Google product cull: will it help save Google Plus?

GOOGLE is killing off seven of its side projects - including its messaging service Google Wave, a Wikipedia rival called Knol and its much-vaunted renewable energy project - as it simplifies its range of services.
 
The BBC suggested that the latest streamlining could be the result of attempts to focus attention on its Google Plus social network, which started brightly but has failed to dent the popularity of Facebook.
 
Tech website Wired, said it was Google's "third spring-cleaning cull since September".
 
In a blog post earlier this week, the search giant's vice president of operations, Urs Holzle, admitted: "We're in the process of shutting a number of products which haven't had the impact we'd hoped for." Others are being integrated into other projects, he added.
 
"Overall, our aim is to build a simpler, more intuitive, truly beautiful Google user experience," explained Holzle.
 
The projects being ditched are Google bookmarks lists, friend connect, Google Gears, search timeline, Google Wave, Knol and the company's Renewable Energy Cheaper than Coal (RE<C) research.
 
Google has invested $850m in renewable energies and will make its data available to "help others in the field," but it accepted that "other institutions are better positioned than Google to take this research to the next level." ·