Inc.com reports that, according to the Commerce Department, “[o]nline retail sales grew by 3.6 percent to $34.7 billion over the third quarter, more than double the quarter-to-quarter growth of brick-and-mortar sales.  In the past year, e-commerce sales have increased by 19.3 percent, compared to just 3.8 for total retail sales, [...]

The Register writes that “Internet providers have reacted with confusion at Gordon Brown's announcement that the Home Office will summon them to Westminster for anti-terror discussions. The PM unveiled wide-ranging measures in Parliament this week (full speech here). Slipped into the middle of the long list of jihad-squashing pledges was [...]

According to the Washington Post, “[s]everal leaders of Washington's technology community are creating an investment firm to back local entrepreneurs as they start up companies, the latest in a series of local organizations helping to turn promising innovations into businesses. LaunchBox Digital will provide up to $30,000 in seed money [...]

Internetnews.com reports that, according to research released this week by Computer Economics, “IT spending in 2008 will increase by only low single digit percentages and may be closer to flat.  On the plus side, a solid majority – 66 percent – of organizations surveyed expect their IT budgets to increase [...]

Yahoo!News reports that “Microsoft Corp. and the GSM Association are promoting 3G (third generation) mobile telecommunications by asking companies to build laptop PCs that automatically connect to the Internet wirelessly over mobile phone networks.  They're hosting a contest challenging companies to design mobile phone-like connectivity into easy-to-use laptops aimed at [...]