Tucows Announces Return of OpenSRS Where Friendly, Reliable Service Comes First

Unsurpassed support and reseller satisfaction as top priority sets

OpenSRS apart

TORONTO and CHICAGO, HostingCon 2008, July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Tucows Inc., (AMEX:TCX, TSX:TC) a leading provider of Internet services to web hosting companies and ISPs worldwide, announced today the return of the OpenSRS name for its wholesale reseller services group. Through its network of web hosting companies and Internet service providers, OpenSRS provides web and email addresses for millions of people worldwide.

In 1999, Tucows became the first domain name wholesaler to be accredited by ICANN and chose the name OpenSRS for its domain name service. Today, OpenSRS remains one of the world's largest wholesale domain registrars, and has expanded its offerings to include hosted email and SSL certificates. Resellers' sustained loyalty to OpenSRS was one reason behind the decision to re-launch the brand, and key to that loyalty is the company's reputation as the most reseller-friendly among Internet services wholesalers.

"At OpenSRS, we really believe in supporting our resellers because they've been incredibly supportive of us. That means not only making it easy to sell, provision and support the highest quality Internet services, but it also means being true to our word," said Ken Schafer, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing for Tucows. "We've made a commitment to being reseller friendly, so much so that we've included it in our new logo."

Over the past nine years, OpenSRS has grown steadily each year and today boasts over 9,000 active resellers on six continents. Those resellers, in turn, have the potential to reach millions of end users. OpenSRS resellers are fiercely loyal, 78% of the resellers who joined in 1999 are still using OpenSRS to sell services today.

OpenSRS is known for its work on registrant rights within the registrar community as well as making things simple and reliable for its resellers. It also differentiates itself through a deep commitment to its identity as a wholesale business. This runs in sharp contrast to competitors that frequently end up competing with their own resellers for customers.

"We're a true Internet services wholesaler. You won't find our name or logo anywhere on our end-user interfaces and we don't talk to our reseller's customers, ever," said Schafer. "We stand by our promises and commitments and we work to earn our reseller's loyalty."

As part of the re-launch of OpenSRS, the company has established new brand marks and a logo consistent with a 1950s-era service company, aimed at recalling a time when service mattered most. An iconic character has also been created to embody OpenSRS' core values - service, friendliness, willingness to help, community service and reliability.

To celebrate the re-launch of the OpenSRS brand and mark a return to the bygone days of service with a smile, OpenSRS will be serving up treats from an old-fashioned soda fountain and ice cream stand in booth #626 at HostingCon 2008, at Navy Pier in Chicago from today through Wednesday.

About OpenSRS
OpenSRS is a global provider of wholesale Internet services to web hosting companies and ISPs. Wholly owned by Tucows, Inc., OpenSRS provides wholesale services for hosted email, domain name registration, Personal Names, and SSL certificates. For more information, please visit http://opensrs.com.

About Tucows

Tucows provides Internet services for web hosting companies and ISPs.Through our global network of over 9,000 service providers our OpenSRS group provides millions of email boxes and manages over eight million domains. Tucows is an accredited registrar with ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). We hold a domain name portfolio of approximately 150,000 domain names that are available for sale, monetized through advertising and support our wholesale Personal Names Service. Our Retail division sells Tucows services to consumers and small business owners through Domain Direct, IYD (It's Your Domain) and NetIdentity. Tucows.com remains one of the most popular software download sites on the Internet. For more information please visit: http://tucowsinc.com.

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If you are interested in becoming a domain reseller, check out OpenSRS, but start with their OpenSRS reseller pricing. It may save you from spending more time learning about their program only to realize you can get better pricing elsewhere. At first I thought maybe their non-refundable fee of $95 might not be to bad for a really nice domain reseller program, but when I saw that they add a "$3.00 OpenSRS Management fee" to most of the domains, I soon realized that their program was not for me...!

Make sure ResellerClub.com is on you list of places to check for reseller programs. Yes, you may not find them as easy as other programs, but the cost is lower.

Exploring The Value Of Parked Domain Traffic

by Janel Landis , Friday, July 25, 2008

I have been reading about the lawsuit recently filed against Google that alleges traffic received from parked domain sites was low quality.  What is most interesting about this topic are the sharply conflicting viewpoints online marketers have concerning the value of traffic from these sites. 

The first perspective is that of savvy search marketers, who have analyzed referring URL traffic and know that the majority of traffic from these sites is unqualified.  What they have found is that the only instances of qualified traffic from parked domain sites occurs on domains that are typos of their own domain, their brand terms. 

Have you ever accidentally typed your search query into the domain address bar instead of the search box?  I am pretty sure everyone has done this before and often, simply out of habit, even followed the misplaced word with a ".com".  In a presentation I gave at a conference a few months ago, I used the examples www.homesecurity.com and www.bookkeepping.com as visuals of sites that contain no original content, just ads.  These are the types of sites that deliver the majority of parked domain traffic.  How often are people actually making this mistake?  According to Google's keyword tool, the keyword home security drove approximately 1 million searches on Google and its search network in June 2008. 

Let's move on to the much smaller segment of parked domain sites that actually will drive qualified traffic: the domain typos.  Unfortunately, many companies have not protected themselves by registering common misspellings of their domain -- so when returning customers mistype the URL in the address bar, they are delivered to parked domain sites.  An example of this is www.lininsandthings.com: Notice that linen is misspelled in the URL. In this instance, the searcher was already going to Linens-N-Things, and in this way they would be a highly qualified click.  However, Linens-N-Things would now have to pay for a click to get their customer, rather than connecting to them directly.

