A higher-than-expected quarterly profit on solid growth in its online marketplaces and an increase in transactions processed through its PayPal electronic payments business was reported by EBay Inc.

The shares of the e-commerce company were up nearly 2 percent in after-hours trading, even though the company offered a cautious outlook for first-quarter profit and revenue.

EBay reported fourth-quarter net income of $2 billion, or $1.51 a share, compared with $559 million, or 42 cents a share, a year earlier. The company forecast first-quarter profit of 50 cents or 51 cents a share and revenue of $3.05 billion to $3.15 billion and added profit for 2012 will be $2.25 to $2.30 a share and revenue will be $13.7 billion to $14 billion.

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Banks and financial institutions have been warned by the RBI to strictly follow its fresh guidelines on credit cards. These guidelines have been issued for creating and maintaining charging interest rates and levying other fees on customers and any contravention can invite penal action.

An RBI circular said that all banks and financial institutions are advised to strictly adhere to the guidelines, both in letter and spirit.

From Economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Besides, complaints like charging annual fee on what were being offered as free cards, issuance of loans over phone, disputes over wrong billing, difficulty in accessing the credit card issuers and poor response from the call centres, it said.

Giving detailed guidelines for credit card operations, the RBI had earlier asked the banks to declare upfront the interest rate, various charges and the methodology of calculation of finance charges with illustrative examples.

As per an RBI circular issued in 2007, card companies should prescribe a ceiling rate of interest, including processing and other charges in case of small value personal loans and loans similar in nature.

There should be transparency in levying differential interest rates, it had said, adding, the banks should publicise through their website and other means, the interest rates charged to various categories of customers.

The circular also advised banks to indicate to the credit card holder upfront, the methodology of calculation of finance charges with illustrative examples, particularly in situations where only a part of the amount outstanding is paid by the customer.

These fresh directives have been issued by the RBI in response to numerous complaints by holders of credit cards, particularly with regard to excessive finance charges and issuance of unsolicited cards.

According to the IMRG Capgemini e-Retail Sales Index, online shopping reached its highest growth since June 2008. This massive boost is attributed to the warm weather and the World Cup.

IMRG spokeswoman Tina Spooner said the e-retail market in the United Kingdom has grown 14 percent that is in line with predictions for the year.

From Thescotsman.scotsman.com:

The index shows a 3 per cent sales increase in May, compared to April this year.

Preparations for the World Cup appear to have played their part, with alcohol sales up 23 per cent compared to last year and electrical goods up 13 per cent.

Online clothing sales rose in May, up 32 per cent compared to last year, fuelled by sportswear buying and warmer weather.

Capgemini spokesman Chris Webster said: “Throughout the history of the index we have seen a noticeable rise in sales of certain goods whenever there is a major sports tournament on.

“This year’s World Cup is no exception, with online retail as a whole growing by the highest level in two years and sectors such as clothing, alcohol and electricals rising rapidly.

E–retailers have already started to benefit from an increase in consumer spending as consumers are now confident of the economy as recession is now almost over.

Big-budget disappointments and the lack of a single blockbuster comedy has put off grumpy moviegoers, a truth which is evident from the fact that Memorial Day weekend attendance was the lowest since 1993.

Sony’s remake of “The Karate Kid” surprised many with collections of $56 million in North America over the last few days and Toy Story 3 is expected to help cash counters go ringing.

From Economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Kevin Goetz, chief executive of Screen Engine, a marketing and research consulting firm that specializes in entertainment, says viewers increasingly reserve their ticket purchases for pictures that promise something truly special, whether that means amazing visual effects or extraordinary reviews.

“If you don’t have a product that delivers in a unique and powerful way, then certainly the messaging has to do that,” Mr. Goetz said.

A variety of other factors may be holding back the box office, including blowback from consumers over higher ticket prices. Perversely, the improving economy may have taken the edge off ticket sales that were buoyed last year, when filmgoers sought a relatively cheap diversion from financial woes.

But the primary reason is most likely ho-hum movies. In the last few weeks, Hollywood’s offerings have lacked luster. “Sex and the City 2” got some of the worst reviews in memory for Warner Brothers, while “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” from Walt Disney was received with a collective shrug.

Dennis Rice, a marketing consultant who previously ran Disney’s publicity operation, said it is all about changing the mood in context of the entertainment business.

Introduction of online facilities such as Online shopping and Internet banking surely have simplified things besides adding to the comfort and convenience of people. However, things are not as safe as their appear in the first place as the World Wide Web is full of individuals trying to steal critical information for mischievous purposes. Read on!

Online shopping and Internet Banking are quite popular with consumers of today. This is also the reason why hackers target them to gain easy money through fraud and identity theft. Though illegal, computer hacking does exist and you are surely fooling yourself if you think that you cannot be a victim of hacking.

Believe it or not, hacking is a universal concept and no PC in this world is an exception. It does not matter if you are rich or average your critical info can still be hacked as hackers do not make discrimination though they obviously prefer the rich. There are ways to guard your PC and information from getting hacked, especially if you make use of shared PCs.

Remember, things can be made easier and safe by following some easy and effective tips. Let us read about some good tips to keep your bank account, credit cards, and other financial information secure from all types of hacking activities.