Once you can understand consumer preferences, record purchases, and keep track of sizing and fit profiles, it becomes possible to better predict what someone will be most likely to buy in the future.

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If advertisements became completely personalized, it would be possible to learn virtually anything about someone just by observing what they were suggested to buy, never mind what they actually bought.

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If you're headed on vacation, you shouldn't have an issue loading up tons of titles onto the 2GB e-reader, but what if you decide you want to buy a book you saw someone reading on the plane?

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The writing is on the PC screen: Suppliers can wise up and sell what consumers want to buy on the Web--or they can be fraidy-cats and watch someone else run off with their business.

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They might think that this information is harmless, but simple things such as knowing where someone banks or what they buy on a regular basis could allow hackers or fraudsters to make use social engineering tricks to get access to confidential information.

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What separates the innovation winners in business is not starting with an idea and then try to find someone who might buy it.

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If someone asked me to free associate about the Best Buy store near my New Jersey home, what would come to mind are terms like mish-mash, so-so pricing, great Geek Squad and pushy salesmen.

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