Chrome Releases Extensions, Including Brizzly (Both are Awesome)

Google Chrome has released their "Chrome Extensions" library with nearly 400 functional extensions... and, just like the browser, the extensions are light weight, functional and great looking (the icons animate, have gloss, and so forth). From installation to interaction, the extensions continue to separate Chrome from Firefox in speed and experience. Of course the inventory of Firefox extensions is large, but Chrome will get get there and the initial launch has content from Gmail, Bit.ly, Google Tasks / Calendar, eBay, Brizzly, etc.

For Twitter and Facebook fans, try the Brizzly extension. You can easily post and read content within the window. The user experience replicates that on Brizzly.com (such as inline media)... all from a lightweight extension atop the browser:

Google Labels Gmail "The Iterative Web App"

I love this email from Google (full screenshot below and their blog post is here): On April 7th, we announced a new version of Gmail for mobile for iPhone and Android-powered devices. Among the improvements was a complete redesign of the web application's underlying code which allows us to more rapidly develop and release new features that users have been asking for, as explained in our first post. We'd like to introduce The Iterative Webapp, a series where we will continue to release features for Gmail for mobile. Today: Outbox.

First, I love the term "iterative web app". It's not entirely new - but it is a powerful way to express ongoing advancements and innovation. It also allows Google to then message users on an ongoing basis... and it gets users excited about the forthcoming changes and communications.

It is a more digestable, interesting way to engage with users from a product and communications experience. And it positions Google nicely as an innovator committed to improving their products and interacting with their users along the way.

13 iPhone Apps I Want Developed (Google, ESPN, FriendFeed)

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1. GMail The improved Gmail iPhone site is just that: improved. But a true GMail iPhone App would allow fuller cusotmizations, run faster, better integrate calendars and contacts... and soon utilize the new push notification systems of iPhone 3.0.

2. Google Reader / RSS I use my iPhone as much for email as I do for content consumption. A Google Reader App would instantly be my starting point for iPhone-based web browsing. It would also increase my activity on Reader - particularly the social aspects (sharing, commenting, etc).

3. AdWords / AdSense Ever been without a computer and needed data associated with AdWords or AdSense? Happens to me all the time... Better yet, the ability to lightly manage campaigns (particularly with AdWords).

4. Facebook Connect + iTunes & App Store This is a pipe dream, but I would love an Apple built app that, via Facebook Connect, created personalized histories and storefronts for iTunes and the App Store. I find both stores increasingly unusable due to the overwhelming inventory... Facebook Connect is the solution.

5. ESPN Fantasy Is there a better use case for an iPhone App? Fantasy sports require on-demand knowledge and management. Fantasy sports players would never put their iPhone down again. 6. FriendFeed Perhaps this would be solved for me by a Google Reader App... but FriendFeed would provide more social functionality and would certainly make me a more loyal, active user.

7. Techmeme I visit Techmeme daily. It is particularly difficult to navigate on the iPhone. A simple iPhone App would make the on-Techmeme / off-Techmeme navigation more efficient. It would also allow for history and search functionality.

8. Starbucks I drink a lot of coffee and use a lot of Starbucks' free wifi. Some sort of location finding application that provided coupons and incentives would be very appetizing.

9. MLB.TV MLB.tv is my favorite product of 2009: amazing HD streaming quality with every conceivable feature request (fantasy tracking, four-game split screens, DVR controls, etc). I would pay an additional $10-$20 to get the streaming on my iPhone (when 3.0 arrives).

10. Google Analytics Makes total sense. All I need is basic statistics.

11. Aardvark I love Aardvark... but my most frequent use-case is when I am away from my computer. With an iPhone App, I would use Aardvark far more routinely and it would be my Q&A service of choice (perhaps replacing Yelp and others on mobile).

12. Wordpress.org To the best of my knowledge, there is not an equivalent of the great Wordpress.com iPhone App for blogs running Wordpress.org... if there is, please let me know. If there isn't, please build it.

