Google App Engine »

Google announces Google App Engine, a complete web app hosting environment on the Google platform. Currently in a limited beta, with Python as the programming language

Google App Engine makes it easy to build an application that runs reliably, even under heavy load and with large amounts of data. The environment includes the following features:

• dynamic web serving, with full support for common web technologies
• persistent storage with queries, sorting and transactions
• automatic scaling and load balancing
• APIs for authenticating users and sending email using Google Accounts
• a fully featured local development environment that simulates Google App Engine on your compute

The main demo that Google have made for it, HuddleChat, is a direct, “feature for feature, layout for layout”, clone of 37signal’s Campfire, a great web chat application made by a company of 10. “We thought that would be beneath Google, but maybe its time to reevaluate what they stand for.”

Update: Google have taken down HuddleChat, citing widespread complaints.