Google Closes AdMob Deal

It's taken over six months, but Google today announced they have completed their acquisition of mobile advertiser AdMob. The deal was in doubt because of a Federal Trade Commission investigation. Just last week, the FTC finally said the deal could go through citing Apple's recently announced iAd platform. It's clear Google is looking to put AdMob to work on all mobile platforms. "We believe that mobile advertising can play a significant role in every single marketing campaign. We’re passionate about the unlimited possibilities in this space,” said Google's Susan Wojcicki.

Apple was in discussions with AdMob when Google swooped in and paid $750 million for the mobile advertising powerhouse. It originally looked like Google might end up with egg on its face as the FTC started making noises about antitrust concerns. Now all is well in the Google-verse, and you can keep enjoying those annoying ads on your phone. Do you think the FTC gave the deal enough scrutiny?

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Google Closes AdMob Deal

Google is in the Anti-Trust Spotlight

Google's primary creed of "Do No Evil" may give comfort to some, but according the New York Times the US Federal Government may need a bit more convincing. "They are not just on the radar screen. They are at the center of it," said Tim Wu, a professor at Columbia University and the author of a forthcoming book on technology monopolies, "The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of Information Empires." "If you are in the federal government and are interested in antitrust, you are looking at Google."

Scrutiny of the California based search giant was bound to continue mounting as a result of its success, however recent privacy snafus, including the Wi-Fi sniffing issue have only served to further fuel the flames of mistrust between Google and federal regulators. Google executives acknowledge that being under the spotlight is expected given their rapid growth, but maintain that competition on the Internet is still strong and is a mere click away. This argument has kept regulators at bay until now, but it remains to be seen what action, if any the government is considering.

It may be a long forgotten issue for most, but Federal Judge Denny Chin is expected to rule very soon on the amended book publishing settlement inked with authors which could very well set the tone for any further interventions. Google has a tradition of breaking business models in just about every industry it enters, so it will be interesting to see how long this goes unchallenged.

Do you buy the "competition is one click away" argument, or is Google just becoming too powerful to responsibly organize the worlds data?

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Google is in the Anti-Trust Spotlight

Apple Officially Axes "Get a Mac" Campaign

Looking through some of the past reader comments, we're well aware that many of you would rather stick bamboo under your fingernails than read about anything related to Apple, but before you put yourself through all that, give this one a chance. You know those 'Get a Mac' commercials that get your blood boiling? Well, you'll never have to watch a new one again.

As Justin Long said was going to happen, Apple has officially canned the long-running ads featuring him and John Hodgman (as the PC guy) squaring off against one another in what seemed like a new skit every week at one point. Not only that, but it appears Apple even pulled the gallery of QuickTime ads from its website.

In its place (and here's where you'll want to stop reading) is a page explaining "Why You'll Love a Mac." If you're curious but just can't get yourself to click the link, Apple's reasons include "Better Hardware," "Better Software," "Better OS," "Better Support," and "It's Compatible."

Now, where we'd put that bamboo?

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Apple Officially Axes "Get a Mac" Campaign