Google’s vulnerable invulnerability: “No more Freebies”

It’s quite difficult to imagine a global Internet giant with nearly a $140 billion market cap, $16 billion in cash reserves and $7 billion in annual free cash flow having a potentially menacing weakness. But in a digital marketplace hell-bent on making consumers pay for preferences, Google could be the odd man out.

Apple and Amazon are demonstrating that paid content and apps are the Internet’s “new frontier,”‘ particularly on mobile devices and in emerging markets. They are driving user payment revenues to an average annual 17 percent growth through 2012 — more than twice the rate of online advertising revenues, slowing to average annual seven percent gains.

That momentum is prompting more developers and producers to charge fees as consumers demonstrate a willingness to pay for premium products. By 2012, user payments will account for 31 percent of domestic online media revenue while still comprising the lion’s share, or 59 percent, of offline media revenue.

That would lessen media’s dependence on advertising and on Google, presenting the Internet colossus with its first major “evolution challenge”. Because it’s not culturally disposed to charging fees and has few billing relationships, Google’s online search clout has been limited to free ad-supported arrangements. Google’s share of total domestic online revenues could be at risk as user payments begin to match or exceed advertising. Google claims more than 30 percent of online ad market and a smaller share of online content apps payments.

Ayotallah Ali Khamenei Endorses Iranian Elections Ahmadinejad is the man!

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: 62.6%

Mir Hossein Mousavi: 33.8%

Mohsen Rezai: 1.7%

Mehdi Karroubi 0.9%

Turnout: 85%

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sunday gave his support to the outcome of the country’s contested presidential election, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Mir Hossein Moussavi is asking that Iran’s election results be annulled, according to his campaign Web site.

Khamenei praised the large voter turnout at Friday’s election, where President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was re-elected with more than 62 percent of the vote, and said the result showed Iranians value “resistance against oppressors,” .

But clashes between police, supporters of the president and protesters opposing Ahmadinejad, dominated the capital Sunday.

Roots of Breast Cancer

Why breast cancer is usually found near the armpit?

Some time ago, I attended a Breast Cancer Awareness seminar and I asked why the most common area for Breast Cancer was near the armpit. My question could not be answered at that time.

This e-mail was just sent to me, and I find it interesting that my question has been answered.

I challenge you all to rethink your everyday use of a product that could

ultimately lead to a terminal illness. As of today, I will change my use.

A friend forwarded this to me.

I showed it to another friend going through chemotherapy & she said she

learned this fact in a support group recently.