Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Googland

Googland

[G] Port your existing mobile number to Google Voice

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 11:37 PM PST

Official Google Mobile Blog: Port your existing mobile number to Google Voice

(Cross-posted from the Google Voice Blog)

867-5309 could be one of the most iconic phone numbers of all time, but it's not the only number that a lot of us remember by heart. Many of us have a phone number that we've shared with family, friends, and contacts over the years and are reluctant to let go.

One of the most frequent requests we hear from people who use (or want to use) Google Voice is that they'd like to get all of Google Voice's features without having to give up their long-time phone numbers.

Today, we're excited to announce that Number Porting is available for all existing Google Voice users. This means you can make the mobile number you've always used your Google Voice number, so it can ring any phone you want—or even your computer.



To get started with Number Porting, log in to your Google Voice account, visit the Settings page and click on "Change / Port" next to your Google Voice number.



Porting your number to Google Voice costs $20 and is usually completed within 24 hours. You may incur additional charges, including early termination fees, from your wireless carrier. Contact your carrier to get more details about the charges applicable to you.

After porting your number to Google Voice your mobile service plan will be cancelled, and there are a couple of steps that you'll have to take to continue making and receiving calls on your mobile device. For more detailed instructions on how Number Porting works and to find tips for making the process as smooth as possible, visit the Google Voice Help Center.

Number Porting is currently available for existing Google Voice users and will become available to new users within the next few weeks, and at this time, Google Voice is available in the U.S. only

Posted by Robert Dong, Software Engineer

Update (1:15PM): Included more details about the porting process.
URL: http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/01/port-your-existing-mobile-number-to.html

[G] Weather on your mobile phone, now with added fun

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 11:37 PM PST

Official Google Mobile Blog: Weather on your mobile phone, now with added fun

We'd been wanting to build a fun, useful, app-like way to display weather information on our search results pages in the mobile browser. So we pulled together a user experience designer and team of engineers and built a new weather search results snippet that lets you actually play with the results. To try it out, just go to google.com on your iPhone or Android-powered device and search for 'weather'.

At first glance, you'll see content that we'd previously shown you before: current conditions and a forecast for the next few days. But by moving the slider over the next 12 hours, you can now see a detailed hour-by-hour breakdown of the changing weather conditions. As you do this, keep an eye on the temperature, wind speed and humidity and see how all these conditions are expected to trend across the day. You may also notice that the background color changes throughout the day. Of course, as you scroll further down you'll see our regular web search results for your query.

This new weather search experience is available only in English, but we have more updates on the way. We hope you'll enjoy using it!

Posted by Nick Fey, User Experience Designer and Michael van Ouwerkerk, Software Engineer
URL: http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/01/weather-on-your-mobile-phone-now-with.html

[G] Cloud printing on the go

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 11:37 PM PST

Official Google Mobile Blog: Cloud printing on the go

(Cross-posted on the Docs Blog and Gmail Blog.)

Back in April 2010 we announced Google Cloud Print, a service that in Beta allows printing from any app on any device, OS or browser without the need to install any software. Just last month we opened Google Cloud Print to users in the Chrome notebook pilot program. Today we are very pleased to announce the beta launch of Google Cloud Print for mobile documents and Gmail for mobile, which we will be rolling out to users throughout the next few days.

Imagine printing an important document from your smartphone on the way to work and finding the printout waiting for you when you walk in the door. Just open a document in Google Docs or an email in Gmail in your mobile browser and choose "Print" from the dropdown menu in the top right corner. You can also print certain kinds of email attachments (such as .pdf or .doc) by clicking the "Print" link that appears next to them.


This feature will be rolling out today and tomorrow for English speaking users in the US and will work on most phones that support HTML5, such as devices running Android 2.1+ and iOS 3+. To get started, you'll need to connect your printer to Google Cloud Print. This step requires a Windows PC for now, but Linux and Mac support are coming soon. You can learn more at the Google Cloud Print help center.


Happy printing!

Posted by Tyler Odean, Google Cloud Print Team
URL: http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/01/cloud-printing-on-go.html

[G] Farsighted Specsavers Goes Google

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 08:43 PM PST

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Farsighted Specsavers Goes Google

To remain competitive, businesses of all sizes need to grow and evolve quickly. Web based solutions such as Google Apps for Business offer unprecedented flexibility and deliver constant innovation, with new products and updates introduced instantly and seamlessly to all users.

That's why Specsavers, the world's largest privately owned chain of opticians, decided to switch to Google Apps for 2,500 employees worldwide.

