career by ten to one!

According to new data from the 2003 American Interactive Consumer Survey conducted by The Dieringer Research Group, the Internet continues to show multiple signs of maturing into an essential product information and shopping channel, based on 2,000 telephone interviews with consumers completed in May.