Are there any online wallet providers which allow entry of a pin or password using an on-screen keyboard (simlar to what Liberty Reserve's site provides?)
  http://anti-keylogger2.software.informer.com/wiki/#On-screen_keyboards

I was wanting to make a payment using my MyBitcoin account while away from home, and didn't want to enter my password on the only computer I had available to me as I didn't trust it.

I would trust an on-screen keyboard on even a public kiosk style computer (for a smaller balance account) but  I wouldn't dare trust it entering my credentials via the keyboard. [Edit: See nanotube's comments.]

Certainly there's a patent or two that shares a concept with something that Bitcoin does?  I could see the state try to interject on behalf of the patent holder.

And a related article:
http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/archives/the-shadow-banking-system-a-third-of-all-the-wealth-in-the-world-is-held-in-offshore-banks

Interesting article:
  http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/dec/28/protests-tax-havens

On a conservative estimate, a third of the world's wealth is held offshore, with 80% of international banking transactions taking place there.

More than half the capital in the world's stock exchanges is "parked" offshore at some point.

Same here, I got a partial fill then cancelled the remaining fragment.  I then tried variations to try to prod the trade, e.g., offering to sell below the bid, amounts smaller than the remaining buy size, etc.,

Adding BTC went very  well ..., appeared that I could use them to trade after just 2 confirmations.  Withdrawing in both LRUSD and BTC went smoothly.

Wish I could see the order book without authenticating first though.   Even if just a best bid / best ask.

Happy to see this exchange though and will likely use again!  Acknowledged the donation afterwards.  Good stuff!

How do you know they haven't already started? 

Consumer demand isn't the only thing that prices an item $150 over list price.
  http://www.pricewatch.com/gallery/video_cards/radeon_hd_5970

[...] if new rules proposed by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, go into effect, the government will [know you transferred money] — along with your name, address, bank account number, and other sensitive financial information.

FinCEN, an agency component of the Department of the Treasury, proposed a set of rules (pdf) that would require banks and money transmitters to report to the government any cross-border electronic funds transfer.

FinCEN estimates it will receive 750 million reports every year, and the agency wants to keep the data for ten years. Once the reports are filed with FinCEN, other federal law enforcement agencies — the FBI, IRS, ICE, and the DEA — would all have access to the data.

EFF Release:
  http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/12/sending-money-overseas-holidays-government-wants

EFF Comments / Response to Director Freis (PDF):
  https://www.eff.org/files/EFF%20Comment_Cross-Border%20Transmittal%20of%20Funds.pdf

Rules proposed by FinCEN (PDF):
  http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-24417.pdf

Submit Your Comments:
  http://www.regulations.gov/#!submitComment;D=FINCEN-2010-0002-0001

Donate to EFF with Bitcoin:  https://www.eff.org/helpout

less 9% final value fee,
and then
less $0.30 + 2.9% paypal fee
and then
less $0.44 postage
and then
pray the buyer doesn't claim it never arrived

Round trip from preparing the listing to getting the money: 5 days, for example.

Versus Plastic Jungle, instant funding http://www.plasticjungle.com/sell-gift-cards: 5 minutes.

http://www.tipb.com/2010/12/27/softbank-brings-nfc-payment-technology-iphone-4/
Whaaa?
Also noted by Engadget is that the sticker doesn’t actually communicate with the iPhone 4 itself, but acts as a separate system that simply attaches itself to the device.

Just thought of this one too ... so let's say you use a dual GPU box at work for your big data / number crunching day job.  During the evenings you have it mine Bitcoin.  Of course the cost of the electricity might be something requiring reimbursement or handled as compensation, but what about the generated coin?

This was an interesting story:
http://gata.org/node/7696

Jurors heard how the payroll system operated. When workers at Kahre's six businesses and more than 30 companies that were payroll clients went to pick up their pay, each received a tube containing coins.

Kahre had claimed he tried to legally avoid taxes by creating a cash payroll system that disbursed gold and silver coins, on the theory that recipients could go by the coins' face value for tax purposes.

Certified public account Wayne Paul, brother of Texas congressman Ron Paul, testified that Congress created a dual monetary system when it authorized the gold and silver coins that currently circulate.

Caveat: I'm not an accountant, and changed my major before there was any chance anyone would confuse me for one.

http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=130524,00.html
You must immediately translate into dollars all items of income, expense, etc. (including taxes), that you receive, pay, or accrue in a foreign currency and that will affect computation of your income taxl



FUBAR FBAR
http://games.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=1170749&cid=27286155
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=210244,00.html

INEEDMONEY??

I wish that had been written 48 hours earlier.  It would have been the perfect response in a conversation I had.

And immediate settlement -- the minute a transfer is made to you, those funds can then be spent.  i.e., no 3-day holds on your "deposits", no restrictions applying to new users, etc.

  http://www.boingboing.net/2010/12/25/cambridge-university-1.html
  http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/research/security/banking/nopin/oakland10chipbroken.pdf
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPAX32lgkrw

Additionally, ... from the archives is some fantastic coverage of Bitcoin in the Weekly Economics and Finance round-up podcast show produced by the Optimistic Bear duo:
  http://bit.ly/eLqaTx  November 9th, 2010, Talk about Bitcoin begins at about 5:30 in to the podcast.
  or with advertisment:
    http://www.blogtalkradio.com/optimisticbear/2010/11/10/weekly-economics-and-finance-round-up

There already are ways to exchange gift cards for bitcoins -- the card can be offered on the #bitcoin-otc IRC channel, or it can be auctioned off using http://www.biddingpond.com

I think the rate that Plastic Jungle charges varies per-retailer.  They claim to pay up to 92% of the card amount, but for low dollar value cards getting just 75% is likely a more realistic estimate.

Oh, that sneaky sister-in-law ...  thinking that gifting you with a Pottery Barn gift card might get you to  spruce up that dingy den which you call home.

She probably didn't know that you can convert that card to bitcoins before she's even sobered up from the egg nog.

The online gift card exchange http://www.plasticjungle.com accepts gift cards from hundreds of retailers.  Normally, you need to mail-in the card and wait before eventually getting about 75% of the card's value returned to you through PayPal.  

They now have instant fulfillment https://hms.plasticjungle.com/pjtopup/?merchant=20000000006 for a select list of 50 retailers where payment is made immediately.  Even if you don't have a PayPal account, you can still use this to buy bitcoins -- simply have Plastic Jungle send the payment to the bitcoin seller's PayPal address. #bitcoin-otc / http://bitcoin-otc.com/vieworderbook.php shows many sellers who will trade bitcoins for PPUSD.

Following are the 50 retailers whose cards are eligible through Instant Funding:

• American Airlines
• Babies R Us
• Barnes & Noble
• Bass Pro Shops
• Bed Bath and Beyond
• Best Buy
• Best Western
• Body Shop
• Cabelas
• Container Store
• Crate & Barrel
• DSW
• Fandango
• Foot Locker
• Gap
• Gap Brands
• Gap Kids
• Godiva Chocolatier
• Guess
• JC Penny
• Kohls
• L.L.Bean
• Marriott
• Neiman Marcus
• New York and Company
• Nordstroms
• Office Max
• Old Navy
• Omaha Steaks
• Overstock
• PacSun
• Petco
• Petsmart
• Pottery Barn
• Pottery Barn Kids
• Pottery Barn Teen
• REI
• Sams Club
• Southwest Airlines
• Sunglass Hut
• Target
• Toys R Us
• US Airways
• Victoria's Secret
• Walmart
• Walmart & Sam's Club
• Williams-Sonoma