Skype has proved to be an important part of eBay’s third quarter results, even as the online retailer and auction host continues to try to sell Skype. The online communication hub has posted a revenue growth of 29 percent, a growth that has helped eBay to post a revenue growth of 6 percent to $2.24 billion.
Analysts did not expect eBay’s revenue to grow so much, instead predicting an average of $2.14 billon for the company. According to eBay, this year-over-year growth was mostly driven by continued growth in its PayPal and Skype divisions, as well as by the expansion of its …read more

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Staples and bought some items that were eligible for a rebate. This is a nearly $20 rebate we’re talking about, so I was pretty pleased. Definitely worth the trouble to take three minutes to fill out the online rebate form. I did this only to find out that my rebate is going to come in the form of a debit card that can only be used at Staples.
I was kind of miffed. After all, it used to be that rebates came in the form of checks. They arrived, you deposited the money …read more

A writer in Australia asked me if I thought it was worth her time to apply for the U.S. based writing and editing jobs I post three times a week. My answer was a yes but.
Although the ‘net truly makes it possible for me to write in Australia or her to write in the U.S., many prospective clients, particularly U.S. clients don’t understand just how easy it can be.
The first suggestion I made was that she get a PayPal account. This allows clients to pay without much worrying about exchange rates. Another approach is a merchant account that allows her …read more