Google Phone?

This from Engadget. Venture capitalist Simeon Simeonov says Google has a team of about 100 people working on the Google Phone. The photo might be simply a represenation of what the user interface would resemble. That isn't the point. The point is that it looks like a buddy list. And it is possible that the buddy list becomes the hub of communications activity in many, perhaps most situations. All of which illustrates the importance of instant messaging as a metaphor for where a good chunk of communications is going. Which is to say, it works better when the people you want to communicate with can signal that they are available, right now.