13. USPS Tracking The FedEx App is terrific and solves a big need - and with 3.0 it will be even better. I would love the same for USPS (but certainly do not expect this to be built!).

8 Google Feature Requests: Gtalk, Gmail, Reader & Chrome

Below are eight feature requests that come out of daily frustrations on various Google services. Each is relatively minor and doesn't make me want to switch services... it simply creates minor annoyances. There is a chance that some of these requests are already possible. If so, I would love to hear how to access the features... and if so, it suggests that the features aren't easily accessible and/or well marketed.

1. Google Talk Audio Alerts For years, cell phone users have been able to set specific audio notifications for each contact. In simplest form, I want the ability to mute notification sounds on Gtalk and select users whose chats would promote audio alerts. Better yet, I would like to set specific sounds to different users or groups.

2. Google Talk Contact Ordering Alphabetic or frequency sorting are the only current ways to organize your chat contacts. Why?! 3. Google RSS Sharing I love the action bar below each article in Google Reader (in fact, I wish it were above the article or available on the left panel). My most common use-case is the email option - however, I wish that I could share it with a defined / private user group. Until more controls are available for sharing, I find it too general and thus unappealing.

4. Google Reader to Facebook, Twitter & Wordpress Emailing articles from within Google reader is great... I'd also love the ability to share and comment via Facebook (with Facebook Connect?), Twitter and Wordpress. A no brainer.

5. Google Calendar Notifications (via Gmail) It's great that Google Labs now allows Gmail customizations and enhancements. I've placed my Google Calendar prominently on the upper left corner of my Gmail pages... but I would like better, stronger notifications for upcoming meetings. Unfortunately the mini notification on the bottom right corner rarely catches my attention.

6. Chrome Integration I believe it is coming... but: I use Chrome and I live on Google services (Gmail, Gtalk, Google Reader, Calendar, etc). Chrome is the most logical way to tie the services together, enable greater customization and add more horsepower. For instance, Google Reader could be entirely built into the browser. Gtalk and calendaring could as well.

7. Gallery of Gmail Themes People love Gmail themes. When Google released themes for corporate accounts, our office (unexpectedly) rejoiced and people discussed their favorite themes. Bizarre? Yes.... but people love customizations. I would love to see a gallery of customized themes as, frankly, I am too lazy and inartistic to set up my own theme.

8. iPhone Apps Post coming soon on this front....

Gmail on iPhone, Android Improves, Modestly

I am baffled that Google hasn't yet created specific iPhone Applications for: Gmail, RSS Reader, GTalk, Docs, etc... It's not that Google is adverse to developing on the iPhone: their core Google App and Google Earth App are terrific... and wildly popular. So why are we left with glorified webpages / bookmarks for Google's other core services?

Today Google announced that they made significant changes to GMail on the iPhone and on Android (changes they are "thrilled" about).

I'm left totally unsatisfied. I want a true application that works much like Gmail does between online and offline modes. Integrate my contacts and calendar... and I would never have to use my phone's core applications. It would include search, enable customizations and eventually allow for push notifications (when iPhone 3.0 arrives). I will continue being greedy and ask for integrations with Google Chat, Tasks, RSS and Maps. If monetization is the issue, I would have no problem with in-app ads (as Google does with the current Google App). Furthermore, I would imagine that monetization is more efficient in the app than on the mobile webpages.

CNET agrees that a native application is better (and has eight reasons why)... so is anything in the works? My fear is that it would have been released by now. Perhaps iPhone 3.0 will be the motivator?!

Features vs. Business; Neuvasync & Google Sync

Last week, the back of my iPhone cracked and the good folks at the Apple Store were nice enough to replace it (although I do not understand why 'appointments' are required). Switching phones used to be an enormous (and frightening hassle) - juggling between contacts, photos, data, SIM cards, etc... but between iTunes and Google Sync, it took seconds to port everything to the new device. Previously, I was using a service called Neuvasync to manage the contacts and calendaring between my phone and GMail accounts. It worked perfectly (99.9% of the time) and, while it is a free service, the blog comments suggest similar sentiments to mine: it is a service I was willing to pay for - perhaps in the $20-$50 / year range. Considering Neuvasync's simplicity and the time it saved me, I would find value at any of those subscription prices.

