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Submission + - Ajax and E-Commerce Solutions

ecart writes: "Ever wonder what large e-commerce retailers use for a shopping cart solution? Do they build their e-commerce solution in-house or outsource? Do their CIO's go through the same process of researching and selecting a cart solution that us little guys go through? You betcha.

They fish in a much larger pond than micro/small e-commerce operations and the solutions available to them blow many of the hosted shopping cart solutions that we know and love right out of the water. Take for instance Demandware.

Demandware has an impressive client list that includes Playboy and Vermont Teddy Bear. Even more impressive is their solution. Features include an AJAX shopping cart, highly evolved merchandising ability and a robust checkout system that can include incentives and offers for upselling. Oh and did I mention they offer AN AJAX SHOPPING CART?!!?

Sorry of getting so excited over this technology but it makes the shopping experience SO MUCH better than other web technologies. With AJAX you can kiss the following goodbye:

  — Requiring customer to click to go through a checkout.
  — No more disjointed steps to "Add to Cart" or "Continue Shopping".
  — No more clicking to get shipping costs.

All of these benefits sum up to higher sales conversion rates for the store. Quite simply, the easier you make to buy something from your online store — the more people will buy. Think out it as a one-step checkout on steroids. I'll take it further and say the AJAX shopping carts make one-step shopping cart looks so 1990's. The big boys know this and are going through great pains to update their e-commerce solutions to make uee of AJAX. The Gap even temporarily closed their online stores down to upgrade AJAX. Yes, it's that important.

Now us little guys will just have to wait for an affordable AJAX hosted shopping cart to come along..."
User Journal

Journal Journal: Ford Vehicles to Read Email 1

In an update to a prior Slashdot story from December, news sources such as WBIR are carrying news states the new Ford and Microsoft service called Sync will be hitting the roads in the fall of 2007, as mentioned at the recent Chicago Auto Show. The service would be able to read the emails and using an audio system will be capable of reading the email contents aloud.
Microsoft

Submission + - Longhorn server is virtually ready

Rob writes: The next release of Microsoft's server operating system depends on the company deciding its virtualization capabilities are ready to go, according to the company's UK server director. In April 2005, Microsoft's CEO, Steve Ballmer, announced that the company would introduce a virtualization hypervisor in the next version of Windows Server, which is codenamed Longhorn. The hypervisor technology will be embedded within Windows and enable it to take direct advantage of processor-level virtualization technologies to improve the performance and efficiency of running virtual machines. The approach being taken by Microsoft is similar to that taken by its open source rival and partner XenSource Inc in that it creates virtual environments at the operating system layer rather than the hardware virtualization model taken by incumbent VMware Inc, a division of EMC Corp.
Education

Submission + - Wikipedia founder Q & A

MattSparkes writes: "Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia founder, answered readers questions in this New Scientist interview.

Q: 'Wikipedia is such a huge source of information and many articles are open to vandalism and abuse, therefore they can display people's racial or cultural beliefs. Is it hard to keep this offensive material under control?'

A: 'No, it is pretty easy.'"
Movies

Submission + - Don't believe what you see at the movies

MattSparkes writes: "Most images you see in a magazine are Photoshopped, and it's getting less and less likely that what you see at the cinema is any more genuine. In one scene in Blood Diamond, tears have been added to the face of Jennifer Connolly after it was shot. According to The Times, digital effects artists can even change actors' expressions. "Opening or closing eyes; making a limp more convincing; removing breathing signs; eradicating blinking eyelids from a lingering gaze; or splicing together different takes of an unsuccessful love scene to produce one in which both parties look like they are enjoying themselves." One day it may even be possible to make it look like Keanu Reaves can act."
Education

Kansas Adopts New Science Standards 868

porcupine8 writes "The Kansas State Board of Education has changed the state science standards once again, this time to take out language questioning evolution. This turnaround comes fast on the heels of the ouster given this past election to the ultra-conservative Board members who originally introduced the language. 'Science' has also been re-redefined as 'a human activity of systematically seeking natural explanations' (the word 'natural' had been previously stricken from the definition). If you'd like to see the new standards, a version showing all additions and deletions is available from the KS DOE's website (PDF)."
Novell

Submission + - No truth to Samba rumor

lisah writes: "Linux.com is reporting this morning that recent rumors of a mass exodus of Samba developers fleeing to Red Hat because they are irate over the Microsoft/Novell agreement are unfounded. Though well known Samba team member Jeremy Allison recently left Novell for Google, Novell spokesperson Kevan Barney says reports that the entire Samba team has imploded are 'incorrect'."
The Media

Submission + - Where Digg Failed

legoburner writes: "An interesting op-ed piece has appeared detailing the author's belief that Digg is so fundamentally flawed that it is only a matter of time before it completely collapses. Why Digg Failed has some choice quotes and analysis of why Digg's popularity has caused it to become too similar to tabloids in gaining attention and how quality has fallen drastically as usage has increased. Take note slashdot/firehose!"
Biotech

Submission + - Bionic eye could restore vision

MattSparkes writes: "A new bionic eye could restore vision to the profoundly blind. A prototype was tested on six patients and "within a few weeks all could detect light, identify objects and even perceive motion again. For one patient, this was the first time he had seen anything in half a century." The user wears a pair of glasses that contain a miniature camera and that wirelessly transmits video to a cellphone-sized computer in the wearer's pocket. This computer processes the image information and wirelessly transmits it to a tiny electronic receiver implanted in the wearer's head."
Patents

Submission + - Yahoo patents Web 2.0!!!

nbmonger writes: As reported on Techcrunch and CrunchGear — Yahoo was recently issued a patent focused on Web 2.0 that could have a serious impact for websites (and developers) which allow users to create customizable pages. An analysis of the patent and the 20+ companies which could be affected is covered on PatentMonkey. Interestingly, Yahoo sued Google back in 2004 with a patent Yahoo obtained when they acquired Overture. The net result was Yahoo owning 5% of Google. Perhaps Yahoo will use the patent to take a 5% stake in all the MashUps knowing some will pay off handomsly.
Windows

Submission + - Vista "express" upgrade program bungled

Josh M. writes: Thousands of customers who purchased new Windows PCs this past Christmas are still waiting on their promised Windows Vista upgrades, despite the Vista launch occurring more than two weeks ago. Ars reports that Dell and HP have both pushed their shipping dates 6-8 weeks back after launch, meaning some people won't get their upgrades well into April. It turns out that because those customers get free Vista support, the OEMs are waiting for better driver support, hence the delay. So much for "express."
Security

Drive-By Pharming Attack Could Hit Home Networks 185

Rob wrote in with a link to a CBR Online article discussing drive-by pharming, a new exploitation technique developed by Indiana University and Symantec Corporation. While it's not known if the technique is in use 'in the wild', the exploit could easily co-opt the web-browsing habits of a user that had not properly configured their router. "The attack works because most of the popular home routers ship with default passwords, default internal IP address ranges, and web-based configuration interfaces. The exploit is a single line of JavaScript loaded with a default router IP address, a default password, and an HTTP query designed to reconfigure the router to use the attacker's DNS servers." The article goes on to discuss several related and more advanced techniques related to this one, which security companies will have to keep in mind to guard against future attacks.
Education

Submission + - Hacks no longer joking matter at MIT

ecklesweb writes: The Boston Globe reprots that Hacks are no longer a joke at MIT. Three students tripped an alarm while "exploring" the Faculty Club under the cover of dark. Instead of fines or community service, the three students face up to 20 years in prison on charges of felony breaking and entering and trespassing. Of course, maybe it's just *botched* hacks that are no joke at MIT...

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