While we're yet to see a real-life GPhone, Google's mobile development team has just released a flurry of updates.
Monday saw GMail for Mobiles get bumped up to version 1.5. The shiny new version is 30 to 80% faster, lets you save drafts, and supports GMail keyboard shortcuts. The most impressive feature in the new version is a 'Contact Manager'. It displays your contacts' GMail pictures and their (click-to-callable) phone numbers -- as well as email addresses of course. Download on your phone from http://gmail.com/app.
Saturday saw Google Maps for Mobile get tricked out with version 1.6, with the bonus of native app support for the S60 OS toting crowd (Nokia, SE, etal). This is particularly cool as it provides GPS support for S60 phones (like the Nokia N95). Other updates include a touch-screen friendly zoom in / zoom out and menu options.
Today we get to view our Google Docs on our phones as Google release a mobile friendly view of Google Docs. Google Blogoscoped has the scoop, but in a nutshell mobile Docs supports a read-only view of both documents and spreadsheets (no presentation view yet).
We've now got Maps, GMail, Docs, Picasaweb, Reader, iGoogle, News, and Calendar all available on our mobiles. GPhone or not, Google is serious about moving to the mobile.
Showing posts with label gphone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gphone. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Easy Come, Easy Go(ogle)
There's never a shortage of speculation surrounding future Google releases. With rumours flying around at breakneck pace it's easy to loose track.
With Google presenting at TechCrunch40 later today, let's take a moment to review some of the biggest, longest running, and most eagerly anticipated Google product rumours: Google Television, GDrive, the GPhone, GoogleTalk-to-Phone, Google's Social application, and Google Office.
The Google Phone
Alias: GPhone
Speculation on the GPhone started as early as 2005, and it's been regular blog fodder since then, with the rumour mill hitting overdrive in August thanks to reliable reports of an impending post-Labour Day release.
Early speculation suggested a hardware device similar to the iPhone, but recent comments from Google's head of research, Peter Norvig, suggest it won't be a Google created handset. The smart money now is on a Java-based Google powered phone OS along with a suite of mobile Google applications available on 3rd party hardware, with Business Week claiming just last week that a gPhone mobile phone platform is nearing release.
Original Speculation: December 2005.
Last Heard From: September 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: Post Labour Day, 2007.
Trending: Peaking.
Likelihood of imminent release: High.
GDrive
Alias: Platypus, Google Drive, WWW10
Rumours of a Google powered online storage solution started in 2005, but it was the inadvertent release of suggestive power point slides in early 2006 that really got people's attention.
After a massive bout of online speculation things died down until July 2007, when CorsinCamichel discovered an internal Google GDrive client codenamed Platypus. More recently Tony Ruscoe found that 'GDrive' was available to some users as a service within Google Apps, fueling speculation of a possible public release.
Original Speculation: March 2005.
Last Heard From: September 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: Unknown. Likely to be part of Google Apps.
Trending: Stagnant.
Likelihood of imminent release: High.
Google's Social Application
Alias: Makamaka, Ninianne Wang's Social Project, Google World
Google's decidedly underwhelming Orkut service has led to speculation that Google intends to release an alternative social application that takes a radically different approach. Revelation's in May 2006 that star Googler Niniane Wang was heading up a new project in the social space led to speculation that the project might be a killer combination of Facebook and Second Life leveraging Google Earth.
More recently Google Operating System highlighted Google's investment in SocialStream (a social networking aggregation project), and the accidental leak of a Google training video described the 'big social effort' at Google (Makamaka), as the framework for Google's social efforts.
Original Speculation: April 2005.
Last Heard From: September 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: Unknown.
Trending: Upwards.
Likelihood of imminent release: Low.
GoogleTV
Alias: Google Television
Google TV has been rumour fodder since before the launch of Google Video in January of 2005.
In March of 2006 job openings for an Interactive TV Product Manager and Software Engineers with experience in 'emerging TV standards' and 'deploying robust, high-volume applications for consumer devices' fueled speculation that a GoogleTV set-top-box might be on its way.
In January 2007 an brilliantly spoofed 'how-to guide' to register for the GoogleTV Beta program was released on YouTube sparking a surge of interest as hope overcame common sense before the hoax was revealed.
