TekGems Blog

There seems to be some potential issue with USB Missile Launcher misfiring. Again, not to surprising it is Made in China. We sell this product here: http://tekgems.com/Products/et-28722-too-usb-782.htm -- If you are buying it as a gift it would not hurt to buy multiples to ensure you get a good product, or buy it locally.

SLB: Actiontec MI424WR Failed Power Adapter with Wireless Light Only - FiOS

This newer wireless router with VDSL2+ capability is apparently having some failed power adapter issues. Made in China. Quality control process is hard to gauge when a product comes out of China.

oos: HP Debranded Pentium 4 3.2GHz 1GB 160GB DVD¦RW

Great little computer from HP. In case you need the drivers, you can download them here:

http://www.ecs.com.tw/ECSWebSite/Downloads/ProductsDetail_Download.aspx?detailid=817&DetailName=Driver&DetailDesc=&CategoryID=1&MenuID=6&LanID=0

I didn't like that the SATA is running through IDE channels which limits the throughput so I ended up installing my a PCI SATA card inside. Plan to run four drives inside and use it as a storage/backup server. I was able to fit three 3.5" SATA drives. I have one 5.25 bay left but can use a 3.5 drive using a drive bracket adapter. (One thing about running a parts store is that you never have to order anything to build computers!) :)

Google Stores Beta could be the new eCommerce killer! Google Checkout adding a shopping cart function and possibly integrating with Google Sites could lead to a turnkey ecommerce solution. Who needs eBay or Amazon, when you can get all of this for free from Google? Sure you pay for payment processing, but you pay a percentage using any service. For anyone buying stuff online, I find signing up for a Google Checkout is easier than Paypal. You also are not encouraged to carry a Paypal balance which makes purchases & refunds much easier. There's no new procedures or policies to learn. What you've come to expect from your credit card company still applies to your Google Checkout purchases.

Getting started with the Google Checkout shopping cart - Google Checkout Developers Forum | Google Groups: "Google Checkout shopping cart - Getting Started


The Google Checkout shopping cart is a new Google Checkout feature that allows you to add a shopping cart to your website quickly and easily.

See the demo here: http://checkout.google.com/seller/gsc/beta/demo

This Getting Started document is intended to give you a quick outline of what is required to get up and running with the cart. For more information, please see the API Documentation as well as the Customizing the Cart Widget document."

First order of business if you want to start your own business is to get health insurance.

Finding Health Insurance if You Are Self-Employed - New York Times: "The unluckiest are those with chronic illnesses or the dreaded pre-existing condition that results in a denial of coverage. Many of these people abandon dreams of entrepreneurship altogether because they need jobs that come with a health plan and they cannot find a way to self-insure."

Ending time for auction makes perfect sense, but as eBay listing format favors fixed priced listing, a different listing view makes more sense. This is where Best Match comes in. Since buyers can longer be given a balanced exposure of their listing, it makes sense for eBay to reduce their listing fee. This also increases listing volume, but Best Match on eBay.com with its relevance and desirability scores will be able to match buyer searches with what the general population wants. Even though listing volume will increase, I don't think relevancy will be an issue due to Best Match. If you don't believe me, do a search for ipod nano using ending time versus Best Match. You'll notice the glut of cases and chargers are not present with the Best Match view. Its not personalized search (that's Best Match 2.0) but its a good start. It also makes sense for eBay to increase FVF: 1) To compensate for for lower listing fees, 2) You are paying for performance like Amazon Marketplace.

GrooveShark has an excellent post on how to buy a digital music player (aka mp3 player). Topics covered are Price, Size, Purpose, Capacity, Compatibility, and Player Design.

Once you know what you want to buy, you can visit our web store to buy MP3 Players here.