Cell phone number release is a hoax
Compiled from Times wiresPublished January 23, 2006
Heard the one about your cell phone number being released to telemarketers?
Don't worry, it's a hoax. A widely circulated e-mail claims that cell phone numbers soon will be made available to telemarketing companies. If you don't add your number to the national do-not-call registry, goes the claim, your cell phone could be targeted - and you'll be stuck paying for the call. The e-mail is so prevalent that the hoax is at the top of the "25 Hottest Urban Legends" list compiled by snopes.com. It could be more of a misunderstanding than a hoax. The confusion, snopes.com says, is rooted in a proposal by cell phone companies to create a directory of cell phone numbers that would be made available to directory assistance providers. But the directory is only an idea, and under the proposal, cell phone owners would have to volunteer to be included. And there would be no printed list that telemarketers could access.
Microsoft giveaway to lure Lotus usersMicrosoft Corp. will give away software that eases the transition to its messaging and collaboration products, as part of a push to win clients from IBM Corp.'s Lotus Domino. Microsoft will offer three applications that allow businesses to analyze their Lotus systems and move to Microsoft, said Megan Kidd, a senior product manager. The free downloads will be released in the first and second quarters, she said. Chief executive Steve Ballmer has targeted businesses that use IBM's Lotus Notes e-mail system as he aims to boost sales growth from a low of 8 percent in the year ended June 30. Notes, which works with the Domino server, was designed by Ray Ozzie, who is chief technology officer at Microsoft.
Google buys radio ad companyGoogle Inc. is continuing to expand its advertising capabilities beyond the online world, agreeing to buy a company that automatically connects advertisers with radio stations. The price could top $1.2-billion. The company, dMarc Broadcasting Inc. of Newport Beach, Calif., creates an automated platform that lets advertisers more easily schedule and deliver ads over radio and keep track of when they air. On the broadcaster side, the dMarc technology automatically schedules and places such advertising, helping stations minimize costs. Under the deal, Google would pay dMarc at least $102-million in cash. If performance targets are met, Google would make additional payments of up to $1.14-billion over three years.
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