google stock
-
This Hiring Coup Could Jump-Start Google's Stock
Futurist Ray Kurzweil is one of the world's busiest people.
And that's no surprise. A best-selling author and subject of a major documentary, Kurzweil has an unmatched talent for explaining how cutting-edge technology is going to change our lives.
That means this "A-list" speaker is always on the go, traveling the globe as he spreads his futurist technology gospel.
That's why I made sure to buttonhole Kurzweil at the recent Singularity Summit technology conference. As he headed into the San Francisco lecture hall to share the newest insights into how the brain works, I was able to walk along with him and have a quick chat.
As we talked, little did I know that Kurzweil was working on something that would stun the tech world in a manner that's usually reserved for one of his predictions.
No, I'm not talking about the buzz that's been generated by his new book, How to Create a Mind, the Secret of Human Thought Revealed.
Kurzweil, as it turned out, had accepted a major position at none other than Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG), the Web giant that is to search what the tech futurist is to prognostication.
And Monday was Kurzweil's first day on the job as the company's new Director of Engineering.
A lot of investors have glossed over this news. That's a big mistake. As I see it, this single hire speaks volumes about how Google views itself, and how it intends to keep building shareholder value.
If you're interested in Google, this is a bit of strategic intelligence that you absolutely have to know.
Here's why...
To continue reading, please click here...
-
Can Google's (Nasdaq: GOOG) Nexus Dethrone the Apple iPad?
When Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) launched its new line of Nexus tablets a couple weeks ago, it was a shot across the bow of Apple Inc.'s (Nasdaq: AAPL) dominant iPad.
Even though Hurricane Sandy forced Google to cancelan event planned to show off the new gadgets, it went ahead and launched its new products anyway.
The timing was no coincidence.
Google's latest salvo came less than a week after Apple introduced a smaller, less expensive iPad Mini with a 7.9-inch display to compete against the Nexus 7 tablet.
It's no wonder these guys are at war. Tablet sales are expected to hit $29.1 billion this year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.
That number is $10 billion higher than projected in January, escalating the battle to a whole new level.
Clearly both companies are feeling the heat.
And even though Apple is the clear leader in market share, Google has rolled out cheaper devices that are attracting many users-especially price-conscious ones.
The question is: Do Google's Android-powered devices have enough firepower to crack Apple's grip on the tablet market?
It's still too early to tell, but there's good reason to believe the Internet search giant may just pull it off.
Here's a look at what the new tablets have under the hood.
-
Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) Nexus 7 Tablet a Poorly Aimed Shot at Rivals
While impressive in many ways, the Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) Nexus 7 tablet unveiled today (Wednesday) will struggle in a market already teeming with offerings from other tech titans.
Key competitors include tablet market leader Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), Samsung Electronics Co. (PINK: SSNLF), Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) and as of last week, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT).
The 7-inch Nexus 7 certainly has a lot going for it, primarily its 1,280 x 800 pixel high-definition screen, a powerful quad-core NVIDIA Corp. (Nasdaq: NVDA) Tegra 3 processor and a reasonable $199 price tag. It will run a new upgrade to Android called Jelly Bean.
Apparently the Google tablet, actually built by Asustek Computer (PINK: AKCPF) and co-branded with Google, is intended to re-energize a moribund Android tablet market that has failed to dent the dominance of the iPad.
"The tablet market is a major challenge for Google at this point," Clayton Moran, an analyst at Benchmark Co. told Bloomberg News. "They need to have a competitive product with the iPad."
Another goal for the Nexus 7 is to show other Android tablet makers how Google thinks it should be done. Analysts suspected similar reasoning behind the Microsoft Surface tablet unveiled last week.
Finally, Google said it wanted to use the tablet to push users toward its services like YouTube and promote sales of its apps through its Google Play store. With the Nexus 7 priced so low, Google will need to sell such extras to make any money.
It's ambitious, but a flop could end up doing more harm than good to the Android platform.
The central problem for the Nexus 7 is not that it's a poor product, but that it doesn't have an obvious niche in today's crowded tablet market. The Google tablet faces established competition from top to bottom - and especially at the bottom.
Here's the breakdown:
To continue reading, please click here... -
Google Glasses Prove the Future is Already Here
Getting a truly modern outlook requires a little help.
Fortunately, you may soon be able to buy a unique pair of eyeglasses that do the job for you.
In early April, Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) unveiled a stylish pair of Web-connected spectacles that serve as a computer you wear on your face (or perhaps a smartphone for your eyes).
