Yahoo Accused of Stealing Trade Secrets - interactive speech technology project - voice powered web search
Update 2: Yahoo Accused of Stealing Trade Secrets - Forbes.com: "Yahoo Accused of Stealing Trade Secrets
A Silicon Valley technology company is suing Yahoo Inc. for allegedly stealing trade secrets by hiring away 13 key engineers who had nearly completed its interactive speech technology project.
Nuance Communications Inc. said it would ask a Santa Clara County judge Friday to block Yahoo from allowing the engineers to work on the technology it intended to market to Yahoo and other Internet companies.
The California case concerns voice recognition technology that Nuance says was at least 75 percent complete before its vice president of research and development, Larry Heck, took a job at Santa Clara-based Yahoo. About a dozen Nuance engineers on the project followed him to Yahoo this month, leading Nuance to conclude that Yahoo is attempting to swipe its technology...
The technology at issue is called Nuance Directory Assistance Automation, which allows phone users to get information, such as phone listings, without speaking to a person.
Nuance says the technology is relevant as cell phones and Internet telephony are merging in some of the hottest technological crazes. Internet auction site eBay Inc., for example, is acquiring Skype, a free computer-to-computer phone service, for more than $2 billion.
Nuance said that one day its voice technology could enable users to search the Web with their voices instead of typing on a keyboard."
Lycos searching for new, improved identity
Internet Daily: Lycos searching for new, improved identity - Electronic commerce - Entertainment and Leisure - Internet Services - Internet Software - Media - Online Retail - Travel - Wireless Technologies - Transport
"The new man at the top of Lycos Inc. is determined to teach the old dog some new tricks.
Alfred Tolle says that while the 10-year-old Web company is the 16th most trafficked site, he fears it's lost in the marketplace. The former Bertelsmann AG executive has embarked on a three-year strategy to position Lycos.com as an Internet hub for consumer-created content like photo albums, podcasts, video blogs, and short films. He hopes the payoff will be a return to the public markets with an offering in 2007....
He concedes acquisitions are possible, mentioning Technorati, a Web log search service, in the same breath...
Lycos has 42 destination Web sites. In six months, there will be fewer."
Blogging for money : make cash from adwords on blogs
Borsa-Italia.Net => News => Joe Harris, Blogging for Cash: "Joes new to blogspace and the web in general, but already found ways to make money online by blogging about specific Google AdSense-friendly keywords. While some might call this search engine spam, Joe begs to differ"
He writes "about 28 blogs and one website. About 6 of the blogs are personal. While they do contain AdSense they are not necessarily driven toward revenue generation. 2 of the other blogs are just about fun stuff; things I find funny or interesting. They also contain AdSense but again are not necessarily revenue driven.
The other 16 or so blogs are driven by high paying keywords in order to maximize AdSense revenue."
In other words he finds out which adword keywords cost the most to the advertiser then builds his blogs around them. He differs from many in that he actually puts some unique content onto his pages - using the high cost keywords - arguing that this gives user value to his blogs as well as maximising his revenue from clicks on the related adwords.
Fighting for freedom on the Internet
Telecom Report: Fighting for freedom on the Internet - Internet Services - Telecommunications - Internet - Fiber Optics - Economy: "WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - Should Web surfers be allowed to go to any Internet site they want, use their computers to make free phone calls or download big video files without paying extra?
Millions of Americans who connect to the Internet can do all those things now, and in all likelihood, they'll be able to do those things in the future. To make sure of that, Congress has been working on proposals to enshrine the right of "Net neutrality" into law.
The push for such a law has been triggered in part by several isolated cases of network operators blocking customers from using Internet-phone service. Earlier this year, federal regulators fined Madison River Communications after the Mebane, N.C.-based company blocked traffic from Vonage, a supplier of Internet-phone service.
"Consumers should be able to go wherever they want to go on the Web whenever they want to," said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a group dedicated to preserving "open access" to communications systems.
Determining what should remain open and available to all, however, is not as easy as it sounds. Critics question whether any legislation is needed at all."
"The Science of Opportunity"
"The Science of Opportunity" "There's a lot to be said for careful planning and cautious review when starting a small business. But there's another side to the story, say some entrepreneurs, and that's following up a good opportunity and seizing it.