The second perspective is that of the domainers themselves.  They claim that address-bar-driven traffic is highly qualified; however, the click revenue generated from these types of sites is the sole source of revenue available from them.  Again, they contain no original content, no products and no value.  The backbone of their argument lies in statistics that show direct navigation traffic is the most qualified traffic to a site; however, what they fail to interpret is that this statistic does not pertain to an indirect or unintentional visit. 

As the industry has matured, the engines have provided marketers with better tools to exclude distribution of ads on these types of sites.  Google allows advertisers to block parked domain sites altogether from their campaigns, and Yahoo allows advertisere to exclude sites individually.  The most perplexing part of the recent lawsuit filing is that it only challenges Google, yet Yahoo's search network distribution is much more riddled with these types of sites than Google's.  The www.homesecurity.com and www.bookkeepping.com examples I used above both serve Yahoo ads.  If this is truly going to be a class action suit and it gains any traction, I anticipate it just may involve both companies.

Post your response to the public Search Insider blog.

See what others are saying on the Search Insider blog.

Janel Landis is senior director of search development and strategy at SendTec, Inc., a St. Petersburg, Fla.-based multichannel, integrated marketing firm specializing in search engine marketing, direct response television and lead generation.
 
Search Insider for Friday, July 25, 2008:
http://blogs.mediapost.com/search_insider/?p=839

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Property.com SOLD to Foreclosure.com

FORECLOSURE.COM OWNER TO ACQUIRE PROPERTY.COM

Brad Geisen continues to build online real estate empire to expand opportunities for future homebuyers and investors nationwide
Boca Raton, Fla. - July 22, 2008 Foreclosure.com Founder, President and CEO, Brad Geisen, announced today that he has reached an agreement with "Domain King" Rick Schwartz to acquire the domain name "Property.com," paving the way for his entry into a new market.

With Property.com Geisen intends to create a one-of-a-kind - and convenient - one-stop online real estate marketplace that is easy-to-use and navigate. The Web site will serve as an easy-accessible national real estate classified that is going to be free to all visitors, providing sellers, buyers and investors with a whole new concept of marketing and finding homes on the Web.

According to Geisen, the acquisition of Property.com will allow him to focus his efforts on a different and potentially much larger segment of the real estate market. In fact, in Geisen's opinion, the niche foreclosure market, which is Foreclosure.com's market, represents just 2 percent of all available real estate inventory.

"I'm going after the 98 percent of the real estate market outside of the foreclosure business." said Geisen. "For the past several years, I've built and run one of, if not 'the,' most successful Internet foreclosure businesses, but the business was always exclusively distressed real estate. I've achieved in Foreclosure.com what I set out to accomplish and I am ready for a new challenge in a different market. I intend to shift my focus on developing my new ideas that will revolutionize how homes should be listed, viewed and purchased. I've developed the critical skills which I intend to apply to this new market," said Geisen.

Property.com will include all listing types, including those indexed the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), creating a database that could surpass more than 15 million homes, but not including distressed properties, which will remain the business of Foreclosure.com. The best part is that it will be totally free to search for potential buyers and visitors, and sellers will be able to upload and edit their own personal listings at no charge. It's a wide-open model that Geisen knows will create an invaluable resource for just about anyone interested in real estate.

"I'm raising the stakes and pushing all my chips to the center of the table," said Geisen. "Foreclosure.com and my related companies have been leaders in their spaces for nearly a decade. I've seen what's been wrong with the way things were done and I've developed the methods to fix them. I have the knowledge and resources to take this to a whole new level . and that's what I plan to do."

Geisen revealed the new Property.com will be unveiled sometime in 2009. The specific terms of the deal to acquire Property.com were not disclosed. However, Geisen indicated that the value of the deal is one of the largest URL purchases to date.
That's a deal that has the seller Rick Schwartz - who is known as the "Domain King" -- smiling from ear-to-ear. He purchased Property.com for $750,000 in 2005 and was recently introduced to Geisen through Kevin Leto of BigTicketDomains.com about a possible re-sale.

"My job is to acquire prime, industry specific domain names with large volumes of natural type in traffic and eventually develop them to their fullest potential by partnering with leading companies in their respective fields which I have been doing for more than a decade," said Schwartz," "Early on I saw the value in Property.com; however, I never had the resources to develop it so it could reach its maximum potential. Brad Geisen has the vision to truly get the most of Property.com for the benefit of so many people in every corner of the United States. I'm thrilled to be a part of this exciting new project with Brad."

Stay tuned for frequent updates and milestones for the new Property.com. Feel free to visit the Web site in its current form. However, as mentioned earlier, the complete re-launch will not be official until sometime in 2009.

About Brad Geisen and Foreclosure.com
Ten years ago, Brad Geisen founded Foreclosure.com and built it over time to a company with more than 1.8 million foreclosure, preforeclosure, bankruptcy, FSBO and tax lien listings in one place, Foreclosure.com delivers America's largest and most accurate searchable database of foreclosed homes and distressed property information to its customers and business partners. Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Brad Geisen and Foreclosure.com work with hundreds of top lending institutions and government agencies to list diverse property types on its Web site, including Real Estate Owned (REO); Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); Department of Veterans Affairs (VA); Fannie Mae; and other government agency and financial institution properties; as well as listings from an extensive network of corporate sellers. On the Web: www.foreclosure.com.

