CNET – Just because Alexa is smart doesn’t mean it has to threaten your privacy. Here are the best features to disable. “Voice assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant are getting smarter all the time — Alexa’s third-party skills add even more — and plenty of hidden perks really can improve your experience with those… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: E-Commerce
Government shutdowns of “nonessential” retailers were a huge gift for Amazon, Walmart, and Target
Vox/Recode – “When stay-at-home orders due to the Covid-19 pandemic forced many US brick-and-mortar retailers to close up shop late winter and into this spring, some industry observers feared the government measures would widen the existing gap between the retail industry’s haves and have-nots. A few months later, that fear has become reality. Amazon, Walmart,… Continue Reading
Amazon shares your private info unless you do these steps
KimKomando: “As an Amazon shopper, you have a username and a password. That’s standard for any site. You may not realize that as an Amazon customer, you also have a profile visible to other Amazon users. Your public profile is created automatically, whether you want it or not, and it contains your comments and any… Continue Reading
Why are companies battling to snatch up bankrupt retailers?
NBC News – They want your data. “…Over the last decade, retail companies in bankruptcy have increasingly sold off their intellectual property for millions of dollars as online shopping outpaces brick-and-mortar sales. That trend has led to a surge in value for brand affinity and awareness, two metrics that experts use to determine the price… Continue Reading
These Browser Extensions Will Show You Exactly Who’s Tracking You on the Web
Gizmodo: “As soon as you place one digital foot on the internet, chances are that you’re being tracked—and exactly who is doing the tracking and why is often far from obvious. The good news for your user privacy is that there are a growing number of browser extensions that can shed some light on who’s… Continue Reading
Libraries vs Bookstores? No, False dichotomy. They are different Animals
Brewster Kahle’s Blog – Internet Archive: “There is a recent written attack on libraries that I find odd and somewhat dangerous– libraries overlap too much with new-book bookstores. At first I thought it was trolling, but I now believe it is sincere. More worrisome is that anti-library lobbying is generally growing in strength but their attacks on… Continue Reading
‘Instagram can hurt us’: Mark Zuckerberg emails outline plan to neutralize competitors
The Verge – Antitrust panel says the messages show Zuckerberg trying to buy out his competition: “…The emails between Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and chief financial officer David Ebersman were revealed today during the House antitrust subcommittee’s hearing on antitrust issues in tech, as Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) questioned Zuckerberg about the Instagram acquisition. The… Continue Reading
Amazon alternative – Public Goods’ products are high quality, eco-friendly, and affordable
FastCompany – “Chances are, you order a lot of things from Amazon. A lot of people do. In fact, more than 197 million people shop with the Internet giant each month—and those numbers have only risen since the coronavirus pandemic began (in May the company announced a 26 percent increase in its first-quarter revenue). But… Continue Reading
How to get rid of promotional emails and delete old email on Gmail
The Verge – Unsubscribe from and trash all those unwanted messages: “We all know how it goes: one day you look at your Gmail account, and you’ve got several thousand emails. Why be surprised? It’s all too easy to subscribe to dozens of company promotions without realizing it. If you buy anything online from a… Continue Reading
Audit Finds Facebook’s Decisions Were ‘Setbacks for Civil Rights
The New York Times – “An independent audit faulted the social network for allowing hate speech and disinformation to thrive — potentially posing a threat to the November elections. Auditors handpicked by Facebook to examine its policies said that the company had not done enough to protect people on the platform from discriminatory posts and… Continue Reading
Study – Google, Amazon funnel at least $25 million to coronavirus conspiracy sites
Why is ad tech paying US$25 million to COVID-19 disinfo sites? – Household brands are inadvertently funding disinformation sites to spread COVID-19 conspiracies, thanks to ad tech companies that do not effectively screen the sites to which they provide ads services. New research from the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) shows that Google, Amazon and other… Continue Reading
Bookstores Are Struggling. Is a New E-Commerce Site the Answer?
The New York Times – “The rapid rise of Bookshop.org during the shutdown has been hailed as a boon for independent stores. But some booksellers worry it could become another competitor for online business…Andy Hunter, founder of Bookshop.org, outside Word Bookstore in Brooklyn…Now Bookshop is on track to exceed $40 million in sales this year,… Continue Reading
