Google

Nelson Mandela, the former South African leader and human rights activist who died earlier this month, was the world's top trending search on Google, according to annual data released by the tech giant.

Big Dog, a four-legged robot that can climb muddy hills, and Cheetah, a robot which can outrun the fastest human, are among the robots that now belong to Google Inc.

Google Inc has overhauled its search algorithm, the foundation of the Internet's dominant search engine, to better cope with the longer, more complex queries it has been getting from Web users.

The Olympics, Kony, Marmite, Whitney Houston and images of Jaime Ridge - New Zealanders' internet searches have revealed the motley cast of people and events that have shaped the online year.

Google Inc inadvertently released its draft quarterly results hours ahead of schedule, missing expectations on both revenue and earnings and wiping 9 percent off the market value of the Internet search and advertising leader.

Google has been criticised by the Privacy Commissioner for failing to destroy private information it collected from unsecured WiFi networks during its Street View filming in New Zealand, in what has been termed "a major breach of privacy".

Google Inc is buying the Frommer's line of travel guidebooks, the latest move to amass a trove of publishing content that could strengthen the No. 1 Internet search company's push to become a major online travel broker.

Google Inc will pay $US22.5 million to settle charges it bypassed the privacy settings of customers using Apple Inc's Safari browser, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission says.

Google Inc has unveiled major changes to its shopping business that will likely prove controversial in the e-commerce world.

Google is revamping the way it handles searches in the United States to give users quick access to answers without leaving the page, the company said.

Google Inc is getting into the eyewear business with a pair of thin wraparound shades that puts the company's web services in your face.

Google has turned on the music at its new online store, aiming to wrest the lead from Apple and Amazon in audio entertainment distribution despite the absence of a major record label.

While most New Zealanders feel positively towards Google, more than half think the search engine should be regulated to protect personal privacy, a poll indicates.

Google is launching a new service that lets users store their music remotely and access them from any compatible device, including mobile phones, tablets and computers.

Google has acknowledged that it trespassed when it took a photo of a Pittsburgh-area house for its Street View service, but will pay only $US1 ($NZ1.32) in damages to a couple who sued.

Internet giant Google could barely believe one of the southern hemisphere's most historic cityscapes had only one building rendered in three dimensions on Google Earth - and that the building was modern and soon to be mothballed.