Items tagged with shopping
Complete honesty is not a mantra for many online retail sites, at least according to a study released by Princeton University. The school conducted an automated crawl of more than 11,000 online shops and found that around one in six used some form of deceptive practice to hawk their goods. While some of those online shops have changed their ways, the methods by which many e-tailers try to sucker shoppers into buying things they don't want or need are still prevalent. In total, more than 1,200 of the 11,000 online shops that Princeton crawled found some form of deceptive practice. The list of crawled sites includes the biggest names in retail, including Amazon, eBay, Walmart, Target, and...
Read more...
Shopping outlets and channels like HSN and QVC may soon face some serious competition. Amazon Live, a new live streaming service, is now available to Amazon Professional Sellers. Amazon Professional Sellers will now be able to engage with their customers in real-time and advertise featured products. During the livestream, Sellers will be able to chat with their viewers and demonstrate products, while viewers can comment during the livestream and directly purchase featured items from a carousel display that appears under the video. Amazon claims that Sellers will be able to “reach more shoppers on Amazon.com and build your brand through interactive livestreams.” Amazon Sellers...
Read more...
The Firefox team is cooking up a new batch of experimental add-ons at its Test Pilot site to help make your life hopefully a little easier. One of the add-ons that Mozilla cooked up is Price Wise, which designed to help you track price drops on items you have been thinking about buying. Other extensions at Mozilla's Firefox Test Pilot page aim to make it easier to work and collaborate with others on projects that require multiple web pages of research. As Black Friday is fast approaching, let's start by taking a look at Price Wise. To use this feature, all you need to do is navigate to an item listed for sell by a supported retailer such as Amazon or Walmart and click the button in...
Read more...
Amazon has announced the launch of collaborative shopping lists for online shoppers. This feature allows you to create shopping or wish lists and then share them with other users. The idea is that if you are creating a list of items for Christmas, birthdays, or another event you can share the list with all the folks who are helping. Once something is purchased it drops off the list, so no one buys duplicates. Amazon's new feature also allows all who are invited to the collaborative list to comment on items added, remove items, and purchase the items directly from the list. Amazon notes that the collaborative feature means that you don't have to wonder when shopping as a group if all the items...
Read more...
We are almost to the end of yet another wonderfully innovative year in technology. The non-stop innovation of the tech sector has presented us with products and services that deliver more horsepower, lower power consumption, and smaller form factors that deliver more value and features. The tradition of Black Friday began with retail merchants feverishly working over the year to pull their bottom lines out of the "red", and utilizing the US Thanksgiving long holiday weekend to bolster sales and revenue back into the "black." For 65 years value-seeking consumers in the U.S. have been looking forward to today. While most Americans are recovering from excessive levels of tryptophan and...
Read more...
Amazon is gearing up for the holiday shopping season and it is doing something new that might save Christmas shoppers some money this season. Amazon has been spied cutting the prices of third-party seller items in its online catalog. The products that are discounted are clearly listed as "Discount provided by Amazon." The discounts are very small (10 percent or less) and appear to only be for the sellers who are using Amazon's fulfillment service. Amazon does state that the discount is a for a limited time. It's not clear how exactly Amazon is choosing what products it applies discounts on. The first time the discounts were spied appears to have come about a month ago and so far, Amazon hasn’t...
Read more...
Season's greetings; it's that time of year again, when we here at Hot Hardware assemble our holiday gift guides for your browsing and shopping pleasure. There was an embarrassment of riches this year, as the industry continued to innovate and come up with interesting new designs based on the latest, greatest technologies. Those of us buying computer hardware demand more and faster from every iteration, and many OEMs usually manage to deliver. Some don't but you won't see them on this list. This list is a collection of some of the best hardware for gifting in four top categories that we think are well worth the money, whether the purchase is for yourself or someone else. From budget products to...
Read more...
Store shelves are packed with fresh pencils, pens, and backpacks. Kids are begging their parents for new clothes and kicks. And teachers are frantically organizing their classrooms in the last few days of summer. It is that time of year again -- back-to-school season is upon us, like it or not. If you are looking to pick up some new tech gear for you or a loved one for the impending school year, but do not want to do all of the homework necessary to find that perfect product, do not sweat it, we have got you covered. This is Hot Hardware's personal study guide to help you choose the perfect laptop, tablet, 2-in-1, desktop, gadget, or accessory. Think of it as the "cliffs notes" for tech shoppers... ...
