Google will be announcing something this Wednesday. What will it be? Will it be some kind of instant messenger program, a portable email system like a BlackBerry, or something along the lines of a smart cell phone like the T-Mobile Sidekick? I think it will be some kind of instant messenger. I either case

Google executives say they plan to unveil on Wednesday a “communications tool” that is potentially a clear step beyond the company’s search-related business focus.

The Sidekick was an early favorite of both Mr. Page and Mr. Brin, who wore the units on their belts as all-purpose voice and data communicators several years ago.

A Google-branded smart phone has long been a pet project of Mr. Page, and earlier this year Google invested $2 million in a project by Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the M.I.T. Media Laboratory, to develop a $100 wireless laptop. The smart-phone idea, which the company has not talked about publicly, would be a way to extend Google’s reach and give it a more extensive connection with its users by offering Google on a multipurpose mobile device.

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This entry was posted on Monday, August 22nd, 2005 at 9:02 pm and is filed under Business and Economy | Rumors . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.