Thursday, September 9, 2010

Googland

Googland

[G] Search: now faster than the speed of type

Posted: 09 Sep 2010 04:48 AM PDT

Official Google Blog: Search: now faster than the speed of type

Search as you type. It's a simple and straightforward idea—people can get results as they type their queries. Imagining the future of search, the idea of being able to search for partial queries or provide some interactive feedback while searching has come up more than a few times. Along the way, we've even built quite a few demos (notably, Amit Patel in 1999 and Nikhil Bhatla in 2003). Our search-as-you-type demos were thought-provoking—fun, fast and interactive—but fundamentally flawed. Why? Because you don't really want search-as-you-type (no one wants search results for [bike h] in the process of searching for [bike helmets]). You really want search-before-you-type—that is, you want results for the most likely search given what you have already typed.

As you can imagine, searching even before someone types isn't easy—which is why we are so excited today to be unveiling Google Instant. Google Instant is search-before-you-type. Instant takes what you have typed already, predicts the most likely completion and streams results in real-time for those predictions—yielding a smarter and faster search that is interactive, predictive and powerful.

Here are a few of the core features in Google Instant:
  • Dynamic Results - Google dynamically displays relevant search results as you type so you can quickly interact and click through to the web content you need.
  • Predictions - One of the key technologies in Google Instant is that we predict the rest of your query (in light gray text) before you finish typing. See what you need? Stop typing, look down and find what you're looking for.
  • Scroll to search - Scroll through predictions and see results instantly for each as you arrow down.
Here's a video that explains Google Instant in greater depth:



To bring Google Instant to life, we needed a host of new technologies including new caching systems, the ability to adaptively control the rate at which we show results pages and an optimization of page-rendering JavaScript to help web browsers keep up with the rest of the system. In the end, we needed to produce a system that was able to scale while searching as fast as people can type and think—all while maintaining the relevance and simplicity people expect from Google.

The user benefits of Google Instant are many—but the primary one is time saved. Our testing has shown that Google Instant saves the average searcher two to five seconds per search. That may not seem like a lot at first, but it adds up. With Google Instant, we estimate that we'll save our users 11 hours with each passing second!

As part of our current rollout, Google Instant will become the core search experience on Google.com for Chrome, Firefox, Safari and IE 8. We'll also be offering Google Instant to our users in France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Spain and the U.K. who are signed in and have Instant-capable browsers. Over the coming weeks and months, we'll work to roll out Google Instant to all geographies and platforms.

We're very excited about today's announcement and hope that you are too. Give Google Instant a try and let us know what you think!

Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP Search Products & User Experience
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/search-now-faster-than-speed-of-type.html

[G] President Clinton takes your questions on YouTube

Posted: 09 Sep 2010 04:48 AM PDT

Official Google Blog: President Clinton takes your questions on YouTube

(Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog)

William Jefferson Clinton has worn many hats over the years. He served two terms as the 42nd President of the United States. He founded the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative to tackle problems like global health, poverty, education and climate change. He's spent much of this year leading the recovery effort in Haiti through the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.

And starting now, he's taking your questions in our latest YouTube interview.



To participate, visit www.youtube.com/citizentube and use the Moderator platform to upload your video question for President Clinton—and vote for the ones you like the best. You can also submit a text question if you can't record a video.

Later this month, at his annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting, President Clinton will sit down with us and answer a selection of your top-voted questions in our interview.

Submit your question and start voting early! The submission period closes on September 13.

Posted by Ramya Raghavan, YouTube News and Politics
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/president-clinton-takes-your-questions.html

[G] Blogger’s 11th Birthday Round-Up

Posted: 09 Sep 2010 02:45 AM PDT

Blogger Buzz: Blogger's 11th Birthday Round-Up

Posted by Seth Shamban, Blogger Consumer Operations

Last week we hosted Blogger's 11th bday celebration, and a huge thanks goes out to everyone who helped us celebrate! Since we were only able to attend a few parties in person (which was awesome!), we enjoyed watching tweets, videos, and photos stream in at #bloggerfiesta. From the four hour conference for 90 people in Manila, Philippines to the three person casual rendezvous at a restaurant in Duluth, Georgia, we heard great stories from around the world about bloggers meeting each other face-to-face.

