Google Buzz: The Facebook Killer?

Google Buzz was just announced today.  It is part Facebook, part Twitter, part Google.  It will allow users to provide status updates, comment on these updates (sound familiar?) but unlike Facebook it will be directly tied by default to a lot of services people use, like Flickr.

Better yet, you already have all your contacts, within your Google Contacts.

While I don't think this will kill Facebook overnight, it will put a big dent in it.

I haven't yet tried out the service, and it is not yet active in my Google account.  It likely will be within 48 hours, so I'll post an update then.  And since 90% of the people I know have a Gmail account, let me know what your thoughts are.

Good news for free speech

Google just stuck up its middle finger at Communist China by declaring that it will no longer censor its search results within the country.

I think a likely outcome will be that Google is banned in China, but hopefully this will usher in a new wave of free speech movements within China, with the end goal of stopping censorship.  Only time will tell.

Google Public DNS

I am a big proponent of not using your ISP's DNS services, since they are often much slower than alternative such as Open DNS. Well, Google has just launched a public DNS. Word is that it is very fast, but not as fast as Open DNS if you live in the US. It is also not nearly as configurable.

While I may use Open DNS, for most users (especially international users), Google's solution will likely be the best option. Here is the page for instructions on how to configure your computer or router.

Verizon shoots self in foot

Verizon Wireless will be releasing its own App Store shortly, and will be forcing any phone manufacturer to only feature the Verizon store on the phones it sells through Verizon. This move is unprecedented and very stupid.

There are currently a few big players in the App store market:

Apple - by far the largest

Blackberry

Google (via Android)

Palm

Currently 3 of these 4 only sell phones on one US carrier, with Blackberry selling on all US carriers. Verizon has basically taken away from its customers the hope of ever being able to activate an iPhone on their network and run the risk of Blackberry jumping ship.

I understand the business strategy behind this, but I think that Verizon is going completely against the grain and is unlikely to find success.

One thing to note is that customers would still be able to install another App store on the phone, it would just take another manual step that many customers won't know how to do.

Chrome OS announced, who should be scared?

Today Google announced that it is developing an operating system called Chrome, the same name as its excellent browser, which I am using now and prefer to Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari.

This operating system will supposedly be very light weight, free, and open source. So who has the most to lose? Let's work in decending order:

3. Apple - I think that Apple will be the least affected. Some Apple OS will run on all of its devices for the forseeable future. People buy Apple's to stand out, not necessarily because they are the best at doing anything. It is hip to have an Apple now. If this changes, it won't be due to the OS. However, I think the cost factor may come into play, if the Chrome enabled netbook revolution is able to poach Apple's customers, especially poor college students.

2. Microsoft - Microsoft is launching its own web-enhanced OS, Windows 7, later this year. It was moved up due to the awful press Vista has received. I think that Chrome will compete somewhat with Windows 7, since both are designed to be deployable to netbooks and other less powerful clients. Furthermore, Google owns the web in ways Microsoft only dreams, so people may flock to something that they know will seamlessly work with their Google services, such as Gmail. Additionally, Windows 7 will not be free.

1. Ubuntu - I think that Ubuntu will be blown out of the water by Chrome. It is already known that Ubuntu is the consumer version of Linux. It is not as serious as Fedora or others. Many people like Ubuntu because it is something they can run for free on older computers (this is how I use it), or it is something interesting to play around with, since it is Linux. Chrome will bring both a Linux based OS, that is open source and free, plus the backing of a major corporation. The first to go will be Ubuntu's developers, and next you'll find consumers flocking to it as well.

Gmail Autopilot

Hardy, har, har.

Speaking of gmail...

A strange link called "Gmail Autopilot" has appeared on my account today, but it only transitions to a Page Not Found.  WTF?  I'm assuming its just a joke, given what day it is.

Today Gmail turns 5

Happy birthday Gmail, yet another Google service I couldn't live without.

Gmail is now perfect

Google has just made an update to Gmail that takes it from excellent to just about perfect: offline access.

It is now possible to read and compose mail in your web-based Gmail account even when you don't have internet access.  All from the best web-based client.  The only thing that Apple's Mail.app and Thunderbird had the Gmail didn't was offline access.  Gmail has always had the best features, interface and search options.  

To enable offline access you must enable Labs from Settings.  Instructions are in the link above.