Google has released Hot Trends, a new feature that provides an ever-updated list of the 100 top search terms on Google.com. It will also provide a historical view of popular search terms. If your online business is built around catching the wave of popularity, this may be a list that you want to watch.
Yahoo has a similar tool, Yahoo Buzz, that adds a nice feature by showing you the relative movement of the search terms from day to day.
Resource: Internet-Legal.com Blog
As I mentioned back in October of last year, ICANN approved a new .asia domain. An article by the Associated Press today states that the new .asia domains will be released in October, 2007. Registration will be opened up to governments and long-time trademark holders first on October 9, 2007. Companies and more current trademark owners will be allowed to register starting on November 13, 2007 and continuing through the end of the year. The open landrush will probably start in January, 2008, although no firm date was specified.
The new .asia domains are intended to be a regional domain (like .eu). Interestingly, a plan has been in place to auction general domains that have interest by more than one potential registrant. It will be interesting to see how that works out.
Resource: Internet-Legal.com Blog
According to Report on Business, Bank of Montreal is launching a Prepaid Travel Mosaik MasterCard. It can be pre-loaded with funds and then used while traveling to pay for purchases or to withdraw funds in local currencies from participating ATM networks. According to the bank, the card is safer than cash, because if [...]
As InfoWorld reports, two individuals were convicted a couple of days ago for sending out mass spam with pornographic images in them. And, in what is being reported as a first, these individuals were convicted of criminal violations of the CAN-SPAM Act, which has normally been enforced through civil proceedings. They may have generated $2 million from these activities but I bet the thought of the potential thirty year sentences facing them make them wish they made a different choice.
Just another reason why you want to be sure that you comply with CAN-SPAM requirements. And, of course, don’t include pornographic images in mass emails – the government (and most recipients) hates that…
Resource: Internet-Legal.com Blog
CNN posted an article earlier this week about Yahoo Shortcuts tagging an article concerning Ashley Dupre (the call girl involved in the Eliot Spitzer scandal) with a link to Flickr images depicting purportedly underage girls. [Article] The same article also notes an earlier incident involving the Google AdSense system, which advertised luggage next to a [...]
Resource: Computer and Internet Law