Google's much speculated upon integration of services seems to have moved forward a step with the further integration of Google Accounts, a control center for those of us who subscribe to any combination of gmail, Google groups and Google search or news alerts.
Apparently, this new feature's been live for a week, but I was shocked when I tried to sign up for a news alert and Google immediately defaulted to my gmail account--not the place I'd planned to put it.
Clearly, the moment when gmail is the underpinning to link all the services together--including Blogger, Picasa, and Froogle--is coming closer., And that is going to make A LOT of people pay attention.
And if Google syndicates those services through partners--as they do with most established Google products--well, the thought is daunting in terms of their market domination and scale(not that it isn't huge already.)

Update: Commentators noted that Accounts is nothing new--Pamela Parker wrote this up in May, so I have changed this post from an earlier version.
What is new is that Google defaulted to my gmail account when I tried to fill out a news alert--two other bloggers commented on that in the past week, but that feature/integration doesn't seem like it was around before--anyone?