Once upon a time Microsoft was the gorilla to beat. Once upon a time we thought Google could do it.

Perhaps not any more. Amazon has dropped Google’s search results from their A9 search aggregator in favor of Microsoft’s Live search, and while Yahoo!’s on again, off again partnership talks with Microsoft appear dead after Y!’s announcement Thursday of a partnership with eBay, Microsoft still hasn’t given up on the notion.

The Yahoo! news may dull my argument, but look how quickly the board changed, how easily these companies switched allegiances or considered partnering with Microsoft, a company known for swallowing its partners.

Google may or may not truly depend on the goodwill of its customers, but the moment its image turns from all-knowing and happy to big and evil could rearrange the chess board.

allegiance, competition, ebay, google, gorilla, microsoft, partnership, yahoo, yahoo!

He he. Chuckle, chuckle. Thanks to Kris and Brett for these pics. They ads are still there now when I search Google for used brain or black plague.

My question is: does eBay just submit bulk lists of terms they want to buy, or do they have a deal with Google to just link ‘em up like this?

advertising, black plague, brain, brains, ebay, keyword advertising, keywords, plague, targeted, targeted advertising, used brain, used brains

It’s good to know Hard to Find 800 Numbers.com is there when you need it. Here are the top five:

800 numbers, hard to find 800 numbers, customers service, customer support, support line, amazon, microsoft, yahoo!, ebay, paypal, contacting amazon, contacting microsoft, contacting yahoo!, contacting ebay, contacting paypal

Ross Rubin at Engadget just alerted me to Peerflix

…which can be described on a basic level as eBay meets Netflix. Peerflix resembles many online DVD stores, but it neither rents nor sells DVDs. Rather, it depends on a community of users willing to trade DVDs they have for DVDs they want. There are no subscription fees. Peerflix charges a 99-cent transaction fee and senders are responsible for the postage charge of 37 cents for the mailers that the company distributes. Behold the $1.36 DVD.

tags: dvd, dvd rental, ebay, engadget, flix, netflix, peerflix, rental, trade, trading

Yup, it’s up on eBay now (closing in a day or so) with the following description:

Everybody needs one of these, cleaning out the garage, this little car is so much fun, it is thrust powered by 2 GE t-58 turbines, has 4 fuel tanks, power steering, power brakes, fire detection, fire suppression, roll over protection, self starting and quick. I have taken this car to the salt flats twice, the first time it wanted to fly @ 140 mph, but after adding the spoilers and air dam it stayed solid thru 187 mph with a lot more room to go.

The seller added the following details separately:

[...]the car runs on Jet A fuel, probably will run on diesel fuel but have not tried it, I think its street legal except for this little excessive noise issue, the car is thrust only, it has no reverse, tires are rated @ prox 170 mph, heavy duty brakes and slotted discs includes an intercom and mike and ear peice for your helmet, includes a drag chute but have never needed it air intakes are on the sides and top of the engine cover, no compressor stall thru 145 mph, for fast and salt flats running a modified engine cover is put on it to take the air off the top of the roof to supply more air and keep salt out of turbines, engines are GE T58-3s with logs, a short video is available[...] based upon some of the questions I have had asked, be prepared to sign a long liability waiver.

Thanks to Engadget for the link.

tags: 187 mph, ebay, ebay motors, ge t-58, jet a, jet fuel, jet turbine, liability waiver, mph, t58-3, thrust, toyota, toyota mr2, turbine, twin turbine