Newsletters are one of the primary means of communicating with both existing and potential customers. For small e-commerce business owners, however, putting together a regular newsletter may seem daunting. Is it worth your time and effort? In short, yes -- and following are some reasons you should consider taking the leap. Since e-commerce businesses often don't have the opportunity to see their customers face-to-face, sending out an email newsletter is one way to open up a channel of regular communication. [More...]

Some logistics and mobility industry heavyweights have formed a group committed to improving the lives and opportunities of working Americans through adoption of autonomous vehicles. Its roster includes the American Trucking Associations, Daimler, FedEx, Ford, Lyft, Toyota Motor North America, Uber and Waymo. "Our autonomous vehicle future will bring many significant benefits for society, but we also must remember that it may change the way many of us work," said PTIO Executive Director Maureen Westphal. [More...]

Crate.io has introduced a commercial Machine Data Platform, along with a new version of its open source SQL database for the Internet of Things and machine data. The company also announced an US$11 M Series A funding round. The Machine Data Platform is Crate.io's first major commercial venture following last year's initial steps toward selling services around its free database, noted Andy Ellicott, chief product and marketing officer at the company. Crate.io has reached several critical fiscal and technical milestones since then. [More...]

Mobile sales and business-to-business e-commerce platform Handshake has teamed up with Square to provide easy B2B ordering and payments via an app that enables a seamless workflow between the two companies' products. Using the app, B2B sellers can accept all major credit cards and see their money deposited in their bank accounts in one to two business days. Businesses can capture sales rep and customer orders electronically, and manufacturers and distributors can customize each customer's e-commerce checkout experience. [More...]