Check out this post by Damon Williams on the PayPal Developer Blog about his activities at the SXSW Conference being held this week in Austin.

In today's San Francisco Chronicle, Elizabeth Corcoran reviews the book "Maxed Out - Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders" by James D. Scurlock. Corcoran writes "figuring out exactly what constitutes too much borrowing is like figuring out when you've had too much to drink. Scurlock would like to see the government regulate and warn consumers about too much borrowing, much as it regulates hard liquor and cigarettes."

Last weekend, Joe Garofoil reviewed the movie version of Maxed Out.

A couple of articles this Sunday advising consumers to be careful using debit cards. The first article, by Salt Lake Tribune reporter Lesley Mitchell, is titled "Debit Cards Hold Hidden Dangers". Mitchell advises using a credit card for regular purchases - not a debit card - because if your debit card is compromised, it can result in bounced checks, etc. in your checking account.

The second article, by Leslie Pappas of the Gannett News Service, is titled "Card Sharks" - and asks why the industry hasn't moved to chip cards in the US as has already happened in many other countries.

The Washington Post's personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary opines about credit card issuers - saying "they frequently don't play fair even when we do everything according to their terms."