What Will Google Do Next?
(Trizzy's prediction based on Google's latest earnings call.)
You're driving around some neighborhood looking for some Pizza, with your GPS.
BAM!
Based on your location, Google gives you some recommendations on local pizza restaurants (based on reviews like Yelp's), along with additional advertisers listed (similar to how you search for "pizza" on Google now, with pay-per-click pizza ads on the side).
The Future Google
Google purchased the biggest mobile advertiser (AdMob) for over $700M, flirted with purchasing a review site for local businesses (Yelp) for over $500M, are investing heavily into their Android operating system plus Nexus One phone, and are testing a fiber network that enables free Internet to communities -- so the future for your small business that depends on locality seems much brighter with more opportunities for you to get in front of more potential customers.
Free Phones?
You probably won't see much of an impact until the adoption of smart phones equipped with GPS becomes widespread, but Google likely wants to disrupt the mobile industry by making their phones free (or freakish cheap that virtually everyone can afford) to get their phones to the masses and be the primary mobile platform.
Small-business/consumer win.
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Posted on February 28