40Tech

In our last post on Google Wave, we talked about the impending final shutdown of the service on April 30th, 2012 (it is currently in read-only mode), and the potential for Apache Wave and Walkaround to keep the real-time collaboration tool going. We’ve even done a bit of hunting on our own for a suitable Wave alternative, but the reality is that Wave was a bit ahead of its time. Fortunately, another possibility for resurrection has surfaced: Rizzoma.

Yeah, yeah, I know. Google Wave is dead and gone, right? Not quite. We already talked about the potential of Apache Wave, and mentioned that the Google original is still available to those who care to squeeze every ounce they can from the innovative flop. Today, though, Google circulated an email to Wavers containing the end dates and Wave’s last gasp.

Hit the jump for details.

If you were a fan of Google Wave’s integrated gadgets, or just need a place to set up some easy real-time collaboration, then check out Google Labs’ new Shared Spaces. Shared Spaces uses Wave’s technology to provide private collaboration spaces that you can invite others to via a provided short link. There are about 50 gadgets already available, such as the Map Gadget, Draw Board, WaveTube, yourBrainStormer, Napkin Gadget, and a few games. Once you choose the gadget that suits your needs, you simply click Create a Space and your window will open, complete with a chat area, link, and buttons to invite others via Email, Buzz, or Twitter. Once you’re finished, spaces can be deleted simply by selecting the Delete this Space button.

In case you missed the announcements last week, Google Wave will live on, and quite likely prosper, in the open source development hands of Apache. In November, Google made a proposal to the Apache Software Foundation to take over development of Wave, hoping to keep the potential of the project alive and bring new blood to its development. The proposal mentioned several weighty companies (including the US Navy) that are still actively using Wave, which was originally set to shut down at the end of 2010, and listed people willing to commit to the project from both within and outside of Google.

In an effort to discover a reasonable replacement for the collaborative powers of Google Wave, 40Tech has gone forth and tested several free or mostly free services and methods. So far, we’ve reviewed Zenbe’s Shareflow, as well as a conglomeration of other Google services (which, reportedly, will be absorbing some of Wave’s features). As our next candidate, we tested Socialwok, a free, very Facebook-like service that allows you to not only create your own focused social network(s), but was designed to integrate tightly into Google Apps.

Last week we reviewed Zenbe as a possible replacement for those of you who used and came to love Google Wave. Today we offer our second suggestion. This suggestion isn’t a collaboration site so much as a system to replace Wave. The system to replace Wave is based on using the full-range of Google’s other products. Read on for a look at the Google services that we use, and how we tie it all together into a manageable system.

While many people had no use for Google Wave, the recent announcement of its impending demise is a disappointment for those who found it to be a useful tool. Are you looking for a replacement? If so, come along with us as we try out some alternatives over the coming weeks. The first candidate that we’ve tried out is Zenbe Shareflow, a tool that is surprisingly Wave-like. Read on for our impressions, and then let us know what you think if you try it out.

When Google Wave hit the world last year, it came with many oohs and ahhs and an onset of geeky people like me and you — then reality set in and, for many, Wave lost its appeal. People complained that it was slow and confusing, often in the same breath as praising it for being [...]

We have one question for you right off the bat- how many of you are still using Google Wave or Google Buzz?  Have both services flopped?  Back in August, we wrote about 3 reasons why Wave wouldn’t flop.  Has it?  What about Buzz? My personal take on Buzz and Wave is that  Buzz is a [...]

Thanks to everyone who requested a Wave invitation.  Invitations have been submitted for everyone who requested one as of the time of this writing.  As mentioned previously, you now need to wait for Google to act on the invitations.  Keep an eye on your inbox and your spam box, and hopefully Google will send them [...]