Thursday, May 6, 2010

Googland

Googland

[G] Site maintenance on Saturday, May 8

Posted: 05 May 2010 08:18 PM PDT

Inside AdSense: Site maintenance on Saturday, May 8

This Saturday, our engineers will be performing routine site maintenance from 10am to 2pm PDT. You'll be unable to log in to your AdSense account during this time, but we'll continue serving ads to your pages and tracking your clicks, impressions, and earnings as usual. In addition, your ad targeting won't be affected.

We've converted the maintenance start time for a few cities around the world:

London - 5pm Saturday
Alexandria - 8pm Saturday
Hyderabad - 10:30pm Saturday
Jakarta - 12am Sunday
Perth - 1am Sunday

To learn more about what goes on during these maintenance periods, check out this Inside AdSense post.

Posted by Dia Muthana - Inside AdSense team
URL: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2010/05/site-maintenance-on-saturday-may-8.html

[G] Google Analytics releases 38 features...

Posted: 05 May 2010 08:18 PM PDT

Google Analytics Blog: Google Analytics releases 38 features...

It's only been a year since we launched the Google Analytics Data Export API and developer programs. To celebrate we are highlighting some of the exciting solutions that extend Google Analytics in our new Google Analytics Application Gallery!

Here are just a few of the exciting applications in the gallery:

AnalyticsApp is an app for Google Analytics on the iPad!





The Referrer Flow visualization shows you what sites link to you and which content works best. The Keyword visualization displays the most frequently used search keywords and how they are used together.




BTBuckets is a free segmentation and optimization webapp that allows sites to create user segments and take actions upon them in real time.




CallTrackID allows telephone enquiries to be tracked from various traffic routes, including direct, organic, PPC ad, affiliate and offline straight into Google Analytics.



ShufflePoint Studio allows you to associate PowerPoint text, table, and chart placeholders with refreshable Google Analytics data.

The App Gallery makes it easy for customers to find 3rd party solutions that extend Google Analytics in new and useful ways. We also think it's a great way for developers to find new users and attract more customers. If you're a developer and you'd like to have your application listed in the gallery, we've created a simple submission form to get your app added.

Finally, if you're interested in learning more about how you can integrate with Google Analytics, join us for our presentation: Google Analytics: End-to-End on May 20th at Google IO.

Thanks!

Posted by Nick Mihailovksi, Google Analytics API Team
URL: http://analytics.blogspot.com/2010/05/google-analytics-releases-38-features.html

[G] Five continents and counting - new cities in Building Maker

Posted: 05 May 2010 08:18 PM PDT

Google LatLong: Five continents and counting - new cities in Building Maker

[Cross-posted from the SketchUp Blog]

You might have noticed that the Building Maker team has been quiet on the city front in the last month. Well, we've been working behind the scenes to make our next set of cities available for modeling. With 11 new cities, Google Building Maker has extended its coverage to include nine new cities in South Africa and two new regions (plus added coverage of two existing regions) in California.


Whether you want to explore the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront in Cape Town, model the cities where the Springboks play or explore the venues of another sporting code, now is your chance. Go to Google Building Maker and choose one of these cities from the top-right drop-down menu or click on a red pin to zoom down. The new cities in Building Maker are:

South Africa

  • Bloemfontein
  • Cape Town
  • Durban
  • Johannesburg
  • Nelspruit
  • Phokeng
  • Polokwane
  • Port Elizabeth
  • Pretoria


California
  • Oakland
  • Berkeley
  • San Francisco (extended coverage)
  • Redwood city (extended coverage)
Happy modeling!
Posted by Matt Simpson, User Experience Designer
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/05/five-continents-and-counting-new-cities.html

[G] Happy half-birthday Dashboard! Six months in and 100,000 users a day

Posted: 05 May 2010 08:18 PM PDT

Google Public Policy Blog: Happy half-birthday Dashboard! Six months in and 100,000 users a day

Posted by Yariv Adan, Product Manager
(cross posted from the Official Google Blog)

Six months ago, we launched the Google Dashboard to help you view and control information stored in your Google Account. It's organized according to the products you use (like Gmail, Docs or YouTube), listing data stored in your account and providing direct links to control your personal settings.

Since we're celebrating our very first half-birthday, we thought it was the ideal time to update you on how things are going. On average, around 100,000 unique visitors a day check out their Dashboard, 85 percent for the first time. Since launch, we've worked to grow Dashboard, adding a number of other Google products including Sites, Maps, Books, Webmaster Tools, Buzz, Goggles, Sidewiki and Analytics. We're still working on adding other products to the tool and are talking with users about new ways to improve the functionality moving forward.

We launched the Dashboard to provide you with greater transparency and control. We're proud of its success so far and look forward to what's next. If you haven't looked at your own Dashboard yet, check it out!

