Tag Archives: Commerce

BeZilch Marketplace for Unwanted Tech



beZilch LogoFreshly-launched beZilch is a marketplace for the trade of unwanted tech in the space between the auction houses and the fixed price trade-in centres. Jared Hansen, Founder and CEO, sells it to Todd and Todd.

If you want the most money for unwanted gadgetry, generally an online auction is the way to go, but the auction takes time to run and the fees can be expensive. At the other end of the spectrum, fixed price trade-in centres give you the cash quickly but the price can often be quite low. beZilch proposes a middle ground where both buyers and sellers can post ads.

Say you want a phone for your careless kids; first you can check to see if anyone is selling a phone in the price range you are thinking about. If not, post that you want a Samsung S3 and you’ll pay $100 for it.

Sellers can then check out the ads and consider if they’re willing to sell at that price for a quick sale. If they’re not happy with the prices on offer, they can post an ad with the price they’re looking for. Both sides can see what’s on offer and beZilch lets people choose between convenience and money.

Transactions are secured by PayPal so both sides are covered and for sellers the auctions fees are a flat 4% – there’s no complicated fee structure.

It’s a neat idea and offers an alternative channel to the big sites that we’re all familiar with. Let’s hope it gets some traction.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central and Todd Aune of The Elder Divide for the TechPodcast Network.

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GNC-2011-10-24 #716 Back to Basics



Back to basics on this show and, I tighten up the timeline. Lots of tech as always and a huge number of comments have come in pre-show… Today I try pulling unique articles from Google+. Hope you like the new sources.

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Tele-Coils
Netflix -800k
Ive versus Jobs
Jobs top Seller Amazon 2011.
Tsunami Debris & Hawaii.
Hard Drive Shortage.
Really See Through Walls.

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Credits:
Jack Ellis – Executive Producer
Mike Baine – Associate Producer


GNC-2011-10-17 #714 All the News



You will love the rack overheat alarm going off in the middle of the show. Adds for some comedy and bewilderment by me as I have never heard that alarm coming out of the rack. Lots of great tech news and the show goes way long tonight. Will get that back in check as I do not have to report on “All the News”

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Listener Links:
SteamPunk Synth.
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Magnet Magic.
Wow How about this one.
Big Brother E-Toll watching us.

Links to articles covered in this Podcast on the GNC Show Notes Page [Click Here]

Credits:
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Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock & Bed Shaker Review



When the folks at Sonic Alert reached out about a month ago and asked me if I would like to review the Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock and Bed Shaker I did so under one condition. That condition was that if it could get my  14 yr old out of bed in the morning, then I would declare it the best alarm clock ever made.

I am here to report that the Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock & Bed Shaker is the best Alarm Clock ever made! My 14 yr old daughter is a night owl like me, and she could sleep through anything to include being an absolute bear to get moving in the morning. I have half a box full of so-called alarm clocks that even if taped to her eardrum would not wake her up. Here is what Sonic Bomb does different. The Alarm while loud 113 db comes with the “bed shaker module” thus the alarm clock is the two piece combination. On the first night I strategically placed the shaker in the middle of her double sized bed, one part touching the mattress the other touching the wood base that supports the mattress. I placed the Sonic Bomb out of reaching distance for maximum effect.

The first time it rang she took about 10 seconds to get up cussing the thing out confusion factor on here part on how to shut it off made it the comedy event of the week. The true test was three weeks in, if it could still wake her up then we would have a winner.  She has developed some strategies to try to defeat it but overall she is still getting up on her own. The folks at Sonic Bomb could improve the design just a little. Make the cable that plugs into the alarm from the shaker one that attaches via a locking knurled knob versus a plug . It is way to easy to unplug the shaker. Make the shaker cable about 5 ft longer would help as well, getting the alarm clock out of slap distance is important with a 14 yr old.

But overall this thing is better than any Big Ben any day of the week. The $42.00 price tag may scare some, but I have an annoying Seiko alarm clock that cost $50.00 that I was given as a gift in Japan 30 years ago that still is annoying enough to get me to roll out of bed.

We are getting double duty out of the Sonic Bomb because my boy’s room is next door to their sisters, and it usually motivates them to get moving as well. One thing for sure a lot less yelling to wake up is going on here in the morning. Believe me I have done everything in the arsenal and then some in the past to get the kids to roll out on their own. Someday I will talk about the bucket of water I used on my podcast sometime.

So if you have a person in your home that sleeps through anything, and hates to get up in the morning check out the Sonic Bomb Alarm Clock & Bed Shaker. If nothing else you will get some good vibrations from the 113 db alarm and the pulsing of the bed shaker to start your day off with..

Disclaimer: Sonic Alert provided a free review unit to test and tested it we did over the course of 30 days!


GNC-2010-12-16 #635 Monster Show – Weak Voice!



Well the 64,000 question is, will my voice hold out through the 24hr Podcast. It is going to be touch and go… Doc loaded me up with meds yesterday and hopefully they start doing there magic. Back here in Hawaii, I have a monster show for you hope you enjoy it. I will see all of you here at 11am EST on Saturday for the 24hr Podcast. Spread the word on the net we want you here.

