A Beginner's Guide to the Different eBay Auction Types.

Over the years, eBay has introduced all sorts of different auction types, in an effort to give people more options when they buy and sell their things on eBay.

For every seller who doesn't like the idea that their item might sell for a far lower price than they intend, there's another who wants to shift hundreds of the same item quickly. eBay tries to cater to all tastes. This email gives you an overview of the different kinds of auctions and their advantages for you.

Normal Auctions.

These are the bread-and-butter of eBay, the auctions everyone knows: buyers bid, others outbid them, they bid again, and the winner gets the item. Simple.

Reserve Auctions.

Reserve auctions are for sellers who don't want their items to sell for less than a certain price - a concept you'll know about if you're familiar with real auctions. They work just like normal auctions on eBay, except that the buyer will be told if their bid does not meet the reserve price you set, and they'll need to bid again if they want the item. If no-one is willing to meet your price, then the auction is cancelled, and you keep the item.

Fixed Price ('Buy it Now') Auctions.

Buy it Now auctions can work in one of two ways. You can add a Buy it Now button to a normal auction, meaning that buyers can choose either to bid normally or to simply pay the asking price and avoid the whole bidding process. Some sellers, though, now cut out the auction process altogether and simply list all their items at fixed price. This lets you avoid all the complications of the auction format and simply list your items for how much you want them to sell for.

Recently, eBay added a twist to fixed price auctions: the 'best offer'. This means that buyers can contact you to negotiate a price, which could be a good way to get sell some extra stock at a small discount. The only downside to reserve and fixed price auctions is that you pay a small extra fee to use these formats. In general, it is more worth using reserve auctions for higher-priced items and fixed price auctions for lower-priced ones - but remember that you can combine the two formats.

Multiple Item ('Dutch') Auctions.

These are auctions where you can sell more than one of a certain item. Dutch auctions can be done by bidding. Buyers bid a price and say how many items they want, and then everyone pays the lowest price that was bid by one of the winning bidders. If you have trouble getting your head around that, then don't worry - everyone else does too! These auctions are very rare.

What is more common is when a seller has a lot of one item, and lists it using a combination of two auction types: a multiple-item fixed price auction. This just means that you can just say how many of the item you they have, and offer them at a fixed price per unit. Buyers can enter how many they want and then just click Buy it Now to get them.

Now that you know about the different types of auctions, you should make sure that the items you plan to sell don't violate eBay's listing policies. The next email will let you know what's allowed and what is a big no-no.

Understanding the Different eBay Auction Types.

Over the years, eBay has introduced all sorts of different auction types, in an effort to give people more options when they buy and sell their things on eBay. There are many people who don't like the idea that their item might sell for a far lower price than they intend. Equally, there are people who have hundreds of the same item and don't want to sell them individually. This email gives you an overview of the different kinds of auctions and how to spot them.

Normal Auctions.

These are the bread-and-butter of eBay, the auctions everyone knows: you bid, others outbid you, you outbid them, and the winner gets the item. Simple.

Reserve Auctions.

Reserve auctions are for sellers who don't want their items to sell for less than a certain price - a concept you'll know about if you're familiar with real auctions. They work just like normal auctions on eBay, except that you will be told if your bid has not met the reserve price set by the seller. If no-one is willing to meet this price, then the auction is cancelled, and the seller keeps the item.

You can spot these auctions by looking out for 'Reserve not met' or 'Reserve met' written next to the current bid on an item's description page.

Fixed Price ('Buy it Now') Auctions.

Buy it Now auctions can work in one of two ways. A seller might add a Buy it Now button to a normal auction, meaning that you can choose either to bid normally or to simply pay the asking price and avoid the whole bidding process. Some sellers, though, now cut out the auction process altogether and simply list all their items at fixed price. Recently, eBay added a twist to fixed price auctions: the 'best offer'. This means that you can negotiate a price to someone who offers their items using Buy it Now, which could be a great way to get a bargain on things that don't seem to be selling.

Fixed price auctions are easy to spot, as they have a little 'Buy it Now' logo either next to or instead of the current number of bids on the search listings page.

Multiple Item ('Dutch') Auctions.

These are auctions where a seller is selling more than one of a certain item. Dutch auctions can be done by bidding. Buyers bid a price and say how many items they want, and then everyone pays the lowest price that was bid by one of the winning bidders. If you have trouble getting your head around that, then don't worry - everyone else does too! These auctions are very rare.

What is more common is when a seller has a lot of one item, and lists it using a combination of two auction types: a multiple-item fixed price auction. This just means that they say how many they have, and offer them at a fixed price. You can enter how many you want and then just click Buy it Now to get them.

After all this, you might find yourself facing a dilemma: when you have the option, should you bid, or should you just use Buy it Now and save yourself the hassle? That's what the next email will be about.

