Texting saves Malaysian teen

Text in time saves nimble-fingered teen

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - A Malaysian teen-ager woken by a night-time noise dashed off a warning text message to her mother just in time to be rescued from an intruder who burst into her bedroom.

Alerted by the mother's screams, relatives rushed to the rescue, breaking down a door and scaring off the man, who escaped through the back of the house, the New Straits Times said.
Salima Mohamad Noor, 17, said a man broke into her bedroom and placed a knife at her neck just as she finished sending the message on her cellular telephone.

"I was terrified and started screaming when he threatened to kill me," the newspaper quoted Salima as saying. "He also said no one would come to my rescue as he had already locked my mother's bedroom door from the outside."

But her mother's loud screams drew the attention of Salima's uncle, who kicked open the front door, frightening away the intruder, the paper added.

About 80 percent of Malaysia's population of roughly 26 million own a cell phone, statistics show, with many teenagers proficient in text messaging, as a cheaper way of talking to friends than telephone calls.

LinkedIn says it will own business networking

LinkedIn will compete with FaceBook and MySpace for online business networking, or so says CEO Dan Nye in this article by the Fortune technology staff. In his world, people will build one profile for their personal life (MySpace, FaceBook) and another for their professional life (LinkedIn). With upwards of 11 million members already signed up, the site is now adding 180,000 new members each week.

Are you LinkedIn?

Read on and find out what the future looks like for LinkedIn.

What? Selling Tumbleweed Online?

I have to admit that this story really pissed me off.

When I told my sig-O about it, his response was, "We suck!"

This is one of those "Why didn't I think of that?" stories -- like the pet rock and one red paperclip. Doh!

If you've lost your faith in the Internet, this should restore it! Yes, Suzie, there really is a Santa Claus and you really can make money on the 'Net... and some people even do it by accident.

Hmmmm... do you think there's a market for clumps of dog hair? I've got plenty of that around the house I could sell.

Unusual Business Ideas That Work: How To Make Money Selling Tumbleweed Online

If you hate spam, you'll love this!

Man Described As Top Spammer Arrested

A 27-year-old man described as one of the world's top spammers was arrested Wednesday, a development that federal authorities said could lead to an immediate, perceptible decrease in the amount of junk e-mail winging its way across the Web.

He's one of the top 10 spammers in the world," said Tim Cranton, a Microsoft Corp. lawyer who is senior director of the company's Worldwide Internet Safety Programs. "He's a huge problem for our customers. This is a very good day."

Robert Alan Soloway's arrest came a week after a federal grand jury returned a 35-count indictment charging him with mail fraud, wire fraud, e-mail fraud, aggravated identity theft and money laundering. He's accused of using networks of compromised computers to send out millions upon millions of junk e-mails since 2003. He continued his activities even after Microsoft won a $7 million civil judgment against him in 2005 and Robert Brauer, the operator of a small Internet service provider in western Oklahoma, won a $10 million judgment, prosecutors said.

U.S. Attorney Jeff Sullivan said Wednesday the case is the first in the country in which federal prosecutors have used identity theft statutes to prosecute a spammer for taking over someone else's Internet domain name, and it would mean at least an extra two years on Soloway's sentence if he is convicted. He could face decades in prison, though prosecutors said they have not calculated what guideline sentencing range he might face.

You can read the rest of the article at Forbes.com.

I think the key here is the identity theft charge. That's exactly what spoofing is. And it's incredibly damaging to the businesses who have had their domain names compromised.

We'll see where this goes and how long it takes to get there. But for now. . . chalk one up for the good guys.

By the way, let me know if you notice "an immediate, perceptible decrease in the amount of junk e-mail" you receive.

Thirteen-year-old wins phone texting contest

From MSNBC.com: Teen pockets $25,000 in texting contest
Thirteen-year-old defeated nearly 200 other competitors in Manhattan

NEW YORK - OMG! Thirteen-year-old Morgan Pozgar, of Claysburg, Pa., was crowned LG National Texting champion on Saturday after she typed "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" from "Mary Poppins" in 15 seconds.

"I'm going to go shopping and buy lots of clothes," the teen said after winning her $25,000 prize from the electronics company LG.

Pozgar defeated nearly 200 other competitors at the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan to become East Coast champion. She then beat West Coast champion Eli Tirosh, 21, of Los Angeles texting the message: "Supercalifragilisticexpialidoucious! Even though the sound of it is something quite atrocious. If you say it loud enough you'll always sound precocious."

She estimated that she sends more than 8,000 text messages a month to her friends and family.

Photo caption: Morgan Pozgar of Claysburg, Pennsylvania, uses a phone to send a text message as she competes in the LG National Texting Championship in New York. Pozgar, who is 13-years-old, defeated "West Coast Champion" Eli Tirosh of Los Angeles.

- - - - -

If you haven't thought much about how communication is changing, especially among younger folk, maybe it's time to start. Better brush up on your texting.

7777...88...7...33...7777...[expletive]...[back]...777...222...

You could be waiting awhile for me to finish this text message. Morgan, your record is safe from me -- for now.

2...555...444...3333...[expletive]...[back]...333...777...2...4...

Brainstorm! - Love is in the Air and on the Web

Love is in the Air and on the Web

That's the theme for the February issue of Brainstorm! - Whole Brain Technologies' monthly e-newsletter. It has a new look, to go along with the new design of the web site, and lots of new information:

1. Making Virtual Connections: Friends, Dating, LOVE and Business Online - and article about the explosion of online social networks like MySpace, LinkedIn, and Match.com.
2. The Business of Love: 9 Best Practices for Improving the Bottom Line of Your Relationship - a great book by Dr. John Curtis about applying business concepts to your marriage.
3. 10 +1 Things to make me LOVE your business email - a blog post by Liz Strauss at SOB (Successful and Outstanding Blog(gers)).
4. Plus other news and announcements going on at the WBT Headquarters.

