Saturday, January 29, 2011

Googland

Googland

[G] Tech for good - catching up on Google.org

Posted: 29 Jan 2011 12:43 AM PST

Official Google Blog: Tech for good - catching up on Google.org

Google.org continues to ramp up technology projects and test new ideas while Google's overall charitable giving, in-kind giving and employee volunteering have grown as well. Our newsletter outlines the latest updates to our philanthropic projects. I caught up with Megan Smith, VP New Business Development and General Manager of Google.org, to talk about how Google views philanthropy.

After two years at the helm of Google.org, what are you most optimistic about?
The Internet offers an opportunity to connect in ways never before possible. Things that have historically been far apart are now "virtually adjacent"—most people are a text away, data sets can be mashed up, and all world knowledge is coming online from both expected and surprising sources. Given all of this, I am most excited about all the extraordinary ways people are using the web to connect, be informed, use data and to start solving problems together.

For Google.org specifically, we want to contribute our knowledge and skills to help use technology to address humanity's greatest challenges. We now have more than 50 engineers and about 40 other cross-functional Googlers working on four or five larger projects—like Google Crisis Response and RE<C—and over a dozen smaller experimental pilot projects.

What kind of project fits this opportunity?
One of our newer projects, Google Earth Engine, takes advantage of Google's computing infrastructure to create a planetary sciences computation platform that could help reduce negative environmental impact at scale. The first focus is on deforestation monitoring. Earth Engine has just made it through the pilot phase to a full project with its launch last month at climate change talks in Mexico. If we meet our goals to enable global-scale monitoring of changes in the planet's environment, I believe that Earth Engine could play an important information role in helping to slow deforestation.

What's the biggest lesson you've learned since joining Google.org?
Two things: first, the opportunity we have is great; and second, the work has served as a reminder that creating truly useful, innovative technology is challenging and requires patient iteration, dialog, teamwork and creativity. It takes time to gather new ideas, learn from the right partners, collaborate, pilot those ideas that pass initial assessment and then launch for scale the few projects that meet the criteria for a Google.org product.

Do Google.org projects have a specific focus?
We don't have a topical focus—we work on technology solutions to many different kinds of global challenges. The key is to take advantage of Google's strengths. In the area of global health, for example, we have been able to create a global flu monitoring system based on search data. For our environmental work, we were able to leverage our data center computing power to put together the finest-scale forest map of Mexico to date (processing this data would take two years on one computer, but we made it in less than 24 hours using our computing infrastructure).

How does Google.org start and ramp up its technology projects?
We work to tap into the talent at Google. Some projects have come out of hallway conversations and others from extensive talks with partners in the field. Formally, we have a bimonthly new initiatives meeting with senior engineers where talented individuals or teams within Google bring ideas or prototypes. If we think the idea is a match and has promise, we give it budget, headcount, guidance and time to see where it can go during a pilot period. Once we have a live pilot or project, we take advantage of Google.com's standard project review and management processes that our company has effectively used for years.

What if those pilots fail?
That's normal. We should expect that some of them will fail or will only have smaller impact. If you're not failing some of the time, you're not taking risks. As we progress, some of our failures will hopefully teach us as much as some of our successes.

What other charitable giving does Google do?
As a company that has been doing well, it's important that we push ourselves to be amongst the most generous companies. We have several charitable giving programs supporting, for example, education (especially K-12 science and math programs), university research, communities where we work, and technology solutions for underserved groups. Last year the company gave more than $145 million to non-profits and academic institutions, and more than $184 million when including Google Grants, Google.org technology projects and in-kind product support for non-profits.

How is this philanthropic work different from that of other companies?
Like other companies, we have charitable giving programs, we provide products in-kind and we have a range of employee volunteering programs. Some companies like ours may also have experiments like Google.org to leverage their strengths—a form of skills-based giving. However, many companies do amazing charitable work through a centralized Corporate Social Responsibility arm that tackles a key issue or two. We approach philanthropy the way we do our core business, with big goals and a "launch early and iterate" approach. Ideas come from all over the company and we work to tackle a range of issues we care about, from clean energy to education to development. It may not be as clean as the process that some others have, but we think this is how we can have the most impact.

