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Tablets, a new digital tollbooth, a traveling e-tailer, a smartphone tie-up, and a would-be titan toppler -- sounds like the plot for a Hollywood action movie, or, at the very least, the stuff that will dominate high-tech headlines in the coming days. Here's what to watch as the week unfolds.

Online retailing is big business, and growing. As virtual storefronts become major revenue generators, many retailers are realizing the value of free shipping, which has the potential to greatly increase sales. Consider these seven promotional strategies, good for consumers and investors.

Great selection, low prices, and tolerable shopping conditions have long been recognized as Wal-Mart's winning formula. Fortunately, the company itself is starting to see it that way too. It hasn't been easy to attain, but Wal-Mart's self-knowledge should be good news for investors.

Americans spent $48.4 billion on their pets in 2010, and historical returns have shown that growth in pet products has proceeded at a steady pace. More than half of households have a built-in product focus group -- a pet that's probably more than eager to test the latest and greatest pet products.

#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-303152{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-303152, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-303152{width:620px;height:439px;display:block;}You live in a small space, but you don't have the money to buy a new set of...

Amazon has offered a $300 million investment and the promise of 5,000 jobs in the state of Texas in exchange for a reprieve on collecting sales tax on purchases made by Texans. It's just one of many similar deals being offered by the e-commerce giant, and Texas is said to be considering it.

Technology buy-back programs may be a good way to keep up with the Joneses, but the U.S. Better Business Bureau cautioned consumers to examine the advantages and disadvantages before locking into a program. Retailers like Best Buy, Radio Shack and Walmart have buy-back programs designed to keep...

Keeping track of the latest product and food recalls can be a challenge for any consumer, so Consumer Ally has collected them all in one place for you to check each week. Here is this week's roundup: Bell Sports recalled 33,600 bicycle helmets sold at WalMart and online at Amazon.com in the...

Dream on Me recalled 22,000 full-size and portable drop-side cribs after numerous reports of children getting trapped between the mattress and its railings, said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The CPSC said there have been 69 reports of incidents involving the cribs, including a...

#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-566507{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-566507, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-566507{width:620px;height:439px;display:block;}With a cold coming on, you're summoning all your energy just to venture out to the...