Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Googland

Googland

[G] Surgery Squad lifts CTR and enhances revenue with a simple optimization procedure

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 03:22 AM PDT

Inside AdSense: Surgery Squad lifts CTR and enhances revenue with a simple optimization procedure

Surgery Squad adds a third ad unit to its pages to boost performance and AdSense earnings by 200%.

SurgerySquad.com educates patients about what takes place during surgical procedures through interactive, virtual surgery modules. Creator Eric Bort recently spoke with us to describe how he's optimized Surgery Squad's AdSense performance and revenue by simply adding a third ad unit to his pages.

Inside AdSense: Can you tell us a little about how Surgery Squad got started?
Eric Bort: I launched Surgery Squad in August 2010 after having spent more than a decade developing corporate training and e-learning programs. As part of these programs, I'd created some virtual surgeries which were well-received, so I decided to make a website devoted to this topic. People have lots of questions about surgeries. They want to know, "What happens to my body while I'm asleep on the operating table?" It's a very intriguing topic from a human perspective.

IA: What role does AdSense play in your business?
EB: We've used AdSense on Surgery Squad since its launch, because we've previously seen a lot of success with AdSense on some of our other sites. AdSense is currently responsible for all of Surgery Squad's revenue. It was really quick to set up – once our account was approved, we were up and running within 10 minutes. And with the breadth of advertisers in the network, I know that AdSense will always have high quality ads to display.

IA: Why did you decide to add another ad unit to your pages?
EB: I received an optimization tip from the AdSense team suggesting I maximize revenue by adding an additional ad unit to my pages. Initially, I was wary of overwhelming visitors with ads, because it's very important to me to create a good user experience. But I decided to give it a try because I know how important it is to test new strategies and see what works best. So, I added a third ad unit to all my pages, toward the bottom of each page.

IA: What were the results? Would you recommend this strategy to other publishers?
EB: I was surprised to see the new ad unit performing just as well, if not better, than the other two ad units. I think it's due to visitors who scroll down to the bottom of the page to add comments, and then find ads they want in addition to our content. Our clickthrough rate has increased substantially. It's amazing. Our eCPM has also increased 168 percent and our overall revenue earnings have grown by more than 200 percent. With this additional revenue from AdSense, we're able to cover our costs and sustain our business. To know these costs are covered is hugely important when you're running a small business.

I'd recommend that other publishers consider optimizing revenue by adding new ad units. If presented in the right way, ads can enhance the user experience. But it's really important to test and see what works best with your content, format, and user behavior. Have the patience to wait and see what works and what doesn't.

If you want to add an additional ad unit like Surgery Squad, sign in to your account today.

Posted by Meredith Blackwell - Inside AdSense team
URL: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2011/04/surgery-squad-lifts-ctr-and-enhances.html

[G] Great speeches, great people, great atmosphere: AdSense in Zurich

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 03:22 AM PDT

Inside AdSense: Great speeches, great people, great atmosphere: AdSense in Zurich

Two weeks ago, we had the pleasure of welcoming 120 of our publishers from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, and France at an AdSense publisher event in our Google office in Zurich.

The agenda of the day included seminars and presentations about:
  • Trends in the online advertising market and how to use them for your site
  • Our best tips to optimize your AdSense earnings
  • Using DFP Small Business to get more out of AdSense
  • Website usability
  • The truth about common SEO myths

We also offered attendees 1-on-1 site consultations with a Google AdSense optimization specialist and ended the day by kicking back with pizza and beer to get to know one another a little better!

It was great to meet you in person to learn more about your businesses and experience with AdSense. We were thrilled to hear positive feedback from the attendees on the event and hope to offer a similar opportunity in a city near you soon!

Interested in attending future Google AdSense events? Check your Account settings and make sure you're opted in to our mailings so we can inform you about our upcoming events!



