Elephantsquared.

Well, it seems the rumored GPhone over the last days is not actually a phone that you can buy. However, according to Google, they have developed a process named dogfooding (from “eating your own dogfood”) which helps them get quick feedback and suggestions for improvements directly from their employees. This “process” is carried out by Google employees across the globe using a device that runs Android. According to their sayings:

We recently came up with the concept of a mobile lab, which is a device that combines innovative hardware from a partner with software that runs on Android to experiment with new mobile features and capabilities, and we shared this device with Google employees across the globe. This means they get to test out a new technology and help improve it.

To sum up, the Google Phone is real. A true Google-branded bleeding-edge device exists and it runs one of the most advanced mobile operating systems, that is Android.

Listening to something like this really makes you wonder, what’s next?

They say what goes around comes around. That’s what happened with EtherPad aka the real-time collaborative text editor. A few hours ago the AppJet and the Google PR Team announced the acquisition of AppJet (the company and technology behind EtherPad) by Google. EtherPad launched about a year ago by 3 guys including two ex-Googlers. The people behind EtherPad created a prototype solution that made collaborative work/writing really real-time making Google Docs look obsolete.

I remember using EtherPad quite a lot of times since the day it launched. I only had the chance to use the free edition and I have to say it was enormously handy, most of the times being a time-saver. There were times when EtherPad was the first thing that crossed my mind while Google Docs was second. Over the last year it also got prettier with more attractive buttons, lists and colors. However it did not have as many features as Google Docs have but the real-time-thing just blew my mind away. Real-time back then was something beyond the web’s status quo. People had in mind that you have to ask for something to get something. It was hard to think you could get something while not having asked for something.

Another interesting aspect of this acquisition is that

the EtherPad team will continue its work on realtime collaboration by joining the Google Wave team

Well, I am guessing Google Wave will change the world after all. Although Google Wave is responsible for a piece of the real-time collaboration today’s status, it definitely needs better user interface/experience and a whole bunch of new features. Probably user experience almost overcoming our current cognition and features that will knock our door even if we are not expecting anyone. The sure thing is that the web is getting more and more real time and I love it!

So, I am hoping to see Google Wave getting serious very soon.

Hurray! The second Android Developer Challenge has finished. Over the last couple of months Android users used the ADC 2 application to download, use, score and review applications submitted to the ADC 2. I personally reviewed roughly 50 applications or so. Each one of them was unique, exciting and some of them with specs that blow your mind. The overall 3 winners include a revolutionary tool that will finally allow you to go to sleep without worrying about changing your phone settings in order to avoid unwelcome late night calls, a real-time online multiplayer game where one player tries to draw out a given phrase and others try to guess it and a complete mobile security solution that protects your device, data and privacy.

The first one, SweetDreams, strongly reminds me of one the best Android apps (ever) that won the ADC 1 back in 2008 known as Locale. I guess the whole concept that lies behind these two apps is what makes them more unique than ever.
The second one, named What the Doodle!?, is an addictive game to what I hear. The basic idea is an online pictionary.
And the third overall winner, known as WaveSecure, is as I mentioned above a complete mobile security solution with the following features:

• Track your phone’s location and who is using it.
• Lock down your phone remotely, making it worthless to the thief.
• Backup all your data.
• Wipe out your data remotely.
• Restore your data May the phone be with you!

Security is definitely one big, never-ending topic that we seem to neglect most of the times lately when it comes to mobile devices. Inevitably we will have to take action there some day soon, I guess.

Other than that there are many excellent applications that won (or not) in all categories. I ‘ve tried a few of them, like FxCamera. Have you? I ‘ll try to check them all out soon.

The full list of the ADC 2 winners is available here.

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