Google Releases New Web Browser

Google has released its own Web browser called “Chrome.” The browser is free of cost and it supposedly is more innovative and has more tools for surfing than its competitors. It is going to be available today for downloading in more than 100 countries for computers that are running on Microsoft's Windows operating system.

Yahoo and McAfee Team Together to Bring Search Engine Security

Yahoo Inc. and McAfee Inc. are teaming up to offer alerts about possibly dangerous Web sites in search engine results generated at Yahoo’s search engine. The new search feature will allow people who search the Internet to see a red exclamation point and a warning next to links that McAfee finds as having dangerous downloads or using visitors’ e-mail addresses to send out spam. Dangerous downloads include adware, which shows unwanted advertisements, and spyware, which tracks users’ keystrokes and other actions secretly.

Yahoo and McAfee hopes that the new feature will help people feel more secure when searching on Yahoo’s search engine and visiting sites. Yahoo has chosen to delete the most dangerous sites from their search engine and currently has the second most popular search engine after Google.

This partnership could allow McAfee a way to expose more Internet users to its security software and encourage them to upgrade to the premium versions. McAfee can also use Yahoo’s search information to find sites to examine for security holes and use the information to upgrade its products. The McAfee technology that is used on Yahoo’s site is a lesser version of McAfee’s full SiteAdvisor technology that is free from McAfee.

Microsoft Withdraws Yahoo Bid

Microsoft Corp. has decided to withdraw its $42.3 billion bid on Saturday to buy Yahoo Inc. This came after an unsuccessful last try to negotiate a mutually acceptable sale price.

Microsoft was willing to pay as much as $47.5 billion, or $33 per share, but Yahoo’s board wanted at least $53 billion, or $37 per share. Microsoft could make a new bid later this year if Yahoo doesn’t recover after having more than two years of financial problems. Analysts feel that if things don’t change for Yahoo Inc. soon, their stock would decrease into the mid-teens and that would make it difficult for the company to turn down any future offers. Yahoo Inc. is considering an advertising partnership with Google and a merger with the Internet operations of Time Warner Inc.

Yahoo Declines Microsoft’s Offer

Yahoo has rejected Microsoft Corp.’s $44.6 billion dollar offer thinking that they can get a better offer from the company or find another way to pay its shareholders. Yahoo has said that they could possibly negotiate if Microsoft comes up with a better offer. If they don’t, then Yahoo will have to try to rebound financially on its own.

Some analysts think that Microsoft will raise its offer to $35 to $40 per share to make the negotiation. Microsoft was willing to pay at least $40 per share for Yahoo a year ago but Yahoo wasn’t interested in the offer because it was confident in its own strategy and plans. A higher bid could possibly hurt Microsoft’s stock price, because recently it has been falling. Microsoft’s market value has decreased by over $40 billion, which is 14 percent, since the bid was announced. The Yahoo takeover could be more trouble than it’s worth for Microsoft. Analysts say that Yahoo will have no choice but to take the offer if Microsoft raises its bid.

If Microsoft doesn’t want to pay more money then they can take their original bid directly to Yahoo’s shareholders. Microsoft has been seriously considering this by meeting with some of Yahoo’s major shareholders to get support for the offer. Yahoo could also make Microsoft not want them by issuing out more company shares so that it would make the company too expensive for Microsoft to want to buy.

Even though Yahoo has been suffering for the past two years, it still has one of the largest Internet audiences and is a very valuable franchise. Microsoft wants to use those qualities to compete against Google Inc., which currently has the lead in online search and advertising. Yahoo has been considering an advertising partnership with Google as an option to earn profits and stay independent. Yahoo is also looking for other companies that might make a larger bid than Microsoft, but none has come forward yet.

Yahoo is hoping that their stock value will not go below $20 per share if Microsoft decides not to make any more bids. If that happens then there could be a large number of shareholder lawsuits.

Google’s New Service Clashes with Wikipedia

Google’s new service coming out called “Knol” will allow people to write articles on their areas of expertise like the website Wikipedia does. The content will be free to access and authors of content on the site will be able to attach advertising to their writing and have a share of the revenue. Knol suppose to cover all topics like Wikipedia does and it is currently in the test phase but will be available to the public soon.

Read More: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,316902,00.html

Google Added to Gas Pumps

Starting next month, gas pumps will include an Internet connection that will have Google’s mapping service in color on a small screen. People will be able to get driving directions and look through several categories to find local landmarks, hotels, restaurants, and hospitals.

After a person selects a destination, the pump will print out the directions. Someday, they may have it where a person could type in a specific address and get directions.

In the beginning, they plan to have the service at 3,500 gas pumps and then expand if there is a more of a demand. Google wants to do this because they want to make their services available whenever and wherever people would need it.

Google’s Mission to the Moon

Google is offering $30 million dollars to the first private company that can land a robotic rover on the moon and beam back a gigabyte of images and video to Earth. Google has partnered with the X Prize Foundation for this contest and it is open to companies around the world.
Whoever fills the requirements of the contest by the end of 2012 gets $20 million dollars. The winner must be able to have a successful landing and have high-definition video and still cameras. The rover must also be able to trek at least 1,312 feet on the moon and send self-portraits, panoramic views, and near-real time video back to Earth that will be streamed on Google’s website. The participants must create a secure launch vehicle for the probe by building it themselves or contracting with a private rocket company.
If there is no winner, the prize will drop to $15 million dollars until the contest ends in 2014. There is a $5 million dollar second-place prize and a $5 million dollar bonus to the teams that go beyond the minimum requirements.

Check Out Google's New gPhone

Google has created it's own wireless phone called the gPhone. Find out more: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2007/tc2007095_107344.htm?chan=technology_technology+index+page_top+stories