Dear Reader,

For any feedback on our newsletter, or to discuss how we can help you with your technology PR, marketing, copywriting or surveys, please email me at hbutters@prompt-communications.com. We are always delighted to hear from you.

Best regards,

Hazel Butters
Prompt Communications

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Technology Update

By Sean McManus and Lance Concannon

Texas court bans deep-linking

A Texas court has found a website operator who linked to a multimedia file on someone else's website guilty of copyright infringement. Robert Davis was linking his Supercrosslive to audio streams owned by SFX Motor Sports. These links bypassed all the advertising and associated content on the SFX Motor Sports site, but didn't involve Davis reproducing any content. Nevertheless, Judge Lindsay concluded that the link counts as a 'copied display or performance of SFX's copyrightable material', as Out-Law reports.

Some would argue that deep linking is unethical because it leeches off somebody else's bandwidth without sending them any visitor traffic that might help pay the bills. Others argue that anything online should be linkable. Many companies attempt to enforce rights they believe they should have to restrict incoming links: Eurostar bans linking to its websites without written permission (oops), and Danish mapping site Krak this week invoiced a blogger for linking to one of its web pages.

65% of Americans spend more time with PC than spouse

According to a survey carried out by independent research firm Kelton Research, 65% of Americans now spend more time with their PC than their life-partner. The report, entitled Cyber Stress, was commissioned by Support.com - a new online service offering IT support services to help consumers tackle common problems with their computers. The survey also found that 84% of respondents are more dependent on their PC than they were just three years ago, and that the average American wastes 12 hours a month due to problems with their computer.

Security fears plague MySpace

MySpace, the social networking site popular with young people and bands, has hit the headlines with three security scares in the last week. MySpace is suing Scott Richter, the so-called 'Spam King' who was forced to pay Microsoft $7 million in August 2005 after spamming Hotmail accounts. Richter now stands accused of using stolen MySpace credentials to send adverts pushing ringtones and polo shirts.

According to The Register, MySpace has also been hosting so-called 'scareware' adverts, which urge users to install software they don't need to tackle security problems they don't have. MySpace has bounced the blame onto its advertising networks and said that adware is against its terms of service. MySpace itself is facing a suit for negligence brought by families who allege the site failed to implement security measures early enough to protect their children from predatory adults.

Playstation 3 European launch date set

After much delay and speculation, the European launch date for the new Sony games console has been set. A million Playstation 3s are planned to fly into (and out of) European shops on 23 March. A quarter of the stock will be sold through the UK, with each console costing a whopping £425. Nintendo and Microsoft launched their cheaper rival consoles last year, and this new Playstation was due last spring. Sony will be hoping that gamers have put some money aside for its machine's eventual launch.

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Marketing Update

By Elissa Fry, Sally Forge and Lisa Facinelli

Where's Wally?

Well he's been acquired by Entertainment Rights, reports New Media Age. Entertainment Rights plans to develop the 'Where's Wally' brand into multi-media cross-platform content, after spending a cool £2.5m on buying the rights to the much loved character. Where's Wally is set to be developed on interactive platforms and launched onto websites, PC software, mobile games and hand-held console games for the education, gaming and entertainment markets. So next time someone asks you where Wally is you you'll be able to reply "Everywhere!"

Online gamers and marketers play fair

According to The New York Times, in December alone, 65.9 million men and women played games online. This diverse group of gamers make up a valuable market for advertisers who are looking for new ways to gain and retain attention from consumers, and what better way to do this than incorporate a brand message in the middle of a word game or puzzle? Web users can play free games and in return marketers get a new playground for advertisements. Consumers are even able to choose which adverts they watch for the first game they want to play, creating a fair play environment with gamers and marketers alike.

Have you seen Satoshi?

Given that it's been covered in the New York Times and a Guardian blog, and is based on people looking at pictures on the internet, it would be very surprising if this game had not come to its conclusion by the time you read this. Game company Mind Candy has launched a 'six-degrees-of-separation'-based online person-hunt, to promote a range of treasure hunt games.

The 'Find Satoshi' website challenges people to find Satoshi, based on nothing but a headshot and a first name - i.e. Satoshi. The idea being that every person in the world is connected to another by between 5 and 7 people, the theory is being applied to spread the word about the Mind Candy game 'Perplex City'. The Find Satoshi website says: "…the goal of this project is to harness the power of the Internet, and by passing on word of this project until it reaches someone who knows Satoshi." So anyone know Satoshi then?

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On the Blog

This week on the Prompt Communications Blog we've got a rare example of a news story breaking on a social media site rather than a conventional news service, and a look at why Web 2.0 isn't always good for business.

US Media Report

By Sally Forge

Clash magazine, the respected British music title, plans to launch a U.S. international edition later this year. It will open offices with small editorial staff in New York and Los Angeles, and run an initial print of 100,000 copies. While Clash is already available in the States, the U.S. edition will hire freelancers to write about American music to combine with its main content. According to publisher John O'Rourke, the "UK music scene is [...] very attractive to the US," and business development manager Murnin says "some American labels will actually launch their bands in the UK first," as in his example of The Killers. As well, Clash will be opening a small music venue in London this year.

The Los Angeles Times has taken the giant reorganizational step of catering to a readership that now prefers to get their news online. The LA Times will now deliver its breaking news online first, followed up by expanded coverage in the print copy. This is distinct from most papers' formats up until now, which reflect news in their online editions after having first been run in the print editions. Editor O'Shea is giving an "Internet 101" course to the print staff, to teach them all about posting their content online.

CNBC has launched a broadcast business news magazine, Business Nation, which first aired Jan 24^th at 10 pm Eastern. This monthly, hour-long 'newsmagazine' format show features news, interviews, human interest stories, and ends with a segment entitled, "How I made My Millions." CNBC is a financial news network that hosts business news, but a business magazine style show is a first, according to CNBC's VP of special programming Howard speaking to the New York Times. Howard was executive producer of 60 Minutes, which also featured three varying segments in its hour-long show.

UK Media Report

By Annie Kasmai

IDG Communications is planning to launch a new website, called ComputerWorld, which will focus on features and news relevant to IT managers. The website is planned to launch in spring 2007 and it will be edited by Computer Weekly's news editor, Mike Simons.

Computer Business Review (CBR) will be redesigned in February 2007. This new design includes: new content, layout and a new logo. As part of the new content CBR will be including a 5 minute interview with technology CEOs as well as a section with analyst viewpoints. There will also be a WebWatch section which will have a summary of all the latest IT news from the blogosphere. The website will also undergo a redesign to support the magazine and include more reader comments, forums and blogs.

Ed Holden has replaced Iestyn Armstrong-Smith as editor of both IT Reseller and Manufacturing & Logistics IT.

In 8^th January Doug Woodburn started as reporter at CRN. Woodburn replaces Trevor Treharne who left last year to join CRN in Australia. Woodburn previously worked as a senior business reporter at IT Europa.