Archive for February 23rd, 2007
eBay Seeking Banking Charter for PayPal
SAN JOSE Officials from eBay Inc. and its payments division PayPal Inc. have recently held private discussions in Washington about the possibility of applying for a limited banking charter, according to two people familiar with the company’s moves. The charter would reduce PayPal’s dependency on partnerships with other banks. But San Jose-based eBay’s plans were [...]
Today’s column is for all the friends and co-workers who have asked for advice over the years about buying and selling on eBay. I am the eBay Queen. It started four years ago when I was researching an article. Within minutes of getting a user ID I took a break from my research and began [...]
eBay In Trouble Over Unfair Advertising
An advert for popular auction site eBay that showed a coffee machine available for under £100 has got the company into trouble. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) upheld a complaint from a member of the public who had been unable to find the item at that price on eBay. The advert also featured a chair, [...]
eBay Boss Breaking Work Patterns
By the end of February, most of the employees at eBay’s San Jose headquarters will collect their possessions, wave a final goodbye to their landline telephones and change cubicles. But what John Donahoe, president of one of eBay’s most important divisions, really wants is for his colleagues to change the way they work. “I’m a [...]
Although Skype 3.0 was just released a few months ago, a new public beta version has already been made available. Skype 3.1 brings to the table, among other things, including a new business search feature. SkypeFind is the main addition to 3.1, and Skype is calling it a feature that allows users to find and [...]
Skype Wants FCC to Go After Cellular Providers
VoIP firm Skype wants the Federal Communications Commission to force cellular providers into letting people have more choice about how they connect to those wireless networks. Professor Tim Wu at Columbia Law School has spurred Skype and the wireless trade group CTIA into a vocal spat that has resonated at the FCC. Buoyed by Wu’s [...]
Free Online Resource Helps Small Bizs
Small Business Computing: As a small business owner, it often feels like everyone is trying to sell you something. But sometimes, companies give stuff away. That’s the case with the online resource offered by Hewlett Packard Small Business. Granted, they hope you’ll eventually buy something when the need arises, but the information and services can [...]
Mothers Hit The Market With Invention
MediaNews: While feeding a baby, Debbie Stauffer and Kathleen Whitehurst came up with an invention that landed them a spot on “Oprah,” an article in Good Housekeeping and a hit new product. It’s a counter. A simple, cute digital counter in bright colors. If you’ve mined moldy leftovers out of the refrigerator, over-fed your fish [...]
Retailers Take a Tip from MySpace
BusinessWeek: Retailers are taking a page from MySpace. They know that customers, especially the younger and more Net-savvy, want to be heard, and they also want to hear what others like them think. So increasingly, retailers are opening up their Web sites to customers, letting them post product reviews, ratings, and in some cases photos [...]
New Booming Business: “Crazy Coffins”
CityNews: Vic Fearn and Company is a 160-year-old English business that makes coffins. That doesn’t sound terribly exciting, but recent customers may make you think twice. They’ve been coming in asking for exotic caskets to be buried in to reflect their passions in life. It started with an odd request from a woman who was [...]
Missouri Starts Small Business Web Site
Kansas City Business Journal: Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan on Tuesday launched a new Web site designed to help Missourians start their own small businesses. Called the Missouri Business Portal, the Web site is designed as a one-stop access point for business owners to interact with state government support agencies, [...]
