PC Security: Top Ten Phishing Scams, January 2008

McAfee's Avert Labs have released today the top-ten Phishing scams that took place in January 2008. For a change, eBay was not featured.

1. Amazon.com Inc. Security Center 
   
2. please confirm your data 
   
3. Sparkasse informiert Sie 
   
4. eilige Information 
   
5. Banking 
   
6. All cards (except the temporary cards) from this account are suspended. 
7. Your Online Activity Confirmation 
   
8. JPMorgan Chase - Critical Account Information 
   
9. Information 
   
10. Data confirmation. 
    

VolksBank, an Austrian bank, CommerceBank and Natwest were the key targets for phishing scammers in January. Please see below for an overview of the other top brands that were exploited and the top three most prevalent viruses.

It makes an important point for eBay Advisor readers: always be sure that you enter data only into the site you intended to. It's easy not to notice when you have a different URL at the top of the screen; but make a point of doing so. With software such as that from McAfee or Symantec, you can get pre-warned when an attempted Phishing site is in front of you.

Opinion: eBay We Love You

People love eBay - but things are not always that straightforward

People love eBay. In the UK it accounts for 11% of all internet surfing and the average eBay member spends 2 hours on the site every month. Worldwide the company has built an impressive community of 233 million members in 37 countries

However, there have recently been rumblings of discontent in the eBay community. Sellers have been complaining of high fees, low sales and bad customer service. There was even a (tiny) seller strike in August 2006 over the change in eBay shop listing fees. Amongst many eBayers there is a feeling that it is not looking after its members. Most worryingly for eBay, the company’s growth has slowed

So what has eBay done to strengthen its community and boost sales? Like everyone it has been jumping on the Web 2.0 bandwagon. Web 2.0 refers to web based applications which encourage people interact and collaborate online. Recently the company launched eBay neighbourhoods where people with similar interests can get together and discuss items as varied as coffee machines and diecast toy cars. It has also launched blog widgets and a Facebook application both of which allow users to promote their products across the internet. eBay is clearly hoping that these new Web 2.0 style applications will encourage people both on and off eBay to spend more time discussing eBay items and trading. As well as new applications, eBay has also been revamping its website to make it easier to use

I have been impressed with how the company has recently responded to criticism and made efforts to improve its service. People love to whinge, but there is no evidence of a mass exodus to other auction sites. It remains a great place for both individuals and businesses to trade online and reach a huge international audience. Most importantly, eBay is still fun and a place to interact with interesting and varied people.

So what does the future hold for eBay? Many industry experts think that it should merge with another big online player such as Yahoo or Microsoft. There are also rumours of a takeover of UK based online auction site QXL, which will enable eBay to get a foothold in the booming economies of Eastern Europe. Whatever happens, eBay is still very much a force to be reckoned with.

Sellers Workshop: eBay reducing insertion fees and rewarding great service

Mark Lewis from eBay recently introduced a number of benefits for eBay sellers. The details, taken from his letter, follow:

eBay is delighted to announce a series of substantial new benefits for sellers on eBay.co.uk, including a reduction in Insertion Fees of up to 33% and volume discounts of up to 40% on revised Final Value Fees.

Who benefits? Seller service makes the difference
Ask successful sellers on eBay what drives their success and many will say it comes down to good old-fashioned service – giving buyers what they want, at a great price, and the confidence that any problems they encounter will be sorted.

It’s this service that keeps buyers coming back again and again - over 15 million in November 2007 alone.

Starting today, we’re introducing a series of changes, based on feedback from sellers and buyers, that will provide clear incentives and rewards for sellers to continue offering good service, and give buyers even greater confidence to come back more.

At the same time we’ll be making sure that the minority of sellers who continue to undermine your good reputation by offering poor service find it much harder to compete.

What does this mean for me? Reductions and Rewards
Provide good service and you’ll get better visibility in search results and the opportunity to enjoy volume discounts of up to 40% on our new Final Value Fees.

Service will be measured by Detailed Seller Ratings left anonymously by your buyers over your previous thirty days’ trading. These changes go live in February, so please act now to keep your service levels high and qualify for the benefits.

Alongside this, many sellers tell us that the upfront risk of listing an item is too great. In response, eBay is pleased to outline below a reduction of up to 33% on your insertion fees that will significantly reduce this risk and rebalance fees to better reflect successful sales.

That’s just the start
Please take the time to read through all the details on this page. There will be a series of Q&A sessions on the Community boards over the coming weeks and as always we look forward to your feedback. Of course, we’ll continue to update you as these changes take effect.

Finally, thank you for your support throughout 2007. By championing and rewarding good service and reducing some of your risks, we hope to make a positive difference to sellers’ businesses and buyers’ experiences, and we wish you continued success for the year ahead.

At eBay Advisor, we have to admit we admire eBay's actions. In the past there has been much distrust for the eBay medium, but these days many seem to agree that eBay are taking positive steps to ensuring a good selling medium for buyers and sellers alike. We expect in future issues of eBay Advisor to go further into the benefits of the medium.

Buyers Workshop: Beware of Malware on your eBay purchases

Joe Telafici from the McAfee Avert Labs has recently posted a blog regarding US Electronics Retailer Best Buy. A popular range of digital photo frames has had to be removed from the shelves because they were infected with PC viruses.

It reads:

Last week’s news of digital pictures frames being infected with malware reminds us that it is not just our computers that can be infected. Recent reports include similar infections on batches of:

• Hard Drives
  
• MP3 Players
  
• USB drives
  
• GPS devices
  

But anything that a PC will consider a hard drive (like SD cards for digital cameras if plugged into a multi-card-reader, some cell phones, certain toys, CDs or DVDs) can be infected by a variety of worms, some explicitly designed to infect removable media. Here are a few examples.

So how does an incident like the recent Best Buy one occur? Ironically, the most likely culprit is the QC process at the manufacturer. As devices like this come off of the assembly line, and before they get packaged and shipped to the distributor or retailer, someone has to check some or all of those devices to make sure they work correctly. For media like those in the picture frames, that probably means plugging the frame into a PC to make sure that the operating system sees the memory correctly and can copy files to and from it. Of course, if the Quality Control folks can copy files to the device. Well, so can a worm if one was installed on their test PC.

What does this mean if you are the person ultimately selling this item? It is entirely likely that checking all of the devices you ordered is impractical, not to mention that doing so introduces the same risk to the device if your OWN computers are infected. The right approach may be to apply controls right at the manufacturing process.

If you are purchasing devices to sell, either directly to consumers, or by contract to another wholesaler or distributor, the following tips may help you avoid similar issues:

• Ask for your supplier’s process for ensuring that media are malware-free. They should be able to provide the scanner(s) used, update frequencies, scan settings and audit procedures. What is their process if an infection IS discovered during the check? Verify that their process does not include any connections to other devices after their scanning procedure (so that infections cannot be introduced later downstream).
  
