Where is Google going next?

This day in age, i can pretty safely say that you can't walk down any street in America and meet anyone over the age of 12 who hasn't heard of Google. For a company not even 20 years old, that's pretty damn impressive - consider: Google.com was still 'beta' in late '99!

Initially, they were exclusively a web search engine -- a really good one at that. Then they started to spread out, first with a form of a keyword targeting ad service, and from there onto variations such as the Google Toolbar and as early as 2001 was looking to wireless customers.

From there, everyone has a pretty good idea of how Google has blown up into oh-so-many different parts of the internet. It almost seems like a majority of websites have either Google ads on them, or a Google powered search -- hell, even this blog, courtesy of Blogger.com, is a part of Google Inc.

But does Google have any more big moves left?

Probably. I was reading this this excellent article the other day which mentions all of the different things Google has done hinting at a move into the telecommunications industry. There are a bunch of interesting & valid points (up to and including rumors [that came true] of Google buying the great website / service, GrandCentral.com)

Then there are the rumors that Google is considering purchasing Apple, outright.

Wow - but wait, what did Apple just release? Nothing other than what is arguably the best cell phone on the market. How fitting. And, as is pointed out over at Dive Into OS X, the iPhone comes more than prepared to work with Google apps, but Apple and Google also have a common enemy.

Interesting.

So where is Google going? Will they launch into a full telecommunications type of service in a few weeks/months/years, or will they ditch their own applications and pick up Apple & OS X instead? I guess at this point it really is too early to tell -- hell, for all I know, they will just keep doing exactly what they are doing and not change a thing!

But i don't think that will happen. Google has a plan, and be it building their own operating system, acquiring Apple's, getting into telecommunications in a serious way, or world domination, i'm sure that people will avidly follow where & how they go there. I know that i will be - but i'll be wondering too: how big can they get, and how long can it go, before informal motto ("Do no evil") becomes impossible?