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News

• Harvey Norman grows sales despite pressures

  Harvey Norman (ASX:HVN) said its sales grew 1.3% in the first half even as computer sales slumped and the consumer electronics segment was hit by a 30% price deflation

• Starbucks extends mobile payments to 7,500 stores

  Starbucks Wednesday began allowing iPhone, iPod Touch and BlackBerry mobile payments for its coffee at thousands of its stores.

• Taiwan develops face-recognition vending machine

  Government-funded researchers in Taiwan have developed a vending machine that recommends purchases based on people's faces, one of the inventors said on Friday.

• Apple to dump all restocking fees, say reports

  Apple will ditch its 10 per cent restocking fee for all returned hardware, according to reports by a pair of technology blogs.

• Facebook rakes in $2B in 2010

  Not long after being criticized for not knowing how to make money, Facebook is looking to reel in more than $2 billion in sales in 2010.

• Rugged handhelds announced by Motorola

  Motorola announced two rugged Wi-Fi-ready mobile computers Tuesday for use in retail, manufacturing and health care.

• Amazon to demo Kindle for the Web on Tuesday

  Amazon plans to demonstrate a new version of Kindle for the Web on Tuesday, one day after Google launched its Google eBooks and eBookstore strategy.

• Retailer accused of inflating Google ranking is arrested

  An online retailer who boasted that complaints about his business helped boost its standing in Google search results was arrested Monday.

• Intel switches on 'first virtual retail salesperson in Asia'

  Silicon solutions firm Intel Malaysia has launched the Intel Virtual Retail Salesperson (RSP) to enhance consumers' IT shopping experience in a mall.

• Spending Review: Business CIOs are optimistic for the future

  Private sector CIOs appear to be optimistic that the UK government's comprehensive spending review will not have a knock-on effect in their own patch.

• iPad supply matches demand five months after launch

  Nearly five months after the iPad's launch, Apple has finally matched supply with demand.

• Mobile technology a low priority for online retailers: report

  Some 69 per cent of the Australian online retail sector is increasing investment in technology while the majority hesitate to adopt mobile commerce strategies, says a new survey.

• Amazon may be eyeing other gadgets than Kindle

  Amazon.com is reportedly considering building prototypes of gadgets other than its Kindle e-reader. But one analyst questioned the value of such devices unless they can be tied to Amazon-provided services and content.

• JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) lifts FY10 profit 26%

  Electronics and audiovisual retail chain JB Hi-Fi (ASX:JBH) said it had improved its FY10 earnings 26% to $118.7 million thanks to strong sales in the computer, telecom and visual segments

• Roberto Cavalli follows the cloud trend with Google

  Designer fashion house Roberto Cavalli has decided to standardises its email systems by moving to the Google cloud.