Blog Archives
Can spreadsheets save Google Checkout?
By Michelle Megna | July 31, 2009Google just released a Checkout store gadget that works with Google Docs and allows users to set up an online store using spreadsheets.
Google Checkout users can list items they want to sell online in a Google spreadsheet, and insert the Checkout gadget to create a digital storefront within minutes, says Google Checkout strategist Mike Giardina.
"Using new Spreadsheet Data APIs, we've integrated Google Docs and Google Checkout to make online selling a breeze. In three simple steps, you'll be able to create an online store that's powered by Google Checkout and has inventory managed and stored in a Google spreadsheet," writes Giardina in a [blog](http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2009/07/use-google-docs-google-checkout-to-sell.html) post. "No complicated coding or technical tasks are required. You can get your first online store up-and-running in under five minutes."
When the search company first issued the online payment processing service Checkout several years ago, the e-commerce industry braced itself for what many thought would be a rival to eBay's PayPal. To date, however, Checkout has failed to gain popularity in e-commerce -- and certainly isn't a "PayPal killer" -- despite the resources of its parent company.
The new Checkout gadget may be an effort to change that, as it can be embedded in a personal Web site, though naturally Google offers detailed steps for doing so in Google Sites, iGoogle and Blogger.
eBay Live is going, going, gone
By Michelle Megna | July 16, 2009EBay live is dead.
News came down from eBay that the annual pow-wow of the faithful, eBay Live, held in a different city each year, is being scrapped for smaller gatherings in different cities through out the year.
While the announcement isn't going to affect eBay sellers in a significant way, it bears mentioning because it serves as a stark example of the new direction the company is taking -- and how much things have changed since the first conferences.
The first eBay Live events were awash with eBay fanatics sporting psychedelic wigs, true evangelists who couldn't believe their good fortune -- many quit their day jobs for a life of selling items they were passionate about, collectibles and so on, or just found a successful niche to tap into and were excited to be self-employed.
But the last two eBay Live events, in Chicago in 2008 and in Boston in 2007, were tame in comparison to the earlier hey-days. Attendance and exhibitor participation were both dwindling.
And instead of a buzzing, good-time, networking bash, those conferences were mainly characterized by distress. Disgruntled sellers were in search of answers and information. Many were irate, lots were simply overwhelmed, but they were all reeling from a flurry of policy changes they found hard to incorporate into the day-to-day tasks of running their businesses.
I'm not against change, and I realize that the company couldn't possibly sustain such a happy fan base for years on end. Yet the current make-over from an affordable online flea market to digital liquidator, which certainly makes sense from a business perspective, rings hollow in comparison to the grassroots days of eBay.
Ina Steiner, eBay expert and publisher of AuctionBytes, told me, "I think that not only does the current management want to slash costs where ever possible, I think they just don't see the value in the
large community gatherings, and that's a sad reflection on the direction eBay has taken. Over the past 18 months, eBay has eliminated eBay University, fired all the 'pinks,' long-time employees who interacted with users on the discussion board, eliminated television advertising and is moving toward attracting the
same retailers and products you can find on other sites. Killing off the annual eBay Live user conference is just one more casualty in the move toward the new eBay.'
"I remember a few years ago when then-CEO Meg Whitman said that integrating Store inventory into the core site had overwhelmed the marketplace with identical, often poorly-priced items that 'diluted
the magic of the eBay experience.' Yet that is the very direction eBay has been taking, and whether the current CEO John Donahoe can come up with new magic to bring shoppers in the door remains to be seen --so far, traffic has been declining."
In the [blog post](http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200907.shtml#2009-07-13102536) announcing the end of eBay Live, Lorrie Norrington, marketplace president, says a 15th anniversary party is planned for 2010 in eBay's hometown, San Jose, "to celebrate everything we've accomplished together."
Here's hoping sellers show up for the celebration.
Android's just desserts include Eclair and Flan
By Michelle Megna | July 14, 2009Google's Android czar Andy Rubin is touting the next updates to the open source mobile operating system -- after Donut will come Eclair, followed by Flan.
Rubin made the comments at a recent media event in San Francisco, the "Wall Street Journal" reports, and he also reiterated that he expects 15 to 20 different Android devices to be on the market by 2010.
The vice president of mobile at the search giant did not provide any details about what features are included in the upcoming Eclair and Flan upgrades, nor did he provide any information about when they would be out.
Rubin did, however, say that social networking is a priority for future Android versions and that they will have better integration with sites such as Facebook.
T-Mobile's second Android handset, the myTouch, is available now for pre-order and goes on sale Aug. 5 and the highly anticipated HTC Hero is expected later this year. Meanwhile, Acer, Samsung and Motorola are also releasing Android smartphones in time for the holiday shopping season, though it's too early to tell whether these will be based on Donut, Eclair or Flan.
AT&T's tricky MMS, tethering timetable
By Michelle Megna | July 10, 2009Since the launch of the iPhone 3G S, AT&T has been scrambling to appease the loyal Apple fan base.