Howard Melamed calls it "the science of opportunity." In 2002, he and his wife Barbara took a long-time electronics hobby and turned it into a business -- CellAntenna. Today, their company boasts offices in Florida and London, and expects to do $6 million in revenue this year. Smart Answers columnist Karen E. Klein recently spoke with Howard about the importance of carpe diem in business. Edited excerpts of their conversation follow:
You attribute a lot of your business acumen to this philosophy about never failing to pursue an opportunity. What do you mean?
I believe that when opportunity comes your way, you have to explore it. I don't discount anything, especially things that look improbable. There are chance happenings and unlikely events in your life all the time. Your responsibility is to make the most of them. "
Microsoft Reorg Needs Soviet-Style Display of Power
Microsoft Reorg Needs Soviet-Style Display of Power: "Microsoft is reorganizing into three groups -- Windows, applications and gaming/entertainment. Makes perfect sense to me. But are the new division heads up to the task? Time will tell, but David Coursey has a better idea. Why not take a page from the old Soviet-style military parade, and put the leaders on a porch for all to see. We'd know more, and wouldn't have to wade through miles of propaganda to figure out what's up."
There's Something to Learn from Googlebombing
There's Something to Learn from Googlebombing: "Google has placed an explanatory AdWords ad into the mix for these types of searches.
The ad reads
"Why these results?
These results may seem politically
slanted. Here's what happened.
www.google.com/googleblog".'
It is on the right if you search for 'miserable failure and links to
Official Google Blog: Googlebombing 'failure'
Marissa Mayer, Director of Consumer Web Products writes:
"If you do a Google search on the word [failure] or the phrase [miserable failure], the top result is currently the White House’s official biographical page for President Bush. We've received some complaints recently from users who assume that this reflects a political bias on our part. I'd like to explain how these results come up in order to allay these concerns.
We don't condone the practice of googlebombing, or any other action that seeks to affect the integrity of our search results, but we're also reluctant to alter our results by hand in order to prevent such items from showing up. Pranks like this may be distracting to some, but they don't affect the overall quality of our search service, whose objectivity, as always, remains the core of our mission."
I wouldn't recommend Googlebombing per se to improve rankings, but when used appropriately keyword rich linking is a very effective way to increase rankings."
This Googlebombing comment from Google continues the opening up of communications between Google and the rest of the world and also highlights why you should encourage sites to link to you with descriptive text not just an URL or company name.
Bloggers debate what reorg means for Microsoft
Bloggers debate what reorg means for Microsoft | CNET News.com: "Microsoft's announcement of a dramatic reorganization sparked a flurry of chatter in the blogosphere...
But one of the newly formed divisions in particular is leading to speculation about Microsoft's plans for the future. That Microsoft has folded its MSN group into its platform product development group is a signal that the company is reacting to Google's dominance on the Web front and will use the new group to compete in the realm of on-demand software..
Many in the blogging community see the move as the death throes of an aging company on its way out. But despite all the talk about how this restructuring will affect the software giant's future, the news didn't come as a shock to some, who noted that any large company is due for a shakeup now and then and that Microsoft was simply cleaning house like any smart company would. "
Behemoth Battleground � AOL being sought by Google and Microsoft?
Behemoth Battleground AOL being sought by Google and Microsoft?: "We all know that Google and MSN are on the way to being locked into a war that goes far beyond simply being the best search engine. Google and MSN are each aiming at being the company that completely dominates the Internet...
In what might appear to be one of the highest stakes games of Monopoly ever played, AOL represents one of the few remaining high-power areas in which deals can be made, at least in the current configuration of the search game-board. Both Google and Microsoft would both see great benefits from an acquisition of AOL, including the virtual hobbling of the other."
SEO Tips Local Names Should be Used Wisely
SEO Tips Local Names Should be Used Wisely: "At the bottom of documents in sites serving many geographic areas we sometimes find a list of dozens to hundreds of individual place names, often listed in alphabetical order. Every SEO or SEM sees this, often several times a day, especially on real estate related sites.
The lists of geographic names are placed there in the hopes that the major search engines will associate the site with the various locations. We have no idea why some webmasters would assume this method would achieve placements relating these geographic locations. It won't.
A better idea would be to establish a unique content page for each of those locations, provided the location was truly large enough to warrant it. This is easier said than done as each page should be relevant to its topic and specific location and useful to site visitors. In other words, each page should contain location-specific information and content.
