Facebook Vs. Google: The Battle For Internet Dominance

Google and Facebook will continue to duke it out over the top spot in the display ad market.  Mark Zuckerberg’s social network remains one of the main competitive risks to Google’s absolute dominance of the Internet.

“Facebook has posed serious problems for Google, most notably by walling off the social network’s content from Google’s search engine,” explained Baird’s equity research analysts in a note on Friday.

The problem, for Google, is that its business model relies on its ability to “index the web.”  Thus, when Facebook walls-off its site, it’s essentially blocking a significant, and growing, portion of the web.  “Google’s index has been faced with an ever-increasing blind spot for search,” wrote the analysts.

Google remains the undisputed king of the Internet.  It clearly dominates search advertising, with over 65% of the U.S. market and more than 50% of the global market (Yahoo has 16% share in the U.S. whileMicrosoft’s Bing has been growing fast and now accounts for 14%).  It has one of the fastest growing mobile operating systems, Android, where its share is even larger than in PCs and growing faster thanApple’s iOS.  In 2012, Google will rake in more than $36 billion in revenue.

But Facebook is creeping up.  Mark Zuckerberg’s social network has risen to become the second most important online property, behind Google.  Facebook reaches about 43% of the web over the last three months, according to Alexa, and counts with more than 5% of global page views.  It makes the difference in engagement, though: users spend an average of 24 minutes and 45 seconds on Facebook, compared with 11 minutes and 52 seconds on Google.

Facebook’s social networking model creates a host of problems for Google.  The social network counts with more than 750 million users, 50% of which log on daily.  This translates to about 700 billion minutes of usage per month, or about 16 hours per user, with about 70% of those coming from outside the U.S., according to Baird’s analysts.

This directly undermines Google’s communication tools, particularly Gmail, both in its chat and e-mail forms.  While the company founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page has launched its own social network, Google+, a report by Enders Analysis from December 19 suggests it will “remain niche.”

Furthermore, Facebook could jeopardize Google’s online dominance by developing its own search capabilities.  Currently, Facebook’s search capacities are very limited, but “theoretically [Facebook could] enter the market by first creating a vertical search engine focused on social, and then broadening the scope to encompass more generic search capabilities,” explained Baird’s research analysts.  Thus, Facebook would count with a differentiated search product aided by the “valuable social signals [that] could be used to improve search relevance.”

Google seems set to continue to grow its businesses in 2012 and beyond, particularly given its dominant position.  There is little doubt that Google will loosen its hold on its highly profitable search business in the medium-term, but it definitely faces a powerful challenger with Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook.  The social network is one of the largest display players, and, sitting on the number two spot of the web, has the opportunity to eat into Google’s formidable share.  The battle for Internet dominance promises to be an interesting one.

NY Times to sell regional newspapers for $143 million

The New York Times Co said it will sell 16 regional newspapers spread across the U.S. Southeast and California to Halifax Media Holdings for $143 million in cash as it looks to cut costs and focus on its most important papers and their websites.Regional newspapers have struggled recently because of weak local retail and national advertising, partly reflecting the economy's broader travails.

The company said it will record an after-tax gain on the sale -- expected to close in a few weeks -- in the first quarter of 2012. It estimates the net after-tax proceeds from the sale to be about $150 million.

"I think that it's toward the low end of what we expected. I was expecting $150-$200 million," Evercore Partners analyst Douglas Arthur told Reuters.

10 Things you might know or maight not know

1. In space, astronauts cannot cry, because there is no gravity, so the tears can't flow
2. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different
3. In England, in the 1880's, "Pants" was considered a dirty word
4. Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin
5. A toothpick is the object most often choked on by Americans
6. The opposite sides of a dice cube always add up to seven
7. A hard working adult sweats up to 4 gallons per day. Most of the sweat evaporates before a person realizes it's there, though
8. A lump of pure gold the size of a matchbox can be flattened into a sheet the size of a tennis court
9. Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
10. All of the clocks in the movie "Pulp Fiction" are stuck on 4:20

Google Plus Hits 62 Million Users?

