Mercury News reported on IBM’s WebFountain Advanced Text Analytic Solutions, which according to this IBM overview, “enables access to multi-terabyte data stores of unstructured and semi-structured data. This includes internet data, weblogs, bulletin boards, enterprise data, legacy data, licensed content, newspapers, magazines and trade journals.” The article states that the application is currently gathering data… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: E-Commerce
Washingtonpost.com To Require More Reader Info
The Washington Post announced that through a section-by-section introdution over the next month, readers of washingtonpost.com will have to provide additional information beyond the familiar triad of zip code, age and gender (this information is referred to as “ZAG”). Joining other major national newspapers including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and the Chicago… Continue Reading
Yahoo to Part Ways With Google
Yahoo Gets Set to Give Google Run for Money. The search engine competition is prepared to heat-up in 2004 with the hyping of a Google IPO, and rival Yahoo is reportedly planning their own enhancements in the arenas of paid inclusion and search features. Continue Reading
E-Commerce Websites Modify Privacy Policies
Companies Alter Privacy Policies: “As online marketing matures, many companies are finding privacy policies that once seemed acceptable as constricting as clothing that has been outgrown and, like a too-tight suit, must be altered.” Continue Reading
Site Auctions Property Seized by Police
As I previously posted December 9, hundreds of cities and localities around the country are turning to the web to auction unclaimed property using eBay. The New York Times reported on January 4 that New York City has chosen to auction a vast array of items from its property rooms using an online auction site… Continue Reading
Recent Research Report on Travel Websites
From ConsumerWeb Watch, a report issued December 8, Booking and Bidding in the Blind: An In-Depth Examination of Opaque Travel Web Sites From the Executive Summary: “Booking travel can be complicated, but the complexities increase tremendously when a consumer books through an “opaque” travel Web site such as Hotwire or Priceline that does not reveal… Continue Reading
Robotic Book Scanning a Tool for Preservation and E-Commerce
This past May, I posted on a digital book scanning project underway at the Stanford University Libraries. As a follow-up, the USA Today reports on automated digital scanning hardware and software from Kirtas Technologies, Inc. that facilitates the “digitization of massive document libraries, fully automating the scanning of bound documents (emphasis added) at a capture… Continue Reading
World’s Largest Databases
According to the Winter Corporation Top Ten Program for 2003, the organizations identified as maintaining the “world’s largest and most heavily used databases” using either Windows or Linux platforms include: France Telecom, AT&T, Amazon.com, FedEx Services, and at number 4, an organization listed as “Anonymous.” [Slashdot] Continue Reading
In New Twist on E-Gov, States Sell Goods on e-Bay
Cash-strapped states and localities nationwide are turning to eBay to sell everything from yachts to unclaimed goods in the possession of police departments, according to USA Today. Continue Reading
Net Tax Moratorium to Expire by Year’s End
The Tax Relief Extension Act of 2003 (H.R. 3521 and S. 1896) will expire on December 31, 2003. ‘Net Tax Ban Renewal Hopes Fade for 2003 Continue Reading
Using the Web for Holiday Shopping Competitive Pricing
Online Search Engines Rev Up for Holidays: Links to search engines and meta-sites to facilitate online comparison pricing for consumer goods. Continue Reading
Report Cites Tech Elite As Early Adopters of Gadgets and Services
A new report from the Pew Internet Project, released November 23, 2003: “Consumption of Information Goods and Services in the United States: There is a trendsetting technology elite in the U.S. who chart the course for the use of information goods and services.” Link to Table of Contents or download the full report in pdf… Continue Reading
