Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) has certainly been working not only to be a market leader in various tech segments – like search, smartphones and mapping as examples – but has also expanded its empire to be innovative and actually establish a new market segment that hadn’t existed in 2010. Let’s take an updated look with a couple of news items that delve into a couple of these Google innovations.
Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG): Fiber Has a Couple Faults?
John Pepitone of Fox4KC.com reported recently about the installation of the new Fiber project in and around Kansas City – this is the Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) cable TV and Internet project that provides 1 gigabit-per-second speed over a fiber optic network, designed to challenge the current ISPs that have speeds that are one-tenth as fast. Pepitone noted that while things seem great with Google Fiber, there are a few complaints being lobbied – about the contractors hired to install Google Fiber. Did Google CEO Larry Page have these guys come to his house?
Meghan Tallman of the Coleman Highlands neighborhood in Kansas City was one of several residents who have filed complaints about the contractors who have been hired by Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) to install Google Fiber on private properties. These residents have claimed that these contractors do not knock on the front door when they enter yards, they don’t have any identification on them to show they are working for Google, and they have allegedly left trash behind and even left gates open so pets could escape.
One county elected official who represents the area, Scott Burnett, said he has fielded several of these complaints in his office and he expressed concern that Google may not be honoring its part of the agreement with the city.
Google Inc (GOOG): Glass Can Be Had for How Much?
Over at The Droid Guy blog, Valerie Richardson noted a story from the China Post which reported that some researchers at the Taiwan Topology Research Institute ran some calculations on the materials that would be used to create Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Glass, the wearable computer device that has been famously spotted on New York City streets several months ago on the very hairy face of Google co-founder Sergey Brin. After running the numbers, the TTRI reproted that it’s conceivable that Google could sell Google Glass for as low as about $300.
However, there are a couple of issues with this number, so we’re not encouraging too much excitement. First of all, the Institute did not really account for what would be a desired profit margin, and second it presumed that Google would mass-produce the device. At last report, Google was expected to produce less than 125,000 devices – and the “Explorer Edition” of the device was had for $1,500.
TTRI analyst Jason Tsai said, “We believe wearable devices will face the first wave of growth in the coming one to three years due to their innovative features, and will then experience a rapid growth in the next phase when the market becomes more mature.”
Based on these news items, how do you see Google stock and the company moving forward? How do you think investors like fund managers Robert Karr and Stephen Mandel see the stock now? As you consider this, take a look at the video below regarding a trial run of Google Glass.
DISCLOSURE: None
