money

Yuwie: Social networking gone very wrong

I came across a very disturbing social networking site last week called Yuwie. It's another site that's decided that for some reason, using a free, and highly functional social service populated by your friends (like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, etc.) is worth ditching for something built with very little ease of use or original design, but created to help you make ludicrous amounts of money by selling out your friends.

It works like this: you get a share of money for every page view on the service (the site makes its money by selling ads). Also, the more people visit your page, the more page views you get a percentage of. Yuwie then takes it a step further with referrals, letting you get a percentage of money from the activity of any friends you've invited to the service, along with their friends, and people who their friends have invited. This goes on for 10 "levels," so you could theoretically have close to 100,000 referrals if your friends and their invitees continue to invite others who use the service beyond the one-month probation period.

Does this idea sound familiar? It's a pyramid scheme. The problem with this, economically, is that it's unsustainable. The people at the top can't possibly pay out the promised amount, and the people stuck at the bottom aren't getting the same benefits as those who have spammed referrals to their friends higher up in the chain. Speaking of spam, even if you're on there with your friends, you're bound to get an intolerable amount of spam from people you don't know as the service grows. The second most popular group on the service at the moment has been specifically designed as a place to add random groups of other folks to beef up your bonus money. Is this the kind of network you want to be a part of? At least the site isn't asking for a sign-up fee--if it did, it'd be illegal. And it ought to be.

The worst part is that Yuwie is pretty much a carbon copy of MySpace, circa two years ago, with nearly identical profile features--meaning you're not really getting anything more than you would with a mainstream social network.… Read more

The $1,185 LED headlamp

Would you pay $1,185 for the LED headlamp pictured here? Would anyone?

We've seen a whole range of illuminated headgear, from baseball caps to alien-wear, but this one has it all: Not only does it have an absurd price tag, but it also has all the dork factor of a "Light Head Magnifier." OK, maybe that's going too far. We're all in favor of safety, but there's no question that this is effective date-repellant fodder.

The "Betty" (Betty?) head lamp from Lupine Lighting Systems of Germany produces such a powerful light--as … Read more

Porsche's phone ready for starting flag

Considering how much publicity is given to high-profile phones these days, it's surprising that more hasn't been said about Porsche's entry into the handset race. That all could change soon, however, as the phone's launch apparently isn't too far off.

Pocket-lint says the 3G mobile handset will make its U.K. debut in November, sporting a touch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera, an MP3 player and, as we reported earlier, fingerprint-recognition security. Perhaps most impressive, Porsche's "concierge service" will handle any issues to arise with the handset.

Of course, all this comes … Read more

Intuit building Quicken Online

Intuit is planning to release a Web-based edition of its leading personal finance application this winter, possibly early in 2008. Quicken Online marks a key transition for a company that has made its bones selling new versions of its boxed software each year.

I've wondered for a while when a big software brand would offer online financial software with some measure of security and a respectable amount of features beyond basic bank account check-ins. The few that I tested late last year were woefully inadequate. Few people seem willing to trust their personal finances with an unknown brand, for … Read more

Mid Century Piggy Bank

What better way to save up for all those pricier objects of desire (be it gadgetry, housewares, or anything at all), than in a delightfully retro, yet simply modern piggy bank? As Elsewares describes the piece, "This beautiful piggy bank was cast from a mid-century mold and hand-glazed for an authentic 1950s feel. What's more, each bank comes with real, honest-to-goodness money inside (amount varies)." Yes. REAL MONEY. And no worries, there is a plastic stopper on the base of the pig, so there really is no need to take out the hammer quite yet. Unless you … Read more

Obopay is like Paypal for cell phones

Tired of carrying your wallet around? Well, how about if we say that your cell phone could replace it? A company called Obopay aims to do just that. This free mobile Web service lets you send and receive money via text messaging, a mobile WAP browser, or a mobile application that can be downloaded onto certain phones. (You'll have to check the site out to see if the downloadable app is available on your phone.) Also, when you sign up, you automatically get a $5 sign-up bonus.

The concept mirrors Paypal in a way--just send the amount you want … Read more

Green tech can save you money

Our CNET editors have pulled together useful information on green technologies. The emphasis is on things available to the consumer right now, and many can save you energy and money.

Our Living With Technology report has reviews of hybrid cars and energy-saving products for your home. Also there's a section on Earth-friendly downloads that can be useful. And editor Michael Kanellos produced a video to show some things you can do at home to save money on energy.

Nothing lasts forever, so we even have a guide on how get rid of tech gear when the time comes.

The scary math behind Web 2.0

How many pages does a Web 2.0 company have to flip a month to get on track one day hold an initial public offering?

A billion or more, says Opus Capital partner Ken Elefant, which is why his firm doesn't invest in them.

"Most of them are features," he said in an interview. "Most of them can't be long-term sustainable businesses."

Here's how Elefant comes up with his math. A web 2.0 company needs to be pulling in around $5 million in revenue a month to become an independent, viable publishing … Read more

Farecast Deals site launches

Farecast, an airline ticket prediction and purchasing service, has launched a new Deals section that helps people find the best prices on tickets within a 90-day window. Unlike the recently launched Fare Guard, the Deals section is completely free and competes with other discount travel sites like TravelZoo and CheapTickets to aggregate flights that sell for a fraction of their typical cost. The service is currently limited to 38 major airports in the United States.

The search results are separated by the best deals, last-minute flights, weekend and weeklong flights, and flights for families. There's also a section for … Read more

The Formula 1 mouse pad

Continuing today's theme of ridiculous luxury items is, of all things, a high-performance mouse pad. In what could easily be a parody, BornRich says the English-made "Formula 1 Mouse Mat" was designed with "state-of-the-art automotive 3D modeling software." The carbon-fiber pad has inlaid leather with Italian suede backing and, of course, a prominently embossed "F1" logo. The price for a racetrack-grade mouse pad? It lists for 260 pounds, or about $525. But it comes wrapped in F1 tissue paper, so it's not overpriced or anything.