Tender Surrender

On early 13th Jan. (JST), Google unveiled something we’ve been calling “GDrive”, as part of Google Docs’ functionality. You can use up to 1GB for free, add 1GB/$0.25 per year. Slightly different from what we(maybe only I)’ve expected was, Google doesn’t offer client application for this. But don’t worry, there’s already an API. Sooner or later, Google itself, or third party will definitely release Dropbox-like client software, I’m sure.

By the way, did you notice that this online storage means more than just a storage?

SocialWeb and Access Control

I’ve been insisting that, web will act like operating system in the future, and social web will be important part of it. Here’s ideas:

• SocialWeb will be too common to notice it exists.
• Global identity will be required.
• Social Graph will be tied with identity and will be portable.
• Social Graph will be ported to phones, TVs, etc. as well as web services.
• Social Graph will control accesses, as well as used to share or invite someone.
• File systems will eventually have ACL using Social Graph.

I’ve been thinking the last one will be future, but…

ACL on Google Docs

Google Docs Storage seems to have social ACL functionality. As you know, Google Docs originally have Access Control: When you create a doc, it’s basically private. Then, you can publish it to public, or share it with groups or people individually, by specifying his/her email address. Mail address of course, will be auto-completed as you type, derived from Gmail contact list. You can give read/write access to them.

Imagine this strong access control feature is adopted to your other files like music, photos, videos…and you can access them from desktop, iPhone, Android. Files are synced with cloud. ACL is managed easily using global identities like email address, WebFinger, OpenID. Isn’t it nice?

This is what we call: Web OS.

Summary

Some people say Google is behind Facebook, because Google doesn’t own SNS. But it’s just about application platform. Google is building something better than that, slowly but surely, as you can see on Google Docs Storage: web OS platform. In the future, Chrome OS will take advantage of this, their concept will see its completion. Their layer is lower than Facebook’s.

Someday, Facebook will notice, that they are just playing on Google’s palm top.

Movies of Google Developer Day 2009 which I’ve been on stage for a session and a little speach for Keynote have been published on Youtube.

Keynote vol.4 OpenSocial

OpenSocial Panel Discussion

I’ve got a lot of feedback since SocialWeb Blog introduced my Fooprints gadget. So here’s 2 updates I made to the Footprints gadget.

Configuring number of Footprints

{ id: 'div-1231298385220',
'view-params': {
'maxDisplay': '15'
},
url:'http://gadgets.agektmr.com/Footprints/friendconnect.xml',
site: '00268510882932422418'},

The number of footprints on this gadget used to be forced to be 10. By this update, you can configure the number by adding “view-params.maxDisplay”. The number must be between 3 and 20.

Configuring the skin

var skin = {};
skin['BORDER_COLOR'] = '#cccccc';
skin['ENDCAP_BG_COLOR'] = '#e0ecff';
skin['ENDCAP_TEXT_COLOR'] = '#000000';
skin['ENDCAP_LINK_COLOR'] = '#0000cc';
skin['ALTERNATE_BG_COLOR'] = '#ffffff';
skin['CONTENT_BG_COLOR'] = '#ffffff';
skin['CONTENT_LINK_COLOR'] = '#0000cc';
skin['CONTENT_TEXT_COLOR'] = '#333333';
skin['CONTENT_SECONDARY_LINK_COLOR'] = '#7777cc';
skin['CONTENT_SECONDARY_TEXT_COLOR'] = '#666666';
skin['CONTENT_HEADLINE_COLOR'] = '#000000';

You can now change colors of the gadget. Initial code copied from GFC site should include skin parameters. You can just change them to take effect.

BG_COLOR: Background color over all
FONT_COLOR: Font color
CONTENT_HEADLINE_COLOR: Header font color
ENDCAP_TEXT_COLOR: Footer font color
ALTERNATE_BG_COLOR: Footprint background color

Hope you enjoy this gadget even more than before!

I’ve developed Footprints gadget for Google FriendConnect in Jan 2009.

Footprints gadget used to be used by some of my friends, people who’ve happened to visit this blog. But when Google FriendConnect gadget gallery emerged, I’ve posted the gadget and they’ve accepted.

After a while, a Google guy gave me an email asking to feature it on Social Web Blog. And here’s the post.

Social Web Blog: See who’s visiting to your site with Footprints gadget

Actually, this gadget is Japanese and English compatible. Google say i18n which used to work will be back sometime. Then, you can use the gadget in Japanese too.

If you want to use this gadget, please utilize Google FriendConnect on your blog. It’s pretty easy!

6月9日にパシフィコ横浜にてGoogle Developer Dayが開催されました。
僕は基調講演に一瞬と、OpenSocial Panel Discussionのセッションに登壇させて頂きました。

基調講演デモ

基調講演では、先日一般ユーザー向けにも公開したgooホームのOpenSocialを使って、goo地図ガジェットとフォトビューアーガジェットがPhotomemoのガジェットに連動して動く、というソーシャルウェブ・ポータルというコンセプトを打ち出したgooホームならではのデモをお披露目しました。基調講演では言いそびれてしまったのですが、このアイディアは元々、先日行われたHackathonでディベロッパーの1チームが見せてくれたものを元にしています。

実装としては、OpenSocialに含まれるpubsubというフィーチャーを使っています。pubsubは、任意に作成されたチャンネルに対してオブジェクトをpublishすると、同じチャンネルをsubscribeしているガジェットのコールバック関数が呼ばれオブジェクトが届く、というかなり単純な仕組みです。pubsubについては、近いうちにgoo Developer’s Kitchenの方にもドキュメントを追加します。

また、今回のデモを行うため、PhotomemoチームにPhotomemoガジェットとフォトビューアーガジェットを開発して頂きました。ご協力ありがとうございました。

OpenSocial Panel Discussion

もうひとつ参加させて頂いたのがPanel Discussionでした。今回は先日のデブサミでもご一緒させて頂いたリクルートの川崎さんに加え、mixiの川岸さん、そしてGoogleの及川さんとのディスカッションになりました。

内容については、OpenSocialというよりはSocialWebを広い観点で捉え、その中で現状使えるOpenSocialというピース、およびこれから広がっていくSocialWebの世界に関して。僕の中でもmixiアプリとgooホームガジェットの目指す所がまるっきり違うことに気付いたのは割と最近なので、その辺りが分かりやすく伝わるようにお話しさせて頂きました。

まとめ

Panel Discussionの場でも言いましたが、日本のSocialWebという世界観にまだまだ伸びしろがあると感じています。海外に比べると実名が好まれなかったり、最大のSNSがクローズドだったりと、海外のそれを単純に輸入できないことは十分理解していますが、必ず近いうちに求めらる技術になっていくと思います。

共感された方はぜひ、SocialWeb Japanにご参加下さい。