In March Google announced a television AdSense trial, and in August Vint Cerf (VP at Goolge) suggested that television is approaching it's 'iPod moment', when most users will be downloading their television.
Original Speculation: 2004.
Last Heard From: August 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: Unknown.
Trending: Stagnant.
Likelihood of imminent release: Low.
GoogleTalk Phone-Out
Alias: Google Voice, Google SIP
When Google launched GoogleTalk in August 2005 with audio conferencing using the open source libjingle library,there was wide-spread expectation that a Skype style PC-to-phone service would follow.
In July of 2006 GoogleTalk was updated to provide 'voice mail' for missed audio calls and in May this year the accidental release of a Google slideshow including a screen-capture of an updated GoogleTalk client including a 'dialpad' renewed speculation that GoogleTalk would soon be upgraded to include a PC to phone service. A month later Google acquired GrandCentral, a 'one number for life' phone management startup.
Original Speculation: August 2005.
Last Heard From: June 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: Unknown.
Trending: Stagnant.
Likelihood of imminent release: Moderate.
Google Office
Alias: Presently, Google Wiki, JotSpot
The Google Office suite (or MS Office killer) has been a target of speculation GMail's release in 2004, but only really grabbed hold in March of 2006 when Google purchased collaborative online document editor Writely. Since then Google has added a Calendar and Spreadsheets to there Office suite, and has packaged all three tools as 'Google Docs' and embedded them with the Google Apps service.
More recently Google has acquired business focused wiki JotSpot, and online presentations software creator Tonic Systems. Neither acquisition has yet resulted in a Google offering, though Information Week suggests that the release of Presently (Google's PowerPoint offering) is a dead certainty for Tech40 today.
Speculation continues regarding an offline component to Google Docs, and the release of a JotSpot powered wiki component.
Original Speculation: 2004.
Last Heard From: September 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: September 17, 2007.
Trending: Upwards.
Likelihood of imminent release: Near certainty.
With Google presenting at TechCrunch40 later today, let's take a moment to review some of the biggest, longest running, and most eagerly anticipated Google product rumours: Google Television, GDrive, the GPhone, GoogleTalk-to-Phone, Google's Social application, and Google Office.
The Google Phone
Alias: GPhone
Speculation on the GPhone started as early as 2005, and it's been regular blog fodder since then, with the rumour mill hitting overdrive in August thanks to reliable reports of an impending post-Labour Day release.
Early speculation suggested a hardware device similar to the iPhone, but recent comments from Google's head of research, Peter Norvig, suggest it won't be a Google created handset. The smart money now is on a Java-based Google powered phone OS along with a suite of mobile Google applications available on 3rd party hardware, with Business Week claiming just last week that a gPhone mobile phone platform is nearing release.
Original Speculation: December 2005.
Last Heard From: September 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: Post Labour Day, 2007.
Trending: Peaking.
Likelihood of imminent release: High.
GDrive
Alias: Platypus, Google Drive, WWW10
Rumours of a Google powered online storage solution started in 2005, but it was the inadvertent release of suggestive power point slides in early 2006 that really got people's attention.
After a massive bout of online speculation things died down until July 2007, when CorsinCamichel discovered an internal Google GDrive client codenamed Platypus. More recently Tony Ruscoe found that 'GDrive' was available to some users as a service within Google Apps, fueling speculation of a possible public release.
Original Speculation: March 2005.
Last Heard From: September 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: Unknown. Likely to be part of Google Apps.
Trending: Stagnant.
Likelihood of imminent release: High.
Google's Social Application
Alias: Makamaka, Ninianne Wang's Social Project, Google World
Google's decidedly underwhelming Orkut service has led to speculation that Google intends to release an alternative social application that takes a radically different approach. Revelation's in May 2006 that star Googler Niniane Wang was heading up a new project in the social space led to speculation that the project might be a killer combination of Facebook and Second Life leveraging Google Earth.
More recently Google Operating System highlighted Google's investment in SocialStream (a social networking aggregation project), and the accidental leak of a Google training video described the 'big social effort' at Google (Makamaka), as the framework for Google's social efforts.
Original Speculation: April 2005.
