Google Gets Goodger

Google has hired one of the top programmers who worked on the Firefox project, fueling new speculation that the search giant may enter the browser business. The Mountain View, California-based search company hired 24 year old Auckland University-educated Ben Goodger, http://www.bengoodger.com/ the lead engineer for the Mozilla Foundation’s Firefox stand-alone browser, the number one competitor for Microsoft’s Internet Explorer (25 million download milestone already achieved). As of Jan. 10, Goodger wrote in his blog Monday, he’s been an employee of Google. Half of his time, said a Google spokesman, will be donated back to Mozilla so he can continue working on Firefox.