Google (GOOG) gave investors some Q4 numbers to digest after the bell on Thursday, but that news may have been overshadowed by a surprise change in management. As I'm sure everyone has heard by now, Larry Page will be taking over CEO duties from Eric Schmidt.

But let's have a look at the numbers anyway. On a reported basis, the search-engine business made $7.81 a share, good for a 27% year-over-year growth rate. On an adjusted basis, per-share profit came out to $8.75, comfortably ahead of the $8.06 projected by Wall Street. The top line also put in a strong showing.

Google, Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) CEO Eric Schmidt has sung the praises of many things in the past: consumer experience, mobile product offerings and even Google's philanthropic efforts. At the same time, Schmidt has made sure Google has evolved into a ruthless competitor that has really blindsided the internet marketplace in so many ways so fast that it caught most of us off-guard.

But can Google seriously save the world? Although tech pundits sometimes state that in tongue-in-cheek fashion, Schmidt is dead serious about it. Google's massive global infrastructure requires a ton of energy to operate. As we all know, energy costs are not exactly low. Although newer Google data center sites are chosen partly for cheap energy proximity, that's not enough. The company wants to fix the energy problem in the U.S., and they have a plan.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt will be speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference in San Francisco today and with his company leading the way on many fronts, I was interested to see what Schmidt has to say.

So with that, the below liveblog will detail out the main points of what Schmidt talks about today. Insight into the future of the web and Google? You bet. Possible hints at where tech investors may want to look for parking their money? Possibly. An entertaining talk? Absolutely.

So, here we go. Remember to use the "Refresh" key on your web browser to refresh this page often, as updates will be coming every few minutes. All times below are in EST.

3:20pm -- Schmidt is talking about general technology issues to start -- but he picks up with a focus on mobile technology (the cellphone). It's interesting that Schmidt takes up his first focus as mobile technology -- like he has done many times before at quarterly conference calls and other investor conferences.

3:25pm -- Schmidt is talking about the prevalence of mobile technology and switches to how broadband is now becoming just as prevalent. He's interplaying the billions of mobile phone subscribers globally along with how broadband technology is now encompassing the mobile networks (HSDPA and EV-DO -- and beyond).

3:32pm -- the increasing number of data centers is now on Schmidt's lap as he talks steadily about how much data -- and how fast -- can be pumped to users anywhere around the world. TV, internet, fixed phone and mobile are the "four" things that most consumers will need now and in the short future. How do you find all the stuff you need on those mediums? Search, of course.

Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is a company that likes to try and spearhead progressive change in the digital age we are all leaving in now. Google CEO, Dr. Eric Schmidt, likes to paint pictures of the future nternet and all that's involved with it, and this week he painted on heckuva doomsday scenario when his mental paintbrush drew a scary picture.

That picture? Those in control of the internet may be so scared of the misuse of personal information that they may stop at nothing to ensure they suffocate the web with stifling regulations as billions more around the world go online in the near future.

Schmidt explained that a small number of companies would become gatekeepers to the entire web, while forcing all internet users to interact in "highly regimented" ways. OK, I get his idea now -- the freedoms we as customers and users of the Internet enjoy now would be stifled in many ways by safeguards from paranoid gatekeepers that are intent on identity verification for all people, parties and transactions that take place over the web. Sounds a little cheeky, but I get what he was trying to say.

Right now, is the internet based on a set of self-governing rules and regulations? You bet it is -- for the most part. I can see that Schmidt's scenario might revolve hurting Google with its vaunted advertising revenue stream. Still, outside of that, I agree with him in that setting up a few large, global gatekeepers would invite instant corruption -- like anything with just a few entities in charge almost always invites.

I'm up late watching Charlie Rose's taped interview with Google CEO Eric Schmidt. In raving about Google's 20% rule -- that engineers can spend 20% of their time on projects of their own choosing -- Schmidt says that all of their new products come from that 20% "free time." Charlie asks an obvious question, one that's been bugging me for months: "why not make it 50%?"

Schmidt doesn't answer the question, really (he is a CEO after all), basically saying that, although it's a great idea, and they should do it, anarchy would prevail.

Why would anarchy prevail if 50% of a creative worker's time was spent doing creative, independently-chosen work? I think it's a fantastic idea and one that many companies should employ. If workers are selected for their extreme intelligence and ability to innovate, why not have them create the products they wish existed? We'd all be better for it.

Google continues to demonstrate its particular brand of goofy-yet-financially sound thinking, as the company indicated in a proxy filing yesterday. CEO Eric Schmidt and co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page will collect $1 in salary for 2006, just as they did for 2005. According to the filing, "Their primary compensation continues to come from returns on their ownership stakes in Google. As significant stockholders, their personal wealth is tied directly to sustained stock price appreciation and performance, which provides direct alignment with stockholder interests."

(On a multiples basis, however, they might have the highest bonuses anywhere; Brin was paid $1,723 in bonus, with Schmidt and Page collecting a tidy $1,630, over 1600 times their annual salaries!)

Google also announced that the company intends to forgo dividends to its shareholders "in the foreseeable future."