Nicholas Carr explains how Google is going about its transformation from a prolific if not always impressive product assembly line — throwing spaghetti against the wall — to a more tightly focused producer of features that are tied together by fewer brands, ones that customers will have a chance to understand and remember. Turns out that fewer means five, he says.
Carr writes on his blog today: “So boil it all down, and here is my best guess at what the five Google products will be and how they’ll be branded: Google Search (“Google” goes back to meaning just search: for all information types, on all devices, personalized); AdMarket (a unified market place for buyers and sellers, spanning web text, web video, web banners, print, radio, TV); YouTube (YouTube expands from video to become the common interface for all media sharing); YouTools (what Apps for Your Domain morphs into, with different tool sets for businesses, families, universities, and hospitals); YouFile (a personal information management service, covering health data, finances, etc.)”
He invites Google watchers to take a whack at the exercise themselves.
And for those who just can’t get enough of all things Google, here’s a sampling of recent Buzzblog entries about the $500-a-share bunch:
Getting a grip on Google code.
Google gives hackers another reason to be thankful.
Google’s got a million of ’em.
Google/YouTube rumor indeed 40% true.
Google takes a play from HP playbook.
And, while this one can hardly be labeled “recent,” it still remains a favorite:
Google beats porn … but not sex.
