We took a lot of flack over a post back in January that questioned the security of Apple’s Mac OS X. TechConsumers left various comments ranging from “For some reason unknown to me, no one can ever show me a situation where a user opens a e-mail and their [...]]]>

We took a lot of flack over a post back in January that questioned the security of Apple’s Mac OS X. TechConsumers left various comments ranging from “For some reason unknown to me, no one can ever show me a situation where a user opens a e-mail and their Mac turns into a robot sending out hundreds of e-mails” to “Mac OS X *is* inherently safer. You have to be a major league Windows zombie not to know and accept that.”

Well, CanSecWest‘s PWN 2 OWN contest has just shown that Mac OS X isn’t “inherently safer” and that clearly it is possible for a user to open an e-mail on a Mac and have it join a spam botnet.

For those not familiar with CanSecWest or their PWN 2 OWN contest, here is the scoop. CanSecWest is “the world’s most advanced conference focusing on applied digital security.” And for the last few years, they have been running a contest during the conference to see which operating system is the most vulnerable: Windows Vista, Mac OS X, or Ubuntu Linux.

If you can hack (run arbitrary code) the laptop running the OS, you get to keep the laptop and a $10,000 cash prize. It is important to note that the “hacker” does not get physical access to the machine, and the laptops are in their default configuration. If you want more details please check out this link.

For the second year in a row the Mac was the first to fall, and Charlie Miller is now the proud owner of a MacBook Air with Mac OS X 10.5.2. Charlie is best known for being the researcher who first hacked Apple’s iPhone. It may be rude to say, but it is kind of vindicating for us that clearly we weren’t out on a limb when it came to Mac security. Within two minutes of the start, he directed the contest organizers to a certain website that executed his exploit.

Although the winner cannot publicly disclose details of the vulnerability, it is safe to assume the problem is in Safari. This comes after Paypal started recommending to their users that they ditch Safari due to security issues. And for the icing on the cake, Apple has started to use some under-handed methods to trick fool scam swindle con hustle sucker encourage iTunes/Quicktime users to install their underdog browser.

What can the nay-sayers say now?

Note: This article is cross-posted at PseudoSavant.

My top issues with eBay: Prices aren’t that competitive, service is inconsistent, time is wasted, and the shipping is a wild card. It’s no wonder then that, due to lackluster growth, eBay recently announced changes including “holding sellers to higher customer-service standards.” But I gave [...]]]>

My top issues with eBay: Prices aren’t that competitive, service is inconsistent, time is wasted, and the shipping is a wild card. It’s no wonder then that, due to lackluster growth, eBay recently announced changes including “holding sellers to higher customer-service standards.” But I gave up on eBay years ago when I discovered Amazon has all the same stuff at around the same price but with real customer service.

Just for fun, I thought I’d revisit eBay and see what kind of deals I skipped out on by searching for the last few items I ordered on Amazon. Here’s how the process works: you search for your item and get excited when you see an amazing deal! Oh wait, that auction still has 12 hours before it’s over. So you save it to your watch list and waste more time searching for other deals.

Here’s one! And this time it’s a good price with a “Buy It Now” option, no bidding. But shipping is $39.95, for a box the size of a book? Well, considering the original bargain, that’s still not that bad of a deal, so you decide to add it to your watch list. This process goes on and on with each item that you add to your “watch list” having some caveat: no warranty, small defect, only accept X type of payment, shipping from the U.K., required handling charge, etc.

The list goes on; you get the picture. By the end of your day, you’ve added to your eBay watch list two dozen versions of the same product. You watch anxiously as those low price auctions skyrocket in the last five minutes. You then have to weigh in the pros and cons of each of the other items based on the relative annoyance of the aforementioned caveats. You settle on the discounted, used item with the ridiculous shipping. In the mean time, you’ve accomplished next to nothing during your day.

