This month instead of focusing on one main theme I thought i'd give a brief overview of some of the interesting new ideas i've come across recently. I like to keep my eye on people like Microsoft Research, Google Labs, Yahoo Labs and Mozilla Labs so i've gone through and chosen my pick of their current new offerings.
First up is Google Labs and what i'm most interested in at the moment (except maybe the new OS :-)) is Google Wave.
"Google Wave is a new model for communication and collaboration on the web".
A ‘wave’ is a group conversation with added functionality. A 'wave' is live. It combines files (text, photos, videos, maps) and conversations. People can join part-way through the 'wave' and rewind to see what has previously been discussed / shared.
As I understand it, a group of people can work on a file at the same time and the 'wave' ensures it keeps track of all the different changes in real time and that there is only one version of the file. So instead of having to have version 1, version 2 etc of a file you can work on one file but rewind to see where changes have been made and thereby see the different versions. Also, because it's live you can see other peoples changes in real time - making it very useful for collaboration.
Next is Yahoo labs and a new product they're working on called MapChat.
MapChat combines Instant Messenger and maps. So basically you can discuss areas or specific locations with a group of people at the same time whilst viewing the maps. I can see this being particularly useful for events organisers but potentially it could have other uses. Not surprisingly you have to have a Yahoo account to try it out and I don't, so if anyone else does, have a go and let me know what it's like!
I'm really liking this next find from Mozilla labs called Ubiquity.
"With search, users type what they want to find. With Ubiquity, they type what they want to do."
The online demo shows a user being able to insert maps whilst writing an email. So basically you're composing an email and through Ubiquity you can tell it to insert a map (instead of linking to the map). You can also insert an online review - Ubiquity is grabbing the information from the webpage and automatically adding it to your email through a simple command from the user - I like this! You can also add information to your calendar without actually having to go into your calendar. For me I like it because it's combining some of the fantastic benefits of using commands with online information and office-like tools.
You can also highlight a list of locations, for example a list of hotels, and then add them all to a map using a simple one line command. It allows you to send messages through twitter, compose emails whilst on a webpage, automatically create TinyURLs for websites, all through using commands.
The only disadvantage I see with it is that for people who have never used Linux or applications that use the command line this could take some getting used to and could in fact seem a bit too alien. It also seems to take quite a bit of effort to set it up.
Finally, from Microsoft labs i've been looking at the Social Desktop.
"The Social Desktop blends the Web and PC by embedding Web oriented sharing inside your desktop, allowing every document to have the ability to have a backing social URL for sharing without having to upload or copy or move it from its natural location. This url provides access not just to the file, but to a built in social experience which includes a rich preview of each item, comments, related items, tags, etc."
What an interesting idea. As I understand it this is basically using cloud computing (Windows Azure, which is Microsofts cloud) to turn public anything you have on your desktop that you want to share with others. Not only is the file made public without any real work on the part of the end user but all the related content is too, i.e. people can have a conversation about the file and this information is saved with the URL. Could be fantastic for collaborative working.
My only query with this one is that it states "enabling local data to be accessible through firewalls" - i'd like a bit more information on this! I wonder how it does this and what restrictions would be in place to ensure sensitive information doesn't get out and about by mistake.
I'm struck by the similarity of the products above, which are all looking at combining existing but currently separate ways of working and bringing them together to make them more efficient. So there is nothing individually new or amazing , it's more the combination that is interesting (instant messenger with file editing etc). Apart from Mozilla's Ubiquity, they are also all focussed on improving online collaboration, removing the need for face to face meetings. Is this an indication of a new global workforce able to work anywhere, at any time, with anyone?
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