This will provide search spiders a good reason to consider documents highly relevant for Kalamazoo Real Estate or Hotels in Billings Montana or Tours of Madrid. When thinking about locations, search engines and local search options, keep in mind the major spiders really do know how and why a particular word is being used on a page. It is no longer a matter of simple character recognition. It is now a matter of contextual relevance."
Pace Thyself
MediaPost Publications - Pace Thyself - 09/19/2005: "The moral of Aesop's 'The Tortoise and the Hare,' is worth noting here: 'Slow and steady wins the race.'
There are always those anxious early-adopters and impatient industry-watchers ready to move on as soon as ideas are hatched and before they have a chance to take hold. And that's fine because their pace serves a purpose --- to egg everyone on and lead the way --- as long as it doesn't conflict with an idea's potential for success.
The facts remain: There's just as much to be learned from the blogosphere today as there was a year ago, and the value of superstitials, say, or any type of out-of-banner rich media ad, is just as potent as it was two years ago. The messages might seem tired, but their promise is alive and well. "
Microsoft takes on Google by opening up MSN
Internet News Article | Reuters.com: " Microsoft Corp. is making some of the features on its Internet division site, MSN, available to outside software developers as it takes on Google Inc. in the Web-based information and services market. Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, is encouraging software developers to write programs that tap into MSN, hoping such programs will increase the number of visitors to MSN properties in the same way millions of Web users are attracted to Google's search, e-mail, news and other services. "
Donald Trump blogs about small business :: Freelance UK
Donald Trump blogs about small business :: Freelance UK
Trump University:
"Entrepreneurs running a small business don’t have the usual "mainstream places" to consult when they need advice on how to grow their company that are so often taken for granted by large corporations.
Donald Trump says that’s the reason why he set up Trump University and its attached blog – so small business owners can have somewhere to learn about critical business strategies.
In his ‘Ode to small business owners’ the entrepreneur and TV star says that small companies are just as critical to a country’s economical livelihood as big corporations, and often, they have the same queries.
“These leaders need to understand how to hire, manage, motivate, and develop their employees,” he says on Trump University’s homepage.
“When a small business owner has a staff of only a handful of people, it's hardly practical to hire a coach to dispense business advice.”
But according to the real estate mogul, small business owners need look no further than the internet: “The resources are right at your fingertips,” he recommends.
Real brand evolution
The Copernicus MZine: "Darwin Must Be Rolling Over in His Grave
The Corporate Version of Natural Selection is Not Brand Evolution...
There comes a time in every brand's life when management has to make some significant strategic changes to propel it into the future. Most call this process "brand evolution." Unfortunately, many companies seem to be confusing superficial tactical changes, which more often than not simply mirror what a successful competitor is doing, with real brand evolution. We tackle the topic in this edition of The Copernicus Mzine.
Real brand evolution—the kind Harvard Business School cases and Wall Street Journal articles are written about—is based on understanding what customer problems are out there that players in the industry have ignored and you can solve profitably.
Instead of shifting its focus to higher income shoppers, is there some problem, besides having tight budgets, its core group of lower income customers have that Wal-Mart could solve? Same goes for higher income customers—what do they need besides great buys on soap and fashionable clothing (which, let's face it, they're more likely to buy at Target, a department store, or catalog than at Wal-Mart)? These are the kind of questions companies like IBM, Intel, and ExxonMobil all asked themselves before truly evolving their brands in new marketing directions and how the "fittest" survive."
Will web users Flock to social surfing?
New Scientist Breaking News - Will web users Flock to social surfing?: "A “social” web browser has been created to meet the needs of a new generation of web users who want to edit, comment on and share web content, rather than just peruse it.
With the underlying capabilities of a basic web browser like Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Mozilla's Firefox, the new browser, called Flock – after the buzz it hopes to create – adds features specifically designed to make writing, editing, sharing and displaying web content faster and easier...
Flock is also designed so that as you type your blog and paste photos, you see the blog exactly as it will appear when it is published, a highly desirable and time-saving property known as WYSIWYG (pronounced “whizz-ee-wigg”), for “What You See Is What You Get”.
“It’s still crude but the potential is there,” says Tanglao. A single button lets you switch between the underlying html code, and the WYSIWIG image.
Flock also highlights how open source projects can foster innovation. Its basic browser capabilities use the same code as Firefox, which can be built upon by anyone because it is open source. “It has all the benefits of Firefox and adds some really cool features,” says Arrington.
