ISPs told to come clean on broadband speeds

TalkTalk and BT the worst offenders in mystery shopping exercise that showed broadband companies often fail to offer a speed quote to potential customers. By Juliette Garside

Complain on Twitter for an instant response

Twitter is becoming so widely used for complaints that companies, from LA Fitness to BT, have Twitter accounts specifically to deal with customer feedback

The secret to tweeting

Twitter isn't solely for media types – an online presence can help in all types of job

Broadband Britain: how fast is your connection?

Do you have a whizzy 52mbps or a dozy dialup? Help us crowdsource Britain's broadband speeds

Halifax Home Finder – consumer app of the week

A property search, house prices and mortgage rates all in one place – is this the ultimate homebuying/snooping app?

How to get into IT

To break into – and stay in – a role in information technology you will need to stay on top of emerging trends and be ready constantly to "skill up"

Google adds credit card and banking comparison tool

Tool showing providers partnered by Google in 'Sponsored' box is being rolled out in UK searches

Ebay traders under HMRC tax spotlight

HMRC's ongoing tax dodging crackdown targets regular eBay traders and those who buy items to sell them on at a profit

Is Virgin Media to blame for damaged fence and discarded cable?

Workmen installing services next door trespassed on to my property, broke my fence and left debris in my garden

O2 Wallet targets contactless payments market

Smartphone app, which aims to simplify online shopping and money transfers, is open to mobile users across all networks

Sir Stuart Rose: ‘They say we can’t afford to retire, and I don’t want to’

Former Marks & Spencer chairman says he has been an employee all his life. At 63, he quite fancies being his own boss, writes Juliette Garside

Bouncepad – Small business, big idea

Kiosks for tablet computers in locations such as shops, museums and hotels offer customers an interactive experience

Price comparison sites: why disabled or older people struggle to go compare

Sites including Compare the Market and Confused.com fail to meet the needs of visitors with a vision impairment, dyslexia or physical problems, research shows

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

With its phenomenal engine and "look at me" gullwing doors, the Mercedes SLS is ready to take off

3 Mobile two-year contract confusion

A career move to Asia meant a 3 handset became unusable – but the last year of the two-year contract still had to be honoured

Car insurance: satellite boxes ‘make young drivers safer’

In-car devices have cut crashes by 20% and could bring big drop in premiums, says insurer

Internet cookie crunch on the way for online shoppers

Websites must soon ask visitors to consent to cookies under new rules, producing the potential for a rash of pop-ups

What the BlackBerry announcement means to consumers

The struggling smartphone company says in future it will focus on business clients. But what does that mean to consumer users, or those who have just signed a contract?

A week on the web: the pasty tax

Forget the cut to the 50p rate of income tax: it seems George Osborne's biggest budget blunder was to add VAT to a hot Cornish pasty. Here's how that went down on the web

UK banks – consumer apps of the week

Banking may not be the most sexy area of the mobile app world, but with most UK high street firms offering at least some kind of on-the-go service, it's time to take a look at who offers what

The job rejection letter to end all others

About 900 jobseekers in the US have found themselves on the end of a 3,000-word bullet-pointed rejection letter. What are the best, and worst, examples of job feedback you've received?

iPad 3 refunds for Australian buyers after Apple admits no 4G service

Competition watchdog takes Apple to court after tablet was sold as 'iPad with WiFi + 4G' but cannot use Australian network

Employers warned against demanding Facebook details from staff

ICO says it would have 'very serious concerns' if UK employers asked employees for Facebook login and password details. By Charles Arthur and agencies