But that all changed... today, I used Google Sync to manage my contacts, mail and calendaring (note: this service was launched in February by Google). It too worked perfectly and in a more secure environment (after all, one less set of passwords and data exchanges to give a third party). Furthermore, it is a product that we expected Google to deliver - particularly as Google's office components grow in popularity. And Google will always provide the service for free because, unlike Neuvasync, they are certain to derive revenue from it in downstream ways.

In one product launch, Google effectively rendered Neuvasync's entire offering as redundant. Even if Neuvasync's product were better, it would be difficult to compete.

Thus bringing us to an important point:

There is a difference between features (Neuvasync) and businesses (Google). Businesses can derive value and growth from features, but features must be amazingly differentiated and compelling to become businesses. Furthermore, businesses are better equipped to deliver resources and users against features... and without the same risk.

All We Need is Connectivity: Why the iPod Touch & Netbooks Matter

We have three computers in our household: one desktop and two laptops. Right now, I'm on my desktop with two wide-screen monitors. Every inch of real estate is covered in applications.... all web-based: - Gtalk and Skype - Gmail - Google Docs - Pandora - Dropbox - Twhirl - About 15 tabs within my browser (Chrome)

My computer usage is entirely online - from content to applications. In fact, the only three programs that I use on a routine basis that aren't web-based are Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Powerpoint and Microsoft Excel. There simply aren't powerful enough equivalents at this point. And for every PSD, PPT and XLS file, I move it between computers via Dropbox.

Here's why this is important:

First, while I am not the typical internet user... this is occurring more and more frequently. For me it started with smaller transitions such as from Microsoft Word to Notepad and Notetab... and from those two to Google Docs.

And it's not just the consumer: corporations are also making the shift. Supposedly one-million companies now use Google Apps. At Widgetbox, we are one of those companies. We also use web-applications to track our product process, backlog, QA, business development flow, and so on. It's a remarkable movement.

I think the shift (for consumers and corporations) reveals as much about portability as it does about lightweight, comparable functionality... which when combined, allow me to access content and applications on lighter-weight hardware - such as my iPhone. And this is precisely why the iPhone, the iPod Touch and Netbooks are the future of computing: I don't need a huge processor to do my day-to-day work. Rather, I prefer portability and form factor.

The only thing I need is visual real-estate. If I could my monitors into a netbook.... I'd be more than happy.

Amid Layoff Speculation, Google Ramps GMail Advertising

Google has covered Techmeme, VentureBeat, WebGuild, and others today amidst speculation that Google layoffs are coming... and 10,000 workers are affected. Whether those rumors are wholly true (my clear hunch: no), I've noticed another clear economic impact:

My GMail account is being littered with new, unwanted ads.

Google needs more pageviews. As ad dollars fall, increased pageviews is one of the few ways to offset the downturn.We saw this with:

- YouTube - Google Images

.... and now GMail. It seems to me that this move was masked by Google's new, well-received GMail Themes - which was launched just a few days ago. Now, every email I have has vertical ads layered beside the email's content - with an ad unit horizontally above.

What's coming next?

Google's GMail Themes - It's the Little Things

I like the idea of GMail Themes more than the initial batch of available themes (though I am sure more are coming). While there are several "cool" themes, my eyes can only tolerate a couple of the color combinations. That said, there are little tweaks that are as impressive as they are fun. The Ninja theme is too colorful and hectic for daily use - but the attention to small details is great. Look at the GTalk pop-up boxes and how the edges are mildly raised / angled. Small touches like that have be strangely excited for the eventual wave of new themes. Finally, why does Google ask for your location (city / country) when you choose a theme? Is there a real reason here or is it for something sneaky (answer is likely both).