Reports of SpinSpotter's demise are premature -- kind of. Late last week, I received a tip that SpinSpotter's Web site was offline and that director of engineering Christopher Taylor had left for another company.

And while both of those things are true, Chief Executive John Atcheson tells TechFlash that the company is "alive and well." However, it does have a new name -- SparkWords -- and new focus  -- tracking and engaging in hot topics on the Internet.

SpinSpotter originally attempted to detect media bias, corporate/political spin and other inaccuracies in online reports. It received plenty of attention, including reports in The New York Times' Bits blog, CNET News and BusinessWeek.

It also created a "Hall of Shame" to point out egregious examples of spin in online reporting.

Atcheson said that they changed the name to SparkWords in early March, moving away from the media bias detection service.

"We switched because (a) we found it hard to get people to mark spin with the quality level necessary, and (b) we saw a much bigger opportunity elsewhere for the technology we'd developed," said Atcheson in an email.

The name change and new direction came around the same time that SpinSpotter founder Todd Herman left the company to take the the director of digital media job for the Republican National Committee.

Atcheson said more details will be available about SparkWords in the fall, but the company's Web site offers a little more information about where they are headed.

"Whether you’re into sports, politics, business, celeb gossip or anything else, SparkWords let you ignite, jump into, or follow debates and discussions on topics that matter to you."

Atcheson said they are currently engaged in trials with a series of partners on the SparkWords concept. The company originally received funding from Salt Lake City-based Epic Ventures and others.

John Cook is co-founder of TechFlash. Follow him on Twitter @johnhcook.