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Google has launched the best open source program to enhance the capability of the browser with Google Wave.
Google Wave removes the difficulties in communicating with others.
It helps the user see real time changes in the browser window, it allows for the real-time checking and correcting of grammar and spelling, and it facilitates chatting and email in the one screen. Google Wave can translate from and to 40 languages to allow for better communication and expression.
When you think of emails, there are a lot of options out there catering to every individual's needs. But none has the capabilities to combine chatting, blogging, sharing files, videos and images all in a single solution. The early signs of Google Wave shows that waiting for this collaboration will be a thing of the past.
Google Wave was announced at the Google I/O developer conference last week. It was developed using the Google web development kit. Think of it as something so cool that it will blow you away.
Imagine you can chat, tweet, collaborate all at the same time in real time, with a click of a button.
That is the power of Google Wave. A revolutionary product and service all rolled into one.
The features I love most about Google Wave is that it actually does email and chatting at the same time with attachment capabilities. Also, it has this powerful history or 'playback' api, that takes you back what you have missed during the time you are offline or not connected.
You can also edit the threads that concern you while in the middle of a chat. Desktop images can be dropped right onto the Google Wave window.
Another positive is that Google Wave is open-source, meaning any developer can tweak or alter it.
The existing extensions are powerful tools. One has the capabilities of spell-checking and automatic word suggestion, allowing users to be free of spelling constraints. The translation extension is also great; they have examples on this video using French and automatically translates it to English.
Google Wave will potentially bring down the competition from all angles. Tools like Microsoft Outlook will be rated well behind taking existing versions into account. I think Google Wave will be widely use for years to come with its great features and usability.
By far it is the most powerful internet communication tool, and will come out later this year. So lets all wait and hail the next big thing on the web.
Google Wave is, as according to co-architect Lars Rasmussen, what email would be if it were invented today.
As written in my personal blog review of Google Wave, Google Wave collaborates all modes of internet communication into one common 'inbox'. These modes include email, instant messaging, blogging, tweeting, networking, etc.
As far as its methods... Google Wave allows you to do the above using web-exclusive technologies which allow for the live transfer of this data, the use of drag-and-drop for easy-adding, etc.
Most impressive is that it is 'open source', with Google inviting unlimited developers like my team at KayWeb Sydney to develop extensions which will continue to improve Google Wave for users.
Please put 1hr 20 minutes aside and watch the following video. This is an excellent demo led by Rasmussen, who also helped buit Google Maps, himself at the Google IO developer conference.
I blogged at haigkayserian.com.au last week about the pending release of Bing; Microsoft's new search engine and the company's latest attempt to win some market share over the globally-dominant Google.
Since that blog, Microsoft has released a video previewing the features of Bing, which they are pinning their hopes on to drift internet searchers to this engine. Click here to see video.
Despite this clever marketing, my opinion - as well as those of other search engine experts - remains unchanged.
Bing will not challenge Google's dominance!
The cleverest Bing feature as we stand is the ability to categorise search results by what Bing feels is relevant. Recently, Google already did this with Universal Search and the latest version of Google allows us as users to select what results we wish to see first by dragging one result above another.
We will watch with interest when Bing is released in the first week of June. Its challenge will be to lead regular internet searchers from Google to Bing. Despite what is certain to be a massive PR and marketing drive, will you be swapping typing google.com.au for bing.com.au for future internet searches?
As web designers, I think we all have experienced the hard task of finding new ideas and inspiration. Read on to find out how my work habits and how the environment influence my design.
Working at home kills your creativity.
My work habits and environment have a big influence on my work. So I’m going to talk about my work environment first.
Being a full-time designer, I get to work at the office and surf the web for the next big thing. Personally, I find it very boring working at home. I can lose my focus and concentration on the design I'm doing. To think about it, how can you find new ideas if you are constantly facing your work and computer.
Yes, you can browse the web or CSS gallery sites such as Best Web Gallery to find inspiration. But since my work is web design, I also prefer to find inspiration offline (this way I can avoid being overly inspired by other websites).
Our Office.
To keep my creative juices flowing, I like to surf the net for web designs and print designs. That way I'm exposed to both the web and print design works of others and the trends that goes with it. I find it amazing that I manage to do design work for my boss while looking for inspiration for the next design I'll be doing.
For design feedback, I like to ask my non-designer friends because they often give me comments from a different perspective.
