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Below is a summary of the week's most interesting content merchandising-related posts from Content Ping as well as from other blogs and news sites. Happy reading.

FROM CONTENT PING:
The Fix Is In: Sony and Samsung Implement Price Protection
Several consumer electronics companies recently instituted draconian unilateral pricing policies. But the policies, implemented to protect brick-and-mortar stores from being undercut by e-commerce competitors, are likely to backfire.

E-COMMERCE
Real Help, Real Fast
Intelligent virtual assistants (IVA's) are quickly becoming a cheaper, capable alternative to humans when it comes to sales help and support on e-commerce sites. Research agencies predict their use to be widespread by 2015.

China on Track to Become World's Largest Luxury E-Commerce Market by 2015
In keeping with its pattern of becoming the biggest in the world in everything, China is expected to become the world's largest luxury-item market by 2015. But don't worry, they're sure to continue making our sneakers for cheap.

MOBILE COMMERCE:
Mobile Checkouts: Top 20 Online Retailers Reviewed
Econsultancy took a look at the top 20 online retailers in the UK to evaluate mobile checkout optimization. Best practices like making registration optional and keeping form-filling to a minimum turn out to be the exception rather than the rule on mobile sites.

SOCIAL COMMERCE:
Facebook Tries, Tries Again on a Smartphone
Facebook's IPO may not have gone according to plan, but the company has another trick up its sleeve: a smartphone. CEO Mark Zuckerburg reportedly fears "Facebook will simply become an app on other mobile platforms" without its own mobile device offering. Though Facebook has tried and failed to build its own smartphone before, the addition of multiple former iPhone engineers to the company payroll suggests this time might be different.

Zagat Goes Free With the Launch of Google+ Local
Google+ Local tries to gain relevance for would-be day-to-day users by integrating Zagat reviews -- and making long-premium content free.

SEO:
First Report of Google Penguin Recovery
The recent Google Penguin release continues to give SEO professionals heart attacks. This analysis looks at changes one site made to regain their Google ranking.