Forbes Column 08: The Microsoft-Yahoo! Battle Plan

As you know, I am of the opinion the deal will go through, despite all the scrambling. News is gradually flowing in that Yahoo! doesn’t really have other options in the works. News Corp has declined. AT&T and Comcast are not interested. Google is not an option. Private Equity is also not an option anymore.

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Deal Radar 2008: Facebook Woes Coming?

Facebook is the most popular social networking site providing an interactive space that helps members communicate with “friends”. The site features like ‘Wall’ and ‘Poke’ have created a vernacular amongst the youth population. It was started in February 2004, by Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg. “Are we Facebook friends?” has now become a social phenomenon! Angel

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Is Google Scared?

Why this charade, if not? In a “Pot calling the kettle black” statement, Eric Schmidt whimpered that Microsoft’s Yahoo bid is anti-competitive. My poor little Google, let me rock you and soothe you … Here’s an excerpt from last week’s analysis on Google’s earnings: “Revenue on Google’s site stood at $3.12 billion, up 58% y-o-y.

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Deal Radar 2008: Digg – Packaging news

Digg is a social news book marking site containing user generated content. Ranging from science and technology to politics and entertainment, it covers a diverse spectrum of news posted and rated by users. The site was started in 2004 by Kevin Rose and Jay Adelson. This site received its funding from two investors – Greylock

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From Here and There

I find its site impossible to navigate, but Etsy, a crafts marketplace, has raised $27 Million this week. Here’s the story from VentureBeat. I like the idea of a crafts marketplace, in the same vein that I like all Renaissance ideas. But they need to hire a UI designer asap. Fake Steve Jobs gives a

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Google’s Mortalization

Those who make a habit of existing in the clouds eventually have to descend. Perhaps, Google is experiencing a slight doze of “mortalization”. Google investors have lost more than 18% of their money over the past month due to concerns about the crumbling US macroeconomic condition. After yesterday’s 4Q07 results which were highly overestimated by

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Microsoft to Rescue the Yahoo Damsel in Distress

Yahoo!’s vulnerable situation was bound to bring out acquisition offers, and Microsoft has been sniffing at the company for a year (see the letter from Ballmer to Yang in the WSJ). I was hoping against hope that Private Equity would step up to the plate, recognizing the leverage opportunity, but it has not happened.

Viacom – Discovering its Mojo

We did a lengthy review of Viacom’s (NYSE: VIA-B) vertical strategy in the Fall. Meanwhile, revenues were up 24% in 3Q07 to $3.27 billion. Adjusted net earnings grew 20% to $437 million and diluted EPS were $0.65, a 27% increase over 3Q06. The solid performance was due to the DreamWorks-Paramount blockbuster Transformers. Earlier this month,

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