A salesman tried to fleece a money exchanger in the United Arab Emirates by using an identity card bearing the picture of Hollywood heart-throb Brad Pitt

Um, okay. Because Brad Pitt totally looks Jordanian, really. Man, crooks are stupid...

Google Checkout to make debut

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Google Inc. on Thursday will launch a long-awaited service called Google Checkout, which some analysts said could help online merchants boost sales and convince them to commit more advertising money to the Web search leader.

So, today, then. I need to go surfing.

Analysts were mixed on whether the product, initially available only in the United States, puts eBay Inc.'s PayPal online payment system in Google's competitive sights.

We can only hope...

The new offering, referred to in news and analyst reports as GBuy or Google Wallet, promises online sellers an easy way to add a checkout to their sites and can be used in addition to other options such as PayPal or a merchant's own pay system.

Sounds like a step in the right direction.

In storing personal data, Google Checkout is reminiscent of Passport, Microsoft's online wallet, which bumped into security and privacy issues and failed to live up to the software titan's expectations after its launch about seven years ago.

Was that what Passport was supposed to be? I never knew; I just got irritated by Microsoft's nosy program wanting to know all kinds of stuff for no apparent reason and insisting I login with my Hotmail address just to view websites. I wasn't interested in online payment systems back then, and I still don't like the idea of logging in when there's no real reason for it. It's the same thing that bothers me about iTunes: just to browse (well, first you have to install their proprietary software >:P ), you have to create an account, and to create the account, you have to enter a credit card number, to verify who you are. When I only want to look, I don't like giving that information. If and when I decide to buy something, that's different. Even Amazon doesn't have my current credit card numbers, and I'm pretty enthusiastic about them.

While Google is popular, it angered privacy advocates with an e-mail product that delivers ads based on message content.

I didn't get that. Seriously. If you choose to use Gmail through the web interface instead of the free POP3 access, it shows AdSense ads along the side based on the text in the message you're reading. It's no more invasive than having AdSense ads on the side of a blog post - it's not memorizing your email messages; talk about a waste of memory. Given the sheer volume of email, does anyone really think they're copying and memorizing everyone's messages? That'd be like running photocopies of every postcard sent through the USPS...

Li predicted an eventual backlash as Google pushes ahead with its goal to be the world's information clearinghouse and encounters inevitable customer service problems.


"Whereas Microsoft wanted to own the desktop, Google wants the monopoly on your information," she said, noting Checkout also provides buyers with a purchase history that shows where they spend their money. "I'm concerned that they could fall into a situation where they're the next Microsoft."

First, why are customer service problems "inevitable"? A lot of companies do have them, but if they prepare for them in advance, they can resolve most things handily. There will always be a few cranky people who will never be pleased, but if they make service a priority (granted, fewer and fewer organizations do) they can avoid the worst of it.

Second, I'm getting a little tired of people throwing around the word "monopoly" just because a company does more than one thing well. Amazon stores information, too, remember? They remind me every time I visit a page for a product I've already bought once - "You bought this on (date)." Quit the fear-mongering/hate-mongering and look at it more objectively. Are they any nosier than eBay? PayPal? Amazon? Barnes & Noble?

I left Verizon Wireless over customer service problems. I left eBay/PayPal for the same reason. If Google disappoints, I can do it again, and if my personal data remains in their system against my will, I can go to the government for enforcement. There's no call for warning about falling skies just yet.

Senate panel backs telco bill, no Net neutrality

But the panel narrowly rejected attempts by some lawmakers to strengthen safeguards on Internet service, which had pitted high-speed Internet, or broadband, providers such as AT&T against Internet companies like Google Inc.


In a room packed with lobbyists representing companies and consumer groups, debate raged over whether broadband providers can charge more to carry unaffiliated content or to guarantee service quality, an issue called Net neutrality.


The bill included provisions aimed at preserving consumers' ability to surf anywhere on the public Internet and use any Internet-related application, software or service, similar to a bill that passed the House of Representatives.


Maine Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe and Sen. Byron Dorgan, a North Dakota Democrat, tried to add further protections by barring discrimination of content or service based on origin, destination or ownership, but it failed to get a majority vote. The final tally was 11 to 11.


"That means for the first time we are going to have a two-tiered Internet," said Snowe, who bucked her party. "Broadband operators will be able to pick winners and losers, they will be able to choose the Web sites of their choice."


Other Republicans countered that further protections were not needed because there were no complaints about consumers being denied access to services or content. Adding rules would hobble competition, innovation and deployment, they said.


"We haven't seen anything yet that indicates there is discrimination," said Ted Stevens, chairman of the committee and an Alaska Republican. "If this amendment is adopted, this bill will never come out of conference (with the House)."


The bill would not prevent cable and telephone companies tacking on an extra charge for content that requires more Internet bandwidth than others, such as movie downloads.


The panel also approved a permanent ban on taxing Internet access and handily rejected an amendment to encourage cable providers to offer consumers the ability to pay only for the cable television channels they want, known as a la carte.

I'm so mad, I'm speechless.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. said on Wednesday it has bought Jumptheshark.com, a Web site where television fans debate whether popular programs have passed their prime.

I'm stunned. I hadn't thought JumpTheShark was commercial enough to draw that kind of interest. Wonder what that'll mean for the site itself...