Google Wave

Today's CNN.com includes an article about Google Wave, a purported "email killer," and the two brothers who came up with the idea (as well as the idea for Google Maps) (click here). "In theory, the idea for Wave is simple. It's e-mail updated for the Internet age. . . E-mail as we know it is based on the snail-mail format: you send a message; your friend receives it. Wave makes mail collaborative and instant. When you type a message to a friend, he or she sees what you're typing as you type it. You can jump in and start drafting a reply before the initial message is complete. Wave also lets users collaborate on editable documents, called Wikis, share photos, update blogs, set appointments and chat in big groups. You can add conference calls to a Wave. A translation function called Rosy will translate chat messages between languages as you write."

At this writing, participation in Google Wave (click here) is by invitation only. You can request an invitation here.

The article is interesting not just for its description of Google Wave, but because it also discusses the brothers' theory about the correlation between risk and achievement, and how they essentially created a company within a company to create the optimal conditions for innovation.

Tags: Technology, Entrepreneurs