About eRealEsate.com.
Rick Schwartz, aka "Domain King" and "Webfather," is the CEO, President and Cofounder of T.R.A.F.F.I.C. found at TargetedTraffic.com-- the premiere domain conference for the domain industry. It is both the oldest and largest and attracts over 500 of the top professionals in the industry in a by invitation only event. As one of the early domain pioneers dating back to 1995, Rick has a knack for predicting big trends and getting it right. He may have been the first to recognize the value of "type in" traffic which is now commonly referred to as "direct navigation" -- the most potent and targeted traffic on the net. Rick has a prime portfolio of one and two word domains, and is considered by many to be among the leading experts on domain names, traffic, Web site flow and valuation. www.eRealestate.com

Media Contact
Thomas Myers
Foreclosure.com
tmyers@foreclosure.com
Tel: (561) 981-5337 ext. 381

Searches for Foreclosed and Lender-Owned Properties Now Possible

EDINA, Minn.-- July 22, 2008 --Foreclosed properties are in high demand and in today's market, many such properties are available. To simplify searching for foreclosed and lender-owned properties, Edina Realty now offers consumers a new search option on its Web site, www.edinarealty.com.

Consumers simply click on the home page link, "Search Foreclosures" to pull up information and a link to all "In Foreclosure/Lender-Owned Properties." Like all properties on the Edina Realty Web site, searches can be conducted using an interactive map, or by area, city or school district. All properties that are in foreclosure or lender-owned - Edina Realty's listings and those of other brokers - will appear.

Currently, over 3,000 foreclosed or lender-owned properties are listed in Minnesota and W. Wisconsin, ranging in price from $8,000 to over $5 million. The Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®, which tracks closed sales of lender-mediated homes, reports that these sales made up 27.6 percent of the total market in the first quarter of 2008, compared to 9.3 percent of the market in the first quarter of last year.

"The increase in foreclosures is another opportunity for consumers to take advantage of the current real estate market," said Barb Jandric, Edina Realty general manager. "But when entering into this type of real estate transaction, it's critical to work with an agent with experience in these types of listings who can help navigate a complex process and protect the buyer's interests."

Jandric said that buying a foreclosed or lender-owned property can be more complicated because the lender is involved in the transaction, either acting with approval powers or as the owner/seller.

A property in foreclosure means that the owner has been served a legal foreclosure notice. Once the foreclosure process is complete, the property becomes lender-owned. "Each situation is unique and understanding the process and the market is important," Jandric said. "For example, because these properties may be previously owned by people experiencing financial difficulties, they may need updating and repairs. There may be liens or back taxes due on the property.

"Knowledge is power in this market," Jandric said. "Researching market conditions and thoroughly understanding the 'ins and outs' of the foreclosure process are crucial."

Edina Realty, a subsidiary of HomeServices of America, is one of the nation's largest real estate companies with 80 real estate offices throughout Minnesota, North Dakota and Western Wisconsin and more than 2,800 REALTORS®. Edina Realty's family of companies includes Edina Realty, Edina Realty Title, Edina Realty Mortgage and Edina Realty Relocation. Edina Realty handled more than 26,300 transactions and $7.0 billion in sales volume in 2007. For more information, visit www.edinarealty.com.
Contacts

Edina Realty
Gena Henrich, 952-928-5069
genahenrich@edinarealty.com
or
Verve P.R.
Maria Verven, 612-990-7328
mverven@gmail.com

AT&T Kicks Off Sales of iPhone 3G Phone

Online Resources Available to Help Customers Prepare for Purchase

Variety of Attractive Plans Combine Voice and Unlimited Data

Dallas, Texas, July 11, 2008 - AT&T begins selling iPhone 3G today in its retail stores at 8 a.m. local time across the United States, along with a variety of attractive monthly plans that combine voice and unlimited data use. iPhone 3G uses the nation's fastest 3G wireless network, which reaches 300 major metropolitan areas.

Pricing and Eligibility
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) has announced that AT&T is making it easy for customers to prepare for their iPhone 3G purchase by posting "Get iReady" tips and frequently asked questions at www.att.com/iphone. The site also includes a link for customers to check their upgrade eligibility and other wireless account information.

iPhone 3G phones will be available for $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. These prices require two-year contracts and are available to the following customers:

    * iPhone customers who purchased before July 11*
    * Customers activating a new line with AT&T
    * Current AT&T customers who are eligible, at the time of purchase, for an upgrade discount

Current customers who are not eligible for an upgrade discount can purchase iPhone 3G for $399 for the 8GB model or $499 for the 16GB model. Both options require a new two-year service agreement. Current customers may also choose to wait until they become eligible for an upgrade discount. Eligibility is generally determined by amount of time remaining on a current contract and payment history.

Current AT&T customers who are upgrading to iPhone 3G will pay an $18 upgrade fee and new AT&T customers will pay the standard $36 activation fee.

Voice, Data and Text Messaging Plans
AT&T brings iPhone 3G customers the best coverage on the globe and the largest mobile-to-mobile calling community with unlimited calling to AT&T's 71.4 million wireless customers. iPhone 3G customers can choose from four individual AT&T Nation plans, which bundle voice and unlimited data (e-mail and Web browsing).