This used to be me a few years back… Until I had a problem with a seller who delayed my shipment by three months. What did eBay do when I called them? Nothing. So I started shopping at Amazon but still held on to the bargain hunting itch of eBay. But then, I noticed Amazon had the following: competitive pricing, 30-day price guarantee, real customer service, and no shipping charges. Suddenly, it hit me. Wasting an entire day to save a few bucks wasn’t worth the time and hassle.

For an example of Amazon customer service, check out this NYTimes piece about how Amazon replaced a customer’s Playstation 3 after it was stolen off his doorstep before he could even touch it. What would have eBay done? Nothing.

Note: This article is cross-posted at BobCaswell.com.

The other account type [...]]]>

                                                    
Have you ever stopped and wondered about how PayPal makes their money? Let’s review: With PayPal Personal you can send and receive money electronically to and from other PayPal accounts for free. You can also transfer money to and from your regular bank account at no charge. Sign me up!

The other account type is PayPal Premier. With this this type of account PayPal charges a fee, $0.30 plus 2.9% of each and every dollar received. So why would anyone sign up for a PayPal Premier account when they can have a PayPal Personal account which can send and receive funds for free? This is where they have done something clever. It’s actually kind of boring, really, which is why few people have noticed the fact that since buying PayPal, eBay has nearly doubled it’s revenue for each auction that uses PayPal.

Here’s an example scenario: Joe Blow puts his old laptop up for auction on eBay. The high bid is $450, which costs Joe around $18 in eBay fees. But Joe has taken eBay’s advice and listed his laptop auction as PayPal preferred. So when the high bidder pays for the item, she of course transfers money through PayPal. If she opts to use a credit card, the system allows it and sends an email notification to the seller. If the seller signed up for the free PayPal account, he is told he will have to “upgrade” to a PayPal Premium account or reject the payment. At this point sellers with free PayPal accounts are stuck. If they want to complete their sale they have to upgrade their PayPal account and pay the fee to receive credit card transfers.

If it was just a question of paying a fee for just credit card transactions I could live with that. No such luck. Once you switch to a Premier account you have to pay that same fee ($0.30 +2.9%) for ANY type of transfer into your PayPal account (not just credit card transactions). Oh, and by the way, you can’t go back to the free PayPal Personal account. So the free PayPal personal account really isn’t very useful for receiving funds. It’s just the bait. Sooner or later someone will want to pay you with a credit card, and then you are stuck paying fees from that point on.

I told you it was boring. Billions of dollars worth of boring. And the only people who seem to notice are the eBay sellers who are forced into PayPal Premier. Someone in their marketing department deserves a big raise for putting the “pay” in PayPal.

Due to popular demand – this article has been updated since it was first published last year. The same issues addressed here are just as relevant now.

Trent Reznor gave an interesting interview over at the Herald Sun. In it he states, “It’s a very odd time to be a musician on a major label, because there’s so much resentment towards the record industry that it’s hard to position yourself in a place with the fans where you don’t look [...]]]>

Trent Reznor gave an interesting interview over at the Herald Sun. In it he states, “It’s a very odd time to be a musician on a major label, because there’s so much resentment towards the record industry that it’s hard to position yourself in a place with the fans where you don’t look like a greedy asshole."

He goes on to say, “I’ve have one record left that I owe a major
label, then I will never be seen in a situation like this again. If I
could do what I want right now, I would put out my next album, you
could download it from my site at as high a bit-rate as you want, pay
$4 through PayPal.”

This interview exposes the crux of the problem that exists between
artists, publishers, and fans. Whether you are a musician, an author,
or a painter, there is an underlying problem that has yet to be
solved. Let me illustrate it with my own personal experience.

I wrote a book a few years ago. I thought it to be a fun book, and
shared it with anybody who expressed an interest. I probably gave away
20-30 electronic copies, and one printed copy. As far as I know, the
printed copy was the only read—and that was because I gave it to dear
ol’ mom. Most folks, when finding out I had a book to give away,
weren’t interested. 

