Archive for June, 2007

Ebay ads are back on Google

Sunday, June 24th, 2007

Ebay stopped running text ads on Google two weeks ago, just as the annual eBay Live was about to kick off in Boston. The decision was widely seen as retaliation for the “Let Freedom Ring”-party Google had planned to stage in Boston to promote Google Checkout, a payment service eBay doesn’t allow sellers to use. [...]

ShotSpotter roll-out delayed in Boston

Saturday, June 23rd, 2007

The Boston Globe‘s Donovan Slack reports today that the acoustic gunfire-detection system ShotSpotter won’t be in place in Boston “until October, months later than expected and too late to stave off the usual summer rise in gunfire and homicides.” I’m neither surprised nor disappointed. I’m not surprised because Boston, like most cities in the Northeast, [...]

Truly Jörg robbery suspect arrested

Friday, June 22nd, 2007

Boston Police Department put out a suspect-wanted notice early this afternoon for the man suspected of holding up Truly Jörg’s Pattiserie in Kenmore Square on May 9 this year. Three hours later, BPDnews.com announced the suspect has been apprehended. That is great news. In other news, the BPD has opened a “community office” at Landmark [...]

Starting the day off with a bang: Auto accident in the intersection of Commonwealth Avenue and Charlesgate East

Tuesday, June 19th, 2007

At about 6:40-6:45 this morning there was a two-vehicle accident in the northern half of the intersection of Charlesgate East and Commonwealth Avenue. Neither driver seemed to be particularly hurt. I don’t know what or who caused the accident.

Will eBay CEO Meg Whitman join Mitt Romney’s campaign?

Sunday, June 17th, 2007

E-comm consultant Randy Smythe finishes a post on eBay Live with an interesting bit of speculation: Of course if Meg Whitman’s buddy Mitt Romney is elected President that might help delay [government] action [against eBay]– I’m just saying. Here’s a thought OT (off topic) With Meg reaching 10 years at the helm of eBay and [...]

EBay Live 2008 in Chicago: What to expect and what to look for

Sunday, June 17th, 2007

EBay Live 2008 will be held in Chicago, which I think will make it the first eBay Live convention in the Mid-West. Updated June 25, 2007, and January 22, 2008. EBay Live 2008 in Chicago When: June 19 -21. Where: McCormick Place West Building. Registration opens on March 14, 2008: – Early Bird Registration – [...]

Final day of eBay Live 2007: Sold-out books, a nasty spill, the closing gala and more

Saturday, June 16th, 2007

Today was the last day of eBay Live 2007, and what a terrific day it was, just like the Live was in general. Two authors on hand at Live were set to sign books, but both of them had had theirs books sell out in the eBay Live bookstore the first day, meaning there weren’t [...]

Ebay Live 2007 Day 2: Google talk, booth babes and other fun

Friday, June 15th, 2007

EBay’s decision to cancel all advertising on Google remained a major talking point at eBay Live in Boston, in spite of eBay staffers gamely insisting that the decision is nothing out of the ordinary, merely a routine test of the “incrementality” of the effectiveness of so-called paid search on Google, and not at all retaliation [...]

The new Kenmore Square bus station rises out of the landfill

Friday, June 15th, 2007

As Bill at Switchback reported earlier today, there is “visible progress on the renovations” of the Kenmore Square bus station. Below are no less than five pictures of this stunning development. From the south-east corner of the square: From the west: From the north: From the north-east corner: Finally, a view from the south-east corner [...]

A more typical 3 a.m. episode in Kenmore Square

Thursday, June 14th, 2007

Last week I wrote about an early-morning assault on a young woman in Kenmore Square. Such assaults are rare in our neighborhood, thank God. This morning I was roused from my not overly deep sleep by a much a more frequent occurrence: A loud and profane argument between two (presumably) drunk people in the street. [...]