Snowball lays off 20 percent of workforce
Youth-oriented portal/network Snowball.com has fired 20 percent of its work force, about 36 staff members. The layoffs, not surprisingly, represent a cost-cutting measure in the wake of a tepid earnings forecast for the fourth quarter, although the dot.com says it expects to lose a little less than it has in previous quarters. Snowball also plans to lower spending on marketing, sales costs and overhead. The San Francisco-based dot.com expects the layoffs and other cuts to reduce its operating expenses by up to 50 percent. Snowball calls its demographic, which encompasses ages 13 to 30, "Generation I," a nod to users who grew up computer- and internet-savvy. Media Metrix typically ranks the network among its top 50 most visited properties. High-profile Snowball sites include HighSchoolAlumni.com and Chickclick.

Rosie in URL battle with cybersquatters 
Cybersquatters have snapped up several of the possible domain names for the magazine briefly known as Rosie’s McCall’s. The publication has been officially re-christened "Rosie," but no matter: The issue still goes before the domain-name court of last resort, the United Nations World Intellectual Property Organization. O’Donnell signed on to edit Gruner + Jahr’s venerable women’s magazine in November, and since G + J was trying to keep the decision under wraps, it didn’t buy potential URLs until mid-December. A New Jersey man named Syed Hussain, who has become something of a career cybersquatter, nabbed rosiesmccalls.com. Meanwhile, some unidentified O'Donnell detractors, apparently pro-life activists, registered four variations, including rosiesmcall.com, and routed traffic from these URLs to the Operation Rescue web site and prolife.org. Legally, the odds favor O’Donnell: Since the UN started hearing cybersquatting complaints, numerous celebrities have been awarded their own URLs. No matter what, however, Rosies.com or .org or .net are unavailable--all were registered long ago to legitimate enterprises.

Most online crime related to auction sites
Eighty-seven percent of online fraud is tied to auction web sites, according to a study by eMarketer. The most susceptible web surfers are people in their mid-20s to their early 50s, an age range that accounts for half of all fraud victims. EMarketer says the amount of fraud related to auctions is not surprising given that 16 million people visit the most prominent auction site, eBay, every month. EMarketer’s report also notes that other common types of online fraud involve general merchandise, internet access service, computer equipment service and work-at-home web sites. About two-thirds of web users, the study says, have never been victimized by online fraud, and 34 percent have been the victim of a privacy or security breach.

Sign of future? Yahoo gains B2B revenue
Internet portal Yahoo, seeking to solidify its revenue stream by beefing up its business-to-business side, has enrolled 11 new clients for its Corporate Yahoo service. Yahoo’s B2B branch provides intranet and other tools for corporations. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based dot.com created its B2B venture as an additional source of revenue in the face of weakening online ad sales. Currently, advertising comprises 80 percent of Yahoo’s revenue; some analysts predict this will drop to 50 percent in the next two years as Yahoo's B2B efforts grow. Wall Street analysts have become well-known for punishing companies that appear to rely too heavily on advertising for revenue. In all, Yahoo has 18 corporate clients. Among the new ones are McDonald’s, Bayer AG, Reuters Group and Hall Kinion and Associates.

Microsoft and La-Z-Boy introduce 'e-cliner'
Bill Gates must be a couch potato at heart: Microsoft and La-Z-Boy have unveiled a wired recliner. The armchair, called the Explorer, comes equipped with a television receiver and Sony internet receiver, plus outlets for high-speed or dial-up internet connections. Users can surf and watch TV simultaneously, engulfed in squishy comfort. The chair also features a swing-out tray table for a laptop that is similar to those found on commercial airliners, plus a drink holder, built-in keyboard and AC adaptor for laptops. It also comes with Web TV service. At $1,049 for a fabric-upholstered version and $1,299 for the leather-clad one, the power to kick back and surf doesn’t come cheap. The companies are touting the chair as the world’s first "e-cliner."

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