They are called "Google Glasses" and they are a great twist on the "heads up" displays used by U.S. defense forces.
Most of us have never seen anything quite like this before - except in sci-fi films. But this high-tech, mostly hands-free device could change the way you live your daily life.
Put these eyeglasses on, and you have instant access your email. You can check the weather, get traffic updates, display maps and walking directions on the go, take photos, send texts, schedule meetings, listen to music, and make wireless video calls.
And get this. Google Glasses function by moving your head - nodding, for one - or by clicking a small button.
This is the kind of breakthrough I have in mind when I say we are living in the Era of Radical Change. The next two decades will be like nothing we have seen before.
And it all started right here in the good ol' USA.
Since the transistor was invented at Bell Labs in New Providence, NJ, back in 1947, the U.S. has vaulted ahead of the rest of the world at every major high-tech milestone.
In fact, as I like to remind readers, a simple law explains this steady stream of innovations we have enjoyed for decades. Named for a Silicon Valley genius, Moore's Law states that computing power doubles about every two years.
Look at it this way...
In the 1960s, for the first time people started using basic electronic calculators to perform addition and multiplication functions.
Today - just 50 years later - they can sport Google Glasses that make video phone calls. (Now you'll believe me when I say what's next... I believe that in the very near future we will be able to upgrade our IQs with devices implanted inside our brains.)
Thus, Google Glasses are so much more than just the latest cool gadget. They give us a great insight into what the near future holds.
It's going to be a thrilling ride.
Google Glasses and the Era of Radical Change
According to early reports, Google could hit the market with these glasses by the end of 2012. But let me be blunt about one thing. Cynics have blasted Google over this project. They note that the Web giant has made no promise it will ever release the glasses.
That's true. But it misses the big-picture view.
Even if Google shelves its "Project Glass," I predict that someone else will quickly step in to fill the void. And that option could turn out to be the better bet for investors.
After all, with its $200 billion market cap Google is such a big company that these glasses, as cool as they are, may not move the stock's price all that much.
Either way, however, we win.
If Google Glasses do hit the market in time for the holiday, then we can all go out and grab a pair. If not, then we can look for a small-cap leader that's gearing up to bring them (or something similar) to market and then invest in that company.
In that case, what we hope for as tech investors is a firm like InvenSense Inc. (NYSE: INVN).
This is a small-cap leader that makes motion sensors used in a wide range of electronics, including smartphones equipped with Google's Android operating system.
Even after a huge recent sell off, the stock has returned more than 35% so far this year. Compared with Google's year-to-date loss of about 6%, InvenSense is on fire.
As it turns out, there are two small companies on my radar screen with products in the same space as Google's glasses.
To continue reading, please click here... -
Tech Stocks: The Deal with the Google Stock Split (NASDAQ: GOOG)
Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) reported first-quarter earnings after the close yesterday (Thursday) and the Internet search giant did not disappoint - and also delivered a surprising stock split announcement.
First quarter profits at the Mountain View, CA-based company soared 61% to $2.89 billion, or $8.75 a share, up from $1.8 billion or $5.51 a share a year ago. Excluding stock-based compensation, profit rose to $10.08 from $8.08 a share. Total revenue was up 24% to roughly $8.14 billion.
Analysts had anticipated earnings of $9.65 a share and revenue of $8.15 billion, according to Thomas Reuters.
While the numbers were a little light, the company appeased investors with an upbeat outlook going forward.
Google also made an unexpected move: a two-for-one stock split.
To continue reading, please click here... -
Tech Stocks: Will Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) Wow Investors Today with Earnings?
Investors have a lot to look for when Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) reports earnings after the bell today (Thursday). The company needs to prove it has plans to stay in the lead among tech companies - and fight off the encroaching threat of social media giant Facebook Inc.
Investors are hoping Google avoids a repeat of last quarter's report.
Mountain View, CA-based Google reported a rare earnings miss in January, sending the stock tumbling some 8%. Google's stock price has rebounded since, recouping nearly all of the loss, and currently sits just 5.5% below its 52-week high.
Analysts expect first quarter sales to rise nearly 25%, and that earnings per share will rise 20% to $9.65, CNN Money reports. For the full year, industry gurus forecast growth of 22% and a pleasing 18% profit increase.
A lot is riding on Google's first-quarter earnings results, not just for the company, but also for the overall market. Gangs of Google fans hope the favored company will follow bellwether Alcoa Inc.'s (NYSE: AA) lead and report better-than-expected numbers.
To continue reading, click here...