Fast forward 18 months. My book was accepted by a publisher and was
now in stores. The only changes that were made to the manuscript I had
been handing out were a few spelling and punctuation errors. The same
people who I had given free copies to were now paying $15 to buy the
book. Suddenly there was an interest in my book, not because the
content had changed, but because a publisher thought enough of my story
to invest $50,000 in bringing it to the public. I had been
‘validated’. The fact that they were interested in it gave the book
value. A value it didn’t have before.

There are millions of people who are making music, writing books, or
painting pictures. How do we tell what is good? We could review all
the material and decide for ourselves, but most of us have jobs. We
don’t have time. The publishing industry does that job for us, and
expects to be compensated for it. They are our filters (and not very
good ones, but we’ll save that for another post). 

The publishers and labels perform a second and equally vital
service—that of distribution and marketing. I gave my book away to
anybody who wanted it, but without marketing nobody wanted it
(marketing is all about convincing you that you have a need). And
without distribution, there was no way for me to get it to the people
who might enjoy it.

Trent Renzor will be able to sell his music for $4 on PayPal, but
only because he has been validated, first by a record label, and then
by his fans. But equally talented musicians and artists don’t have the
luxury of being validated. They can’t get $4 an album. For the most
part they can’t even get folks to listen in the first place, even when
they give their music away. 

So to recap—the problem is that under the current model publishers
and record labels are a necessary evil. We can’t do without them. But
we resent them because most of our money goes to them, and not the
artists.

The solution? Unfortunately this little problem hasn’t been solved
yet. And you can bet that the publishers and labels will violently
oppose ANY action that begins to encroach on their turf (remember back
in 2005 when Google tried to scan books?)

There needs to be a way for artists who have material, and consumers
who would find that material enjoyable, to get together. If you’re an
artist, and I like your work, I’m willing to pay for it. I’m not
willing to pay $20 to a corporation that then gives you a few
quarters. But I am willing to pay you.

So… Somebody solve this problem already. We’ve already seen
success in other areas. Look at digg and reddit. Thousands of
stories are submitted to these sites, and most users only see the best
of the best. There are certainly problems with this method but we’re moving in the right direction. 

We’ll all be better off for it, with the exception of the RIAA. And
at this point, not too many tears will be shed over that love lost.

SwitchPlanet is one of the more compelling online communities I’ve seen in a
while. Members can switch movies, CDs, books, and games with each other for
free. The system is based on Switchbucs, an internal currency. You list
whatever items you have for a Switchbucs price and get credited [...]]]>

SwitchPlanet is one of the more compelling online communities I’ve seen in a
while. Members can switch movies, CDs, books, and games with each other for
free. The system is based on Switchbucs, an internal currency. You list
whatever items you have for a Switchbucs price and get credited that amount when you ship an item to someone willing to pay that price using their Switchbucs. No real money ever trades hands, just
switching with a third-party broker.

The interface is clean and slick. You can rate your content (Netflix); leave feedback (eBay); list items easily (craigslist), create a wishlist (Amazon) plus more intriguing features: seeing which members are online, leaving open comments for members, participating in forums, browsing items sorted by most wanted / most switched / most available / newest, etc.

Each time a switch takes place, it costs you almost nothing. Switchers on what would be the seller’s end (in the non-free world) pay for the shipping while receivers get the item for free. But it evens out quite nicely. In order to be a receiver, you must have accumulated Switchbucs by previously sending (at your shipping expense) some of your items.

And switchers are encouraged (though by no means required) to give to charity during each pseudo-transaction. In fact, the site has already generated nearly $2,000 for charity after its first few months of running. The company’s mission is simple, "establish a premier online community that is committed to helping reduce the impact waste is having on the planet by trading the things we no longer use to get the things we want."

I bring up the mission statement at the end only to point out that the one thing the site could use is an easier, more concise area for new users to figure out the underlying concept. The mission statement sounds good even if ambitious in true start-up style.

But the truth is, the ambition has already been realized to a certain degree, though it took me reading quite a bit throughout the site before I felt like I knew what was going on (there are many sections that help explain: Welcome, Mission Statement, SwitchFunds, About Us, FAQ, News, etc.).

