App.net has updated its push notification tool Broadcast to make it more email-friendly. The tool lets users now lets users receive a Broadcast notification either as an email or a push notification on their smartphones. The company has also updated a widget that allows users to change "email me updates" widgets on their websites.

A Brazilian student has been arrested after allegedly sending two emails claiming that a plane leaving Miami International Airport would "go down." Francisco Fernando Cruz has been charged by federal prosecutors for sending the email on two separate occasions. According to the arrest documents, he sent one from a Montclair State University computer and another from a his computer at his home. He sent the emails to the Miami-Dade Police Department and TAM Airlines.

Ecuadorean politician Martha Roldos claims that her email account was hacked into and documents were stolen by the hackers. The digital documents contained a report alleging that an opposition politician sought U.S. help to undermine President Rafael Correa's leftist government. Roldos alleges that the government is to blame, claiming that officials are worried about investigative news reports.

Marketing platform company LiveIntent has raised $20 million in Series C funding. The company will use the money to expand its services which currently focus on the automation of display ads in email using real time programmatic buying and selling. Live Intent CEO Matt Keiser told TechCrunch that the company's plan for 2014 is "leveraging big data and artificial intelligence to deliver timely targeted ads."

Constant Contact has introduced a new program to help out up-and-coming entrepreneurs called The Constant Contact Small Business InnoLoft. The company has allotted 30,000 square feet of its Waltham headquarters for small businesses and startups. Constant Contact's internal innovation team will work from this space, and startups will be able to use the space to participate in four-month residencies. The space should be open for these businesses by June. Companies can apply for the residency beginning today.

Senator Donald McEachin, the chairman of the Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus, apologized this week for sending out that email that violated a law prohibiting legislators and statewide office holders from fundraising during General Assembly sessions. "It was absolutely the wrong thing to do," McEachin, told reporters PilotOnline.com, saying that he didn't sign off on the email and didn't even know that it was going out. Still he took full responsibility for the mistake.

To help address the flu epidemic using digital technology, Flu Near You, a new website, relies on crowd participation. The site lets users self-report the presence of flu-like systems via email. The information is then process into a map that highlights flu outbreaks by region. The site, which launched in 2011, tracks about 80,000 participants. About half of those users respond to weekly email updates.

The U.S. District Court of Minnesota is warning consumers about an email spam campaign going around. The organization reported on its website that emails alleging to be from federal or state courts are being sent out to consumers. The emails tell recipients about an upcoming hearing and instruct the recipient to download an attached form. The download contains a virus that infects computers. The court said that unless a person is actively involved in a federal case and opts in to receive notifications via email, they would not be served court documents through email.

GoDaddy and Microsoft have entered into a strategic relationship in order to offer a better experience for small business customers. The two companies have made it easier to access both GoDaddy website and marketing tools and Microsoft email and office software without requiring an IT administrator. GoDaddy customers now can sign up for a special version of Microsoft email and office software and have it all available in on the GoDaddy platform. Customers can even consolidate their billing into one bill.

Smartwatches are all the range at CES, but can you really write an email on the tiny screen of a smart watch? Swype likes to think that you can. The Android app modifies the keyboard so that it doesn't require tapping and instead lets users slide their finger over the keys in order to trace words. Swype is not perfect but Nuance thinks that it is ideal for small screens and acquired the company for $100 million in 2011.