• Ask whether all devices are checked, or only a portion. If a portion, what percent? Do they all go through the same computer, or multiple ones, and how many? This will help you decide how many you may want to spot-check yourself if you choose to do so. If the supplier/manufacturer checks 1 in 10 devices and does so using 10 different computers, any particular CD has a 1 in 100 chance of being infected if one of those 10 computers has been compromised.
  
• Request scan logs or audit logs for the specific batch you purchased to be delivered with the devices.
  

If you buy a device and want to make sure you don’t end up infecting your computer with it, the following tips may help:

• Disable the Windows AutoPlay feature
  
• Use up-to-date anti-malware software and make sure it is turned on and set to scan removable drives.
  
• Manually scan the entire drive after first connecting it and with autoplay disabled. If the scan comes up clean, you’re all set.
  

A little up-front planning can go a long way to staying malware-free. Happy shopping!

It highlights many important considerations when buying goods on eBay. Essentially, whenever you first receive an item that will be connected to your computer, take the time to run a virus check on it before connecting it to your machine. It's all too easy to catch a virus, but takes a little more time to remove it.

Advertisement: Basic V: A Dabhand Guide

This book provides a practical guide to programming in BASIC V on the Acorn Archimedes. Assuming a familiarity with the BBC BASIC language in general, it describes the many new commands offered by BASIC V, already acclaimed as one of the best and most structured
versions of the language on any micro.

An essential aid for all Archimedes users, this book will also appeal to existing BBC BASIC users who wish to be conversant with new features of BASIC V. Major topics covered include:

• Using the colour palette
  
• WHILE, IF and CASE
  
• Use of mouse and pointer
  
• Local error handling
  
• Operations and String Handling
  
• The Assembler
  
• Control Structures
  
• Matrix Operations
  
• Functions and Procedures
  
• Extended graphics commands
  
• Sound
  
• Programming hints & tips
  

Mike Williams has been working with computers for over thirty years. He has, during that time, been the editor of BEEBUG, RISC User and Acorn Publisher magazines and now spends his time as a working photographer.

Reader Offer: Basic V: A Dabhand Guide is available for £11.95 directly through Alligata Media. Email david.bradforth@alligatagroup.com for details or to order.

Opinion: The impact and innovations of web2.0 platforms within content management systems

Andy Bellinger - UK Country Manager for RedDot - discusses the impact and innovations of web2.0 upon content management systems.

With dozens of different definitions flying around and a host of industry experts getting involved in the debate, web2.0 is one of the most heavily discussed technology topics of modern times. But however you might want to label it, web2.0 is not something that companies can afford to ignore for much longer. It has evolved apace and what was once considered a technological trend is now seen by many as an essential component of successful web strategy.

No longer satisfied with one-way communication, web users have stopped viewing the Internet as just another broadcasting channel. Instead, they want a richer online experience with more dialogue, and to feel empowered by a website. Companies are rushing to facilitate user-generated content on their websites. By introducing web2.0 applications like blogs, forums, wikis and mashups they have realised how they can enhance the interactive experience for users, whilst generating revenue, extending customer relationships and improving their profile at the same time.

Providers of Web Content Management (WCM) have had to move quickly to ensure that their products can offer dynamic web2.0 solutions in line with the massive demands of a rapidly evolving landscape, where seemingly new innovations are pioneered every day.

Until now, organisations have looked to bolt-on periphery third party solutions to provide web2.0 functionality. But with web solution providers, like RedDot, integrating web2.0 capabilities into their WCM suites, user-generated information can now be captured and leveraged in the same manner as editorial content, providing web creators and editors with a one-stop shop for all their web projects.

Why CMS with eBay? Whichever way you look at it, eBay is a content management system - the views of Andy expressed in this piece only serve to back up the techniques that should be used by successful sellers.

With web2.0 becoming a native feature in WCM, web editors are starting to witness a huge impact on what they can achieve. They can now expand their web initiatives to include blogs, forums, wikis, and ratings as easily as selecting files and images and incorporating these applications into the website. What’s more, staff from both technical and non-technical backgrounds can be invited into the editorial chain, enabling them to supply, manipulate and approve web content with ease.

Editors can easily initiate discussions in an intranet setting, or write an editorial entry, attach documents, and expand it from a forum or blog. Specific user groups can be easily granted “read” and “write” authorisation and, best of all, the components can easily be reused for multiple web projects.

With these added features and modules, consumers undoubtedly benefit from a website with more of a community feel. Loyalty is gained, advertising becomes more desirable and revenue and sales are boosted. The whole web experience becomes more pleasurable and unique for web users. For web editors and companies alike, the latest innovations in WCM can bring a company’s entire infrastructure, including sales, marketing and HR teams, into the editing process. The company naturally benefits from enhanced internal and external collaboration on content.

With just a third of UK companies implementing web2.0 technologies in their corporate websites, the education process has only just begun. The potential take up in the next few years should be overwhelming and there is massive scope for WCM systems to facilitate this transformation and bring websites up to speed with the very latest innovations.

Buyer's Workshop: Angelina Jolie Movies

Often described as the sexiest woman in the world, Angelina Jolie may have met her match in Brad Pitt. Rumours about the pair started during the filming of Mr and Mrs Smith in which they play a married couple. Taken from our sister magazine Movie Insider we have an interview with Angelina Jolie, and a selection of eBay searches for her most popular movies.

Movie Insider: Tell us about Mr & Mrs Smith
Angelina Jolie: Well, we’re a suburban married couple who’ve been married for about six months and we’re very unhappy so we’re going to couples’ therapy and then we discover that we’re both hit-men and we have to kill each other! It’s actually very light and bizarre.

Movie Insider: What drew you to the role? Was it a fabulous script or Brad Pitt?
Angelina Jolie: I thought it was such a fun read and if there was ever a comedy, someone said to me, a girlfriend of mine who read it, she said, ‘If there was ever a comedy, this is the kind of comedy that you could do,’ because she’s got a lot of darker elements and her humor and silliness and her personality actually suit me even though it’s a comedy. I was talking to Brad about it and he felt that I could do it. He had the confidence that I could do this, and I kept thinking that I wasn’t really funny. It’s a bit of everything. It’s like a dark comedy because of the amount of time that we spend on huge stunt scenes and big action things and preparation for [using] spy equipment.

Movie Insider: How did you deal with all the paparazzi following you on this film? What’s your secret?
Angelina Jolie: It was no different than any other film. Paparazzi always come out to location to shoot. My secret is having families and people we love - things that are important to us – that put it all in perspective.

