Filed under: Internet, Web services

Thinking about picking up a new T-Mobile G1, but want to know how massive it is first? Pective is a new web service that will show you pictures of various items in actual size. Just select the size of your monitor and Pective will do the rest.

The service isn’t perfect. For example, I’ve a 15.4 inch widescreen display, while Pective only grants you to choose a 15 or 16 inch display. So the picture of a CD it displayed was slightly more massive than the actual CD I held up to the screen to make a comparison. But it was close. Close enough that I I have the ability to figure out how much space an iPhone would take up in my hand, or how hard it would be to type on the G1’s thumb keyboard.

Right now there are only a handful of items to sift through on Pective. But that works out well because there’s also no search function. You can only browser. Users can add their own images, and anyone can report whether the sizes for uploaded images is accurate or inaccurate. As more items get added, I certainly hope Pective adds a search box.

[via Digital Inspiration]

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By Nora Dunn

In tough economic times, financial planners are on the front lines. They are the gateway to investment returns when the markets are good, and are the buffer against financial disaster when the markets are bad.

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Filed under: Deals, Competitive strategy

Sonic Corp. (NYSE: SONC) is looking to refranchise hundreds of its company-owned restaurants, as franchised locations have been outperforming of late.

It’s a good idea. Franchisees are more motivated to produce strong results than paid-by-the-hour managers, and getting out of the operations business and living on franchise fees and royalties will reduce risk and could increase returns.

But the problem, according (subscription required) to The Wall Street Journal is that tight credit markets and a weak economy could make it difficult for prospective franchisees to make the investment to purchase or open Sonic locations.

The other problem is that refranchising stores is such a great idea that everyone else is doing it: Applebee’s, Steak n’ Shake (NYSE: SNS) and many others have announced similar plans to refranchise company-owned locations.

Adding to the problem, Sonic has not been reporting strong results of late and it seems doubtful that its brand is strong enough to make the company stick out from the glut of restaurants trying to dump company-owned stores in a tough market.

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Filed under: World wide web, Web services

What’s the first thing you do after you layoff 10 percent of your workforce? You go on a buying spree, right? That’s what eBay appears to be doing anyway. The company, which currently employs about 15,000 people plans to layoff about 1,000 full time workers as well as a number of temporary employees. At the same time, eBay has announced it will spend over $1.3 billion to purchase two companies.

First up, eBay will purchase Danish competitor DBA for more than $380 million. But the big news for folks who don’t live in Denmark is the $945 million the company is spending to buy Bill Me Later, a company which allows web sites to perform instant credit checks based on your birth date and last four digits of your social security number allowing online retailers to extend you instant credit and send you a bill later.

Bill Me Later’s technology will be used to complement eBay’s existing PayPal on the internet payment system.

There’s no question that eBay needed to do something to deal with increasing competition from Amazon Marketplace and other on the web stores/auction houses. But I have to state, if I were one of the 1,000+ people getting laid off, I wouldn’t be to happy to see my former employer spending this kind of cash on acquiring new properties.

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Filed under: Industry, Consumer experience, Competitive strategy, Ford Motor (F), General Motors (GM), Toyota Motor Corp. (TM)

Congress has passed it and the President has approved it — a new package giving Detroit’s Large Three loan guarantees to cover $25 billion for upgrading their plants. This should allow them to move production to more fuel-efficient cars.

If the move had come two years ago, it might have worked. According to The Wall Street Journal, “The auto loans can’t come soon enough,” stated Kip Penniman, automotive analyst at KDP investment Advisors. Soon enough was a long time ago.

Ford (NYSE: F), GM (NYSE: GM) and Chrysler do not just suffer from having vehicles that are not fuel-efficient. They also have cars that are still perceived as not being as “good” as many models from Japan and Europe. Toyota (NYSE: TM) and Honda (NYSE: HMC) have not only posted superior quality numbers in most industry surveys, they also have a tremendous lead in new technologies including hybrid engines.

By the time Detroit has new plants in place, the Japanese will be two or three years ahead with the next generation of technology for saving energy costs and building vehicles with few defects.

Detroit now has to face a tough credit market in which consumers find it harder to get car loans. It has to face a recession in which vehicle buyers can’t afford new cars at all. It already faces a Japanese industry that’s well-financed and well ahead in critical technology.

Getting $25 billion is not enough. Something along the lines of $100 billion might be more enjoy it.

Douglas A. McIntyre is an editor at 247wallst.com.

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