AT&T came under fire for not immediately supporting tethering and MMS, new features in the 3G S, and for its [upgrade pricing plans](/mobility/article.php/3825646/ATT+Caves+to+iPhone+Faithful+on+Pricing.htm) for existing customers.
The carrier did alter its cost structure to accommodate subscribers who upgraded, but the tethering and MMS support issues remain unresolved, leaving industry watchers to speculate on when AT&T will introduce the features and how much it will charge for them.
Most recently, the mobile app blog [Appmodo](http://appmodo.com/1432/apple-iphone-mms-delayed-coming-sept-tethering-55-extra/) reported that tethering and MMS would be out in September, rather than July. However, an AT&T spokesperson told InternetNews.com that MMS for the iPhone 3G S is due out by "late summer" and that no date has been set for tethering, though it will be available at some time in the future.
Meanwhile, Appmodo is reporting that tethering will cost iPhone 3G S owners an additional $55 a month, but AT&T denies that at its [Facebook page](http://www.facebook.com/ATT?v=app_7146470109). It states, "There are a lot of reports out there, but wanted you guys to know that rumors of $55 tethering plan on top of an unlimited data plan are false. We'll have more news to share when the iPhone tethering option is closer to launch."
As for MMS messages, the carrier said they will be included in current text messaging plans.
(photo courtesy of Appmodo)
Sprint wants Wi-Fi, BlackBerry Tour update coming
By Michelle Megna | July 10, 2009Sprint is already planning to release a Wi-Fi enabled update to the BlackBerry Tour, in a move that mirrors the carrier's strategy shift toward requiring Wi-Fi for all its devices, according to reports.
The BlackBerry Tour goes on sale Sunday at Sprint and Verizon for $199.99, and supports both CDMA and GSM networks. But since Research In Motion officially [announced the Tour](/mobility/article.php/3825336/RIMs+BlackBerry+Tour+Samsungs+Jet+to+Face+Off.htm) several weeks ago, reviewers balked at yet another BlackBerry lacking Wi-Fi.
To remedy the situation, Sprint next year will offer an updated Tour sporting Wi-Fi, though no other details were provided, according to FierceWireless.
"It is now a requirement for all our PDA equipment suppliers to include Wi-Fi," said Jeff Clemow, the carrier's director of business product marketing, [according to FierceWireless](http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/sprints-blackberry-tour-sprout-wifi-next-year/2009-07-09). "Several quarters ago we made a conscious decision to require all of our PDA suppliers to support Wi-Fi."
However, Clemow said the carrier has not set a specific date for its suppliers for the inclusion of Wi-Fi.
Meanwhile, RIM is remaining cagey about details of the so-called Storm 2, which is [expected to have Wi-Fi](/mobility/article.php/3814216/WiFi+Could+Pay+Off+for+BlackBerry+Storm+2.htm) and to debut by fall from Verizon. Though it received mixed reviews, the original Storm, which lacked Wi-Fi, was seen as the BlackBerry makers' answer to the Apple iPhone 3G, and was the first RIM handset with a touchscreen. And despite the tepid critical response to the Storm, RIM said the device is key to its efforts to reach non-business users.
Also just out from T-Mobile and AT&T is the new Wi-Fi enabled BlackBerry Curve 8900.
Will HTC Hero hamper myTouch sales?
By Michelle Megna | July 09, 2009The T-Mobile myTouch 3G is available for existing subscribers to pre-order, with retail sales kicking off Aug. 5. But news of the launch is already being peppered with speculation that consumers will wait for the HTC Hero to debut later this year.
That could be a problem for T-Mobile. Execs from the fourth-largest carrier said at a press event yesterday that the Hero will be sold by a different telecom.
At issue is whether or not consumers will snap up the myTouch, or wait for the HTC Hero, which is being widely lauded for its user interface, dubbed Sense UI. Analysts are saying the Hero is the first Android handset to deliver on the initial promise of Android -- using the open-source platform to create a truly unique user experience.
Slated for release next month in Europe, the Hero won't arrive here until later this year, and so far the Taiwan-based HTC has yet to release details on pricing and carriers.
Still, T-Mobile is making a good case for the myTouch -- touting its customization features and offering more than a dozen accessories including a music bundle with portable speakers, a "fitness pack" with arm and belt band, a USB cable and snap-on battery extender.
Customers will also be able to design a unique shell using a dedicated Web site. Shells will be able to be customized in a variety of ways, including uploading a personal photo, graphic design, or selecting text, shapes, icons or logos. The final design is custom-printed onto the shell, then shipped.
On the software side, user will get Microsoft Exchange support and the location-based Sherpa application which recommends information such as nearby shops, restaurants and so on based on the user's behavior. In terms of applications, a new T-Mobile App Pack shows offers a bundle of noteworthy apps available for Android devices.
The myTouch, which runs on Android 1.5, also has an onscreen keyboard, video recording, Wi-Fi, EDGE, Bluetooth and GPS. It also naturally integrates with Google Calendars, Gmail, Maps and YouTube.
The handset is priced at $199, though, and it may be a tough sell, considering the iPhone 3G is now $99. Time will tell how the myTouch fares in the summer smartphone smackdown.
(Photo courtesy of T-Mobile)
