Only 25 Orkut Apps Allowed?

While I was busy trying to add more Orkut Apps (in order to test them out--especially some of the games), apparently I discovered that Google will only allow users to add up to 25 Orkut Apps total.

Even though Google probably has some very good reasons for limiting the number of Orkut apps a user can have, I find it rather odd that the limit is at 25 (instead of higher like 50) as some of their rivals allow users to add an unlimited number of apps to their accounts (even if only ten are shown on their profile).

Hopefully Google expands the number (or even considers removing the restriction altogether), especially once the number of applications breaks 1,000 (note: there are currently at 324 Orkut Apps as of this post).

Orkut App Highlight: Quickie Blog (Allowing Users To Blog Within Orkut)

Quickie Blog, an Orkut app built by Divyansh Sharma enables users to post their thoughts for their friends and family. While it is similar to the Orkut status update that Google launched a few months ago, Quikie Blog allows users to post more than 140 characters to their blog.

While this Orkut app has a lot of potential, Quikie Blog only allows users to post text (note: no html, no images, etc.), not to mention the fact that your friends can not comment on your post.

Divyansh is planning on rolling out an upgraded version of Quikie Blog in the future, which will enable commenting, privacy features, as well as an ability to hook up the app with ones blog/twitter account.

Ironically, there does not seem to be much competition as far as inserting a blog within Orkut goes, which means that this field is wide open for future developers (especially Divyansh).


Note: I will be reviewing more Orkut Apps in the following weeks (as Google is has now passed 300 Orkut Apps!).

Google Unleashes Orkut Apps To The Public

(Hat Tip: Devils Workshop and Orkut Plus!)

Unless you live outside of Brazil or India, you probably did not realize that Google has just opened the gates for everyone to try out Orkut apps for themselves, instead of having to change their location or enter in via the Sandbox.

(Orkut Developer Blog) We've finished our rollout of OpenSocial apps to all orkut users, and we've seen more interest in apps than ever before. Several apps experienced extremely high usage, but after utilizing the URL rewriter and other caching techniques the load on their servers returned to manageable levels. During the rollout, we saw over 5 million app installs on orkut and usage of the platform continues to grow. But we're not done yet...

In the next few months, we'll be focused on increasing the capabilities of the platform and enabling developers to build better apps.

This is excellent news to hear, mainly because I can finally claim the United States as my homeland (instead of Estonia--a country I have only seen via Wikipedia). Orkut currently has 294 Orkut apps (note: as of this post), surpassing the 100^th app mark two months ago.

Hopefully we will see more applications enter the arena, especially from Brazil, as there are a lot of "code monkeys" (aka super geeks) who are already building incredible software that makes it easier for users and businesses to surf Orkut.

Note: I'll be reviewing some more Orkut Apps this week, so keep emailing/scrapping me your apps!

And for those of you who emailed me previously, don't worry, I have not forgotten about you. ;-)

Should Orkut Build An iPhone (Or Smart Phone) Friendly Portal?

Warning: This is a very long post. You may need a cup of coffee (or some donuts) in order to finish it. ;-)

With the 3G iPhone being released to over 70 countries this year--including Brazil and India--one has to wonder whether or not Google is busy creating an iPhone interface for Orkut, since some of their "siblings" (i.e.Gmail, Google Reader, and Google Talk) have specialized "iPortals" for their users.

While building an iPhone interface for Orkut would be awesome (as it would give users a lot more functionality than the mobile site), the Orkut team may want to consider going beyond the iPhone and focus on creating a "smart phone" friendly site, as not everyone is into the iPhone (note: yeah, some people think the Touch Diamond is better).

With more social networks creating smart phone friendly versions of their sites, it would be in Orkut best interest to do the same--and help take mobile social networks to the next level. Here is my view on how Google could do this.

1. GPS "Friend" Mapping
   
   Since many of the upcoming smart phones are including GPS as a feature, Google may want to consider resurrecting Orkut friend maps (which they previously disabled) within Orkut.
   
   Instead of simply listing where people are located, Google could enable a feature that lists your current position within your country, or at least notify you when your friends are nearby (similar to what Dodgeball does, without the annoying "friend of friend" alerts).
   
   This would be a "killer feature" within Orkut, and with one company already building something similar for the iPhone, having an interface within Orkut would make the site really popular--at least in Brazil and India.
   
2. Video/Photo Albums
   
   Most smart phones (and even basic phones) come equiped with a built in camera that allows users to take both images and video. Even though the iPhone lacks video (unless you hack it of course), it does do an awesome job of taking pictures.
   
   If Google considered developing a smart phone version of Orkut, they may want to give users the ability to upload images and video (note: perhaps via YouTube) within their respective albums, as it would make building ones album a lot easier and more fun (especially since they have enabled tagging of Orkut albums).
   
3. Hyperlink Calling
   
   One of the cool things about the iPhone is that the Safari browser automatically "hyperlinks" most phone numbers, enabling you to simply tap on the number in order to talk to your friend, a client or even a local business.
   
   Since many users list their phone numbers on Orkut (note: be sure to use a digital number, unless you enjoy hearing spammers on your voicemail), Google should make it easier to contact users by hyperlinking the phone numbers for smart phones, a feature that is currently not available for Orkut's basic mobile site.

Even though it would be really cool for Google to launch an iPhone only site for Orkut (something I would enjoy), it would be even better for them to develop a smart phone friendly site instead (or at least as an alternative).

(Image Screen Shot via TestiPhone.com)

Inserting Music Into Your Orkut Profile

When it comes to adding music to your profile, there are several Orkut Apps that you can easily use to insert your favorite song for your friends to hear.

Orkut Apps for music lovers range from iLike, to Music Playlists, but one Orkut App that caught my attention was My Music (not to be confused with the other My Music, which syncs with your iTunes).

Like most of the "insert music to profile" Orkut Apps, My Music heavily depends upon YouTube in order to display (and play) your favorite song.

After installing this app, users can simply type in a song...

...and hit the search button (with the magnifying glass on it) which will bring up a list of related songs, artists and videos.

Simply click on the song that you want to hear and a new page should appear with the lyrics to the song that you have selected.

Users can then select whether or not they want to add the song/video to their profile.

If you click yes, a pop up should appear alerting you that your song has been chosen. Afterwards, click over to your profile page and listen to your favorite song.

Important: Since not everyone will enjoy your music (or will be allowed to listen to it, especially if they are at work), please be sure to turn the auto play feature off.

Two other cool things that you can do with this Orkut app is that you can insert an image within the background, or even hide the video.

The only setback to this music Orkut app (and all of the ones similar to it) is that it does not allow users to upload their own songs directly, forcing them to host them on YouTube.

If a company could find a way to allow users to legally select (and play) any song of their choice (even if their was an audio ad in the begining), they would probably find themselves dominating Orkut (not to mention other social networks as well).