Microsoft to revamp MSN

Microsoft is working on a revamp for MSN, its decade-old portal site, reports CNET News.

Though often overlooked by Microsoft watchers, the MSN portal remains critically important to Microsoft's online business.

Its home page is the crown jewel of its display ad business and MSN is also responsible for about half of the company's Internet search traffic.

An Iraqi IT expert has set up the country's first e-shopping Web site for trading anything from cars to game consoles, hoping to build a business that may one day cater for locals and foreign investors alike, says Reuters.

Named after an ancient and teeming Baghdad market, Harej, which means "commotion" in Arabic, the site connects buyers and sellers for free, although few goods are on offer so far.

Its creator, Mehdi al-Ajwadi, said the idea would take time to catch on in the almost entirely cash-based economy of a country ravaged by years of conflict, and where only a tiny proportion of the population has access to the Internet.

Digital River a provider of e-commerce solutions, has released a 'storefront' solution for firms looking to harmonise their e-commerce systems, states vnunet.

The offering is designed to deliver a common e-commerce storefront to customers, whether through a mobile or fixed Internet connection.

This will lead to "happier customers and more opportunity for sales", according to the company.