Even though we're an internet company, we know the importance of meeting in-person. It provides a great opportunity to learn from others, meet new folks and share tips. We loved that one Fiesta attendee even learned how to set up a custom domain.

While we had some fun of our own last week (particularly in our Sydney office), our favorite stories are the ones you've shared. We've linked to some of our favorites below. If you have a story from your Blogger Fiesta that you would like to share with us, please send it along to blogger-fiesta@google.com.

Blogger Fiesta Sydney in Google's Sydney office

URL: http://buzz.blogger.com/2010/09/bloggers-11th-birthday-round-up.html

[G] Back-To-Basics: How much mobile traffic do you get? (Part 2)

Posted: 09 Sep 2010 12:43 AM PDT

Google Analytics Blog: Back-To-Basics: How much mobile traffic do you get? (Part 2)


Last week's back-to-basics post illustrated the dramatic growth in mobile with an example from googlestore.com. This week, let's look at how to create a mobile trend graph from your own data.

You'll start by creating an advanced segment. Go to your reports in Google Analytics. In the left navigation, you'll see a grey box called My Customizations. In this box, click Advanced Segments. On the next screen, click "Create new custom segment". This will take you to the segment builder screen.

Under Dimensions (in green), expand Systems and drag "Operating System" into the work area and create this definition:




Operating System Matches Exactly Android

Now, add an OR condition and add another definition:

Operating System Matches Exactly iPhone

Keep adding as many OR conditions and definitions as you like.















Name the segment (for example, "mobile phones") and save it. You can now use the Advanced Segments dropdown (at top right of most reports) to apply the segment. For last week's graph, I selected only "mobile phones" and de-selected "All Visits". This allowed me to only see traffic from the mobile phone types in my segment.














Now, to see your trend graph, go to any report that graphs visits (for example, the Dashboard will work fine for this). Set your date range to include the last 18 months or 2 years. The trend will be most clear if you select the Graph by Month icon (at top right of the graph):












How much growth are you seeing over the past year or more? Post a comment and let us know what you've found!

Also, if you're rusty with advanced segments, be sure to watch this short video tutorial.

Posted by Alden DeSoto, Google Analytics Team
URL: http://analytics.blogspot.com/2010/09/back-to-basics-how-much-mobile-traffic_08.html

[G] Google Instant and Google Analytics

Posted: 09 Sep 2010 12:43 AM PDT

Google Analytics Blog: Google Instant and Google Analytics

Today, we announced the launch of Google Instant, a new Google.com interface that shows relevant results while the user types. This exciting new search interface applies to both search results and related ads. We expect Google Instant will help users find what they're looking for faster. With this change, you might notice some fluctuations in AdWords impression volume and in the distribution of organic keywords. For example, you may find that certain keywords receive significantly more or fewer impressions moving forward.

To read more about how this change affects AdWords advertisers, please visit the Inside AdWords Blog. Users of Webmaster Tools should also see their post about Google Instant.

Update at 5:10pm PST: Clarified that you may see a change in the distribution of traffic of organic keywords.

Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Google Analytics Team
URL: http://analytics.blogspot.com/2010/09/google-instant-and-google-analytics.html

[G] YouTube launches in Argentina

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 10:45 PM PDT

YouTube Blog: YouTube launches in Argentina

Today, Argentina becomes the 25th country to get its own version of YouTube. This means that Argentines will be able to more easily discover local talent like GuadalajaraMan, UESiglo21, farolatino, casiangeles or yoteloexplico, as well as view the most popular and most viewed videos in their country.



To experience the new site, head to the bottom of the page, click on the 'Location' tab, and select Argentina from the menu:






We're also teaming up with local broadcasters to ensure that YouTube viewers, wherever you may be, can watch some of the best news, sports and public television videos being made in Argentina today. Such partners include Encuentro, America TV, Boca Juniors and TV Pública. Other Argentine video-makers can apply for partnership at www.youtube.com/partners.