We remain determined, as our founders said when they set the vision for Google.org, "to find original ways to extend our assets, so that we can drive scalable, sustainable efforts. ...the underlying principle: Never stop looking for ways to do the best with what you have."

Posted by Urs Hölzle, Senior Vice President, Operations
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/tech-for-good-catching-up-on-googleorg.html

[G] Google Apps highlights – 1/28/2011

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 05:42 PM PST

Official Google Blog: Google Apps highlights – 1/28/2011

This is part of a regular series of Google Apps updates that we post every couple of weeks. Look for the label "Google Apps highlights" and subscribe to the series. - Ed.

Over the last couple of weeks, we added ways to keep up with new messages in Gmail and printing capabilities from Gmail mobile and mobile documents, and announced a partnership with Verizon to make it easier for millions more businesses to start using Google Apps.

Desktop notifications for Gmail
When people switch to web-based email, sometimes they miss seeing desktop alerts when new mail is waiting to be read. In the past, Gmail required a helper application to show alerts, but on Wednesday we made it so Gmail can display desktop notifications for new email and chat messages with nothing more than a browser. If you use Google Chrome, you can enable desktop notifications in the Gmail settings panel.


Search-as-you-type for Gmail Labs
Gmail Labs is a testing ground where you can try out new features and provide feedback on your experiences. As the list of Labs has grown to more than 50 options, we wanted to make it easier to find features you're interested in, so we introduced search-as-you-type on the Labs page. With just a few keystrokes, you can pinpoint just what you're looking for—no more scrolling down a long list of options to find what you want.


Unread message icon in Gmail Labs
The Gmail tab in your browser displays how many unread messages you have, but if you have lots of tabs open or use pinned tabs in Google Chrome, the Gmail browser tab is too small for you to see the count of unread messages. On Tuesday we added a new Lab that shows your unread message count in the browser tab icon, so you can always see at a glance how many new messages you have. Visit the Gmail Labs settings page and type "unread" in the new search box to find and try this feature.


Cloud Print for Gmail and Docs
Printing is sometimes tricky even when you're in the same room as your printer, not to mention when you want to print on a remote printer or from a mobile device. Last year we introduced Cloud Print to make printing easier from any device to any Cloud Print-enabled printer, without the need for any special software. On Monday we added support for Cloud Print to Gmail mobile and mobile documents, so now you can print messages and documents directly from your phone or tablet to your Cloud Print-enabled printer.


Education category in the Google Apps Marketplace
Businesses, schools and organizations can shop for third-party applications, features and services that complement Google Apps in the Marketplace, and over the last few months we've seen a surge in listings geared for schools and universities. To make it easier for schools to link up with great partners in their field, we added a dedicated category for educational listings. There you'll find powerful add-ins from LearnBoost, Grockit, Aviary and many other education software providers.


Who's gone Google?
More than 3 million businesses, plus many more schools, non-profits and government agencies have switched to Google Apps over the last few years, and we're looking forward to helping the next wave of customers get started. To that end, we're thrilled to have Verizon as our newest partner. Verizon will provide Google Apps to many of their small business broadband customers, making it possible for businesses to obtain a more complete set of small business IT services from a single provider. Welcome to Google Apps!

I hope these product updates and customer stories help you and your organization get even more from Google Apps. For more details and the latest news, check out the Google Apps Blog.

Posted by Jeremy Milo, Google Apps Marketing Manager
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/google-apps-highlights-1282011.html

[G] This week in search 1/28/2011

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 05:42 PM PST

Official Google Blog: This week in search 1/28/2011

This is part of a regular series of posts on search experience updates that runs on Fridays. Look for the label "This week in search" and subscribe to the series. - Ed.