SwitchPlanet is privately funded, has nearly 7,000 users, and has been active for almost three months. If you want a place to combine some of the best features of Netflix, eBay, craigslist, and Amazon all for free, give it a try.

Last year I wrote an article called Putting the “Pay” in PayPal, which was mostly an expression of frustration at how eBay and PayPal were being a bit heavy-handed, pushing sellers to upgrade their free PayPal Personal accounts to PayPal Premier in order to accept credit card [...]]]>

Last year I wrote an article called Putting the “Pay” in PayPal, which was mostly an expression of frustration at how eBay and PayPal were being a bit heavy-handed, pushing sellers to upgrade their free PayPal Personal accounts to PayPal Premier in order to accept credit card payments for eBay purchases. I have no problem paying a fee to do this, but once you have upgraded, you must pay the same fee on all money received into that account (credit card or otherwise). Lame. That article appears to have touched a nerve, because it has received more comments that almost any other article on this site.

I have recommended using BidPay as an alternative, and I still think they do a good job of looking out for the seller. But BidPay charges almost as much as PayPal for their transaction fees (a little over 2.5%). It’s still a little frustrating to have to pay a fee for transactions that don’t involve credit cards.

Now there is a better option for eBay sellers that trumps BidPay and PayPal both. It’s called PayPay. Apparently, they only charge the seller a fee when they
are paid with a credit card. You can send money (upload) to your PayPay account from your bank account in any bank of the world. You can also receive money to your PayPay account from those who are not registered with PayPay. Finally, a sensible alternative to PayPal.

Recently eBay announced that it is increasing purchase protection from $1000 to $2,000 for qualified transactions on eBay.com. But it will no longer offer purchase protection for non-PayPal transactions. Why? Well, eBay claims that other payment services are less safe than PayPal.

But the decision probably has more to do with the fact that [...]]]>

Recently eBay announced that it is increasing purchase protection from $1000 to $2,000 for qualified transactions on eBay.com. But it will no longer offer purchase protection for non-PayPal transactions. Why? Well, eBay claims that other payment services are less safe than PayPal.

But the decision probably has more to do with the fact that the company make roughly twice the money on sellers who use PayPal. It charges sellers the usual listing fees, plus additional fees when sellers accept payment through PayPal Premier or Business accounts (and eBay is making it harder and harder to sell anything on eBay using PayPal Personal, its free account).

Is Google Checkout any less safe than PayPal? Probably not. But it and many other payment services have been banned from eBay just the same. So while eBay accepts Canadian Tire Money and Cash2India, it still won’t accept Google Checkout. This is certainly eBay’s right, but hopefully customers will realize that this is more than just eBay looking out for its customers’ safety. It’s eBay looking out for eBay.

My advice? If you need something like PayPal but you are sick of PayPal, use BidPay. They take Visa and Master Card, they offer charge back protection to sellers, and they have a lower transaction fee than PayPal Premier (3.25% vs. PayPal’s 3.5%). If you already have PayPal Premier, you can call PayPal and go back to its free account (you won’t be able to accept credit cards but other transfers will go back to being free).

So the best combination for your money transferring needs is to use PayPal Personal for any cash transfer and BidPay for accepting credit card payments. But hurry, before eBay bans them, too

Note: Payment services currently not permitted on eBay include AlertPay.com, anypay.com, AuctionChex.com, AuctionPix.com, BillPay.ie, ecount.com, cardserviceinternational.com, CCAvenue, ecount, e-gold, eHotPay.com, ePassporte.com, EuroGiro, FastCash.com, Google Checkout, gcash, GearPay, Goldmoney.com, graphcard.com, greenzap.com, ikobo.com, Liberty Dollars, Moneygram.com, neteller.com, Netpay.com, Nochex.com, paychest.com, payingfast.com, paypay, Postepay, Qchex.com, rupay.com, scripophily.com, sendmoneyorder.com, stamps, Stormpay, wmtransfer.com, and xcoin.com

