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eBay does MySpace-compatible widgets

Want to pimp your item on your MySpace profile? Now you can using eBay's new widget making tool.

Josh Lowensohn Former Senior Writer
Josh Lowensohn joined CNET in 2006 and now covers Apple. Before that, Josh wrote about everything from new Web start-ups, to remote-controlled robots that watch your house. Prior to joining CNET, Josh covered breaking video game news, as well as reviewing game software. His current console favorite is the Xbox 360.
Josh Lowensohn

eBay has a neat new way to promote your items for free. Users can take any item listed on the auction service and widgetize it using a really simple editor. There are three options to choose from: single item, multiple item, and search. The multiple items widget has a scrolling display of item images, and is good for Powersellers, or anyone who is selling a few things at a time. What's great is that you don't even need to sign in to eBay to make one, just an item number.

When you're done creating a widget, you can embed it in a number of blogging services and social networks like MySpace, Blogger, and Wordpress. I find it quite interesting MySpace is letting users embed auctions to their profile pages, especially after the whole Photobucket ordeal a few weeks ago; although in this case, it's not corporate advertising.

My favorite, and the one I've embedded below, is the single item widget which features a real-time countdown until the end of the auction. There's also a thumbnail viewer for any pictures, and status information like the bid and view counts. The one thing missing is a way to bid on the item without leaving the page, something I think would do well given a built-in login option.

Related: Wipbox: eBay and Craigslist for dummies

[via TechCrunch]