The arrangement, which expires on July 31, requires that Japanese companies strive to purchase a growing percentage of their computer chips from abroad.

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Amazon, for example, utilizes an IP address locator, to check to see whether the computer someone is using to make a purchase is in a location that makes sense for that credit card holder, says Brady.

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Reader Store accounts are now accessible from most web browsers, and sign-in and purchase can be done without having to install any software to a computer.

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For example, if a consumer goes into the Gap to make a purchase and the First National Bank of Omaha's computer system is down, the Gap will be unable to make the sale.

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If an individual investor likes the long-term outlook of Dell Computer or Cisco Systems, it's easy to purchase a "call" on those shares, which gives the investor the right to buy them at a set price in the future.

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The media-modeling tool was kicked into high gear two years ago when Chad Jacoby, senior manager of Nissan's Business Intelligence Unit, used years of Nissan's consumer research to build a computer model comparing the relationship of each phase of their "purchase funnel"--from awareness to purchase consideration to a transaction--to the phase before it.

FORBES: Ad Vantage

These accounts, which also grow tax-free, can be used to cover not only college but also precollege expenses such as private school, tutoring or the purchase of a computer.

FORBES: A Gift From The IRS

These accounts, which also grow tax free, can be used to cover not only college but also precollege expenses such as private school, tutoring or the purchase of a computer.

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