ebay

Buzz Out Loud 709: We're gonna need a bigger cloud

We explain Live Mesh, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals tries to explain why customs can search your laptop without any reason at all, and eBay (yawn) sues Craigslist over some (yawn) stock stuff. Also, Apple buys a chipmaker and that story leads to wild speculation about chips and such. No, really. It's a tech show. Haven't you heard this show before? Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 709

Live Mesh: The version you can understand http://mashable.com/2008/04/23/live-mesh-simplified/ http://www.webware.com/8301-1_109-9925747-2.html http://www.news.com/8301-13860_3-9926229-56.html… Read more

Craigslist grouses about eBay lawsuit

Craigslist has responded to a lawsuit filed by eBay, noting that it "came to us out of the blue," according to a posting on its craigslist blog Tuesday.

The popular online classified-ad site issued its response after eBay on Tuesday filed a lawsuit, alleging that its 28.4 percent stake in Craigslist was diluted by more than 10 percent in January. eBay, which acquired its minority stake in 2004, submitted its lawsuit under seal and, as a result, few details are readily available.

Craigslist said it was surprised by the action, stating that eBay had not attempted to … Read more

Rocketboom creator vows never to sell Twitter account

First it was for sale. Then it wasn't. Then it would be for sale soon. And now, finally--maybe--it will "not ever" be for sale.

This, of course, is Rocketboom creator Andrew Baron's Twitter account. When it was originally for sale last week on eBay, bidding for it had climbed to more than $1,500 before he pulled the plug on the auction.

In an interview last week, he told me that while he had decided to yank the original auction after discovering, he said, that the bidders for his Twitter account were spam marketers, he expected … Read more

eBay sues Craigslist over stock dispute

In a tiff over its 28.4 percent share in Craigslist, auction giant eBay has filed suit against the online classifieds site in a Delaware court of chancery. According to Reuters, eBay has accused Craigslist's board of directors of diluting its share.

The court confirmed that eBay filed its complaint Tuesday afternoon but could not provide further details, because the suit was filed under seal.

In a phone conversation, Craigslist founder Craig Newmark said, "We're still trying to digest it," and recommended contacting CEO Jim Buckmaster for further comment. Buckmaster did not immediately reply to an … Read more

Webware 100 winner: eBay

eBay is an online auction marketplace. It was one of the first auction Web sites on the Internet, and it has become hugely popular as a way to buy and sell goods on the Web. PayPal requires user registration for buyers and sellers, and it has instituted a user-credibility system with both karma points and a buyer and seller review to let users police themselves. The more frequent and well-respected users get certain advantages over new users, and commercial sellers are able to get discounts on listings and payment options.

eBay makes its money by charging its sellers a listing … Read more

Gmail glitch hampers PayPal use

A problem this week hampered some Gmail users trying to use their PayPal accounts.

The problem caused Gmail to reject some legitimate PayPal service e-mails, Google confirmed in a statement Friday. The problem, reported Tuesday, prevented people from using Gmail to receive confirmation e-mails, set up new accounts, or reset passwords for eBay's online payment system.

The problem "affected a very limited number of users," Google said. "We worked quickly to fix the problem, and we apologize for any inconvenience this issue may have caused." The company encourages those with technical difficulties to report them … Read more

eBay will consider selling Skype

Has eBay about had it with Skype?

New eBay CEO John Donahoe told the Financial Times the online auctioneer will consider selling Skype if it can't find a way to make the service better help eBay's e-commerce business.

"What we're testing this year are the synergies," Donahoe told the Financial Times. "If the synergies are strong, we'll keep it in our portfolio. If not, we'll reassess it."

Donahoe did say Skype is doing well. It generated $126 million in the first quarter, up 61 percent from a year ago. This year, … Read more

Rocketboom creator pulls plug on auction of Twitter account

It appears that for now at least, we won't get to find out the value of identity on Twitter.

A few days ago, Rocketboom creator Andrew Baron put his Twitter account up for sale on eBay, offering access to his 1,500-plus followers. (It's now at 1,757 followers.) Within a few days, the bidding had gone over $1,500 and appeared headed for much more.

At the same time, Baron went on Craigslist and was also offering to sell a two-day guest-hosting slot on his Twitter account for $150.

"I really love my Twitter account but … Read more

eBay earnings up significantly in Q1

eBay announced Wednesday its second straight $2 billion quarter and said its first-quarter revenue was up 24 percent from a year ago.

The auction giant said that it brought in Q1 revenue of $2.19 billion, up 24 percent from the $1.77 billion it brought in during the same period a year earlier. In addition, the company's Q1 profit of $460 million, or 34 cents a share, was up 22 percent from its Q1 2007 earnings of $377 million, or 27 cents.

In a release, eBay attributed its strong quarter to several factors, including global business classifieds, growth … Read more