It would appear that Google’s attempt at a social network, Google+ is becoming more popular, according to Paul Allen, who has been releasing estimates ever since the service launched, Google+ has now reached over 62 million users.

This figure is up from 43 million users in December, and if it continues to grow at this rate, Google+ would reach the 100 million user mark by around February or March of 2012.

France leads world as gloomiest over economy

France leads the world as the "most pessimistic" country in terms of the economic outlook, with the lowest recorded score in more than 30 years, according to a global poll published on Friday. The "End of Year" survey by Gallup International of 51 countries found that France beat second placed Ireland and third placed Austria for the dubious recognition as most pessimistic, economically-speaking. Its score of negative 79, a drop of 20 points from last year, was the lowest the poll has recorded since 1978. "Even in 1978, after the second oil crisis that called into question an entire economic system, the French have never shown themselves as pessimistic as today," said the poll. "Europe leads in despair, followed by North America," it said. "The rest of the world, lead by Africa, remains mostly optimistic."


With an April presidential election on the horizon and a euro zone crisis threatening havoc at home and on the continent, French voters are increasingly gloomy. Concerns are pervasive over high unemployment, dwindling purchasing power and the fear that France's traditionally strong social support system is unraveling, even though France has mostly been spared the austerity measures taken in countries such as Greece and Spain. "After the Second World War, there was reconstruction and our country was one of the pioneers of Europe. Today the French 'Saviour State' model, praised by both Left and Right for decades, is basically considered obsolete," said the poll. "What can the French be proud of tomorrow?" 
Among a list of 51 countries, Nigeria was found to be the most optimistic country, when considering economic prosperity, followed by Vietnam and Ghana. 
Between 500 and 2,700 people were interviewed in each country either by phone, via the Internet or in person between October 26 and December 13. The survey in France, conducted by BVA, took place between December 2 and 4.
Reuters

Apple Fined $1.2 Million For Misleading Product Warranties In Italy

Apple has been fined 900,000 Euros in Italy, around $1.2 million, for misleading product warranties by the Italian antitrust authority, who have said hat Apple had mislead consumers on guarantees for its products and also on assistance services.
“Sanctions of a total of 900,000 euros have been imposed on the Apple group after it was found responsible for bad commercial practices that harmed consumers,” the agency said in a statement.

The report also said that Apple had given ‘unclear information on payments for additional assistance offered to consumers’ and they had also not ‘fully implemented the two-year guarantee by the producer’.

Source AFP, Techmeme

Earth seen from space

UK no longer sixth-largest economy

Brazil will remain one of the fastest-growing nations in the coming years after overtaking the U.K. this year to become the world’s sixth-largest economy, the country’s Finance Minister Guido Mantega said.
“The countries that will grow the most are the emerging markets such as Brazil, China, India and Russia,” Mantega said in a statement published on the finance ministry’s web site, referring to findings by the London-based Center for Economics and Business Research, or CEBR. “The trend is for Brazil to remain one of the world’s top economies.”
The CEBR echoed forecasts earlier this year by the International Monetary Fund showing that Brazil’s $2.5 trillion economy had overtaken the U.K. to become the world’s sixth- largest. The IMF expects Brazil to climb past France to become the fifth-largest economy by 2016.
While Brazil’s economic growth is forecast to slow from 7.5 percent in 2010 to 3 percent this year, that’s still faster than the 0.9 percent growth economists expect from the U.K., according to Bloomberg surveys.

10 Things you might know or maight not know

1. The first product to have a bar code was Wrigley's gum
2. No piece of square dry paper can be folded more than 7 times in half
3. A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second
4. The electric chair was invented by a dentist
5. Windmills always turn counter-clockwise. Except for the windmills in Ireland
6. Ancient Egyptians slept on pillows made of stone
7. Until 1796, there was a state in the United States called Franklin. Today it's known as Tennessee
8. Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete
9. The state of Florida is bigger than England
10. The worlds oldest piece of chewing gum is over 9000 years old

China's CIC to get $50 billion

China's $410 billion sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp. is set to receive additional funding of up to $50 billion, two sources said, a step that could help it move quickly to buy overseas assets, especially in Europe.