Payment services currently permitted on eBay include Allpay.net, Bidpay, cash2india, CertaPay, Checkfree.com, hyperwallet.com, Moneybookers.com, Nochex.com, Ozpay.biz, Paymate.com.au, Propay.com, XOOM

Here is a link to eBay’s accepted payments policy:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/accepted-payments-policy.html

Most of us want to be more charitable, though somehow giving to a random charity often leaves us with too many unanswered questions: Where specifically does my money really go? How much of it actually makes it to the end destination?

Enter San Francisco based non-profit Kiva.org: a peer-to-peer microfinance gateway, [...]]]>

Most of us want to be more charitable, though somehow giving to a random charity often leaves us with too many unanswered questions: Where specifically does my money really go? How much of it actually makes it to the end destination?

Enter San Francisco based non-profit Kiva.org: a peer-to-peer microfinance gateway, which combines the Nobel Peace Prize concept of microcredit with the power of the Internet to facilitate micro-lending to small business owners in developing countries. Here’s how it works:

On Kiva.org, you browse descriptions and photos of potential loan recipients and read their stories. As a lender, you can choose any of the aspiring small-business owners as a recipient of your loan money. You can loan as little as $25 to the small-business owner of your choice (the average amount given is around $70-$80) via Kiva’s PayPal interface. Your loan money is then pooled together with others’ loan money who decided to loan to the same borrower.

Once the loan amount needed is reached (usually a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars), 100% of the funds are released from Kiva to a local group that redistributes the funds to the borrower. That group also collects payments and sends them back to you through Kiva at the end of the loan’s term. You earn no interest, and defaults are possible (though there haven’t been any yet).

The local microfinance institutions cover operating costs by charging interest to the borrowers with rates averaging around 19 percent (the rates in the microfinance industry overall are close to 30 percent). You can check out more details on each of Kiva’s microfinance partners on the site. So the money flows like this:

You > Kiva.org > Local Microfinance Institution > Borrower

So far over a hundred loans have been completed, and Kiva’s repayment rate is 100 percent. Even though lenders receive no interest for the loan, about 85 percent of the funds are reloaned for a second time. So if you’re willing to give up your $25 on a long term basis, you could help finance multiple small businesses with the same money over and over again (brilliant!).

Kiva itself keeps its operating costs very low, only having spent approx. $320,000 in its first year (which mostly covers the cost of its seven employees). The organization has already raised more than $1.5 million in loans from 18,000 lenders, which have in turn helped fund over 2,600 small businesses worldwide.

PayPal offers its services to Kiva free of charge (so no fees eat away at the loan money when transferred, thank goodness), and Google provides free advertising for the organization.

Here’s what Kiva president Premal Shah has to say:

"Philanthropy used to be balls and receptions catering to high net-worth individuals… I think there’s something democratizing if you can bring technology into it and let the average person be like a Bill Gates or a Rockefeller."

As for the name Kiva, it apparently means “agreement” or “unity” in Swahili. The founders are Matthew Flannery, a Stanford graduate, and his wife, Jessica Flannery, a Stanford MBA candidate.

Oh, and I almost forgot, if you have a blog / website / MySpace page (whatever online presence), you can put a banner on it that will rotate through current small businesses seeking funds. So even if you don’t have money to help these small businesses, you can help them by simply giving them exposure.

And if you have a particular small business you’re interested in supporting, you can have that business be the one displayed on your site (after the loan amount needed is reached, it goes back to rotating through small businesses in need randomly). So I added the Kiva banner to the right sidebar on Computers.net and have a particular business in mind.

I’m currently interested in helping Radostin Tanev in Bulgaria. He needs funds to repair his bar/club that hosts up-and-coming rock musicians. On a more random note, I’m actually a big fan of Bulgarian music. So how could I not help?

Awesome. I love the idea of a social site that connects me to random people I’d like to help…