Business on Omid Farhang

Google Acquires VirusTotal

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:13:00 +0000

This is what we read in latest post from VirusTotal in their blog:

Our goal is simple: to help keep you safe on the web. And we’ve worked hard to ensure that the services we offer continually improve. But as a small, resource-constrained company, that can sometimes be challenging. So we’re delighted that Google, a long-time partner, has acquired VirusTotal. This is great news for you, and bad news for malware generators, because:

Google Wallet now accepts multiple cards

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:29:00 +0000

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Google just took your phone a step closer to replacing your wallet in the mobile payment revolution.

The company expanded its mobile payments platform, Google Wallet, to accept multiple credit cards. Users can now connect their Visa , MasterCard, American Express, or Discover cards with the new version of Google Wallet. It’s an update from the company’s previous partnership with MasterCard, Citigroup and Sprint.

Why Google or Facebook Buying Your Favorite Startup

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 21:37:00 +0000

Time Techland wrote:

When I learned this morning, via Twitter, that the small company behind Mac/iOS e-mail app Sparrow was being bought by Google, I almost didn’t need to read the startup’s announcement to know the upshot.

Google and Facebook buy itty-bitty web companies all the time. And the acquired businesses typically convey what’s happening in an eerily consistent five-step ritual:

Announcement of thrilling acquisition
Reiteration of startup’s wildly ambitious founding notion
Explanation that either Google or Facebook is the best place to change the world
Acknowledgement (or sometimes non-acknowledgement) that the startup’s product is being discontinued or is going into limbo
Expression of heartfelt gratitude to various supporters, usually including the consumers who are losing their something they liked

So it seems to be going with Sparrow: Its five-person team will be working on Gmail henceforth; the existing Sparrow apps aren’t being discontinued, but they apparently won’t get any updates, either.

Marissa Mayer and Future Relationship of Yahoo!, Google and Facebook

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Eric Jackson in Forbes Wrote:

There are so many intriguing aspects of Marissa Mayer‘s hiring at Yahoo! (YHOO).

However, what intrigues me the most is the what the future strategic direction of Yahoo! will be under her watch and what this means for the company’s future relationships with Google (GOOG) and Facebook(FB) (not to mention Microsoft(MSFT)).

Presumably, Marissa already has the start of a strategic vision. And she said as much in a leaked memo yesterday:

Hacker divulges data on 10 Iranian banks, central bank warns clients [Updated]

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 17:21:00 +0000

An Iranian hacker published the information about some 3 million debit cards of 10 Iranian banks, including codes and passwords.

The information has been published by someone named “Khosrow Zare Farid” who was the manager of a company which operates SHETAB payment network in Iran and produces and installs POS devices.

“Around one year ago I found a critical bug in the system. Then I wrote and sent a formal report to all the CEO of banks in Iran but none of them replied to me. Now I decided to publish the information. Governments tried to catch me by Iran Cyber Army but they failed,” he said, according to Kabir News website

Report: iOS vulnerability sold for $250,000

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:42:00 +0000

The H-Security: Business appears to be booming for those who trade in unpatched (zero-day) security holes: according to a report by Forbes magazine, a US company that works for the US government recently paid $250,000 for a vulnerability in Apple’s iOS operating system.

The report says that the deal was arranged by a hacker who goes by the name of “the Grugq” and who has brokered agreements between those who discover vulnerabilities and government agencies over the last year. If negotiations are successful, the hacker retains a 15 per cent commission; he’s reportedly on track to earn about a million US dollars this year with his brokerage business.

Google: No, We’re Not Launching Retail Stores Yet

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 11:43:00 +0000

Mashable: Google planned to open its first-ever public store at its European headquarters in Dublin, if you believed a rumor reported by Bloomberg. But according to a company spokesperson, no plans are definite right now.

A Google planning application for an expansion of its Dublin office indicated plans for an employee swimming pool, a restaurant and a store. But Google says the company doesn’t have plans to get into the retail business right now.

