Google Inc

Investors searching for another reason to worry about the U.S. economy found it in Google. Shares of Google Inc. on Tuesday slumped nearly 5% to their lowest point in almost a year on fears that even the mighty Internet giant is susceptible to the economic slowdown. The combination of rising prices, slumping consumer confidence and slashed business spending have hurt much of corporate America. Yet Google for years remained largely immune to the economic crosscurrents.

Google Inc., already the world's most-popular spot for finding websites, is aiming to become the go-to place for creating websites too. The company is taking its first step toward that goal today with the debut of a free service designed for high-tech neophytes looking for a simple way to share information with other people working in the same company or attending the same class in school.

Remember when Wall Street was gaga over Google? Despite its quirky approach to business, Google Inc. became a favorite among investors as the company best positioned to cash in on the digital media revolution. The Internet search giant's shares first hit the market at $85 in August 2004 and had risen nearly ninefold by late last year, turning Google into one of America's most valuable companies. But since reaching a record $741.79 in November, Google's stock price has plunged 40%.

Google Inc. lost its bid to get European Union-wide trademark protection for "Gmail," the name of its Web-based e-mail service. The Gmail name is too similar to an existing German trademark, according to a ruling by the EU's trademark agency.

Facebook Inc., the second-most-popular social-networking site, hired an executive from Internet search leader Google Inc. for the second time this month. Ethan Beard, who was director of social media at Google, will help run business development at Palo Alto-based Facebook, the company said. Facebook named Google veteran Sheryl Sandberg operating chief March 4.

Google Inc., the world's most popular Internet search engine, said Thursday that it had been prepared to spend more than $4.6 billion for wireless airwaves to ensure that open-access rules were met in this year's federal auction. For many days, Google was the high bidder in the auction for a swath of airwaves called the C-block, the Mountain View, Calif., company said. Bidding had to reach at least $4.6 billion to trigger rules forcing the winner to open its network to any legal device.

The highest bidder in the multibillion-dollar sale of prime airwaves disclosed its plans for the wireless spectrum Friday, and the most prominent loser explained why it was still a big winner. A day after rules prohibiting participants in the federal government's online auction from discussing their strategies lifted, Verizon Wireless said it would use the new capacity to roll out faster wireless Internet service by 2010. Verizon outbid Google Inc., paying $4.

Yahoo Inc.'s short experiment with outsourcing some of its Web-search ads to Google Inc. has drawn scrutiny from antitrust regulators, the companies said Wednesday. Yahoo and Google said they had provided the Justice Department with unspecified information in response to questions about the two-week test, which was designed to explore how a possible collaboration could help Yahoo thwart Microsoft Corp.'s takeover bid. Microsoft is busy planning its next move in the buyout fight for Yahoo.

In the now-suspended takeover fight between software titan Microsoft Corp. and Internet poster child Yahoo Inc., the winner was a heckler in the audience. The combined companies could have created a formidable challenger to Google Inc., but the Web search king helped scuttle the deal by complaining about the potential effect on competition and by tossing Yahoo a lifeline in the form of an advertising partnership.

First there was Google Earth. Now its co-founder wants to take on the universe. Sergey Brin, the 34-year-old president of technology for the search-engine company, has put down a $5-million deposit for a seat aboard a Russian spacecraft, tourism company Space Adventures said Wednesday. With a launch date set for 2011, Brin will join an exclusive club of the super-rich who have used their fortunes for the ultimate in adventure travel.