Google+ Hangout!

Nearly all Google’s stupendous profits still come from search and its Adwords programme but the company also seems serious about its latest big venture, Facebook rival Google+.

As Facebook prepares to celebrate its display advertising take heading through $4bn by launching an equally stupendously valuable IPO ($100bn? $150bn?) Google is trying to throw a spanner in the works by promoting its ‘Hangouts’ video chat service on Google+, arguably a whizzier version of what Facebook currently offers.

And, demonstrating its new-found commitment to broadcast advertising, it’s signed up the Muppets to do so.