Google just revealed its strategy to rule the post-search world. Will it work?

Google CEO Sundar Pichai had good reason to be excited Wednesday. Pichai, who is probably most often described as "subdued," was unusually energized as he emceed his team through a host of product announcements -- several genuinely impressive. He kicked things off with Google Home, the company's answer to Amazon Echo. Then came Allo and Duo, a pair of messaging apps that look well poised to compete with the likes of WhatsApp and Apple's FaceTime. And Android Instant Apps -- apps that download themselves directly from links -- could change the face of mobile, ending (or at least mitigating) the cold war between apps and the mobile web.