Movie Insider: In the film you pretend not to be skilled. In real life do you also pretend to be less able to make those around you feel more comfortable?
Angelina Jolie: I think, at times, we all do that to be more comfortable, and to blend in. But I don’t think it’s good. I think we should be everything we can be.

Movie Insider: What do you do when you’re in the papers and there are lies every day?
Angelina Jolie: The thing is, I tend to not read the papers and I don’t watch those TV shows. So, I never see it.

Movie Insider: What do you look for in a man?
Angelina Jolie: I mean I could say I’m looking for a good father for Mad, but you have to find someone with the same values and the same approach to life and family as I do. I have to look for the best father in the world.

Movie Insider: Is London home?
Angelina Jolie: England, yeah.

Movie Insider: Do you feel at home in Cambodia too?
Angelina Jolie: Yeah, I do. It’s just full of lovely people and it’s my son’s country and they know him there. We have a small place there, where we live, that is basically a part of the jungle that has been cleared of mines and has these three little houses built on stilts, and most of our furniture is bamboo. We have to helicopter in or take a day’s trip. So, I do know my neighbors and they’ve known me for a couple years because I did aid work and came down and spent time with them so that they would know us.

Movie Insider: Why did you decide to use your fame to help land mine victims in Cambodia?
Angelina Jolie: Before I went to Cambodia, for Tomb Raider, I didn’t know much about land mines, so I was shocked by what I saw and found out. Being there made me decide to learn more about issues like that and to see what I could do to help. So, when I got back from Cambodia, I contacted the UN and asked them if I could do anything for them, to highlight the problem. Since then I’ve been to Sierra Leone and Tanzania. Next I’m going back to Cambodia to help out and show my support. I’m also trying to raise awareness of the problem by keeping a journal of all my travels and what I see which is going to be released on the United Nations Website. Being able to do something like that is one of the best things about being well-known.

Movie Insider: How’s the U.N. work going?
Angelina Jolie: Really good. I’m just continuing with it and I’m just focusing now on trips that I can take to Washington and statements to make and people to meet. I just try to read a lot and support and learn from wherever I am.

Movie Insider: Do you find that people are receiptive to you in Washington?
Angelina Jolie: The nice thing is when I first went there, I had to earn it – actually I’m still earning it. On my first trip, they had no idea what to expect and kind of what I was exactly there to say, but then, after a few meetings, the next time I came back, the senators that I tried to meet with the first time allowed me to come in the second time. The, the third time, I was invited by a senator to speak and meet with other senators, and now, I’m going with the documentary that I did about trading women and talking about the sex trade in Africa. It was done by David Finebill, but we’re going to have a big discussion about it and a big meeting and a lot of people are coming out and then, while I’m there, I’ll talk some more.

Movie Insider: How has it affected your acting?
Angelina Jolie: Yeah, it’s changed everything because any deep personal experience makes you a better actress. Acting is a great thing, but there are deeper things. Doing something like this makes me feel - as a woman, as a mom – of greater use.

Movie Insider: How do you have time to do this - and why do it?
Angelina Jolie: It’s just that I became aware of it and found myself worrying about these areas. I feel blessed that I met these people who are surviving and that I can understand the world that I live in. but I’m just so frustrated because I see so much damage, and there’s not enough I can do about it…

Movie Insider: Do you feel like you have two careers now?
Angelina Jolie: Yeah, I think that I’ve become first and foremost a mom and citizen of the world and somewhere also, for fun, I love being an actor and do that.

Buy now... - DVD - UMD - Blu-Ray

Movie Insider: How do you feel about your movie career at this point?
Angelina Jolie: I don’t know. I don’t take it all that seriously. If you’re at the top of your game, then you’re just getting the chance to do things – you’re able to keep working. I’m sure that I’ll be able to get a job doing something that I like, some character in something whether it’s in the biggest box office thing of the year or not. So, that’s not really a concern of mine.

Movie Insider: Is acting just a way to earn money, then?
Angelina Jolie: No, acting’s not just a career to me. It’s also been a way of coping with everyday life and letting me communicate things that I couldn’t otherwise have done. At times, I’ve really been comforted by films. When I’m sad, or feeling low, I know that if I can turn on something and laugh, it’ll help me. That’s why I’d wanted to do this, why I like comedy – I thought it’d be nice to be able to do that for other people too.

Movie Insider: As an actress, do you need to be pushed?
Angelina Jolie: Yeah, as a person and as an actor, absolutely. It’s a wonderful part of my job to be that much more connected to whatever is going on inside of me. Some people have pain and things that they never get to address, and I make a living addressing them!

Movie Insider: When did you realise you were a grown up?
Angelina Jolie: I think when I looked down at my hands and they were washing a baby, washing Maddox! I look at my hands getting older and I love it, because I can see the changes happening.

Movie Insider: How would you describe your style?
Angelina Jolie: I kind of like doing ‘simple.’

Movie Insider: What do you wear when you’re not on your U.N. trips or in Cambodia?
Angelina Jolie: I probably wear the same thing in Cambodia that I do in the city. I wear jeans, khaki pants and t-shirts.

Movie Insider: Don’t you wear dresses?
Angelina Jolie: Not usually because if I’m running around with Maddox I can’t really be in heels or dresses. So, I just kind of go for practical.

Movie Insider: Do you have a favourite movie?
Angelina Jolie: I don’t really watch movies. I don’t watch a lot of movies myself.

Movie Insider: Does your son?
Angelina Jolie: He watches Noggin a bit, it’s a TV show - a channel. He really likes JJ the Jet Plane, if he watches. He loves airplanes. He’s very into things that talk, you know, Dora the Explorer.

Movie Insider: Is it getting easier now to juggle work and motherhood?
Angelina Jolie: That just sounds so funny! I’m really a mom, first and foremost and that’s how I’m going to be all my life. But I’m just lucky that I’m able to do a job where I can take him to work with me – take him on set - because that’s something not a lot of people can do.

Movie Insider: How has motherhood changed you?
Angelina Jolie: It’s made me a more playful person; it’s made me a much more peaceful person. There’s a lot going on but as long as he’s healthy, there’s nothing else to shake me - I don’t stress about things that don’t matter.

Movie Insider: You’ve talked recently about your lesbian experiences. What would you think if your son grew up bisexual? Would it make it harder on him?
Angelina Jolie: Of course not, no. I don’t know, I think what’s harder is not admitting to who you are. I’d just be so excited about him being confident about what he was and who he was and what he wanted to be.

