Google buys everything for nothing

I know there is a lot of talk about Google buying DoubleClick for $3.1 billion pipping Microsoft who were eyeing the same for around $2 billion. Google did this as the deal will extend it's online advertising reach even further, combining it's ad platform and publisher monetization services with DoubleClick's ad campaign management skills. More importantly, it did this to prevent Microsoft from getting an easy entry into this space. Microsoft, Yahoo and Amazon have been left with sour grapes..but was it a wise price to pay?

Well, me thinks so because whenever you see Google make an acquisition, it's stock price shoots up (happened during all the big, publicized acquisitions) and the rise in price more than compensates for the price it buys the companies for :)..Jab bhagwan deta hai, chappal phad kar deta hai (When it rains, it pours :)). The last I saw regarding Google's stock price rise today was 1.7% which is almost equivalent to what it paid and still going up...Sorta like a very fast mail-in rebate?

Game game go away, little Johny wants to play?

Well, Johnie should have other things to do now!. New law in China says that under 18 year olds just have 3 hours to play per day. Good move! Hopefully, it will be a more "social" world soon, children being liberated from the shackles of their computers :)..well, some people might not appreciate freedom ;). Gaming companies will be forced to enforce this...Good thinking at a national level, never knew people at that level thought too much :P/

This is the "official" report :-

1MC writes "The Chinese govt is requiring game houses to modify MMOG's to restrict under 18 users to 3 hours "productive" gameplay per day. This "anti-addiction" software must be in place within 4 months, with games not compliant by July 15 liable to be shut down in China. Net9, Shanda and NetEase will be moving to comply with the government regulations. Users will have to register with their real names and Chinese identity card numbers to be allowed access to the games."

Hopefully, they will not have any restrictions on blogging, emails...imagine your life without it ?