• by Gavin O'Malley , Staff Writer @mp_gavin, July 6, 2011

If only by name, Google reportedly plans to retire several key products, including Blogger and Picasa. "The move is part of a larger effort to unify its brand for the public launch of Google+," writes Mashable, referring to the search giant's new social initiative.

As such, Picasa could soon be renamed "Google Photos," while Blogger could become "Google Blogs." While other products are likely to get the "Google" treatment, however, sources assure Mashable that YouTube will never be renamed "Google Videos."

"Google is working very hard to unify its brand," writes Marketing Pilgrim, which puts the would-be changes in the context of Larry Page's efforts the shake up the company. "Smart move and one that is long overdue especially if this push is aiming for people who simply aren't aware of the depth and breadth of Google beyond search."

"Google+ is really a concentrated effort," writes Softpedia, which sees the rebranding effort as part of a larger strategy to align Google's various services with its new social network. "The company is fully behind the project and it will encompass all of Google's products, where feasible."

"The move -- alleged to take place within the next six weeks -- would unify the search king's user offerings ahead of the public launch of Google+," Engadget writes. "What remains to be seen is how closely the products will be tied into Google+ in the process of renaming," Search Engine Land writes.

Still, "Renaming Picasa clarifies the product's purpose; renaming Blogger, less so," according to ReadWriteWeb. "Indeed, the report ... seems to have set off quite a stir of nostalgia ... as many of us have fond memories of the blogging platform from the earliest days of blogging's existence -- whether we still use Google's blogging platform or not."