The company's CIO, John Lister, believed the service would best support Specsaver's global expansion plans: "Over the last two years our company has experienced fantastic growth, opening more than 200 stores in different locations. Google Apps is an excellent set of tools for our email and collaboration requirements because of its capability, technology, and ease of management. Google Apps allows us to scale and deploy easily and quickly, without having to invest heavily in buying software and licenses we may not use. We are now also able to support mobile working by letting staff access mail, calendaring and sites from any Internet enabled device",

Specsavers is currently rolling out Google Apps to head office staff in Australia and New Zealand. The roll out to the remaining head office, laboratory and manufacturing operations in the UK, Nordics and Netherlands will be completed in the first half of 2011.

Ancoris, a UK based Google Enterprise Reseller and specialist provider of cloud computing and enterprise security solutions, assisted Specsavers with its evaluation of Google Apps versus Microsoft Exchange and helped the company make the switch. As cloud computing has become mainstream and the demand for Google Apps accelerates, working with professional and skilled partners continues to be key to growth.


Posted by Malgosia Rigoli, Google Apps team
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2011/01/farsighted-specsavers-goes-google.html

[G] Life in a Day, now at Sundance

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 07:56 PM PST

YouTube Blog: Life in a Day, now at Sundance

We recently gave you a sneak peek at "Life in a Day", and mentioned that Director Kevin Macdonald had selected a group of contributors to join him at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival for the film's world premiere. The documentary film is a collaboration between Macdonald, Ridley Scott, YouTube, and LG about a single day on earth.



These contributors have now arrived in Park City, Utah from as far afield as Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, and Japan. Many of them are travelling overseas for the first time. Starting today, you can see their Sundance journey on the Life in a Day channel, where we'll be posting daily video updates of their experience, as well as interviews with Kevin and the Life in a Day crew.







You can tune in to the live stream of the world premiere from the Sundance Film Festival this Thursday at 5pm PT/8pm ET. If you're outside of the United States, you can also catch the rebroadcast on Friday, January 28, at 7pm in your local time zone. The rebroadcast will be closed captioned and subtitled on YouTube in 25 languages, and will provide an additional option for audio description (AD) in English.



While the final film contains 1,025 videos that give an honest and compelling glimpse of our world, the film itself is only one part of the Life in a Day story. To celebrate the many and varied contributions from people around the world, we've created a special exhibition at the Sundance Film Festival to allow visitors to browse the tens of thousands of videos submitted to the project. You will be able to see the exhibition from the 'Experience Sundance' page on the channel.



Remember to subscribe to the Life in a Day channel for the latest news on the project, and tune in on January 27 for the live premiere.



Tim Partridge, Product Marketing Manager, recently watched "Life in a Day Teaser #2: Ron."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/p5R0hX4VJmI/life-in-day-now-at-sundance_25.html

[G] Help wanted: Google hiring in 2011

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 02:45 PM PST

Official Google Blog: Help wanted: Google hiring in 2011

2010 was a huge year for Google. Many of our big bets—on mobile, display advertising, the cloud and more—really started to pay off. Amazingly, Android now runs on over 100 devices with more than 300,000 activations each day. Chrome has at least 120 million active users and it's growing quickly. Last year more than 1 million businesses switched to Google Apps and embraced its 100% web approach. And we've made search faster than ever, even when you're on the go.

But it wasn't just a growth year for our products—the company grew as well. In 2010 we added more than 4,500 Googlers, primarily in engineering and sales: second only to 2007 when we added over 6,000 people to Google.

I love Google because of our people. It's inspiring to be part of the team. And that's why I am excited about 2011—because it will be our biggest hiring year in company history. We're looking for top talent—across the board and around the globe—and we'll hire as many smart, creative people as we can to tackle some of the toughest challenges in computer science: like building a web-based operating system from scratch, instantly searching an index of more than 100 million gigabytes and even developing cars that drive themselves. There's something at Google for everyone—from geo, to enterprise, to video—with most of the work done in small teams, effectively working as start-ups. (The average number of software engineers on a project at Google is 3.5.) That's why the vast majority of our people stay with us, building their careers and taking on new challenges within the company.

I joined Google more than eight years ago—when we had barely 500 employees and still used Outlook for email and AIM for chat—and while there have been many changes, Google is still the same entrepreneurial company it was when I started, encouraging Googlers to take on big ideas and high-risk, high-reward opportunities.

If you think you want to join the team, check out google.com/jobs.

