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What You Can and Can't Sell on eBay

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 6:45PM

Recession Guide: What You Can and Can't Sell on eBay
We haven't seen any numbers confirming this yet, but we're pretty sure people are flocking to eBay to sell whatever they have laying around in order to supplement their income during the recession. However it is important to realize that while that 1st gen iPhone may be a good way to line your pockets with a little extra dough you can't auction off just anything on eBay.

eBay has some pretty stringent terms of service (TOS) that prohibit you from selling intangible items, drug paraphernalia, and other "inappropriate" things. So what's out?

  • Your virginity. Natalie Dylan attempted to auction off her cherry on eBay to pay for school. eBay politely told her to take it elsewhere, which she did. Nevada's Moonlite Bunny Ranch is now organizing the auction.
  • Yourself, or your soul. Falling under the category of a "non-item" you can't auction off your being or your eternal spirit. Sorry guys.
  • Your wife. There's a problem if your item can resist the idea of being auctioned off.
  • Your bong. Drug paraphernalia is a big no-no. Even if it's touched the lips of an Olympic record holder.
  • A Senate Seat. As a bunch of jokesters found out in the aftermath of the Rod Blagojevich scandal.

Continue reading What You Can and Can't Sell on eBay

Best of the Rest (2/12/09)

by Thomas Houston, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 5:58PM

There's tons of great tech news happening out there every day, and unfortunately we just can't cover all of it. Here are a few of the other noteworthy things we saw today on our never-ending journey on the wild, wild Web:
  • It's like a tennis match! New research suggests video games may not be so bad for the kiddies. [Reuters]
  • Absurd headphone set of the day. [ShinyShiny]
  • The design for India's first manned spaceship is detailed. [FoxNews]
  • Scientists debate robot war -- it might be here sooner than you think. [MSNBC]
  • Photographer creates 100-meter long panoramic photo. [Urlesque]
Are you on Twitter? We're twittering (tweeting?) regularly here at Switched, and we can't wait to hear from you. Got a question or comment? Hit us up at @switched.

Valentine's Day Is The Time For Spying

by Chad Mumm, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 5:10PM

Hallmark cards and candy hearts aren't the only products that see a bump in sales around Valentine's day. Spyware and tracking devices usually see a boost as spouses hope to catch their partners red-handed during the holiday, when private investigators say cheating partners are most likely to make contact with a secret lover. Although the holiday usually means a wave of new clients for private investigators, business has been slow this year. Blaming the slumping economy, Kelly Riddle, who owns an investigative firm, claims "if they have a cheating spouse with a job, now is not the time to rock the boat."

Have you ever spied on a loved one?


Instead of paying the high cost for hiring an investigator, many suspicious spouses are taking the DIY approach, purchasing spyware to monitor e-mail and online activity, and buying James Bond-like gadgets such as GPS trackers and hidden cameras. Still, before you go all super-spy on your spouse, consider that if you find yourself needing to spy on your significant other, is there really enough trust left in your relationship to make it worth saving at all? [From: USA Today]

Mexico to Fingerprint Cell Phone Users to Fight Crime

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 4:38PM


Not sure if you folks have heard, but apparently there are some serious gang-related issues in Mexico. Crazy, right? Just about two years after the Mexican government began swapping game consoles and computers for weaponry in a bizarre (and evidently futile) effort to curb crime, the country has now decided to take things one step further. Beginning in April, a law will require mobile phone companies to build up a fingerprint database of their clients, with the idea being to "match calls and messages to the phones' owners." Reportedly, there are around 700 criminal bands in Mexico, many of which utilize prepaid handsets in order to take care of business. Oh, and if you just so happen to lose your phone or loan it out, you've got to "report it immediately to avoid being held responsible for a handset used in a crime." Awesome.

