The Google Future

 
 
 

Vocabulary

via	found (2)	find/found/found
glucose	image (2)	search engine
remain	turnover	utopian (2)
shine	come off	market share
habit	giant (2)	behind (2)
data	share (2)	inexorable
invest	concern	grow/grew/grown (2)
author	prepare	innovative
observe	research	development
shy	sensitive	shy away from
viable	spirit (2)	pioneering (2)
clout	incredible	couple (2)
pan out	force (2)	outdistance
secret	model (2)	traditional (2)
remote	scientist	self-driving
access	consider	mission (2)
failure	provide	network (2)
aerial	place (2)	stratosphere
lens	diabetes	contact lens
shape	dubious	measure (2)
expect	confident	profitability
deal (2)	probably	laboratory
way (2)	area (3)	the other way around
factor	big deal	experiment
afford	sound (3)	quite a few
bent on	altitude	coming years
jury	visionary	the jury is still out
effort	level (2)	domination

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

There isn’t a lot of information that can’t be found on the internet, usually via the search engine Google.

But who exactly is behind the digital giant?

In 1998, Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Just two years later, it had become the world’s largest search engine, and remains so to this day.

It sees a turnover of sixty billion dollars a year, and has a seventy percent (70%) market share of online searches.

But the shine is slowly starting to come off the company’s image.

Lars Reppesgaard knows why. He’s observed the inexorable rise of Google over the years. Not only is its habit of collecting sensitive data a cause of growing concern, it also invests in research projects that many might consider dubious.

Lars Reppesgaard, Author of a book on Google: “Google is prepared to spend a lot more money on research and development that other companies would shy away from, which they would see as utopian and not actually viable.

This pioneering spirit, coupled with Google’s financial clout, makes it an incredible, innovative force, as well as one that outdistances itself from traditional German IT companies by far.”

“Google X” is the name of the company’s secret laboratory, where scientists work on ideas for tomorrow’s world: Google glasses and self-driving cars are just the beginning.

With the mission of providing internet access to rural and remote areas, for example, it’s placed high altitude balloons in the stratosphere to create an aerial wireless network.

It’s even developed a contact lens for diabetics that can measure glucose levels.

Lars Reppesgaard, Author of a book on Google: “I confidently expect that Google can and will increase its profitability, even more with new products, probably not with all of them, but it’s no big deal for Google if a few ideas don’t pan out. Maybe its robots won’t sell, but its cars will, or the other way around.

But experimentation is factored into its business model. Google is so financially sound, it can afford quite a few failures in coming years.”

Is Google visionary? Or is it bent on world domination?

As long as the jury is still out on the world’s leading search engine, Google will continue in its efforts to shape the world in its image.

 

 

Questions

1. Anyone can know practically anything through Google. True or false?

2. Was Google started by a giant, high-tech, multinational corporation?

3. Google extremely profitable and has quite a monopoly. Is this right or wrong?

4. Does Google have a perfect, spotless reputation? Does everyone trust, like, admire and respect Google 100%

5. Has Google only stuck to its search engine operation? Does it only concentrate and focus on search engine operations? What are some examples of their new ventures or developments?

6. Is Google very careful about what it invests in, or does it invest lavishly?

7. The report is completely optimistic about the future, mostly optimistic, in the middle, yes and no, partially, rather pessimistic or totally pessimistic?

 

A. I use Google all the time. Yes or no? Is Google your default homepage? Does your company or organization depend on Google searches?

B. Google knows me better than my friends, my wife or husband, my boss, and my mother.

C. Are you suspicious or cynical of Google?

D. What will happen in the future?

E. What can or should people and governments do?