Google Seeks to Jump-start Gadget Industry with Grants
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In an attempt to invigorate developers large and small around Google's XML-based runtime Desktop platform, it announced this morning it will give $5,000 grants to individuals, and invest as much as $100,000 in companies, willing to produce popular "Google Gadgets."
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(InfoWorld) - Google on Monday turned on the solar panels covering nearly all the roof space on its corporate campus and announced that its philanthropic arm plans to dole out over $10 million in grants to support hybrid cars. The announcements follow one last week made from Google's offices in Mountain View, California that launched an industry-wide initiative around improving the energy efficiency of PCs and servers. The solar panels, which make up the largest solar installation on a corporate campus in the U.S., produce 1.6 megawatts of energy, enough to supply about one-third of Google's energy use on the campus, said Jacquelline Fuller, a Google spokeswoman. In addition to the solar panels, Google has also unveiled a new employee parking garage where drivers can charge their plug-in cars, powering up their batteries using solar energy. Plug-ins are hybrid cars that users can drive in all-electric mode for around 30 miles before relying on the gas engine. Because automobile manufacturers aren't producing plug-ins, Google is converting hybrid cars into plug-ins. So far, it has converted four Toyota Prius and two Ford Escapes, Fuller said. On its RechargeIT Web site, Google is posting data on the performance of the cars. Eventually, the company plans to have 100 such plug-in cars that employees who take public transportation to the office will be able to use to run errands during their work days as part of a car-sharing program. The announcements about the changes to the corporate campus were part of the launch of the RechargeIT Initiative by Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the company, on Monday. The plan includes several efforts mainly around plug-in cars, starting with grants already dispersed to a variety of groups. Google.org has given $200,000 each to the Brookings Institute in support of a conference next year about federal policy to promote plug-in vehicles and CalCars for the continuation of its educational initiatives about the cars. The Electrical Power Research Institute, Plug-In America, Rocky Mountain Institute, and a professor at the University of Delaware all have also received grants for their plug-in car projects. In addition, Google.org has earmarked $10 million for investments in companies and projects that support alternative transportation that reduces the use of fossil fuels and emissions. Later this summer the company plans to formally request proposals for the grant money. Last week, Google hinted at the impending launch of environmental initiatives when it hosted the introduction of theÂ Climate Savers Computing Initiative. That group, which includes a who's-who list of the technology industry such as Intel, Dell, Sun Microsystems, Microsoft, and Hewlett-Packard, is setting a series of standards that will incrementally improve the efficiency of power cords used on PCs and servers through 2010.
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SAN JOSE, California - On the cusp of its voyage into public trading, Google's initial stock price was set at $85 and its market value calculated at $23 billion - less than originally expected, but still impressive for a 6-year-old dot-com dreamed up in a garage.    The final initial public offering price, set through an unorthodox auction that alienated many on Wall Street, means the stock will likely debut Thursday under the symbol "GOOG" on the Nasdaq Stock Market...
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Google Inc. is bankrolling a $30 million contest that could significantly boost the commercial space industry and spur the first non-governmental flight to the moon.
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It joins the battle for mobile users with Google.
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Big opportunities await patient investors in nanotech, cleantech, and robotics.
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Google will spend up to $175 million in its first round of grants and investments over the next three years, officials said.
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TechWeb - Google, Microsoft, and IBM all want to be the point of entry to people's business lives.
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Google Inc. launched an initiative Tuesday to help charities and other non-profit groups use maps and satellite images to raise awareness, recruit volunteers and encourage donations.
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Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google Inc, said on Thursday it is expanding beyond funding for alternative energy to focus on projects in health and combating poverty and climate change.
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Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google Inc., has teamed up with the Soros Economic Development Fund and Omidyar Network to fund a $17 million company that will invest in small- and medium-size business in India.
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Google.org, the philanthropic arm  of Google Inc , said on Thursday it is expanding beyond  funding for alternative energy to focus on projects in health  and combating poverty and climate change.
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In the latest step in its continuing effort to focus the Web services model around its own servers, Google this morning introduced a way to enable individuals to embed some Google Gadgets within Web pages, without the need to install software.
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Google yesterday laid out its plan for philanthropy and announced $25 million in grants aimed at addressing climate change as well as poverty and health issues in developing countries.
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Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google Inc., is planning to invest $10 million to speed up the production of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
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To celebrate the second birthday of the Google Mini search appliance for small businesses, Google has upgraded the device with a number of new features to make it more flexible while remaining affordable at $1,995 for the base model.
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MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- Google Inc. and NASA A