[Image courtesy of BusinessWeek]
Tech Tip of the Day

Recycle Your Old Cathode Ray Tube TV

by Jon Chase, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 4:01PM



That aging, tube-style TV or monitor in the basement is like a personal Superfund site. It's filled with poisonous lead, cadmium and mercury, yet only 10 percent of CRT TVs and monitors are recycled every year. In many states, recycling these devices is now mandatory, anyway, so check Earth911.org to find recycling locations near you.

US and Russian Satellites Collide In 'Unprecedented' Accident

by Thomas Ricker, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 3:14PMBreaking News

A US Iridium satellite has hit a defunct Russian satellite in an unprecedented space collision. The crash occurred some 790km (491 miles) over Siberia on Tuesday, according to NASA, and produced a "massive" cloud of debris. About 600 pieces are being tracked from the debris field in hopes of understanding the risk they present to other satellites and the international space station. The Russian craft was identified as the 950kg (2,094 pound) Cosmos 2251, a communications relay station launched in 1993 and believed to have been non-operational for the last 10 years or so. The Iridium telecommunications satellite was estimated to weigh about 560kg (1,234 pounds). Unsurprisingly, its loss is expected to have "minimal impact on Iridium's service," according to a statement made by the company. When asked who was at fault, NASA responded dryly:
"They ran into each other. Nothing has the right of way up there. We don't have an air traffic controller in space. There is no universal way of knowing what's coming in your direction."
Gulp.

10 Ways to Speed Up Your Computer Now

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 2:01PMFeatured Story



There is nothing more frustrating on this Earth than a slow computer -- especially in these tough economic times, when running out and buying a new high-end PC is not necessarily an option. But here's the good news: There is plenty you can do yourself, right now, that'll speed up your computer. We've compiled a list of 10 tips and tricks you can easily implement on your existing computer. Some involve just a few quick steps, while others are more involved, but rest easy: We've included directions for everything. Take a look by clicking on 'Next' below, and get ready for the fast times!

Posing as Apple, Phishers Attack MobileMe Users

by Lee Bains, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 1:30PM


Yesterday, Cnet and Macworld reported that a new phishing scam is targeting the users of the Apple service MobileMe, and is doing so under the guise of an official Apple e-mail. Explaining that the user's monthly MobileMe payment has failed to go through, the e-mail directs the recipient to follow a link, where he or she is then instructed to enter credit card information. Seeing as we offer warnings about opening strange e-mails and entering your personal information into unfamiliar Web sites time and time again, we need not tell you good folks, "Don't do it."

But, just in case, "Don't do it!" [From: Macworld via Cnet]

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Palm Ending Development of PalmOS

by Paul Miller, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 12:50PMBreaking News


In a talk with investors Palm CEO Ed Colligan dropped a whole ton of previously undisclosed facts about Palm and the Pre. First off, he mentioned that other than the Centro making its way to other carriers, there will be no more PalmOS devices from Palm; they're concentrating completely on webOS and Windows Mobile. They also clarified that they have partnerships with carriers in Canada, Latin America and Europe for the Pre, and that they plan on expanding in the US to carriers outside of Sprint in 2010. As far as patents go, Palm doesn't sound too worried, citing 15 years of patents in the bank, a desire to respect intellectual property, and the fact that no action has taken place between Palm and Apple in that department.

Every Beatles Song, Played on the Ukulele

by Chad Mumm, posted Feb 12th 2009 at 11:01AM


The Beatles' music may not be available on iTunes, but two bloggers are making the Liverpool icons' entire catalog downloadable for free online. What's the catch? It will all be played on a ukulele.

Roger Greenawalt and David Barratt plan to record and perform on ukulele, the diminutive, four-stringed Hawaiian instrument, all 185 of the Beatles' original compositions, with each song featuring a unique guest artist from around the music world. The duo will post a new recording every Tuesday from Inauguration Day on January 20, 2009 to the eve of the London Olympics on July 24, 2012. Accompanying each recording is an essay about the chosen song's meaning, context, and musical qualities.

Continue reading Every Beatles Song, Played on the Ukulele


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