Google launches flurry of new products

Google Inc. is keeping busy with a flurry of new product announcements, cranking up the heat in its battle for desktop software with Microsoft Corp. by introducing a free presentation application andextending its advertising platform to mobile devices.

The new presentation application will be bundled with Google's "Docs" software, which also includes word processing and spreadsheet programs, the company said Monday.

Docs is free and included in the company's larger software offering, called Google Apps. AlthoughGoogle Apps is also free, the company charges$50 USfor an enhanced version of the suite, which is targeted mainly at businesses.

The presentation software shares the same philosophy as the word processing and spread programs,encouraging users to upload their documents to a Google server rather than store them on their computer, as Microsoft's Office system does.

Keeping documents in a central location allows for faster and greater collaboration and less e-mailing of attachments, the company said.

It also removes the need for consumers to upgrade their software because that is handled by the company.

"Maybe more than any other type of document, presentations are created to be shared. But assembling slide decks by e-mailing them around is as frustrating as it is time-consuming," wrote Attila Bodis,a Google software engineer, on the company's blog.

"The new presentations feature of Google Docs helps you to easily organize, share, present and collaborate on presentations using only a web browser."

Google announced it was working on a presentation application in April. It now has a full complement of software to compete with Microsoft Office's Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

The internet company also announced it is making its AdSense advertising platform available on mobile devices. AdSense, one of the key component's of Google's success, lets the company target advertisementsat users based on what they look for using its search engine.

The platform is intended for partners that have created websites specifically for mobile devices.

'Enhanced mobile experience'

AdSenseautomatically reviews the information onthose websites and delivers text ads to the devices that are relevant to the sites' audience and content.

The website owner earns money whenever a user clicks on one of those ads.

"With this program, advertisers can connect with the growing number of mobile publishers, ultimately providing users with an enhanced mobile experience that helps them find what they are looking for more quickly and efficiently on the go," the company said in a release.

Google announced the availability of mobile AdSense in 13 countries. Canada is the only G8 country not on the list.

Google could not immediately be reached for comment.