Posted by Marcel Puppik and Sophie Emmerich - AdSense Optimisation Specialists
URL: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2011/04/great-speeches-great-people-great.html

[G] Geek Time with Josh Bloch

Posted: 13 Apr 2011 01:49 AM PDT

Google Open Source Blog: Geek Time with Josh Bloch



In addition to being known as "The Mother of Java," Josh Bloch is also the Chief Java Architect at Google. Josh sat down with fellow Open Source Programs Office colleague Jeremy Allison to chat about APIs, the importance of openness, and the successes and failures of Java.

Some highlights from their conversation:
(0:45) Josh describes what he does for Java and at Google.

(1:59) Jeremy expresses his disappointments with Java, based on the early potential that it showed. Josh responds with an explanation of some of the difficulties that Java faced.

(4:48) Josh and Jeremy talk about some of the factors that contributed to Java's successes.

(9:51) Josh's explains his philosophy towards creating APIs.

(14:30) Josh talks about the APIs that he's most proud of.

(19:45) Josh and Jeremy discuss the importance of reading other people's code, and the impact of Sun's decision to put the code and bug database for Java on the web.

(24:00) Josh explains how he came to be in his current position and gives advice for others who are looking for ways to get started programming.

(27:32) Josh wrote the standard Java best-practices guide, Effective Java, and co-authored two other Java books: Java Puzzlers, and Java Concurrency in Practice. As a special treat for this blog's readers, Josh is offering signed copies of his books for the first two people with correct responses to the following puzzle. Submit your answer as a comment on this post, then use the same Blogger ID to leave a separate comment with your contact info and inscription request (for your privacy, the comment with your contact info will not be published).
Josh's Puzzle: "The Story of O"

The following Java program is not quite complete; it's missing a parameter declaration for o. Can you provide a declaration that makes the program print "O noes!"? (The program must compile without generating any warnings.)



public class Story {
   public static void main(String[] args) {
       Object o = null;
       story(o);
   }

   private static void story(&ltyou provide the declaration> o) {
       if (o != null)
           System.out.println("O noes!");
   }
}



Remember to leave your answer and contact info as two separate comments!

By Ellen Ko, Open Source Team
URL: http://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2011/04/geek-time-with-josh-bloch.html

[G] Pagination comes to Google Docs

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 02:51 PM PDT

Official Google Blog: Pagination comes to Google Docs

(Cross-posted from the Google Docs Blog)

Exactly one year ago, we launched a new version of the Google document editor, created from the ground up to take advantage of the latest capabilities in modern web browsers like Chrome. In particular, we baked in a way of supporting text features that aren't natively included with browsers—for example, we added a ruler for controlling the margins, text that wraps around images to create eye-catching docs and discussions for a more collaborative editing experience.

Today, we're doing another first for web browsers by adding a classic word processing feature—pagination, the ability to see visual pages on your screen. We're also using pagination and some of Chrome's capabilities to improve how printing works in Google Docs. Pagination is rolling out now and should be available to everyone by the end of the day.


Pagination adds visual page breaks while you're editing your documents, so now you can see how many pages of that report you've actually finished. Because we're able to show you individual pages, we can improve the way other features work too: headers now show up at the top of each page instead of just at the top of your doc, manual page breaks actually move text onto a new page and footnotes appear at the bottom of the pages themselves.


If you prefer editing documents with a continuous layout, you can hide page breaks by selecting the "Compact" document view from the "View" menu.


Pagination also changes what's possible with printing in modern browsers. We've worked closely with the Chrome team to implement a recent web standard so we can support a feature called native printing. Before, if you wanted to print your document we'd need to first convert it into a PDF, which you would then need to open and print yourself. With native printing, you can print directly from your browser and the printed document will always exactly match what you see on your screen.

For now, native printing is only available in Google Chrome, but we're hoping other browsers will implement the same web standard so everyone can have the best possible printing experience with Docs.

Pagination and native printing are great examples of how modern browsers are making it possible to take the best parts of the desktop experience and bring them online. Please share your feedback on the Google Docs forum.

