AOL & YAHOO ALLOW BIG SPENDERS TO AVOID SPAM FILTERS

AOL & Yahoo are going to allow spam to reach mailboxes if the senders pay a fee for each message. Here’s an article about the new system.It’s hard to predict the result, but my gut feeling is that it’s a disaster for consumers. AOL & Yahoo...

BLACKBERRY: DEATH BY PATENT

Here’s a fascinating article about the sequence of events leading up to Blackberry’s precarious position – the possibility that the entire Blackberry system will be shut down next month. It’s a “twisted tale of bold inventions, hubris,...

GOOGLE BUYS STAKE IN AOL, SELLS SOUL

Google’s agreement to purchase a five percent stake in AOL was widely reported, but I missed the important detail: as part of the deal, Google agreed to start putting AOL-sponsored search results on its main search results page. Here’s Paul...

RIAA BANS TELLING FRIENDS ABOUT SONGS

In the news today: “LOS ANGELES-The Recording Industry Association of America announced Tuesday that it will be taking legal action against anyone discovered telling friends, acquaintances, or associates about new songs, artists, or albums. “We are merely...

CYBER MONDAY

The retail industry built the day after Thanksgiving into a cultural icon as “Black Friday” – the must-shop day when consumers are meant to feel a nearly physical need to get to the stores. The media’s obsessive coverage of Black Friday is...