Google Video began suffering from neglect as soon as Google bought YouTube in 2006. By early 2009, the service was put on life support when it stopped accepting video uploads. It continued to dwindle while YouTube thrived. For more than two years, it's been clear that Google Video's days are numbered.

Google finally made the obvious official last week when it sent Google Video users an email message announcing that hosted video "will no longer be available for playback" as of April 29. The company has temporarily added a download button to the video status page to allow Google Video users to save local copies of Google Video files. The download button will be available until May 13.

After all hosted video is removed, Google says that Google Video will become a video search index.

Full story: InformationWeek