Paranoid Android

The Googlefication of the mobile industry will begin a bit later than expected. When the search giant announced its Android mobile platform last November, it said devices running it would arrive at market by the second half of this year. Well, turns out that deadline was a bit aggressive. Android-based handsets may not be available until the fourth quarter of this year–if Google’s lucky.

Wafer Thin Mint? Mr. Google?

Coming as it does after news of Microsoft’s plan to bribe consumers to use its search engine, reports of Google’s continued dominance in search aren’t all that surprising.

Can I Earn Live Search Cashback for Hostile Acquisitions?

My God … Bill Gates really is sharing his fortune. But not with folks who help out with that infamous Microsoft email “beta test.” He’s sharing it with consumers who use Microsoft’s Live Search engine to find and purchase products online.

Yahoo to Icahn: Buzz Off

Great … More Money for Google

If the old media advertising economy is in the toilet, then its new media counterpart is sitting atop it. According to figures compiled by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, spending on Internet advertising in 2007 rose to $21.2 billion, up 26 percent from the prior year.

Facebook: Don't Be Evil

Who says Google is hoarding Silicon Valley’s tech talent? In July of 2007, Gideon Yu, a Valley train-hopper with stints at Yahoo and then YouTube, resigned from his position at the video-sharing site shortly after it was acquired by the search engine to become CFO of Facebook. A few months later, Benjamin “bling” Ling, described as one of “Larry and Sergey’s golden boys,” left Google to run Facebook’s platform program. Then this past March, Sheryl Sandberg, Google’s vice president of global online sales and operations, bailed to join the social network as chief operating officer.

Ballmer to Yang: Dear Jerry, Drop Dead

Here’s the full text of Microsoft (MSFT) CEO Steve Ballmer’s letter to Yahoo (YHOO) CEO Jerry Yang. Mr. Jerry Yang CEO and Chief Yahoo Yahoo! Inc. 701 First Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94089 Dear Jerry: After over three months, we have reached the conclusion of the process regarding a possible combination of Microsoft and Yahoo. I […]

And in Related News, It May Not

Microsoft may launch a hostile bid for Yahoo as early as today. That’s the big news this morning from those mysterious “people familiar with the situation” who are quick to note, as they always are, that the “situation” is still fluid and Microsoft may also drop the bid entirely or sweeten it a bit.

Do You, Uh, Collude?

Google Posts Q1 Investor Sedative

GooHoo?

Iran on F-14 Fleet: We Did It eBay

Developers, Start Your App Engines

TorrentSpy Takes a Dirt Nap

Just Get It Over With Already …