Sunday, December 05, 2010

The internet: How long will Google's magic last? | The Economist

An excerpt from an extensive Google reality check in The Economist; read the full article.  There are also some thoughtful articles about Wikileaks in the latest issue; check the print edition table of contents.  Tangentially, I’m greatly enjoying the iPad version of the publication, especially since the dead-tree version delivery day is highly variable, week-to-week (i.e., since I don’t have to wait to read the weekly issues).

All this has turned Google into a force to be reckoned with. But now the champion of the unorthodox is faced with two conventional business challenges. The first involves placating regulators, who fret that it may be abusing its considerable power. On November 30th the European Union announced a formal investigation into claims that Google has been manipulating search results to give an unfair advantage to its own services—a charge the firm vigorously denies. In America, Google faces a similar investigation in Texas and is also battling with a bunch of online-travel companies who have been lobbying the government to veto its recent purchase of ITA Software, a company that provides data about flights.

The internet: How long will Google's magic last? | The Economist

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