Google adds ads to Google News searches

Image via CrunchBase

Google has extended its AdWords program to Google News searches, delivering text ads on the right side of the search results page, just as Google has long done with regular Web search results.

Josh Cohen, a business product manager at Google, announced the move Wednesday in a company blog:

In recent months we’ve been experimenting with a variety of different formats, like overlay ads on embedded videos from partners like the AP. We’ve always said that we’d unveil these changes when we could offer a good experience for our users, publishers and advertisers alike, and we’ll continue to look at ways to deliver ads that are relevant for users and good for publishers, too…

Google adds ads to Google News searches | Digital Media - CNET News

Revealed: the environmental impact of Google searches

Performing two Google searches from a desktop computer can generate about the same amount of carbon dioxide as boiling a kettle for a cup of tea, according to new research.

While millions of people tap into Google without considering the environment, a typical search generates about 7g of CO2 Boiling a kettle generates about 15g. “Google operates huge data centres around the world that consume a great deal of power,” said Alex Wissner-Gross, a Harvard University physicist whose research on the environmental impact of computing is due out soon. “A Google search has a definite environmental impact.”

Revealed: the environmental impact of Google searches - Times Online

What is Market Capitalization?

Market capitalization or “Market cap” refers to the total market value of all the publicly traded shares of that company.  Basically you take the number of shares available for a company, multiply by the stock price and that gives you the market capitalization.  For example if a company has 5,000 outstanding shares that are worth $40 each - the total value of the shares of $200,000 which is also the market capitalization.

It’s important to note that market capitalization doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the actual value of the company assets – but rather the value of ownership which includes all the assets of the company plus any future expectations of profits.

It’s possible to have a company that doesn’t own any assets but has a great idea for making money – investors might value this company highly.  Google is a good example of a company that has a market cap far higher than its assets because its investors are assuming the company will be able to increase its profits at a rapid pace.

Small cap vs Large cap

The capitalization of a company is most often used when grouping companies by size.  A mutual fund or ETF might specialize in large cap companies or small cap companies.  The general thought is that smaller companies (measured by market cap) are riskier investments but might perform better over the long term.  Larger companies are not as risky but also might not go up in value as much as the smaller cap companies.

Market Capitalization