Posted by Alan Eustace, SVP Engineering and Research
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/help-wanted-google-hiring-in-2011.html

[G] Port your existing mobile number to Google Voice

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 02:45 PM PST

Official Google Blog: Port your existing mobile number to Google Voice

(Cross-posted from the Google Voice Blog)

867-5309 could be one of the most iconic phone numbers of all time—but it's not the only number that a lot of us remember by heart. Many of us have a phone number that we've shared with family, friends and contacts over the years and are reluctant to let go.

One of the most frequent requests we hear from people who use (or want to use) Google Voice is that they'd like to get all of Google Voice's features without having to give up their long-time phone numbers.

Today, we're excited to announce that Number Porting is available for all existing Google Voice users. This means you can make the mobile number you've always used your Google Voice number, so it can ring any phone you want—or even your computer.



To get started with Number Porting, log in to your Google Voice account, visit the Settings page and click on "Change / Port" next to your Google Voice number.


Porting your number to Google Voice costs $20 and is usually completed within 24 hours. You may incur additional charges, including early termination fees, from your wireless carrier. Contact your carrier to get more details about the charges applicable to you.

After porting your number to Google Voice your mobile service plan will be cancelled, and there are a couple of steps that you'll have to take to continue making and receiving calls on your mobile device. For more detailed instructions on how Number Porting works and to find tips for making the process as smooth as possible, visit the Google Voice Help Center.

Number Porting is currently available for existing Google Voice users and will become available to new users within the next few weeks, and at this time, Google Voice is available in the U.S. only.

Update 2:35PM: Included more details about the porting process.

Posted by Robert Dong, Software Engineer
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/port-your-existing-mobile-number-to.html

[G] Google Apps just got smarter: introducing the Apps Marketplace’s new EDU category

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 02:45 PM PST

Official Google Blog: Google Apps just got smarter: introducing the Apps Marketplace's new EDU category

Today we're launching a new education category in the Google Apps Marketplace to help schools and universities easily discover and deploy new web applications that integrate with their existing Google Apps accounts.

This new education category will make it easier for schools to have more web apps at their fingertips, including popular existing apps such as Aviary, Grockit and LearnBoost as well as the new apps launching today.

The new Apps Marketplace education category includes more than 20 applications from 19 vendors. These include web-based learning management systems (LMS) such as Haiku, student tools such as Digication for e-Portfolios, and learning platforms such as DreamBox learning games and BrainPOP educational content, all of which integrate with Google Apps through single sign-on and access through the Google universal navigation bar.

Thousands of universities, colleges and K-12 schools around the world with more than 10 million users already deploy Google Apps in their classrooms. The applications we're introducing today are just the beginning of making Apps and the Marketplace more vibrant and helpful for schools, and more web applications—by Blackboard, Knewton and Khan Academy—are already on the way. We look forward to further expanding and strengthening our set of education tools going forward.



On Wednesday, February 2, we're holding live Google webinars and Q&A so you can learn more about the education category and hear directly from the developers of these applications.
Manage your school in the cloud with the Google Apps Marketplace
Featuring classroom management tools Haiku and LearnBoost
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
10:00 a.m. PST / 1:00 p.m. EST
Register here

Help students learn more effectively with the Google Apps Marketplace
Featuring web-based learning tools Grockit, BrainPOP and DreamBox
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
4:00 p.m. PST / 7:00 p.m. EST
Register here
Posted by Julia Stiglitz, Google Apps for Education Team
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/google-apps-just-got-smarter.html

[G] New in Labs: Unread message icon

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 01:35 PM PST

Official Gmail Blog: New in Labs: Unread message icon

Posted by Manu Cornet, Software Engineer

When you're visiting sites other than Gmail, it's easy to find out how many unread messages are in your inbox by glancing at the title of your Gmail tab or window. However, if you have a ton of tabs open, or if you use Chrome's "Pin Tab" feature that hides everything except the tab's icon, it can be tricky to figure out without switching tabs.

If you've ever found yourself in this situation, you may like the new Unread message icon we just added to Gmail Labs. It embeds the number of unread messages you have right into the Gmail icon itself, like this:


To turn it on, go to the Labs tab in Settings, enable this lab, and click the "Save Changes" button at the very bottom of the page. Note that it'll only works in Chrome (version 6 and above) and Firefox (version 2 and above).
URL: http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-in-labs-unread-message-icon.html

[G] Port your existing mobile number to Google Voice

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 10:16 AM PST

Google Voice Blog: Port your existing mobile number to Google Voice

867-5309 could be one of the most iconic phone numbers of all time, but it's not the only number that a lot of us remember by heart. Many of us have a phone number that we've shared with family, friends, and contacts over the years and are reluctant to let go.

One of the most frequent requests we hear from people who use (or want to use) Google Voice is that they'd like to get all of Google Voice's features without having to give up their long-time phone numbers.

