Google after iPhone w/ $10M Set Aside for Developers?
Can Google get developers to focus on Android apps over iPhone apps? Good question.
Google is setting aside $10M in prize money for the developers who create the best application. 50 developers (companies) will get $25,000. Some get more. What does Google want to see? They tell us:
- Social networking [no surprises that this is the first bullet]
- Media consumption, management, editing, or sharing, e.g., photos
- Productivity and collaboration such as email, IM, calendar, etc.
- Gaming
- News and information
- Rethinking of traditional user interfaces
- Use of mash-up functionality
- Use of location-based services
- Humanitarian benefits
- Applications in service of global economic development
- Whatever you’re excited about!
Bribery? Incentive? One thing for sure, Google delivered their SDK first. However, Apple has a real device with more than 1M real users. Plus, many have already developed their web-based apps (BTW, I still use iPhoneMiles, but on my BlackBerry). It’ll be interesting.
Google has created an Android video channel on YouTube.
24: The 1994 Pilot
From CollegeHumor.com via friend Chris Knudsen. For the 24 fan out there that has been in tech for 15+ years, like me, I think you’ll like this one.
Elementary, My Dear Watson!
Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but my blog readability is rated and "elementary school" level. What’s yours?
Ecto 3.0 Beta vs. 2.x
I must say that while ecto 3.0 is a rewrite to be better than the old version, I’m about 98.9 percent unimpressed with the result. It’s beta so I should cut some slack. However, I was forced to move to the beta after upgrading to Leopard, lost all my settings, customizations, etc.
Ecto 3.0 has lost/removed so much well-duh usability, solid functionality, and great features that I’ve thrown my hands in the air more than once and inflicted my poor wife’s ears with obscenity after obscenity. I’m saddened. I’m lost. I’m off to look for another blog post editing client for OS X.
David Progue Slams Windows Mobile 6
After reading the article in The New York Times, “Reaching for Apple, Falling Short,” David Pogue highlights a few frustrations with the wireless and mobile device market.
First, carriers have us over the barrel on what functionality the device will support (e.g., I’d try a BlackBerry Curve but ATT has removed WiFi support). Additionally, carriers offer similar yet different data and voice networks (CDMA/TDMA/GSM), requiring some efort.
The device manufacturers have to pick an OS to drive their machine. The OS has to work on a variety of devices and needs to be flexible, manage multiple radio frequencies/types (quad-band, Bluetooth, WiFi, etc.). Finally, it has to work for a consumer. It’s nearly impossible to hit a home run with a single device.
Which leads me to Google and Android. From the mouth of Eric Schmidt, “Android is the first truly integrated mobile operating system.” That seems like a bit of a stretch. Yes everyone else talked about it early in the week, but I waited. Which leads me to consider: “Can Google and myriad developers across the wireless industry really create a usable Mobile OS that device manufacturers, carriers, and “consumers” can use?”
It’s true that Andy Rubin has good credentials for the heading the task. The Sidekick had its own cult following. He did something right by nailing a specific target market with a device that hit the core needs of thumb communicating teens and young adults — although the “voice” use looked a bit strange when you had to put the brick up to your head. 
Apple may have come close, but many have expressed they couldn’t do it with Rev 1.0 of the iPhone (including the opinion of yours truly). From what I read and hear, lots of users like the user experience, however.
I can’t help but think of Nokia‘s effort with Symbian (and Motorola, and Samsung, and others that have long since dropped off the bandwagon). Symbian is a very capable and powerful OS, but it’s missed the mark somewhere along the line (personally, as I learned from my imported E61, there were way too many steps to do any one thing).
Palm gave up and sold what appeared to be a great head-start OS to Access, long after their head start was passe. Access has yet to do anything other than wave their arms every 6 months with a new announcement in the press telling the world they are still alive — although their product roadmap appears dead.
Now back to David Pogue. In this article, he has a hilarious quote about Microsoft Windows Mobile:
Frankly, Windows Mobile 6 is a mess. Common features require an infinitude of taps and clicks, and the ones you need most are buried in menus. Apparently the Windows Mobile 6 team learned absolutely nothing from Windows Mobile 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
So, here’s to Google’s effort at cracking the code on the new OS war: The Mobile OS. Heaven knows that many have lobbed many great suggestions (Peter Rojas at Engadget on Palm OS, David Pogue at The New York Times on Windows Mobile, Walt Mossberg).
Can Apple get it right w/ R2 of the iPhone? Will Apple “truly” open up a SDK that will appease developers (I think if this was here today, Android would be a yawner news).
Will Access ship a killer Linux OS — or will Motorola beat them to the punch with something that gets on to other smart phones?
Will Nokia be left to the low-end, non-smart phone market?
Can RIM continue to dominate the business user segment with their BlackBerry brand that appears to be a strong, yet pretty isolated from the interests of the third-party developer community?
Check back in a year.
Feature Story on PodTech
It so rarely happens, but one of the stories I posted to PodTech.net is the feature story. Wendy Piersall is the creator of the leading home-based business blog, eMoms at Home.
Owning a dotcom vs. a dotorg
I’m lucky. I staked my claim on bradbaldwin.com a long time ago. Of course I only have to compete against a porn star (I won’t link for obvious reasons) for search ranking. This video story from Andy Jordan at the Wall St. Journal about his challenge with having a “dotorg” vs. a “dotcom.” Enjoy.
Will I Be Wearing a Dodger Cap Next Season?
Torre is switching coasts. A-Rod is out. The big apple is a great place, but I sure like the weather better in LA. My brother-in-law is a long-life Dodger fan. Maybe I’ll become one too.
Finally have IMAP on Gmail
The switch was thrown sometime around 4:00 today. I have IMAP access to Gmail. I like IMAP since I’m always at some different device or different computer. When I delete mail, I like it gone when the next application, client, or browser hits email.
Link Love from Bluehouse Skis
I truly enjoyed meeting the team at Bluehouse skis. It’s good to see the comments from readers that they felt the video helped explain the product and more about the guys behind the brand. Best of luck to the team at Bluehouse. Very cool use of bamboo in skis. Let’s hook up at Snowbird this winter!