WebProNews

California Sues Online Travel Company

California Attorney General Jerry Brown is suing an online travel business for operating a "gigantic pyramid scheme" that recruited thousands of members with misleading claims that they could earn huge sums of money through its online travel agencies.

New California Law Bans Mobile Phones While Driving

Beginning on July 1 a new hands free mobile phone law goes into effect in California.Motorists face a $20 fine plus fees for a first offense and a $50 fine plus fees for a second violation. Drivers under the age of 18 are prohibited from using a mobile phone or a hands free device while operating a motor vehicle.Drivers will be allowed to use a mobile phone while driving to make emergency calls to a law enforcement agency, a medical provider, the fire department or other emergency agencies.

Court Rules Workers Texts Are Private

Employees have a "reasonable expectation of privacy" for text messages under the U.S. constitution, a federal appeals court in California ruled Wednesday.

California To Launch Online Drug Database

California Attorney General Jerry Brown has introduced a plan to create an online prescription drug database so that doctors and pharmacies can reduce prescription drug abuse."Every year thousands of doctors try to check their patient's prescription history information but California's current database is difficult to access," Brown said."If California puts this information online, with real-time access, it will give authorized doctors and pharmacies the technology they need to fight prescription drug abuse which is burdening our healthcare system."

California Bill To Tax Downloads Rejected

A proposal to tax Internet downloads in the state of California has been defeated by an Assembly panel after strong opposition from companies that do business in Silicon Valley.The bill sought to reclassify digital downloads as "tangible personal property." It would have required companies doing business in California to charge sales tax to residents who purchased their downloads.Author of the bill, Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-City of Industry), plans to seek a reconsideration vote as early as next week.

California Bill Seeks To Tax Downloads

California Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-City of Industry) wants to impose a sales tax on music and movies downloaded from the Internet in order to ease the states budget shortfall.Calderon's proposal would raise the cost of an iTunes download from 99 cents to $1.07. He believes the Board of Equalization should update a 75-year-old law that authorizes sales-tax collections on tangible personal property. Music and movies downloaded off the Internet are not considered tangible goods.

California May Rebel Against Real ID

California has informed the Department of Homeland Security that although it has applied for an extension on the Real ID deadline it may not be committed to complying with Real ID rules by 2010.

Building Your Own Local Search Engine

Quite a few bloggers out there have clued-in to how using Eurekster’s Swickis on their blogs can be a cool feature enhancement, providing custom thematic search engines for their users.

California Earthquake Prompts Twitter Reaction

At any given moment, people on Twitter are likely to tell you that they’re hungry, sore, or tired.  But last night, people used Twitter to report something that was literally of earth-shaking importance: an earthquake near San Jose.

Google Used To Track California Fires

Google’s products and services can’t don fire gear or grab a water hose.  But people are still using them in ways that will hopefully reduce the impact of the California fires.