Today, we're excited to announce that Number Porting is available for all existing Google Voice users. This means you can make the mobile number you've always used your Google Voice number, so it can ring any phone you want—or even your computer.



To get started with Number Porting, log in to your Google Voice account, visit the Settings page and click on "Change / Port" next to your Google Voice number.



Porting your number to Google Voice costs $20 and is usually completed within 24 hours.

After porting your number to Google Voice your mobile service plan will be cancelled, and there are a couple of steps that you'll have to take to continue making and receiving calls on your mobile device. For more detailed instructions on how Number Porting works and to find tips for making the process as smooth as possible, visit the Google Voice Help Center.

Number Porting is currently available for existing users and will become available to new users within the next few weeks.

Posted by Robert Dong, Software Engineer
URL: http://googlevoiceblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/port-your-existing-mobile-number-to.html

[G] Google Apps just got smarter: introducing the Apps Marketplace’s new EDU category

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 09:20 AM PST

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Google Apps just got smarter: introducing the Apps Marketplace's new EDU category

The education technology space has seen an explosion of new offerings in the past few years. What has been missing is a centralized platform for schools and universities to easily evaluate and utilize web apps. Today we are excited to launch an education category in the Google Apps Marketplace designed specifically to help schools and universities easily discover and deploy new web applications that integrate with their existing Google Apps accounts.

The new education category includes over 20 applications from 19 vendors ranging from learning management systems (LMS) to student tools and teaching aids – all of which integrate with Google Apps for Education. Each app can be accessed through single sign-on and the Google universal navigation bar and many offer deeper integrations that synchronize with Google Calendar and Documents.

This new education category will make it easier for schools to have more web apps at their fingertips, including popular existing apps such as Aviary, Grockit, and LearnBoost as well as the new apps launching today.



Learning Management
Now faculty can bring their classroom management to the cloud with apps such as:


Learning Aids
Teachers can help student learn more effectively with web-based learning aids like:

  • BrainPOP: an app that offers animated, curriculum-based content that enhances student learning in numerous ways, from illustrating complex concepts to reviewing before a test.
  • DreamBox: a tool that helps students learn math through interactive lessons and gives teachers reporting dashboards to monitor individual student progress.
  • And other teaching aids like Grockit, BuzzMath and LearnThatWord.

Student and Admin Tools
Administrators and students can tackle other education needs with even more tools:


Thousands of universities, colleges and K-12 schools around the world with over 10 million users already deploy Google Apps in their classrooms. The applications we're introducing today into the new Marketplace education category are just the beginning. We look forward to expanding and strengthening our offerings as we continue to add new education tools, including web applications by Blackboard, Knewton and the Khan Academy already on the way.

To learn more about the education category of the Apps Marketplace – and hear directly from the developers of these applications – register to attend live Google webinars and Q&A on Wednesday, February 2nd.

Manage your school in the cloud with the Google Apps Marketplace
Featuring classroom management tools Haiku and LearnBoost
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
10:00 a.m. PST / 1:00 p.m. EST
Register here

Help students learn more effectively with the Google Apps Marketplace
Featuring web-based learning tools Grockit, BrainPOP, and DreamBox
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
4:00 p.m. PST / 7:00 p.m. EST
Register here

Posted by Dennis Troper, Director of Product Management, Google Apps Marketplace
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2011/01/google-apps-just-got-smarter.html

[G] Google Apps for Business now available for Verizon customers

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 09:20 AM PST

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Google Apps for Business now available for Verizon customers

Editor's note: We're excited that beginning today Google Apps for Business is available through Verizon. We've asked Monte Beck, Vice President of Small Business Marketing for Verizon, to share more details.

At Verizon we make it easy for companies to get online and be productive in the office or while on the move. We do this by offering business owners a bundled solution of essential services to fit their particular needs.

Beginning today, our small- and medium-sized business customers will also be able to access the same applications that come with Google Apps for Business: Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Docs, Google Sites, Google Video, and more.

Most of Verizon's service offerings are in the cloud and delivered to any business connected to the Internet with a click of the mouse. So it makes sense for us to offer Google Apps for Verizon to allow businesses to communicate and collaborate in the office or on the go.

Google Apps for Verizon – with three free user accounts – is available to business customers that subscribe to a bundle consisting of Verizon Internet service and either Verizon voice or TV service or both. Customers have the option to buy additional accounts. Also included is a domain name free for one year (i.e. yourbusiness.com).

Other small business essentials provided in Verizon's bundled solutions include an easy do-it-yourself "kit" to develop your business' professional website, Internet security, online backup, and more. Most importantly, we offer WiFi access – a necessity today to quickly respond to customers and access programs and files while out of the office.