Dare to be different with the Nokia Lumia 900

Today's smartphones are all the same, it seems. Big, black, faceless slabs of metal that offer an endless sea of icons.Nokia's Lumia 900 goes beyond the glossy smartphone and takes you into a realm that lets you live and do more than you could possibly imagine with your pocket companion.Whether it's browsing the web at blistering speeds or uploading photos to Facebook faster than the competition, the Lumia 900 offers the best of the smartphone world with a beautifully designed chassis that's sturdy enough to withstand the rigours of modern life.Using a one-piece polycarbonate body (available in black, cyan and white) the Nokia Lumia 900 exudes style at every turn. And thanks to an innovative manufacturing process, the chassis won't scratch and degrade over time – plus Gorilla Glass protects the screen from drops and bumps too.The beautiful design doesn't end with the body of the Nokia Lumia 900 – switch on the stunning 4.3-inch AMOLED screen (with ClearBlack technology to make it easy to see your phone outdoors) and you can pin your favourite people and groups to the Start screen thanks to Live Tiles.Forget about apps that wait for you to tap. With the Nokia Lumia there's less clicking in and out – the information comes to you. Pin apps to your Start screen and they're alive with animations and updates, bringing you the news headlines, the latest eBay bids or train times – whatever you need to know.You'll see your friends' latest messages and news right there through the People Hub, with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all built in. Choose the person to contact, all from one central place. So you needn't worry about how you'll get in touch. Simple.And with its suite of over 100,000 apps, the Windows Phone Marketplace can offer you most of the apps you're already using and more. Be it goal highlights from ESPN, battling zombies in BB App-ocalypse or giving your photos a creative edge, there's a wealth of content to choose from.And you can download them in super-quick time too, with the super-fast HSDPA connection giving you access to some of the fastest speeds the networks have to offer.To savour the moment, the 8MP camera with dual LED flash fitted snugly to the rear of the Lumia 900 will capture it perfectly no matter what the setting. And if you want to get chatting and see who's talking, the 1MP front-facing camera will always show your best side.Take a photo in a touch and immediately tag the photo before you share to Facebook or Windows Live, thanks to our new face tagging feature. From pocket to picture to your social network in seconds.The Nokia Lumia 900 is the phone for media too. Watching a movie on the 4.3" clear and large display offers a sparkling experience that won't have you squinting at a tiny screen to catch your daily dose of video action. The pre-loaded Nokia Music app provides the perfect media mate for all your audio needs – want to listen to a selection of the latest tunes in your favourite genre? Nokia Mix Radio lets you pause and skip tracks as well as save them for offline listening – all for free and coupled with a well-stocked music store for access to new tracks.Or perhaps you're more of a fan of live music? Nokia's got that covered with the dedicated Gig Finder –tell the Lumia 900 your favourite band and it will alert you when they tour near you, meaning you'll never miss that one-off gig in the tiny pub ever again.Don't worry about being lost with the Lumia 900 in your pocket – with Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive, which come free and fully-loaded, you'll be able to find the best club in any town, navigate your way with fantastically well-stocked maps and turn-by-turn directions or seek out the speediest way home on train, bus or tube with Nokia's new Transport app as well.Or perhaps you've found your way but want a cheeky game on the go – with Xbox integration you can seek out those extra achievement points and update your avatar the way you want, and all from the comfort of your smartphone. You can do all this and more without having to worry about constantly looking for a power point every few hours either: the high-capacity battery will keep you going all day long, despite the fact you'll be constantly using the vibrant screen, a cornucopia of creative apps and a gaming experience that's second to none.Don't believe us? Check out what the people of Britain think of the new Nokia Lumia range when shown the power of Windows Phone – there's no challenge it can't face!So there you have it: if you want to live more, do more and be beautifully different, the Nokia Lumia 900 is the phone for you.Its fantastic screen, superb suite of apps and top-end gaming capabilities – coupled with the only OS that runs with Word, Excel and PowerPoint for working on the go– making it the phone that should be at the top of your list when thinking about your next handset.

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Dare to be different with the Nokia Lumia 900

