Google

Google is an internet and technology company with headquarters at 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, California 94043.  It is a leader in internet search and advertising and is involved in the development of internet product and service technologies such as cloud computing and mobile internet.  Google states its mission is to "organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful" and has adopted the words "don't be evil" as its motto to guide its code of conduct.  It was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google's incorporation date being September 4, 1998.  It became a publicly traded corporation when on August 19, 2004 when Google's initial public offering was conducted and it was listed on the NASDAQ.

Products and Services

Google is a frequent acquirer of other firms.  In 2011 bought over 25 companies to integrate into its businesses.  It has also been known for experimentation, observable from the projects on display on the former Google Labs.  However, there was a feeling that it was losing direction and spreading itself thin.   Since Larry Page took over as Google CEO in April 2011, replacing Eric Schmidt who became Google's Executive Chairman, Google has sought to focus on seven areas:  search, advertising, social networking, Android, Chrome, YouTube, and local mobile commerce.

Some of the well-known tools and services Google provides and companies it runs are

Google Search
Google News
Google Images
Google Maps
Google Finance
Google Books 
Google Scholar
Google Translate
Google Earth
Google Reader
 
Google+

Google Mail / Gmail

Google Drive / Google Docs
Google Calendar
Google Alerts
Google Voice
Google Talk / Google Chat
Google Sites
Google Groups
Google Latitude
Google Cloud Platform

Google Play
Google Mobile
Google Wallet / Google Checkout
Google Offers
Google Shopping

Google Webmaster Tools
Google Analytics
Google Code
Google Apps
Google AdSense
Google AdWords
 
Chrome
Android

Google Nexus

Blogger
YouTube

Picasa / Picasa Web Albums

DoubleClick 
Zagat
Motorola Mobility

The Internet

The internet is incredible.  So much information at your fingertips.  But sometimes it feels like too much information.  Sometimes one wonders if Sturgeon's law "90% of everything is crud" applies.  Let us try to navigate this wonderful universe called the world wide web, sift through the net wisdom, and cut out the dross.

The internet has its origins in ARPANet a precursor government network of the Pentagon's Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Some notable people involved in the development of the internet and world wide web:

J.C.R. Licklider
Larry Roberts
Leonard Kleinrock
Ray Tomlinson
Robert Taylor
Vinton Cerf
Robert Kahn
Tim Berners Lee
Doug Engelbart
Bob Metcalfe
David Boggs
Paul Baran
Marc Andreesen

Sources

• Hiltzik, Michael. (July 23, 2012). So, who really did invent the Internet? Los Angeles Times.
• Kaplan Karen. (October 25, 1999). Internet Visionaries Connected the World, Link by Link by Link. Los Angeles Times.