This is a mistake. Energy is the next/current big challenge, one in need of research (including and especially domestic, for the U.S.). Google retained some of my loyalty by continuing to pursue this, including such research.

Perhaps I'm just taking it personally. Nonetheless, mistake. 1) Google becomes ever more "just a web site company". (Well, and phones that access the web and apps hosted on the web.) 2) Google's starting to throw over its non-web projects the same way it's been discarding its web projects and acquisitions. This pattern may begin to seriously shake others' belief in and commitment to long term investments in their products and technologies, in both areas.

Whatever their future, the blush is off the rose (or however that metaphor's supposed to go), IMO.

Or maybe I'm just pissed that the U.S. cannot manage a coherent "next generation" energy policy, and the last player I had any hope in just got out.

P.S. I guess I should qualify this by saying my opinion is not tne most informed. So, again, this is in the nature of a personal reaction.