The new funding comes along with an agreement between relevant Chinese government agencies to give CIC CIC.UL new money to manage every year, the sources who had knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Friday.

The sources asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity surrounding China's management of its foreign reserves.

The agreement would lay out a long-term framework under which CIC would be allocated money to manage from China's foreign exchange reserves and would also chart the future of its domestic investment arm, Central Huijin Investment, the sources said.

"The final plan for capital injection will be unveiled shortly and it could be $50 billion," a source close to the matter said.

CIC officials declined to comment.

source routers

Year in review 2011 by WSJ

Year in review 2011 by WSJ

BOMB attacks on churches during Christmas services

BOMB attacks on churches during Christmas services, including one outside the capital, have killed at least 28 people in Nigeria amid spiralling violence claimed by an Islamist group.

A purported spokesman for Islamist group Boko Haram claimed responsibility for a bombing of the church outside the Nigerian capital and other violence in recent days that has stoked fear and anger in Africa's most populous nation.

Authorities have been seemingly unable to stop the attacks despite heavy-handed military crackdowns and claims of arrests of Boko Haram members.

The area around the scene of the blast outside the capital Abuja, which killed at least 27, degenerated into chaos after the explosion, with angry youths starting fires and threatening to attack a nearby police station.

10 Things you might know or maight not know.

The scientists that detonated the first nuclear explosion felt there was a strong possibility that the chain reaction could carry over to the Earth's atmosphere causing global annihilation. But they detonated it anyway.

The building that was targeted by the first nuclear weapon is still standing.

Many Japanese citizens left Hiroshima after surviving the atom bomb only to experience another one in Nagasaki 3 days later. Only 13 people survived BOTH blasts.

The US only had enough nuclear material to make 3 bombs. One was used to test the device and the other two were dropped on Japan.

The atom bomb that was dropped on Nagasaki was intended for Kukura. the pilot got lost in fog and was redirected to Nagasaki after he got his bearings.

The atom bomb dropped on Nagasaki was never tested, the prototype was dropped.

If you cut a holograph in half, you will get a different view of the subject in each half, but the entire subject will be visible in both pictures.

"the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" was used to test teletype machines because it has every letter in the alphabet in it.

Most lipstick contains fish scales

One ragweed plant can release as many as one billion grains of pollen

Google Voice Receives Multi SMS User Support

Google has just rolled out a new update to its Google Voice iOS application and added a few new features. The new version 1.4.0.2372 now includes multi-recipient texting, with contact autocomplete. Together with Sprint integration support: sends all calls to the native dialer when the phone is integrated with Sprint.

The Google Voice iOS application has been created by Goole to enable users to access their Google Voice accounts directly from either their iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Allowing you to send free text messages to US phones and make international calls at very low rates.

Yahoo to weigh deals for Asian assets: sources

Yahoo Inc is considering a plan to unload most of its prized Asian assets in a complex deal valued at roughly $17 billion, sources familiar with the matter said on Wednesday, winning nods of approval from Wall Street and driving its shares higher.

The offer - the latest among proposals put forth in recent months to resuscitate the once high-flying Internet company - is expected to be considered by Yahoo's board on Thursday, sources said.

The board was uninterested in entertaining offers for the entire company at this point, said one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Yahoo's increasing difficulty in competing with Internet heavyweights such as Google Inc and Facebook have forced it to explore proposals to revamp its business.

The former Internet powerhouse, which fired its Chief Executive Carol Bartz in September, has a market value of around $18.5 billion.

Mexico Mayan region launches apocalypse countdown

FILE - This June 1, 2007 file photo shows a Mayan statue stands in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, where people will gather before making their way across the Yucatan Channel, to the Cozumel Island, in a ten mile pilgrimage in honor of the Mayan goddess Ixchel. Only a year is left before Dec. 21, 2012, when some believe the Maya predicted the end of the world. While some doomsday theorists may suggest putting together survival kits, people in southeastern Mexico, the heart of Maya territory, plan to throw a yearlong celebration. And to make a profit while they party

Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Mexico-Mayan-region-launches-apocalypse-countdown-2414619.php#ixzz1hDnheoPy

10 Things you might know or maight not know.

The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA."

Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin.

The sound of E.T. walking was made by someone squishing her hands in jelly.

Pearls melt in vinegar.

The three most valuable brand names on earth Marlboro, Coca Cola, and Budweiser, in that order.

Computer hard drives were once called Winchesters because technology had finally developed to the point that they could hold 30 megabytes of data and had a 30 millisecond access time. They were nick-named 30/30's

Half of a byte is a nybble. Half of a nybble is a crumb.

The LASER was developed solely to prove a scientific concept. It was once referred to as the cure waiting on a problem.

The ASCII code for the letters "BILLGATES" plus 3 for Bill Gates III adds up to 666

The US army turned down the Wright brothers proposal to fund research in manned flight because it had no military significance.

World’s Youngest Tycoon Is Just 8 Years Old

Man has done his bit to improve various things around him and, in doing so, he’s even managed to improve himself. Maybe not directly, but they don’t say children are the future for no reason.

In 2010, Mark Zuckerberg went down in history as one of the youngest people ever to be deemed Times “Person of the Year” and is also one of the world’s youngest self made billionaire. This year, Sebastian Vettel went down in history as the youngest driver to ever win two consecutive Formula 1 titles alongside a large number of “world’s youngest” achievements he already has under his belt. All great stories, but when it comes to the world of business, these rich twenty-something year-old success stories have been rather outdone by the protagonist of this story. His name is Harli Jordean and he’s reached business success at just eight years of age.  Further more, saying Harli Jordean earned his title of tycoon in just 8 years doesn’t tell the full story. The man, pardon me, boy is not only the youngest ever person to have a successful business, he’s also the first to give his mother a proper job..

10 Things you might know or maight not know.

Mosquito repellents don't repel. They hide you. The spray blocks the mosquito's sensors so they don't know you're there.

Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least 6 feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush. (eeewwwwwwwww!!)

American car horns beep in the tone of F.

You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

Some oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age or older.

The king of hearts is the only king without a mustache.

A Boeing 747's wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight.

American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating 1 olive from each sal

ad served in first-class.

1 in every 4 Americans has appeared on television.

Venus is the only planet that rotates clockwise.

Crude oil supply in November rose to the highest

OPEC crude oil supply in November rose to the highest level in more than
three years, up by 620 kb/d to 30.68 mb/d, with Saudi Arabia and Libya
accounting for 80% of the increase. OPEC ministers will meet on 14 December
in Vienna to review the market outlook. The ‘call on OPEC crude and stock
change’ for 2012 stands at 30.2 mb/d, near recent OPEC output levels.

A more precarious economic backdrop and weaker 4Q11 data – particularly for
OECD Europe – curb oil demand projections for 2011 and 2012 by around
0.2 mb/d. Global oil demand is expected to average 89.0 mb/d by 2011, a rise of
0.7 mb/d on 2010, before gaining a further 1.3 mb/d in 2012 to reach 90.3 mb/d.

Driverless car: Google awarded US patent for technology

A US patent for self-driving cars has been awarded to Google.

The intellectual rights relate to a method to switch a vehicle from a human-controlled mode into the state where it takes charge of the wheel.
It explains how the car would know when to take control, where it is located and which direction to drive in.
The search firm suggests the technology could be used to offer tours of tourist locations or to send faulty models to repair shops.

Go for full article click here

U.S. formally ended their nine-year war in Iraq

U.S. forces formally ended their nine-year war in Iraq on Thursday with a low key flag ceremony in Baghdad, while to the north flickering violence highlighted ethnic and sectarian strains threatening the country in years ahead.

"After a lot of blood spilled by Iraqis and Americans, the mission of an Iraq that could govern and secure itself has become real," Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said at the ceremony at Baghdad's still heavily-fortified airport.