Read more...
If Google had been hoping that the European Union would back off on its pursuit of proving that it's anti-competitive, it appears that the company hasn't been hoping hard enough. Today, the EU shot another set of charges at Google for anti-competitive practices, this time squarely targeting its AdSense for Search platform. Previous antitrust charges against Google have involved Android, search, and shopping, with this third set expanding on the latter two. Anyone who's ever browsed the internet will have likely passed by an AdSense advertisement, as they're simply everywhere. We reinforce Google case on search/shopping comparison with new, strong evidence and send statement of objections t Google...
Read more...
The second annual Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner, and just as we expected, the company is pushing the deals as hard as it possibly can. As if a singular mega-deals day wasn't enough to build up hype, Amazon has been offering daily deals to lead up to the big day - and yes, those are only for Amazon Prime members, much like the big sale itself. Now we learn that the company has one other trick up its sleeve, and it involves its super-smart AI assistant Alexa and its stand-alone cylindrical hub. With Alexa, you can be given audio cues about sales that are not revealed anywhere else. If you have an Alexa device, all you need to do is ask, "Alexa, what are your Prime Day deals?",...
Read more...
We're a mere 20 days away from the grandest gift-giving day of the year, and etailers everywhere are ready to embrace the glorious pain that's going to hit them as we inch ever-closer. There's no better example of an etailer having to withstand an incredible workload quite like Amazon. Its infrastructure has to be finely-tuned and efficient in order to not collapse, so on occasion, it makes changes that could help ease the overall load. This year, it's not just a change being made, but a major one. For the first time, Amazon will be rolling out a fleet of "thousands" of its own trailers, complete with Amazon Prime branding on the side, that it will deploy all across the US. It's important to...
Read more...
The entire team here at HotHardware has been plugged into the tech scene for ages. In fact, we’ve been doing our thing here on-line for close to two decades. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned about our readers in all that time, it’s that their affinity for technology and gadgets goes way beyond just PC hardware and mobile devices. Well, we here on staff feel the same way, so we thought it’d be fun to give you all a little insight into our lives and talk about some of the latest gear we’d all like to get our hands on this holiday season.First up, let’s see what El Capitan – Dave Altavilla -- has his heart set on...Dave is a 40-something Dad now, and we’ll leave it at that. His realization...
Read more...
Google might be in the midst of dealing with some EU antitrust accusations regarding its shopping platform, but that hasn't slowed it down from making worthwhile upgrades to the service. Just in time for the holidays, the company has overhauled its Google Shopping search engine, and has put a major emphasis on mobile shopping, as the company has monitored some massive growth there in recent years. Because mobile shoppers tend to shop in quick bursts, Google has designed its new interface to complement that. At home, it's more comfortable looking into a big screen and browse, whereas on-the-go, there's a point when we're going to want to look up and let the sun readjust our eyes. A major perk...
Read more...
If there's one thing Google loves doing, it's barging into an area of the market where its biggest competitors excel and make its presence known. The latest proof of that comes to us in the form of a "Buy Now" button, mimicking the one-click purchase mechanic Amazon has enjoyed for quite some time. Should Amazon be scared? Probably not, but there's little denying that Google's impact could be notable. It might seem a little odd for Google to pursue something like a "Buy Now" button if it doesn't even have a marketplace like Amazon, but it'd come into play through the search results. If you search for an Intel processor today, for example, you'll see shopping results from various etailers. What...
Read more...
It's that time again. The time of year when students and parents frantically hit e-tailers that offer fast shipping in order to get that all-important back-to-school technology into a dorm room or backpack before classes begins. It's back-to-school season, and whether you've started classes recently or are awaiting (dreading?) that first 8AM lecture, there may be a few bits of techno-shopping that need to be taken care of before you can be on your way to that straight-A report card. Hot Hardware's Back-To-School Shopping Guide In the pages ahead, we'll be taking a look at today's latest and greatest when it comes to full systems, mobile devices, and peripherals that could prove useful for any...
