Google Babel: What Is It

Monday, April 22, 2013

It's a messaging service by Google that when fully released, could change the way we all communicate across our devices. It's is rumored to be available on Android, Web, iOS, Blackberry, and others.

Messaging so far has a fundamental flaw and that is fragmentation. We get messages on our mobiles in many ways, SMS, MMS, Email, Skype, then on the desktop there are an entire new suite of apps that we get messages on - none of which are in sync with each other (short of email). Google wants to put an end to that, something Apple should have done a long time ago with iMessage (to date you still can't send an iMessage from your Mac).

Here are the rumored features of Babel:

Brand new UI. Google designed a new UI that’s applied across all clients and promotes conversations.
Stay in sync. With just one conversation list and experience across mobile and desktop, everything is always in sync. Install the Chrome app, the Android app, and iOS app.
Desktop app. Stop laying whack a mole across blinking browser tabs. With the new Chrome app your conversations continue outside of the browser.
Keep a group conversation going to coordinate with your team, and start a Hangout with a single tap whenever you need to talk face-to-face.
Be notified…just once. Get notifications on your two phones, tablet, laptop, and desktop. Open it on one and watch the others disappear. If you’re actively using your computer or phone we’ll even intelligently notify you on just one of those endpoints. Magic!
Message more than just text. Add a photo to the conversation and/or send some of the 800+ emoji to your coworkers. Kittens and poop are particularly helpful in explaining complex issues.
Get nostalgic. Scroll back in time and relive any (on-the-record) conversation, on any device.
More ways to talk. For the first time we are building a first class iOS experience. Try out our very early preview on your iPhone or iPod Touch.