Much more than a search site, Google has become the Microsoft of the tech
world. Google Docs offers free
spreadsheets, word processing and presentations. Photo-based Google Earth now operates inside a browser plug-in, no longer requiring a lengthy download to your desktop. You can even run Google on your mobile phone, including the iPhone. Next Google wants to help you get more out of your online social networks: its Friend Connect system, due out later this year, will make it easier to interact with your network contacts, even on remote sites. So, for example, Friend Connect might show you which of your Facebook friends also use the community music site last.fm — with your permission, of course — allowing you to share your favorite music with them more easily.
—Anita Hamilton