Wave Gadgets

A Wave Gadget is one of two types of Google Wave extensions. Gadgets are fully-functional applications. According to Google, gadgets are primarily for changing the look and feel of waves, although this seems to only scratch the surface of the potential of a wave gadget.

First: almost any iGoogle or OpenSocial gadget can run within Google Wave. That means thousands of applications that have been already created will work in Google Wave.

Second: a gadget built within Google Wave can take advantage of live interaction with multiple users. This means something like a live online game with active participation from all users.

In that way it has similarities to that of Facebook or MySpace applications, which take advantage of your friend network to make games, quizzes, and other applications to make them more meaningful and useful.

Gadgets are specific to individual waves, rather than to specific users. Thus, it’s not like having a Facebook application on your profile – the gadget belongs to everyone within the wave. They also do not have titles
to better integrate with the actual conversation. Some of the gadgets already built include a Sudoku gadget, Bidder (which turns your wave into an(auction) and Maps (which allows for collaboration on a Google Map).

Google Wave Terminology

Google Wave actually has its own lingo – yes, you have to learn a few definitions if you’re going to really understand this new communication platform. Having knowledge of these terms will help you understand more about Google’s newest project.

 Wave: A wave, specifically, refers to a specific threaded conversation. It can include just one person, or it can include a group of users or even robots (explained below). The best comparison one can make is that it’s like your entire instant messaging (IM) history with someone. Anything you’ve ever discussed in a single chat or conversation is a wave.

Wavelet: A wavelet is also a threaded conversation, but only a subset of a larger conversation (or a wave). It’s like a single IM conversation – a small part of a larger conversation and a larger history. Wavelets, though, can be created and managed separately from a wave.

Blip (BLIP): Even smaller than a Wavelet, a Blip is a single, individual message. It’s like a single line of an IM conversation. Blips can have other blips attached to them, called children. In addition, blips can either be published or unpublished (once again, it’s sort of like typing out an IM message but not yet sending it).

Document: A document actually refers to the content within a blip. This seems to refer to the actual characters, words, and files associated with a blip.

Extension: An extension is a mini-application that works within a wave. So these are the applications you can play with while using Wave. There are two main types of extenisons: Gadgets and Robots

Gadgets: A gadget is an application that users can participate with, many of which are built on Google’s OpenSocial platform.
A good comparison would be iGoogle gadgets or Facebook applications.

Robots: Robots are an automated participant within a wave. They can talk with users and interact with waves. They can provide information from outside sources (i.e. Twitter) or they can check content within a wave and perform actions based on them (i.e. provide you a stock quote if a stock name is mentioned).

Embeded Wave: An embeded wave is a way to take a Google Wave and the conversation within it and place it on your website. Users could use this as a chatroom, as a way to contact you, or for something more.

Google Wave Innovative Features

Google Wave has a lot of innovative features. Here are just a few:

Real-time: In most instances, you can see what someone else is typing, character-by-character.

Embeddability: Waves can be embedded on any blog or website.

Applications and Extensions: Just like a Facebook application or an iGoogle gadget, developers can build their own applications within waves. They can be anything from bots to complex real-time games.

Wiki functionality: Anything written within a Google Wave can be edited by anyone else, because all conversations within the platform are shared. Thus, you can correct information, append information, or add your own commentary within a developing conversation.

Open source: The Google Wave code will be open source, to foster innovation and adoption amongst developers.

Playback: You can playback any part of the wave to see what was said- a retrospective analysis

Natural language: Google Wave can autocorrect your spelling, even going as far as knowing the difference between similar words, like “been” and “bean.” It can also auto-translate on-the-fly.
   
Drag-and-drop file sharing: No attachments; just drag your file and drop it inside Google Wave and everyone will have access.

Google Wave : A new concept of real time communication platform

What is Google Wave?
It is new concept of a real-time communication platform. Combining the aspects of email, instant messaging, wikies, web chat, social networking and project management, Google Wave  aims at building one elegant, in-browser communication client. You can bring a group of friends or business partners togetherat one place to discuss how your day has been or share files.

