• March 5, 2009

Google wants to make sure no one misses a minute tracking the implosion of their stock portfolios and 401Ks.

To that end, the company has introduced a Google Finance application for Android-powered mobile phones. It allows users to check real-time stock quotes, market data and financial news on the go.

"For each stock, you can see detailed quotes, charts and news, and any change you make to your portfolio automatically syncs up with the Google Finance website. So now you don't have to worry about setting up a separate portfolio on your phone," according to a March 3 post on the Google Mobile blog.

The company said the app was developed in response to feedback from day traders and others who need to stay connected to the market wherever they are. The heightened financial anxiety was further highlighted by data released by Hitwise Wednesday showing that U.S. visits to stock-related sites went up 19% in February. The average time spent was up 14% to 11 minutes, 24 seconds.--Mark Walsh