Rob Wilkerson

Scorpio is sooooo yesterday. Today it's all about Google Gears. Look around the Internet. Everybody's talking about it. And, to be honest, it looks pretty cool. I see a lot of people talking about its ability to offer offline availability, but I'm thinking a little outside the box, here. There's another potential use that I think offers even greater marketability.

Since there's an embedded SQLite database, my eye is on the potential for online privacy enhancements. Rather than just working online or offline, I wonder if there's a potential for creating hybrid applications that are capable of both, but which always store personal data locally. No more privacy concerns about storing that data on a server sitting out there in that puffy cloud that is the Internet. The potential for that kind of application fascinates me and could eliminate one of the prevalent fears surrounding the use of online applications. Peace of mind would be a strong selling point for many users.

Disclaimer: I wasn't trying to denigrate Scorpio. It looks outstanding and I'm looking forward to finding some time to take it for a spin. I was merely making fun of the number of outlets that publicized it's beta release yesterday. The same effect appears to be happening with Gears.