    * AT&T NationSM Unlimited: Includes unlimited Anytime Minutes for $129.99 a month.
    * AT&T Nation 1350: Includes 1350 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $109.99 a month.
    * AT&T Nation 900: Includes 900 Anytime Minutes and unlimited Night & Weekend Minutes for $89.99 a month.
    * AT&T Nation 450: Includes 450 Anytime Minutes and 5,000 Night & Weekend Minutes for $69.99 a month.

All AT&T Nation and AT&T FamilyTalk® plans for iPhone 3G include nationwide long distance and roaming, Visual Voicemail, Rollover®, unlimited Mobile to Mobile calling, Call Forwarding, Call Waiting, Three-Way Calling and Caller ID.

AT&T will offer FamilyTalk plans, with bundled voice and unlimited data, starting as low as $129.99 a month for two iPhone 3G lines. Up to three additional iPhone lines can be added for $39.99 each.

Unlimited text messaging can be added for an additional $20 ($30 for FamilyTalk plans of up to five lines); $15 (1,500 messages), or $5 (200 messages).

Additional Tips for Consumers
New AT&T customers who wish to port or retain their phone number from another wireless carrier should consider bringing a copy of a bill from their current service provider. Customers will be asked to provide account information as it appears on record with their current provider, including:

    * Account number
    * Name of the account holder
    * Account holder's SSN or Tax ID
    * Billing address
    * PIN or password (if applicable)

Customers who inherit an original iPhone from a friend or family member will need to request a SIM card from AT&T for the phone and activate the device using the in-home activation process through iTunes.

Customers should listen to voice mail messages on their current devices and write down any necessary information before purchasing iPhone 3G, because existing voice mail messages will be lost when upgrading to iPhone's Visual Voicemail feature.

AT&T will offer accessory bundle options specific to iPhone 3G in its retail stores.

iPhone 2.0 Software
All iPhone customers will benefit from the iPhone 2.0 software, which will be pre-loaded on all iPhone 3Gs and available as a free download for current iPhone customers. The new software will include numerous enhancements, such as business-class e-mail access via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync; the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK), which allows a business to easily create applications customized to its needs; and the App Store, available at www.apple.com/webapps, which offers a wide-range of applications - from games to business, education to entertainment and productivity to social networking.

For example, AT&T has developed YELLOWPAGES.COM Mobile for iPhone, which takes local mobile search to a new level by allowing users to discover businesses and local events based on their popularity among other iPhone users, get directions and access business reviews. Numerous enterprise applications are and will continue to be available on iPhone 3G, via the App Store, including Oracle's CRM, collaboration and e-mail applications.

iPhone for Business
Oracle and Kraft Foods Inc. are among the first business customers to deploy iPhone 3G. Business customers interested in iPhone 3G should contact an AT&T business sales representative or review their account information online to determine their eligibility for upgrade pricing. Corporate e-mail and other business applications require the Enterprise Data Plan for iPhone, which is $45 a month and bundled with an eligible voice plan. Small business customers may qualify for AT&T BusinessTalk, the industry's only shared plan specifically for small businesses. Additional details on iPhone business offerings are available at www.att.com/iphoneforbusiness.

*iPhone 3G is available to customers who are currently prepaid customers; however, there is no prepaid plan for iPhone 3G. Additionally, customers' accounts must be in good standing at the time of purchase.

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AT&T Offers Nation's Fastest 3G Network

Nation's Fastest 3G Network Complements Best Global Coverage and Industry-Leading Portfolio of 3G Devices

Dallas, Texas, July 10, 2008 - For customers who want access to blazing-fast wireless broadband service, there's one clear choice among all U.S. carriers. AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced it offers the nation's fastest third-generation (3G) network, according to data compiled by leading independent wireless research firms. AT&T's superfast 3G mobile broadband network is currently available in nearly 300 major U.S. metropolitan areas, with plans to expand to nearly 350 by the end of the year. In addition, AT&T has the best global coverage of any provider with roaming available in more than 200 countries, including more 3G roaming than any other carrier.

The fastest 3G network claim is based on a variety of tests conducted by leading third-party researchers, who downloaded a variety of applications and files to test throughput and overall performance. AT&T was the winner by a significant margin.

AT&T also announced it has started doubling the data capacity of its 3G markets, and nearly half of all cell sites will receive additional 3G capacity by the end of the year. The additional capacity will help accommodate the anticipated growth of 3G subscribers over the next several years. According to the Yankee Group, the number of 3G subscribers in the U.S. is expected to increase by 160 percent by 2012.

"We've invested billions of dollars in our 3G network, and now we can proudly claim it as the nation's fastest 3G network," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T's wireless unit. "We will continue to expand our 3G network coverage into new areas, grow our lineup of industry-leading devices, such as iPhone 3G, and deliver compelling new 3G services to market like Video ShareSM. And to top it off, only AT&T offers the best global coverage. AT&T's ability to serve its wireless customers is unparalleled in our industry."

Between 2005 and 2008, AT&T will have invested more than $20 billion in network improvements and upgrades - an average of $5 billion a year. Much of this network investment has gone to build out the 3G broadband data network, which today is available in 296 major metropolitan markets. In addition, the company is deploying additional 3G coverage using 850 megahertz (MHz) spectrum that is now available from the recent sunset of its older TDMA network. This spectrum extends farther and better covers the interior of buildings.