With freezing conditions on the East Coast this season, many people are thinking about weather. One of our favorite Google tricks is to simply type [weather] and get the forecast, personalized for your location, immediately at the top. With Google Instant, this trick gets even better because you only need to type [w]—we'll do the rest. This week we rolled out a couple new weather search features to help you plan your next ski trip or figure out when to sneak outside between blizzards.

Live results for snow conditions
As ski season hits high gear, we've partnered with OnTheSnow.com and SkiReport.com to provide you up-to-date snow condition information right on the search results page. Just search for your favorite ski resort and you'll see the current snow depth, latest snow falls, terrain conditions and the overall availability of the resort. The results also include links to more detailed information such as photos, weather forecasts and reviews.

The new weather live results appear in snippets for onthesnow.com and skireport.com

Example searches: [squaw valley], [wisp ski]

Interactive, precise weather results for mobile
Sometimes when you're planning your day, you only need a couple hours of sunshine for a jog or a hike through the park. The seven-day forecast is great, but what you really want to know is if it will be sunny exactly when you're thinking of heading outside. So earlier this week we introduced a new search result for weather on iPhone and Android-powered devices. The new format enables you to interact with the results and see the forecast for any specific time over a 12-hour period.

The new weather results are available on google.com in English. Simply search for the weather

That's all for this week. Check the forecast and hopefully soon you can stop reading tech blogs and head outside!

Posted by Johanna Wright, Director, Search Product Management
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/01/this-week-in-search-1282011.html

[G] Gaining Altitude: A New Way to Think about Your Inbox

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 04:51 PM PST

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Gaining Altitude: A New Way to Think about Your Inbox

Editor's note: Continuing our Gaining Altitude series, we've invited guest blogger Marsha Egan, CEO of InboxDetox.com and an internationally recognized workplace productivity expert and speaker. Named one of Pennsylvania's Top 50 Women in Business, her "12 Step Program for Curing Your Email E-ddiction" was featured in several publications and on ABC Nightly News and Fox News.

Overwhelmed by your inbox? There's never been a better time to shift the way you think about your email -- this week is international "Clean Out Your Inbox Week."

It's a fact: email isn't going anywhere. And the number of email messages we receive will only grow. In 2010, there were 294 billion emails sent daily, up almost 50 billion from the previous year. With so many incoming messages, it has become a real challenge to avoid being distracted by the urge to view or work on new emails rather than working on truly important matters.

Despite all of the inbox management tools on the market today, and Google's Priority Inbox is definitely one of the best, many people still have the propensity to leave items in their inboxes as a way to remind them of upcoming tasks or just to keep them handy. This can be self-defeating behavior.

Maintaining a cluttered inbox is a productivity killer
Why? First, that cluttered inbox is a source of stress the minute you open your inbox. It essentially shows you everything you are not going to get done that day. Second, it is a source of distraction, because when people scroll up and down seeking tasks to select, they inevitably open the short easy ones, instead of focusing on the priority items.

Shift the way you view and use your inbox
Picture your email inbox as a Postal Service mailbox. The Postal Service delivers our mail to that mailbox, we pull the mail out of the mailbox, sort through it, throw half of it away, and put the rest in piles, most of which will be dealt with later. What we don't do, is put letters back into the mailbox, to be sorted through again tomorrow. Why not think of our email inboxes the same way?

Differentiate between working and sorting email
When people groan upon the suggestion of cleaning out their inboxes, my guess is that they are thinking they must work on or handle every item in it. When you go into your inbox with the mindset of sorting the messages -- not working them -- the task becomes much more tolerable and doable! It becomes a matter of dragging and dropping messages into folders to be handled later just as you do with your postal mail. In Gmail, you can create two labels: Action A, and Action B. A is for the important items, B for the less important. And once you've labeled a message, you can archive it and easily search for it later.