Book Stores
Book stores are like a massive inspirational depot filled with a wide range of books, magazines, gift products, posters, and print ads. Whenever I have a brain block, I like to walk around the book store and scan the magazines, book covers, and post cards.
I like to see fresh people and things around me, so I don’t go to the same location all the time. I hop around, trying to find the best food on the menu... metaphorically speaking.
Shopping Mall
Shopping centres are also inspirational depots. You can get inspired by so many things – from clothing to print ads, from window display to mall decoration, etc. By looking at the fashion design, you can tell what are the current trends. I look at the fashion trends and adapt it in my design.
Art Galleries
To find new art styles and trends, I visit contemporary art galleries. Sometimes I may even spot inspiring street art while walking on the street.
Inspired by Nature
Yes you can also get that from nature. The cloud formation, flowers, insects and birds. Even the flow of water can be an inspiration.
How to Avoid Copying
It happens sometimes: you get inspired by something, become too focused on it and end up creating something that is too similar to the original source. So, how can you avoid being a copycat? I have two techniques which work really well for me:
1. Zoom into the subject and pick up the details.
2. Mix and match different sources.
Conclusion
Next time you are outside, try to pay more attention to you environment, you may find a lot of interesting things that you can incorporate into your design. I don’t purposely go around to find inspiration. The places I mentioned in this article are part of my life and daily routine. Whenever I see something nice, I sketch to document it.
The best thing actually is enjoying life and designing beautiful things.
Wow! Back in the office after 3 days at CeBIT in Sydney! The first day spent on the floor surveying the offerings (and the competition). Then attending the Web Forward sessions which was keynoted by Google, who were never too far from peoples minds.
It's easy to get complacent while listening to the large organisations that shared some of their secrets. Our focus, however, is on how small to medium-sized businesses can take advantage of this technology. The main themes: mobile presence, SEO-ing sites and usability.
Especially for retailers, the location-aware capabilities of the iPhone and other mobiles are being utilised to attract customers already away from home. This often takes the form of special pages for mobile, and participating in directories where for mobile, google is not the only viable engine.
Being friends with Google, and hopefully great friends, means that all our sites are "crawled" by "spiders" from time to time. The spiders can be assisted in their work by using a number of techniques including making sure that when a page is prefixed with 'www', that same page without 'www', or however else that page can be reached, is 301 redirected so that Google counts the page just once.
Also that keywords, especially in the title, are ordered most subject specific first. Finally that javascript and css are in their own files and each product has its own page.
The bar has been raised so far on the usability front that Design, Look and Feel were suggested as job one when building a site. While Ajax and Flash need to be used with care from an SEO perspective, the subtle movements of on screen components entices and rewards users as they continue their interactions.
Myself and Mark Simon represented KayWeb at the Web Forward internet marketing conference, held as part of the CeBIT Exhibition on May 13 and 14.
The following is my video overview from the Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre in Sydney.
I will be representing KayWeb along with Mark Simon - our Business Analyst - at this year's CeBIT exhibition, and the Web Forward internet marketing conference.
The Web Forward conference is something I am particularly looking forward to. Last year was good, but this year General Manager of Google Australia and New Zealand; Mr. Karim Temsamami will address delegates, and is a real 'ticket' for the organisers.
The CeBIT exhibition kicks off today, and I will attend to see what is on display from some of the best innovators in Australia.
The SEO section is always funny for us web marketing consultants. We hear our competitors telling all sorts of loose truths to win business from one another.
The Application section, which has grown recently, is my personal favourite. I'm excited to see what is out there, always hoping that some of the application innovations KayWeb is working on are not defeated to the finish line by any of our competitors.
We will write here and on my blog about our thoughts after Web Forward. Keep reading!
Hi readers. Our stats have unequivocally proven that the KayWeb blogs and the KayWeb blogs page are the most popular on our website!
I have decided to start another blog on the side - my personal Haig Kayserian Blog.
The Haig Kayserian blog will share my experiences as an Internet Business Consultant. I will share my expertise in internet business with entrepreneur, corporate and government clients. I will also share my constant research of what is new with the web, helping people understand the keys to web success.
My complete profile is available at the About Haig Kayserian page.
Just a quick hello from the new guy at KayWeb. My name is Mark Simon and I've got a background in Web 2.0 applications. I will be fulfilling the business analyst role KayWeb.
I'm in near the deep end at the moment and what is apparent right away is the amount of work that's been done here at KayWeb and how clean the designs, code and interfaces are.
I look forward to meeting readers as the opportunity presents, hopefully in the near future.
