Google has unveiled its new Wave application at their Google IO convention, which they are hailing as 'what e-mail would look like if it had been invented today,' taking into account the advances in social networking sites and instant messaging.
Internet forums have been awash with fervent hunger for details of the web giant's biggest release in recent memory as Google's ambition to change the face of social networking and bridge the gap from search engine to being the complete internet service provider becomes reality.
Google Wave is a real-time communication platform combining all aspects of email, instant messaging, wikis, web chat, social networking, and project management in one elegant, single browser screen.
You can bring a group of friends or business partners together to discuss how your day has been or share files, photos and videos all at the same time.
It was built by brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen, who also created the Google Maps app, alongside Stephanie Hannon at their Australian HQ in Sydney.
The application can open all the three major web browsers at once Firefox, IE and Chrome and even translates from one language to another in real time aswell as spell checking your messages as you hit each new keystroke.
The service's basic element is called a Wave, which can be a simple text message, a collection of photos, a video or other content. Just as in e-mail, you can choose exactly which of your contacts you want to share the Wave with.
Those contacts can make comments or ask questions that are seen by the whole group. You can see the new comments in real time or, if you haven't been paying attention for a while, you can hit rewind and see chronologically how the Wave developed.
As an adopted Google News source, the whole team at ClickLiverpool are really excited to see what new developments Google Wave will bring to the internet and add value to our Click sites. For example readers using Wave will easily be able to discuss one of our stories with each other and the journalists in real time, perhaps even as we upload it.
The demo video from the convention is a bit long but if you are a Google fan it is well worth a watch and we reckon the Google Wave tee shirts could be a big seller.
Here are some new Google jargon words you will have to get used to as Google Wave hits your computer screens later this year.
* Wave: a Wave, specifically, refers to a specific threaded conversation. It can include just one person, or it can include a group of users or even robots (see below). The best comparison to make is that it’s like your entire instant messaging (IM) history with someone. Anything you’ve ever discussed in a single chat or conversation is a wave.
* Blip: a Blip is a single, individual message. It’s like a single line of an IM conversation. Blips can have other blips attached to them, called children. In addition, blips can either be published or unpublished (once again, it’s sort of like typing out an IM message but not yet sending it).
* Document: a document actually refers to the content within a blip. This seems to refer to the actual characters, words, and files associated with a blip.
* Extension: an extension is a mini-application that works within a wave. So these are the apps you can play with while using Wave. There are two main types of extenisons: Gadgets and Robots
* Gadgets: a gadget is an application users can participate with, many of which are built on Google’s OpenSocial platform. A good comparison would be iGoogle gadgets or Facebook applications.
* Robots: Robots are an automated participant within a wave. They can talk with users and interact with waves. They can provide information from outside sources (i.e. Twitter) or they can check content within a wave and perform actions based on them (i.e. provide you a stock quote if a stock name is mentioned).
* Embeded Wave: an embeded wave is a way to take a Google Wave and the conversation within it and place it on your website. Users could use this as a chatroom, as a way to contact you, or for something more.
For more information or advice on any internet application or design questions you have please contact us at www.click-creative.com
Larry Harding, Wirral around 2 years, 7 months ago