A Thought on Google Drive

What, you guys are expecting the third part of the post-mortem?
Sorry, you gotta wait a bit more, but I do have something for you later.

Meanwhile, there’s something else I want to talk about, and it’s…

Google Drive
A few days ago the world was abuzz with the launch of Google Drive, Google’s attempt at cloud storage service. Google Drive acts just like what you would expect from a cloud storage service such as Dropbox, Box.Net, or SugarSync, it lets you automatically sync stuff across your devices. And since it replaces Google Docs, it also lets you have your Google Docs file right on your file system (which is a sorta anti-cloud behavior if you think about it). Currently it’s available on Windows, Mac, and Android devices, but expect it to hit iOS soon as well. And probably many more.

Google Drive indeed made a lot of headlines, but it also sparked up a lot of discussions regarding cloud storage services, mainly Dropbox. There is a lot of arguments about it, several argue that Google Drive aggressive pricing will drive users from Dropbox, while another argue that Dropbox has more features than Google Drive. Some argue that Google’s ubiquity will win in the end while others argue that Dropbox has the advantage of being the smaller company. With the launch of Google Drive, a lot of people is trying to predict the life and death of Dropbox.

However, the way I see it, Google Drive actually competes more directly with iCloud, Apple cloud-syncing service, instead of Dropbox. Why would I say so? Simply because Google Drive launches with not just an SDK, but also several apps already using that SDK. While DropBox have an API as well, Dropbox is more of a product for syncing files then a service running across various apps. Whereas Google Drive and iCloud is a service that could easily be used to sync various apps across multiple devices.

Right now Google Drive SDK only works on web application (which I suppose would be a nice addition to internet-based operating system like, oh I don’t know, Chrome OS?), but it doesn’t take a genius to see that an SDK for Android app would quickly follow. I’ve been longing for Android apps to sync between devices (so I don’t have to play Angry Birds from the very beginning for each new device I got), and I guess Google Drive is the answer. So, expect more Google Drive integration on the next generations of Android phones.

And I don’t think it will stop at that, lately Google has been pretty adamant in unifying their services, and Google Drive would fit very nicely in their unification strategy. With Google Drive you could have a single place to store your files on Google server, much like how Google+ is the only place for everything social on Google. Right now it’s only docs, but it could easily expand to pictures (Picasa? Google+ Instant Upload?), music (Google Music?), apps (Google Play?), and even codes (Google Code?). Integrated over various Google services, Google Drive could enhance the experience.

So, should Dropbox be worried?
I believe they’ve been worried about this since their inception, so I’m sure they already have some ideas on how to counter Google Drive. Not just that, I feel that Dropbox has a way, way better user experience than Google Drive, it has shell integration, file status indicators, and a lot of other important little things that made them a winner over Google Drive for most people.

Another thing Dropbox has over Google Drive is user traction, these days I see more and more people use Dropbox, even non-techies. Sure, Google is able to promote Google Drive all over their service to try getting people to use it, but look at Google+, they’ve been promoting it like hell yet that doesn’t really help the situation.

Anyway, I could be totally wrong here, a lot of people predicted that Google Drive won’t be just another Dropbox clone and their predictions turned out to be wrong after all. But hey, it is never wrong to image a fun future =D

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And whoa, I haven’t blogged for a while, but I manage to type this whole thing on my laptop in a hotel room simply because I’m bored but feeling productive. Oh, and the fact that the internet connection is pretty crappy probably helps too XD

Nexus Prime Announcement is Postponed

Gah, I’ve been neglecting my blog for a while, been kinda busy with life (working on my game, attending events, etc, etc) though I’ve posted a lot of stuff on my Google+, check it out! I hope this post will suffice.

We all have been waiting for Samsung-Google announcement about Ice Cream Sandwich and Nexus Prime at October 11th, it has been delayed however:

Samsung and Google have decided to postpone the Samsung Mobile Unpacked event during the CTIA in San Diego, previously scheduled for Oct. 11.

Under the current circumstances, both parties have agreed that this is not the appropriate time for the announcement of a new product. We would ask for the understanding of our clients and media for any inconvenience caused. We will announce a new date and venue in due course.

Well, I definitely didn’t expect this. This is a really amazing move. It appears, despite all that patent war and everything, both companies actually respected each other (or at least the founders XD).

Now, it would also really be cool if both Apple and Samsung stop suing each other, it would really be cool if they could start making peace in respect to a great man. If that really happens, then I suppose Steve Jobs is a man who can change the world even when he’s not around anymore.

Original post on Google+

My Thought on Facebook F8 2011

Whoa, hasn’t posted in a while, most of my posts in Google+ have been mini post, not enough content to write here. Tonight, I just write a little piece on Google+ and I thought, hey, this could probably work on the blog. And here it is =D

The keynote for Facebook F8 conference has just ended, and the event, hyped as a major update for Facebook, has announced:

• Timeline, which is a really cool feature, I love the interface. As for usability, I still need to see it first hand. So far my friends haven’t abused that ability to mark a post as top story.
• Uuum, something called open graph apps, too bad I hate apps on Facebook.
• Music, another cool feature, I think I would use it, but I don’t know, we ain’t got spotify, or rdio, or anything here.
• TV, sigh, like it will ever be released on Indonesia <_<

and here I thought there will be some kind of a game changer.
Anyway, Facebook, your turn has ended. Google+, it’s yours.

Original post on Google+

Why Competition is Always Good

So, Facebook just announced several new features which mostly attempts to fix its privacy problem.

See, this is why choices (which leads to competition) is almost always good. Google+ has made facebook starts fixing their privacy problem, much like Android has made Apple starts fixing their iOS notification system.

But well, it still doesn’t solve the problem of seeing some news I couldn’t care less (hey, how about copying Google+ “mute this post” feature, Facebook? In one of my groups there’s a post about some soccer online game, which I have zero interest in, that keeps showing up in the notification =/).

Anyway, the road for these two is still long, Google+ still has a lot of stuff missing and Facebook also still need to learn a thing or two from Google+. The race is just starting, guys =D

On another note, no one can say that Google+ is simply copying Facebook anymore, since now it goes both ways XD

Original post on Google+

Start

It’s been a looong time since I last updated my blog. I guess real life was just catching up with me. So, what prompt me to even start blogging again? Funnily, it’s Google+.

These couple of days I’ve posted several long post there, reviewing some stuff like the new Google+ games or my new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. And guess what? I really enjoyed writing them, even to the point that I got worried my post will be too long or something. I don’t know, may be because I have several followers whom I don’t know personally, but I knew will be reading (or at least noticing) my post. Or, well, it could be that it’s not really a blogging platform, thus I don’t need to get worried about stuff like formating or layouting, so I can simply focus on the content. And, well, I started to have more and more things I wanted to tell world about.

Anyway, I decided to give blogging a try once more, and will be far less caring about the layout. Hell, may be I’ll just copy my post from Google+ to this blog so I totally wouldn’t give a damn to the post layout. Let’s start, shall we?

So, tonight I decided to take my Wacom Bamboo and have some artistic moments. Funnily, I found out that I’m more focused when I draw than when I code something. May be because drawing is a much shorter activity, I have a certain goal (image) in mind and I simply pursued it. While coding is something that is more continuous, more and more goal will keep showing up as I code.

Oh, and I just finished the title logo for my game! =D

*…now how the hell do I insert a picture to this post…*

My next game title

*…ah, there you go!* Yep, it’s a game about Komodo, though more detail will have to wait =)

Oh, BTW, my Google+ account is https://plus.google.com/114566397062137134211