E-Commerce

Facebook is tracking your comments for ad opportunities. On Tuesday, Facebook announced its new advertising platform, called "Sponsored Stories." The new ads will be integrated near the user's news feed. Advertisements can be prompted by words that appear in apps, statuses, check-ins and "likes." A ...

Beginning July 1, Facebook will require games on its site to accept payments in its own virtual currency, Facebook Credits. It is not an exclusive requirement -- game developers can use other game currencies as well. Facebook, however, will motivate developers to use its system, dangling such plums ...

Facebook is ready to flex its advertising muscles. On Monday, Facebook's business director, Dan Rose, addressed attendees of the DLD media conference in Munich, speaking of the success of social games on Facebook from developers like Zynga and opportunities to expand its advertising to its 500 milli...

Not long ago, Groupon said "no" to Google's buy offer. So Google has decided to create its own coupon program and is moving forward with Google Offers. Google almost always gets its way. Google Video was the company's response to YouTube, which Google eventually purchased in 2006. The company's phil...

Verizon Communications Thursday picked a legal fight with the Federal Communications Commission over its recently announced Net neutrality rules. "We are deeply concerned by the FCC's assertion of broad authority for sweeping new regulation," said Michael Glover, Verizon senior vice president and de...

Nestled in between the news of some excellent quarterly earnings -- namely a 29 percent increase in profit and revenue -- Google dropped a bombshell on unsuspecting shareholders: Eric Schmidt will turn over the CEO reins to Larry Page, who will handle the company's day-to-day operations. Schmidt wil...

Amazon wants to make your cloud computing simple. The company announced Elastic Beanstalk on Wednesday. The application makes it easier to use Amazon's cloud computing platform, Amazon Web Services. The new application lets developers quickly deploy and manage Web services such as storage, computing...

After a year-long review, the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Justice have approved Comcast's proposed merger with NBC Universal -- but only if a variety of conditions are met. Chief among them is that Comcast must give up management control of the video website Hulu. The mer...

The world of e-commerce is booming -- but on a parallel track, identity theft, loss of privacy and fraud are skyrocketing as well. While the government has a role in combating Internet security abuses, two top administration officials visited Silicon Valley to emphasize that the private sector needs...

Sometimes it's best to say you're sorry. Groupon's CEO, Andrew Mason, released a subtitled video on YouTube apologizing for problems Japanese customers experienced during a New Year's promotion. Groupon's deal-of-the-day site offers promotions and discounts to local markets. The company emphasizes s...

As e-commerce marketers set or adjust their strategies for 2011, there are some important trends and developments to pay attention to that can help capture new revenue streams and strengthen brand awareness this year and beyond. For many retailers, selling online is a critical component of their bus...

MySpace CEO Mike Jones reportedly told employees on Wednesday that News Corp., parent company of the once-giant social network, was exploring strategic options for its possible spinout, sale or merger. The talk of a possible sale followed news that MySpace was laying off 47 percent of its workforce...

Amazon came a step closer to opening its Android Appstore Wednesday by opening a portal for developers. The portal allows app makers to submit their wares to the Internet's largest online retailer so they can be part of the outlet's offerings when its virtual doors open later this year. Amazon pro...

Not since Amazon started selling books more than 15 years ago has the world of e-commerce undergone such a wholesale transformation. The current online overhaul will likely be even more profound than the original dot-com boom, as it's unfolding across the entire retail sector as opposed to just a fe...

Governments in a number of jurisdictions are moving not only to regulate online gaming but also to become an active participant in the industry. Various provinces in Canada have recently entered into the online gaming industry by developing and providing online gaming websites. In July of 2010, the ...