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The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced it plans to examine whether individual states are acting in an anticompetitive way toward e-commerce. According to the FTC, the states' actions might be costing consumers as much as $15 billion per year. "There's no question that there is a pa...

For some time -- and more so lately -- cries have been going up, mainly from disgruntled shareholders, for Time Warner to toss AOL onto the street. But that's an idea whose time has yet to come. In fact, AOL should remind the Time Warner people who's the boss. AOL bought Time Warner, not the othe...

The Federal Communications Commission has cleared the way for telephone companies to share customer data with associates that hawk communications services -- without first seeking customer consent. FCC Chairman Michael Powell defended the decision, but it was denounced by FCC Commissioner Mich...

Amazon.com has launched the first phase of a Web services offering, giving Web developers free access to Amazon content and features. The company said it hopes developers using its tools will enable visitors browsing other sites to buy Amazon products and start Amazon purchases. Developers also c...

Apple's third-quarter net profit of $32 million fell far short of the company's original guidance, but still defied the economic slump that has sent many technology companies into a money-losing tailspin. The earnings represent a drop-off from the $61 million net profit Apple reported in the same...

Poor Yahoo. First, the company can't produce enough nonadvertising revenue to make analysts and investors happy. And now it appears the company is producing too much nonadvertising revenue. So get out the crying towels for Yahoo, right? Not exactly. The company -- which is part portal, media comp...

Some ethnic minorities are gaining ground in terms of online presence in the United States, though they still comprise just a fraction of overall Web traffic, according to a new study from Nielsen//NetRatings. Analysts noted that these new Web users could help the e-commerce industry keep growing...

As the post-merger decision-making process shifts into high gear, Hewlett-Packard has announced a new software strategy designed to leverage its core assets. The technology titan will focus future development on extending three software suites: HP OpenView, HP Utility Data Center and HP OpenCall.

Now that the dot-com bubble has burst, sparking a recession that has spread through the U.S. economy, the boom era is facing its share of harsh criticism. But for all the failures that dot-coms brought to the business world, they also were responsible for some truly astounding technological innov...

Robertson Stephens, an investment bank that helped take Webvan, eToys, Palm, eMachines, Buy.com and a score of other Internet and tech companies public in the dot-com heyday, will be closed after attempts to find a buyer failed, according to parent company FleetBoston Financial. "It was a difficu...

In this economy, eBay's bid to pay $1.5 billion for PayPal might seem excessive, even for the likes of the auction giant. And while many analysts believe eBay will get its money's worth, others are not convinced. AMR Research analyst Louis Columbus told the E-Commerce Times that he believes eBay ...

Expedia has rejected a takeover bid from USA Interactive, the online travel service's largest shareholder. The snub was not entirely unexpected. Many company officials and shareholders had denounced USA Interactive's intentions to buy the remaining 37 percent of Expedia. USA Interactive head Barr...

Two PayPal shareholders have filed separate lawsuits related to eBay's acquisition of PayPal. The plaintiffs in both suits seek an injunction against the consummation of the deal, noting that the price eBay is paying for PayPal is unfair and inadequate. But Frost & Sullivan research analyst S...

Dell Computer has raised its revenue and earnings estimates for the second quarter, crediting growth in the U.S. education, government and consumer business markets. The company's announcement buoyed the tech-heavy Nasdaq after a string of dismal trading days in the overall market. However, Aberd...

In the not-too-distant future, e-commerce technology not only will become smarter and faster, but could completely transform the way companies deal with internal information, customer service and the sales process. This change will occur as new features bring together several separate technologie...