The year in Google: 15 most important stories of 2014

Google Glass goes public

This year, Google had many ups and downs. Here are the top stories about the search giant in 2014.

In May, Google opened up its Glass Explorer program to the general public. The device still costs $1500, but you no longer need a special invite to purchase one.

Google Fiber expands into new cities

In February, Google announced that it was potentially expanding its Fiber internet service into nine new metro areas, which includes 34 cities. The service has officially been rolled out in Kansa City, Provo, and Austin.

The EU and the "right to be forgotten"

In May, the European Union Court of Justice ruled that internet users in the EU could ask Google to remove posts that might infringe on their privacy.

Google's big steps into robots and AI

In 2014, Google acquired a host of robotics and artificial intelligence companies, including Boston Dynamics and DeepMind technologies.

Google turns in criminal user

Google turned a GMail user who was allegedly in possession of child pornography over to authorities this past summer. The move was met with mixed criticism over potential privacy concerns.

Self-driving car prototype

Google’s driverless car program has been in the works for some time, but the official prototype was finally unveiled in December.

Nest acquisition

Perhaps Google’s biggest acquisition of the year was its $3.2 billion purchase of Nest. The move was Google’s biggest foray into the IoT and connected home.

Cloud Platform for Startups

Google announced that its Cloud Platform for Startups gives eligible startups $100,000 worth of credit for the Google Cloud Platform and 24/7 support, which showed that Google is serious about courting young companies.

Google Express

In 2014, Google Shopping Express became simply Google Express, targeting Amazon with cheap same-day delivery services and membership fees.

Diversity report

Google was one of the first big tech companies to release a report detailing its diversity statistics in 2014. This set off a trend of companies, such as Apple, Twitter, and Facebook to release similar reports.

Chromebook's rise in education

2014 was a special year for Google’s thin client laptops known as Chromebooks. The devices saw strong growth in education, eventually beating out Apple’s iPad.