News Byte

Social-Shopping Website OpenSky Relaunches as Full-Fledged Online Marketplace

OpenSky, the two-year-old e-commerce site that took a stab at social shopping by allowing members to follow celebrity and expert curators, has relaunched as a full-fledged marketplace for small businesses. Merchants can open up their own “stores” on the site for free, and can sell to OpenSky’s 2.5 million members, with OpenSky taking a commission on items sold — like Etsy, but with a social twist, more established sellers and a much smaller community of shoppers. Items listed range from cosmetics to clothing to kitchen supplies. OpenSky is based in New York and has raised nearly $50 million in venture capital funding to date.

Netflix, Redbox and More: What You Need to Know

I stream, you stream, we all stream online video. If you’re going to commit to a subscription streaming service, here are some things to consider.
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New Crop of Online Food Services Offer Everything but the Chef

What’s in the box?
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The Prime Reason Why Amazon’s Sales May Be Falling Behind This Holiday

Amazon’s peak spending days may occur even closer to Christmas this year, as more customers sign-up for its free two-day shipping program.
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With Track Your Grub, GrubHubbers Can See Exactly Where Their Food Delivery Is

I know, I know: First-world problem solved. Again.
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Holiday Spending Online Will Again See Double-Digit Increases

Deal-seeking shoppers in the U.S. are expected to spend $68.4 billion online this holiday, according to Forrester.
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TrueCar CEO: Disrupting the Car-Buying Process Nearly Drove It Out of Business (Video)

It may sound impossible, but TrueCar’s founder and CEO, Scott Painter, says he knows what it’s like to drive prices too low.
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Breaking Down Apple’s Retail Distribution Strategy

“Everyone who lives in an Apple Store city thinks that is where everything happens, but you can’t sell 40 million plus iPhones in a year through just 250 stores.”
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StudyHall Offers New Site for Collaborative Course Work (And Books!)

New start-up StudyHall wants to offer a campus alternative to Blackboard — through students, rather than school administrators.
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Videogame Distribution Shifting Online, Even for TV-Tethered Consoles

In five years, 39 percent of console game revenue will come from online distribution and purchases, according to a new report.
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Are You “Always Addressable”?

My So-Called Social Super Bowl