Movie Insider: What’s been the toughest time in your life?
Angelina Jolie: Tough times kind of came with good times, but I guess the toughest time was around the time I adopted Maddox, because my marriage broke up and I divided from my father, all within a short time. It was a very emotional time, so I just threw myself into motherhood. That was one of the toughest times in my life, when my marriage broke up [to actor Billy Bob Thornton] and I separated from my father, but then good things happened too, and I guess good comes with the bad always, but it seems like big things happen in your life at the same time. It was hard then to keep from crying in front of my son, I didn’t want him to see me cry. My mother says her biggest problem with the kids is that she cried in front of us too much.

Movie Insider: Do you think you’d ever write a kiss-and-tell book?
Angelina Jolie: Oh gosh no, there’s so much out there, I’m so open, I think any of you could go out there and find all the snippets of my life and write a book yourselves, I’ll leave that to you.

Movie Insider: Do you think you’ll ever reconcile with your father?
Angelina Jolie: No, that won’t happen. I don’t see any reconciliation with my father ever, no. There’s only so much energy in this life, I don’t want him to make my stomach go into knots anymore. You can’t have that.

Movie Insider: What about Maddox and his Grandfather?
Angelina Jolie: I don’t want to worry about my son having problems with him as he grows up. I don’t hate [my father], I just can’t have that negative energy in my life. We don’t understand each other. I don’t have anything against him, but I don’t want to be around him.

Mr & Mrs Smith is available to rent and buy on DVD, UMD and Blu-Ray.

Security: Secure your computer online

Mark Watkinson, country manager for Panda Software, talks you through ways of securing yourself while on the Internet

As eBay is such a world wide phenomenon – “The World's Online Marketplace® with a global customer base of 181 million having a global presence in 33 markets” – it makes the organisation a huge target for criminals. If the criminals have a 1% success rate and steal £200 from each victim, they will stand to earn £362 million.

To guard against the new breed of cyber criminal, simple measures, some using products but most using common sense, can make this threat a negligible one.

Malware, more commonly known as viruses, is on the increase, but the more widespread it becomes the faster the antivirus companies pick it up and create signature files to combat the threat. More alarming are the targeted threats that aren’t distributed en-masse but are used to snare specific individuals and companies. As an e-bay user, these are the ones you have to be most aware of. Firstly, we need to be aware of the different forms of malware.

According to Panda Labs over 50% of all Malware used for attacking PC’s over the last 6 months came in the form of Trojans. A Trojan is a piece of malicious code allowing a criminal control of your PC, enabling them to steal files and passwords and alter applications. Victims then have money stolen via internet banking, or find that someone else has access to their email, myspace, chat programmes and ebay accounts.

Like the Monty Python sketch in which Vikings shouting the word ‘spam’ drown out all conversations, electronic SPAM overrides your electronic communications with useless noise. This originally contained relatively harmless emails offering cheap viagra, rolexes or porn. However this provided the mass distribution tool that the criminals needed to make quick hits and disappear.This means that the criminals can strike and be gone before people can alert the authorities and the net closes.

Phishing is simply a term for electronic fishing. Have you received an email message from e-bay or your bank in which you are asked to verify your account details? Don’t be taken in, as it is likely to be a phishing attempt.

In order to steal your details these emails will usually include a link or click here, which, if pressed, takes the user to a fake website. These websites look like the real thing and ask you to confirm your username and password – this info then ends up in the hands of the fraudsters and gives them free rein with your money or email accounts. They look like the real thing. But don’t be fooled.

Because users have become more aware of the threat, they are less likely to accept the ‘invitations’ of phishers to visit spoof websites and enter personal details. The result is that hackers are forced to use more insidious means to achieve their ends, which is why Trojan attacks are on the increase.

By using a combination of phishing and trojans hackers can steal high values from a small targeted number of people instead of targeting a massive number and hoping some will take the bait. This has led to the evolution of spear phishing, which is highly sophisticated and can combat some of the market-leading antivirus filters.

Get help from software
Even the most careful users have been caught out by viruses or phishing attacks, and to really protect yourself the best solution is to install antivirus and internet security software that will ensure your computer, your online purchasing and all your data stays safe.

Different software solutions offer different levels of protection and various levels of security. In the Panda Internet Security product, we include an Identity Protection System, which as an eBay user should provide you with a high level of reassurance. This system is designed to protect you against identity theft, and guarantee that your personal information is kept safe when you surf the Internet or purchase over the Internet.

In addition, the package offers increased detection of malware in the browser, detection of unknown spyware and phishing, a Panda firewall with updatable IDS signatures, anti-spam with a high detection rate, integrated on-line registration, improved uninstall of previously installed Panda products and a simple interface.

Obviously, the Panda product is one of many in an already crowded marketplace but the feedback has ultimately been very positive. The comparisons to Norton and McAfee offerings are favourable, and our user base benefits from ongoing development; regular updates and more besides. Now that you know more you can plan your security according to your needs. After all, forewarned is forearmed.

This was published in issue two of eBay Advisor.

Seller's Workshop: iSale 5 - Coming soon

Research made easy
iSale 5 will assist you by helping you find all the details and information about the article you wish to list. With the new research assistant, you can snip out key information from Delicious Library, your own FileMaker database or directly from the web using the WebSearch Plugin to quickly create your auctions more quickly.

Design your own auctions
iSale is more than just a collection of hundreds of high quality templates. With iSale 5 you can now adjust these templates to make the perfect fit for your item. With the all new Template Editor, you have every possible option to customize your templates with multiple predefined layouts. Even the text boxes and Image drop zones can be easily added, adjusted or deleted.

The new Text Engine will allow you to be as creative as you want to be: You need your text to be centered, or right-aligned? Not a problem. With three clicks your auction will look exactly the way you want!

An image is an image is an image
iSale 5 has no preference as to which software you may use to store your images. You can easily add photos directly from iPhoto, Aperture as well as Photo Booth.

Facebook Integration
Use the power of social networking and inform your Facebook friends about your currently running auctions. iSale 5 automatically updates the status of your eBay auctions that are linked to your Facebook account while your auctions are running.

Stay tuned
iSale keeps you updated in real-time, from the moment an auction is uploaded. As long as you are connected to the internet, iSale automatically and continuously updates the status of your auctions.

New Graphical User Interface
Its not just the new Pinboard designs that make iSale more mature and refined – the interface itself has matured. iSale 5's new interface has not only been fine-tuned, but it offers a glimpse into what key characteristics are to come for the latest standards in good user-interface design.

Never miss a beat
iSale 5 uses the Calendar system built into Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard and offers added support with After-Sales Management: iSale synchronizes your iCal entries and Leopard Mail tasks automatically.

Archive your Auctions
iSale 5 support multiple auction libraries, allowing you to archive any previously completed auctions. You can then easily sort these auctions, by your preferred filing-system. Inside each auction library, the integrated search field will help you to find any auction quickly and efficiently.

Intelligent by design
By using the new Smart Groups, you can make sure all of your auctions are displayed exactly the way you want. You can use the context menu to change your criteria, and display the auctions however you'd like.

