OpenSocial – Google platform for social networks

Google is announcing a way for programmers to build social applications for multiple Web sites at once.

It’s a set of common application programming interfaces (APIs) that will enable developers to create applications for social networks, blogs and any Web sites that accept the OpenSocial code. Currently, developers have to write new programs for each site, even if the functionality will be the same on each site.

It’s another killer app from Google. The timing and strategy are perfect.Is it the way to an integrated social network?

Read the post by Elinor Mills on cnet.

Web 2.0 Expo 2007

To meet the increasing demand for Web 2.0 comprehension and skills, and to build a broader European Web 2.0 community, O’Reilly Media and CMP Technology have launched Web 2.0 Expo Berlin to take place 5-8 November, 2007 in Berlin, Germany. A companion event to the Web 2.0 Summit, it is the conference and tradeshow for the rapidly growing ranks of designers and developers, product managers, entrepreneurs, VCs, marketers, and business strategists who are embracing the opportunities created by Web 2.0 technologies.

Web 2.0 bloggers

I have recently read some posts from Luca Conti, Luca Filigheddu, Robert Scoble, and Giacomo Vacca regarding the coverage of web 2.0 sites, companies, start-up by Californian bloggers and the rest of the world.

I’m exploring the web 2.0 since a while and i try to write about web 2.0 companies (far less than i would) on this blog.

I read blogs and websites from all over the world (in English and Italian) and could find good coverage in Europe as well as in US.

Some considerations:

• The number of new companies is spread all over the world but the number is US is far bigger.
• I suppose a blogger posts first about the world around himself. And considering the number of new start-up in web 2.0 there’s a lot to talk in US.
• It’s easier to be noted if you have a reputation
• A good launch strategy could make the difference.

Apple 2.0 – unlocked iPhone and iPod Touch

In an apparent about-face, Apple Inc. will allow third-party applications to work directly on the iPhone, Chief Executive Steve Jobs said in a posting on the company’s Web site Wednesday.

A software development kit will let coders create applications to work directly on the iPhone.

Apple infuriated developers and some iPhone users when it issued a software update September 27 that disabled unofficial programs installed on the handsets.

Until Wednesday, Apple had tried to control which applications consumers had on their iPhones.

Now, Jobs said the company intends to release a software development kit in February that will let coders create applications to work directly on the iPhone and the iPod Touch. The Touch is the new iPod portable player that resembles the iPhone but lacks the function of a cell phone.

“We are excited about creating a vibrant third-party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users,” Jobs said in the posting.

Finally the right choice. Well done, Steve.

IPod Touch and iJailbreak

It’s a few minutes that a breaking news is spreading over the internet.

A 13-year-old hacker claims to have developed code that would let you put third-party applications on an iPod Touch without having to take a computer science class.

AriX ha developed iJailbreak, an automated program that allows third-party applications to run on the iPod Touch.

Ever since Apple released the 1.1.1 software update for both the iPhone and the iPod Touch in late September that broke older third-party application installers, hackers have been hard at work searching for a new way to bypass the restrictions. A preliminary jailbreaking application was released last week, but it required a great deal of expertise to get up and running. Erica Sadun, a writer for The Unofficial Apple Weblog, installed that iPod Touch jailbreak Friday evening but warned, “This is not ready for prime time, kids. Don’t do this at home.”

Apple gives the possibility to install web apps developed for the iPhone and the iPod Touch according to guidelines and specific user interface. Well I guess we will have news on these side and in the future software updates for these devices. At leastI hope. Probably exists a market strategy with new devices with more features and more “open” to third-party application. But what about the early owners? Another “price reduction” case? And do the iPod Touch and iPhone users really want to run third-party application? Well, yes I guess. So why don’t buy a pda? Because Steve has not produced one recently.

In the mean time some webapps 2.0 has been already developed.

2.0 Upcoming events

Upcoming events:

Next week in San Francisco for the Web 2.0 Summit.

Mobile 2.0 Conference on Monday 15 October.

Widget Summit event being held by Niall Kennedy on the same day.

Here is the Mobile launchpad list: