GOOGLE IT

I love Google.  I use Google everywhere and so will you.  Google is hard to escape.  In someways I think we don't even mind that Google is watching our every move because it seems such a benefit in our busy inter-connected lives.  But regardless of my awe and use, I do see many connections we should be concerned about.  Is Google our friend?  Will Google keep our best interests of freedom and privacy intact?  (I don't think so!)

Google has been on quite the shopping spree lately.  Spending $17B and that's more than Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, and Yahoo, combined in the last 2 years. (Well, maybe not Facebook as it just bought What's App for $16B & Oculus for $2B)  Nevertheless Google has acquired 114 new businesses.  Consequently, many are trying to figure out what all these acquisitions have in common.  My guess is that it is a mighty algorithm set to "what should we buy to own the future?"  Obviously, a very smart Super Computer that has access to the brains of Google & at Google, not to mention Ray Kurzweil (the futurist and inventor) and all the information of everything, everywhere...with predictive analytics incorporated is capable of designing the future.  Remember Peter's Law: "The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself."

But the shopping list for Google has been very erratic.  At least to us small brain people.  There is a mobile app that allows you to bump phones together and transfer files. Then there is the gesture recognition technology.  Also, lots and lots of robotic companies, most for humanoid robots but also a military and industrial robotic company...yikes!  As of 2014, their purchases have been either for developing Artificial Intelligence or technology that will connect all our "things."  And my favorite is that they have bought into RayBan and Oakley to make Google Glass classier.  At least the future won't be dull, eh?

So no one knows what is behind the many faceted buys and mergers but there are speculations.  Some believe that Google is after the talent that are in these different companies as they come with the purchase and are called "aqui-hires."  Others think "most of what they're developing in any way, shape, or form finds out more about you."  (Rob Enderle)  Some think they just want more places they can gain information on you to aim ads at you were ever you are.   But I am more inclined to think that Google wants to own all information.  Information is knowledge and knowledge is power.  Google is in the process of gathering everything in the way of knowledge from anywhere and everywhere.  That is the future.  And maybe Enderle is right in his statement that Google "will be a superpower...and may well run the world."