At the event, Google also unveiled a number of new and revamped offerings, including a music-streaming service and plentiful tweaks to its popular online-mapping service.

LARRY PAGE, Google's co-founder and chief executive, had plenty to crow about at the firm's annual developer meeting on May 15th.

That day the firm' share price soared past $900 for the first time and its market capitalization topped $300 billion.

After the presentations were over, some attendees were already speculating that its shares would hit $1 000 before too long.

This time last year Apple's fans were forecasting that its shares would blast through that target too.

Everything from Google Glass and its driverless cars are hogging headlines.

But after rising to just over $700 last September, the firm's share price imploded and its stock now trades at $429.

Could Google suffer a similar fate?

There is certainly a great deal of hype around the company, just as there was around Apple early last year.

But its core search business -- and the online advertising associated with it -- is the key to the company's success and that is still pumping out impressive profits.

At the conference, Google revealed that Android has now been activated on 900 million devices worldwide up from 400 million a year ago.

The stunning rise of Google's Android mobile operating system is also boosting use of the firm's search and other services on smart phones and tablets.

Mr. Page and his fellow executives will need to keep Google's profits growing steadily and its innovation machine pumping out more sexy new offerings such as Glass in order to cement its status as one of the stock market's great hits. Thank you.