Setting reminders is the key
Every time you drag and drop a message into an action folder, or label it in Gmail, decide at that moment when you will view the item again to work on it. These reminders become a critical part of each day's daily planning, and relieve you from having to scroll up and down either your inbox or your action folder to decide what to work on next.

In Gmail, this is easy. Create a corresponding Task for each item you label, and assign it the date you plan to work it. These tips and more are included among the "12 Steps to Curing Your E-mail E-ddiction" contained in my book, "Inbox Detox and the Habit of E-mail Excellence" (available on our website or on Amazon,) and are further explained on our blog at http://InboxDetox.com/blog.

Why should you want a clean inbox?
Simple. An empty inbox is the result of managing email well. It doesn't mean that you've worked every message, but it does mean that you have sorted every message into a folder or given it a label that allows you to retrieve it when the time comes. By sorting or labeling email to Action A or B and setting a task reminder for when you plan to return to it, you will go a long way towards managing your inbox, rather than having it manage you.

So, here's to lookin' at your (empty) inbox!

Posted by Ashley Chandler, Google Apps Team
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2011/01/gaining-altitude-new-way-to-think-about.html

[G] This week in Docs: Quick starring, justify paragraph in the toolbar and improved sharing invitations

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 09:24 AM PST

Official Google Docs Blog: This week in Docs: Quick starring, justify paragraph in the toolbar and improved sharing invitations

We've got a few features this week that we hope will save you time.

Starring

Have you ever run out of time while you're reading a doc and wanted to remind yourself to come back to it? Today we're making that easy -- now you can star documents while editing them.


Once a doc is starred, you'll be able to find the doc by clicking on the starred link in your document list.


We'll also be adding starring to drawings and spreadsheets over the next few weeks.

Justify is now in the toolbar

We also made it faster to justify paragraphs in documents by adding a button to the toolbar. No need to select Format > Align > Justify.

Improved sharing invitations

Lastly, we're launching an update to sharing invitations today that will make it easier to start discussions around files. When you share a doc with others, all new collaborators are now included on the email thread.


This means that when someone replies to the email in the thread, the other invitees will automatically see the message. We're hoping this will help spark conversations and put an end to multiple email threads about a single doc.

That's it for this week. If you have feedback on any of these features, let us know in the comments.

Posted by: Michael Frederick, Software Engineer
URL: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2011/01/this-week-in-docs-quick-starring.html

[G] Living on the web with the Chrome Web Store (and the Cr-48!)

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:33 AM PST

Google Chrome Blog: Living on the web with the Chrome Web Store (and the Cr-48!)

Since we opened the Chrome Web Store last month, I've made it a daily habit to check out the store for new applications. Each time, I've discovered new things I can do on the web that work just as well as and often better than software I had to install and maintain on my computer -- such as playing games, listening to music, or getting work done. Living on the web is much easier than you might think!

If you already live on the web and are itching to get your hands on a Chrome notebook, we've teamed up with a few Web Store apps for a chance to test-pilot the Cr-48. Check out blogposts from MOG, Box, LucidChart, and Zoho for more details. Then go ahead and rock out with 10 million songs, manage your files in the cloud, perfect your diagram drawing skills, or move your office onto the web. While you're at it, you might also discover a new favorite app among the more than 2,000 apps in the Chrome Web Store.

Have fun!


Posted by Heaven Kim, Product Marketing Manager
URL: http://chrome.blogspot.com/2011/01/living-on-web-with-chrome-web-store-and.html

[G] Expand your business with the Chrome Web Store

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:06 AM PST

Inside AdSense: Expand your business with the Chrome Web Store

This is a guest blog post from the Chrome Web Store team, presenting you an opportunity to grow your business on the web.

"How do I grow my business to millions of users?" "How can I increase the revenue I earn on the web?" These are two questions all online businesses try to answer.