Last Heard From: September 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: Unknown.
Trending: Upwards.
Likelihood of imminent release: Low.
GoogleTV
Alias: Google Television
Google TV has been rumour fodder since before the launch of Google Video in January of 2005.
In March of 2006 job openings for an Interactive TV Product Manager and Software Engineers with experience in 'emerging TV standards' and 'deploying robust, high-volume applications for consumer devices' fueled speculation that a GoogleTV set-top-box might be on its way.
In January 2007 an brilliantly spoofed 'how-to guide' to register for the GoogleTV Beta program was released on YouTube sparking a surge of interest as hope overcame common sense before the hoax was revealed.
In March Google announced a television AdSense trial, and in August Vint Cerf (VP at Goolge) suggested that television is approaching it's 'iPod moment', when most users will be downloading their television.
Original Speculation: 2004.
Last Heard From: August 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: Unknown.
Trending: Stagnant.
Likelihood of imminent release: Low.
GoogleTalk Phone-Out
Alias: Google Voice, Google SIP
When Google launched GoogleTalk in August 2005 with audio conferencing using the open source libjingle library,there was wide-spread expectation that a Skype style PC-to-phone service would follow.
In July of 2006 GoogleTalk was updated to provide 'voice mail' for missed audio calls and in May this year the accidental release of a Google slideshow including a screen-capture of an updated GoogleTalk client including a 'dialpad' renewed speculation that GoogleTalk would soon be upgraded to include a PC to phone service. A month later Google acquired GrandCentral, a 'one number for life' phone management startup.
Original Speculation: August 2005.
Last Heard From: June 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: Unknown.
Trending: Stagnant.
Likelihood of imminent release: Moderate.
Google Office
Alias: Presently, Google Wiki, JotSpot
The Google Office suite (or MS Office killer) has been a target of speculation GMail's release in 2004, but only really grabbed hold in March of 2006 when Google purchased collaborative online document editor Writely. Since then Google has added a Calendar and Spreadsheets to there Office suite, and has packaged all three tools as 'Google Docs' and embedded them with the Google Apps service.
More recently Google has acquired business focused wiki JotSpot, and online presentations software creator Tonic Systems. Neither acquisition has yet resulted in a Google offering, though Information Week suggests that the release of Presently (Google's PowerPoint offering) is a dead certainty for Tech40 today.
Speculation continues regarding an offline component to Google Docs, and the release of a JotSpot powered wiki component.
Original Speculation: 2004.
Last Heard From: September 2007.
Suggested Release Schedule: September 17, 2007.
Trending: Upwards.
Likelihood of imminent release: Near certainty.
Monday, June 18, 2007
The Google Phone
Last week His Jobsness announced the US release date for the iPhone (June 29 @ 6pm if you're interested) along with its revolutionary 3rd party API in the form of... a web browser.
As much as I'd love to be a part of the fanboi love-in, there's just no way I can justify the price (let alone the 2year contract lock in) -- shiny hunk of goodness that it is. Damn it to hell, but my 3yo SE 910i is more than adequate for making calls, checking email, and browsing the web.
Mysoul consuming desire appreciation of the iPhone is deferred by the phone I really want -- a gPhone, connected to all the Google goodness I use every day. Lucky for me, my Sony Ericsson also provides a developer API just like the iPhone(!) and Google has written a bunch of applications that support it!
Watch and marvel as I turn my Sony Ericsson P910i into a gPhone...
As much as I'd love to be a part of the fanboi love-in, there's just no way I can justify the price (let alone the 2year contract lock in) -- shiny hunk of goodness that it is. Damn it to hell, but my 3yo SE 910i is more than adequate for making calls, checking email, and browsing the web.
My
Watch and marvel as I turn my Sony Ericsson P910i into a gPhone...
For easy phone reference, here's a link to a phone-friendly list without the commentary at: http://www.radioactiveyak.com/mobile.html
Note: If you've got a Java enabled phone, I'm going to recommend you use Opera Mini. I can confirm that it displays all the Google Mobile sites properly (colours and layouts are correct).
