Thanks to the Download Squad and their article regarding Google’s official announcement that George Reyes, the main behind their IPO and Chief Financial Officer for over five years will be retiring, we decided it was time for a Google Update, in much the same way we did with Microsoft yesterday.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - August 28, 2007 - Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) announced today that George Reyes has informed the company of his intention to retire as Chief Financial Officer. Reyes indicated that he will remain to assist in the search for a new CFO and to assure an orderly transition, which Google expects will occur by the end of the year.

Media and Analyst Contact:
David Krane
Corporate Communications
650.253.4096
david@google.com

In already taking over the world, almost literally with the instantly API-free embedded nature of Google Maps and the company’s recent flamboyant takeovers, it seems that Sergey and Larry have set their sights towards a much bigger universe with the recent launch of Google Sky:

Since ancient times, people have looked at the sky and tried to find order in the chaos of stars and planets. Ancient sky maps and astronomical computers were created alongside maps of the earth. With Google Earth, we try to provide you with the best mapping experience possible, enabling you to virtually explore our planet. But wouldn’t it be great to be able to explore the stars and galaxies as well?

You can now explore the universe from the comfort of your chair. Zoom in to distant galaxies hundreds of millions of light years away, explore the constellations, see the planets in motion, witness a supernova explosion; it’s like having a giant, virtual telescope at your command — your own personal planetarium!

On a more resourceful note, Grinn Productions have an old but useful article regarding ways in which to integrate Google Calendar with Outlook, and over at Adelaider, they have an excellent two page PDF Google Cheat-Sheet that could prove more useful than not…

On a more serious note, and one that comes directly from Forbes, Google are now turning their sites towards Apple in an attempt to compete with iTunes in the form of their newly named gBox (which strangely enough seems to have no online presence of any kind):

Under the program, gBox will get referrals through ads Universal will buy through search leader Google Inc. (nasdaq: GOOG - news - people ), gBox Chief Executive Tammy Artim said Friday. Google will get standard advertising fees rather than a cut of sales under the arrangement. The ads, which would appear when a Google user searches for specific terms such as the name of an artist, will direct the user to gBox.

The arrangement with Universal and gBox is separate from Google’s music search service, which directs users to online music stores when they search for specific albums or artists. The company says it does not get paid for such referrals, and it does not restrict links to a single retailer.

If it was April, we would be worried about the validity of such stories, especially when they involve them giving away (the usually priced US$70) Sun StarOffice suite with their GooglePack as a free download - a move that has given the Download Squad something interesting to think about:

The move is slightly perplexing, as OpenOffice.org is absolutely free, and it’s built on StarOffice source code. The main difference between the two office suites is that StarOffice includes some proprietary graphics, fonts, and templates.

It’s unlikely that Google’s eating $70 for every person that downloads the application. In fact, we doubt Google would have made this move if it had cost the company a single penny, so this could be an expansion of the software distribution agreement that Google and Sun share.

The move does seem to indicate that Google will not be moving its Documents & Spreadsheets applications from the web to the desktop anytime soon.

For those that cannot get enough of Google Gadgets, the Download Squad have reported on a new program that has been launched for developers who design and develop sustainable gadgets that offers sizable funding grants:

The Google Gadget Ventures funding program is open for businesses and individuals who apply to a $5000 grant, not a loan, for further developments on their creation. So what’s the catch? To be considered into the program, your gadget must have more than 250,000 page views per week. Together with those stats, you must also write a one page proposal on the improvements that you would add to your Gadget.

If you pass those tests, Google has another $100,000 (RM 350, 800) in seed investments for companies that start a Gadget, or rely on the Gadget for their business.

Finishing on a close-a-local point as possible, Market Watch reports that Google have now opened a Southeast Asia HQ in Singapore:

The company, famous for its namesake Internet search engine, said that the office will allow it to more effectively bring its advertising and online search business to users and advertisers in the region. In a briefing, Lori Sobel, who was appointed to lead Google’s sales in Singapore and Southeast Asia, said the company has hired “several dozen” staff in Singapore and are recruiting more.

Sobel, who comes from Google’s business-solutions team in New York, didn’t say how much the company is investing in the Singapore office nor how many people will be employed. Richard Kimber, Google’s managing director for operations in Southeast Asia, said the company is still looking for engineers to be part of its research and development center in Singapore. He didn’t give a timeline on setting up the center.