Being a gmail (and a Google!) fan ..

Here is a qs: (its not ‘mobile’ but I hope its interesting)

This may be very simple but I want to see a view of my inbox in terms of people that I have SENT email to i.e.

gmail already knows from SENT box who I have sent email to.

Thus if gmail shows my inbox with a view of these people, that’s VERY useful to me since people I SEND email to are valued by me.

So, suppose I sent emails to Werner, Tomi, Alan, Vladimir etc .. then I want to see a view of my inbox with these names first – the logic being almost anyone I have sent emails to is ‘important’ for me (and most correspondence will be with existing contacts)

Has this been done?

Thoughts? Do you think it is useful?

(I have emailed the gmail team – just wondering if such a feature is useful)

Buzzwire(www.buzzwire.com) seems to be getting a lot of publicity.

The PR blurb says ..

Buzzwire lets you stream video, audio, and live internet radio to your mobile phone — something other companies do. — But Buzzwire does this without requiring a download — setting it apart from the crowd.

Both Scoble and techmeme have covered this.

What’s special about it? seems like normal streaming to me? no? Can anyone explain?

Most of you can ignore this, I’m hoping to reach the one person that might actually know this question…

One of my contacts asked me this question:

Does Unitel in Angola provide mobile data services across all or part of their network either using GPRS or 3G???

Please comment or email me at ajit.jaokar at futuretext.com kind rgds Ajit

As many of you know, I chair Oxford University’s next generation mobile applications panel. (Free to join at forumoxford). Our last event was co-sponsored by Google and it was a great success.

Adrian Blair (Director Strategic partner development Google) was a speaker and Shannon Maher – Site Director for Engineering at Google has always been very supportive of my work in general and also forumoxford.

In that context, Google is looking for some very interesting positions in London and I am cross posting these from forumoxford to my blog.

Please don’t contact me about these – please contact the Google sourcer Sophie Le Masson: sophielm at google.com.

However, if you have a specific technical question about these positions, I may be able to add some insights

Direct candidates please (no recruiters)

For immediate consideration, please send a text (ASCII), PDF, Word or HTML version of your resume in English to Sophie Le Masson: sophielm at google.com.

Technical Account Manager – London

This position is available in London, UK.

Ready to tackle the industry’s leading challenges, affecting how millions click their mouse? Interested in joining a growing pool of world-class talent bent on bettering the world? Only Google can offer you so much potential for growth. Only Google’s Partner Solutions Organization (PSO) can expose you to the full breadth of the Google experience.

The Partner Solutions Organization is an integral part of every Google partnership responsible for signing deals worth billions. That’s our job, to forge strategic relationships that enable Google to acquire and distribute technology and content. Just two of our projects include Google Checkout, which is popping out all over the Web as a trusted means of payment and Gmail and Google Maps, which now go with you on your mobile device.

As a Technical Account Manager, you serve as the critical link between the lab and partner, helping to transform brilliant ideas into tangible products with your blend of technical and entrepreneurial skills. You are creative and self-motivated, excited to discover new business opportunities while optimizing existing relationships. You are comfortable assuming responsibility for all aspects of the partner relationship including the launch of new partners and the long-term satisfaction of existing partners.

Responsibilities:

• Explore and drive new business opportunities.

• Lead the integration and deployment of new partners.

• Solidify Google’s strategic partnerships across a variety of product lines, including search, mobile, video, and e-commerce.

• Guarantee the technical aspects of a partner’s integration (both new and ongoing) by providing the necessary documentation and technical guidance.

• Perform technical reviews, evangelize new product features, and ensure prompt and proper resolution of technical challenges.

• Analyze and optimize the revenue flow of existing partners.

• Assume responsibility for all aspects of a partner’s relationship with Google, forging long-term mutually beneficial partnerships.

Requirements:

• Bachelors degree in computer science (or related technical major) and/or a technically-oriented MBA.

• Strong experience in technical project management, program management, or professional services.

• Experience in Internet architecture and software development.

• Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional teams.

• Strong experience with Web technologies.

• Strong familiarity with Unix or Linux.

• HTML, XML and scripting programming experience.

• Broad understanding of TCP/IP, HTTP, and other internet protocols.

