Google reclaims No. 1 spot in tech world but its hold may be tenuous

Google Inc. is back on top of the tech world. Can it stay there?

For years, the technology giant grumbled while playing second fiddle to Apple Inc. and Facebook Inc. But with both rivals now on the outs with investors, Google is ascending once again. Fueling that heady rise: Google continues to make money hand over fist from search and online advertising. At the same time, it's branching out into promising new areas. Its Android software powers more than 900 million smartphones around the world, guaranteeing that Google’s products such as maps and email are as popular on mobile as they are on the desktop. And although ads on tiny screens are not as lucrative as they are on the desktop, causing Google's average ad price to slip on a year-over-year basis for six straight quarters, Google is making strides there too by changing the way it sells ads to get marketers to buy more of them on mobile devices. Another bright spot for Google: advertising on video-sharing website YouTube. The search giant is also making news and waves by experimenting with new technologies such as Internet-connected glasses and self-driving cars.