Illustration of Derek Powazek by Adam Ellis

Google Now in Vaporware Business?

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First Google announced Open Social, which is going to solve all the problems you didn’t know you had with social networking sites, and now they’ve announced the Open Handset Alliance, which is going to solve all the problems you didn’t know you had with your cellphone.

Each time we get a pretty illustration, a new buzzphrase beginning with “Open,” and a YouTube video talking about how awesome it’s gonna be. Meanwhile, Google gets a buttload of press coverage and the problems (if they are, actually, problems) are still unsolved.

Is it just me, or has Google forgotten what making software means? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for big companies taking on big problems, but maybe they should balance all these utopian announcements with some actual, you know, product releases.

As with all collaborative projects, the proof is going to be in the execution. Let’s see how these pan out before we get too excited about Google’s Open End World Hunger or Open Find My Keys Under The Couch.


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Hi, I’m Derek. I used to make websites. Now I grow flowers and know things. I’m mostly harmless. More.