Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2013/03/14/google_maps_jeff_huber/

Google sidelines Maps bloke, shifts him from 'A' to 'X'

Jeff Huber loses geotag

By Kelly Fiveash

Posted in Software, 14th March 2013 17:09 GMT

Google has reportedly drop-kicked its mapping and commerce chief Jeff Huber into Sergey Brin's vanity project 'X' unit.

The move apparently came within hours of Android boss Andy Rubin being shifted away from the mobile operating system he developed in 2003. Rubin was similarly plonked in with the GoogXer's.

However, Google didn't immediately comment on Huber's sideways manoeuvre within the company, which was reported by the Wall Street Journal citing people familiar with the matter.

Apparently, the Chocolate Factory's mapping division will be folded into Google's search team, which is headed up by Alan Eustace, while the commerce wing of the biz will be tacked onto Susan Wojcicki's Google ad empire.

In contrast to Huber's supposed silent role change, Rubin got an official blog post from Google CEO Larry Page who confirmed that the Android man was changing lanes within the company.

On Wednesday, Google's Chrome master Sundar Pichai scooped up the Android unit - all of which strongly hinted at an operating system merger plan of sorts being hatched within Mountain View.

The Register quizzed Google about Huber being pushed out of the company's mapping and commerce biz. It hadn't immediately got back to us at time of writing, however.

Huber - who was the one-time boss of Marissa Mayer - did break ranks, however. He confirmed the new job on his Google+ account. But he didn't appear to know what he'd be working on and is already fishing around for ideas:

Finishing up my first decade at Google, and excited to return to my startup roots and begin the next one at Google X!

Let me know what you'd like to see Google X do next.

®