Google+ traffic indicators point up
The latest analysis of Google+ traffic from Experian Hitwise provides some evidence as to why claims that the new social network is dead in the water are premature. Among the findings: Google+ users are coming back more often and staying longer.
Yahoo welcomes another big investor into the tent
Yahoo just moved another step forward in its bid to control the end-game that has been taking shape around its future.
Silver Lake has agreed to enter into confidential discussions with the US internet company, making it the latest private equity firm to go this route – and potentially robbing Alibaba and Softbank of an ally as they consider making a play for Yahoo themselves. But it’s still far too early to call it “game over”.
The Steve Jobs verdict on Microsoft, HP and others
Steve Jobs was renowned for his willingness to speak the unvarnished truth, regardless of who he offended. He also had an obvious business interest in talking down competitors. But even with those caveats, some of his observations about other companies, from the authorised biography by Walter Isaacson that was published on Monday, make interesting reading.
Bill Gross Chimes In
After going to war with Twitter, serial entrepreneur Bill Gross has come up with a new idea: take it on at its own game. His UberMedia is launching a Twitter/Tumblr hybrid, called ChimeIn, that draws on some of the best ideas of both.
The obvious question this begs: how many social platforms does the world need?
Losing the Buzz
No great surprise here. Google is killing off Buzz, the ill-fated social updates service it launched early last year.
With Google+ now passing 40m members and all the company’s focus directed towards promoting that service, it’s time to throw Buzz onto a scrapheap that already includes notable casualties like Wave and Google Health.
Why Google needs to become a platform company
Internal rants can sometimes shed interesting light on the stresses inside big companies. One such leaked out on Wednesday from Google engineer Steve Yegge after he bungled his privacy settings on Google+ (oops).
With due allowance for the tone of a missive not intended for public consumption, the basic question he raises is an important one: has Google put its future at risk by failing to become a true platform company, rather than just the provider of a series of widely used products?
Steve Ballmer’s report card: “Could do better”
Steve Ballmer received only half the potential bonus he stood to make in Microsoft’s latest fiscal year, though the pay-out was still in line with the “target bonus” the company had set for him.
The message from the Microsoft board: despite successes like the Kinect and a breakthrough deal with Nokia, under Mr Ballmer’s leadership the company is still falling short in the all-important smartphone and tablet markets.
Is the US ready for a Chinese Yahoo?
A leading US online media and communications firm owned and controlled from mainland China?
That spectre was raised on Friday by Jack Ma, head of Alibaba, as he announced his interest in buying Yahoo. After all the angst caused by US internet companies venturing into China in recent years, his declaration raises the possibility of an interesting reversal.
Counting the cost of the last HP CEO
Hewlett-Packard is getting more stingy with its CEO pay and benefits, according to a regulatory filing made late on Thursday. Given what it has just cost the company for 11 months’ service from Léo Apotheker – up to $33m, by our calculations – this should come as some relief for its long-suffering shareholders.
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