Sort your stores by categories
iSale supports the entire eBay Store hierarchy. Organize your Shop by categories and make your selections from within iSale.

Price & Availability
Starting in late January, iSale 5 will be available to download from the equinux website as an Xtreme Pack. This Xtreme Pack download will come with an iSale 5 license for Mac OS X 10.5.x, in addition to an iSale 4 license for Mac OS X 10.4.x. Full versions of iSale are available, starting at 39,95 Euro (incl. German VAT).

Product Info

• Supplier equinux (http://www.equinux.com)
  
• Price €39.95 (incl German VAT)
  
• Available Late January 2008
  

We'll have a full review of iSale 5 in the next issue of eBay Advisor, as well as a preview appearing on this site in the next week.

Magazines: PC Explorer presents eBay Secrets, Strategies and Solutions

eBay Advisor is not the only magazine for eBay users. PC Explorer publishes occasional specials. Below is a description of issue 56, still available from Magnesium Media's online store MoreMags.com.

eBay is one of the true Internet success stories, and its popularity shows no signs of diminishing. The auction site has been built up from scratch since its launch in 1995, enabling any user to buy and sell goods over the Internet — all you need is a browser and a connection to the Web. Whether you want to earn some cash from your unwanted junk, are interested in setting up your own business, or want to pick up top quality items at the lowest possible price, eBay has something to offer. In this issue of PC Explorer we'll be guiding you step-by-step through the millions of pages that make up eBay and its related sites.

For buyers, we've got guides to tracking down the best deals, ensuring that your bid is the winning one, and tips for finding auctions that others might miss. If you're primarily interested in selling, then you can find out how to maximise your profits, add some impact to your listings, and make the step from casual seller to serious trader. From official eBay policy to insider hacks and secrets, everything you need to know about eBay is contained in the following features.

We've looked in detail at the ins and outs of eBay Shops, eBay Motors, and the new eBay Express, which operates like a standard online shopping site. Looking beyond the boundaries of eBay, you'll find features on the VoIP client Skype (which you can use to contact other traders) and alternative auction sites.

This issue of PC Explorer is available at £5.99 through MoreMags at this link.

Selling: Shopping at eBay Express

If you want to buy an item for a fixed price rather than bidding on it, eBay’s online store could be just what you’re looking for.

Whatever you’re looking to buy, you’ll probably find it on eBay. If it’s legal and available, someone, somewhere will be offering it for sale and while the site’s reputation might be for second hand goods, there are plenty of brand new items available to purchase. And often at a bargain price too. Take Casino Royale on DVD for example. This costs £14.99 (inc postage) at Play.com, and £14.72 at Amazon, yet eBay will let you Buy It Now from a choice of sellers from just £11, delivered. With major savings to be had, it’s perhaps surprising that eBay hasn’t had more of an impact on sales from traditional online stores.

The reason for this of course, is the site’s reputation. As eBay itself has long since realised, a broad swathe of the buying public view eBay as nothing more than a glorified car boot sale. Ideal for selling items you no longer want or picking up a used pushchair or a collectible from the past, but not somewhere you’d think of shopping for the latest products. A brand new iPod purchased from eBay might be identical in every way from one purchased online from Dixons – just cheaper – but tell a non-eBayer where you got it from and there’s a good chance they’ll be thinking there’s something wrong with it; that it’s a fake or that it’s second hand.

eBay Express (www.express.ebay.co.uk) is eBay’s attempt to appeal to shoppers who might have been put off by the auction site’s reputation and also by reoccurring news stories concerning scams and counterfeit or nonexistent goods. The new site has some things in common with eBay, but in other ways, it’s entirely different. For starters, not everyone can sell products on Express – only established eBayers with a business account and at least a 98% positive feedback rating are allowed to trade on the site. There’s no bidding, everything is offered at a fixed price (and fully inclusive of postage and packing) and only brand new goods are accepted.

eBay Express is home to the same broad range of content you’d find on the main eBay site but its design has been carefully crafted to make it more accessible. You can search for goods or browse through the different categories using the bar at the top of the screen. Each category is broken down into a range of subcategories, so you can quickly navigate through them all to locate what you’re looking for.

When you find something you like, you simply add it to your basket and keep shopping. Your basket can store items from multiple merchants and you pay for everything in one go, when you’re ready. Goods are all covered by a minimum seven working days returns policy and if you send something back and the seller doesn’t refund you, you can complain directly to eBay and get your money back from them.

Unlike Amazon, Play.com or other rival sites, Express’s goods aren’t kept on sale indefinitely, but they are available for 30 or 90 days at a time. This makes it easier for sellers to retail multiple items without needing to keep relisting them every few days or so as they are currently forced to do on eBay.

eBay Express definitely shows promise, but it’s very early days for the site which was only launched over here six months ago (following earlier launches in America and Germany). Although there are just under 800,000 items for sale across fourteen different categories, hunting for specific products quickly makes you realise the depth of choice is seriously lacking when compared with the likes of eBay, with its 25 million items, and other specialist stores.

There are bargains to be had (Casino Royale is £11.49 here), but it’s mostly more expensive than eBay, and competes with, rather than undercuts, most online shops. It also doesn’t do a particular good job of promoting new goods. Instead of the DVD categories page opening with the latest blockbuster releases, you’re presented with the likes of the A-Team, Carry on Dick, and Battlefield – Air War Over Germany.

That said, you’ve only got to look at the American site (www.express.ebay.com) to see what the future could be like for eBay Express here. It has loads more categories, millions of items and the focus is on the very latest products, not just unused ones. The UK version of the site might not be fantastic at the moment, but it has a bright future and is definitely worth a browse.

This was published in issue three of eBay Advisor, and was written by Wayne Williams. We'll take a further look at it in issue five of eBay Advisor.

Buyers Workshop: How to have a baby on eBay

Having a baby can be an expensive occurance, but worth every penny. With help from Wiz Wharton's book, you may save rather a lot of money.

Research shows that in the first year alone, parents can expect to splash out over £7,000 on their little one. When Wiz Wharton found out she was pregnant in 2005, she was living in rented accommodation in London with no regular income. Determined to provide her baby with everything he might need, but knowing she’d have to do it at a fraction of the normal cost, she found her solution on eBay - the world’s largest online auction site. 

With the sort of military precision only reserved for the truly obsessed or the truly pregnant, Wiz compiled a file of everything she was going to need; from maternity wear, to nursery equipment, via sterilisers, nappies and toys. What she discovered was that with a little bit of research, some streetwise bidding tactics, and patience, you can pick up all you need in next-to-new condition for far less than normal retail prices:

“I eventually managed to buy all of my son’s items from 0 to way beyond 3, including all my maternity items, for about £500,” she writes.

