According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 34% of American Internet users have used a Wi-Fi connection. Also, 20% of Americans surveyed have Wi-Fi networks at home. About 23.5% – or 35 million Americans – now access the Internet via a mobile phone or PDA. In addition, 72% of wireless users check e-mail on a typical day, compared to 63% of home broadband users and 54% of all Internet users. If you’d like to read the full survey, this link will allow you to download a PDF.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has reportedly been putting pressure on ISPs to turn in illegal file downloaders. This comes via a leaked letter, which can be viewed here (it’s a PDF to download). The RIAA letter says ISPs can offer downloaders a $1,000 settlement to avoid prosecution, and the ISP must hold onto 180 days of records for the RIAA. Many people emerged as instantly very critical of this plan, which allows the RIAA to collect funds without doing any real legal legwork. Some people have even referred to the plan as “extortion.” Explore the letter and make up your own mind.

A bill passed by the state of California will require all Wi-Fi routers manufactured after October 1, 2007, and sold in California to be labeled with a clear warning about the dangers of unsecured routers. These warnings must include instructions for password protecting the devices to prevent unauthorized users from “piggybacking” on the signal. While this may be the first step toward manufacturers being able to pass off liabilities to the consumer, we would expect the next step will require manufacturers to ship routers with security turned on; that way you must knowingly accept responsibility for turning security off.

If you use – or have been contemplating – VoIP, the VoIP Lowdown blog’s “Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Top 50 Amazing VoIP Gadgets” list may be worth exploring. Check it out here.