Posted by Luiz Pereira, Software Engineer
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/04/pagination-comes-to-google-docs.html

[G] Product Subscriptions Dashboard for Publishers

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 02:09 PM PDT

Google Affiliate Network: Product Subscriptions Dashboard for Publishers

The newly launched Product Subscriptions Dashboard provides a robust and simple interface that publishers with real-time access to product feed delivery. To view the status of the feeds you currently subscribe to, login to your Google Affiliate Network account and navigate to Subscriptions>Product Subscriptions.


From this page, you can sort by advertiser name, feed status, last successful delivery, and the number of products included. This information is also available for export as CSV or TXT.


Note: To change your settings or add new advertisers, click the "Subscriptions Settings" link.


We will continue to iterate on the beta and we invite you to provide your feedback in our Help Forum.


posted by Sheila Parker, Product Manager
URL: http://googleaffiliatenetwork-blog.blogspot.com/2011/04/product-subscriptions-dashboard-for.html

[G] Indian Premier League returns to YouTube

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 01:27 PM PDT

YouTube Blog: Indian Premier League returns to YouTube

Indian Premier League may only be four-years old, but it's quickly become the hottest new addition to the world of cricket. And again this year, YouTube is bringing you all the action straight from the pitch of this superstar cricket extravaganza.

In partnership with Indiatimes, fans can watch games as they happen, view entire past matches, and enjoy highlight clips of all 74 matches on Indiatimes' YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/indiatimes). This fourth instalment of IPL should be even more exciting than last year as two new teams Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers Kerala have joined the fray to battle it out with the eight veteran squads for the title.

The 51-day tournament kicked off Friday night with the returning champion Chennai Super Kings besting the Kolkata Knight Riders at home. That very first match and every other game of the IPL season will be webcast globally on YouTube (Note: 5 minute delay in India, match-length delay in U.S.), and the full-length videos of each match will be made available soon after they pull up stumps and retired to the pavillion. And this year everyone can watch the catch-up videos and highlights on their mobile phones as well as their computers.

So tune in as the match is happening. And if you missed a match (or want to watch in a more friendly time zone), view the whole thing later in the Past Matches tab at www.youtube.com/indiatimes. And since this is YouTube, you can always share, rate, and comment on videos throughout the channel, or upload your own video responses to the action.

So get ready for another big season of bouncers, leg breaks, and sixes. It's going to be a fun 51 days.

Amit Agrawal, Head of Content Partnerships in India, recently watched "I grew up dreaming of this: Sachin"


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/C0Lsvr8SLXM/indian-premier-league-returns-to.html

[G] YouTube Us!

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 12:10 PM PDT

Blogger Buzz: YouTube Us!

Posted by Brett Wiltshire, Product Operations

If it's been a while since you've checked out the Blogger YouTube channel, you may want to head over and have a look around as we've given the whole site a facelift. Beyond our shiny new theme and graphics, we've added thirteen hot-off-the-press videos that cover a wide range of feature walk-throughs, handy tips, and other fun stuff that the team has come up with. And this is just the beginning!

We had so much fun putting these videos together that you can be sure to see a lot more uploads in the future, as we want this channel to be an ever-evolving source of Blogger information.

The Blogger team would love to hear your feedback on the new YouTube page, and we've created a form where you can pass along your ideas for further videos and other ways we can improve our channel. Of course, you can always send us a quick tweet or drop us a line in the Feedback section of our Help Forum as well.

Either way, we hope you enjoy our revamped channel and we look forward to expanding it over time.
URL: http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/04/youtube-us.html

[G] Music Tuesday: TV On The Radio “Nine Types of Light” film premiere and more

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 11:00 AM PDT

YouTube Blog: Music Tuesday: TV On The Radio "Nine Types of Light" film premiere and more

This week, the music world is practically groaning under the weight of so many new releases. There's something for everyone, from Paul Simon to Animal Collective's Panda Bear, Foo Fighters to Del McCoury and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band (!). We can't cover all the bases, but we can point you towards some good ones.

