Google Turns 15: Next Year They Can Google Drive (Birthday Reflection)
Google has hit the big 1-5. Today, September 27th, is when Google traditionally celebrates its birthday, and we’re celebrating it right along with them, with a look back on year 14. These 15 things all happened within the last year.
*Since you’ll find this article useful, sign up for our email newsletter, to find even more fascinating articles, tips, tools, and reviews*
-
Google Unveiled its helpout program: A marketplace for consulting of all kinds, from cooking to karate, via video chats/ hangouts.
-
Google Unveiled Android’s latest iteration, Kit Kat, and partnered with Nestle to mock Apple in the process.
-
Google Unveiled the unbelievably successful Chrome Cast streaming device, which drew rave reviews, and sold millions within hours, far beyond Google’s own expectations.
-
Google ruined, or optimized Youtube with an all-new design, and drastic changes to user profiles and interactions, good or bad depending upon who you ask. (We asked regular Youtubers, and people with millions of followers)
-
Google released the Moto X smartphone, meant to bring omnipresent voice assistants into the mainstream. It was moderately successful.
-
Google revolutionized email, by segmenting every Gmail inbox by category, drastically changing the e-commerce and email marketing industry.
-
Google released an all-new interface for the aging maps section
-
Google Released Android Studio, a free IDE, bringing Android development to the masses
-
Google released Google Now for iOS, bringing the popular life-management tool cross-platform
-
Google Released its highly-successful Nexus 4 Smartphone (our own Previn Edwards reviewed it in the linked article)
-
Google Released the $1300 Chromebook Pixel, sporting a beautiful touchscreen display, and not much else
-
A video on Youtube crossed the 1 Billion view mark (Gangnam style)
-
Google Killed the God-awful $300 useless paperweight known as the Nexus Q
That’s About It
This list is a great reminder as to how fundamentally different Apple and Google are. Apple is careful, calculating, and simple. They release a few products a year, and most do very well. Google is always tinkering, experimenting, and testing a million different things. Both strategies work very well, but Google definitely seems more like the 15 year old.
