All Google all the time?

As I was putting this edition of IT-Wireless together, I was impressed (or was it disturbed?) by just how many articles seem to focus on Google. It's not that I'm particularly enamored with the search giant, it's just that they seem to be moving in a number of directions within the wireless market...and moving in all of them at once. I don't know whether that's a good or bad thing, but I do know it's likely to fundamentally change the way we think about wireless devices.

Let's take "My Location" as an example. I love GPS systems, but "My Location" promises to bring a significant portion of GPS functionality to smartphones that didn't come equipped with a GPS receiver. I already know how Google Maps look on my phone (they look incredible), so the promise of additional functionality is, to this user, quite positive. I suppose I should worry more about the privacy aspect than I do, but the usefulness of the technology has just blown me away.

Another area in which Google is likely to have a huge impact is in pricing. Google has succeeded in a market that sees users getting a service for free--all the payment comes from third parties (in this case, advertisers). Will we someday see advertiser-supported mobile phones? If initial research shows that advertisers will pay for it, you bet we will. You say that you're not interested, but would my teenage son let someone else pay for his calls? He already does, and I'm not sure he sees his Dad as considerably friendlier than most advertisers.

Things are changing fast, and 2008 is going to be a watershed year for many wireless services. Keep reading IT-Wireless, and we'll try to make sure you've got great information to help keep your decisions as accurate and reliable as possible. -Curtis