We look forward to working with everyone in Argentina to make the YouTube community even bigger and brighter than it is today.



Ricardo Blanco, Communications Manager, Latin America, and Brian Truong, Product Manager, recently watched "Otakus with English Subtitles."



URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/uilR33X41S8/youtube-launches-in-argentina.html

[G] Faster, Larger, Closer: Regionation in Google Earth Pro 5.2

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 09:59 PM PDT

Google LatLong: Faster, Larger, Closer: Regionation in Google Earth Pro 5.2

[Cross-posted from the Google Enterprise Blog]

We're excited to announce that Google Earth Pro 5.2 is now out of beta. With the initial launch two months ago, we detailed the new features that are available to all Google Earth users, including Multitrack and Elevation Profile, and outlined the new Google Earth Pro Data Layers.

Today we'd like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the most exciting new features that are exclusively available to Google Earth Pro customers. Vector and Image Regionation make it possible to integrate even more of your own data and imagery into the Google Earth globe, while maintaining the fast, 3D performance you and other professionals rely on.

Vector Regionation

Watch this video to witness the difference Vector Regionation can make when importing your data.



In a nutshell, Regionation allows Google Earth Pro to display huge amounts of data. It does so by breaking the data or imagery into the smallest necessary components. This means that only the data that is in view needs to be retrieved. You can think of Regionation as a hierarchical subdivision of points or tiles, which shows less detail from afar, and more detail as you zoom in to the globe. This dynamic loading creates clearer visualizations by minimizing clutter, while simultaneously speeding up the rendering process.

Imagine importing a long list of customer assets that are all geocoded to a small, heavily populated urban area, such as a neighborhood in New York City or Tokyo. It would be possible to have more than 100,000 assets within a single square mile radius. If you were viewing this area in the context of the rest of the city, all of the data would overlap, preventing you from making out individual points. However, Vector Regionation solves this problem.

Image Regionation

This U.S. Geological Survey image of Mineral Resources in Portsmouth, Virginia highlights the amount of detail that's preserved through Image Regionation.

Image Regionation, otherwise known as Super Image Overlays, allows you to overlay your own high-resolution imagery and view it in varying levels of detail without taxing your system or degrading the quality. The addition of Super Image Overlays makes Google Earth Pro one of the most dynamic platforms for displaying your GIS imagery and can be useful for anything from environmental assessments to site planning. For example, you could import a 150MB preview of a new housing development and navigate it down to the smallest detail, without losing fidelity. In conjunction with Google Earth's existing imagery and tools like Area Measurements and the Historical Imagery Slider, you're now able to make more informed business decisions without having to go on site.

Try Google Earth Pro for free or buy Google Earth Pro today and give Regionation a whirl. There are countless applications for these tools, and we hope that the businesses we serve will benefit from their use.

Posted by Cristelle Blackford, Google Earth Pro Team
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/09/faster-larger-closer-regionation-in.html

[G] Google Instant: A More Innovative Approach to Search

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 06:42 PM PDT

Inside AdWords: Google Instant: A More Innovative Approach to Search

This post is also available on the following local blogs:
(FR)    (DE)    (IT)    (ES)    (RU)

Today, we announced the launch of Google Instant, an innovative new Google.com interface that creates an interactive search experience for users by predicting their query as they type and instantly showing updated results. By providing users with this immediate feedback, they're able to refine their searches more quickly and find the results that more precisely match what they need.

This new interface applies to both search results and related ads. Therefore, we expect increased user engagement with our search services, including ads.

Although Google Instant doesn't change the way ads are served, ads and search results will now be shown based on the "predicted search." For example, if someone types "flow" into Google.com, our algorithms predict that the user is searching for "flowers" (the predicted search) and therefore display both search results and ads for "flowers". However, if that user then adds the letter "c" to the query, our algorithms may predict that the user is searching for "flowchart" and show the corresponding natural and paid results for flowchart.

