SearchEngineUpdate with Vanessa Zamora - 01-29-2008
Abstract: 1. Apple iPhones Gone Missing, 2. EBay Makes Changes for Simpler and Safer Shopping, 3. EU Court Rules File Sharers Have Right to Privacy, 4. Creating WELCOM, the Davos Conference Continued
Vanessa Zamora
Video Content Producer, SearchEngineWorld
11:01 pm on Jan. 29, 2008 (utc 0)
Transcript
Tuesday January 29th, 2008
Apple iPhones Gone Missing
Possibly adding more pressure to Apple, which has seen falling stock price since the beginning of the year, is the unexplained gap between the number of iPhones sold and buyers signed to the exclusive AT&T service which pays Apple for each iPhone-brandishing customer. A reported 1.7 million iPhones remain unaccounted for. The discrepancy could mean a number of things including a greater number of hacked phones floating on the market than anyone expected, handsets sitting in store inventories, or customers who have for various reasons not yet activated their phones with authorized carriers. Although the unlocked phones are financially costly for Apple in terms of its revenue-sharing agreement with AT&T, it is a sure way to create hype among consumers abroad where the iPhone isn’t yet legally available. Revving up awareness of Apple’s brand could make it easier for Apple to strike more carrier distribution deals and make a case for better revenue-sharing terms. In terms of maintaining control and accounting for the missing phones, the best resolution would be for Apple to pick up the pace of its overseas expansion.
In an effort to boost sales, keep up with competitors and encourage use of the eBay Web site, eBay has announced changes aimed at making the shopping experience simpler and safer. eBay sellers can soon list products for sale online at up to 50 percent less than what eBay previously charged, in an attempt at monetarily reducing the risk of listing products. eBay will in turn increase the commission it receives only on those items that do sell. Along with changes to the fee structure, changes will be made to the eBay search engine so that sellers with higher rates of customer satisfaction are rewarded with higher exposure when a buyer conducts a search. eBay will also do away with fees it has previously charged merchants to include photos with their listings. Lastly, eBay will soon require a safe payment option from certain flagged merchants and will raise the requirements for qualifying as a PowerSeller. The changes will go into effect February 20th.
In a setback to copyright holders fight against digital piracy, the European Union court ruled that names of ISP subscribers are protected from disclosure in civil cases, unless the European Union nations introduce rules that decide otherwise. The court supports telecom company Telefonica SA’s right to refuse to hand over personal information identifying subscribers who used the file sharing web site Kazaa to distribute copyrighted material. The EU ruling is important because courts across Europe have been moving in different directions. This ruling upholds copyright as a fundamental right alongside the right to privacy.
WELCOM, a new social network, which stands for world economic community, could become the world’s most exclusive social network. Debuting midyear, the social network is created to replicate the January event in the alpine village of Davos, Switzerland where prominent members of the economics community come together for four days to exchange ideas. It could be dubbed the Facebook for the rich, powerful, and famous. Along with interactive messaging, WELCOM will also host collaborative tools including videoconferencing. The success of the social network lies with the 2,500 people invited to the conference each year, who will be the first eligible to use the network. Additional users may include previous attendees or experts in certain fields who could contribute to issues being addressed within a network discussion.
11:01 pm on Jan. 29, 2008 (utc 0)