Almost 4,500 U.S. soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqis lost their lives in the war that began with a "Shock and Awe" campaign of missiles pounding Baghdad and descended into sectarian strife and a surge in U.S. troop numbers.

U.S. soldiers lowered the flag of American forces in Iraq and slipped it into a camouflage-colored sleeve in a brief outdoor ceremony, symbolically ending the most unpopular U.S. military venture since the Vietnam War of the 1960s and 70s.

The remaining 4,000 American troops will leave by the end of the year.

Click here for full article

Facebook Timeline Available Worldwide From Today

Last week Facebook started rolling out their new Timeline feature, with it first appearing in New Zealand. But today Facebook have now confirmed that their new Timeline feature is available to users worldwide.

The new Timeline has been designed to provide users of Facebook with an easier way to rediscover the things you shared with friends, and collate your most important moments. Facebook has enabled a graced period of 7 days for the new Timeline once you have upgraded. Which allows you to check your account and new Timeline before it is revealed to any of your Facebook friends
If you want to see how your timeline appears to other people, click the gear menu at the top of your timeline, and select “View As.” You can then choose to see how your timeline appears to a specific friend or the public. Timeline allows you to then remove and add stories you might like to feature.

For more information on how to use the new features within Facebook’s Timeline, jump over to the Facebook blog post announcing its arrival. There is also a video you can watch which explains everything in more detail.

Source: Facebook

Govt unearths $12.3 billion unaccounted money: Pranab Mukherjee

NEW DELHI: Indian tax authorities have unearthed $12.3 billion (Rs 660 billion) of unaccounted money, the finance minister told Lok Sabha on Wednesday, as part of the government's efforts to curb tax evasion.

Pranab Mukherjee was replying to a debate on illicit funds or black money in the Lok Sabha.

Mukherjee also said the government had signed agreements with 60 countries to share information about tax evasion and was in the process of signing agreements with 15 more nations.

0 Gravity

Only a handful of space tourists have actually made it to the outskirts of our planet, but with companies like Virgin Galactic already taking down payments on seats, it’s only a matter of time before the cosmos become a sought-after vacation destination (for those who can afford it, of course). This project aims to offer riders a quick trip where they can briefly experience zero-gravity and get a peek of our planet.

The unmanned XLDron, equipped with an ultra high-bypass turbofan engine, carries a separate module (appropriately named Zero-Gravity) to an altitude of around 35,000 ft before the module’s rocket engine launches riders and crew beyond the atmosphere to an altitude above 100km.

Designer: Oscar Viñals

Hong Kong the top financial center

HONG KONG (CNN) - Hong Kong has leapfrogged the United States and the United Kingdom to take top spot in the World Economic Forum’s 2011 index of financial market development - the first Asian financial center to do so.

According to the forum’s fourth annual Financial Development Report, Hong Kong’s position was bolstered by strong scores in non-banking financial services such as IPO activity - the first public sale of stock by a company - and insurance.

The report ranks 60 of the word’s leading financial systems according to more than 100 variables, from access to different forms of capital and financial services, to financial stability, regulation and the availability of skilled workers.

Hong Kong jumped from fourth place in the index, amid concerns over financial stability in the U.S., and lower scores in the UK on IPO activity and securitization - which is the process in which certain types of assets, such as mortgages, are pooled so that they can be repackaged into bond-like securities.

Belgium was the only country to drop out of a largely unchanged top 10, with Norway the beneficiary.

Top 10

1. Hong Kong
2. United States
3. United Kingdom
4. Singapore
5. Australia
6. Canada
7. Netherlands
8. Japan
9. Switzerland
10. Norway

China (19th) joins Malaysia (16th) as the second of only two emerging economies within the top 20.

"Hong Kong's ascent to the top of our index marks a major milestone, the first time in the report's history that the United Kingdom or the US didn't come out on top," Kevin Steinberg, chief operating officer of World Economic Forum USA, said in a statement accompanying the report.

"While Western financial centers are understandably focused on short-term challenges, this report should serve as a wake-up call that their long-term leadership may be in jeopardy," he added.

