What is Google: Definition and 250 Discussions

Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products, which include online advertising technologies, a search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. It is considered one of the big four Internet stocks along with Amazon, Facebook, and Apple.Google was founded in September 1998 by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University in California. Together they own about 14% of its publicly-listed shares and control 56% of the stockholder voting power through super-voting stock. The company went public via an initial public offering (IPO) in 2004. In 2015, Google was reorganized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.. Google is Alphabet's largest subsidiary and is a holding company for Alphabet's Internet properties and interests. Sundar Pichai was appointed CEO of Google on October 24, 2015, replacing Larry Page, who became the CEO of Alphabet. On December 3, 2019, Pichai also became the CEO of Alphabet.In 2021, the Alphabet Workers Union was founded, mainly composed of Google employees.The company's rapid growth since incorporation has included products, acquisitions, and partnerships beyond Google's core search engine, (Google Search). It offers services designed for work and productivity (Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides), email (Gmail), scheduling and time management (Google Calendar), cloud storage (Google Drive), instant messaging and video chat (Google Duo, Google Chat, and Google Meet), language translation (Google Translate), mapping and navigation (Google Maps, Waze, Google Earth, and Street View), podcast hosting (Google Podcasts), video sharing (YouTube), blog publishing (Blogger), note-taking (Google Keep and Jamboard), and photo organizing and editing (Google Photos). The company leads the development of the Android mobile operating system, the Google Chrome web browser, and Chrome OS (a lightweight, proprietary operating system based on the FOSS Chromium OS operating system). Google has moved increasingly into hardware; from 2010 to 2015, it partnered with major electronics manufacturers in the production of its Google Nexus devices, and it released multiple hardware products in 2016, including the Google Pixel line of smartphones, Google Home smart speaker, Google Wifi mesh wireless router. Google has also experimented with becoming an Internet carrier (Google Fiber and Google Fi).
Google.com is the most visited website worldwide. Several other Google-owned websites also are on the list of most popular websites, including YouTube and Blogger. On the list of most valuable brands, Google is ranked second by Forbes and fourth by Interbrand. It has received significant criticism involving issues such as privacy concerns, tax avoidance, censorship, search neutrality, antitrust and abuse of its monopoly position.

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  1. R

    "Is Google Trends the Ultimate Time-Wasting Tool for Geeks?

    Time to alert you geeks to a new method of wasting hours of time looking at useless graphs. http://www.google.com/trends?q=Albert+einstein%2C+isaac+Newton%2C+galileo+galilei&ctab=1&geo=all&date=all
  2. JamesU

    Google Da Vinci Code Quest: Are You Up for the Challenge?

    http://www.google.com/davincicode?source=brpp Who's playing this? None of the challenges are really THAT hard (except for today's, Day 19) I think you win something if you're one of the first 10,000 to beat it (WHo actually read ALL of the rules...?)
  3. Mk

    New Da-Vinci-Code-movie puzzle, by Google

    According to Google, the puzzles require skill, intellect, and perseverance. Google promises that should anyone answer all 24 puzzles correctly, they will have a chance of winning "untold riches." (oooh) The Google webquests run over a span of 24 days ending May 11th 2006. One new puzzle of the...
  4. wolram

    Google & English: Understanding Without Spelling Perfectly

    It seems google has accepted that some people can not spell, with its intuitive search it will suggest an alternative to an unknown term, this made me wonder if we even need to spell correctly, as long as people understand what one has written.
  5. quantumdude

    Google Fun: "Failure" Search & "I'm Feeling Lucky

    Hey, here's a funny thing to try with Google. Do a search for the word "failure", and then click "I'm Feeling Lucky". See what happens.
  6. C

    What diverse backgrounds do Google employees come from?

    I understand that many of Google's employees would be under the title of "Software Engineer" and probably did exactly that at university, but I'm interested in knowing the background of those who didn't get a degree in a field directly related to computer science (assuming there is some). Is...
  7. T

    I'll show you my google if you show me yours

    I typed my first and last name (brian Whipple) into google just out of curiosity and the very first link actually pointed to something about me. Does your name google something about you?
  8. Math Is Hard

    How dangerous is Google Desktop?

    This makes me nervous. Some of our users might download this program and unwittingly put confidential documents in a potentially vulnerable position. Anyone else got concerns about this? I'd really like to hear your opinions. Thanks. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1925064,00.asp
  9. Pengwuino

    Google: We won't give into tyranny oh just kidding

    http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.asp?Feed=AP&Date=20060124&ID=5444052&Symbol=US:GOOG This of course, within a week of denying the US Government's request for a weeks worth of search results (and not who made those searches). From the company that would "do no evil"...
  10. dduardo

    It's Official: Google Buys Stake in AOL

    Ek, what has Google done! They just bought a 5% stake in AOL for 1 Billion Dollars. http://money.cnn.com/2005/12/20/technology/aol_google.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes
  11. Jameson

    Woes with Google Ads - $0.00 in Account

    So I finally put some ads from Google on my page to try to generate revenue and people have clicked them, but no money is in my account. None, $0.00. Does anyone that's used this before know why this is? I only ask at this site because I know that this forum uses Google Ads. Any help is...
  12. ranger

    Skype vs Google Talk: Which Do You Prefer?

