August 2010 Summaries

Arcade Fire has collaborated with writer/director Chris Milk and Google to create "The Wilderness Downtown," an innovative interactive music experience that leverages HTML5 technology, showcased on Google's Chrome Experiments site. This project integrates a variety of advanced web technologies including HTML5 audio, video, canvas elements, animated windows controlled by JavaScript, and mash-ups with Google Maps and Street View APIs, along with an interactive drawing tool. Users interested in the technical aspects of the project can explore the source code and learn more about the techniques at www.chromeexperiments.com/arcadefire.

Joshua Bloch from the Google Open Source Programs Office announced that they will not be able to present at JavaOne this year due to Oracle's recent lawsuit against Google and open source, which has restricted their ability to discuss the future of Java and open source freely. Bloch expressed disappointment as they have been actively participating in JavaOne since 2004, with him personally speaking at all but the first event in 1996. Despite this setback, he emphasized their commitment to the open source Java community and their intent to find new ways to engage and contribute, while also looking forward to presenting at other venues soon.

Orkut's app ranking criteria are based on a mathematical algorithm that evaluates both the number of users who install and actively use an application, along with the frequency of its rendering. The ranking considers the total and weekly installations, adjusted for weekly uninstalls, as an indication of user satisfaction and potential areas for improvement. Additionally, the algorithm factors in how often an app is displayed in profile views as an indicator of its popularity and usefulness. A "popularity index," calculated from the ratio of weekly renders to total installations, contributes to the app's total score, offering a comprehensive assessment of its appeal and effectiveness.

In August 2010, Google introduced a new feature called Track to its Google Buzz API, enabling users to receive real-time updates on specific topics, such as coffee and tea, similar to Google Alerts but within Google Buzz. The feature allows users to enter a search query and receive updates on matching public posts, utilizing the open standard PubSubHubbub for seamless information flow. Users can easily subscribe to the track endpoint via Google Reader, and companies like Gnip and SuperFeedr have already integrated this feature into their services. Alongside the Track feature, Google announced improvements to the Buzz API, such as enhanced error messages to aid developers in troubleshooting, and updates to the count API to include short links, offering a more comprehensive view of link shares. These updates were aimed at making the development experience smoother and more effective for users engaging with Google Buzz's capabilities.

On August 19, 2010, Google released a developer preview of the Chrome Web Store, allowing developers to upload their applications via the Google Chrome Extensions Gallery's registration flow. This announcement, made by Rahul Roy-Chowdhury from the Google Chrome Team, highlighted the availability of new documentation and invited developers to join a discussion group for updates. The full launch of the Chrome Web Store was planned for later that year, with further updates to be communicated through the Chromium and Google Code blogs.

The Mobile Gmail team introduced a new stacked cards interface for the iPad, utilizing CSS3 transitions and transforms to create a more intuitive and native-like user experience. This interface leverages WebKit-based browsers like Safari to animate changes in CSS properties and modify the rendering of HTML elements with 2D and 3D transformations such as rotations and translations. The post details the configuration of transitions through properties like -webkit-transition-property, -webkit-transition-duration, -webkit-transition-timing-function, and -webkit-transition-delay, and explains how transforms are applied using the -webkit-transform CSS property for hardware-accelerated animations. The stacked cards interface allows conversation cards to transition in and out of view, using JavaScript to dynamically apply transformations and manage transitions, enhancing performance by minimizing rendering for obscured cards. The technique also allows for interrupts during transitions, demonstrating flexibility in user interactions and setting the groundwork for future implementations in Mobile Gmail.

Google announced the release of a preview version of the Google Analytics Management API on August 18, 2010, designed to provide developers with more efficient access to Google Analytics account configuration data. This new API offers read-only access and includes five new Google Data Feeds that align with the Google Analytics data model, allowing developers to request specific data subsets rather than receiving all configuration data at once. This change enables easier retrieval of targeted information, such as Profile IDs or Goal configuration data for specific accounts. Google has also enhanced its developer documentation with a new section for the Management API, along with reference examples in Java and a live demo in JavaScript. The API is currently in Labs as an early preview and is expected to evolve over time, with Google committing to provide at least one month of advanced notice for any changes. Developers are encouraged to experiment with the new API, provide feedback through the Google Group, and stay informed by signing up for updates.

In an update from the Chromium team, new content has been added to the HTML5Rocks.com developer site, which originally launched earlier in the summer of 2010, to keep pace with the rapid advancements in HTML5 technology. The site now includes five new articles, an expanded range of resources, and an essential RSS feed to help developers stay informed about the latest browser features. Additionally, a new feature called HTML5 Studio has been introduced, offering standalone demos that showcase the integration of innovative HTML5 functionalities. The team is also developing a guide for third-party contributors to facilitate community involvement in sharing code, guides, and samples. Developers and interested parties can engage with the team through the bug tracker or directly via Twitter at @ChromiumDev.

In August 2010, Google announced three new features for the Google Buzz API aimed at enhancing user experiences and expanding developer accessibility. These updates include a "garden hose" feature, offering a random sampling of public posts that can be accessed without exceeding the free quota limits of Google App Engine, thus allowing more developers to engage with real-time data. Additionally, a new API enables users to search for people associated with specific activity queries by string or geo-location, such as finding individuals near a certain landmark. Lastly, another feature allows developers to access Google search results related to a specific post, which enhances content discovery and exploration. These features are detailed on the Google Buzz API documentation site, and feedback is encouraged through the Developer Forum.