Even less tech-savvy users will flock to Flock’s “social bookmarking” feature, Tanglao hopes.
This allows bookmarks to be accessed from any PC and shared to create an index of popular tagged pages that can be searched by other users. This capability is currently provided by the site http://del.icio.us but is not yet used by many mainstream web surfers. "
Update 4: Microsoft, AOL Discuss Online Partnership - Forbes.com
Update 4: Microsoft, AOL Discuss Online Partnership - Forbes.com: "Microsoft Corp. and Time Warner Inc. have been discussing potential online partnerships that would help the two companies better compete against rivals Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc., two people familiar with the talks said Thursday.
They two said the discussions have been going on for months and that any possible deal is not imminent.
Microsoft and AOL - who just two years ago settled a bitter antitrust lawsuit over Microsoft's tactics in the Internet browser market - are discussing possible collaboration in search technology, online advertising and instant messaging, said the two sources, one of whom is an executive with Time Warner's America Online unit.
The other source, who works closely with Microsoft and has been involved in company discussions on the possible partnership, said the talks have heated up in the last couple weeks but are not advanced.
Both sources spoke on condition of anonymity...
The AOL executive said one aspect of the talks originally centered on using Microsoft's new MSN search engine on AOL, replacing AOL's current relationship with Google.
More recently, the executive said, the two companies have been talking about the possibility of deeper relationships, such as collaborating in the lucrative market of selling advertising online.
Such a collaboration could allow the two companies to benefit from growing interest in search-based advertising, helping them better compete against search leaders Google and Yahoo."
Mobile Working
ZDNet UK Reviews - Buyer's Guides - Mobile Working: "A business whose workforce can be productive away from the office is potentially a business with an edge over its competitors. But which technologies should you adopt? This guide examines the issues.
Mobile working, in the context of this guide, is about employees being productive away from what we traditionally consider to be �the office�. As such, it can cover a wide range of physical locations and situations: working while travelling; with clients in their own offices; with clients at neutral locations; away from the office at fixed locations such as conferences; when on medium- and long-term assignments; and at home.
Several elements must come together to facilitate a mobile working solution: back-office IT infrastructure, Internet connectivity, operating systems, applications and the mobile devices that actually deliver the services to employees. All of these elements must be carefully chosen to fit the specific business tasks required of them, and must appear as transparent as possible to the mobile workforce. Meanwhile, back at the office, there will be particular challenges for IT staff in designing, deploying and supporting mobile working solutions."
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis
eyefortravel.com - Travel Distribution News, Events and Analysis: "New Web sites from Google Inc. and Microsoft are encouraging independent software development, leading to new map-based services, according to Informationweek.com...
"Both companies have been mum on any moneymaking strategies for their sites, but they've released APIs (application programming interface) and say dozens of developers have created or are planning software based on them. Two known offerings, KMaps and Mobile GMaps, are for mobile use and can be accessed by cellular or Wi-Fi networks. Both are available via a Creative Commons license, which requires products be distributed for free and not used for commercial purposes," says the report.
However, according to Directions Magazine, Microsoft is the first of the new breed of map API providers to disclose its business model. "Lawler (Stephen Lawler, General Manager of the MapPoint Business and MSN Virtual Earth Business Unit) made it clear that Microsoft wanted to be able to offer both a technical solution for the range of interested developers (from hobbyists to professionals) and provide a viable economic solution for them as well (from those working in basements to those in corporate offices). So, there are essentially two options. Developers can use the control for no charge for commercial (and non-commercial) purposes. The control includes the What? and Where? tools which will, potentially anyway, send advertising dollars back to Microsoft's coffers. If developers would rather not include those two boxes, they are welcome to sign a contract, essentially the MapPoint Web Service contract, to gain access without those additions. Entering into such a contract is essentially a service level agreement, guaranteeing 99.9% uptime and the like. The free version has no such guarantees," says a directionsmag.com report."
Are You Innovative?
MediaPost Publications - Are You Innovative? - 09/14/2005: "WHAT IS 'INNOVATION'? Is Innovation the term used to describe the development of new ideas? The dictionary defines Innovation as 'the act of introducing something new.' It is also defined as 'a creation resulting from study and experimentation.' Given these definitions, are you innovative?...
