2006 - The year of the 800-pound Google?

Since the calendar rolled into 2006 there has been a tidal wave of speculation about Google’s plans for the upcoming 12 months.

Considering Google’s value (US $140 billion) is still based almost entirely on the Google Adwords system, Wall Street analysts and business/technology journalists are postulation what new paid products and services will be rolled out this year. There must be new products in store, they argue. Otherwise how else can the unflappable Google share price continue to rise?

So far the LA Times has reported that a cheap Google computer may be sold in giant US shopping chain Wal-mart. The Google “Cube” would be a cheap, Linux-based box running a modified software version of the Google operating system, and Google’s many free computer services would be installed on the machines. Free internet access may be included in the package. Google has so far refuted the article’s assertions.

There are other stories too: that Google is introducing a music download service, a movie download service, that Google will begin selling online-delivered TV advertising.

One thing is for sure. Now that Google is in the USA’s 25 biggest companies, they are a serious competitive force for anyone.