There will soon be more than five billion electronic devices connected to the internet, according to research firm IMS Research. In addition, the number of computers and laptops connected to the internet is now outnumbered by the number of smartphones and other devices that are hooked-up.

Ian Weightman, President of IMS Research, said:

“In the first connectivity wave, the bulk of devices connected to the Internet were PCs and laptops plus their associated modem and networking equipment. Today, over 1 billion computers worldwide are regularly connected to the Internet, and this number is growing steadily.”

The second wave of growth is being driven by the cellular industry, and the global number of Internet connected cell phones has now surpassed the number of connected computers, and is growing at a much faster rate."

He also talks about a third wave of devices that could drive connection figures through the roof:

"The potential for greatest growth comes from the third wave which will include machine-to-machine (M2M) deployments. This has the potential to go way beyond industrial applications to encompass increasingly sophisticated smart grids, networked security cameras and sensors, connected home appliances and HVAC equipment, ITS infrastructure for traffic and parking management, etc.”

Let's hope that no-one tells SkyNet about all these devices.

People in the UK now spend more time playing games online than they do downloading music or films, according to the latest Communications Market Report from Ofcom.

The report's findings state that 39% of those surveyed played games online, compared with 38% who download music and film. TIGA, the Indepedent Games-Developers' Association, have put this down to "not just the rising popularity of games but also the trend towards digital distribution".

The CEO of TIGA, Dr Richard Wilson, expanded upon the news:

"Ofcom’s report shows that the popularity of games continues to increase, with downloads of games surpassing that of music and films. It also shows that consoles are providing a door to the internet: 10 per cent of those surveyed used their PS3 or Nintendo Wii to watch programmes on the iPlayer."

Digital distribution is big business and according to this latest news, it's a growing business that the industry is keen to promote.

A new patent filed by Apple has detailed several security measures that an iOS-based device, for example an iPhone or iPad, could employ to disable access to sensitive information or features.

Currently, if an iOS device falls into the wrong hands the only security feature it has is a four-digit lock-code, and that's only if the feaure has been enabled by the owner. The new patent, entitled Systems and Methods for Identifying Unauthorized Users of an Electronic Device, would take a different approach to identify who is using the device.

This approach could include using voice print analysis, photo analysis, and even heartbeat analysis to detect tell-tale signs of unauthorised use, like a rapid heartbeat, or face and voice detection to compare the features of the current user to the features of the device's owner.

In theory, if an iPad detects that it is being accessed by an unauthorised user, it could shut down or remove access to sensitive information. Accoring to the patent, when an unauthorized user is detected, "various safety measures can be taken", which can include alerting the real owner via text, email or voice message.

You can see the full patent here (heavy traffic seems to be causing intermittent server problems so there's also a PDF of the patent attached to this post).

SanDisk have unveiled their latest Solid State Drive (SSD) which, despite being able to hold 64GB of data, is smaller than a stamp and lighter than a paperclip.

Although it's not been released to retail yet, the chip is being produced and sent to top-tier manufacturers for sampling with a view to being included in the next generation of tablet computers and smartphones.

Doron Myersdorf, Senior Director, SSD Marketing, from SanDisk said:

"The new category of embedded SSDs should enable OEMs to produce tablets and notebooks with an unprecedented combination of thin, lightweight form factors and fast performance".

Lord of the Rings Online will finally open its free-to-play doors to the world on September 10th 2010.

The new free-to-play version of the game, currently under beta testing, will feature free access to the first 50 levels of the game, while offering the option to buy the game's expansions packs, quest items and other account services from the Lord of the Rings Online Store.

Previous players or those with a bit of extra cash can opt to subscribe as a VIP player for a set fee each month that allows full access to all of the game's features, similar to the standard pay model that Lord of the Rings Online started with. There will also be another expansion released in the Autumn to cover the Enedwaith region of Middle-earth.