    Which one do you guys use? I perfer Google Talk because I find it easier to use. These are the only ones I know. Please recommend others.
  13. C

    Where does Google get its money from?

    Where does Google get its money from?
  14. exequor

    Problem with Google Talk and MSN Messenger 7.5

    Lately wheneve I startup google talk then enter a username and password, the signin button is not becoming active, hence i cannot click it to login. As for messenger 7.5 beta i got to use it about twice, after that I just get an error, "this service is not currently available." I think...
  15. R

    How Google Works: The Incredible Power Behind its Search Engine

    The search feature on my computer can take up to a minute and google can search the entire internet in a fraction of a second. How does it do that? Even with everything archived, it seems like the processing power needed to run such a search engine would be astronomical.
  16. M

    What are some funny google searches you guys know of?

    What are some funny google searches you guys know of? My current favorite is "failure". Try it, funny stuff =)
  17. K

    Discover the Moon's Beauty - Google Moon

    Zoom into see what the moon's really like: http://moon.google.com/
  18. loseyourname

    Where the Heck Does Google Get These Ads From?

    I hadn't seen them in a while, since I had been a contributor (and will be again soon - I'm just lazy and not around a computer as much except to write). I just noticed an ad claiming to show me how to "Use secret laws of physics and your subconscious mind to create wealth?" Is that honestly...
  19. JamesU

    Google is the greatest website of all time

    the greatest website of all time. it should have a word in webster's dictionary. starting with google. then the verb google and googling. then googleness, googleosity, googleish, and googleesque. yahoo is a word, but they suck, and gogol is a word, but it's spelled stupidly and is a number...
  20. Ivan Seeking

    Google Earth: Explore the World with Virtual Flyovers and Directions

    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/06/29/GOOGLE.TMP&type=tech
  21. P

    Is Google Tracking Your Activity on Codeguru.com?

    Do you know why whenever I come to codeguru.com, google.com does always establish a connection to my computer, I see this when i netstat on cmd Thank you
  22. W

    I know those google ad's are full of ,

    I know those google ad's are full of ****, But this one caught my attention. Does anyone have opinions to share? http://islam.speed-light.info/relativity_quran.htm I think its interesting that the qualitative analysis the guy provides seems believable enough, but I was interested in the...
  23. Monique

    Google Ranking System: How Does it Work?

    I believe one part of google's ranking system includes how many people link to a certain page, and with what key words right?
  24. exequor

    Is Google Local the Most Accurate and Detailed Business Locator?

    In all the websites that offer a "local" service to find businesses near you I think that Google has the best. They have this satellite option that allows you to see clear images of buildings. I am sure you can spot your house with this thing once you zoom right it. Though this is not...
  25. check

    Google Outage: Everything Stops!

    Google breaks for 5 minutes and everything stops. Can anyonehere get onto Google? Try refreashing and clearing cache just to make sure... because I can't :confused: bah, nevermind... delete this thread please.
  26. H

    How Does Google Make Money? Understanding the Business Model

    Can someone explain to me how does Google make so much money? As far as I can see everything is free on their website.
  27. B

    Configure Gmail in Outlook - Step by Step Guide

    I heard u can now configure gmail in outlook... can anyone teach me how? thanks!
  28. I

    Stanford & Google: Very Exciting News

    This is very very exciting. :rofl: (If this is the wrong forum to post this in please do the honors and move it to where it belongs). http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2005/january12/google-0112.html
  29. Ivan Seeking

    History The History of Google: From Googel Cars to the Big Apple

    The other day I happened to think about the origins of the word Google. In his book Cosmos, Carl Sagan told how the nine year old nephew of the mathematician Edward Kasner was allowed to invent the name for the number 10100. He named it a googol. I have always assumed that this was the...
  30. Monique

    Does paying Google for ads guarantee a top ranking in search results?