URL: http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2010/05/happy-half-birthday-dashboard-six.html

[G] Answering your FAQs about the New Google Docs

Posted: 05 May 2010 03:13 PM PDT

Official Google Docs Blog: Answering your FAQs about the New Google Docs

We've been excited by how many of you have chosen to try the new Google documents, spreadsheets and drawings editors over the last month. We've received a lot of great questions in our forums, in blog comments, on the ideas page, and through webinars.

In fact, at a webinar two weeks ago hosted by members of the Google Docs team (watch the video), we ran out of time before we could answer all the great questions people had. A lot of the questions echoed ones we've seen from many of you, so we wanted to post those questions -- and the answers to them -- online for everyone.

Check out a couple of answers below, or see the full list in the Google Docs Help Center.

Q: ­Do all the features work with IE8?

Almost. Google documents, spreadsheets, and presentations should work in IE8. If you'd like to use the full Google drawings tool in Internet Explorer, you can install Google Chrome Frame. The embedded drawings editor (i.e. 'Insert > Drawing') in documents, spreadsheets and presentations works in IE7 and IE8.

Learn more about the system requirements for Google Docs in the Help Center.

Q: Where is the web clipboard in the new docs editor?

We released the documents editor as a preview so we could get your feedback early in our development process. As you can tell, there are still some features, like the web clipboard, which aren't yet ready in the new version. The web clipboard will definitely be available before we take the new editor out of preview.

Q: When will gadgets work with the new version of Google spreadsheets?

Very soon! This has been one of the most common pieces of feedback from users, and it's high on our list of priorities.

Want more Q&A? Check out the full list of questions. Have a question that's still not answered? Visit the Google Docs Help Forum.

Posted by: Ben Softness, Google Docs Operations Strategist
URL: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2010/05/answering-your-faqs-about-new-google.html

[G] Happy half-birthday Dashboard! Six months in and 100,000 users a day

Posted: 05 May 2010 03:13 PM PDT

Official Google Blog: Happy half-birthday Dashboard! Six months in and 100,000 users a day

Six months ago, we launched the Google Dashboard to help you view and control information stored in your Google Account. It's organized according to the products you use (like Gmail, Docs or YouTube), listing data stored in your account and providing direct links to control your personal settings.

Since we're celebrating our very first half-birthday, we thought it was the ideal time to update you on how things are going. On average, around 100,000 unique visitors a day check out their Dashboard, 85 percent for the first time. Since launch, we've worked to grow Dashboard, adding a number of other Google products including Sites, Maps, Books, Webmaster Tools, Buzz, Goggles, Sidewiki and Analytics. We're still working on adding other products to the tool and are talking with users about new ways to improve the functionality moving forward.

We launched the Dashboard to provide you with greater transparency and control. We're proud of its success so far and look forward to what's next. If you haven't looked at your own Dashboard yet, check it out!



Posted by Yariv Adan, Product Manager
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/happy-half-birthday-dashboard-six.html

[G] An Important Step Toward Updating ECPA

Posted: 05 May 2010 12:30 PM PDT

Google Public Policy Blog: An Important Step Toward Updating ECPA

Posted by Richard Salgado, Senior Counsel, Law Enforcement and Information Security

Just over a month ago, we helped launch Digital Due Process, a coalition of technology companies, privacy advocates and academics working to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) of 1986 to ensure traditional privacy protections are applied to new and emerging technologies.

Today, we more one step closer as the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties holds its first hearing on the issue. At the hearing, experts like Jim Dempsey of the Center for Democracy and Technology (a member of Digital Due Process) are expected to explain why updating ECPA will better protect users, while preserving the legal tools necessary for government agencies to enforce the laws.

Though we are not testifying today, we did submit written testimony explaining why updating ECPA is vital for both our business and our users. In our testimony, we explain that companies like Google are now able to offer individuals, businesses, educational institutions, government entities, and others the ability to store, access, use and share their data from remote servers -- but that unless we update ECPA, we run the risk of slowing adoption and innovation. Why? Because certain ECPA provisions no longer reflect the way people use the services or the reasonable expectations they have about government access to information they store in the cloud.

ECPA was written before most people used the Internet or had even heard of e-mail. As far as technology is concerned, we're living in a different age. We hope that today's hearing will help continue to build the needed momentum to modernize ECPA for today's world.

For more information on our efforts, visit the Digital Due Process website or check out the video below.

URL: http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2010/05/important-step-toward-updating-ecpa.html

[G] New Google Chrome beta: speedy!

Posted: 05 May 2010 12:30 PM PDT

Official Google Mac Blog: New Google Chrome beta: speedy!