Some of Wiz’s online triumphs have included:

• A £200 cot for £11.50 
  
• A £400 designer buggy for £200 
  
• A £175 one-off maternity dress for £15. 
  

All brand new, boxed and delivered! In this unique book, Wiz tells other mums-to-be and their partners how to save themselves literally thousands of pounds by doing what she did, and have fun in the process. The first part of the book reproduces and builds upon her own detailed product research, telling parents what equipment they are going to need and - just as importantly - what they won’t . The eighteen Buyer’s Guides are the most comprehensive and up-to-date research of their kind, and invaluable for parents lost in the confusion of what to buy, when and for how much.

The second part of the book offers a detailed explanation of how eBay works, with step-by-step instructions for readers new to the site, plus advanced tips and tricks for those who already have some experience. With humour and insight, Wiz reveals the mistakes she made, and shows how her techniques improved to the point where she could be confident of winning items that had previously eluded her. Basic errors are highlighted, myths exposed, and golden rules stressed. There is even a highly important section on how to avoid the much-publicised eBay scams.

The final section of the book instructs parents in the ‘selling’ side of eBay. Wiz tells you how to turn the products that you have bought back into hard cash by selling them on eBay. Threaded through the narrative is her desire not only to help other parents achieve what she did, but also to encourage the principles of recycling

Whether you’re a mother-to-be, anxious father, or just know someone who is soon to give birth, ‘How to Have a Baby on eBay’ is an invaluable, money-saving, planet-friendly guide for the modern age and a must-read for parents everywhere.

About this book:

• Product Info: How to Have a Baby on eBay by Wiz Wharton
• Pages: 352 
  
• Published: 16th April 2007 
  
• RRP: £12.99
  

Visit the website at www.harriman-house.com

Qercus: Exploring eBay (part 3)

At the time of writing, the Christmas season is in full swing. The shops in and around Essex are packed; both during the week and on the weekend; making the process of buying gifts for my loved ones more than a little daunting. At such times, eBay is more than a little useful; but you do need to be cautious and sure that what you’re buying is a legitimate product.

To reflect one of my new projects, I needed to buy a piece of CAD software; VectorWorks. At full retail this is over £1200, but I remained hopeful that through eBay I’d be able to save some money. Having found a listing, I bid on it - and ultimately won the auction.

For £30. The seller wanted paying by postal order (with no name on), and then later admitted it was for pirate software. I refused, and reported him to eBay.

Over the holiday seasons, you’ll find a lot of people selling pirate software, DVDs, Videos, CDs and virtually anything else that can be copied. It’s always worth asking if the item is legitimate; if the price is low, there’s probably a reason why. Be certain of what you’re buying; a reputable seller will not object to answering questions.

Build a business
If you’re looking to grow a business that is predominantly mail-order based, it’s worth looking towards eBay. Through the eBay Shops interface, you have a quick and easy means of building an eCommerce presence; and in comparison with other solutions on the market it’s very cheap to run.

If you use eBay to sell bulk lots of goods, try to make something visually appealing about your listings. With magazines, for example, you can photograph them together or edit a photograph in Pro Artisan or PhotoDesk to add impact to your images.

Keep your listings simple; giving details about the products on offer. With books or computer software state exactly what’s offered within the publication, and give your readers enough technical information to be able to make a decision. Flashy listings with lots of fonts look ugly, and take a long time to load.

State your terms and conditions within your eBay Shop, and your customers will know the basis upon which any sale is offered. There are legal requirements for businesses selling products; and you have to address these alongside any you have for specific products within your eBay Shop.

We’ve given a brief introduction to the process behind creating an eBay Shop opposite. Do ask if you have any questions - I have a somewhat lengthier tutorial available as a PDF that explores every aspect of the process. It’s four pages long, and is presented in a step-by-step format.

Skype integration
eBay have finally started to integrate Skype into the main site. Allowing you to accept calls from your buyers, or ask questions of sellers, the benefits of picking up the virtual telephone can’t be understated.

It provides a means to quickly resolve issues; without needing to give out your own personal telephone number. If you do have Skype available, it’s worth adding the feature to your listings simply to give your potential buyers some reassurance.

Bargain hunting
It’s worth keeping your eye out for real bargains on eBay. Changing your display on the eBay browser window to list only those items finishing soon will give you an idea of those items for which no bids have been placed at that point; and could provide you with an instant saving.

Spelling mistakes, as highlighted last time, will mean that where others are unable to find a listing you’ll be the first in the queue; and hence may make a killing.

Keeping an eye on listings which finish during working hours (9am to 6pm, Monday to Friday - except for 12am to 2pm for lunch) will mean that some will not have a chance to add bids and hence provide the best chance of a bargain for your own needs.

Half-price listing day on Thursday

eBay UK sellers have something to enjoy - this Thursday coming there's a half-price listing day. All auction-style listings, whether business or personal, can be listed for less in the majority of categories. Things such as real estate, etc are - as usual - excluded.

Visit www.ebay.co.uk for details.

Editorial: We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Mac OS X

David Bradforth is off to the Macworld Expo tomorrow.. what does he expect to see of interest for eBay Advisor readers?

In the last six months I've managed to go to three Apple shows. The MacLive Expo in London, the Apple Expo in Paris and tomorrow I jet off to the states for the Macworld Expo.

I did the Apple Expo run in a day - catching a plane to Paris in the morning, attending the show, then catching a plane back to London in the evening and ended up rather knackered - so wasn't keen on doing the same thing with a trip to San Francisco. My flight amounts to 20 hours in a plane - i'll get there at 6am Friday local time... but i'm excited.

I've seen details of some of the new launches.

• The Macbook Air - an ultra-thin, ultra-light, laptop offering portability, versatility and obviously ease of moving in a competitively priced high-spec laptop. At £1199, you can expect this to be of interest to busy executives, designers and more besides... indeed as soon as I can justify it i'll be buying one for myself.
• iPhone 2... a higher-spec phone, with more memory and GPRS capability so as to appease the European audience that doesn't have such a large coverage of the EDGE network.

There are new software releases from equinux, publishers of iSale, and no doubt a number of others. Upon my return I'll write a report for this site, but in the meantime do please let us know what you think of our developments so far. We can see a great deal of potential in eBay Advisor from an online medium. We hope you agree.

David Bradforth is the editor of eBay Advisor.

True Life Stories: Wayne Williams

Writing about eBay led to Wayne Williams becoming hooked. He has since authored numerous articles on getting the most from the site, and still trades on a regular basis.

Most people’s first visit to eBay is to sell something, find a rare item or bag a bargain. For Journalist Wayne Williams it was purely for research. Tasked to write a feature for a magazine, he made his initial foray onto the site to find out what the fuss was all about. He had no intention of bidding on any auctions or putting any of his own goods up for sale. eBay simply wasn’t for him.