• Excellent written and oral business communication skills.

• High energy, strong team player, creative thinker, analytical skills.

• Excellent attention to detail.

• Demonstrated ability to complete multiple tasks concurrently and deliver results under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

Desirable Experience:

• Understanding of the search engine space and advertising industry.

• Previous work in a client-facing environment with various technical and non-technical teams.

• Expertise in one or more of the following vertical markets:

o Mobile—applications and content, not networking/hardware /infrastructure.

o Video—video on demand, streaming video.

o Search—scalable architecture, information retrieval, natural language processing, understanding of web development, online advertising, SEO, SEM.

o Ecommerce—billing systems, online payment, application development.

o Email—email migration, single sign-on, provisioning.

o ISP—search, advertising, etc.

o Content acquisition in any industry.

o VOIP and telephony–software, understanding of networking.

For immediate consideration, please send a text (ASCII), PDF, Word or HTML version of your resume in English to Sophie Le Masson: sophielm@google.com.

Software Engineer, Television Technology– London

Position based in London, UK.

We are hiring well-rounded Software Engineers with a proven track record in creating and deploying robust, high-volume applications for consumer devices.

Responsibilities:

• To develop robust, high-volume applications for consumer devices.

• To develop prototype applications and manage the evolution of these to scalable, shipping products.

Requirements:

• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science or equivalent.

• Strong Java and/or C++ skills and object oriented design experience, including working knowledge of core libraries and design patterns.

• Experience developing client or server-based applications for consumer devices (mobile, TV, or games).

• Experience with emerging TV standards such as DVB, MHP and RTSP would be an advantage, as would direct experience deploying applications with cable or telecommunications partners across the world.

• Experience with Python, Javascript, XML, and SOAP a plus.

• Experience with content management systems, user interface development for content-rich applications, cable and IPTV headend systems and digital video technology in embedded systems a plus.

Technical Solutions Engineer – London

Position based in London, UK.

Are you reading this job description on your phone? Enjoy working with the latest technologies to solve real-world business problems? Want to deliver technical solutions that expand Google’s business and drive revenue growth through strategic partnerships? Interested in gaining in-depth experience across a broad range of industries?

As a Technical Solutions Engineer in Mobile, you enhance Google’s mobile products to make them more useful for our partners using your experience developing applications for mobile devices and your in-depth knowledge of mobile application platforms. In addition, your thorough understanding of Internet and wireless protocols enables you to build tools to prevent, diagnose, and resolve problems before they affect our partners.

Google’s Partner Solutions Organization (PSO) is a strategic technology group that incubates new business ideas and delivers engineering solutions critical to the success of our global partners and Google’s business. If you are a creative thinker who thrives in a fast-paced, market-driven environment, we want to talk to you. We are looking for self-motivated individuals to join our strategic execution team and solidify Google’s partnerships across a variety of product lines that include search, mobile, video, e-commerce, and many other new initiatives.

Responsibilities:

• Enhance Google’s mobile products to make them more useful for our partners.

• Work closely with our engineering team to enhance Google’s mobile products.

• Build tools to help diagnose and resolve problems before they impact our partners.

Requirements:

• BA/BS in computer science or related technical degree, MS a plus.

• Industry experience in the wireless software industry, experience working with mobile devices is a plus.

• Programming experience in C/C++, J2ME, or BREW.

• Knowledge of mobile networks and wireless messaging (SMS, EMS, MMS) preferred.

• Scripting experience in JavaScript, PHP, Python, and/or Perl.

• In-depth knowledge of WAP, cHTML, XML/XSLT, HTTP, SSL, TCP/IP.

• Hands-on experience in UNIX or GNU/Linux system administration.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Strong organizational and analytical skills.

• High energy, self-motivated, detail-oriented, analytical.

Technical Lead Manager, Mobile Software Engineering – London

Position based in London, UK.

The successful candidate will be responsible for Mobile Software Engineering Technical Management in London. The Mobile SW Engineering Technical Lead Manager will create and manage the development of new and enhancement of existing Google products, and conduct regular product release reviews for the Mobile Team. The role will also be responsible for liaising with external partners at various phases in the project.