Example 1: User types "flow"

Example 2: User types "flowc"

As a result, Google Instant changes the way we think about impressions. With Google Instant, an impression is counted if a user takes an action to choose a query (for example, presses the Enter key or clicks the Search button), clicks a link on the results page, or stops typing for three or more seconds.

It's possible that this feature may increase or decrease your overall impression levels. However, Google Instant may ultimately improve the quality of your clicks since it helps users type queries that more directly connect them with the answers they need.

Google Instant is starting to roll-out to users on Google domains in the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Russia who use the latest browsers (Chrome v5/6, Firefox v3, Safari v5 for Mac and Internet Explorer v8). Please note, users on domains other than Google.com can only access Google Instant if they are signed in to a Google Account. We will continue to add new domains and languages over the next several months.

For more information on this interactive new feature, please visit the AdWords Help Center.

Posted by Dan Friedman, Inside AdWords crew
URL: http://adwords.blogspot.com/2010/09/google-instant-more-innovative-approach.html

[G] Early adopters: transition to the new infrastructure for Google Apps accounts

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 04:14 PM PDT

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Early adopters: transition to the new infrastructure for Google Apps accounts

Back in May we shared details about a big change so Google Apps accounts can start accessing dozens of Google services beyond the core suite of messaging and collaboration apps. This change will let users access many new services such as Blogger, Reader, Google Voice and calling-in-Gmail (US only), Picasa Web Albums, AdWords and iGoogle from their Google Apps accounts. This big improvement addresses 9 of the top 20 requests from customers in one fell swoop, so we're thrilled that the new infrastructure is now open for early adopters! After accounts are transitioned to the new infrastructure, these customers will be able to tap into much more innovation happening all across Google, helping people be even more productive with a broader range of tools in the cloud.


Why just for "early adopters" you ask? We're still working on a few important features, but after extensive testing we've found that what's ready today is already tremendously valuable to many Standard, Premier and Education Edition customers. Here's the functionality that early adopters won't see before the new infrastructure is feature-complete:
  • Administrators do not yet have the ability to turn off access to any of these additional services as they can today for applications in the core suite.

  • A few applications are not compatible with the new infrastructure at this time including Google Health, PowerMeter, YouTube, Web History, Buzz and Profiles.

You should also be aware of two other details not specific to early adopters: support limitations and "conflicting accounts". Additional applications beyond the core suite are not covered by Google Enterprise support or the 99.9% uptime guarantee. However, many services have self-service online help resources, and a subset (such as AdWords) offer enhanced support options. Finally, a small fraction of Google Apps users have created personal Google Accounts based on their organization's Google Apps email addresses. Users in this situation will need to rename these "conflicting accounts" during the transition process, and we'll help these users make the necessary changes.

So...if you understand the limitations and would like to transition users to the new infrastructure, sign in to the control panel. If you use the control panel in English and meet our other early adopter eligibility criteria, you'll start seeing a notification in your dashboard in the next few days where you can get started. You can begin with a handful of pilot users, and then transition your whole organization once you've had a chance to kick the tires.


If any of the current limitations are problematic for you, or if your organization isn't eligible yet, hang tight and keep an eye out here for the next phase of our roll-out. We're excited to help you move to the new infrastructure too, and we'll be ready for you soon! For more information, please explore our Help Center documentation for administrators and for end-users.

Posted by Denis Sosnovtsev, Product Manager
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2010/09/early-adopters-transition-to-new.html

[G] Faster, Larger, Closer: Regionation in Google Earth Pro 5.2

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 04:14 PM PDT

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Faster, Larger, Closer: Regionation in Google Earth Pro 5.2

We're excited to announce that Google Earth Pro 5.2 is now out of beta. With the initial launch two months ago, we detailed the new features that are available to all Google Earth users, including Multitrack and Elevation Profile, and outlined the new Google Earth Pro Data Layers.

Today we'd like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the most exciting new features that are exclusively available to Google Earth Pro customers. Vector and Image Regionation make it possible to integrate even more of your own data and imagery into the Google Earth globe, while maintaining the fast, 3D performance you and other professionals rely on.