In addition to the company's constant 3G expansion in the U.S., only AT&T can offer 3G data roaming in 60 countries, including Japan and South Korea, as well as voice calling in more than 200 countries. Nearly all devices in AT&T's current portfolio are "world phones" that can be used around the world.

Another advantage of AT&T's 3G network is the ability for customers to simultaneously use voice and data features. For example, customers can make a call while checking for a local address on YELLOWPAGES.COM.

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Sprint's "iphone clone" the Samsung Instinct priced at $129.99

Daytona Beach, FL (PRunderground) June 20, 2008 - Sprint's highly anticipated phone, the Samsung Instinct, goes on sale Friday. Sprint has announced via a press release that the instinct will cost $129.99, with a 2 year contract after a $100 mail-in rebate. The Samsung Instinct is Sprint's answer to the iPhone, which is slated to cost $199 next month.

There is a catch. Sprint also announced that activation of the Instinct requires a pricing plan offering unlimited data. Customers can choose from Everything plans for individuals starting at just $69.99 per month for 450 voice minutes or Talk/Message/Data Share plans for families starting at $129.99 per month for 1500 voice minutes to share between two lines.

The Instinct is a touchscreen device that includes EV-DO Rev. A, which is equivalent to AT&T's 3G speeds, for Web browsing, e-mail and more. The Instinct has already been awarded such honors as "Most Innovative Product at CTIA Wireless 2008?, and "Best Cell Phone" by CNET's CTIA 2008 awards. Only time will tell if Sprint has a winner with the Samsung Instinct. To purchase a Samsung Instinct you can visit http://samsunginstinctstore.com

About SamsungInstictStore.com
SamsungInstinctStore.com provides access to the best deals on Samsung Instinct phones and accessories. For more information please visit http://samsunginstinctstore.com

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Michelle Wagner
contact@samsunginstinctstore.com
http://samsunginstinctstore.com

LG Secret : Unveil the secret

The LG Secret is a 3G enabled phone with some of the best multimedia and connectivity options. The gorgeous looks come complete with a touch sensitive navigation pad.

Jul 02, 2008 - The LG Secret or KF750 is a highly amazing 3G phone with attractive looks. The mesmerizing looks can definitely turn heads of the prospective users, wherever it is. This beautiful 3G phone is empowered with high quality features as well as fast technology. Therefore, it won't be wrong to say that the overall looks of the handset have gained a "wow " factor in the crowd. This phone is designed to suit the "fashion conscious" users who are looking out for high quality multimedia, entertainment and connectivity options, even on the go. The mid-sized casing of the phone is available in a colour choice of silver and black. The spacious coloured touch screen dominates the front panel of phone. All the high-end features and functions are contrived to fit in ultra slim dimension of 11.8 mm in thickness, 50.8 mm in width and 102.8 mm in height. This 3G phone is well suited to the users pocket or bag easily, without even feeling heavy to carry, as it weighs only 116 grams. This fashionable handset is a member of the LG Black Series.

Display:
The brilliant screen of the Secret is made from tempered glass or well known as LCD. This LCD display is a scratch resistant glass that offers a high gloss finish. The users can experience a neon touch navigation on this screen, which glows with a a blue light colour when in use. The LG KF750 Secret comprises of a large 2.4 inches screen and provides a vibrant combination of thousand colours. A high screen resolution of 240 x 320 pixels gives a good viewing experience.

Memory:
The LG KF750 comes embedded with 100 MB of internal memory which is further supplemented with a memory card slot. Therefore, with the help of MicroSD memory card, the owner can extend the internal memory by up to 4 GB. The massive storage allows the users to store various information and multimedia content on their portable device.

Connectivity:
The LG Secret is a tri-band enabled phone with a large roaming coverage. Therefore, the users enjoy seamless communication across the world. For transferring the files, the handset supports more than one connectivity options. As a matter of fact, the Bluetooth wireless technology with A2DP can be used for transferring the files up to some distance. While, cabled USB connectivity option is considered for transferring the files with the compatible devices at comparatively longer distance. One can enjoy high speed data transfers with the built-in EDGE technology and GPRS. The users can connect to Internet with the help of WAP browser and enjoy a XHTML as well as HTML experience on their respective phone.

Camera:
The users can experience a high quality digital imaging feature with them, wherever they go. As a matter of fact, the phone is integrated with a 5 mega pixels camera complete with a flash, auto focus and face detection feature. The high-end camera allows the users to capture those fun moments of their life. With the help of video capabilities, you can record moving footage with ease. One can record video in various popular formats such as DivX, MPEG4 and many more.

Music Player:
On the musical front, the handset is empowered with a music player and a FM radio. The handset allows the users to play their favourite music for entertainment on various popular formats. An integrated FM radio comes with a RDS feature which allows the user to view information on their screen, while listening to the radio station.

Messages:
With the help of comprehensive messaging options, the users can stay in contact with others without making a call. One can experience wide selection of messaging services such as multimedia picture messaging, enhanced messaging, email as well as text messaging.

http://www.directphoneshop.co.uk/dealset.asp?id=1332

To conclude, the LG Secret comes with a rechargeable battery which provides approximately 260 hours of stand by battery time or up to 4 hours talk time from a single charge.

http://www.directphoneshop.co.uk/mobile-phones/lg-mobile

Google Keyword Suggestion
I was checking some keywords with the keyword tool and was BLOWN AWAY to see actual numbers have replaced the green bar general indication of what the number of searches are. THIS IS AWESOME, since it gives us hard data on how many people are using any specific keyword phrase. This information is critical for web site optimization or blog optimization.