Yahoo Chairman Steps Down

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:45:00 +0000

Mashable: Yahoo‘s chairman of the board, Roy Bostock, is leaving the company. Bostock has been chairman since 2008.

Bostock revealed the news to shareholders in a long letter describing the company’s recent re-strategizing. A far cry from a resignation letter, Bostock is upbeat about Yahoo’s future and its recent moves, saying that, since the company is in a position to “drive innovation and growth going forward,” he will not seek re-election at the next shareholders’ meeting.

Update: Google Buys Motorola

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 21:53:00 +0000

Google Operating System Blog: Google found a way to solve the problem of Android patents and it’s only three times more expensive than acquiring the Nortel patents: buying Motorola for $12.5 billion.

“Motorola has a history of over 80 years of innovation in communications technology and products, and in the development of intellectual property, which have helped drive the remarkable revolution in mobile computing we are all enjoying today. (…) In 2008, Motorola bet big on Android as the sole operating system across all of its smartphone devices. It was a smart bet and we’re thrilled at the success they’ve achieved so far,” says Google’s CEO, Larry Page.

Google buys Motorola Mobility, Android's top supporter

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 19:41:00 +0000

BetaNews: Google thoroughly rocked the smartphone world on Monday morning by announcing it will be acquiring Android phone maker Motorola Mobility for approximately $12.5 billion. Motorola Mobility has existed as a standalone entity for just 8 months, and has produced some of the most successful Android smartphones such as the first Droidwith Verizon Wireless.

Most importantly, though, Motorola Mobility holds one of the most valuable wireless patent portfolios in the business, and this acquisition serves as a follow up to the Nortel Patent auction where Google placed bids, but lost out to a consortium of bidders that included Apple, EMC, Microsoft, Ericsson, Research in Motion, and Sony.

Microsoft heading for $8bn Skype acquisition

Tue, 10 May 2011 12:20:00 +0000

V3.co.uk: Microsoft is a whisker away from an $8bn deal to buy VoIP firm Skype in its biggest ever foray into the acquisition market, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The deal, which would total around $8.5bn when including Skype’s long-term debt, could be signed as early as Tuesday, people familiar with the matter told the paper.

Microsoft’s biggest acquisition to date is the $6bn paid in 2007 to buy online advertising firm aQuantive.

Unconfirmed reports that Yahoo has sold Delicious for $5 Million

Sun, 13 Mar 2011 14:29:00 +0000

TheNextWeb wrote: We’ve received a solid report from a reliable and proven source that Yahoo has sold social bookmarking site Delicious for $5m+.

The service was placed on the market in December after a meeting to discuss Yahoo’s future direction. After a heated bidding process, the site has reportedly been sold to a rival bookmarking service – who exactly we’re unsure of but we’ll update once we have confirmation. We do know its been sold to an existing competitor with “strong user base.”

Google Acquires BeatThatQuote for $61.5 Million

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:44:00 +0000

Mashable wrote: Google has broken new ground in the personal finance realm with the purchase of UK price comparison website BeatThatQuote for $61.5 million ($37.7 million GBP).

BeatThatQuote, launched in 2005, provides price comparisons for UK loans, insurance, legal services, utilities and other financial products. It was named one of the UK’s fastest-growing websites by Nielsen in 2007.

“Our team is excited about becoming a part of Google,” BeatThatQuote Managing Director John Paleomylites said in a statement on the company’s website. “We look forward to working with their engineers to create new tools making it easier for consumers to choose the right financial products. We think we can offer more transparency and better pricing information than existing online offerings.”

Red Hat Near Key Support Area

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:22:00 +0000

New York, December 27th (TradersHuddle.com) – Shares of Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE:RHT) are trading very close to calculated support at $45.27 with current price action closing at just $46.51 places the stock price near levels where traders will start paying attention.

Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE:RHT) develops and provides open source software and services, including the Red Hat Linux operating system.

Red Hat’s current stock range is defined by current calculated support defined at $45.27 and by the resistance level at $48.78, which should be used by traders planning their trades.

Microsoft’s Still Not Talking About Windows Phone 7 Sales Numbers

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 00:16:00 +0000

Mashable: Windows Phone 7 has been on the market for a little more than a month, but the company still isn’t disclosing how many devices featuring its revamped mobile OS have been sold.

Pressed on the issue by The Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg at All Things Digital’s D: Dive Into Mobile conference on Tuesday, Microsoft Corporate VP for Windows Phone Joe Belfiore would say only that “It’s just too soon to talk about numbers,” though he admitted it will likely take years before Microsoft is near the top of the mobile market share discussion.

Google Gives All Employees Surprise $1,000 Cash Bonus And 10% Raise

Wed, 10 Nov 2010 13:05:00 +0000

Google has given all of its employees $1,000 cash “holiday bonuses” and 2011 salary increases of at least 10%, a loyal reader tells us.

The 10% company-wide raise will take effect on January 1, 2011.

In addition, Google will also give each employee an additional raise equivalent to 1X the employee’s target bonus for the year. And employees will be eligible for additional “merit increases” based on their individual performance.

Facebook’s Zuckerberg Now Richer Than Apple’s Steve Jobs

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 18:34:00 +0000

Just 5 years after founding Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg is worth more than Apple’s iconic chief Steve Jobs.

This year, Zuckerberg, 26, added $4.9 billion to his fortune–vaulting to #35 on the Forbes 400 with an estimated fortune of $6.9 billion. Why the jump? Recent private equity investments in Facebook valued the firm at around $23 billion–more than triple its 2009 value of $7 billion. Illiquid private shares in secondary markets point to an even richer valuation.

Steve Ballmer Sells $1.3 Billion Worth of Microsoft Shares

Sat, 06 Nov 2010 15:43:00 +0000

Mashable: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has sold 12% of his stake in the tech giant in a transaction worth over $1.3 billion.

According to a filing with the SEC, Ballmer has sold 49.3 million Microsoft shares over the last three days, bringing his total ownership to 358.9 million shares, or approximately 4.2% of the company. Essentially, he sold 12% of his shares at a price between $26 and $28.

Knowing that the media would notice such a large transaction, Ballmer posted a statement on Microsoft’s website, saying that he sold $1.3 billion in Microsoft shares for financial diversification and tax planning.

Zynga now valued at $5.51 billion, more than Electronic Arts

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 15:31:00 +0000

SharesPost has valued Farmville developer Zynga Game Network at $5.51 billion, according to Business Week. That means it is now estimated to be bigger than console publisher Electronic Arts, which stands at a market cap of $5.16 billion. It still has a long way to go to beat Activision Blizzard, which has a market cap of $13.9 billion.

While making such direct comparisons isn’t completely accurate, nor fair, it gives us a snapshot at how quickly social network gaming is growing. Zynga was founded four years ago and already six of the 10 most popular apps on Facebook belong to it, and it has more than 210 million monthly active users.

Apple Remains America’s Most Innovative Company

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:23:00 +0000

BusinessWeek and Fortune have both released their annual rankings — the 50 Most Innovative Companies and the Fortune 500, respectively — and Apple has strong showings in both publications.

For the sixth consecutive year, Apple ranked number one in BusinessWeek’s 50 Most Innovative Companies report. When you consider that BusinessWeek only started this ranking system in 2005, that statistic becomes even more impressive. James Andrew, senior partner and head of global innovation at Boston Consulting Group (the company that provides the data to BusinessWeek) claims that every year Apple is the “hands down winner,” although Google remains a strong second. Furthermore, when those surveyed were asked what company would replace Apple as the most innovative over the next five years, the most common response was “no one.”