Vector Regionation

Watch this video to witness the difference Vector Regionation can make when importing your data.



In a nutshell, Regionation allows Google Earth Pro to display huge amounts of data. It does so by breaking the data or imagery into the smallest necessary components. This means that only the data that is in view needs to be retrieved. You can think of Regionation as a hierarchical subdivision of points or tiles, which shows less detail from afar, and more detail as you zoom in to the globe. This dynamic loading creates clearer visualizations by minimizing clutter, while simultaneously speeding up the rendering process.

Imagine importing a long list of customer assets that are all geocoded to a small, heavily populated urban area, such as a neighborhood in New York City or Tokyo. It would be possible to have more than 100,000 assets within a single square mile radius. If you were viewing this area in the context of the rest of the city, all of the data would overlap, preventing you from making out individual points. However, Vector Regionation solves this problem.

Image Regionation

This U.S. Geological Survey image of Mineral Resources in Portsmouth, Virginia highlights the amount of detail that's preserved through Image Regionation.



Image Regionation, otherwise known as Super Image Overlays, allows you to overlay your own high-resolution imagery and view it in varying levels of detail without taxing your system or degrading the quality. The addition of Super Image Overlays makes Google Earth Pro one of the most dynamic platforms for displaying your GIS imagery and can be useful for anything from environmental assessments to site planning. For example, you could import a 150MB preview of a new housing development and navigate it down to the smallest detail, without losing fidelity. In conjunction with Google Earth's existing imagery and tools like Area Measurements and the Historical Imagery Slider, you're now able to make more informed business decisions without having to go on site.

Try Google Earth Pro for free or buy Google Earth Pro today and give Regionation a whirl. There are countless applications for these tools, and we hope that the businesses we serve will benefit from their use.

Posted by Cristelle Blackford, Google Earth Pro Team
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2010/09/faster-larger-closer-regionation-in.html

[G] New travel program offers an eye on the world

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 02:10 PM PDT

YouTube Blog: New travel program offers an eye on the world

Autumn may be upon us soon at YouTube HQ, but that doesn't mean we can't think about warmer weather, exotic locations and the thrill of getting away from it all. There's no shortage of videos on YouTube to inspire travel plans, and our new program Vacationer Presented by NCL brings the best of our partners' travel content into a single destination.

Whether you're seriously planning the trip of a lifetime, or just need an excuse to do a little online escapism, Vacationer is packed with reports from authorities in the space, channels like Lonely Planet, National Geographic and the Travel Channel. After all, you don't need to be following in Anthony Bourdain's footsteps to enjoy his take on authentic eats in some of the world's most memorable destinations.





If you do make plans for a cruise, a camping trip or even some close-to-home sightseeing, don't forget to pack your camera, shoot your own video clips and post them on your YouTube channel. Launching The Vacationer reminds us that millions of people all over the planet turn to YouTube every day to experience new places through fresh eyes. We hope you'll be inspired to share your own travels with the world at large.

Mark Day, Sales Development, recently watched "How to Treat a Sunburn."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/vnACXjEB1aI/new-travel-program-offers-eye-on-world.html

[G] Learn about Google Docs

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 02:01 PM PDT

Official Google Docs Blog: Learn about Google Docs

Google Docs is more than just creating online documents, spreadsheets and presentations. With Google Docs, you can access your files from anywhere, share them with the people you choose, and work together in real time.

To help those of you just getting started with Google Docs we have created a new series of videos. These videos give a high level overview and steps to get started. And since each video is focused on one feature, its easy to only learn about the ones that matter most to you:

Document list
Sharing
Collaboration
Documents
Spreadsheets
Presentations
Forms
Drawings

In addition, we just launched our own YouTube channel at youtube.com/docs. You can view all of the videos above in the custom video gadget at the top of the channel, which will help you keep track of which videos you've already watched.

If you're just getting started, we hope these videos help you discover more about Google Docs. And if you're a Google Docs expert, you might enjoy sharing some of these videos with a friend.

