Google Shutting Down Some Smaller Services

In a series of blog posts yesterday, Google (GOOG) disclosed that is shutting down some of its smaller Web products. The news came on the same day that Google announced the layoff of 100 recruiters. As the blog Search Engine Land notes, Google has announced they’re closing or ceasing development of a variety of products to keep efforts focused on other products with greater usage. These include an end to video uploads to Google Video , closure of Google Catalog Search , Google Notebook , Dodgeball, the microblogging service Jaiku and the Google Mashup Editor. Amazing how Google, a company which once appeared to have nearly unlimited resources, and a widely admired willingness to tinker - ah, the charm of 20% time - is suddenly pulling in the reins, as it suffers through the economic downturn with the rest of us. Google this morning is down $11.90, or 4%, to $289.07. (link)