An investigation is under way into how a computer containing bank customers’ personal data was sold on eBay
Acknowledging that most online shoppers cannot be bothered with auctions, eBay announced changes to its fee structure Wednesday that emphasised fixed prices over bidding. The move is intended to help eBay compete more effectively with Amazon.com and other big online retailers
Tough conditions in its New Zealand and China operations haven’t deterred accounting software developer MYOB from splashing out $7 million to acquire Australian web hosting company SmartyHost. The buy is part of MYOB’s plan to expand its web hosting and internet marketing services
After witnessing countless corparate attempts to patent common practices or trademark common terms, and seeing the resulting PR fallout, one would think that companies would just stop trying. Dell, however, seems to think that it should be able to trademark the term cloud computing
, a phrase that entered the tech lexicon many years ago to describe software processing that takes place on a distributed network, such as the Internet
In a case of better late than never, Optus-owned Virgin Mobile is now offering the Apple iPhone 3G, and for cheaper than its competitors in Australia. Virgin Mobile’s Australian web site lists the iPhone as available now
and indicates two iPhone specific post-paid contracts. The lower of these plans includes a full subsidised 8GB model phone plus AU$520 in standard calls and messages credit, and 1GB of data for AU$70 per month over a 24-month term
eBay’s recent deal with Buy.com appears to be seriously irritating its veteran individual sellers. The deal allows Buy.com and other large fixed-price retailers to list millions of items on eBay without paying listing fees, and appears to be the direction that eBay will follow in the future. Understandably, individual sellers are outraged — via Slashdot
After a frustrating few months of searching for a solution to the audio problems he encountered while ripping on-screen video with his Dell laptop, a ripten editor discovered that others were experiencing the same issue — and that the problem was not confined to Dell laptops. Apparently, the lack of a sound card Stereo Mix recording option is to blame — and numerous forum threads have suggested that the RIAA has put pressure on laptop manufacturers like Dell, Gateway and Pac Bell to remove it — via Gizmodo
A GoDaddy Vice President has been caught bidding against customers in their own domain name auctions. The employee Adam Dicker isn’t just any GoDaddy employee; he’s head of the GoDaddy subsidiary that controls the auctions. Dicker won some of the domains he bid for, and pushed up the bid price on auctions he didn’t win. The conflict of interest is unethical, but could this practice also be illegal? Said a representative for a competitor, Even if controlled, that practice has bad news written all over it
. This comes hot on the heels of news that despite earlier promises to ICANN to end their 60-Day ban on transfers, GoDaddy quietly circumvented it by forcing customers to agree to the ban anyway. ICANN doesn’t appear to be investigating or asking follow-up questions about this. What can be done to force ICANN to police the registrars for which it is responsible? — via Slashdot
Finnish handset maker Nokia has taken GPS a step further with the announcement that it is acquiring Plazes, the developer of a social-networking Web site that lets friends locate each other
Amazon, the online retailing giant with a fast-rising share of the consumer book market, has adopted the literary equivalent of a nuclear option for rebellious publishers who balk at its demands. In the latest in a series of disputes over the division of revenue from online sales, Amazon has disabled the buy now with 1 click
icon on its British Web site for hundreds of books published by Hachette Livre UK
An animal welfare group charges that eBay sales of ivory are brisker than ever a year after the online marketplace promised to restrict the sale of products made from animal teeth and tusks — many of which come from endangered species. The International Fund for Animal Welfare is urging eBay to ban — not simply restrict — all such sales on its web market
Customers of an Australian recruitment firm have been targeted with resumes booby-trapped with a backdoor trojan. Hackers are exploiting an email-forwarding feature offered by many recruitment firms, which automatically sends relevant resumes to customers when a new applicant uploads their CV to the recruitment firm’s web site
Apple has completed the construction of its big Sydney retail store, with the doors to open to the public in just over a fortnight. Located on the corner of George and King streets, the store would be handed over to Apple by the construction company at the end of the week
Branchless retail bank ING Direct has led the way in using anti-money-laundering identification processes to come up with a method for opening an account purely online. The Dutch bank has claimed bragging rights for the first end-to-end online account opening facility in Australia
CBS agreed to buy CNet Networks for about $1.75 billion, expanding its access to the burgeoning Internet advertising market. The company, which owns the CBS television network, said it offered $11.50 a share for CNet, based in San Francisco, whose board accepted it. The bid is a 45 percent premium above CNet’s closing price of $7.95 on Wednesday
Consumer advocates are concerned a proposed merger between Westpac and St George Bank would reduce competition in the banking sector. If successful, the merger would be the biggest in Australian banking history, making Westpac the nation’s dominant home lender with a 25 per cent market share and a 10-million strong customer base
Telstra will be the third mobile provider to sell the iPhone in Australia starting from the end of June. The news that Telstra will carry the Apple handset comes in light of the recent report that Optus also intends to sell the iPhone, and Vodafone’s official announcement that it will be bringing the handset to 10 new markets
Vodafone Australia has announced that it will be selling the iPhone in Australia later this year. The agreement is part of a wider global deal in which Vodafone will be selling the device in Australia, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Italy, India, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa and Turkey
Amazon.com has filed a lawsuit challenging New York state’s new law forcing online retailers to collect sales tax on shipments to state residents. On Friday, Amazon filed a complaint in the trial-level state Supreme Court in Manhattan objecting to the law, which was approved as part of the $122 billion state budget that Governor David Paterson signed last week. The law is expected to raise about $50 million
Six Apart, a blogging-software company that offers Movable Type and TypePad, has acquired creative agency Apperceptive and launched its own advertising network and consulting services division
RSS – Posts