Robert Andrews

Youth 25% more likely to use internet

Britons aged 15 to 24 are 25 percent more likely to use the internet than the rest of the country - and social networking is among the strongest attractions, according the findings of a new report.

Those in this youngest age bracket also spent more time online than the average internet user, according to comScore's April figures.

by Robert Andrews 11 June 2007 09:49am 0 comments

Google comes out fighting on privacy policy

Google has issued a strong defence of its privacy practices after facing criticism in a report issued by a London-based human rights group.

Privacy International assessed privacy at popular internet destinations, including Amazon and AOL.

by Robert Andrews 11 June 2007 09:43am 0 comments

Tesco.com pioneer to lead Dixons group

The businessman who pioneered UK online grocery shopping is moving on to head up the Dixons group.

John Browett was formerly chief executive at Tesco.com, which was launched in 1996 and has probably become the world's most successful online groceries retail operation.

by Robert Andrews 08 June 2007 09:30am 1 comment

Amazon extends 1-Click patent to gifts

Amazon has extended its controversial patent on "1-Click" shopping to include items bought as gifts for others.

The original 1999 patent allowed customers to purchase products with just one click after entering their address and credit card details for upfront storage. but drew fire including a boycott when Amazon sued rival Barnes & Noble for using a similar method.

by Robert Andrews 08 June 2007 10:30am 0 comments

Olympics logo causes fits, but defended

The London 2012 Olympics effort has attracted international ridicule after it was forced to remove an animated version of its controversial new logo because it was causing epileptic seizures.

The dayglo, nu rave-style jigsaw images have drawn derision - and several attempts to do better - since their unveiling on Monday. But the online animation fuelled the matter further after Epilepsy Action requested its removal following complaints from sufferers.

by Robert Andrews 07 June 2007 09:59am 3 comments

Google widens ban on gambling ads

Google has extended a ban on online gambling providers' use of AdWords to include even services that are free to consumers.

Both Yahoo! and Google outlawed ads for internet casinos and poker services back in 2004, drawing ire from the industry, which many say benefits from online advertising more than others.

by Robert Andrews 07 June 2007 10:03am 9 comments

Shopping traffic from Google, MySpace balloons

An increasing amount of traffic to e-commerce sites is coming from Google, according to new stats.

The proportion of visits shopping and classifieds sites received from the search engine almost doubled from 8.7% in May 2006 to 15.55% last month, Hitwise US reported.

by Robert Andrews 06 June 2007 12:44pm 1 comment

Etsy stages crafty e-commerce classes

Etsy, a website that turns painters, seamstresses and cushion-makers into online retail mavens, is holding e-commerce classes with a difference - they're all in the real world.

Launched in 2005, the site allows members to buy and sell handmade items from individual storefronts and has become regarded as an eBay of sorts for the crafts world.

by Robert Andrews 06 June 2007 11:09am 0 comments

Yahoo! unveils Panama APIs

Yahoo! has released a set of application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow advertisers to tailor their experience with the company's search marketing platform.

Three levels of tweaking capability are available to developers, each of which allows for customisation of the out-of-the-box new Panama engine, which was released in the UK last week.

by Robert Andrews 05 June 2007 09:04am 0 comments