Google may have gotten tougher on revenue-challenged projects and scaled back perks somewhat (people, the free meals are for employees who are working late, not takeout for folks headed home), but the company [4] doesn't lack for ambition. Looking at the breadth of its accomplishments last year, you can't help but imagine that lurking beneath the Googleplex is a secret lab exploding with ideas:
- Team Obama [5]
- See full list [6]
- Hulu [7]
Android: After months of G-phone hype, Google unveils Android, the first free, open-source operating system for mobile phones. With Samsung and Motorola handsets on the way, Android users could well out-number iPhoners. Like the iPhone, Android has an app store and new programs are being added every week. One killer app: a map that reorients as you move. Another, Locale, uses the phone's GPS and adjusts the phone's outgoing messages to where you are, at work or home.
Chrome: Google has the confidence/arrogance to try to build a better Web browser. Cloud-friendly Chrome debuts with a 38-page manual/comic book explaining its development and features. With only a tiny percentage of the market, it doesn't threaten Firefox or Microsoft Explorer -- yet.
Flu Trends: Google releases a service that tracks flu outbreaks. By analyzing search data, it recognizes early indicators of an outbreak in a community, even before the CDC has issued an official alert.
