E-Commerce Breaking News

Anatomy of SQL injection attack
While there are a number of security risks in the world of electronic commerce, SQL injection is one of the most common Web site attack techniques used to steal customer data such as credit card numbers, hold customer data hostage by encrypting it or destroy data outright. More..

EBay buys payment firm for almost $1B, lays off over 1,000
EBay announced two acquisitions Monday, at the same time saying it will lay off over 1,000 staff worldwide and cut back on recruitment. More..

App Store successful, but shows flaws
By all accounts Apple's App Store, which offers add-on software for the iPhone and iPod touch through iTunes, has been a success. Despite the ongoing low-intensity warfare between Apple and some app developers, new applications continue to appear and sales are brisk. In September, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that the App Store had served up more than 100 million apps in its first 60 days, and an earlier Wall Street Journal report quoted Jobs as saying that the store had generated $30 million in sales in its first 30 days of existence. Jobs even mused that the App Store could be a $1 billion market someday. More..

10 great sites for local content and mobile devices
A movement is growing to encourage buying the things we need locally, cutting out the high shipping and marketing costs associated with products that travel long distances to get to us. A good number of Web sites have sprung up to help us do just that--buy locally--and many include reviews of local merchants. Some of these sites are accessible on mobile devices, and we suggest a few more that seem made for mobile. More..

Zambian gov't warns against e-commerce
The Communications Authority of Zambia has warned against e-commerce, claiming Zambia lacks the skills, equipment and organized systems to fight cybercrime. More..

Best Buy offers $121 million for Napster
Best Buy has agreed to pay around US$121 million in cash for online music retailer Napster, the companies announced Monday. More..

Lenovo halts online sales of Linux-based PCs
Lenovo is cutting back on sales of desktops and laptop systems with the Linux operating systems pre-installed. More..

Scout for Deals Long Before Black Friday
I'm writing this column on the eve of Labor Day, and chances are you've not yet celebrated Halloween as you read it. But if you think it's too early to begin your holiday shopping, think again. More..

Microsoft buys European comparison shopping site for $486M
Microsoft has agreed to buy comparison shopping business Ciao in a deal worth around $486 million, and plans to integrate the service into its Live Search sites, it announced Friday. More..

Netflix: Hardware flaw caused shipping mess
A hardware component caused the problem that seriously disrupted Netflix's ability to mail out DVDs for several days this month. More..

Work-at-home Web sites settle FTC charges
Brothers who operated Web sites promising profits from work-at-home businesses have settled charges that they misled customers with false earnings claims, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said. More..

Netflix tech problem persists
A technology problem that has seriously disrupted Netflix's ability to mail DVDs to subscribers enters its fourth day Friday. More..

Netflix: Tech distribution problem solved
Netflix has finally resolved a technology problem that since Tuesday had crippled its ability to mail DVDs to subscribers of its movie rental service. More..

Business hacks reap money from e-commerce sites
Anyone with a sharp eye for flawed business logic and a dim view of business ethics can exploit e-commerce Web sites for millions of dollars, security experts told Black Hat attendees. More..

Nigerian IT group pushes forensic training
The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has called on the country's government to train civil servants in computer forensic technology as a way to fight e-commerce fraud in the country. More..

E-commerce leaders move to fight deceptive online ads
E-commerce leaders have joined together to try to protect Internet users from deceptive online ads. More..

Clear strategy key for SaaS e-commerce success
Companies seeking hosted e-commerce services will find many different providers and products. So, to make good purchasing decisions, business and IT managers must first establish clear goals for their online stores, Gartner said Wednesday. More..

11 ways to save money by using e-business
Maybe you've heard: We're in an economic downturn. For that reason, most of us are tightening our belts and looking for deals. So to help you keep more of your cash, here's a list of 11 ways you can go online to save money. Some of these sites aren't new, but they bear repeating as a guide in turbulent financial times. We welcome you to add your own suggestions in the "comments" field at the end of this story. More..

Microsoft's online woes hint at larger vulnerability
Microsoft has built its massive software business by watching other companies take the lead in emerging technology markets and then following fast with competitive products that eventually become dominant once those markets begin to pay out. More..

U.S. court strikes down COPA, again
A U.S. appeals court has for the third time struck down a law intended to keep Web sites with sexually oriented themes away from children, with judges saying the law is a vague and overly broad attack on free speech. More..

U.S. judge rules for eBay in counterfeit case
A U.S. judge has ruled that eBay is not legally liable for counterfeit Tiffany jewelry items that were sold on its auction site, despite a French court ruling against eBay last month in a similar lawsuit. More..

Autonomy, Endeca rate among top enterprise search vendors
The best enterprise search products on the market come from Autonomy, Endeca, the Microsoft subsidiary Fast and Vivisimo, but Google’s Search Appliance continues to dominate the market in terms of brand awareness and sheer number of customers, Forrester Research says in a new report. More..

Microsoft, HTC announce mobile Internet service platform
Microsoft Taiwan, mobile phone maker High Tech Computer and several other companies on Thursday announced a mobile Internet service station in Taiwan called Pl@net. More..

U.S. FTC settles with marketers of 'free' software CDs
A Texas company that offered supposedly free software on CDs, but then billed customers for a software continuity program they didn't sign up for, will pay nearly US $2.2 million to settle charges levied by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, the agency announced. More..

Microsoft links with VitalPay for payment processing
Microsoft has made an unspecified agreement with a payment processing company, in what could be another step toward establishing its own online payment system. More..