Today's smartphones are all the same, it seems. Big, black, faceless slabs of metal that offer an endless sea of icons.Nokia's Lumia 900 goes beyond the glossy smartphone and takes you into a realm that lets you live and do more than you could possibly imagine with your pocket companion.Whether it's browsing the web at blistering speeds or uploading photos to Facebook faster than the competition, the Lumia 900 offers the best of the smartphone world with a beautifully designed chassis that's sturdy enough to withstand the rigours of modern life.Using a one-piece polycarbonate body (available in black, cyan and white) the Nokia Lumia 900 exudes style at every turn. And thanks to an innovative manufacturing process, the chassis won't scratch and degrade over time – plus Gorilla Glass protects the screen from drops and bumps too.The beautiful design doesn't end with the body of the Nokia Lumia 900 – switch on the stunning 4.3-inch AMOLED screen (with ClearBlack technology to make it easy to see your phone outdoors) and you can pin your favourite people and groups to the Start screen thanks to Live Tiles.Forget about apps that wait for you to tap. With the Nokia Lumia there's less clicking in and out – the information comes to you. Pin apps to your Start screen and they're alive with animations and updates, bringing you the news headlines, the latest eBay bids or train times – whatever you need to know.You'll see your friends' latest messages and news right there through the People Hub, with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all built in. Choose the person to contact, all from one central place. So you needn't worry about how you'll get in touch. Simple.And with its suite of over 100,000 apps, the Windows Phone Marketplace can offer you most of the apps you're already using and more. Be it goal highlights from ESPN, battling zombies in BB App-ocalypse or giving your photos a creative edge, there's a wealth of content to choose from.And you can download them in super-quick time too, with the super-fast HSDPA connection giving you access to some of the fastest speeds the networks have to offer.To savour the moment, the 8MP camera with dual LED flash fitted snugly to the rear of the Lumia 900 will capture it perfectly no matter what the setting. And if you want to get chatting and see who's talking, the 1MP front-facing camera will always show your best side.Take a photo in a touch and immediately tag the photo before you share to Facebook or Windows Live, thanks to our new face tagging feature. From pocket to picture to your social network in seconds.The Nokia Lumia 900 is the phone for media too. Watching a movie on the 4.3" clear and large display offers a sparkling experience that won't have you squinting at a tiny screen to catch your daily dose of video action. The pre-loaded Nokia Music app provides the perfect media mate for all your audio needs – want to listen to a selection of the latest tunes in your favourite genre? Nokia Mix Radio lets you pause and skip tracks as well as save them for offline listening – all for free and coupled with a well-stocked music store for access to new tracks.Or perhaps you're more of a fan of live music? Nokia's got that covered with the dedicated Gig Finder –tell the Lumia 900 your favourite band and it will alert you when they tour near you, meaning you'll never miss that one-off gig in the tiny pub ever again.Don't worry about being lost with the Lumia 900 in your pocket – with Nokia Maps and Nokia Drive, which come free and fully-loaded, you'll be able to find the best club in any town, navigate your way with fantastically well-stocked maps and turn-by-turn directions or seek out the speediest way home on train, bus or tube with Nokia's new Transport app as well.Or perhaps you've found your way but want a cheeky game on the go – with Xbox integration you can seek out those extra achievement points and update your avatar the way you want, and all from the comfort of your smartphone. You can do all this and more without having to worry about constantly looking for a power point every few hours either: the high-capacity battery will keep you going all day long, despite the fact you'll be constantly using the vibrant screen, a cornucopia of creative apps and a gaming experience that's second to none.Don't believe us? Check out what the people of Britain think of the new Nokia Lumia range when shown the power of Windows Phone – there's no challenge it can't face!So there you have it: if you want to live more, do more and be beautifully different, the Nokia Lumia 900 is the phone for you.Its fantastic screen, superb suite of apps and top-end gaming capabilities – coupled with the only OS that runs with Word, Excel and PowerPoint for working on the go– making it the phone that should be at the top of your list when thinking about your next handset.

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Information Overload: Several Different Problems Under a Single Name

I want to thank everyone who participated in the information management survey that I posted at the start of the year (link).  The survey was long and complex, but more than 400 of you responded to it.  I know you've got a busy life, and it was very nice of you to help.

Your responses helped to shape the work we're doing on Zekira, the new app being developed by the startup I'm working on.  I have posted a summary of the survey findings here (link).  I know you read Mobile Opportunity for tech industry commentary, so I'm going to continue to blog on that subject here (hopefully more frequently).  I will post Zekira-related information at the Zekira weblog.  If you're interested in information management issues, I hope you'll visit us there.

I think some of the survey results will be interesting to folks here, so let me give you a quick summary of the highlights.

In the tech industry, we talk a lot about information overload, but we haven't defined it very well.  What I learned from the survey is that info overload means something slightly different to every person.  It's not a thing, it's a range of problems caused by dealing with more information than you can hold in your head.

For some people the problem is too much e-mail.  For others it's too many meetings.  For still others, the biggest problem is finding a way to access the archive of old files and information they have accumulated over the years.

Some of you -- I guess I should say some of us -- have amassed truly awesome personal archives of information.  Literally terabytes of data in some cases.  Now if only we could get the information back out of them.

A few statistics on information overload:

--More than 40% of the respondents said they feel overwhelmed by the amount of information in their lives.
--About half of the respondents experience information overload several times a week, and about 15% experience it several times a day.
--20% of the respondents receive more than 25,000 e-mails every year.
--A quarter of the respondents receive more than 100 text messages a day.
--A third of the respondents have saved more than 100 gigabytes of business files in their personal archives.

One of the biggest challenges in creating a product to help with information overload is figuring out where to focus it.  Which specific problem(s) do you want to solve?  Which people care about those problems?  And how do you put a dent in those problems with a startup's resources?

In the next few weeks we'll be talking about how we answered those questions.  You can follow our progress at the Zekira weblog.  And you can read more about the survey results here.

And again, many sincere thanks for your help.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled programming.

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