The Chrome Web Store can help you with both. By listing your web apps in the store, you can present your products and services to the more than 120 million people who use Chrome regularly. You can also earn income by selling your applications to Chrome users or by showing ads within your apps.

To learn how to take advantage of this opportunity, visit www.google.com/chrome/createanapp and watch the video below.



Posted by Peter Chane - New Business Development, Chrome Web Store
URL: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2011/01/expand-your-business-with-chrome-web.html

[G] New Interface Wednesdays: Graphs right in your account

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:06 AM PST

Inside AdSense: New Interface Wednesdays: Graphs right in your account

This is the first post in our 'New Interface Wednesdays' series. Every Wednesday for the next few months we'll highlight something new you can do in the new AdSense interface. From time to time, we'll also share stories directly from publishers who've been using the new interface and announce additional features we've recently added.

For our first 'New Interface Wednesdays' post, we'd like to highlight the graphical reporting under the Performance Reports tab in the new interface. The new graphs make it easy to see trends in your performance. Rather than scanning rows of numbers, you can view impressions, clicks, and earnings, all in one graph.

Select the metrics you want to see by checking the boxes next to the graph. You can also hover over the graph to get detailed metrics for a specific day, just like in Google Analytics. The graph will appear for just about any type of report you run, making it easy for you to visualize performance. Above the graph, you'll find buttons to save reports that you commonly use and set a report of your choosing to be the default report with a single click. Of course, you can still export the data to a CSV to further process the data in a spreadsheet as well.


If you aren't yet familiar with the graphs in the new interface, check them out today. Navigate to the new interface and click on the Performance reports tab.

Posted by Guillaume Ryder - AdSense Engineer
URL: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-interface-wednesdays-graphs-right.html

[G] A success story made possible by AdSense

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:06 AM PST

Inside AdSense: A success story made possible by AdSense

Today, we bring you a success story from India, CarDekho.com, an auto portal, who made it big in the Indian online space thanks to AdSense.

Cardekho.com is one of the top auto portals in India that assists new and used car buyers to make informed buying decisions by offering them a variety of research tools and reviews. Co-founders Amit and Anurag launched Cardekho in March 2008, like every new business venture, were struggling to monetize. Luckily, Anurag discovered AdSense and was delighted by the prospect of finding revenue without needing VC funding.

They experimented with various products and features, and found the most success using the features highlighted below:
  • Filtering options help them eliminate irrelevant ads. They use this feature carefully and intelligently so they don't unnecessarily block good revenue.
  • Top banner above-the-fold (beside the logo) ad placement is the top earning slot for them.
  • Placing ad units in the "F pattern" helps them optimize visibility of ads.
  • Showing text ads when content on the page is mostly images and image ads when content on the page is text-heavy. This helps make the page look better and improves ad visibility.
  • Channels tell them how their ads are doing and how well they can perform if placed somewhere else on the site.
Because of their AdSense revenue, the CarDekho team can focus their efforts on providing useful and quality information on their website to ensure a good user experience, rather than worrying about monetization.

Amit, co-founder, shares, "AdSense is a must-have for all sites looking forward to a sustainable and profitable business model. It may not be the primary source of income as you scale your business model to earn from other sources. AdSense does add to considerable amount of revenues generated without having to worry about hiring a sales team to sell inventory...Had it not been for AdSense, CarDekho would not have come this far without VC funding."

Have a success story of your own? We'd love to here it. Fill out this form to let us know how AdSense has helped you and your business!

Posted by Sheeba Eustachius - AdSense India
URL: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2011/01/success-story-made-possible-by-adsense.html

[G] Sensitive category blocking now available in three more languages

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:06 AM PST

Inside AdSense: Sensitive category blocking now available in three more languages

Since our announcement last August that sensitive category blocking had been expanded to more languages, we're excited to say the language expansion has gone even further!