By Scott Knaster, Google Mac Team

There's a new beta of Google Chrome, and it's very, very fast. Check out this post over at the Google Chrome Blog for details. And if you haven't used Chrome on your Mac, why not give it a try? You can download it here.
URL: http://googlemac.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-google-chrome-beta-speedy.html

[G] Copy sheets from one spreadsheet to another

Posted: 05 May 2010 10:30 AM PDT

Official Google Docs Blog: Copy sheets from one spreadsheet to another

A few weeks ago we introduced a new version of the spreadsheet editor in Google Docs.

Today, we're adding the ability to copy a sheet from one spreadsheet to another in the new version. To start, simply click on the sheet tab at the bottom of the page and select "Copy to...".



You'll see a pop-up dialog box where you can search for the destination spreadsheet. You can choose any spreadsheet you own or have editing access to:

Once you've selected a spreadsheet, you can open it to find that the sheet has been copied.

To give the new spreadsheet editor a try, click the New version link in the top right corner of any spreadsheet. There's more info about this feature in the help center and let us know what you think in the forums.

Posted by: Josh Danziger, Software Engineer
URL: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2010/05/copy-sheets-from-one-spreadsheet-to.html

[G] Potato gun, lightning, and sonic magic: Unconventional speed tests for the browser

Posted: 05 May 2010 10:30 AM PDT

Google Chrome Blog: Potato gun, lightning, and sonic magic: Unconventional speed tests for the browser

Yesterday, we released a new beta for Chrome, and teamed up with a few creative minds to bring Chrome's speed to life with an early preview of a series of fun, unconventional speed tests for the browser. As promised in my blogpost, here's a follow-up video of the full results!



(Watching web pages load at 2700 frames per second reveals unexpected artifacts. If you're interested in the technical details, read on in the video's description drop-down in YouTube).

Posted by Mads Ager, Software Engineer
URL: http://chrome.blogspot.com/2010/05/potato-gun-lightning-and-sonic-magic.html

[G] A spring metamorphosis — Google’s new look

Posted: 05 May 2010 10:30 AM PDT

Official Google Blog: A spring metamorphosis — Google's new look

Using Google today, you may have noticed that something feels slightly different — the look and feel of our search results have changed! Today's metamorphosis responds to the increasing richness of the web and the increasing power of search — revealing search tools on the left and updating the visual look and feel throughout. While we are constantly rolling out small changes and updates, today's changes showcase the latest evolutions in our search technology, making it easier than ever to find exactly what you're looking for.


The new Google look, with simple left-hand navigation.

What's new and what's changed?
We've added contextually relevant, left-hand navigation to the page. This new side panel highlights the most relevant search tools and refinements for your query. Over the past three years, we've launched Universal Search, the Search Options panel and Google Squared, and it's those three technologies that power the left-hand panel.

Universal Search helps you find the most relevant types of results for your search. The top section of the new left-hand panel builds on Universal Search by suggesting the most relevant genres of results for your query and letting you seamlessly switch to these different types of results. The "Everything" option remains our essential search experience with different types of results integrated into the main results, but now you can also easily switch to just the particular type of results you are looking for.

Our expandable Search Options panel launched last spring brought many rich slice-and-dice tools to search. The new left-hand navigation showcases these tools and enables you to get a different view of your results. Perhaps you'd like to see images from each of the results or just the newest information? These options are all on the left, and our technology will suggest the tools that are most relevant and helpful to your query.

Google Squared (available on Google Labs) helps you find and compare entities. Our "Something different" feature builds on the technology in Google Squared to find other entities that are related to your query, so you can easily explore not only the results for your current query but other related topics.

In addition to the left-hand side changes, we've updated our look and feel in terms of our color palette and our logo. These changes are slight, keeping our page minimalist and whimsical, but make our overall look more modern.

The new design refreshes and streamlines the look, feel and functionality of Google, making it easier to pinpoint what you're looking for. It's powerful, yet simple. Today's changes are the latest in our continuing efforts to evolve and improve Google. We've been testing these changes with users over the past few months, and what we're launching today reflects the feedback we've received.. We want to ensure that the Google you use today is better than the one you used yesterday, and these latest changes open up many possibilities for future features and enhancements.

To hear more about our new design, check out this video:


Our new interface begins rolling out today globally across 37 languages. We are also launching the mobile version concurrently for English interfaces in the United States. Search on!

Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP Search Products & User Experience
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/spring-metamorphosis-googles-new-look.html

[G] Google's new look for mobile

Posted: 05 May 2010 09:26 AM PDT

Official Google Mobile Blog: Google's new look for mobile

When it comes to mobile search, we strive to not only give you the same comprehensiveness and relevance as when searching with Google on your computer, but also a consistent look, feel, and overall user experience. So today, as we roll out a new look for Google Search results on your computer, we are happy to announce similar changes to Google Search results for mobile.

When you go to Google.com in the US on your iPhone or Android-powered device, and enter a search, you can now tap on the button to the left of the search box on the results page to see a new search options menu. Then, selecting any item in the menu will refine your search. For example, if you are looking for recent results for "Mother's day gift", simply tap the "Past week" option.