Posted by: Peter Harbison, Product Marketing Manager
URL: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2010/09/learn-about-google-docs.html

[G] Quotes pages: Not just for Stocks!

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 01:45 PM PDT

Google Finance Blog: Quotes pages: Not just for Stocks!

Posted by Philip Brittan, Director of Product Management

Around Google Finance, stock pages get a lot of attention, and with good reason. With all those highly customizable charts, news flags, and key company statistics, we're big fans of them too.

But everyone knows individual stocks alone do not a successful portfolio make. That's where mutual funds come in. These bundles of investment securities are one of the most popular investment tools around, and that's why at Google Finance we put a lot of effort into our mutual funds coverage as well. But in case you've been distracted by the glitz and glamor of the individual stock pages, here's a quick rundown of mutual funds on Google Finance.

To view mutual fund pages, simply search for the fund's symbol in the Google Finance search box in the same way you'd look for an individual security. You'll notice that these pages look significantly different from individual securities pages.

The mutual fund page is full of relevant research information, including trailing returns, investment requirements, and historical prices. Get a description of the investment funds' main goals and of the fund managers. Access Morningstar ratings, statistics information, style and risk metrics, right on the fund's main page.



To see the key statistics, major holdings, and asset allocations of the mutual fund, simply scroll down. You can even link to the individual securities pages on Google Finance for each of the top 10 holdings in any mutual fund.

Once you've selected the perfect mutual fund for your investment portfolio, find listings for brokerages that sell the fund by clicking on Purchase Information.

You can then add mutual funds to your Google Finance portfolio to watch them and include your transaction information for individual funds for easy and comprehensive portfolio tracking. Whether your strategy is to invest in small growth funds, large value funds, or any mix of value propositions, Google Finance can help you research, select, and track them. If you have any questions or comments, as always, fee free to reach us on our Twitter account.
URL: http://googlefinanceblog.blogspot.com/2010/09/quotes-pages-not-just-for-stocks.html

[G] IAB's Long Tail Alliance AdSense webinar

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 11:04 AM PDT

Inside AdSense: IAB's Long Tail Alliance AdSense webinar

To keep you updated with the latest industry news, insights, and best practices, we'd like to let you know about an upcoming educational opportunity held in partnership with the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

On September 14, 2010, the Google AdSense team will be co-hosting a webinar with the IAB Long Tail Alliance to cover "What You Need to Know about AdSense." Members from the AdSense team will cover tips and best practices to help you maximize your AdSense revenue.

Click here to register for the webinar.

If you'd like access to future IAB Long Tail Alliance seminars and events, you can become an IAB Long Tail Alliance member. Membership provides you with access to an ongoing series of web seminars, resources, and events that are all specifically designed for small and growing publishers. Register using the promotional code GOOGLELTA to receive $100 off the price of a membership.

Posted by Stephen Kliff - AdSense Marketing
URL: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2010/09/iabs-long-tail-alliance-adsense-webinar.html

[G] President Clinton takes your questions on YouTube

Posted: 08 Sep 2010 09:27 AM PDT

YouTube Blog: President Clinton takes your questions on YouTube

William Jefferson Clinton has worn many hats over the years. He served two terms as the 42nd President of the United States. He founded the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Global Initiative to tackle problems like global health, poverty, education and climate change. He's spent much of this year leading the recovery effort in Haiti through the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund.



And starting now, he's taking your questions in an exclusive YouTube interview. Hear more about the interview and the President's work straight from the man himself:







To participate, visit www.youtube.com/citizentube and use the Moderator platform to upload your video question for President Clinton—and vote for the ones you like the best. You can also submit a text question if you can't record a video.



Later this month, at his annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting, President Clinton will sit down with us and answer a selection of your top-voted questions in our interview.



Submit your question and start voting early! The submission period closes on September 13.



Ramya Raghavan, YouTube News and Politics, recently watched, "Elizabeth Warren - Got a New Sheriff."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/CqK6Wox3nQU/president-clinton-takes-your-questions.html
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