That was over seven years ago, when the site first launched, and he has been buying and selling on it ever since.

He has also written countless articles on making (and saving) money using eBay, all based on his own experiences and from chatting to various full-time eBayers - including for eBay Advisor magazine. We begin with the standard eBay Advisor questions.

How did you get started on eBay?
I had to write an article on it for a magazine. I was aware of the site but I’d never spent any real time on it. It just didn’t appeal to me. I had no real interest in second-hand junk, which is what I mistakenly thought it was entirely about at the time. I signed up, had a look around to familiarise myself with what it had to offer, placed some trial bids and… I was addicted! I went from non-believer to eBay zealot in a matter of hours.

What was your first buying experience like?
The first few bids I’d made were for the article. I placed them early and knew they’d be quickly outbid. The first real bid I made was for a Canon SLR 35mm camera. I left it as late as I dared and went in with a really high bid. My heart was pounding as I entered the amount. The final few seconds of the auction seemed to crawl by but when it was all over, I was the winner! I sent off a cheque (this was pre-PayPal time) and waited anxiously for the item. The seller was superb though – he included some free extras, such as filters and a camera case, and sent me some links to user groups for the camera. He even emailed me a few months after the auction to see how I was getting on!

First item sold
A Matrix DVD I won in a competition. I’d already purchased a copy a few weeks earlier. It went for about £1 more than I’d paid for my one, so I made a profit. My listing wasn’t great – I just copied the blurb and picture from Amazon. I had no idea how much postage was either. I just took a random guess, which turned out to be spot on.

What was your best eBay experience?
I love winning auctions. It’s a real thrill. Although making a big profit from selling something I’ve bought for a few pounds from a second-hand shop or a car boot sale is a fantastic feeling. My wife’s parents collect antiques and so give us lots of great tips on what to watch out for. Buying items cheap on eBay, putting them back up with an improved listing and making a tidy profit is incredibly satisfying too.

And your worst?
I often leave my bidding to the final seconds, and I’ve lost auctions due to my computer slowing down. I’ve got a very fast PC and a monster internet connection, but it still happens. It’s like eBay does it on purpose! And on one occasion I purchased a really expensive zoom lens for £20. It was a fantastic bargain. The sender posted it off but it never arrived. Some investigation uncovered the fact that it had been stolen from the delivery van. I couldn’t believe it. I got my money back, but had to pay a lot more for the same make of lens.

I’ve only had one piece of negative feedback, and that was from someone who complained they hadn’t received the item. They posted bad feedback without warning on the same day I received their cheque!

What advice would you give to a new user?
Enjoy yourself. Take time to become familiar with the site and if buying make sure you know how cheaply you could get an item for elsewhere. So many people pay over the odds simply because they haven’t done any research. Or because they get carried away when bidding, which is easily done.

It’s also essential to use common sense. I’ve never really had any problems simply because I’m very wary of both buyers and sellers. Check someone’s feedback and view goods being sold too cheaply with suspicion. They are probably fake. Don’t send out goods you’ve sold until the money is in your hands!

Any tips for eBay success?
When bidding always leave it until the last minute. There really is no point in placing a bid early on – it’s pretty much guaranteed to be beaten and all you’re doing is pushing the price up. I generally bid with around 20 seconds to go, and enter the maximum amount I’m prepared to pay. If it’s not enough, it’s too late to do anything about it – which prevents me from overbidding for something. Bid earlier if your internet connection is running slowly though.

For sellers I would say always size up the competition. Look to see how many copies of the same item are being offered by other eBayers and use these rival auctions as a benchmark. Compare products. Is yours exactly the same, newer, older, in better or worse condition etc.? Undercutting someone may get your item sold quicker, but it also means you’ll make less money.

Concentrate on presentation and time your auctions for a Sunday evening finish – this is when most eBayers go online so there will be more potential bidders around.

This piece was published in eBay Advisor issue 3.

eBay Advisor: Online store opens once again

eBay Advisor is pleased to announce the relaunch of it's online store. If you visit us you'll find competitive prices on a variety of eBay-related products as well as general computing-related items. Should you wish us to expand it further, please let us know.

Site link

• Visit us today

Qercus: Exploring eBay (part 2)

With more bargains than your average RISC OS show, eBay has a lot to offer those with a limited budget. David Bradforth continues his look at how to make more from the online auction experience.

Whatever your interest, with a global marketplace such as eBay you’ll frequently find somebody offering something of interest.

With everything from rare back issues of Acorn Computing and Archimedes World to brand new multi-processor systems that are quite capable of running a superfast RISC OS under emulation there’s much to be found.

Particularly with Christmas coming up: there are a lot of bargains on eBay, and if you shop at the right time you’ll probably save a fair bit at this expensive time of the year. But how can you make the most of it?

As a RISC OS user, your first consideration should be which web browser to use. If the RISC OS Open announcement is anything to go by, Browse will soon be making a reappearance (which it has, as Phoenix); for the moment though we have four main browsers - Webster XL, Netsurf, Firefox and Oregano.

Both Webster XL and Netsurf corrupt the opening page of the eBay site before you can get started; Firefox benefits from its multi-platform origins allowing you to get a little further into the experience while the upcoming Oregano 3 opens the home page with ease. Perhaps due to its origins as an embedded set top box browser; this would seem to be one of the more capable browsers for the future.

At the moment, Firefox seems to perform the best allowing you to get started with relative ease.

When to buy?
The best time to buy on eBay is always on the ‘off-hours’; namely when others are not likely to be on the hunt for similar products.

A Risc PC that ends at 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon is less likely to attract a high final value than one finishing at 3pm on a weekend simply because people are still at work; they don’t have the time to spend on eBay until that final moment.

The best technique with eBay is always to bid what you consider the most you’d be prepared to pay. In that sense, you’re always guaranteed a bargain when you do win - you’ve not paid more than you’re actually prepared to.

As a seller, it’s worth noting that eBay’s special listing offers always end in the middle of the week. It’s no big surprise - it ensures that listings timed to finish on the weekend make a little more money for eBay whether they sell or not.

The secrets of a lower price
So what’s the secret to finding a bargain on eBay? If you’re after a bargain, you need to be looking in areas where the item may have been listed by mistake; then also look for listings that have been spelt incorrectly. If you’re after an Iyonix or Omega, looking for an Oyinix or
Megoa could find exactly what you’re after simply because the seller forgot to check before they listed the item.

It’s easily done - yes, I’ve done it myself on more than one occasion - and the end result for the buyer is frequently a real saving.

