Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Google

If you get information that's not available on Google, then we haven't done our job. - Chief Executive of Google, Eric Schmidt

And even if they acheive that it still won't be enough. Geeky idealism or techno-totalitarianism? As so often it's a bit of both. Either way credit should be given to Google for being the company that Microsoft is only in its rhetoric. Not content with being the no.1 internet portal and worth billions, Larry Page, Sergey Brin and co. are lauching on a Trotskyite-style "permanent revolution" from the home base of their search engine. They're doing what for the last decade Bill Gates has only been promising: to totally transform the way we access information and media.

It may all end in tears; they may sell out and become MS ver 2.0, collapse under the weight of their ambitions or worse, but whatever happens it'll be fascinating to watch.