This week, publishers in Thai, Turkish, and Russian-speaking countries can now block ads in sensitive categories for all supported languages. The full list of supported languages spans English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Arabic, Japanese, Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, and now Thai, Turkish, and Russian.

With sensitive category blocking, you can prevent ads from up to 11 specific categories from appearing on your pages. Ads in these categories will be blocked if they're in any of the supported languages, regardless of how they've been targeted to your pages.

If you'd like to set up sensitive category blocking, sign in to your AdSense account. We recommend using the new AdSense interface, which you can access by clicking the "Try the new AdSense interface" link that appears in the upper corner of your account. Once you're in the new interface, visit the Allow and block ads tab and choose the Settings page to edit the list of sensitive ad categories you wish you display. To help you understand the impact of applying these filters, this page also shows you the percentage of revenue and ad impressions you've been receiving from each category in the last 30 days.

If you prefer to use the previous version of the AdSense interface, visit the Ad Review Center, located under the 'AdSense Setup' tab. Once you click 'change', you'll be able to see the full list of categories you can block.

For more information about sensitive category blocking, we encourage you to visit our Help Center.

Posted by Dan Stokeley - AdSense Product Manager
URL: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2011/01/sensitive-category-blocking-now.html

[G] Three steps to getting paid on time

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 08:06 AM PST

Inside AdSense: Three steps to getting paid on time

Here on the payments team at AdSense, we strive to help you understand how and when you can be paid. Here's a basic walk-through of 3 steps that will properly set up your account to receive its next payment:

1) Verify that your account isn't on hold.
If you see a message about a payments hold when you sign in to your AdSense account, you likely still have to complete one or more of the following steps:
  • Verify your mailing address by receiving a PIN in the mail and entering it in your account
  • Select a payment method
  • Submit your tax information (if it's required in your location)
  • Remove your self-hold if you had previously placed one on your account
This message will include links to the relevant steps to remove your holds, as well as a link to contact us. Please contact us only if your account is still on hold after you've completed the steps. We'll be happy to help you remove it!

2) Verify that the cumulative total of your unpaid finalized earnings has crossed the payments threshold.
Visit your payments page and view your monthly balance. If this total exceeds your country's payments threshold, you are eligible to be issued a payment later this month. Congratulations!

If you don't see finalized earnings from the previous month, either you didn't accrue any earnings or you'll have to wait a few days for them to show up.

3) Verify that you have successfully set up a payment method.
Our payment options vary by country. Using the new AdSense interface, view the payment methods that are available to you by clicking on "edit payment method" located under "account settings." If Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is available in your country, we highly recommend it as the fastest and easiest option available. We're always trying to launch new forms of payment in different countries, so stay tuned to the blog if you don't see your preferred form of payment yet.

Lastly, in the unlikely event that you are experiencing a payment problem that you can't resolve, please view our Known Issues page or search for your issue on the AdSense Help Forum. These are valuable resources and often contain the answers to many of our most frequently received questions.

Posted by Sharlene Su - AdSense Payments team
URL: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2011/01/three-steps-to-getting-paid-on-time.html

[G] More control over comments on shared items

Posted: 28 Jan 2011 05:35 AM PST

Official Google Reader Blog: More control over comments on shared items

Options menuAs some of you have noticed, we've recently enhanced Reader's commenting abilities, via an "Options" menu that is present for all conversations about shared items. You can now get a link to the equivalent conversation in Google Buzz, which is handy for passing around a funny thread. If it's your shared item, you can disable comments entirely, if for example the conversation was about a topic whose time has passed.



Additionally, you can now moderate comments within Reader. If the conversation is on an item that you shared, you have the option to remove comments directly. For all conversations, you can report comments as spam.




Comment moderation



We hope these changes will help you keep an elevated level of discourse about shared items. As always, if you have any questions or comments about these new features, please head over to our help forums, or send us a message on Twitter.

URL: http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2011/01/more-control-over-comments-on-shared.html
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