Voices

San Francisco’s Pursuit of Tech Spurs Questions

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee wants to do more to promote the local technology industry than any mayor before him. But some who advocate for low-income residents in this rapidly changing city are saying that’s not necessarily a good thing.

Voices

Amazon Softens Stance on Taxes

Amazon.com Inc. reached an agreement with Texas officials Friday to begin collecting sales taxes in the state starting in July and appears to be backing away from its long-held opposition to tax collection in states where it has warehouses and other facilities.

Voices

PayPal to Launch Credit-Card Reader for Smartphones

EBay Inc.’s PayPal electronic-payments service is further tapping into the bricks-and-mortar retail industry by releasing a credit-card reader that small merchants can use on smartphones.

Voices

New Sites Unleash Pets.com 2.0

The economics of Internet commerce have changed so much that Alex Zhardanovsky is now taking on the once-seemingly impossible challenge of selling pet food online.

Voices

Extended-Warranty Business Gets $238 Million in Funding

SquareTrade Inc., which sells warranties for electronics products directly to consumers over the Web, said it is raising $238 million from affiliates of the private-equity firm Bain Capital LLC.

Voices

Welcome to Amazon Town

Behind the piles of smiley-faced Amazon.com Inc. boxes arriving on doorsteps this holiday season are workers like Ray and Sarann Williams.

Voices

“Cyber Monday” Gains Rivals

“Christmas creep” is spreading through the Internet.

Voices

Amazon “Primes” Pump for Loyalty

As Amazon.com Inc. battles traditional retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and digital rivals like Apple Inc.’s iTunes store, the company is raising its bet on its Amazon Prime customer-loyalty program.

Voices

Amazon, Now a Book Lender

As the e-reader and tablet wars heat up, Amazon.com Inc. is launching a digital-book lending library that will be available only to owners of its Kindle and Kindle Fire devices who are also subscribers to its Amazon Prime program.

Voices

Who Will Be the “Next Steve Jobs”?

Will there be another? It’s a bit absurd to try to identify “the next Steve Jobs.” Two decades ago, Mr. Jobs himself wouldn’t even have qualified. But …

Amazon May Expand Free Home Delivery