Google Docs Walks! Google Drive Thrives!

I'm a big fan of Google Docs, or as it's now called Google Drive, and this new expansion has opened the cloud service to file formats beyond just documents. I've always liked the idea of having all my documents available to me as long as I have an internet connection. The fact that it's Android counterpart blends so well with the whole cloud network seals the deal. Now for the super-cherry on my big pile of cherrys (I f**king love cherries, bro), Google Drive now has a desktop paradox folder, one of those hard to fathom wonders of the emerging cloud revolution. It allows you to place a Google Drive folder in Windows Explorer so you can save your Word or Open Office docs, or anythign else really, right to Big G's cloud storage. It's able to do this because your Drive exists on both your hard drive and the internet, or something. It's nifty even if it feels a bit like evil sorcery.

While I like the Drive, I'm dissapointed that Google felt they had to do away with the whole Google Docs brand. I thought it was becoming a distinct alternative to client-side doc writing, allowing documents the freedom to have multiple real time authors, easy doc conversion, URL links for sharing, growing integration with the rest of Google's gang services and all the other perks of being part of the internet, rather then shoveling data onto it (It's not a big truck. Old-ass reference for the win!). It's name is also a disappointment, but that's the usual for Google. It's a fine designation for an app, but in many places, mainly on Google's OS platforms like Android, the title will be truncated to remove Google, and it will just say “Drive”, which is confusing and stupid, but what should I expect, it does it with everything else; Music, Books, etc.

The genuine problem I have with G-Drive (such a better name) is the same I've had since it was Google Docs, you can't edit content offline, which remains the biggest stumbling block to the advancement of the cloud in general. Every time my internet goes out, I have to switch back to Open Office to get any writing done. I'll also sometimes find that I've been writing a lengthy document that hasn't been saving because I neglected to notice the net was down, than I just X-out the sucker, thinking I'll find it later. Ok, that hasn't happened to me yet, but it totally could, and that's puts the kind of fear in you where you think you need to vote for an idiot to be safe.

What the Drive needs is an offline document editor that's client-side, installed on the hard drive. If they don't have a stupid name in mind they could call it Google Docs, or something like Google Docs Editor or Google Document Writer, just give it a name geeks can respect in their tools. This really doesn't seem difficult, just place it on top of the Drive sync software. You then should be able open a native Google Docs program and save your file directly to the drive. It could also simultaneously upload saves while editing, and update the document automatically if edited somewhere else. It's the true application of the cloud, where desktop and internet exist simultaneous to one another.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing what Google comes up with in their burgeoning mega-cloud. Google Drive is by far my favorite cloud storage, though they all have their strengths, and it has become my go-to site for my professional documents. However, Microsoft SkyDrive giving me 20 gigabytes of data at no cost, for a reason I'm not entirely sure of (I think it was a gift), has endeared me as well. You got anything for me too, Big G? Peace.

OnLive To Be Integrated Into Google TV Products

OnLive To Be Integrated Into Google TV Products

 

Some time ago I read an article that concerned Google and gaming. It seemed someone had found a bit of code or something (I don't know the technicals) that showed the Google TV set top box could support a controller.

There were no real mentions of this or it's intention by the Google people, but that's cool, it was clearly a potential that they wanted to give their device if they ever choose to develop it.

However, what was easily dismissed was in fact the seeds of something greater, Google was poised to enter the console war by a feint. A complete sneak attack! But who would have thought they would bring such big guns to the fight...

So OnLive and Google are coupling off to bring us a high-strung, ADD baby called Pwning. OnLive is an up-and-coming gaming-on-demand service that pumps high-def video games threw your tubes and onto your computer, your tablet, your TV, your phone, and most things with screens. What gives it this incredible power? The cloud, of cource.

OnLive plays it's catalog of games on it's own computers and sends you the action in the form of a video stream. At the same time, you're mashing the buttons on your keyboard or controller and it's sending the directions to the sprites on the web, all simultaneous and such.

At least that's how I understand it. I'm cool with the explination being magic too.

So this creative use of emerging technology means potentially anything with a moniter can play some hardcore, graphics heavy pwnage. That's a direct afront to both the Console and PC Gaming markets. No longer would man toil at lowered frame rates or being deafened by loud-ass cooling fans. The hard part would be done by the super-heroes of the internet, and we enjoy the fun.

This is just another one of those examples of how Cloud Computing is a clear alternative to pretty much everything. Crazy stuff...

So why have you never heard of OnLive? Because everyone's afraid of it. You can feel the hesitancy in the industry towards it. No one wants to play with the new kid. Critics are scrambling to dissect it and out it as a mere mortal, while the giants of the industry just ignore it and hope it goes away.

Becoming buds with Google just made sense. Like two boys on the playground, Google and OnLive are spoiling to take on the whole class.

This move gives OnLive that industry support it needs to flourish, plus Google's fat stacks won't hurt. Google benefits as well, they no longer have to tinker about with the idea of gaming while never really committing, like a woman on a diet eyeing a piece of chocolate cake she knows she wants. OnLive has a solid manager and Google has a solid fighter. It's like Rocky or something.

In many ways it's a perfect match. Google has never been a hardware company or a software company, they're an internet company, that's what they do almost flawlessly. Using their whole network as a cannon for game bombs just makes more sense than building an entire system from scratch. Pretty sneaky sis...

Another thing OnLive has lacked is decent games. It has a few gems, but no where near even the backest of back catalogs of the Gaming Giants. Google's presence and cheddar might certainly be able to sway some big titles to the service, and, dare I say... invest in making "Cloud Games".

Issues of lag have been reported in the more top-tier games, which I suppose is to be expected with this futurist space technology, and now that Google, the Imperial Space Navy of the Internet, has it's back, expect to see those problems disappear. Not to mention, the Google Fiber project, a venture into actual internet service providing, is boasting connections at 1 gigabit/second, well well well above OnLive's optimum required connection speed, we could see crazy smooth YouTube demos pretty soon. I hope you're enjoying yourselves Kansas Cities (both Missouri and Kansas).

OnLive's presence can also seriously affect the sales of the Google TV set top box. It's struggling at the moment, because it's so lacking in content, but Google's impressive app library is growing everyday, putting some cool stuff on your boob tube. With OnLive, the box ups the ante with real, hardcore gaming, not just Android casual games and Angry Birds ports.

I personally feel this is a major boon to both companies, a union that just makes sense. In a way, success is really their's to lose. I know Google fairly well, but I don't know OnLive or how they operate. If they can deliver on what they promise, they can leap out ahead of every gaming platform; console, PC, mobile, tablet, TV set top biggity boxes, etc., with Google along to help pick up the money. Good things 'a coming, people, lord willing. Peace out.

- Julian H.