Rank Checking and Overture (Not Yahoo) Keyword Tool
Still tainted by people looking for rankings, this information may be as good or better than anything out there for keyword research. I loved Overture's keyword suggestion option and Yahoo was stupid to let it decline, in my opinion. WordTracker may be pretty good, but I never liked it and thought their fees were excessive. I think it's also over-kill for small business owners.

Global Search Query Data
What we really need is something that would take search query data from as many sources as possible, weight the results based on the probability that people are doing rank checking, and aggregate the data into something that would really represent global search query numbers. Now that would be cool! Just think about how much better your search engine optimization, SEO, and SEM would be with marketing data like that.

Google's Privacy Policy Link: Too Little, Too Late?  

By Wendy Davis, Monday, July 7, 2008
Now that it's facing a genuine privacy crisis, Google has decided to quell a completely insignificant privacy dust-up. The search giant has finally placed a link to its privacy policy on the home page. Previously, users had to click on multiple links, or search on the terms "Google privacy policy," to reach the information.

This purely cosmetic change might placate some watchdogs, who argued that Google was violating California law by not including the link on its home page, but does nothing to solve the larger problem: Google stores too much information about its users.

Among other data, the company retains logs showing users' IP addresses and their search queries. Google contends that IP addresses don't usually reveal people's identities. But that assertion ignores the reality that examining all of a person's searches can in itself reveal identity. In other words, users' identities can be deduced whether the IP address is real or a made-up sequence of numbers -- as long as it's paired with all of the searches originating from a single computer.

Last week, a federal judge ordered Google to disclose to Viacom complete user logs for YouTube, including all users' IP addresses, screen names and which videos they watched. Google and Viacom have since tried to quell privacy concerns, with Google saying it will ask to "anonymize" IP addresses, even though that won't necessarily preserve users' privacy as long as all of their information is still paired with the same identifier. Viacom has also said it will handle all information confidentially.

As privacy advocates point out, Google wouldn't be facing this problem now if it hadn't compiled and stored these records in the first place.

Louis Stanton, the federal judge who issued the order in the YouTube lawsuit, wrote in his opinion that Google argues in its public policy blog that IP addresses aren't necessarily personally identifiable. "We have proposed broad global privacy standards, and are strong supporters of the idea that data protection laws should apply to any data that could identify you. The reality is though that in most cases, an IP address without additional information cannot," the blog states.

But, on other sections of its site, Google equates IP addresses with personally identifiable information. "Due to user privacy concerns, Google Analytics doesn't report on personally identifiable information, including a visitor's IP address," the company states on a site about Google's analytics tool.

In other words, even Google realizes that, for all practical purposes, IP addresses should be treated as personally identifiable information. Given the events of last week, the company should rethink the wisdom of retaining such data.

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From what I've seen the IP address can provide very specific information that can track people. This is especially true if a time and date stamp is included with the log informaiton, which it generally is. you may need a court order to get the information from the person's ISP, but that's not all that hard if you have a reason to request it. I think we need this. While tracking people can be as benign but annoying as showing you ads based on past activity, it can also be abused on a more serious level. On the other hand if everyone can mess around on the web with little or no chance of being identified or tracked..., well, we already have enough spammers, hackers, crackers, and Turkish script kiddies to keep us busy.

Perhaps Google should encrypt the IP address and some of the other information to keep it from being abused, well abused by anyone except them. Of course if we saw signs of abuse then we would know it was them, wouldn't we...?



 

Sun Executive Says Company Not Suffering from Open Source Malaise Stifling Novell

Sun's Chief Open Source Officer disputes Novell CEO's claim that Solaris and OpenSolaris operating systems are going nowhere.

Louisville, KY  - April 15, 2008 -- Novell is the company stuck in an open source malaise, not Sun Microsystems, at least according to Simon Phipps, chief open source officer for Sun. While talking with IT Business Edge, Phipps responded to comments Novell CEO Ron Hovsepian made regarding the future of Sun and OpenSolaris during a recent Linux Foundation podcast. Phipps said that Hovsepian quoted inaccurate download numbers for OpenSolaris while criticizing Sun's open source strategy. 
    
"I think that what Mr. Hovsepian is doing here is 'whistling in the dark,' as they say." stated Phipps. "I think he's worried about the resurgence of a new, fast, innovative OpenSolaris."

Phipps noted that many open source vendors offer commercial and free versions, with support available only for the commercial offering. In response to Hovsepian's suggestion that Sun's strategy for balancing open source and commercial interests isn't right, Phipps said, "Novell's got a big problem. What they're doing is trying to sell open source software as if it was proprietary software. The comment that Mr. Hovsepian made seems to be projecting Novell's malaise onto Sun, but we don't have that malaise. We ship a completely free piece of software that anyone can download and use without any restrictions."

The full interview with Phipps can be viewed at IT Business Edge: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/item/?ci=40871

Find the latest news impacting the open source market at the Open for Business Blog: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/osb/


About IT Business Edge and NarrowCast Group LLC
IT Business Edge delivers the information, analysis and context that business technology decision makers need to devise strategies, optimize resources and capitalize on IT investments. As a Technology Intelligence Agent, we provide our audience with practical online content and useful tools different from anything offered by traditional IT publishers, news services or analyst firms. IT Business Edge features our business-focused blogs, exclusive interviews with field experts and industry insiders, plus our database of more than 25,000 abstracts summarizing content from 3,500-plus sources.

