Archive for October, 2008
Facebook May Be Growing Too Fast. And Hitting The Capital Markets Again.
When Facebook raised $240 million from Microsoft in 2007, and another $235 million in debt and equity
in 2008, everyone thought they had plenty of cash to get through their big growth phase. With that kind of cash, the company could hire as many people as it needed to and not worry about profitability or going [...]
Google Tweaks AdWords To Reward Quality (And Juice Revenues)
There is nothing like a downturn to force a company focus on the bottom line, even a company like Google whose bottom line is still growing at a healthy pace. Continuing its recent efforts to juice advertising revenues wherever it can, Google is changing the way ads are placed on its search results pages.
Google Knol Opens In French, German and Italian
Google Knol, which we’ve likened to a monetizable Wikipedia upon launch, has quietly released three international versions today, enabling French, German and Italian speaking experts (or people who like to think they are experts) to contribute so-called ‘units of knowledge’ to the site.
Foreclosures: Feds to the Rescue?
Banks may be required to offer interest rate relief for strapped homeowners. But it’s unclear who will qualify and if the plan would put a dent in foreclosures
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and the Treasury Dept. are working on a major program to prevent widespread foreclosures that would include government guarantees of home mortgages.
The [...]
Economy shrinks as consumers cut back on spending
WASHINGTON
A day after the Federal Reserve slashed a key interest rate to battle an economic downturn, the government reported Thursday the economy did shrink in the summer, sending the strongest signal yet that a recession may have already begun.
The Commerce Department reported that the gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic health, fell at [...]
The Steady Ascent of the Debit Card
Debit cards may soon overtake credit cards, which is why banks are scrambling to boost their profitability
Raquel Garcia is serious about avoiding debt. The 18-year-old customer-service representative for U-Haul (UHAL) recently canceled her credit card. Now she gets her entire paycheck deposited onto a prepaid debit card, which she uses for all her purchases. [...]
25+ Celebrity Twitter Users
Twitter references seem to be popping up everywhere. From news shows to sitcoms such as The Big Bang Theory, there’s no denying that the service is finally going mainstream. And now even celebrities are joining in.
Some seem like your typical Twitter users, posting about whatever crosses their minds, while others use their accounts as a promotional [...]
Q: Do Baby Boomers Need Their Own Yahoo Answers? A: No. (Someone Tell Boomerator).
Today is the public beta launch of Boomerater, a question and answer service that caters specifically to baby boomers, which is a fancy term to describe people aged somewhere between 44 and 62.
Big Three Agree on Guidelines for Countries Who Restrict Human Rights
Microsoft, Yahoo and Google have agreed — in general — on how they plan to do business in countries such as China or Northern Korea, which are known to restrict free speech and other human rights. Don’t get me wrong — all countries sometimes and to some degree restrict human rights — but some do [...]
Which 5 LinkedIn Apps Would You Like to See?
9 LinkedIn Apps Debut
LinkedIn, the undisputed leader of business networking online, pulled a Facebook today with the launch of its applications platform. The pitch: add new features to LinkedIn by plugging in third-party apps which access your network of contacts.
The platform launches with 9 apps: an Amazon reading list app, a Box.net file sharing [...]
Your Gmail Account is Now An OpenID
You may not know it, but you probably have an OpenID. If you have a Yahoo account, you have an OpenID. If you have a Windows Live account, you will soon have an OpenID. And today, if you have a Google e-mail account, you can also start using your Gmail address as an OpenID.
Exclusive: Streamy Returns for the FriendFeed Era
Streamy, a gorgeous online news reader, is making a comeback for the FriendFeed, Twitter and Facebook era.
Streamy’s new mantra: cutting through the online noise with personalized recommendations, groups and custom filters.
TVeez Renamed To Odysii, Sets Sights On U.S. Market
TVeez, a company that specializes in marketing and onsite digital advertising, has rebranded itself and will now be known as Odysii. In conjunction with the name change, the company has also confirmed reports that it has received $15 million in a round led by Benchmark Capital and Giza Ventures, as was reported back in April.
Logitech Coughs Up $30 Million To Acquire SightSpeed
Switzerland-based Logitech, maker of personal computer peripherals, is entering the software market by acquiring internet video communications services provider SightSpeed for $30 million in cash. The deal is expected to close in early November.
The acquisition of the 25-person company, born out of a Cornell University lab, is a result of Logitech looking to complement their [...]
Google Launches Google Apps Labs, Third Party Developers Welcome
Google is launching Google Apps Labs today, a new platform for experimental apps (Google Moderator is one of the first to be added).
These are third party applications that can be added by businesses and schools using Google Apps. In addition to Google Moderator, two other apps are available now: Google Code Reviews (peer review of [...]
Simply Hired Looks For Jobs Overseas
Job search engine Simply Hired is expanding its operations into Canada, UK, Australia and India. The venture-backed startup was once an acquisition target for Google, and was recently called outfor showing enormous jumps in traffic numbers that may have had something to do with shady tactics.
Bank of England Warns Risks Remain
The Bank of England warned Tuesday that adverse developments in emerging market economies could put fresh strains on financial systems in developed countries and that hedge funds remain particularly exposed to global troubles.
In a cautiously positive biannual report on “financial stability,” the central bank said that bank credit risks have fallen and money market pressures [...]
Former MySpace Exec Shawn Gold Raises Seed Funding For Stealth Startup Cocodot
Google-Yahoo Might be OK for Yahoo, but What About Everybody Else?
After Layoffs, Starting a Business from Scratch
The Credit Crunch and Small Business