Innovation is really a form of evolution. If we follow the definition of "creation resulting from study and experimentation," then we see that Innovation is really just the integration of knowledge to develop something new and better. Innovation is not a revolutionary idea. It does not need to be significant changes on a grand scale; it can be slighter changes over an extended period of time...
For true Innovation to be practiced, you must actually listen to the consumer. They are the ones with the appropriate feedback and they are the ones with the practical knowledge. The question I pose is how many of your brands are set up to do this? How many of your brands are actually in a position to listen and respond to the consumer? How many of your brands would actually welcome the feedback and incorporate it into the products you develop?
...back to the original question... are you Innovative? I imagine you'll say "Of course we are," but the better question to ask is whether you're set-up to listen to, and respond to, feedback from the customer. If you are, and if you do, then chances are you are set-up to be innovative. If you aren't listening to your customers, then you are definitely missing something. "
Yahoo Launches Test of E-Mail Upgrade
Yahoo Launches Test of E-Mail Upgrade - Forbes.com: "Yahoo Inc. on Wednesday will begin testing a sleeker version of its free e-mail service, shifting to a more dynamic design that mimics the look and feel of a computer desktop application like Microsoft Corp.'s Outlook. "
BookCrossing - the SweetPetunia bookshelf nice link
BookCrossing - the SweetPetunia bookshelf: "Appreciative applause to
TotalTravel.com.au for this link to my home town region:
Campbelltown/Macarthur Area"
Ed Silk Real Estate
Mention but text only.....
Ed Silk Real Estate: "We will draft a full description and recommend tariff rates which will, subject to your instructions, form the basis of the text for all promotion of your property. We will take a suite of photos of your property which also become a virtual tour for the websites.
Your property will be placed on our websites www.edsilk.com.au, http://www.domain.com.au/, http://www.realestate.com.au/ and
totaltravel.com."
Microsoft Offers to Settle Suit Vs. Google - Forbes.com
Update 4: Microsoft Offers to Settle Suit Vs. Google - Forbes.com: "Hours after a state judge ruled that a former Microsoft Corp. executive may begin doing limited work for rival Google Inc., a top Microsoft lawyer said the software giant was prepared to settle its lawsuit if the restrictions on Kai-Fu Lee remain in effect until next summer. "
ReBrand 100 International Awards Competition - Entry Form - Recognition - 2006 Jurors
ReBrand 100 International Awards Competition - Entry Form - Recognition - 2006 Jurors: "ReBrand 100 is the first international awards competition established to recognize the world's 100 most effective rebrands: the repositioning, revitalizing, restructuring, or redesign of some or all of an existing brand's assets to address various business challenges...
Any rebrand launched anywhere in the world between January 2003 and September 2005 is eligible. Entries may be submitted by anyone including in-house corporate professionals, design firms, clients, architects, business strategists, advertising agencies, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. A single organization can enter multiple brands, or enter a project into multiple categories. The rebrand may have been for a product, service, an entire company, non-profit organization, an individual, a city, a country, or a physical environment."
Yahoo!'s Content Play
MediaPost Publications - Yahoo!'s Content Play - 09/12/2005: "YAHOO! TODAY OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED ITS long-awaited entry into original content.
At a lunch today at New York City's Bryant Park Grill, Yahoo! introduced its latest hire--journalist and roving war correspondent Kevin Sites."
EBay to Buy Internet Phone Firm for $2.6 Billion - New York Times
EBay to Buy Internet Phone Firm for $2.6 Billion - New York Times: "EBay has agreed to buy Skype Technologies, the Internet phone company based in Luxembourg, for about $2.6 billion in cash and stock, the companies announced today."
Microsoft Web plan takes aim at Google
Microsoft Web plan takes aim at Google | CNET News.com: "Microsoft will take aim at rival Google next week with a new Web development plan.
The software company plans to open access to its MSN and other public Web sites to let developers assemble new applications that build on those sites--a technique used successfully at Google and at other Web companies to promote their properties.
Microsoft will detail its 'Web platform' strategy at its Professional Developers Conference in Los Angeles next week, company executives told CNET News.com. It intends to publish the application programming interfaces, or APIs, to some of its public Web sites, including MSN Search, and deliver better tools to write those applications. "
Yahoo Founder Explains China E-Mail Move
Update 1: Yahoo Founder Explains China E-Mail Move - Forbes.com: "Yahoo had to comply with a demand by Chinese authorities to provide information about a personal e-mail of a journalist who was later convicted under state secrecy laws and sentenced to 10 years in prison, the company's co-founder Jerry Yang said Saturday...
