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New Media News Every Morning

eBay close to selling off Skype?

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skype-logoThe rumors surrounding Skype’s future have been rumbling for moths now, with eBay quite keen to shed the Internet communication software because (as everyone else could already see) it doesn’t sit particularly well with its core auction business.

The New York Times reports that eBay will today announce a deal to sell Skype to a group of private investors that may well include VC company Andreessen Horowitz, which is headed up by Netscape’s co-founder Marc Andreessen. Interestingly, Andreessen is on eBay’s board of directors. Conflict of interest, anyone? [Read more…]

Originally posted on September 1, 2009 @ 3:00 am

eBay Motors gets local with classified ads for used cars

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eBay Motors has launched eBay Motors Local Classifieds for individual sellers. Designed to connect car buyers and sellers within a 100 mile radius of their local market, this new online classified listing option for eBay Motors is being offered free to sellers for a limited time.

“Our new format marries the renewed interest in used cars with the convenience of transacting locally,” said Rob Chesney, vice president, eBay Motors, Marketplaces. “We’re delighted to give our buyers and sellers yet another trusted way to connect on the eBay Motors marketplace.”

Through an initial promotional period ending July 15, 2009, sellers can list up to six vehicles for a seven day period with no insertion or successful listing fees.

Originally posted on April 8, 2009 @ 10:40 am

eBay opens selling platform to embedded third party tools

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eBay Inc. has turned its subscription-based Selling Manager service into a beta platform that is now open to embedded third party tools. Selling Manager is already used by hundreds of thousands of online merchants to manage their businesses at my.ebay.com.

eBay Selling Manager beta platform is the successful result of a pilot launched in June 2008 at the eBay Developers Conference. Professional sellers, like any small business, require tools to help them manage their shipping, accounting, customer relationship management, market research, and inventory management activities on eBay. More than 87,000 third party developers have already built more than 13,000 live applications that consume eBay’s Web services. The Selling Manager beta makes it easier for eBay sellers to find and subscribe to many of these tools.

Developers interested in building applications on eBay.com are required to meet site standards for trusted buying and selling experiences. Once approved, their applications will be available to sellers that subscribe to eBay Selling Manager, and they can monetize their applications with subscription-based revenue. Developers can join the beta and begin developing their eBay Selling Manager applications.

Originally posted on April 1, 2009 @ 11:00 am

Cute or idiotic?

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This Texas father decided to put his family up for auction on eBay. Cute idea? Signs of the times? It is more idiotic for me. He should have just placed himself up for auction and not include the kids. Watch the video. Even his son thinks he’s crazy.

But who knows, maybe I’m the one who does not get it.

Originally posted on March 6, 2009 @ 11:30 am