January 1st, 2008
Happy New Year from Googling Google!
It was a great year, and this next year is sure to be just as exciting. With Android, Knol and Open Social poised to make a splash, we can expect to have some pretty interesting headlines in 2008. I have compiled a list of the most popular articles you saw on this blog in 2007.
New version of Gmail being tested
Hints of a new Gmail interface being tested, which was launched shortly after, were spotted in Google’s translation service. This has proven to be a fairly accurate way to determine what kind of stuff is coming down the pipe.
Google GDrive is not a rumor
This wasn’t posted last year, but this article has been generating a steady stream of traffic for a couple years, with no signs of it slowing down. GDrive will hopefully exist in the real world one day.
Two new Gmail features in the queue
Again, we saw a couple features while digging around through the Google translation tool, however these features have yet to surface. Google Gears integration, and security features that let you view account activity. These two features will make a huge splash when they are finally released.
New pictures of the Google Phone
It turns out that this was a hoax — there is no “Google Phone”, but there is a Google Phone operating system called Android that was launched later in the year.
Google Earth in 4D
Google launched historic maps for Google Earth that lets you scroll back in time. There are still no true 3D buildings in Google Earth though, other than the ones people have built with Google SketchUp. I am hoping we will see real buildings before next year.
Gmail starts counting again
Google scared us by stopping their quota counter. Thankfully it began counting again shortly after it stopped.
Google launches Google Reader for the Wii
The Google Reader team is all about making their feed reader work on many different types of devices. Most recently, they launched the service with an iPhone interface for people on the go.
Serious Gmail vulnerability fixed
After posting what I thought was an innocent “here’s a list of your contacts” Gmail hack, because it was a simple XML which could not be consumed by a remote web app, Haochi figured out how to make it return an extremely easy-to-consume JSON object. Needless to say, it was fixed really quick.
Google kicks Microsoft where it hurts, again
Google started giving away Star Office for free through the Google Updater. The application is a direct competitor to the Microsoft Office suite — and it’s not too shabby either.
Google Calendar task list feature
Google has been working on the long awaited “Task List” feature for Google Calendar. They have told us that it is on their own task list, and we can expect to see it in a future release.
Now for my new year resolution. I am going to try posting more often, and digging around through source code like the early days. Oh, and I’m going to change that awful, creepy picture of me too.
Garett Rogers is employed as a programmer for iQmetrix, which specializes in retail management software for the wireless industry.
See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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