On Saturday, Google posted this message on its official blog:
Saturday, December 12, 2009 8:58 AM
At Google, we are constantly experimenting with new products and technologies, and often ask employees to test these products for quick feedback and suggestions for improvements in a process we call dogfooding (from "eating your own dogfood"). Well this holiday season, we are taking dogfooding to a new level.
We recently came up with the concept of a mobile lab, which is a device that combines innovative hardware from a partner with software that runs on Android to experiment with new mobile features and capabilities, and we shared this device with Google employees across the globe. This means they get to test out a new technology and help improve it.
Unfortunately, because dogfooding is a process exclusively for Google employees, we cannot share specific product details. We hope to share more after our dogfood diet.
Posted by Mario Queiroz, Vice President, Product Management
Many have speculated that this is in-fact Google’s own satirical way of saying they’ve given employees the Googlephone to test over Christmas. However, in an blog post today TechCrunch has claimed that this is actually a device called the Dragon/Passion, not the Google Phone.
The article does reinforce some of the recent rumours about the Google Phone, stating that:
‘Google is building their own branded phone that they’ll sell directly and through retailers. They were long planning to have the phone be available by the holidays, but it has now slipped to early 2010. The phone will be produced by a major phone manufacturer but will only have Google branding.’
Expect more details to emerge very soon, as well as a range of good releases from Google in the new year.
About Chris Ward