This is a highly visible position that is critical to Google’s future capability in the mobile space.

Responsibilities:

• Provide significant thought and hands-on technical leadership for London Mobile SW Engineering, including design and coding.

• Lead Mobile work in a number of the following areas:

o New mobile applications.

o Information retrieval algorithms.

o Large-scale cluster computing.

o Systems software.

o Java applications.

o A variety of new search products.

• Design, build and support client applications on mobile platforms, including Symbian, Palm, Java, and Microsoft Smartphones

• Work with other teams where components overlap

• Really contribute to a high quality team of people as smart as you

• Engage closely with the Product Management team to help determine the best technical implementation methods and reasonable execution schedules

• Develop and maintain strong communication processes to ensure smooth and efficient flow of accurate information across Google.com, especially between sites within EMEA and between EMEA and Mountain View.

Requirements:

• Candidates will be degree qualified in Computer Science or similar, and a PhD is desirable.

• Advanced professional technical background through actual Software Engineering in the Mobile arena.

• Proven track record for product delivery, and the effective line management of teams (10+ direct reports).

• Deep technical Mobile SW Engineering experience from a client sever/applications software environment (either in an enterprise software company or a consumer software company).

• Recognised as a hands-on technical driver of new mobile technology and products.

• Proven track record for technical product delivery with the ability to fit in well within an informal “start-up” environment requiring hands-on management.

• Demonstrated inherent ability “knowing how to learn”, mental agility, and people agility.

• Google is both a high mental-performance company and one in which working collaboratively in an almost hierarchy-free setting is prized.

• He/she will be able to establish credibility with smart engineers quickly.

• Proven track record of setting aggressive goals and meeting them, with a style characterised by personal motivation, organisational skills, and communications effectiveness.

• Ability to develop and monitor multiple project schedules and timelines, and to identify risks and mitigations.

• Must be able to communicate to senior executives internally and externally.

• Effective use of reading, writing, oral communications skills, presentation techniques, meeting mechanics, and teambuilding techniques.

• Strong experience in developing advanced applications on wireless devices: Symbian, Java (J2ME MIDP2.0), Palm, or Microsoft Smartphone/ PocketPC.

• Experience with extreme programming (XP)/ Agile development practices a plus.

Software Engineer, Mobile Applications – London

This position is based in London, UK.

Are you:

* … a great coder, analyst, collaborator, inventor and architect all rolled into one?

* … looking for the next cool problem to solve, in a fast-paced and engineering-driven environment?

* … entertained in your off hours by taking things apart just to see how they work? Are you successful putting them back together when you’re done?

* … excited by the idea of making Google even faster, more reliable, more available, more – well, Googley?

If you answered “Yes” to more than three of the above questions, you may be our kind of Engineer! Keep reading.

Google is looking for highly intelligent, enthusiastic client applications engineers for Google’s Mobile team in London to help us make the world’s information universally accessible and useful – on mobile devices.

You must enjoy a challenge and love working with a high quality team of people as smart as you. This position provides an excellent opportunity to help drive the flow of information into users hands, with the backing of one of the most recognised brands in the world.

Our engineering team is working on problems in a number of areas, including cutting-edge mobile applications, information retrieval algorithms, large-scale cluster computing, systems software, Java applications, and a variety of novel search products.

Responsibilities:

* Designing, building and supporting client applications on mobile platforms, including Symbian, Palm, Java, and Microsoft Smartphones.

* Work closely with Product Management peers and users to understand product requirements, and with server-side colleagues to develop optimum client-server products.

* Be comfortable with multi-tasking, handling interrupts and interacting with a distributed team.

Requirements:

* University Degree in Computer Science (Ph.D a plus).

* Strong experience in developing advanced applications on wireless devices: Symbian, Java (J2ME MIDP2.0), Palm, or Microsoft Smartphone / PocketPC.

* Solid track record delivering successful client applications through the full product lifecycle.

* Excellent organisation, communication and interpersonal skills.

* Strong customer orientation.

* Experience with extreme programming (XP) / Agile development practices a plus.

German hacker denied entry into U.S. for Black Hat training

This is very sad .. especially since more and more European companies – including my company – are looking to set up an office in America. Certainly, a person of this stature can’t be accused of ‘taking jobs from local people!’

