We are huge fans of Wired magazine <wired.com>, having read just about every one of its 190 monthly issues. In fact, eight or nine years ago I used to tell friends that the goal of Online Banking Report was to translate the technology magazine into "banking terms."   

I still recommend the magazine to anyone interested in the future of digital communications, marketing, or content (that ought to cover anyone reading this). So if you're not already on board, head to its website and plunk down US$10 for an annual subscription.

Wired 40
Every year Wired publishes its list of its top 40 companies, The Wired 40. Most are large companies selected for their strategic vision, global reach, killer technology, and hunger for new ideas. The latest ranking (July issue) has Google at #1, knocking Apple from the top. The biggest surprise, New Corp. hitting the chart at #9. The company, which wasn't even ranked last year, has become an Internet giant with its purchase of MySpace last year (see NB March 16).

Here's the top 10 with last year's rank in parenthesis:

1. Google (#2)
2. Apple (#1)
3. Samsung (#3)
4. Genentech (#7)
5. Yahoo (#5)
6. Amazon.com (#6)
7. Toyota (#8)
8. General Electric (#17)
9. News Corp. (NEW)
10. SAP (#11)

As you would expect, there's not much in the way of financial services in the list. However, Citibank holds on to the number 38, down two spots from last year. Not entirely coincidental, Citi is one of the few major financial services advertisers in Wired. This month, the bank has a huge buy, with a fold-out front-cover spread pitching its "Citi identity theft solutions."

GE (#8), Yahoo (#5), Microsoft (#36), and even Google (#1) have significant retail financial services, although they account for mere slivers of the giants' overall revenues.

Like Citibank, GE elected to make an ad buy this month, pitching its high-yield deposit products on the online version of the Wired 40 list (see inset).

Falling out of the top 40 this year was TD Ameritrade which the magazine said still "ruled etrading, but what once was a disruptive technology is now a commodity."