Single-use credit cards fight fraud. A number of companies are offering disposable credit card numbers for online purchase transactions. Continue Reading
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Category Archives: E-Commerce
Database Nation: Privacy, E-Commerce & Gov’t Info Mining
From the June 2004 issue of Reason magazine, take the time to read this article (10 pages, pdf), Database Nation, The upside of “zero” privacy, by Declan McCullagh: “Focusing on government power would keep intact the advantages of databasifcation – such as lower prices and cheaper mortgages – while limiting possible abuses by law enforcement.… Continue Reading
Survey Reports Rising Concern With E-Mail Fraud
An online survey conducted in April indicates “that 75% of accountholders are less likely to respond to email from their banks, and over 65% said they were less likely to sign-up or continue to use their banks online services.” These results reflect growing consumer concern with phishing and email fraud, occurrences of which are increasingly… Continue Reading
Google’s Future Plans
Google may be heading deep into Microsoft’s territory“…Google intends to extend information-searching in many directions: Mobile applications for wireless gadgets, more effective online shopping and social networking are all obvious applications of its technology.” Continue Reading
Review of Online Mortgage Websites
Consumer Reports has published a review of six national mortgage loan websites that includes caveats about privacy issues and evaluations of respective service levels and value as compared to local bank rates. Continue Reading
Getting the Best Web Fares Requires Diligence
Digging Up Low Web Fares: Useful tips on how to locate competitive air fares online, with some work, persistence and flexibility in your choice of travel dates. Continue Reading
Privacy Concerns May Result in Changes to Gmail
As reported today by the WSJ, as well as via AP, privacy concerns raised in the U.S. and abroad about Google’s new Gmail, still in beta, have resulted in the company considering alowing users to opt-in/opt-out of being served targeted ads, currently a component of the free email service. Update on this issue from April… Continue Reading
Heightened Focus on Gmail by Privacy Advocates
From the World Privacy forum, this press release and letter (pdf) on behalf of a coalition of over two dozen privacy and advocacy groups, addressing Google’s new webmail service, Gmail, specific to the retention and repurposing of user data for e-commerce and law enforcement applications. Screenshots of Gmail from a beta tester, here and here. Continue Reading
Consumer Reports Rates Comparison Shopping Online
Want to compare prices and find deals for online merchandise? We tell you which Web sites do the job–and which don’t. “Two sites won top marks: BizRate.com and Shopping.com.” Continue Reading
Amazon Now Delivers Product Info Via RSS Feeds
Amazon.com Syndicated Content now provides users with the option of receiving product updates in hundreds of categories on “the top 10 bestsellers in that category,” via RSS feeds. Continue Reading
With New Acquisition, Ask Jeeves Raises Stakes in Search Engine Competition
Ask Jeeves today announced the purchase, for $150 million in cash in addition to stock, of Interactive Search Holdings, owner of “Web properties and businesses [that] include My Way, My Search, My Web Search, iWon, Excite and the MaxOnline advertising network.” [thanks Donna] For background, see this Information Week article and Smartmoney.com’s financial analysis of… Continue Reading
Vivisimo Launches eBay Search Tool
The Vivisimo eBay search tool provides users with search results clustered according to the following categories: “auction titles and descriptions, price ranges, time left, and number of bids on item.” Continue Reading
