EWallet Software Aims to Ease Web Shopping

In an effort to capitalize on an expected surge in e-commerce this holiday season, a Pasadena start-up today will unveil an “electronic wallet” designed to make online shopping more convenient. EWallet’s free software will allow users to store all of their credit card information on their computer desktops, which will save them from having to type it in each time they make a purchase on the World Wide Web, said Chief Executive Bill Gross. The company expects to earn revenue from advertising and by directing shoppers to so-called portal sites, where they can search for merchandise. Gross, founder of the Idealab business incubator in Pasadena, said EWallet has raised $3 million in venture capital and will spend half of that on an advertising campaign featuring radio disc jockey Howard Stern.