Moving Toward the Google Collective Unconscious


The latest rumor to hit the press is that search engine juggernaut Google is engineering a strategic move into the lucrative MP3 music downloading arena. Analysts at Bear Stearns are wagering that Google may be in the process of developing a service to rival Apple iTunes. An analyst wrote the following in a recent client note:

"We believe that Google is in the midst of creating its own iTunes competitor, which we've dubbed 'Google Tunes'. We think this is a logical step, now that the nascent Google Video product has been introduced."

Bear Stearns Analyst Robert Peck thinks that it makes perfect sense for Google to introduce a beta service in the next 3 to 6 months to claim some of the MP3 music downloading market that Apple currently dominates. Their speculation, which has not been confirmed yet, is based on the Mosaic Theory. Simply put, this means that he has taken non-material information from a variety of sources (he probably could tell us, but then he would have to kill us) and created some meaningful observations and projections concerning Google’s next logical move. The accuracy of his prediction greatly depends on the sources used and thorough knowledge of Google’s business model…a crystal ball wouldn’t hurt either. According to Nielsen [Net Ratings], iTunes has cultivated a distinct target audience with recognized brand preferences for consumer goods such as autos, alcoholic beverages, magazines, and television shows. If Google does decide to roll out music and video downloading services, besides Apple, they’ll be rubbing shoulders with Yahoo!, Microsoft, RealNetworks, and Napster.

Keep in mind, a short while ago Google announced their plan to purchase dMarc Broadcasting, Inc., a Newport Beach, California-based digital solutions provider for the radio broadcast industry. By purchasing dMarc Broadcasting, Google plans to integrate dMarc technology into the Google AdWords platform, creating a new radio ad distribution channel for Google advertisers. By doing this Google has essentially jumped the gap from cyberspace to terrestrial radio. What’s next…Google Radio Network? It all seems to fit together in some strange way, doesn’t it? But wait! Don’t answer yet! There is another piece to the "Google Collective Unconscious". Google apparently has a voracious appetite for ‘dark fiber’. Sounds like the premise to a sci-fi horror flick, but it’s not as scary as it sounds, for now anyway. ‘Dark fiber’ is telecommunications speak for fiber-optic cable that has already been laid, but is not yet in use or “lit up” with the required optical communications hardware. Thousands of miles of dark fiber are available in the United States because of the telecom industry crash a few years ago, but there have been few takers because of the high costs of making it operational. Google is planning on being a major taker. The following information was gathered from a job posting on Google’s website, which read:

"Google is looking for Strategic Negotiator candidates with experience in...(i)dentification, selection, and negotiation of dark fiber contracts both in metropolitan areas and over long distances as part of development of a global backbone network.."

Google representatives declined to a request to explain the job posting and what it means for the future of Google. Having worked in Competitive Intelligence in the Telecommunications sector for a few years, I believe that this can mean a few things:

1. Google is merely planning for bandwidth needs over the coming years and is investing in ‘dark fiber’ now to save money in the future by owning their own network.

2. Google is planning a foray into the telecommunications business, maybe GoogleVOIP or even better VOIPoogle.

3. Google is planning to build a data/voice network as the foundation for a pervasive Wi-Fi network that will be an ad-supported, free broadband communication network that is viable alternative to the Internet. The GoogleNet?

Although the third possibility seems a bit more far-fetched than the first two, I think that it is quite plausible, given Google’s financial strength and track record of innovation. If a GoogleNet materializes, I imagine that handheld PDA-like Google appliances that store and play MP3s and video, function as phones, and enable users to Google other users and tagged objects via GPS in 3-space in won’t be far behind. Maybe even further down the road, we may see Google implants or better yet, Google neural implants. This sounds crazy, but scientists at the Max Planck Institute have developed "neuron transistors" that can detect the firing of a nearby neuron, or alternatively, can cause a nearby neuron to fire, or suppress it from firing. This basically amounts to a two-way communication channel between neurons and the electronic-based neuron transistors. They demonstrated the “neuron transistor” by controlling the movement of a living leech from a computer. I wonder if Google knows about “neuron transistors”?

The Google Collective Unconscious is upon us.

Matt "Nostradamus" Largo