Port Authority, outperform, gadgets and No 9/11 Tribute Logo
Google’s planning to take over 111 Eighth Avenue, designed by Lusby Simpson and completed in 1932 to house the Port Authority of New York. It’s one of the largest buildings in the city, an architectural marvel, and a landmark. As a red-brick 15-story structure, it has a footbrint that’s larger than 2 football fields and occupies an entire city block.
Alan Eustace, senior vice president of engineering and research, said: “Can you build global products with a workforce that is only in Mountain View, California? The answer is, no you can’t. The technical talent that we need to solve the next generation of problems in search does not all live in Mountain View, California.”
Analyst Jordan Rohan of RBC Capital Markets maintains his “outperform” rating on Google, Inc., with a target price of $465. In a research note published yesterday, the analyst mentions that recent channel checks indicate an increase in web activity over the past month. Google’s share price is likely to appreciate in the near term, if the company’s international segment posts higher-than-expected results for the current quarter, the analyst says.
Virtual habits can get just as boring as habits in the real world: e-mail, news reader, weather, check. But the routine can cause us to miss the weirdness and wonder of the Web. Companies like StumbleUpon.com try to counteract the doldrums with Web-recommendation software, and now Google has its own cure. A software developer has built a Google plug-in called Interesting things for you, which points to popular sites and gadgets related to an individual’s search history. People can add the module, via RSS, to their Google home page and see new recommendations whenever they log onto to their account.
Google likes its logo graphics. The signature logo changes, drawn by Google Webmaster Dennis Hwang, appear on Google’s home page for a variety of events, including (but not limited to) celebratory occasions like July Fourth, esoteric holidays such as Persian New Year, and the World Cup. The logos are such an ingrained part of Web topology that sites like Fark spoof the graphics. But where’s the 9/11 logo, Google? Does the event incite too many conflicting emotions? Arouse too much passion on both sides of the political spectrum? Are you worried about politicizing your otherwise impartial technology? Ask.com changed their home page, so why didn’t you?