Although the names haven't been revealed, it looks like Google has poached some of the best brains at Microsoft.
Half a dozen of the brightest minds in tech, working at Microsoft Corp. (MSFT, Trade) and other companies, have been hired in recent weeks by Google Inc.(GOOG, Trade). They include a programmer who helped develop the user interface for the next version of Windows and a quartet of people who worked on Microsoft's Web browser.
Some analysts, including Gary Stein of Jupiter Research, told the New York Post, "Google is a magnetic pull for smart technology people" and could be developing its own Web browser. "This is all about putting smart kids in a Google sandbox," he added. Stein said he expects Google to launch a product that searches for online music.
