If you are on Twitter, or any major social network, you have probably been hearing excessively about Google Wave.  Google Wave, made by Google, is designed to replace email, and simplify group collaboration.  Just like they are doing with Google Chrome and Google Chrome OS, they are reinventing today's standards.  Did you know that email was invented forty years ago?  That's the same year as the lava lamp!  Like the lava lamp, email is old, and needs to be reinvented to meet today's standards.  (OK, I guess an iPhone App can't REALLY replace a lava lamp, but whatever.)
    Google Wave will make it easier for people to join in and participate in other people's conversations, as well as allow for even MORE desktop integration supported by Google Gears and HTML 5 (<video> tag ftw!).  Google recently sent out 100,000 invitations to Google Wave, and the lucky people who have received ones are having incentives for people to win invitations to Google Wave.  Gmail debut deja vu!

    Although nothing bad happened today on September 11, 2009, something good did happen.  Today, September 11, 2009, Apple released a new line of iPods, as well as a new version of iTunes.  The new iPod shuffle now is available in five colors, as well as in polished stainless steel.  The new iPod Nano is priced exactly the same as the previous nano, yet has a built-in VGA camera with video recording capabilities (H.264 VGA video, 640 by 480 pixels, up to 30 frames per second with AAC audio) and live effect previews.  The new Nano is also made out of polished anodized aluminum (really shiny!), and is available in nine colors.  The new iPod Touch is supposedly 50% faster than the 2G, uses OpenGL, and has the latest 3.1 firmware.  The iPod Touch does not have a camera.  The iPod Classic has not changed.
    With these new iPods, a new version of iTunes has been released.  The new version of iTunes, iTunes 9, breaks the ability to sync the Palm Pre with iTunes (again), adds Home Sharing, iTunes LP, a redesigned iTunes Store, iTunes Extras, Genius Mixes, and Improved Syncing.  Home Sharing allows you to share your music between all of the computers in your home.  iTunes LP allows you to explore your albums in an interactive environment, iTunes Extras adds special features to movies.  Genius Mixes uses Genius to make playlists.  Improved Syncing allows better management of everything on your iPod or iPhone, including applications.

    Google already dominates search.  They are working on dominating web applications and social media.  Now they have a web browser.  What next?  Well, an operating system, of course!  Google Chrome OS, as it will be called, is an open source operating system that will be released in the second part of 2010.  When it is released, it will be released with netbooks, but will later be available to everyone.  Google Chrome OS will be a web-based OS.  There will be very little to its desktop, as most of its applications will be browser-based.  Because of this, it will boot up in seconds, supposedly, which is perfect for the user who wants to check his mail before he leaves for work.  As Google said on its blog, "Today's operating systems were built in an era where there were no web browsers.", which is true.  And so, Google is doing the same thing that they did with Google Chrome: they are modernizing today's technology standards.  Modernizing web browser standards, now modernizing operating system standards, what next, Google?  I can just imagine it now!  "Today's humans evolved in an era where there was no internet...".   

    On June 8, 2009, the iPhone 3GS was officially announced by Apple!  The new iPhone will be selling as low as $199.99, and will offer many new features, including voice recognition navigation, video filming and editing, a built-in digital compass, spotlight search, and much more!  So far, it seems that the new iPhone, the iPhone 3GS (great, one more letter that we have to write when referring to the new iPhone), will be a great new phone, and will offer a lot of new features that many people have been requesting, and will start at just $199.99.  Not only is it selling for that low price, but it is also only availble in 16 and 32 GB models.  That means more storage for less money, and in this economy, that's just what we need more of.  So, you may ask, "What will happen to the iPhone 3G?"  Good question.  The iPhone 3G is now selling for only $99.99, and is only available in an 8 GB model.  However, the iPhone 3GS has a 3MP camera with 30 FPS VGA video recording, has a built-in digital compass, and can reach speeds up to two times faster than the iPhone 3G.  However, both iPhones can run iPhone 3.0.  The iPhone 3GS will be available on June 19, 2009.  Until then, I'm sure that we will all be waiting!