In case you haven't heard, Google has just released it's new Google App Engine, which is basically a way to run your own applications on Google infrastructure. When I first read about this I was literally shaking just thinking about the implications. Having built several application frameworks that enable regular folks to write extraordinary web applications it's clear to me that the implications of this technology go far beyond simple hosting - though that alone is awesome.
No, this is going to usher in a whole new world of technology. Google has once again taken something that most consider complex and out-of-reach for most people and have created a platform that I think many, many people will be able to take advantage of with ease.
Basically, you can write your web applications in the open source Python programming language and Google will host it for you... for free of course. If you haven't programmed in Python, now would be an EXCELLENT time to give it a try. It's been my favorite language for 10 years or so and though it's quite popular in it's own right, getting a nod like this from the big G doesn't hurt.
Once I have had a chance to play with Google Apps I will report back. It will no doubt have a significant impact on my company's own DataZoomer project so I am excited to see what's there and to begin to create what's possible in this new realm.