If you haven’t heard already, Google wants to give me lots and lots of money! Why you ask? I’ll tell you!
Many people thought Google was secretly developing a ‘GPhone’ that was going to rock the cell phone market. Well, it turns out that they weren’t doing that at all. Instead, Google joined the Open Handset Alliance and just came out with their own Smart Phone OS called Android! And more specifically, Google wants to give away lots of money to Android developers in the form of a competition. This is how it works:
In the Android Developer Challenge I, the 50 most promising entries received by March 3 will each receive a $25,000 award to fund further development. Those selected will then be eligible for even greater recognition via ten $275,000 awards and ten $100,000 awards.
I have been playing with the OS all this week and I must say that it is very easy to work with. Sadly, it’s in Java and the only phone emulator plugin is for Eclipse. But, other than that it was pretty simple to get a basic ‘Hello Android’ app up and running. They have all sorts of simple API’s to get images from the phone camera and even an API to get the phone unit’s current GPS location. Google is looking for many different kinds of applications ranging from Social Networking (ugh) to Games to Humanitarian benefits. A group of us have come up with an idea already and it will rock all the other entries… that’s assuming we actually find time to make it. Yay for free money!
So all this talk about how amazing OpenSocial is has pushed me to blog about it. Now it’s not what you’re thinking!! (unless you know me really well). I just don’t care for social networks! I hate all this talk about if Facebook should be scared because MySpace officially supports Google’s OpenSocial and blah blah blah. Who cares!
First off, social networks are not about what kind of fancy Pet Fish apps they offer, they are about the users and their friends. But, I am starting to think I am one of the few people left on the planet who doesnt check their facebook page everday. Heck, I go months sometimes if I am lucky enough to not have random people message me with friend requests. Sure, if you’re really lucky you could happen to find that long lost friend and your life could change forever… but seriously… how many of you actually talk to those people? From what I have seen most people just message their close friends and end up calling eachother to ask if they saw the comment they left on their page.
Now, I am not saying that it’s dumb to keep in contact with everyone and also find people but I don’t think any has got it right yet. Personally, I think the instant message approach is the best tool so far for keeping in contact. Why? Because I can simply choose not to be found! Even by those who already have me list on their instant messenger. But if I want to be contacted I can allow others to do so. It doesnt have to be some sort of game.
Maybe I’m not seeing exactly what ‘problem’ sites like Facebook are solving. There are thousands of services to use that allow you to communicate with your friends. You have sites like Facebook and MySpace, many different types of instant messengers, email, chatrooms and even the telephone. The real problem seems to be just knowing what services your friends use if you need to get a hold of them for whatever reason. Right now, sites like Facebook rely on you actually being a member of that service. If your friend isnt registered then you WONT find them no matter how hard you try. So in conclusion, I think there has to be a better way to go about ‘preserving links of communication’. We shouldnt be concentrating on trying to mesh every single social network into one huge mess but instead just somehow listing all the mediums that I may be contacted through in some managed form.
Or maybe I am just crazy since I dont feel the urge to know what all my friends are doing at any given moment and Im pretty sure they dont care what I am up to constantly either.