1. Google Homepage (iGoogle)
1. Google Homepage (iGoogle)
An excellent place to start your online mobile adventures. You can select which modules you'd like in your mobile homepage based on your desktop homepage here: http://www.google.com/ig/cp
I have mine setup to include news, reader, and mail feeds so my iGoogle Mobile page effectively provides shortcuts to the other mobile sites I use.
I have mine setup to include news, reader, and mail feeds so my iGoogle Mobile page effectively provides shortcuts to the other mobile sites I use.
2. Blogger
In the US you get the simplest option using Google Mobile Blogging. Outside the US (and Americans with unsupported providers) it's just as easy using Shozu. Download and install the Shozu client and add 'Blogger' as a new destination.
IMPORTANT: There are two versions of Blogger available on the Shozu site -- one specifically mentions it is not compatible with the new Blogger. Keep looking! There's a new one that does.
Once you've installed the phone client and added Blogger as a destination you can send any picture as a new blog entry on Blogger. When you send, Shozu will let you set a post title and add some blog text. Your formatting options are limited, but it's a perfect way to blog on the road.
This is what a blog post from my phone using Shozu looks like. No post-editing was done.
This is what a blog post from my phone using Shozu looks like. No post-editing was done.
If it's a text post your after, just enable the send-to address in you Blogger settings and add the email address from there to your gMail contacts.
3. Google Maps (and local search)
· Java Midlet (www.google.com/gmm)
Java client that shows map or satellite view of most of the world using Google Maps. Includes local search, driving directions, and for select cities even traffic info. Confirmed to work in US, UK, Europe, and Australia -- but it should work for any location that Google Maps supports.
Lets you save favorite places for easy reference on the go. If your phone is GPS enabled it'll put a blue marker on your current position.
On my SE the 5 function scroll wheel lets me move the map up (scroll up), down (scroll down), left (scroll wheel back), right (scroll wheel forward), zoom (scroll wheel push).
· Java Midlet (www.google.com/gmm)
Java client that shows map or satellite view of most of the world using Google Maps. Includes local search, driving directions, and for select cities even traffic info. Confirmed to work in US, UK, Europe, and Australia -- but it should work for any location that Google Maps supports.
Lets you save favorite places for easy reference on the go. If your phone is GPS enabled it'll put a blue marker on your current position.
On my SE the 5 function scroll wheel lets me move the map up (scroll up), down (scroll down), left (scroll wheel back), right (scroll wheel forward), zoom (scroll wheel push).
4. Google Calendar
The Google mobile calendar site will let you view your Google calendars in agenda mode.
It lets you select which calendars you want to include as well as specific event details and adding new events but lacks the ability to modify or delete events.
Alternatively if you're lucky enough to have a compatible phone, GooSync will synchronise your Google Calendar with your phone's native calendar for the low-low price of nothing. It supports updates, alarms, and two-way syncing. For a small subscription they support syncing to multiple calendars.
6. GMail
· Java Applet (www.google.com/mobile/gmail/)
· Website (gmail.google.com) -- '(Google) Mail'
· POP3 (setttings)
What's a smart phone without email?
The Java client is excellent -- very fast and supports most GMail functions. The web interface is good but lacks the bells, whistles, and speed of the Java client. The POP3 settings lose all your GMail features (like tags, stars) but work natively with your phone's email program. No push support though.
10. Services Still Required
GMail Contacts
Take a leaf out of Yahoo's book and provide a GMail API. At the very least provide API access to contacts so someone clever can sync my Gmail contact list with my phone.
GoogleTalk (with Voice)
I want my voice enabled GTalk client straight from Google. Bandwidth be damned!
Google Docs & Spreadsheets
My phone has a built in Excel, Word, and PDF viewer -- I'd love it if I could view and edit my Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Maybe someone out there can write a service to sync my phone's Todo list with a Google spreadsheet?
Google Groups
I love Google Groups, please Google, give me a way to access them on my phone. Please?
So -- what else is missing? What do you want on your phone before your iPhone envy is quenched?
It lets you select which calendars you want to include as well as specific event details and adding new events but lacks the ability to modify or delete events.
Alternatively if you're lucky enough to have a compatible phone, GooSync will synchronise your Google Calendar with your phone's native calendar for the low-low price of nothing. It supports updates, alarms, and two-way syncing. For a small subscription they support syncing to multiple calendars.
