Named BumpTop, what does Google's latest acquisition do, how is it expected to help the search giant, and what could that mean for the industry at large?
Well, BumpTop is in the
business of improving, and reimagining, users' desktop experiences. "By turning the desktop into a three-dimensional space, users can arrange things more naturally and creatively,"
Venture Beat says of the startup. "They can pile things up, just like they can on a physical desk."
And, while Google has said little about the deal, Venture Beat guesses BumpTop will be used to support its Android operating system for smartphones, and other devices. "Some of these ideas and
technologies might give the Android interface a leg up over Apple's iPad and iPhone ... Google is also developing the Chrome operating system for netbooks, but BumpTop seems less relevant there, since
the Chrome OS is all about the Web browser."
"The growth in mobile could indicate a direction," writes ReadWriteWeb. "The simple fight between Apple and Google for the best interface could also come into play."
According to Search Engine Land's Greg Sterling, BumpTap's user interface isn't well suited for small smartphone screens, so
Google is most likely fleshing out its tablet strategy with the buy.
"Moving things around your handset 'desktop' is not going to be all that exciting or very useful," Sterling
writes. "BumpTop is much more fully realized on a tablet or touch-screen notebook."
Likewise, eWeek writes: "It is easy to see how such technology would appeal to Google, which is
reportedly building a tablet computer based on Android to rival the iPad."
As with many Google acquisitions, however, Sterling adds that it most likely considers BumpTap
founder Anand Agarawala (and his team) to be the real prize.
Also, while Google is no doubt on an acquisition binge -- 9 deals and counting, this year alone -- Marketing Pilgrim
suggests that the company is clearly shopping with "intent."
Read the whole story at VentureBeat et al. »