I swore to myself that I wouldn’t write about Ajax desktops for a while (and held steady even though this launched), but today I’m breaking that promise, because Google just did something really cool with their customizable Ajax desktop.
The desktop was launched on July 25 and can be accessed at google.com/ig or by clicking on “Personalized Home” on the Google main site.
As reported by Google Blogoscoped, Google has released a very simple developer API to allow anyone to create and host modules that people can add to their Google homepage.
The API is available here. A module is an XML file and can be an extremely simple piece of code. Most of the modules have been created by Google employees at this point. The directory of available modules is here.
I’ve stated before that opening up the API and allowing third party modules is a great idea for just about every web 2.0 product, and ajax desktops are no exception. Microsoft did this with Live.com (directory is at microsoftgadgets.com), and has a ton of third party created widgets available.
Google’s home page has evolved significantly since July. In addition to news and RSS modules, users have the option of pulling in gmail links, weather, etc. It’s a useful application.
On a related note, Stephen Bryant has an excellent summary of the ajax desktops out there (although it is already dated with this Google API news).
Looks good so far. We’ve even had someone hack together a Musicmobs module. Unfortunately it sounds like the “IDE” is not the easiest to use…
Read more here:
http://slashdot.org/comments.p.....d=14255748
I made an example that uses asynchronous JS and regular expressions to grab a remote page an parse it.
Mike,
I couldnt help notice this..On one hand, you complain about Feedburner’s ’single line of ad’ in this post, http://www.techcrunch.com/2005.....-on-trust/
and then you have ‘citicard’ ads on techcrunch ? I agree that TechCrunch is a free site and the rant about Feedburner was about the paid account…but still, it was just one line of ad — and that too about FeedBurner’s product only (not a 3rd party ad). Probably you could have gone easy on them.
By the way, I am, in no way affliated with Feedburner nor am I compensated for writing this :-D…
just an observation from a faithful TechCrunch fan.
Pranav, I don’t think your points are related at all. I also tend to write very positively about Feedburner. I just call things like I see them.
This seems to be working into a trend. Large companies like Microsoft, Google, Yahoo getting developers to build stuff in order to make their site more attractive instead of investing in the development themselves. I am a dev and really would not spend time building something that will make one of these guy’s more popular/wealthy then they already are.
I’m currently working on a web 2.0 project and have been for some time (almost Alpha). We will be exposing Api’s to open it up, so that people can link to, and consume the data, but not to the extent of developers being able to build plugin’s etc..
These developers are effectively adding monetary value to a product that they do not control, nor will they see any return for their time invested.
I’m not against it, I just don’t get it.
A good way would be to pay developers royalties for each user “subscribed” to the widget.
Infected: I totally agree, but they will never do so.
Take almost every new offering that Google, MS, and Yahoo have. What is in common. API’s, mush up possibilities, and hey if we get other people to do it, it won’t cost them anything. Is this going to be the boom 2.0 business model. Just like Adword’s and Adsence, let us pump you ad’s, and hey if you get clicks we’ll throw you a bone. In my mind the bone is insignificant to the gain that Google receives.
It seems that this war is for not any one piece of the internet, who can innovate, or what can we give back to the consumer in exchange for their time and fidelity. Rather this war seems to be about who can control the most information. Never looking at any sort of social ramifications that may come of it.
We can give it all to these guy’s now, and they give back “freeâ€, but you can bet your bottom dollar that sometime down the line a consumer will pay to see their own information (which has since become the property of one of these guy’s).
Never put all your egg’s in one basket. Seems this is exactly what they want us to do.
How many hands can we have in the cookie jar before the cookie jar breaks?
Everyone seems to be so localized on ad’s when it comes to business models. However there are many alternatives that benefit not only both parties, but the consumer as well.
Are we forgetting that the quality of information is far more valuable then the quantity?
I don’t need to see data 50 different way’s. One simple good looking clock is enough for me. However choice is a good thing.
Thoughts ?
Jason.
Check out the first Ajax based windows by Your Bubblez. see http://www.yourbubblez.com