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3G/4G Review
AT&T Blocks Linux Configuration.

Show Notes:
Opportunity Making History.
Pressure Check to be Accomplished.
Supernova Relic.
Where in the Universe.
Massive Storm on Saturn.
Linked In App for Android.
Nexus S Jail Broken.
Playstation iPhone and Android App.
Wi-Fi Analysis Tool for your Phone.
Flipboard Updated for Google Reader.
Google Maps Updated for 3d.
Monitor Accessories.
Google Fiber Announcement Next Year.
Rim doing better than Expected.
New Years Eve resolutions assistant Sites.
HTML5 Tool from Microsoft for Firefox.
Amazon Top 20 Christmas Songs.
Vimeo Video Tutorials.
Facebook your next Social TV Guide?
Nice Xbox Headsets.
Personal Accessories.
Quiet Cars to be made Noisy!
AltaVista and Delicious RIP.
More Site Take Downs.
Chumby Phone App.
Soyuz to ISS.
California Carbon Trading?
CR48 Review.
Bing Making Ground.
T-Mobile says they will compete on Data Speeds.
New UFO.
Twitter 200 Million more!
Cyber War?
TPN Weekly.
Online Video Trends.
Opera 11 Now Available.
Stuxnet like Military Strike.
More Record Label crying.
UK 1.2 Billion illegal Media Downloads?
FCC Net Neutrality Issues.
Broadband Pricing Down Worldwide up US.
Virgin Galactic to ISS?
Nike Sues Customer.


Where Did You Shop This Christmas?



In GNC #539, Todd related the problems that brick’n’mortar stores were having competing against the online retailers and I agree entirely with Todd’s sentiments. While I’m happy to use Amazon et al for specialised purchases or gifts to faraway relatives, I now regularly buy from local stores to try and keep them in business.

And do you know what?  Although it started out as a point of principle, I’m actually discovering that I can sometimes get things cheaper or else I get some freebies thrown in.

To illustrate, while shopping this Christmas, I would price goods on Amazon and then go into town to see what I could get in the real world.

1) In a local toy shop, K’Nex was being sold 2-for-1 at a price only 10% more expensive than Amazon.  Gift just went twice as far.

2) In a sports shop, a “brand name” golfing jumper was being sold with a free box of six golf balls, again at a price very similar to online golfing retailers.  The recipient is always in the water with his shots anyway….

3) The main bookstore was offering best-sellers on three for the price of two, basically a third off, pretty much matching Amazon.  Great for stocking fillers.

So I encourage you to get off your backside and at least see if your local stores can come close to matching the online retailers.  Sure, if they’re wildly uncompetitive, walk away, but at least try to keep some of your money in local circulation.  Local businesses support other local business and we need them to keep our communities thriving.


The eBay Problem



When eBay was fresh and shiny and new, I spent a lot of time there. I bought things that I needed, sold things that I didn’t need, and had good experiences. It was like going garage saling without having to get in the car, with a few perks like the ability to search for something I wanted, and to compare prices on comparable items. When I got married ten years ago, I paid for my wedding dress with proceeds from eBay sales of things I didn’t need anymore. eBay was the first place I looked when I was looking for a specific item.

Ah, those were the days. Now, when I head over to eBay, it’s mostly “power sellers” that are really just big warehouses of closeouts, lots of over-priced Chinese knock-offs, and plenty of businesses in the business of buying crap at flea markets and reselling it on eBay. It’s not the first place I go to anymore when I’m looking for something. Searches I’ve done recently for simple items like netbook cases or sewing patterns have brought up mixed results at best. One of the things I dislike about the eBay search model is that it doesn’t allow you to search within your search results to narrow down your choices. And what I really dislike is how overpriced things seem to be. In my search for a netbook for my daughter for Christmas, I of course took a look over there, but found that the prices were higher than purchasing the same item through a more traditional online retailer (I ended up with an HP Mini 10.1 from OfficeMax for an unbelievable price, for those that are interested). I haven’t seen a reasonably priced computer on eBay in years.

I don’t doubt that eBay still has its value. If I’m looking for a particular thing, like extra-long jeans of a certain brand, or a collectible teapot, eBay is still a great resource. But that is so specialized, and I don’t believe that that is where eBay is making its money in sales fees. A $400 netbook when I can get the same one for $250 delivered from a big-name retailer is not a bargain, and dilutes the value of the eBay brand, in my opinion. Yes, everyone wants to make a dollar or two, I understand that, of course, but when making a dollar borders on gouging, I have to wonder about the business practices of the organization running the show.

What does eBay want to be? Is it ready to devolve into a place full of out-dated closeouts and overpriced Chinese knock-offs? Because that appears to be where it’s headed. And how do they fix what is broken to clean up their act (or the act of their sellers)? I wouldn’t know where to start, but if they want to be Amazon (their main competitor at the moment) then they need to find a way to fix what is going downhill in a hurry.

Ah, eBay. I knew you when…