The report added that more than 90% of countries have not returned to pre-financial crisis levels in terms of access to capital.

"The need to make different forms of capital available will be essential for future growth and recovery," said Isabella Reuttner, editor of the report, in quotes carried 

Click here for CNN

Billionaire Prokhorov to Challenge Putin

Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov plans to challenge Prime Minister Vladimir Putin for the Russian presidency in March elections, owner of the New Jersey Nets basketball team told reporters in Moscow today. Prokhorov, 46, Russia’s third-richest man with a fortune estimated at $18 billion.

'Mother Robin' wins CNN Hero of the Year

Los Angeles (CNN) -- Robin Lim, an American woman who has helped thousands of poor Indonesian women have a healthy pregnancy and birth, was named the 2011 CNN Hero of the Year on Sunday night.
Through her Yayasan Bumi Sehat health clinics, "Mother Robin," or "Ibu Robin" as she is called by the locals, offers free prenatal care, birthing services and medical aid in Indonesia, where many families cannot afford care.

"Every baby's first breath on Earth could be one of peace and love. Every mother should be healthy and strong. Every birth could be safe and loving. But our world is not there yet," Lim said during "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute," which took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and recognized Lim and the other top 10 CNN Heroes of 2011.




Click here for more

Bill Gates Company In Chinese Nuclear Reactor Technology

Since Bill Gates is pretty darn rich and has all the time in the world, it comes as no surprise that his side projects span continents. According to the BBC, Bill Gates just confirmed that his nuclear technology firm Terrapower is partnering with the Chinese to produce 4G nuclear reactors. The China connection isn’t merely two way affair though, as Terrapower has its sights set on similar ventures in Russia and India.

The exciting part about this China+Terrapower alliance is their joint effort to perfect the ‘travelling wave reactor.’ It’s supposed to usher in a new age of cost-effective nuclear energy that doesn’t produce radioactive waste and isn’t as vulnerable as older reactors. (See what happened in Japan.)

Alas, this is a developing story so there won’t be big updates yet. But it sure is indicative of how widespread the influence of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is. Among other things, B&M are also taking a tough stance against malaria.

Source BBC

Senehang Jabegu Genealogy

Senehang Jabegu Genealogy is just arrived in UK, if you would like to know more regarding this BANGSAWALI please feel free to write message box below or contact by email or facebook.

Facebook IPO sparks dreams of riches, adventure

SAN FRANCISCO - The most anticipated stock market debut of 2012 is expected to value Facebook at as much as $100 
billion, which would top just about any of Silicon Valley's most celebrated coming-out parties, from Netscape to Google.


Link for article Click here

MSN UK today about everest

If you like jumping out of aeroplanes and don't mind parting with £13,370, the Everest Skydive is the ultimate adrenalin-filled activity. And in case you were wondering, this skydiving adventure above the world's most iconic peaks works out at over £1,270 per minute of freefall. Well, it is over Everest. 


Link Click here for more

A new style of water base device has been born called the Flyboard

The Flyboard system uses a jet ski for propulsion and can be fitted to any jet ski with over a hundred horsepower. Its also equipped with water jets that fit to your arms, enabling you to get more control when cornering and diving.

The Flyboard was designed and built by Franky Zapata, from Marseille, and is now available to purchase for $6,600.

Future buildings

Julian Assange has not broken any laws and he is coming back

On Monday, Assange won the right to fight his extradition from the United Kingdom to Sweden on sexual assault allegations. This is the latest (and last) chance Assange will get to avoid answering allegations made by two women in 2010 that he forced them to have sexual relations. Assange has not been charged with a crime. Sweden is seeking him for questioning.

Swedish officials have said that the sex crime case has nothing to do with WikiLeaks or anything published on the site, including a trove of classified American intelligence in 2010 and early 2011. But Assange has repeatedly said that he believes the Swedish case is a ruse, and that if he is extradited to Sweden he'll be more vulnerable to extradition to the U.S., where he could be prosecuted in relation to WikiLeaks' release of classified U.S. information.

source CNN

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