... and Rich and Rick share

...articles from MIT Technology Review, via Richard Sotter, and from WIRED via Rick Mitchell. Both articles provide interesting insights into Google/GOOG...
From Briefing comes this roundup of today's earnings report and conference call summary:

Company's profit jumped six-fold thanks to higher online ad sales outside the U.S. GOOG doesn't provide guidance to analysts. Movie show time and map features (offered in Feb) as well as more customization features have been very successful. Company lowered price of GOOG Mini to attract more customers, and they have. 2005 off to healthy start coming over seasonally strong Q4 period. Q1 and Q4 strongest for advertising and Q2 and Q3 seasonably weaker. Full quarter with AOL Europe partnership has helped company boost growth in Europe. GOOG's relationship with ASKJ runs through 2007, and GOOG sees no changes to alliance after IACI completes buyout. Company remains cautious that operating margins may decline due to rapid expansion. Sees tax rate in 30% range for full year of 2005, but hopeful it could see a lower future rate. Company no longer shows multiple ads on a given URL search, so they can add more search listings for a better customer experience; notes this is only the beginning of the kind of penetration for this type of online ad market -- saturation is nowhere to be found. Company is not dependent on any one category for revenues (something some analysts have expressed concern about in the past). Company does not have intention of instituting buyback program anytime soon, rather wants to continue building cash. (Without giving away too much, consider carefully this last statement... --dmg)

CNBC headline from Jim Cramer's show:

"Jim Cramer Now Sees GOOG at $318" Cramer says "real company, real earnings" gotta give it the same multiple as eBay... says this may be one of the most under-owned growth stocks... says tomorrow all these institutions that have been stuck in no-growers (CSCO, MSFT), they are going to swap into GOOG... Mr. Cramer is issuing a "Buy, Buy, Buy -- Triple Buy."

Thank you, Richard and Rick, and everyone else who shares information that is of interest to us all. Please continue doing so...!