    Is it true that websites that pay google money, will end up in the top of the ranking when doing a search?
  31. Ivan Seeking

    The New World Library via Google

    http://cbs.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7BE11C81BB-F00E-4433-AD09-0E5FD288B9C5%7D&siteid=google&dist=google&dist=
  32. marcus

    Great new Google version (for research)

    http://scholar.google.com/ this is the beta version it searches the scholarly journal literature and finds free online versions of articles (if you don't have a subscription to the journals I read that it even ranks its hits by the citation indices (how highly an article is regarded...
  33. Orion1

    Google Desktop Search for Windows XP: A Comprehensive Overview

    Anyone here running Windows XP? I was wondering if the Google Desktop Search engine was impressive. Apparently this engine is only compatible on Windows XP systems. I have read that Microsoft intends to release their own version of a desktop search engine at the end of this year...
  34. T

    Where Can I Find the Google GLAT Test?

    Just got a copy of the Google Labs Aptitude Test (GLAT) as an insert in a magazine I get. Seems as if Google is actively recruiting since this is the second advertisement they have run in this mag, which typically only accepts classified ads. They add that if you score high enough – they'll...
  35. C

    We say NO to yahoo, google, and (hotmail)

    I am looking for other domains that "support" or have free email accounts for users, do you guys know any of them ? Please help.. Thanks
  36. T

    Calculators What can you do with Google's calculator and unit conversions?

    Google has a neat calculator built into its search box. There is a good summary here: http://www.google.com/help/calculator.html Copy and paste the following queries to see it work: Arithmetic operations: sqrt((3*6/9)^2+7!) Transcendental: 3*sin( 54 degrees ) 2*log ( e / pi )...
  37. Q

    Google Search PhysicsForums Virus Attack

    While searching a topic on Google, I ran across a link that lead to Physicsforums so I clicked the link. The next thing I knew, my computer was under massive attack. Viruses were being delivered as anti-virus warning windows began popping up. Spybots and Malware were being delivered - found...
  38. A

    Google GMail Problem: Firewall & JavaScript Issue

    Hey guys I'm having problems accessing my Google GMail account while running my firewall. When I have my firewall loaded (ZoneAlarm), I try to log-in to my GMail account (which I know uses JavaScript, if this matters) and I get a screen saying "Loading.." and then the word disappears, and I...
  39. A

    Is Google Scanning Your Emails Really a Privacy Concern?

    So.. According to this link: http://www.ircspy.com/comments.asp?mode=view&id=1216 The senator says it should be illegal for Google to scan the contents of email for advertising, even if you agree to it by aggreeing to a terms of service. I disagree. If you know Google will scan your...
  40. C

    GooOS, the Google Operating System

    A very interesting article here: http://www.kottke.org/04/04/google-operating-system Even more interesting is the post it refers to: http://blog.topix.net/archives/000016.html
  41. M

    Fractals on Google: Why the Logo Makeover?

    www.google.com , they play around with the logo every once in a while but why are they dressing it up with fractals?
  42. chroot

    What is the force between two point charges via Google?

    http://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=%28-8+C%29%2F%284*pi*epsilon_0*%282.45967+m%29%5E2%29+in+%28Newtons%2Fcoulomb%29&btnG=Google+Search - Warren
  43. Monique

    What is it that makes Google so popular?

    What is it that makes Google so popular? Is it its simplicity? A couple of years ago I was always using Excite, but now every single person I know uses Google.. anyone who uses a different search engine?
  44. cytokinesis

    News Google Easter Eggs: I'm Feeling Lucky!

    www.google.com type in either French Military Victories or Weapons of Mass Destruction And click the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button. Two very clever responses.
  45. Ivan Seeking

    News Can Google Find Weapons of Mass Destruction?

    go to google.com and type in "weapons of mass destruction". Then hit the "I'm feeling lucky" button just below. http://www.google.com
  46. P

    Google Fun & Games: WMD "I'm Feeling Lucky

    I'm not sure if anyone has stumbled across this, I'm sure most of you have, but here it is just in case. In the google search thingy type: "Weapons of Mass Destruction" and then press the "I'm Feeling Lucky" Button. Enjoy.
  47. Saint

    Get the Latest Google Toolbar for Free - Try it Now!

    I installed it, cool! Tried it now, it's free!
  48. dav2008

    Google 'Crawling' and 'Caching'

    One of the google help pages says "Google takes a snapshot of each page examined as it crawls the web and caches these as a back-up in case the original page is unavailable" Im wondering how does it 'crawl' through the web, and where in the world does google get all that storage space for...
  49. D

    Google iLoo: The Ultimate Portable Lavatory with Internet Access

    http://us.news1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20030506/i/1052236650.3221815359.jpg Part of me suspects this must be a joke, but another part suspects it's deadly serious. Thoughts?
  50. STAii

    Some Google Things You Never Knew About

    Google is fascinating ! Now all people (or most of them) think that google is simply a search engine ... well it is more than that ! The other day i was extremely bored, and started to browse the google site, and was shocked by what google provides ! Ever heard of Froogle ? The site...
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