shopping

Twitter is getting into the online shopping business--or at least pointing to places where deals can be had.

The company's new service, aptly named @earlybird, is an official Twitter account that the company plans to feed with deals at both online and offline retailers, as well as "sneak peeks and events." Users who follow the account will see these entries just like any other tweet in their stream.

While it might seem to be a minor offering, @earlybird is notable in that Twitter plans to monetize it. The company is partnering with companies to provide the deals, … Read more

Technology has done a lot to improve efficiency and make tedious chores more tolerable. Every now and then, however, some misguided soul creates a cure that's worse than the disease. So it goes with Click Shopping Organizer. The program attempts to make the process of compiling a shopping list easier, but it ends up being more trouble than it's worth.

Even installing Click Shopping Organizer was a pain. The program requires the installation of the Microsoft SQL Server, which must be downloaded separately. We spent at least 20 minutes just getting everything downloaded and installed. For the most … Read more

Google wants shoppers to think of its search engine as the entire mall, rather than just the directory.

Millions of people already use Google as a resource when getting ready to buy something, whether that's to double-check their instincts against professional or user reviews, compare prices across different retailers, or figure out whether it will fit in that spot under the window. This search category is an essential part of Google's oft-stated mission to organize the world's information and one that makes it quite a bit of money: product-related search results pages are clustered with ads.

But … Read more

If you believe in comparison shopping, do yourself a favor and download ShopSavvy. The free, ad-supported app seeks out prices for goods when you either scan the barcode with your Android camera or type in the product name. ShopSavvy then spools out online prices and local offerings at major brick and mortar stores. You can read other peoples' product reviews, and can save what you like to a wish list. When you select a Web entry, you can view it in the browser, e-mail the link to a friend, or broadcast your find on Facebook or Twitter. ShopSavvy's price … Read more

I can't count how many times I've grabbed a bunch of full shopping bags and wound up with no circulation in my fingers as a result of those plastic handles. Distributing the weight better is the key to avoiding that problem, and the Yoke Shopper seems to have figured it out. This little gadget can fit in a purse or even a pocket, but when you pull it out, you can add an over-the-shoulder strap to any grocery bag. A strap extends that you can hang over your shoulder, while the Yoke Shopper grips the handles of your … Read more

I first sold my soul to a girl with a very large gap in her teeth. It took me years to get it back. (Yes, souls are recoverable.) But then I met a former trapeze artist from a Hungarian circus. The rest, as they say, is misery.

So I feel a peculiar and vigorous bond with the 7,500 people who, so mesmerized by the idea of buying a video game, sold their souls to the UK gaming retailer GameStation.

You might think I am making this up. You might think that no one can buy someone else's soul. At least, not legally. Well, please check your own soul compartment, just in case you might have inadvertently sold its contents while ordering up a new Xbox 360.

According to Fox News, you see, GameStation decided to slip a clause into the terms and conditions of its purchase contracts that gave the company the rights to your immortal being.

The clause makes for stimulating reading: "By placing an order via this Web site on the first day of the fourth month of the year 2010 Anno Domini, you agree to grant Us a non-transferable option to claim, for now and for ever more, your immortal soul. Should We wish to exercise this option, you agree to surrender your immortal soul, and any claim you may have on it, within 5 (five) working days of receiving written notification from gamesation.co.uk or one of its duly authorised minions."

The retailer reportedly began this clause as an April Fool's joke, but then developed it in order to prove to itself, the world, and the heated inhabitants of Haedes that no one reads these often draconian draftings. … Read more

It took a while, but Google has made its big move as a local shopping inventory gatekeeper. The company said Thursday that it will offer mobile device users inventory checks on local stores, allowing them to see if products are available.

The program has already enlisted some key retailers including Sears, Best buy, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm. Rest assured that local merchants, which increasingly rely on Google to send business their way, will follow suit.

These local inventory checks have been talked about for years. In 2006, Google, Intuit, and the Kelsey Group outlined retailing's future and … Read more

On this week's Digital City podcast, we discuss new MacBook Pro rumors, and discover why New York drug store chain is using a sushi-making machine to bring raw fish to its shelves.

Then we lament how laptop users are no longer welcome in several big NYC coffee shops -- to counter this disturbing trend, we run down some of our favorite spots for computing on-the-go.

Finally, Heavy Rain hits the streets this week. Everyone's interest level is high, and Dan and Scott give some spoiler-free impressions based on their very different playthroughs.

Bonus: if you've ever wondered … Read more

The "Verified by Visa" credit-card authentication system has come under criticism from Cambridge University researchers, who say it is training online shoppers to adopt risky security habits.

The feature, which is used to authenticate online financial transactions, confuses people by not displaying security cues, security engineering researchers Ross Anderson and Steven Murdoch said in a paper (PDF) published Tuesday.

The protocol underlying Verified by Visa, as well competitor MasterCard's SecureCode service, is 3-D Secure (3DS). The protocol is implemented as an iframe pop-up box, said Anderson. The pop-up does not display any commonly used markers, such as … Read more