Iraq celebrates football victory – this is good news for Iraq! and its nice to celebrate good news from Iraq ..

>>>

Thousands of Iraqis have spilled onto the streets to celebrate their football squad’s Asian Cup victory, firing guns into the air despite a government ban.

Iraq beat Saudi Arabia 1-0. Celebratory gunfire was heard in Baghdad, where authorities had banned vehicles and urged fans not to gather.

It was feared crowds could be targets for bombers. Some 50 people died in attacks after Wednesday’s semi-final.

Correspondents say Iraq’s progress has temporarily united the divided country.

The team includes Sunni and Shia Muslims, as well as Kurds.

In pictures: Football fever

Thousands of Iraqis, who had been following the match in Indonesia on television, rushed into the streets of the capital and other cities to celebrate.

The crowds in Baghdad included members of the security forces. Guns were fired into the air despite an earlier warning by the authorities that any such displays would be punished.

“It’s a huge success for Iraq and it’s a very, very good news for Iraq,” Iraq’s national security adviser Mouwaffaq al-Rubaie told the BBC.

“You should come to see the jubilation and the joy which is spreading all over Baghdad’s streets now. People are pouring in, hundreds of thousands of people are pouring into the streets.”

Meanwhile, at the stadium in Jakarta, the BBC’s Lucy Williamson said the atmosphere was electric.

She said there was huge sympathy and support in Indonesia for the Iraqi team, for their difficulties in training and the continuing violence at home.

Football fever

Earlier, the Iraqi authorities banned the use of vehicles in Baghdad until 0600 (0200 GMT) on Monday in an effort to prevent a repeat of the bloodshed which followed the semi-final win.

The crowds in Baghdad included members of the security forces

A similar ban was also imposed in the northern city of Kirkuk.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Qassim Moussawi said they wanted to stop “terrorists, Sunni extremists and criminals from targeting the joy of the people”.

Iraq surprised the football world by beating tournament favourites Australia, and then former winners South Korea in Wednesday’s semi-final match.

Wild celebrations followed that victory, with crowds dancing in the streets and waving the national flag.

But the party was brought to a bloody end as insurgents detonated bombs in two parts of Baghdad, killing about 50 people.

Dont miss this article by Dominique HAZAEL-MASSIEUX of the W3C and also see some insights from CEO on this topic

Both Dominique and CEO are clued on guys and good friends ..

Its nice to see W3C take the right initiatives in this space ..

The key aspect is the interim steps ..

>>>

The goal seems clear: getting the two paths to converge at some point in the future; getting there is difficult, but there are a few intermediate steps that seem pretty important to me:

there needs to be some serious work on the offline capabilities of mobile devices – Google Gears may be a step in that direction, but I tend to think that some real investment on making HTTP-caching a platform-level operation (the same way getting a network connection is, for instance) would be a tremendeous help – I have already ranted about it for browsing, but that’s even more important for Web applications development; more largely, synchronization protocols will become increasingly important – WebDAV, CalDAV should lead the way, but a generic framework for synchronizing data has not crossed my radar yet

currently, most browsers don’t have access to low-level client APIs; there has been a lot of work done in the Java world on defining these interfaces (through the JSR process), but they remain invisible to the browsers in most cases, and to their client-side scripting capabilities even more so; the W3C Ubiquituous Web Application Working Group is chartered among other things to look at this problem space, and hopefully will make it possible for Web applications to get better integrated in their hosting devices

Web access should become much more pervasive in client-side applications; as of today, on most phones, if you get a Web address in an SMS or in your calendar application, you would be hardpressed to use it directly to launch your local browser

the level of interoperability for rich client Web technologies needs to improve dramatically to make it possible to rely on them for serious user interfaces; I’m hopeful that the work made by the W3C Compound Document Formats Working Group will help; it seems also to me that increasing the availabilities of test suites for user agents is primordial to achieve that goal

<<<

Hello all

We are moving servers this weekend and there may be some downtime for the blog. Also, my personal email may be affected. Hopefully all should be well by Monday. Apologies for the downtime .. kind rgds Ajit