Google Wave – Innovative Features
Google Wave has a lot of innovative features. Here are just a few:

Real-time: In most instances, you can see what someone else is typing, character-by-character.

Embeddability: Waves can be embedded on any blog or website.

Applications and Extensions: Just like a Facebook application or an iGoogle gadget, developers can build their own applications within waves. They can be anything from bots to complex real-time games.

Wiki functionality: Anything written within a Google Wave can be edited by anyone else, because all conversations within the platform are shared. Thus, you can correct information, append information, or add your own commentary within a developing conversation.

Open source: The Google Wave code will be open source, to foster innovation and adoption amongst developers.

Playback: You can playback any part of the wave to see what was said- a retrospective analysis

Natural language: Google Wave can autocorrect your spelling, even going as far as knowing the difference between similar words, like “been” and “bean.” It can also auto-translate on-the-fly.
   
Drag-and-drop file sharing: No attachments; just drag your file and drop it inside Google Wave and everyone will have access.

Google Wave Terminology
Google Wave actually has its own lingo – yes, you have to learn a few definitions if you’re going to really understand this new communication platform. Having knowledge of these terms will help you understand more about Google’s newest project.

 Wave: A wave, specifically, refers to a specific threaded conversation. It can include just one person, or it can include a group of users or even robots (explained below). The best comparison one can make is that it’s like your entire instant messaging (IM) history with someone. Anything you’ve ever discussed in a single chat or conversation is a wave.

Wavelet: A wavelet is also a threaded conversation, but only a subset of a larger conversation (or a wave). It’s like a single IM conversation – a small part of a larger conversation and a larger history. Wavelets, though, can be created and managed separately from a wave.

Blip (BLIP): Even smaller than a Wavelet, a Blip is a single, individual message. It’s like a single line of an IM conversation. Blips can have other blips attached to them, called children. In addition, blips can either be published or unpublished (once again, it’s sort of like typing out an IM message but not yet sending it).

Document: A document actually refers to the content within a blip. This seems to refer to the actual characters, words, and files associated with a blip.

Extension: An extension is a mini-application that works within a wave. So these are the applications you can play with while using Wave. There are two main types of extenisons: Gadgets and Robots

Gadgets: A gadget is an application that users can participate with, many of which are built on Google’s OpenSocial platform.
A good comparison would be iGoogle gadgets or Facebook applications.

Robots: Robots are an automated participant within a wave. They can talk with users and interact with waves. They can provide information from outside sources (i.e. Twitter) or they can check content within a wave and perform actions based on them (i.e. provide you a stock quote if a stock name is mentioned).

Embeded Wave: An embeded wave is a way to take a Google Wave and the conversation within it and place it on your website. Users could use this as a chatroom, as a way to contact you, or for something more.

Google Wave Gadgets: What’s Different?

Most of the gadgets written for non-Wave containers can run in Wave. However, these gadgets are not able to take advantage of the live, multi-user environment like Google Wave. The main difference between Wave gadgets and non-Wave gadgets is that a Wave gadget lives in a wave and can interact with the wave.

Wave-aware gadgets can:

    * Access more granular (small parts) state management
    * Find out the current viewer and all of the other participants
      on the wave
    * Work harmoniously with the Wave playback mechanism

Wave gadgets typically aren’t full blown applications, but small add-ons that improve certain types of conversations.

For example, a wave might include a gadget that lets wave participants vote on where to go to lunch. Gadgets running in Wave belong to the wave they’ve been added to. This is slightly different from orkut-like containers, where the gadgets sitting on a profile page belong to the owner of that page. Consequently, any information associated with the gadget is stored on a per-wave basis (actually stored in the wave) rather than per-user. Gadget information and state are shared among the participants of the wave. Note that unlike typical gadgets, gadgets within Google Wave do not display a title. This allows the gadget to appear as part of the conversation, rather than apart from it.