Couple Lose Home Via Facebook

An attorney in Australia has used the popular networking website Facebook to notify a couple that they lost their home after defaulting on a loan.

The Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court last Friday approved lawyer Mark McCormack's application to use Facebook to serve the legally binding documents after several failed attempts to contact the couple at the house and by email.

Australian courts have given permission in the past for people to be served via email and text messages when it was not possible to serve them in person.

The lender's application to take back the house in the capital, Canberra, was approved on October 3 after the couple failed to appear in court. The lender was then required to serve the so-called default judgment on the couple before it could seize the property.

"It's somewhat novel, however we do see it as a valid method of bringing the matter to the attention of the defendant," said McCormack, who represents a mortgage lender.

Irish Students Up For €10K Google Prize

Here’s a cute item. Parents in Ireland are sharpening up their green pencils for their young artistic kiddies, as Google announced yesterday the launch of an Irish national competition for primary and secondary school pupils to design a St Patrick's Day homepage for Google, and the winning design will be seen across the world wide web.

The doodle, to be designed under the theme My Ireland around Google's famous logo, will feature on its Home Page in Ireland, UK, Canada and the US on March 17, 2009. The star pupil's school will also be awarded a €10,000 technology grant.

Adele Cooper, of Google Ireland, said the event was a fantastic opportunity for students of all ages to let their imagination run wild.
"Google has run this competition in the UK and USA, but this is the first time the winning design will be seen outside the winner's country," she said.
"The theme My Ireland can be interpreted in many ways so we can't wait to see how it will be represented in the doodles submitted by students in Ireland."

Each primary and secondary school in the Republic of Ireland can submit a maximum of six pieces of art to Google, which employs 1,500 people in Dublin.
A panel of judges will pick the best 104 designs which will go on-line in age and county categories. Google users will then vote for their favorite, with the top four going head to head in the national final. Google Webmaster Dennis Hwang will select the best doodle in Dublin.
Since 2000, the 29-year-old has been creating designs doodles for the web page. "Integrating technology into our schooling is central to our success as a knowledge economy and we are delighted that we can make this significant contribution to a school in Ireland," Ms Cooper said.

Schools must register for Doodle 4 Google by November 7 and submit entries by December 12.

Happy 10th Birthday Google!

One day this month will mark Google's official 10th birthday, but which day is it exactly? Congratulations Google, Many Happy Returns And Many More!

This month will mark Google’s official 10th birthday, and on September 27th no doubt we will see another clever, special Google birthday logo, but the team at www.HomeBasedMums.com thought we would get our tribute out just a little earlier.

But did you know that just a little snooping can reveal quite another type of web altogether? If you are to go by their corporate history page, then Google is actually nearly 13-years-old. But the domain name Google.com was registered on September 15 1997, so that makes them 11 years old next week.But hey what does it matter anyway – it’s a Birthday celebration! Keep up the great work guys, and don’t stay up too late!

The team at http://www.homebasedmums.com/