The demand for the information was a "legal order" and Yahoo gets such requests from law enforcement agencies all the time, and not just in China, Yang told the forum "
Paypal launch micropayment service
Netimperative - Paypal launches micropayment service: "Online payment service PayPal has announced new micropayments processing fees for low-cost digital goods in the US.
The eBay-owned firm said the new pricing will provide merchants with a more cost-effective way to process payments for digital content such as video games, online greeting cards, news articles, mobile phone content and digital music. The service will give customers the option of making a-la-carte purchases for items worth less than $2, without having to sign up for annual subscriptions or pre-funded payment accounts. "
Blogging-for-profit how-to course attracts 800
Internet Daily: "Darren Rowse became a celebrity in the blogosphere earlier this year by saying, 'I expect that this year my blogging will generate a six-figure income.' Now he's hoping to generate even more money with a 'how-to' series of telephone conferences on the theme of, naturally enough,'Six Figure Blogging.'
Through weekly hour-long calls beginning next Wednesday night, Melbourne, Australia-based Rowse will teach bloggers how to choose a niche topic, tweak Google's (GOOG: news, chart, profile) AdSense service for maximum revenue, and write well. 'It's not a get-rich-quick scheme,' Rowse said in an interview. 'It's a lot of work. I love the fact I can be writing about a topic I'm passionate about and I can earn a really decent income from it.' Rowse is conducting the course with Andy Wibbels, creator of the Easy Bake Weblogs seminar series. The "early bird" fee, which expires Friday, is $270. As many as 800 people signed up for a preview course call this week."
Even Bill Gates Does It - the art of delegation
Even Bill Gates Does It - Forbes.com: "Letting managers manage might be as critical to a company's success as having great products or a slick sales squad. As brilliant and revolutionary as Bill Gates and Michael Dell are, they still have to rely on capable operators like Steve Ballmer and Kevin Rollins to keep Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) and Dell (nasdaq: DELL - news - people ) firing on all circuits. Delegating also gives the next generation of managers a chance to hone their skills in the trenches.
Problem is, offloading even a sliver of responsibility is surprisingly hard to do, especially for entrepreneurs-cum-managers. 'It is a surrender of control,' says John Baldoni, head of Baldoni Consulting and author of Great Motivation Secrets of Great Leaders. 'If you want to work 160 hours a week, don't delegate. But you are going to crash and burn.'..
The best delegators, says Baldoni, are explicit when laying down new mandates but know enough to get the hell out of the way and let people figure out how to meet goals and solve problems themselves. "It's an affirmation of human dignity," he says."
Microsoft plans to outsource more, says ex-worker
The Seattle Times: Business & Technology: Microsoft plans to outsource more, says ex-worker: "Microsoft is on track to outsource more than 1,000 jobs a year to China, according to blistering evidence released yesterday in Microsoft's increasingly nasty spat with Google over an employee who jumped ship in July"
The Pending Problem With Patents
Business 2.0 :: Online Article :: Future Boy :: The Pending Problem With Patents: "FUTURE BOY A piece of major reform legislation that aims to address some of the patent system's underlying problems is currently making its way through Congress. Unfortunately, it would help large corporations more than the small-time inventors who come up with the majority of useful innovations... "
Yahoo IM users get more than they bargained for
Yahoo IM users get more than they bargained for | CNET News.com: "If you're one of the tens of millions of Yahoo users asked to upgrade your instant-messaging software this week, be on your toes: The update can open the door to unwanted PC houseguests--and setting changes--by default...
By accepting Yahoo's "typical" installation of YIM with Voice, it will also download Yahoo's Search Toolbar with anti-spyware and anti-pop-up software, desktop and system tray shortcuts, as well as Yahoo Extras, which will insert Yahoo links into the Internet Explorer browser. The IM client also contains "live words," which will automatically show an icon when the user highlights words online and then hyperlink to Yahoo search results, definitions or translation tools. Finally, the installation will alter the users' home page and auto-search functions to point to Yahoo by default.
To avoid these changes, users must actively choose the "custom" installation and uncheck five boxes...."
