Whatâs Online: Fruitcake Might Be a Better Gift
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With the holiday season now behind us, the nation is awash in gift cards, as stores sold many more in 2007 than they did the year prior.
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Don't get stuck with dud holiday gifts. Tips on avoiding gift return traps.
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Shopping site Boddit lets holiday spendthrifts quickly compare prices from online retailers. It also scours the web for coupons and promotional codes to help you save cash. In Monkey Bites.
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SHUFFLING THE CARDS: With the rising popularity of giving gift cards in lieu of presents, Internet businesses have sprung up allowing the sale or swap of unwanted cards.
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Life & style: In pictures: Relax after Christmas with some specially chosen pampering treats
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Scored a gift card for Christmas? Maybe cool, maybe not.
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The gift card &#151; often viewed as the little, plastic solution for keeping friends and family out of the return lines &#151; doesn't always serve as the ideal present. Responding to consumers who don't want to buy themselves another sweater, or will take a pass on a fancy steak dinner, Internet businesses have sprung up allowing people to sell or swap unwanted gift cards.
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(InfoWorld) - Santa Claus may take online orders this year, but the Grinches will also be on the Internet. Holiday shopping online is expected toÂ reach new peaksÂ this year, and with the surge comes concern over the safety of transactions, according to technology services company EDS and the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), both of which have issued guidelines for Web shoppers. U.S. shoppers are expected to buy about 25 percent of their holiday goods online this year, with a typical shopper spending nearly $800, according to the National Retail Federation. But various vendors and consumer groups have issued warnings for online shoppers because a likelihood of fraud accompanies the increase of buying online. Internet-related fraud cost an estimated $340 million last year, the FTC said. EDS and the FTC cautioned that online shoppers should: -- Know your retailer. Stick with reputable businesses with contact numbers and physical addresses. Some Web sites display seals that vouch for their security, but these can also be faked. -- Use secure Web sites. Sites that use encryption to protect data should display "https://" rather than "http://" in the address bar. Secure sites should also display a padlock symbol to show that the Web site has a secure, encrypted connection. EDS advises against sending a retailer more information than they need to complete a purchase. -- Be aware of phishing e-mail. Most people have received fraudulent e-mail asking for personal information. Never send information and never click on links in such e-mails, which are likely to be directed to look-alike Web sites designed to harvest identity and financial details. It's safe to type a Web site address into a browser. Reputable businesses do not ask for information through e-mails. -- Review privacy and security policies. Most companies will tell you what information they collect and how they use it. Also, foreign Web sites may be bound by different laws for how they can handle your personal information. -- Use antivirus and firewall software. -- Check your credit report and credit card balances regularly. The FTC Web site has a page devoted to holiday shopping tips, including those for online shoppers. Â
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The âVar Guyâ at TechIQ Magazine offers âfive reasons why Appleâs retail strategy is crushing the competition this holiday season:â Simplicity, Quality, Integration, Expertise, and Design. As an example, the Var Guy contrasts buying a Windows smartphone with buying an iPhone: âbuy the iPhone (five minute process), link it to your Mac (five minute process), and activate the iPhone online (five minute process), and youâll be wondering why Appleâs approach isnât the norm for the entire cell phone industry.â
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Online searches for gift cards are rising, and they're more generic than ever. We're one step away from just giving money
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One of the most frequently asked holiday etiquette questions involves the practice of re-gifting. So I asked readers recently if they thought that taking a gift they had received and passing it on to someone else was prudent or just plain rude.
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MONDAY, Feb. 7 (HealthDay News) -- If you couldn't get enough of sweets when you were young, chances are your child will share your palate's passion.
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Also: Digital cameras are the hottest gift for 2004. [News.com Extra]
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Online shops look set to have a good Christmas as UK web-users get the online buying habit.
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When you're thinking of gifting someone with quality technology, it's natural to seek out the least expensive item you can get away with and then ruminate about how high you'd go at the other end.
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By Tamara Chuang, The Orange County Register, Calif.  Dec. 12--So many gadgets, not enough time. While I'm busy reviewing  Microsoft's new Zune for next week's Gadgetress, here are a few gadgets I've  seen or heard about recently that could come in handy for the holidays (hint,  hint).
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WASHINGTON -- Tell Santa to hurry if you want him to bring CD or DVD burners and jukebox programs. By Christmas, such gifts might be threatened if Congress passes a new law to fight movie and music pirates.