April 2010 Summaries

In April 2010, Google introduced four new Web Elements—Sidewiki, Checkout, Wave, and Virtual Keyboard—designed to seamlessly integrate Google products into websites with minimal effort. The Sidewiki element allows users to post and rank comments on webpages without needing additional installations, enhancing collaborative discussions. The Checkout element simplifies the creation of an online store using Google Spreadsheets, requiring no programming skills, and can be set up in minutes. The Wave element facilitates embedding collaborative workspaces into websites for various uses, such as discussions and content publishing. Lastly, the Virtual Keyboard element provides an easy way to add an on-screen keyboard that supports multiple languages, thereby enhancing user interaction on websites. These elements cater to both novices and advanced developers by offering simple integration with the option for further customization through underlying APIs.

In a guest post by Adrian Graham, co-founder of nextstop.com, he discusses the development of a mobile web app using HTML5 and Google APIs, emphasizing the advantages and potential of this combination for creating mobile experiences that rival native apps. Graham highlights three key HTML5 features—prefetching with LocalStorage, geolocation, and app caching—that enhance the speed and functionality of mobile web apps. He also explores how integrating Google APIs, such as Google Maps API V3, Google Analytics, and Google Local Search API, can enrich the app's features, offering dynamic mapping, seamless analytics integration, and improved local search capabilities. This approach not only simplifies development by reducing the need for native code but also provides a cross-platform solution that enhances user engagement and streamlines the app-building process. The post expresses enthusiasm for the future of browser-based mobile apps, encouraging developers to explore HTML5's potential and engage with nextstop's API for innovative app creation.

In April 2010, Smartsheet, alongside Concur and Skytap, shared their positive experiences with the Google Apps Marketplace at a Seattle event for SaaS companies. Brent Frei, the founder of Smartsheet, contributed a detailed post on the Google Apps Developer Blog, outlining their decision-making process for launching on the Marketplace, the technical evaluations they conducted, the development process they underwent, and the successful outcomes they achieved, particularly in terms of new customer leads. This collaboration with Google highlighted the benefits of the Marketplace for SaaS companies looking to expand their reach and customer base. Ryan Boyd from the Google Apps Marketplace Team encouraged readers to explore Smartsheet's full story on the Developer Blog and provided resources for other developers interested in launching their apps on the Marketplace.

Google announced its acquisition of Labpixies on April 26, 2010, to enhance its iGoogle efforts by integrating Labpixies' expertise in personalized web applications. iGoogle, launched in 2005, aimed to provide users with a customizable homepage featuring email, videos, news, weather, games, and more through RSS feeds and a vast array of gadgets. Labpixies, known for developing some of the first gadgets for iGoogle and collaborating on various projects, will join Google's expanding Tel Aviv office to strengthen the company's services in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The acquisition is expected to foster the development of innovative web apps and improve the overall developer ecosystem by leveraging Labpixies' knowledge and experience.

Google I/O, scheduled for next month, has released its session and office hours schedule, allowing attendees to start planning their agendas with the aid of a session agenda builder and a dedicated Android app. These tools facilitate the customization of personal schedules, integration with personal calendars, and easy access to venue maps and event information. The event will also feature Google Wave for live discussions and notes. Office hours will provide opportunities for attendees to engage with Google engineers about various products and technologies, including Android, App Engine, Chrome, and Google APIs. Updates and additional tools will be announced via the @googleio Twitter account as the event approaches, with a countdown already underway.

Google I/O 2010, set to take place in a month, promises a diverse showcase at its Developer Sandbox, with over 100 companies already listed and expectations of more than 180 by the event. The conference will feature guest blog posts from developers, offering insights into their work with Google technologies such as Chrome, the Android SDK, GWT, and Google APIs. Attendees will have the chance to meet these developers in person at the Sandbox throughout the conference. The event's popularity is evident, as it sold out 10 weeks in advance, showcasing the enthusiasm and anticipation surrounding this gathering of innovative minds.

In April 2010, the orkut team, represented by Prashant Tiwari and Ridhima Kedia, announced a shift in communication for developers, with updates now being posted on the Google Code Blog. They introduced a new Developer page within the orkut sandbox, intended as a centralized hub for developers to manage and monitor their applications. This page allows developers to submit, verify, and maintain their apps, offering functionalities like migrating apps to new URLs or deleting them from the directory. It also provides detailed weekly statistics on app performance, such as installs and uninstalls, but requires users to be on the new orkut UI. The team encouraged developers to utilize this streamlined process for managing their applications and to stay updated with further announcements on the blog.

XAuth, announced by Meebo, is an open platform designed to streamline user authentication across the social web by allowing users to carry their preferred services with them as they navigate various websites. It operates by making a single HTML5 window.postMessage request to xauth.org to retrieve a list of registered services, which simplifies the process by avoiding multiple requests for each domain. When users authenticate on a demo page, basic session information is stored in the browser's HTML5 localStorage and is accessible to any site due to the use of a wildcard setting, although restrictions can be applied. This approach enhances performance and scalability by using cached JavaScript files and conducting operations client-side, thereby negating the need for server-side database lookups. XAuth is efficient in detecting active user services and can inform interface adjustments based on available service tokens, aiding in the prioritization of complex service selection interfaces. More technical details can be found in the XAuth specification or on its informational page.

Google introduced official Buzz buttons that website owners can easily integrate into their sites without resorting to complex methods, allowing users to share content directly via Google Buzz. These buttons can be customized through buzz.google.com/stuff, enabling specification of content, URL previews, and thumbnail images when users post. If no link is specified, Google will attempt to determine the best link based on the page where the button is placed. Additionally, more advanced customization options are available through a JavaScript API, providing flexibility for those who prefer manual setup.

Google announced the return of its annual Code Jam competition, inviting both professional and student programmers to tackle complex algorithmic challenges within a set timeframe. This inclusive contest allows participants to use any programming language and development environment of their choice, with the final competition being held for the first time at Google's Dublin office. The event begins with a qualification round on May 7th, 2010, followed by four online rounds, culminating in the top 25 competitors being flown to Dublin to compete for a $5,000 first prize and the title of Code Jam champion. Participants are encouraged to register, familiarize themselves with the contest rules, and practice using problems from previous contests to get ready for the event.

An HTML5 port of the game Quake II was featured on the Google Web Toolkit Blog, showcasing its ability to run at 30 frames per second in a web browser. This project highlights the capabilities of HTML5 and JavaScript in rendering complex graphics and gameplay directly in a browser without the need for additional plugins or software. The port was shared by Stephanie Liu from the Google Developer Team, emphasizing the advancements in web technology that enable such a classic game to be played seamlessly online.