Four nice (not so little) new projects by Google

I admit it, I wasn’t super impressed by the launch of the Google+ project. But I am impressed by a series of smaller projects that, in my opinion, either have more potential to be practically useful for our business and/or ourr life or, simply, are more fun. As usual, it’s great yet scary to see Google being so active in any sphere of our online life…

Let’s start with the business. Have you heard about Google Catalog? If you’re in the retail business, you’ll better check it out. Google Catalog is an app for tablets that allows users to flip through the pages of traditional printed shopping catalogs. Of course the app is interactive. You can save products, share them with your friends, and easily purchase the product on the merchant’s ecommerce website. Nothing super fancy, but definitely something super smart. And also very “green”.

The Guide to the App Galaxy is a website designed to help developers understanding the complexities of launching a mobile app and of building a business model around it. No Flash, it’s all Html 5 and its both interesting and useful to explore.

Google Maps have become even more rich and interactive. Weather forecasts are now incorporated in the maps. One less click to find out both your route to your next destination and the weather you’ll find when you get there. Nice.

Last but not least, you might enjoy The Google Puzzle, a Chrome Html 5 based advergame made in Japan that will challenge your skills and grant you some wit fun.