InsideGoogle

Google Readying iTunes Clone? PayPal Competition?

Dave Winer says so:

I’ve been hearing rumors that Google is readying an iTunes-clone, based on RSS 2.0, and fully podcast-capable. Multiple sources on this one.

(via Chris)

While Dave is as reputable as they come, there’s a lot of disbelief I’m seeing through Technorati. Gadgetophile calls it a “totally unsubstantiated rumour”, but notes that Winer’s credibility gives it some instant believability. The Blog Herald says they “can’t see it”.

Meanwhile, they also point to an Associated Press article which draws from an unlinkable-to Wall Street Journal article (link, via Battelle) that says Google is planning on releasing a competitor to PayPal. That would be a much surer move. PayPal, while enormously useful to most netizens, is light on the features and is due for some real competition.

If Google decides it wants to become a major part of the net economy, besides that fact that it can be tied into the ad network for better profits, Google could take it even further. I’ve been waiting for PayPal to become like an international bank, with interest rates and loans and CDs. If Google has the ambition PayPal does not, there could be a lot of money there. Maybe if PayPal acted more like a bank, they wouldn’t have “only” $233.1 million in revenue, but something more akin to JP Morgan Chase’s $44.66 billion.

June 19th, 2005 Posted by Nathan Weinberg | General | 3 comments