In the next Qercus, we’ll take this eBay Exploration a little further by tracking down a number of RISC OS items at a bargain price; and illustrating the selling process to maximise the return to the seller.

There are secrets that we’ll explore, and hopefully the end result for you and your customers alike will be a better eBay experience.

In the meantime, we have some homework for you. We’d like you to track down item listings on eBay for items that perhaps would not sell anywhere else. The most interesting will win a mention in the next issue. We also welcome eBay questions - we’ll answer any in the next eBay Exploration.

This article was originally published in issue 278 of Qercus.

Global news: Microsoft Update...not

Latest malware pretends to be Microsoft Update..

McAfee's Avert Labs have recently been made aware of an interesting piece of malware. In this latest social engineering scenario an attacker sends a new “friend request” to MySpace users. When the user clicks on the picture or name of their new potential friend, an overlaid image of what looks like a legitimate Windows “Automatic Update” pop-up box is displayed. Clicking on or near this bogus dialog will result in a request for a file download that is visually disguised as a Microsoft update called “updateKB890830.exe” from a server named “winxpupdate.Microsoft[removed]”.

It may look like a Windows Update.. but it isn't.

Instead of an update however, this download contains a malware cocktail containing additional downloaders, several trojans, as well as a remote admin tool. It is advised to be aware of dialogs that have abnormal properties. One such property may be that the dialog disappears when the web browser is minimized. If this is the case the dialog is probably an image rendered within the context of a web browser and is not a legitimate update.

McAfee AV users were proactively protected against this threat.

The concern for eBay Advisor readers is simple enough. With the launch of eBay to go, and the rather superb eBay My World it's never been easier for malware, viruses and similar that would previously have been restricted to MySpace or Facebook to affect users of eBay. We'll continue to keep you informed of such developments.

Review: GarageSale - $24.99 for Mac OS X

Hosting a garage sale is back-breaking work; work that Mac users can avoid with the help of IWasCoding.com's GarageSale, a virtual, vastly better alternative to the time honoured garage sale. We asked Amy Wood to take a look.

Like its main competition, the Mac-only application iSale, GarageSale is a stand alone eBay utility that aids auctioneers in posting, editing, and monitoring multiple items for sale. Unlike iSale however, GarageSale manages to offer a number of outstanding auction creating options and more at a very affordable price. True, it's not as good-looking as iSale, but what GarageSale lacks in style it truly makes up for in substance.

Navigating the GarageSale's robust feature set is practically painless thanks to four main category buttons, two organization panes and a bottom tool bar. There are four, self-explanatory main categories to work with within the application: Templates, Previews, Scheduler, and Auctions. What appears in the narrow organizational pane on the left, and the larger main pane on the right, depends on which of the four main categories you're in. For example, when in Preview, you'll see previously saved templates in the main window, and some options for organizing these templates on the right; in Auctions, you'll see all completed, cancelled, and current auctions (different coloured buttons differentiate between the categories) in the main window and information regarding payment, etc. on the left. A bottom tool bar of actions (like new template or new event) also change depending on which pane you're in.

Very much a Mac application, GarageSale lets users cull images directly from their iPhoto library (even edit the images in GarageSale with a rudimentary image editor), or capture images—and scan bar codes—directly into the application with an iSight camera. .Mac image hosting (as well as eBay and FTP hosting) is offered, as are Apple scripts for bulk auction changes. On the non-Mac specific front, the application automatically lists any auction featured in your My eBay account (hallelujah) and has enough slick templates to spice up any product you may be offering.

With an easily-accessible interface, GarageSale

makes it easy to update your eBay listings

As with most, there were complaints. First, relisting an unsold item is unintuitive and unnecessarily complicated, with not even a menu command to point you in the right direction. Second, we'd like to have a searchable PDF manual included with the application download as standard (instead of having to rely on an online HTML manual). Third, we feel the application could be better in how it handles eBay's extra fees. Items that cost extra (such as bold headlines) are indicated in red as costing extra when you prepare an item for sale, however, no price is listed (you have to guess or go from memory). Not having this information handy as you prepare an auction is frustrating, and can lead to unpleasant surprises when you go to post.

This review was published in issue two of eBay Advisor, and relates to an earlier version of the product. We'll provide an updated review shortly.

Contact box

• Product: GarageSale
• Supplier: iWasCoding
• Price: $24.99
• Website: www.iwascoding.com

Review: iSale - $39.99 for Mac OS X

Tedium, thy name is posting, editing, and monitoring multiple auctions on eBay with a web browser. Mac users searching for a faster, flashier way to eBay will want to take a look at equinux's iSale 3, an listing utility that aids auction addicts with an eye-pleasing interface and promising feature set. We sent Amy Wood to take a look.

iSale sports a very appealing interface with bright icons and funky, three pane design. Auction action commands (like showing auctions in progress, payment, etc.) appear on the left, a list of saved auction templates is in the middle while the main pane is on the right. In the main pane, you can view and modify the details of your template or submitted auction, see how your auction will/does look once posted using the eBay Preview screen, or monitor who is watching, bidding, and commenting on your auction with the Sale Status & Memo section. (Note: In order to use iSale, you must have a valid eBay account. Once the account is verified, it appears in a button in the lower left of the main window. You may change your eBay identity at any time by clicking on the button.)

We liked iSale's ability to import eBay and Amazon product descriptions, and that images can be hosted by eBay (for a fee), or by using FTP or .Mac (essentially free). Users can pull images for their auctions directly from their iPhoto library, as well as take advantage of iCal integration for auction scheduling. A large template database can help punch up any stale item's appeal, and you won't break your listing budget unknowingly as iSale monitors how much every customizing extra fee will cost.

With an intuitive interface, iSale allows quick and easy

update of your eBay listings and is competitvely priced.

While we loved the overall functionality and feature set of iSale, we did have three major gripes. The first is the inability to import existing auctions from a user's My eBay account. Second, setting up shipping information is a bit of a hassle; in this convoluted process, you must deselect the "See Description" box next to the Shipping option to even see the default shipping information (including which service you'll use, whether you'll offer insurance, etc.). Thirdly, relisting an auction is unintuitive and confusing, thanks to the presentation of conflicting instructions. Users may follow eBay's relisting instructions as presented in the main pane's finished auctions live view, rather than notice iSale's very subtle "relist" button. Users who follow the screen will relist with eBay, and not iSale, and iSale will not be able to monitor the auction (users will have to monitor the auction via their My eBay page). We hope these issues are fixed in future versions.

This review was published in issue two of eBay Advisor and relates to an earlier version of iSale. An updated review was published in issue 4.

Contact box

• Product: iSale
• Supplier: equinux
• Price: $39.99
• Website: www.equinux.com

Qercus: Exploring eBay (part 1)

David Bradforth explains how you can save money buying for your hobby through eBay.