Here’s a useful video explaining how Google ranks advertisers using the AdWords system. [Via]

The BBC bought and used a botnet which hijacked a number of vulnerable PCs to send email to several test accounts, with the blessing of security firm PrevX, in order to make an edition of BBC Click (the fact that the Beeb calls this their flagship technology programme yet it’s only available on BBC News or at stupidly early times, in highlight form, on BBC1 is another issue).

A technology lawyer believes the BBC broke the law even thought the Corporation (which we law-abiding Brits fund to the tune of £140 each per year and rising) didn’t do it with any malicious intent.

Straun Robertson claims, “It does not matter that the emails were sent to the BBC’s own accounts and criminal intent is not necessary to establish an offence of unauthorised access to a computer,” he adds.

“The Act requires that a computer has been made to perform a function with intent to secure access to any program or data on the computer.

“Using the botnet to send an email is likely to satisfy that requirement. It also requires that the access is unauthorised – which the BBC appears to acknowledge.”

It’s interesting that security firm PrevX gave their blessing to the experiments, even though (reportedly) most security software companies won’t mess around with computers even if they are infected.

I doubt anything will happen, but remember if you live in Britain you’ve helped to fund this little experiment.

@billt tweeted an interesting thought about using Lynx as a Twitter client.

Lynx is a text-only web browser that can be easily run from a command line. There’s a version installed on a web hosting account I used so I tried it out and… disaster.

Admittedly, there’s something a little odd going on with my version of Lynx, but even so, I couldn’t log in and the actual display was hard to use. You’d think that a text-based browser for a primarily text-based service would be great, but I didn’t think so.

I tried to access the mobile version of Twitter, too, but that just tried to get me to download something, which was most odd.

No, it’s desktop clients, iPhone clients or the plain old web site in Firefox or Safari for me.

If you’re over in Chicago, take a look at this working model of a Samsung Messenger. It’s 15 feet long, 13 feet high and 3 feet deep and has been used to make free voice calls and send text messages since Wednesday.

Totally impractical, of course, but it is an official Guinness world record. It’s around until Sunday. At least no-one’s going to steal this one.

The BBC has announced that it’s created a new mobile-friendly, customisable version of its home page for a variety of devices including the iPhone and iPod touch, Android phones, any handset running Opera, N Series and other high-end Nokias, Sony Ericsson and Samsungs and some Blackberrys.

The home page can be arranged as desired and there’s localisation for such things as news, weather and TV schedules. iPlayer also fits into the mix.

While the iPhone and other handsets with larger screens and decent browsers could access the standard BBC home page, this is useful as a cut down version in areas where there’s only a 3G (or lower bandwidth) signal and no Wi-Fi.

Tried it? What do you think of it?

According to this report in the Media Guardian, Platte Media’s UK operation is no more.

Two years ago, Micro Bill Systems appeared on the scene and started causing trouble. So much, in fact, that I helped set up a forum and got myself in the Guardian as a result.

A company name change (to Platte Media), some legal threats and hassles later, it does appear as if the infamous pay-for-porn company has ceased trading in the UK.

Hiwat said in an email to Michael Pollitt, the reporter who has uncovered story after story about Platte, that “Our reasons for this decision and our further intentions are simply related to our original marketing and business model.” He added: “Obviously, and just like any other business should and would do, I am making sure that stopping our marketing to the UK Market, is done in such a sensible and orderly manner, that will best preserve the interests of our customers and of our own.”

It could, however, be something to do with the Office of Fair Trading, or HM Revenue and Customs, both of whom have expressed interest in the company’s activities.

Is it too soon for celebration?

We still don’t know what Oriel, Platte’s appointed debt collection agency, will do with the “debts” it has had passed to it. We also don’t know whether Platte International will continue to run its rather dubious sites (Get Films Now, for example) in other countries. The global reach of the Internet means that access by UK computer users and minors could still be just a mouse click away.

It will also be interesting to see what Platte UK’s directors move on to. I find it hard to believe that they won’t set up another business in due course – one that could have very similar properties (and problems) as Platte and MBS had.

Watch this space.