Verizon's business bundled solutions are available in parts of 12 states (CA, CT, DE, FL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, PA, RI, TX, and VA) and Washington, D.C. Those who just need Apps can subscribe to Google Apps for Verizon for $3.99/user/month.

To better help and inform small businesses, my team also developed the Verizon Small Business Center, a one-stop online portal with free resources, industry news, expert advice delivered through free webinars, networking opportunities, discounts, and much more. In combining these free resources with cloud products and services, we're helping small businesses gain a competitive edge. Even the smallest companies now have access to technology that's being used by larger businesses at minimal cost.

Google Apps for Verizon helps Verizon's business customers harness the power of the web in new and exciting ways.


Posted by Monte Beck, Vice President of Small Business Marketing, Verizon
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2011/01/google-apps-for-business-now-available.html

[G] Upcoming Google Apps for Education professional development webinars

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 08:38 AM PST

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Upcoming Google Apps for Education professional development webinars

In November, we kicked off a series of biweekly webinars aimed at helping educators learn ways to use Google Apps in the classroom. These sessions, taught by Google Apps for Education Certified Trainers, have received a great response and we've decided to hold them more frequently – you can now tune in every Tuesday at 4:30PM PT/7:30PM ET to hear tips and techniques for using Google Apps for Education.

Register to attend one of the upcoming webinars in the series today and on the following Tuesdays:
Archived recordings from past Google Apps for Education webinars can also be found in our resource center.

Posted by Dana Nguyen, Google Apps for Education Team
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2011/01/upcoming-google-apps-for-education.html

[G] Live Google Apps Webinar Tomorrow - Chrome, Chrome OS & Apps for Business

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 08:37 AM PST

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Live Google Apps Webinar Tomorrow - Chrome, Chrome OS & Apps for Business

The speed of innovation on the web is amazing, and Google's Chrome and Apps products capitalize on this speed to bring new productivity and security benefits to businesses. Join us for a live webcast where you'll hear directly from Google's Chrome Product Managers Glenn Wilson and Cyrus Mistry on how Chrome and Chrome OS are innovating for Apps for Business. You'll learn about the latest features and business customer experiences. Plus, a live Q&A will follow the discussion.

When: January 25th - 10 am PST, 1 pm EST, 6pm GMT
Who: Google Chrome Product Managers Glenn Wilson and Cyrus Mistry
Register now

Google Chrome, whose users have tripled in the past year to 120 million, has new IT administrator controls to easily configure and deploy the browser on Windows, Mac, and Linux according to business requirements. Chrome OS is a new operating system that is built and optimized for the web to make computers faster, much simpler and fundamentally more secure.

We hope you'll join us!

Posted by Maureen Bradford, Google Apps team
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2011/01/live-google-apps-webinar-tomorrow.html

[G] Life in a Day, now at Sundance

Posted: 25 Jan 2011 06:31 AM PST

YouTube Blog: Life in a Day, now at Sundance

We recently gave you a sneak peek at "Life in a Day", and mentioned that Director Kevin Macdonald had selected a group of contributors to join him at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival for the film's world premiere. The documentary film is a collaboration between Macdonald, Ridley Scott, YouTube, and LG about a single day on earth.



These contributors have now arrived in Park City, Utah from as far afield as Afghanistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, and Japan. Many of them are travelling overseas for the first time. Starting today, you can see their Sundance journey on the Life in a Day channel, where we'll be posting daily video updates of their experience, as well as interviews with Kevin and the Life in a Day crew.







You can tune in to the live stream of the world premiere from the Sundance Film Festival this Thursday at 5pm PT/8pm ET. If you're outside of the United States, you can also catch the rebroadcast on Friday, January 28, at 7pm in your local time zone. The rebroadcast will be closed captioned and subtitled on YouTube in 25 languages, and will provide an additional option for audio description (AD) in English.



While the final film contains 1,025 videos that give an honest and compelling glimpse of our world, the film itself is only one part of the Life in a Day story. To celebrate the many and varied contributions from people around the world, we've created a special exhibition at the Sundance Film Festival to allow visitors to browse the tens of thousands of videos submitted to the project. You will be able to see the exhibition from the 'Experience Sundance' page on the channel.



Remember to subscribe to the Life in a Day channel for the latest news on the project, and tune in on January 27 for the live premiere.



Tim Partridge, Product Marketing Manager, recently watched "Life in a Day Teaser #2: Ron."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/LAg82rOiQ2U/life-in-day-now-at-sundance.html
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)