The Ringer – “More like a dozen, actually, for every type of online purchase—from appliances to sandals, from sunscreen to digital cameras. When did recommendation sites like the Wirecutter and The Strategist become such a central part of the online economy? And are they changing the way we shop?…anyone who has ever impulse-ordered something from… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: E-Commerce
Federal Agencies Rank Last in Forrester Customer Experience Index
Forrester – “Small Gains To CX Quality Emerged Amidst Broad Stagnation – Forrester’s 2019 US Customer Experience Index (CX Index™) reveals that the overall quality of the US customer experience rose by an anemic 0.4 points, to 70.2. The report is based on Forrester’s CX Index methodology, which measures how well a brand’s CX strengthens… Continue Reading
Amazon’s helping police build a surveillance network with Ring doorbells
cnet – Its popular Ring smart doorbells mean more cameras on more doorsteps, where surveillance footage used to be rare. “If you’re walking in Bloomfield, New Jersey, there’s a good chance you’re being recorded. But it’s not a corporate office or warehouse security camera capturing the footage — it’s likely a Ring doorbell made by… Continue Reading
Regulating or breaking up Big Tech: an antitrust explainer
MIT Technology review – US regulators will investigate whether companies like Amazon, Facebook, and Google have too much power. Here’s an introduction to the issues – Four tech juggernauts—Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook—are suddenly the target of new scrutiny by the US government. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Department of Justice (DOJ), and Congress have… Continue Reading
Do Not Trust That Stranger’s 5-Star Review
The New York Times – Go with your instinct over the wisdom of the crowd. “…The 21st-century virtual shopping experience can feel overwhelming and chaotic, but it’s the price we pay for the convenience of shopping at home. That’s why stars are everywhere. Without them, you’re vulnerable to decision paralysis. But with them, you still… Continue Reading
Firefox starts blocking third-party cookies by default
Venture Beat: “Mozilla today announced a slew of privacy improvements. The company has turned on Enhanced Tracking Protection, which blocks cookies from third-party trackers in Firefox, by default. Mozilla has also improved its Facebook Container extension, released a Firefox desktop extension for its rebranded Lockwise password keeper, and updated Firefox Monitor with a dashboard for… Continue Reading
Inc. – Meet the Most Inspiring Companies of 2018 If entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of an economy
Inc. – “If entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of an economy, consider Inc.’s ranking of 5,000 companies America’s circulatory system. Our annual report looks at these fast-growing innovators–and how they made our list. The fastest-growing companies in America are a force, notching collective revenue of more than $206.2 billion in 2017 and three-year revenue growth rates… Continue Reading
Google uses Gmail to track a history of things you buy and it’s hard to delete
CNBC – “Google tracks a lot of what you buy, even if you purchased it elsewhere, like in a store or from Amazon. Last week, CEO Sundar Pichai wrote a New York Times op-ed that said “privacy cannot be a luxury good.” But behind the scenes, Google is still collecting a lot of personal information… Continue Reading
How to stop Google from keeping your voice recordings
The Verge -Keep your ‘Hey Google’ questions off the record (or isn’t it time you used DuckDuckGo) “Home assistants such as Alexa and Google Assistant are becoming ubiquitous, and as that happens, more and more users are discovering how much of their data is actually being collected by these handy items. The Washington Post’s Geoffrey… Continue Reading
Consumer groups accuse Amazon of illegally collecting data on children
Washington Post – Amazon Echo Dot Kids accused of illegally collecting data on children – “A coalition of 19 consumer and privacy groups plans to file a complaint Thursday alleging that Amazon’s Echo Dot Kids Edition is illegally collecting voice recordings and other identifying information on users under 13 and that the system’s parental controls are… Continue Reading
Consider this – Alexa is always listening and collecting data about you
The Daily Dot – Here’s what you need to know about the security and privacy implications of smart speakers, both the myths and the realities – 1) Smart speakers are always listening – One of the first things you’ll hear about smart speakers like echo is that they’re “always listening” to your conversations—which is technically… Continue Reading
Google Express – an alternative to Amazon?
Google Express – “Get your shopping done fast Hundreds of stores, one fast checkout. Shop Target, Best Buy, Petsmart, and more—all in one place. Enter your info once, whether you’re checking out from one store or five. Need it again? A few quick taps is all it takes to reorder things you buy regularly. [h/t… Continue Reading
