Business Channel 2006-12-21&24

The most powerful firm in cyberspace¹ now wants to conquer outer space. It's just the latest move in what has been a banner year for Google as it's spread its online web into bold new directions.

Less than an hour ago, Google and NASA announced that they will explore a range of tie-ups from researching data and utilizing² Google Earth. As part of that effort, the space agency will make more of its information available online for all to see. Down the road that will include real-time weather visuals and forecasting, 3D maps of the moon and Mars, and real-time tracking of the International Space Station and the space shuttle. NASA administrator³ Michael Griffin says the partnership⁴ will allow everyone to "experience a virtual flight over the surface of the moon or through the canyons⁵ of Mars. " And he says the hope is to make NASA's space exploration work accessible to everyone. This is just the latest in the string of high-profile Google partnerships⁶ this year, the most significant being, of course, Google's 1.8-billion-dollar deal to buy YouTube, and there have been deals with News Corp's MySpace and Ebay, Sony, Warner Music Group, Intuit and XM Satellite Radio and that's just to name a few. Google followers⁷ call today's deal another important part of its grand strategy.

It reflects how dominant⁸ Google is in the market today. If you look at Yahoo, Yahoo is struggling. Microsoft seems to have lost its competitive edge. And deals like this help Google build buzz, ah, you know, from a financial perspective, it, it, it doesn't mean much, but it certainly is cool if people can be flying around Mars and the moon.

All these deals have helped Google share price to reach into an area that NASA is more than familiar with: the Stratosphere. Google shares are up almost 16% year to date even though they are off their record highs of 513 dollars a share, of course up hugely from the original IPO, but interestingly, in Monday's trading they are handing back some of those gains, worries that Google has been flying a bit too high, has traders taking some cash off the table, and there is at least some concern about whether Google has the rocket fuel to keep up this forward momentum⁹. The Wall Street Journal reports that Google's earnings¹⁰ growth may fall to earth next year, the reason: Google may not get as much interest from its massive cash pile as it has in the past.


tie-up (n.) A tie-up between two organizations is a business connection that has been arranged between them.
★The deal is expected to result in similar tie-ups between big media companies and telecommunications operators.

year to date a period starting January 1 of the current year and ending today.

IPO (abbr.) initial public offering
the first time that stock in a company is available for the public to buy on the stock market

1 cyberspace   

n.虚拟信息空间，网络空间，计算机化世界

参考例句：

• She travels in cyberspace by sending messages to friends around the world.她利用电子空间给世界各地的朋友们发送信件。
• The teens spend more time in cyberspace than in the real world of friends and family.青少年花费在电脑上的时间比他们和真正的朋友及家人在一起的时间要多。

2 utilizing   

v.利用，使用( utilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Utilizing an assembler to produce a machine-language program. 用汇编程序产生机器语言的过程。 来自辞典例句
• The study and use of devices utilizing properties of materials near absolute zero in temperature. 对材料在接近绝对零度时的特性进行研究和利用的学科。 来自辞典例句

3 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

4 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

5 canyons   

n.峡谷( canyon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This mountain range has many high peaks and deep canyons. 这条山脉有许多高峰和深谷。 来自辞典例句
• Do you use canyons or do we preserve them all? 是使用峡谷呢还是全封闭保存？ 来自互联网

6 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

7 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

8 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

9 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

10 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。