5. Picasaweb
· Upload: 3rd Party Client (www.shozu.com)
· Viewing: Google Reader for Mobile (www.google.com/reader/m/) -- '(Google) Picasaweb'
Uploading Images
ShoZu provide an excellent free Java applet that's available for most Java enabled phones. You'll need to download their client and configure your account on their web site, as simple as adding 'Picasaweb' as a destination. Logging in to your Google account is handled the new safe Google authentication way.
Viewing Albums
In Google Reader (desktop version) subscribe to each album you want viewable on your phone. Tag all the albums 'Picasaweb'. The RSS feed for each album is constructed like this:
http://picasaweb.google.com/data/feed/base/user/username/album/albumname?kind=photo
(For example: http://picasaweb.google.com/data/feed/base/user/liz.jones/album/Diary?kind=photo)
Then navigate to Google Reader (mobile) on your phone. Choose 'Filter by Tag' and select 'Picasaweb'. Then just bookmark the result -- '(Google) Picasaweb'.
Reader will show a list of photo names, clicking on an item will show a thumbnail of the image, but won't mark it as 'read' -- so the whole album will stay available.
· Upload: 3rd Party Client (www.shozu.com)
· Viewing: Google Reader for Mobile (www.google.com/reader/m/) -- '(Google) Picasaweb'
Uploading Images
ShoZu provide an excellent free Java applet that's available for most Java enabled phones. You'll need to download their client and configure your account on their web site, as simple as adding 'Picasaweb' as a destination. Logging in to your Google account is handled the new safe Google authentication way.
Viewing Albums
In Google Reader (desktop version) subscribe to each album you want viewable on your phone. Tag all the albums 'Picasaweb'. The RSS feed for each album is constructed like this:
http://picasaweb.google.com/data/feed/base/user/username/album/albumname?kind=photo
(For example: http://picasaweb.google.com/data/feed/base/user/liz.jones/album/Diary?kind=photo)
Then navigate to Google Reader (mobile) on your phone. Choose 'Filter by Tag' and select 'Picasaweb'. Then just bookmark the result -- '(Google) Picasaweb'.
Reader will show a list of photo names, clicking on an item will show a thumbnail of the image, but won't mark it as 'read' -- so the whole album will stay available.
6. GMail
· Java Applet (www.google.com/mobile/gmail/)
· Website (gmail.google.com) -- '(Google) Mail'
· POP3 (setttings)
What's a smart phone without email?
The Java client is excellent -- very fast and supports most GMail functions. The web interface is good but lacks the bells, whistles, and speed of the Java client. The POP3 settings lose all your GMail features (like tags, stars) but work natively with your phone's email program. No push support though.
7. Google Reader (RSS Feed Reader)
Optimised mobile UI for Google Reader.
You have to set up your feeds in the desktop version, but then you can read and filter (by star, tag, or feed).
I read through the headlines and feed content, starring items I want to follow up when I'm properly online.
You have to set up your feeds in the desktop version, but then you can read and filter (by star, tag, or feed).
I read through the headlines and feed content, starring items I want to follow up when I'm properly online.
8. Google News
Shows Google News formatted for your phone. Lets you customize which news sections are visible, then you can expand or collapse whole sections at a time.
9. Google Search
· Website (m.google.com/m?uipref=3) -- '(Google) Mobile Search'
Newly updated, provides comprehensive mobile search that remembers your location to provide intelligent results for local businesses, movies, and weather.
10. Services Still Required
GMail Contacts
Take a leaf out of Yahoo's book and provide a GMail API. At the very least provide API access to contacts so someone clever can sync my Gmail contact list with my phone.
GoogleTalk (with Voice)
I want my voice enabled GTalk client straight from Google. Bandwidth be damned!
Google Docs & Spreadsheets
My phone has a built in Excel, Word, and PDF viewer -- I'd love it if I could view and edit my Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Maybe someone out there can write a service to sync my phone's Todo list with a Google spreadsheet?
Google Groups
I love Google Groups, please Google, give me a way to access them on my phone. Please?
So -- what else is missing? What do you want on your phone before your iPhone envy is quenched?
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