revenue

Google makes more money from ads than print media combined

Google makes more money from advertising than all U.S. print publications combined, according to a new study from German statistics company Statista.

The company found Google generated $20.8 billion in ad revenue in the first six months of 2012, while the whole U.S. print media industry -- newspapers and magazines -- made only $19.2 billion.

Statista did note, however, that the comparison is "obviously unfair" and shouldn't be judged scientifically. Google operates globally, while the company only looked at print media in the U.S.

Still, it's a pretty interesting indication of … Read more

Millions of SSNs lifted from South Carolina database

If you live in South Carolina, there's a very good chance that slipshod state government security has allowed an overseas computer criminal to acquire your Social Security number.

The South Carolina Department of Revenue acknowledged the massive electronic security breach today, saying an electronic intrusion led to 3.6 million Social Security numbers being stolen. The state's population is approximately 4.7 million.

"We are taking immediate steps to protect the taxpayers of South Carolina, including providing one year of credit monitoring and identity protection to those affected," Gov. Nikki Haley said in a statement.

Anyone … Read more

Samsung posts record $7.4B profit on strong Galaxy sales

South Korea's Samsung Electronics reported on Friday (local time) a record quarterly profit of $7.4 billion, crediting strong sales of its Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets with making up for weak chip demand.

The electronics giant said its third-quarter operating profit increased 91 percent to $7.39 billion, in line with guidance offered earlier this month. Revenue for the quarter ended September 30 was 52.18 trillion won ($47.5 billion), a 26 percent increase over the same period last year.

The company's Mobile Communications division accounted for half that figure, logging 26.25 trillion won ($… Read more

iPhone 5 will drive GDP, chip growth, analysts predict

Just how big is the expected release this Wednesday of the iPhone 5? How about big enough to show up in U.S. GDP growth and account for a sizable chunk of global chip revenues.

Adds to U.S GDP: Let's start with the U.S. economy. "We believe the release of iPhone 5 could potentially add between 1/4 to 1/2 percent-point to fourth quarter annualized [gross domestic product] growth," said JP Morgan in a research note today.

The note continued. "Our equity analysts believe around 8 million iPhone 5's will be sold … Read more

Apple iPhone 5 event adds to Intel woes

It's been a bad week for Intel.

The earnings warning today capped a week that began ominously when Apple sent out invites for an event -- widely expected to be the unveiling of the iPhone 5 -- that could bury Intel's biggest annual conference.

Call it bad luck, but the three-day Intel Developer Forum will peak on September 12, the same day of the big Apple event (which, by the way, CNET will be live-blogging).

And it's probably not a stretch to say that Apple's announcement will generate a mountain of news before, during, and after … Read more

Another indication the bloom's coming off the Facebook rose

Add another entry to the lengthening list of reduced revenue estimates for Facebook.

eMarketer said in a report issued earlier today that it has cut its 2012 revenue estimates on Facebook from more than $6 billion to around $5 billion.

In February, eMarketer estimated that Facebook's total revenues would go beyond the $6 billion mark this year, but the company's underwhelming performance in the first and second quarters of 2012 has changed the opinion of analysts.

The new estimate has Facebook's revenue at a 35.9 percent increase from 2011, according to eMarketer's forecast, but analyst … Read more

What Zuckerberg must do to right the Facebook ship

All is not well at Facebook. Some have even started calling for CEO Mark Zuckerberg's head. But the panic is premature, and the social network has plenty of time and opportunity to turn things around.

Facebook's stock price has traveled south since its flashy (and disastrous) debut in May. Facebook closed at $19.44 per share on Wednesday, barely half of its $38 IPO price.

Why is Facebook's share price dropping like a boulder off a cliff? M&A specialist Marty Wolf provides an excellent explanation, but I'll summarize the key points:

Facebook's price-to-earnings … Read more

The 404 1,110: Where we're more than meats the eye (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Google may start a same-day delivery service that uses automated vehicles.

- YouTube is the No. 1 source of music for teenagers.

- People also spend more time watching their phones than television.

- 3D printed meat: It's what's for dinner.

- 'The Price is Right' seeking first male model.

Bathroom break video: Why should I be on the Internet?… Read more

Facebook's mobile-only use jumps 23 percent since March

Facebook's latest 10-Q filing reveals that nearly 20 percent of its more than 543 million monthly mobile users accessed the social network in June solely on their mobile device. That's 102 million people.

These astounding numbers were first reported by TechCrunch, which also notes that mobile-only users have increased dramatically. According to the SEC 10-Q report, 83 million people visited the site with only their mobile device in March, which adds up to a 23 percent increase of mobile-only users from March to June.

The specifics of Facebook's mobile use are important because the company's revenue … Read more