You may notice that when the menu expands, the search results slide off screen to the right. Note that you can still interact with them and see them in full just by panning to the right. Also, there are some additional menu options, like "News" and "Products". In the weeks to come, we will be supporting more devices and locales, and expanding the number of options available.

Posted by Reza Ziaei and Mike Buchanan, Google Mobile Engineering Team
URL: http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2010/05/googles-new-look-for-mobile.html

[G] Google & Small Business Administration partner to share tips with businesses

Posted: 05 May 2010 09:26 AM PDT

Google Public Policy Blog: Google & Small Business Administration partner to share tips with businesses

Posted by John Hanke, Vice President of Product Management

Ben and Jerry turned a $5 correspondence class in ice cream making into a multi-million dollar business. Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, sold sneakers out of the trunk of his car at track meets. And, like many silicon valley startups, Google got its start, literally, in a garage.

Every business starts small and sometimes, with a little luck, they catch on. One way to make sure your business has the best possible chance of success is to make sure it has a strong web presence. A new generation of tools geared especially for even the smallest businesses make this easier than ever. They are easy, low-cost and often completely free and they can ensure that consumers can find you online and learn about what you do.



These tools are great for small business and for our economy and that's why we've teamed with the U.S. Small Business Administration to create a website featuring video testimonials by small business owners who are using online tools to attract more customers. The goal of the partnership between Google and the SBA is to help small businesses understand the tools and resources available to them online and learn savvy tips from other small business owners.
  • Establish your online presence. One out of five searches on Google are related to local information. Massive numbers of consumers are using the Internet to search for everything from taekwondo classes on the south side of town to a trusted vet for the family pet. Small and large businesses can easily create a rich online presence using tools like Google Places and, for businesses that want to take the plunge and create a full-blown website, ready-made site templates and free hosting services like Google Sites make creating one painless and fast.
  • Use free marketing to reach customers. You can build a fan base for your business with free services like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter that will keep your customers in-the-know about new products and special promotions. These services are great "word of mouth" platforms that make it easy for a customer following your business to tell their friends about it.
  • Understand your customers. Online tools can make you smarter about your customers by analyzing the search terms they use to find you and the pages they visit on your site. This data can help you tune your offers and site to what's truly popular and can be used to help you select terms for online search advertising such as Google AdWords.
In addition to the videos, Google also produced a "Tools for Online Success" booklet that will be in nearly 1,000 SBA, SCORE, and Women's Development Centers nationwide. The booklet offers online tips and tricks for businesses of any size.
URL: http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2010/05/google-small-business-administration.html

[G] Google & Small Business Administration partner to share tips with businesses

Posted: 05 May 2010 09:26 AM PDT

Google LatLong: Google & Small Business Administration partner to share tips with businesses

(cross-posted from the Google Policy Blog)

Ben and Jerry turned a $5 correspondence class in ice cream making into a multi-million dollar business. Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, sold sneakers out of the trunk of his car at track meets. And, like many silicon valley startups, Google got its start, literally, in a garage.

Every business starts small and sometimes, with a little luck, they catch on. One way to make sure your business has the best possible chance of success is to make sure it has a strong web presence. A new generation of tools geared especially for even the smallest businesses make this easier than ever. They are easy, low-cost and often completely free and they can ensure that consumers can find you online and learn about what you do.



These tools are great for small business and for our economy and that's why we've teamed with the U.S. Small Business Administration to create a website featuring video testimonials by small business owners who are using online tools to attract more customers. The goal of the partnership between Google and the SBA is to help small businesses understand the tools and resources available to them online and learn savvy tips from other small business owners.
  • Establish your online presence. One out of five searches on Google are related to local information. Massive numbers of consumers are using the Internet to search for everything from taekwondo classes on the south side of town to a trusted vet for the family pet. Small and large businesses can easily create a rich online presence using tools like Google Places and, for businesses that want to take the plunge and create a full-blown website, ready-made site templates and free hosting services like Google Sites make creating one painless and fast.
  • Use free marketing to reach customers. You can build a fan base for your business with free services like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter that will keep your customers in-the-know about new products and special promotions. These services are great "word of mouth" platforms that make it easy for a customer following your business to tell their friends about it.
  • Understand your customers. Online tools can make you smarter about your customers by analyzing the search terms they use to find you and the pages they visit on your site. This data can help you tune your offers and site to what's truly popular and can be used to help you select terms for online search advertising such as Google AdWords.
In addition to the videos, Google also produced a "Tools for Online Success" booklet that will be in nearly 1,000 SBA, SCORE, and Women's Development Centers nationwide. The booklet offers online tips and tricks for businesses of any size.

Posted by John Hanke, Vice President of Product Management
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/05/google-small-business-administration.html
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