Saturday, June 30, 2007

Widget AdVentures


"The year of the widget?" - Newsweek - well.. maybe not, but the recent launch of the iPhone, Facebook gadget acquisitions and Google Venture$ putting some dollars in the pot is certainly adding some fuel to the gadget fire.

Smart move by Google, they're lagging a long way behind Yahoo! in 3rd party gadget/widgets, offering up some coin for developers may help. For me I think the strength in the desktop widgets is their ability to present information beautifully, if Google can get my /ig to resemble anything of the sort I'll be there.

Facebook open door policy on 3rd party gadgets has proven to be a killer edge on Myspace, so much so Myspace are about to change their tune and follow suit. It's proven a successful formula, but as I get a request to add Horoscope Fortune Cookie 45 to my profile, I'm worried Facebook pages may soon start resembling Myspace world if they aren't careful. Slide's acquisition of the 14th most popular Facebook app, Favourite Peeps, for US$60k, whilst small, proves there is value in development of these free apps - no doubt we'll be seeing more of this going on.

On top of this Addfone.com are already quoting 83 3rd party apps for the day old iPhone, we'll be spoilt for choice by the time it arrives on our shores. Vista don't seem to be making huge inroads on the gadget space, but given the natural growth and their efforts in localisation, will be interesting one to watch - for now Yahoo! is winning the war over my desktop realestate.

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