IT Business Edge is published by NarrowCast Group, LLC, a privately held online media company that targets high-level business technology decision-makers. The company offers IT vendors varied opportunities to access this coveted audience through high-impact advertising and lead-generation programs. Through an array of partnerships with other publishers, NarrowCast Group also markets select books, training products and software tools directly to its subscribers, creating a diverse revenue model while meeting the comprehensive information needs of its customers.

Press Contact: Jeff Yocom
Company Name: NarrowCast Group/IT Business Edge
Phone: 502-515-6461
Website: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/

Protus Responds to Patent Lawsuit brought by j2 Global Communications

OTTAWA-- July 03, 2008 --Fast growing Canadian technology company Protus IP Solutions responded today to a competitor's patent infringement suit by noting that the asserted patents are not relevant to the company or any of its products.

The plaintiff (j2 Global Communications) has accused Protus' popular MyFax Internet fax services of infringing two patents. The lawsuit was filed in the Eastern District of Texas.

Last year Protus defeated j2 Global Communications in another patent lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. Judge Dean Pregerson issued an order on November 13, 2007 dismissing the case against Protus, with prejudice (meaning the patents cannot be reasserted against Protus). The case was closely followed by technology and communications companies because j2 Global Communications, prior to targeting Protus, licensed the patents to more than 30 companies. Protus was the first company to challenge these patents in the courts and was awarded a decisive victory.

"This is another meritless case by j2. In the last case the court held that the patents did not apply to Protus' services," said Andrea Girones, General Counsel at Protus. "We are confident that this case will be dismissed as well."

"I'm not surprised that j2 feels compelled to continue to clog the courts with these unfounded lawsuits," said Joseph Nour, Protus' Chief Executive Officer. "Protus' MyFax is the fastest growing Internet fax service in the market and is aggressively gaining market share against j2's eFax. We are confident that we will win this case on its merits and MyFax will continue to erode j2's market share."

About Protus

Protus® provides the highest quality software as a service (SaaS) communications tools for small-to-medium-businesses (SMB) and enterprise organizations, including award-winning MyFax, the fastest growing Internet fax service; my1voice, the cost-effective, feature-rich virtual PBX phone service that travels with the user from phone to web; and Campaigner and CampaignerPro, software-as-a-service email marketing solutions with advanced automation features. Protus' commitment to delivering a superior user experience has resulted in a continually growing and loyal customer base, allowing market leadership in industries including finance, insurance, real estate, healthcare, transportation and government. For more information about Protus and its family of communication tools, call 888-733-7007 or visit www.protus.com.

Contacts

Protus
Sue Rutherford
613-733-0000 x 519 or srutherford@protus.com
Tech Image
Tracy Shryer
847-279-0022 x230 or tracy.shryer@techimage.com

SEMPO Institute To Present "Generating Leads with Practical Search Engine Marketing" Session at Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Houston, TX

Session will provide strategy and best practices in SEO and PPC

WAKEFIELD, Mass.-- July 02, 2008 --Thousands of Microsoft partners attend the annual Worldwide Partner Conference to network and tap into the latest business-growth opportunities each year. One area of growing interest is search engine marketing, also known as SEO and PPC. Microsoft has invited SEMPO Institute to present a session on search engine marketing at this year's conference, which is being held in Houston, TX from July 7-10. Cindy Turrietta, a contributing author for two of SEMPO Institute's online courses, and Katie Donovan, SEMPO Institute's Business Development Manager, will highlight the current marketing environment that benefits small, medium and large companies with search engine marketing strategies. The session will blend strategy with best practices to ensure attendees have the ability to act on what they learn. "Generating Leads with Practical Search Engine Marketing" will be presented on Thursday July 10th from 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Central Time in Grand Ballroom B at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Over the past few months, SEMPO Institute and Microsoft Worldwide Partners have been working on new instructional tools for partners. This session is the first to be rolled out. "Search Engine Marketing is a critical business tool for our partners," states Jennifer Siddall, Microsoft Senior Marketing Manager Worldwide Partner Marketing. "We anticipate great business benefits for our partners as they further incorporate SEO and PPC into their marketing efforts."

About SEMPO Institute

SEMPO Institute is a non-profit, online career development organization, whose purpose is to educate and train professionals in the growing field of search engine marketing. Suppo  rted by SEMPO, SEMPO Institute's courses are developed by experts in search marketing and then peer-reviewed for accuracy and best practices. Since its first course in January, 2007, SEMPO Institute has educated more than 800 individuals in search marketing. SEMPO Institute's courses are available to SEMPO members and the general public. For more information, please visit www.SEMPOInstitute.com or call +1 (781) 876-6214.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software - any time, any place and on any device.

Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Contacts

SEMPO Institute
Katie Donovan, 781-876-6214
Business Development Manager
kdonovan@sempoinstitute.com

Open Source Telephony - Is it Disruptive or an Evolution?

LONDON-- July 01, 2008 --Open source telephony is gradually gaining traction in Europe due its cost advantages over proprietary IP PBX and call centre products. Frost & Sullivan's analysis shows that the cost of an open source telephony 'line' can be up to 40 per cent less than an averagely priced IP PBX/Communication Manager. Total cost of ownership (TCO) comparison indicates a similar picture, with the cost benefits far greater in a call centre environment and in settings where the proportion of 'professional services fee' is higher.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.enterprise.frost.com), European Open Source Telephony Market, finds that the market shipped more than 74,000 lines in 2007 and estimates this to reach 1.95 million in 2013.

Frost & Sullivan studied a number of 500+ extension deployments in the open source telephony markets. Some of them included complex integration, while others were across numerous sites distributed across continents. These deployments are testimony of the capabilities of the technology and the expertise of the people supporting it.

"Our research finds that many of the open source telephony vendors have been enjoying a very high growth rate," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Dorota Oviedo. "Several notable open source telephony vendors are investing in the European market and 2008 will be dominated by channel activities, especially channel recruitment and training. Established participants will be investing to expand their footprint mainly through distribution."

Nevertheless, mindshare and user acceptance of open source telephony is relatively low at present. Open source telephony vendors face a huge challenge in competing against participants that use proprietary technologies. These vendors benefit from their well-established (legacy) market position, brand image, strong distribution network and strong relationship with the customer base.

"The biggest challenge that the open source market has been facing and gradually overcoming is the issue of negative market perceptions," says Oviedo. "Open source projects are relatively young and thus, struggle with market concerns and perceptions of lack of support, scalability, functionality or reliability."

Open source telephony vendors should invest in building awareness through site visits, publishing success stories, and so on. Research suggests that once prospects overcome the initial reluctance and run a test system, success rate for open source telephony deployment is relatively high.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users and other industry participants with an overview of the European open source telephony market, then send an e-mail to Joanna Lewandowska, Corporate Communications, at joanna.lewandowska@frost.com, with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, company e-mail address, company website, city, state and country. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.

European Open Source Telephony Market is part of the Enterprise Communications Growth Partnership Service programme, which also includes research in the following markets: business telephony, telephony endpoints, peer-to-peer telephony, mobile enterprise, and unified messaging. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team MembershipT empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.

European Open Source Telephony Market

M287-62
Contacts

Frost & Sullivan
Corporate Communications - Europe
Joanna Lewandowska, +48 22 390 41 46
joanna.lewandowska@frost.com
or
Corporate Communications - North America
Mireya Castilla, 210-247-3830
F: 210-348-1003
mireya.castilla@frost.com
or
Corporate Communications - Southeast Asia
Sarah Lourdes, +603 6207.1030
F: +603 6201 7402
sarah.lourdes@frost.com
or
Corporate Communications - South Asia
Caroline Lewis, +91.22.4001 3438
F: +91.22.2832 4713
caroline.lewis@frost.com
or
Corporate Communications - Middle East
Nimisha Iyer, +91 22 4001 3404
F: +91 22 2832 4713
niyer@frost.com
or
Corporate Communications - China
Amelia Wong, +86 21 5407 5783 Ext 8669
M: +86 13621724823
amelia.wong@frost.com
or
Corporate Communications - Africa
Patrick Cairns, +27 18 468 2315
patrick.cairns@frost.com
or
Corporate Communications - Latin America
José María Jantus, +54-11-4777-9951
F: +54-11-4777-0071
jose.jantus@frost.com
http://www.frost.com

First-Come. First-Served Registration for .ME Coming Soon!

Web's Newest Domain Name Extension Set for Open Registration July 17

PODGORICA, Montenegro-- July 01, 2008 --The .ME Registry is about to open domain name registrations on a first-come, first-served basis, and if initial indicators are accurate, the .ME domain names will move quickly. Open Registration officially begins July 17.

The .ME Registry concluded its Landrush Period June 26. The 20-day time span was the first opportunity for the public to apply for .ME domain names. More than 80 different accredited registrars from 24 countries are offering the catchy domain extension.

"In the Landrush already, applicants from around the world will be receiving some excellent domain names such as Click-On.ME, ChatWith.ME and Optimize.ME - illustrating just a few of the catchy names being awarded," said Predrag Lesic, the registry's executive director. "This extension really does lend itself to creative and attractive names whether for business or personal use."

Right now, the official Quiet Period is in effect. During this Quiet Period, the .ME Registry will be making domain awards, and in cases where multiple applications for the same name were received, auctions will be held. To date, through Sunrise and Landrush, the .ME Registry has received more than 30,000 .ME applications.

"This has been one of the quickest, most efficient contract-to-market timelines for any domain name extension," said Lesic. "Open Registration is a prime time to secure your dotME."

Two-year minimums are required on all .ME domain names registered during the Landrush and initial Open Registration periods.

For more information, or to apply to be a .ME Registrar, visit: www.Domain.ME.

About the .ME Registry:

.ME Registry (the d.b.a. of doMEn, d.o.o.) was chosen by the government of Montenegro to operate the new .ME domain name extension. The domain extension will be available to the general public worldwide in mid-July. .ME Registry partners include ME-net, GoDaddy.com and Afilias Limited. Me-Net is located in Montenegro, and its principals have been leaders in the ICT sector in Montenegro, including the privatization of its largest ISP. GoDaddy.com is located in the USA and is the world's largest domain name registrar and the largest paid hostname provider in the world, according to Netcraft Ltd. Afilias Limited is headquartered in Ireland and is a leading registry services provider, supporting more than 13 million domains worldwide.

Contacts

.ME Registry
Telephone: 382.281.601.303
Info@Domain.me