Read more...
Mobile is clearly the future when it comes to Web, communications, and potentially even photography. So, it makes sense to assume that shopping is going to gravitate towards mobile as well. That's where a new app from New York-based Jello Labs comes in. The company suggests that Spring (a nod to Spring Street in Manhattan) will enable each seller on its virtual storefront to have the ability to present wares in a way that suits it. No clothier is alike, so having that level of customization is vital. The app will allow customers to buy from within it, with Spring keeping a small cut from each purchase. Importantly, Spring isn't enabling a platform for reviews or communications; it'll be the brand's...
Read more...
Tonight on CBS' "60 Minutes," Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, sat down for an extended interview. Amazon is an online superstore that has morphed into a technological powerhouse on so many other levels -- tablets and eReaders included, that they're effecting a dramatic change in the way people shop. The company has historically operated on thin profits and a volume model and there is no doubt, Amazon is a disruptive force in etail. Amazon also typically invests excess cash into new fulfillment centers and other R&D projects. Why? So that Amazon itself doesn't get disrupted by whatever big innovation is bound to come next. One way to stay ahead of the curve is to innovate in shipping, which Amazon...
Read more...
The instructions for the game say it all: “Punch yourself in the face to stay awake, but don’t punch too much or you will die.” It’s a game that isn’t especially scintillating, but it’s a simple and funny commentary on the whole Black Friday experience. Basically, you have to punch yourself to stay awake, and you can jump, and it’s really easy to kill yourself. That’s the whole game. You get a higher score depending on how long you can hold out without either dying or falling asleep. Black Friday has become an unsavory part of an otherwise great holiday. It’s true that some families make a tradition out of it, bundling up and heading out at...
Read more...
In this latest episode of HotHardware's Two and Half Geeks Webcast, Iyaz, Dave and Marco discuss Motorola's Moto X smartphone, HotHardware's Back to School Shopping Guide, which lists some of the hottest mobile devices and small form factor PCs this season, Alienware's powerful ALW 18 Gaming Notebook, Windows 8.1’s impending release and Zotac’s ZBox Nano ID65 Plus... Show Notes: 01:00 – Moto X Smartphone Preview 06:21 – HotHardware's 2013 Back To School Shopping Guide 09:44 – Alienware 18 Notebook: Haswell, GeForce GTX 780M 14:18 – Windows 8.1 Set For Launch October 18th, What You Need to Know 22:30 – Zotac ZBOX Nano ID65 Plus Out NUCs Intel...
Read more...
It's back-to-school season, and whether you've started classes recently or are awaiting (dreading?) that first 8AM lecture, there may be a few bits of techno-shopping that need to be taken care of before you can be on your way to that straight-A report card. Whether you're about to begin the Fall semester of college or your senior year in high school (or something else entirely), you'll probably need the right hardware to get you through. In the pages to come, we'll be taking a look at today's latest and greatest when it comes to systems, hardware and peripherals that could prove useful for any dutiful student... HotHardware's 2013 Back To School Shopping Guide...
Read more...
It's that time again. The time of year when students and parents frantically hit e-tailers that offer fast shipping in order to get that all-important back-to-school technology into a dorm room or backpack before classes begins. It's back-to-school season, and whether you've started classes recently or are awaiting (dreading?) that first 8AM lecture, there may be a few bits of techno-shopping that need to be taken care of before you can be on your way to that straight-A report card. Credit: Google Whether you're about to begin the Fall semester of college or your senior year in high school (or something else entirely), you'll probably need the right hardware...
Read more...
Apple's financial figures have a way of defying logic time and again. The company's iconic co-founder, Steve Jobs, passed away at a relatively early age due to pancreatic cancer, leaving the company in the hands of Tim Cook, a smart man in his own right but with gigantic shoes to fill. Then there was the iPhone 5 release and the all the criticisms that followed: It didn't take great pictures when you pointed it close to the sun, there weren't any groundbreaking new features, and it wasn't scratch-proof. Toss in a heaping dose of negative publicity over Apple's falling share price and it would seem that the Cupertino company's best days were in its rear-view mirror. Nope. From a financial standpoint,...
Read more...
