Technology & Innovation — September 6, 2011

What’s on Google’s Shopping List?

Hulu, OpenTable, Rovio, Travelzoo, AOL's ad network, Rovi, Twitter, NVIDIA, Sprint, and Salesforce. They are companies Business Insider tips Google might want to acquire next.

bigthinkeditor

What’s the Latest Development?

Subtracting the cost of the Motorola deal, Google still has more than than $25 billion in cash and marketable securities on hand. It generated $2.6 billion in free cash flow just last quarter. Hulu, OpenTable, Rovio, Travelzoo, AOL’s ad network, Rovi, Twitter, NVIDIA, Sprint, and Salesforce. They are companies Business Insider tips Google might acquire next.

What’s the Big Idea?

Google’s $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola will be its biggest acquisition ever–more than four times the size of DoubleClick, the previous leader. But over the last decade, Google has been one of the biggest–and most successful –acquirers in the tech industry, and owes a lot of its success to these smart buys. Its core search advertising platform and most of its biggest new businesses, including Android, YouTube, and display advertising, all come from other companies.

Strange Maps

America’s news deserts are growing

Most counties in the U.S. have only one local newspaper, often one that publishes weekly instead of daily.

Two people walking past a dark brick wall with numerous security cameras pointing in various directions.

The Present

Are smart cities a wise idea?

When Google runs a smart city, who owns the data?

Illustration of a young woman with closed eyes, smiling, next to a large, detailed eye and surrounded by vibrant, abstract elements and smiley faces.

Neuropsych

Eyes wide shut: Why closing your eyes intensifies psychedelic trips

A recent study suggests that exposure to visual stimuli can diminish the effects of psychedelic drugs.

Starts With A Bang

The big idea of Grand Unified Theories of physics

If the electromagnetic and weak forces unify to make the electroweak force, maybe, at higher energies, something even grander happens?

Microscopic image of a small electronic component with clear details of its structure and connections against a gray background.

The Future

Making microbots smart

What would it take to create a truly intelligent microbot, one that can operate independently?

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