Psst. The week had a big 'Secret'
If you need further proof, take a gander at Victoria's Secret. The company's live Internet fashion show -- first advertised in a Super Bowl commercial -- seduced some 2 million "hits" to its Web site. A shameless publicity stunt? Of course. Still, look for more companies to copy the recipe. Also look for more Web companies to spend money on television advertising to build brand recognition:
Lingerie show boosts Web video
Look for more online ads on TV
...And while all of you were eyeing leggy models walking the runway, Microsoft's (Nasdaq:MSFT) boss of bosses was spending quality time with the People Who Rule the World at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Mr. Bill was once again on message, warning anyone within earshot about the horrid damage of intrusive government intervention into the private sector:
Gates warns of government intervention
...Meanwhile, back in the hanging judge's courtroom in Washington D.C., Gates' lieutenants were learning about how horrid things could become when they leave their brains at home. Microsoft's now infamous videotape purported to demonstrate the failure of a government-funded software program, designed to separate Internet Explorer from Windows. Just one problem: The tape was so riddled with errors the judge openly questioned Microsoft's credibility:
Judge lambastes MS video testimony
MS: Video 'illustrated' our point
ZDNN's MS-DOJ special
...Next stop: The Supreme Court. Free speech advocates won again when a federal judge continued a ban on an online censorship law. Don't expect the ruling to end the debate, though. The statute was designed to protect children from sexual material on the Internet. But critics deride it as the "Communications Decency Act II." Just like the CDA, which was struck down in 1997, this latest piece of legislation was cobbled together by the good folks on Capitol Hill who forgot to attend to one niggling detail ... It's constitutionality:
Judge upholds COPA injunction
COPA supporters vow appeal
...Talk about political manna from heaven. Just as New York State Attorney General Elliot Spritzer announced plans to launch an investigation into the wacky world of online stock trading, glitches hit E*Trade (Nasdaq:EGRP) for three consecutive days. The culprit was new software that prevented thousands of customers from executing their trades. And they say technology is our friend:
New York to review online brokers
Customers complain: It's E*(No)Trade
...The boom in interactive toys hasn't escaped Silicon Valley's attention. Now Intel (Nasdaq:INTC) has hooked up with Mattel (NYSE:MAT) to merge personal computers with toys. With the Furby phenomenon still fresh in their minds, company execs hoping for a repeat performance say the joint work will extend the PC "in a fun way.":
It's Intel Inside -- your toys
...Here's a smart idea whose time has come. In striking a portal deal with Yahoo! (Nasdaq:YHOO), Gateway (NYSE:GTW) can count on new revenue coming from advertisers looking to sell stuff to its millions of customers. Besides making computer systems, Gateway is also an Internet Service Provider and thus becomes an attractive partner for Yahoo!, which will help create a Gateway-specific page for users of its "My Yahoo!" personalization service:
Gateway chief: It's not about PCs
Gateway's Ted Waitt goes Yahoo! 
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