Two quick thoughts on the new Google Finance secton that is being discussed so much online:

(1) After seeing Google Finance for the first time, our lead developer sent out an email pointing out that the stock graphs are fantastic. He’s right. Being able to drag the graphs, a la Google Maps, is a great step forward, as is the identification of the news stories that drive the peaks and valleys in stock price. Well done.

(2) The listing of blog entries related to the stock you are reviewing is a great idea, but the execution isn’t there yet. The fundamental problem is that Google is searching blog entries based on the full company name, in this case “Toyota Motor Corp.” How many bloggers are going to type out “Toyota Motor Corp” instead of “Toyota” or a simple “TM” when posting an entry? This is a blunt instrument at this point.