Economic Edge » Internet & Technology

Google Acquires YouTube for $1.65 billion

EconEdge — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 03:09:18 +0000

Just in—Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion in a stock-for-stock transaction. After the acquisition, YouTube will operate independently in order "to preserve its successful brand and passionate community." Press release was issued 5 hours ago.

Congress Indirectly Bans Online Gambling By Targeting Payment Processors

EconEdge — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 20:27:07 +0000

Congress has voted against payment processors (credit card companies and banks) who handle transactions for online gambling sites. According to Reuters, "The House of Representatives and Senate unexpectedly approved a bill early [last] Saturday that would make it illegal for banks and credit-card companies to make payments to online gambling sites."

Internet Advertising Revenue Up 37%, Hits Record $8 Billion

EconEdge — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 02:15:31 +0000

According to a study released by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), internet advertising revenue (in the U.S.) rose 37 percent in the first six months of the year, hitting a record of nearly $8 billion. Search-related advertising rose 40 percent in the first half of the year, while classified advertising rose 20 percent.

Viral Marketing Challenge–$15K in 30 Days

EconEdge — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 03:57:20 +0000

Dan Raine, a very sharp internet marketer (and creator of the free "Google Slap" reports) is undergoing a 30 Day Challenge to make $15,000 online in 30 days with only a $150 budget. He's using MySpace viral marketing to generate buzz and opt-ins. Dan plans to make money on upsells and back-end offers to the list, combined with a viral "pass-it-along" component.

Automated Banking, Technology, & Security of Bank Tellers

EconEdge — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 21:09:13 +0000

Yesterday I went to a federal credit union to deposit a check for my sister. My sister was on vacation in Myrtle Beach, and she asked me to deposit a check that had arrived in the mail for her. (I agreed to collect her mail while she was at the beach.)

Americans spend more time online than in front of TV

EconEdge — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 02:31:03 +0000

According to CNN, 71 percent of American households have web access.

Further, Americans age 13 to 24 now spend more time online than they do in front of the TV. This is extremely significant, since most Americans are addicted to their television sets (a HUGE time-waster) and spend, on average, 4 hours a day watching TV. (Source: Nielsen Ratings) So, in a 65-year life, the average American will have spent 9 years glued to the tube.

United States now issuing RFID Passports

EconEdge — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 23:35:45 +0000

I subscribe to a tech newsletter, and this morning I learned that the U.S. is now issuing passports that contain micro RFID chips which store personal information about the passport holder.

Bit Torrent gets 35% of all internet traffic

EconEdge — Sat, 08 Jul 2006 20:01:16 +0000

According to a recent study by CacheLogic, Bit Torrent accounts for 35% of all traffic on the internet! For those who don't know, Bit Torrent is a protocol for peer-to-peer file distribution. According to the study, the most popular torrents on the web are new DVD releases.

Hundreds of Cities Planning Free Wireless Networks; Critics Worry About Technology

EconEdge — Sat, 10 Jun 2006 19:24:27 +0000

According to an article published by Newsweek, hundreds of cities are planning municipal wireless (muni-WiFi) networks; however, critics claim that the technology may not match the expectations of local citizens and government officials. Cities planning to offer free wireless access (or currently offering it) include: San Francisco, Austin, Tx., Annapolis, Md., Philadephia, St. Cloud, Fla. (a suburb of Orlando), New Orleans, Anaheim, Calif., and Tempe, Ariz.

Google has 47.4% of search traffic market

EconEdge — Sun, 21 May 2006 18:46:12 +0000

Google's search numbers are growing, according to Hitwise US blog.

Google search gets 47.40% of all internet search queries.
Yahoo search has a 16% market share for search queries.
MSN search has 11.50% of the market.

Free long distance phone calls from Skype

EconEdge — Mon, 15 May 2006 20:32:04 +0000

I just received an email from Skype, informing me that all calls from Skype to any phone number (computer-based, mobile, or landline) within the U.S. or Canada will be free for the remainder of 2006. That's incredible.

Online Sales Increasing, $172 billion sold in 2005

EconEdge — Sat, 13 May 2006 00:38:47 +0000

According to Forrester Research, online sales reached a staggering $172 billion in 2005—a number they predict will rise to $329 billion by 2010.

Google Page Creator Reopens

EconEdge — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 02:47:09 +0000

Google Page Creator just reopened signups. Google's new online interface will enable non tech-savvy folks to create a website easily and effortlessly. To date, GPC is the simplest "website creation" software I've seen.

Google Creates "Google Finance" to Compete with Yahoo

EconEdge — Sat, 15 Apr 2006 15:58:13 +0000

In an effort to compete with Yahoo Finance, Google has released its own version of a stock research tool called Google Finance.

Google Finance is currently in beta and provides news, stock charts, financial statements, ratios (P/E, P/S, beta, EPS), company summaries, and real-time stock quotes. Stock quotes from Yahoo Finance are delayed by about 15-20 minutes. Google Finance says "Real Time ECN," beneath its stock ticker, but I wonder if the quotes are really "real-time." I'll find out on Tuesday (markets are closed on Monday for Easter).

Google & Earthlink to Bid on Free WiFi Network for 2nd City

EconEdge — Tue, 11 Apr 2006 20:00:57 +0000

The entire city of San Francisco will be wireless by early 2007, if things go as planned. Google and EarthLink, along with Tropos Networks and Motorola, will help build the infrastructure for a city-wide WiFi network.

Support for War in Iraq Decreasing

EconEdge — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 17:59:16 +0000

According to the London papers, two out of three Americans now think the war against Iraq was a mistake. (I thought the war was a mistake from the beginning, but we won’t discuss that.)

Customer Satisfaction Higher for Online Retailers

EconEdge — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 01:17:18 +0000

From JustSell.com…

Customers are nearly 12% more satisfied with online retailers than with the industry in general, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index published by the University of Michigan. Online retailers earned an overall score of 81, compared to bricks-and-mortar retailers with an overall score of 72.

An Alternate Internet?

EconEdge — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 06:44:14 +0000

Did you know…Intel, Apple, IBM and Yahoo are putting together an alternate Web?

They're convinced that the current configuration cannot withstand the onslaught of millions of Chinese logging on over the next several years. (Heard it from John Carlton, one of the best direct-response copywriters.) I googled it, and Slashdot has an article on this, as well.