These days Google has a service for anything. Whether it’s a book search or a 3d map of your neighborhood, Google has it; and it’s probably free too. With all these new services coming out all the time many wonder what Google’s objective is. Below is just a small sample of what Google is doing.

Search - Google search is the first function of Google and still it’s most popular. This needs no further explanation.

Mail - A.k.a. Gmail is one of the most popular free e-mails accounts. Gmail is easy to use, requires little personal information to set-up and has almost unlimited amounts of disk space.

Maps - Google maps rivals most other map website and probably exceeds even Map Quest. Also Google has Google 3d which allows you to see from the ground a 360 view, Google Earth and coming soon Google Space.

Scholar - This feature allows you to search for scholarly papers and information, helping narrow down your search.

Trends - Google trends is a service that allows you to measure search volume for any given term. You can also look back into the past and see what kind of search trend there is for that term over a year.

Analytics - Not only is analytics free but it is more powerful than most that require payment. This analytics is easy to install, easy to monitor and rivals even Omniture.

News - Not only can you search for a specific news story now when you enter a search term you will see related news stories.

Images - Google has one of the most advanced and comprehensive image searches available.

Video - Since Google bought Youtube their video service is superior to just about anyone else. You will begin to see videos in your search results more.

Labs - This is a feature which allows you to test out beta programs before they are released. If you want an inside look into Google’s future services go here.

Checkout - Google Checkout is a free shopping cart with a great deal of features. For many it is the best choice for their online business needs however Checkout does lack many features found in more sophisticated shopping carts.

Reader - This is Google’s aggregator, allowing you to subscribe to your favorite blog and news site. It is pretty good however it’s brand new and still lacks many features including Podcasts.

Google has also branched out beyond its own operations and worked deals with popular software or services. For instance if you type a search query in the address bar of Mozilla Firefox you will notice Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” function will be used. This is intentional although very subtle. Also you’ll notice that Myspace’s search is “powered by Google”.

In addition Google working on some other more ominous projects like the Google cell phone. Google is also encroaching on Microsoft’s bread and butter; operating systems. Google is currently developing a web based operating system that will be like an online personal computer. This changes the status quo and shows why Google is the most recognized brand in the world.

Google isn’t stopping with Microsoft; they’re going straight for Apple as well with the upcoming release of the Google Phone. Many wonder if the Google Phone will live up to its great expectations and defeat the new I-phone, which has become wildly popular selling over 500,000 units in the first weekend. There’s no telling where Google will go from here. It has truly been a rags to riches story for this company, the question is when will they reach they top?