TV On The Radio curates and premieres the "Nine Types of Light" film
TV On The Radio are one of indie rock's most idiosyncratic and, dare we say it, magnetic bands. Their constantly evolving sound and restless desire to push the envelope has made them an endlessly interesting act whose albums regularly top critics' year-end lists. So it should be no surprise that their new release "Nine Types of Light" isn't just an album -- it's a film, too, featuring ten different directors and interspersed with man-on-the-street interviews conducted by lead singer Tunde Adebimpe himself. The full-length video LP premieres on YouTube today, along with Adebimpe's singular playlist of his favorite videos, complete with a gently deranged introductory video that will have you at hello, if you're weird like us.




Hip-Hop at Coachella
So, there's a little gathering in the desert this weekend. Perhaps you've heard of it? No, we don't mean Burning Man. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has evolved from a low-budget, low-visibility gig into a must-play event on a level with SXSW. You might say it's this country's Glastonbury. And while the festival has always flown its flag for indie rock, hip-hop is starting to find a foothold. Case in point: Kanye's headlining on Sunday. Check out what other hip-hop acts will be on offer this weekend.




Dengue Fever "Cannibal Courtship" album premiere
And, last but not least, we have a full album premiere this week from L.A.-based band Dengue Fever. Dengue Fever began life as cover band of sorts, filtering 1960s Cambodian rock through an indie rock lens with the help of the otherworldy, ethereal-voiced Cambodian vocalist Chhom Nimol (the band's not-so-secret weapon). Over the course of four albums, the group has evolved from imitation to original songwriting, and at their best they marry the familiar with the foreign in wonderful ways. Part psychedelic rock, part punk, part Ethio-jazz -- now with vocal harmonies! -- the group's sound can be a heady brew. Fast forward to "Uku" at 8:32 to hear their potential fully realized, or just savor it from start to finish.




Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched "CHRISSY MURDERBOT ft. DJ SPINN "BUSSIN DOWN" Planet Mu HD."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/7-H2Euxbayo/music-tuesday-tv-on-radio-nine-types-of.html

[G] Pagination comes to Google Docs

Posted: 12 Apr 2011 09:15 AM PDT

Docs Blog: Pagination comes to Google Docs

(Cross-posted on the Official Google Blog and Google Enterprise Blog)

Exactly one year ago, we launched a new version of the Google document editor, created from the ground up to take advantage of the latest capabilities in modern web browsers like Chrome. In particular, we baked in a way of supporting text features that aren't natively included with browsers—for example, we added a ruler for controlling the margins, text that wraps around images to create eye-catching docs and discussions for a more collaborative editing experience.

Today, we're doing another first for web browsers by adding a classic word processing feature—pagination, the ability to see visual pages on your screen. We're also using pagination and some of Chrome's capabilities to improve how printing works in Google Docs. Pagination is rolling out now and should be available to everyone by the end of the day.


Pagination adds visual page breaks while you're editing your documents, so now you can see how many pages of that report you've actually finished. Because we're able to show you individual pages, we can improve the way other features work too: headers now show up at the top of each page instead of just at the top of your doc, manual page breaks actually move text onto a new page and footnotes appear at the bottom of the pages themselves.


If you prefer editing documents with a continuous layout, you can hide page breaks by selecting the "Compact" document view from the "View" menu.


Pagination also changes what's possible with printing in modern browsers. We've worked closely with the Chrome team to implement a recent web standard so we can support a feature called native printing. Before, if you wanted to print your document we'd need to first convert it into a PDF, which you would then need to open and print yourself. With native printing, you can print directly from your browser and the printed document will always exactly match what you see on your screen.

For now, native printing is only available in Google Chrome, but we're hoping other browsers will implement the same web standard so everyone can have the best possible printing experience with Docs.

Pagination and native printing are great examples of how modern browsers are making it possible to take the best parts of the desktop experience and bring them online. Please share your feedback on the Google Docs forum.

Posted by Luiz Pereira, Software Engineer
URL: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2011/04/pagination-comes-to-google-docs.html
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