Google + Hardware = Not a Bad Idea

Google didn't buy just a phone company. They bought a hardware company whose best known for phones. Google bought a hardware company. Why would Google buy a hardware company?

So much of Google's software business depends on hardware. All of their search engine software sits on hardware. Those servers can now be looked at by a team of engineers. And let's not forget all of the forward looking hardware. Self-driving cars require hardware. Hardware components that need to be miniaturized.

What other projects might those crazy engineers want to launch that requires hardware? Only time will tell. While everyone is worried about Google screwing over their phone partners, I am betting they are working on something else entirely.

Why all the hate for Google Motorola merger?

Is it just me or is the media really pouring sour grapes on the Google Motorola deal? I have seen more negative speculation/news on this purchase than most other deals. Is it just that it is a high profile/stakes play? I mean I understand why the Apple and Microsoft lovers would not be fans of the deal, but really? Do we need an article on the 5 ways the deal could go bad? Or speculation that while the other handset makers are saying they support the deal, in reality they are all suspicious? Because Microsoft is going to be a better partner? More secure platform? More profitable? Lower cost? Easier to customize for your customers?

When Nokia and Microsoft signed their deal most of the media thought the Nokia/Microsoft deal was a desperation move on Nokia's part and cast shadows of doubt on whether or not Microsoft had a viable platform. However when Google buys Motorola to protect themselves from litigation suddenly Microsoft's platform is somehow better? Give me a break.

5 Alternate Uses For GMail

GMail is the ultimate email client. Humorously, the capabilities that are so great for email actually enable several other "features".

1) Note taking - Any time I think of something interesting that I may want to remember, I write myself an email with the subject starting with "howto:". A couple that I visit often are "howto: make SEO work", "howto: deal with meetings" and "howto: amuse users while they are waiting"

2) Bookmarks - I never could get into sites like del.icio.us. Something about going to another site to create a bookmark just didn't make sense. I tried to use the bookmarklets and the browser plugins, but nothing made sense. Then one day I searched for a note that I knew had a link in it because I wanted to find the link. That was when I started sending emails to myself with keywords in the email to help find the link.

3) To do's - To do's are just short lived notes. I almost always delete them after they have been completed. For some reason actual to do lists or to do list software (web based or fat client) just doesn't work for me. I have started to believe that I have to-do-list-ophobia. But if I send myself an email then I am impacting my zero inbox beliefs so getting that to-do email out of my inbox is a priority. Also, I am always checking my email so the to-do is always available, whereas if the to-do list is in software, I have to actively go looking for it. To-do's even have their own tag with the most annoying color combination.

4) File transfer - I can't count the number of times I have used GMail to transfer files from one computer to another. I have emailed songs, books and of course word documents. This "feature" may seem weak, but I would argue it is so strong that you don't even know it is is a feature. You just expect email to send files. Heck, when Gmail came out one of the first things people tried to do with it was put a file system on top of it. Of course everyone is using dropbox for this now, but I still use GMail from time to time.

5) Tell me about your alternate uses for GMail!

Google Reader Request: Why am I subscribed to this blog?

I am reading a blog post from a blog that I don't remember subscribing to. I don't remember because I subscribed to it a month ago and they haven't updated since then. I actually prefer this model of posting. Few REALLY GOOD posts because then when you read them it is like you have found a gem that you weren't really looking for.

But then you have people like me, who don't post very often, and when they do they are complain about some feature that an awesome tool on the Internet doesn't have. And you wonder, why did I subscribe to this feed? It is because 2 years ago this guy actually posted something useful and you thought future posts would be good too. HAH! I tricked you!

What is missing from Reader is the ability to find out why I subscribed to a feed in the first place. My first gut reaction to this "need" is a "note" icon next to the name of the poster. When clicking on the icon a note is displayed which I wrote sometime soon after subscribing that tells me why I subscribed. My second gut reaction that was prompted by the disgust of having to write something like that is that Google creates a summary of the blog as a whole.

I doubt any of these are really good ideas, especially since it is so easy to just go back and read past titles and dive into posts for clarification, but it sure would be nifty to not have to research why I subscribed to this random feed. Hopefully the brilliant Reader team can come up with something better that fits the need.