Don't miss out. Read it now.

Are you an addict?

More than one in eight adults in the US show signs of being addicted to the internet, a study has shown. A typical addict is a single, white college-educated male in his 30s, who spends more than 30 hours a week on "non-essential" computer use.

Users spend hours online each day, surfing the Web, trading stocks, instant messaging or blogging, and a fast-rising number are becoming addicted to Internet video games. This is an increasing problem for employers and families. "We are seeing more people who lost their jobs because of too much time spent surfing the Internet during work. More relationships are breaking up because of spouses sneaking out of bed to check e-mail in the middle of the night," says Dr. Elias Aboujaoude -- principal author of the study and head of the Impulse Control Disorders Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Though it's not yet an officially recognized psychological disorder, just Google "internet addition" and you'll find a bevy of links to recovery centers and programs.

When the future of BlackBerry was in doubt due to a patent infringement lawsuit in 2006, it was feared that Washington DC would shut down. Since it hit the market seven years ago, BlackBerry has accelerated the pace of business and bred a generation of workers who rely on constant e-mail updates. At a weekend seminar I hosted a couple of months ago, one of the attendees couldn't give up his CrackBerry habit, continually reading and messaging during class, breaks and dinner, hardly pausing to look up. Drove me nuts! Are these people the adrenalin junkies of the technology age?

Are you one of the 14% who can't stay away from the Internet? I know I am, but I have an excuse... it's my job. Heh heh.

BBC: US shows signs of 'Net addiction

Save the Internet : Fighting for Internet Freedom

Congress is pushing a law that would abandon the Internet's First Amendment -- a principle called Network Neutrality that prevents companies like AT&T, Verizon and Comcast from deciding which Web sites work best for you -- based on what site pays them the most. If the public doesn't speak up now, our elected officials will cave to a multi-million dollar lobbying campaign.

You can help fight for Internet freedom. Contact your legislators. Donate to the coalition. Add a link to your blog or web site.

Visit this web site for more information and why you should care.

Save the Internet : Fighting for Internet Freedom

Impact Lab - 5 Predictions for 2006

This is a great to-the-point interview with marketing guro Seth Godin on the future of digital marketing. Check it out and let us know what you think!

http://www.impactlab.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6872

Find useful articles on our Web site

You'll find great articles on everything Internet and marketing on our Web site at www.wholebraintech.com/articles.asp. We'll be adding more new ones soon, so keep checking back.

New US Giving Survey Released: Impact of Disaster-Relief Fundraising on Nonprofits

New US Giving Survey Released:
Impact of Disaster-Relief Fundraising on Nonprofits

~ 72% of respondents believe that fundraising for disaster-relief missions has reduced giving to other missions

~ Trust & donor fatigue are issues

~ Small to Medium size nonprofit organizations most impacted by funding shortfalls

Denver, CO - December 13, 2005 A new national survey released today by several firms working with nonprofit organizations confirms that donors need to dig deeper in 2005. Funding shortfalls at nonprofit organizations are another disaster in the making--loss of key services.

Read the press release and get access to the full report at http://www.wholebraintech.com/pr20051213.shtml.

Watch for the December issue of Brainstorm!

The December issue of Brainstorm! will be out soon. If you haven't signed up already, go to www.wholebraintech.com and sign up for our mailing list.

Brainstorm! is our monthly e-newsletter packed with tips and information about how you can leverage the Internet to build your business. We have articles from the Right Brain, the Left Brain, guests, and more! Each month features a new Freebie, a little Brain Candy, news and information.

December 2005 will focus on New Year's Resolutions to Help You Use the Internet to Build Your Business. You won't want to miss it!

If, after you receive your first copy, you decide it's not for you, it's easy to unsubscribe. In fact, you can do that at any time.

Don't wait! Sign up now!

ABC News: Person of the Week: Christian Pilet

ABC News: Person of the Week: Christian Pilet

The Internet is so often a scary place, sometimes a magical place, but a very special place nonetheless. When I read this story, it warmed my heart and made me proud to be a part of this industry. It reminded me of what the Internet is all about... connecting people. And this particular connection was very powerful indeed.

In case you haven't heard already, a mysterious digital camera was found in the sand after the South Asia tsunami. Christian Pilet managed to extract the photos from the camera's memory. He was determined to find out who was in the photos. Below is a short excerpt from the piece, but you should definately read the story in its entirety.

Pilet took the pictures around to several embassies in Thailand; he thought the couple might be Swedish or German. Nobody was able to help.

He took the pictures home to Washington, and on the very first night he was home, his wife, Nicole, looked to see if the people in pictures matched any photos on the Internet. Many families had posted photographs of the missing.

"The very first image she clicked on, she said, 'This is the guy.' And I remember thinking when I was falling asleep from jet lag that there's no way you just turn on the Internet and, in just the first click or two, find the people," Pilet said.

But it was true. Nicole had discovered photos of John and Jackie Knill from Vancouver, British Colombia. Their three sons had been searching desperately and had posted their parents picture on the Internet.

Beware Bogus FBI E-Mails Spreading Computer Virus

TheDenverChannel.com - Technology - Beware Bogus FBI E-Mails Spreading Computer Virus WASHINGTON -- If you get an unexpected e-mail from the FBI that tells you to open an attachment and answer questions, don't do it. That advice comes from the real FBI.

Revenge of the Right Brain

Wired 13.02: Revenge of the Right Brain from Wired.com.

Logical and precise, left-brain thinking gave us the Information Age. Now comes the Conceptual Age - ruled by artistry, empathy, and emotion.

Search for tsunami survivors goes online

Web sites worldwide plead for news of lost relatives, friends