The Queen's golden Nintendo Wii is up for sale
In 2009, as a publicity stunt, games publisher THQ made a 24 Karat golden Nintendo Wii console for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
The Queen likely never saw it (and probably has no knowledge of its existence), but it’s a fine looking piece of Wii history and it's currently up for sale on eBay, although you’ll need deep pockets if you want to buy it.
Apple Pay support is coming to eBay Marketplace, along with loans for sellers
Later this year you'll be able to use Apple Pay to pay for goods bought on eBay. Starting in the fall, Apple Pay will be a payment option on eBay's Marketplace platform as the company continues to move away from PayPal.
eBay has also announced that it is teaming up with Square Capital so that it can offer business financing to sellers in the US. Aimed at targeting small businesses looking to grow, the new partnership will provide access to finance from options between $500 and $100,000.
eBay to drop PayPal as its primary payment processor
eBay and PayPal have become almost inextricably entwined over the years -- but not completely inextricably. Citing lower costs, eBay has announced plans to drop PayPal as its main payment processor in favor of Dutch firm Adyen.
Starting later this year, eBay will move some of its payments to the new provider, and then by 2020, PayPal will have been replaced as the backend payment service. eBay users will still have the option to use PayPal until at least the middle of 2023.
eBay launches Image Search option and AI-powered Find It On eBay tool
A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. When you're searching for something on eBay, it can be hard to find quite the right turn of phrase to track down precisely what it is you mean. To help overcome this problem, eBay has now launched a new Image Search option.
The feature lets you take a photograph of an object -- or upload an image they already have --and use it to search for similar items that are for sale. This is just one of two new tools that eBay has launched to make it easier to find exactly what you're looking for without having to think about how a seller might have described it.
Facebook expands Marketplace across Europe
Looking to compete with the likes of eBay and Craigslist, Facebook's Marketplace serves as a place for people to go to buy and sell locally. Following on from success in the US, UK, Australia and other countries, the social network is expanding the exchange further into Europe.
In total, Facebook's Marketplace is spreading to 17 European countries, meaning that it is now available in a total of 24 countries.
eBay's new Image Search and Find It On eBay tools let you find items using a photo
Finding what you're looking for on eBay can be tricky. You need to find the right words to home in on exactly what you mean, and there's no guarantee that the seller will use quite the same wording. Far better, you might think, to be able to search using a photo of the item you want.
eBay agrees. With Image Search, users can take or upload a photo from their camera roll to search for matching items. The second new tool, Find It On eBay, can share images from the web -- including social media -- to eBay and use them to conduct searches. eBay says both features are facilitated by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
eBay will now price match a number of online retailers
Part of the joy of shopping online is being able to easily compare prices at a number of retailers so you get the best price. If you prefer to get all of your goods from the same place, eBay has a new deal that you'll love -- price matching.
The offer covers items in the eBay Deals section, and price matching is carried out against Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, Walmart.com, HomeDepot.com, Target.com, Sears.com, Wayfair.com and Jet.com. But if you want to take advantage of the offer, you'll have to take careful note of the terms and conditions.
eBay now recommends mobile over token-based two-factor authentication -- should you switch?
Two factor authentication strikes the right balance between convenience and security, which is why so many services offer it nowadays. But its implementation differs. Many companies have SMS or app-based systems, others prefer tokens, and some offer both as an option.
eBay falls in the third category, allowing users to receive the security code for the second authentication stage via SMS or a token. However, the company is now recommending users switch to the former method, touting its convenience as the main reason to abandon the token. But, should you take the advice?
eBay takes aim at Amazon with 'Guaranteed Delivery'
I shop at Amazon a lot. Is it because the prices are the lowest? No, actually. Quite often, I pay a bit more at Amazon compared to other online retailers. Why would I choose to spend more money? Shipping time. As a Prime member, I get guaranteed free two-day shipping. For a few extra bucks, I can get one-day shipping. In other words, the guaranteed delivery is worth the premium for me. Saving a few bucks but not knowing when my order will arrive is simply a bad deal -- for me at least (and I am guessing many others too).
eBay might be feeling the pressure from Amazon, as today, the company announces that it will be introducing "Guaranteed Delivery" this summer. eBay promises that certain products can be received in 3 business days or less. It is not available for all items, however, but more than 20 million products will be eligible.
Facebook Marketplace takes on eBay and Craigslist
Today, Facebook launches a new way to buy and sell goods online -- Facebook Marketplace. While the service may not win any prizes for the originality of its name, it provides a more efficient and effective way to find things that are for sale near you than currently exists on the social network.
To start with, Facebook Marketplace will be available to mobile app users on iOS and Android, but it will also come to Facebook on the desktop eventually. Facebook is taking a very hands-off approach to buying and selling, and is not getting involved in the murkier aspects of transactions such as payments or handling feedback.
eBay 'Quick Sale' pays you cash for your smartphone (so you can get the iPhone 7)
Apple's iPhone 7 and 7 Plus smartphones hit stores this Friday, and many people -- including yours truly -- want one. Unfortunately, the phones are not free, meaning those without sufficient funds cannot get in on the party. Not to mention, if your current phone is working fine, it would be wasteful to buy another -- having two smartphones makes no sense, right?
What some folks do in this situation, is sell their current iPhone or Android smartphone, and then put the proceeds of the sale towards the purchase of the newest iPhone. Unfortunately, selling a phone can be stressful and sometimes dangerous. If you meet someone from Craigslist, for instance, they could end up hurting or stealing from you. If you opt for an online 'for cash' service, they could prove to be unreliable or maybe even a scam. Today, eBay launches a service called 'Quick Sale', designed to take the pain out of getting cash for your current phone.
UK government working with eBay and Amazon to catch tax-evading sellers
When it comes to tax avoidance, it's usually big companies that come under the spotlight. Of course, there is nothing -- legally speaking -- wrong with tax avoidance, but it's a very different story with tax evasion. With eBay and Amazon providing a platform for vendors around the world, it is perhaps little surprise that the retail sites are home to a large number of tax evaders.
An investigation by the Guardian found that there are a huge number of overseas sellers who fail to pay VAT in the UK. HM Revenue & Customs is currently looking into whether eBay and Amazon could be held responsible for the tax bills, or what could be done to track down offenders.
eBay, Tencent, and Daum Kakao join forces to bid for South Korean Internet bank license
eBay and Tencent Holdings joined Daum Kakao in its bid to become South Korea’s first Internet bank. The bid is for one of two licenses to build Internet banks, which the government will commission later this year.
Korea Investment Holdings will take a majority share of the Internet bank, should it be licensed by the South Korean government. Daum Kakao will take a 10 percent share, and both Tencent Holdings and eBay will take a four percent share, the maximum allowed for a non-Korean, non-financial company.
Alibaba has to expand globally, or it 'won't be able to last'
Even though it reigns supreme in one of the world’s largest markets, China, Alibaba wants to expand globally. If it fails to do so, it might not survive, the company’s new CEO said recently.
In a speech given to employees on Wednesday, the new Alibaba CEO Daniel Zhang said Alibaba will heavily invest in "new and existing overseas operations".
Apple is the greenest tech giant according to Greenpeace
Internet companies might not seem like major contributors to pollution, but Greenpeace is not letting them have a free ride, in a new report showing how some companies are much cleaner than others when it comes to energy.
For those that don’t know, most large-scale Internet companies invest heavily in data centers. These data centers run on electricity 24/7, meaning companies like Google, Oracle and Amazon are indirectly pushing the rate of pollution.
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