Saturday, October 8, 2011

Googland

Googland

[G] Answering Obama's call to action with STEM 100Kin10

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 07:35 PM PDT

Official Google Blog: Answering Obama's call to action with STEM 100Kin10

Last January, U.S. President Obama challenged the nation to train 100,000 high-quality science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) teachers in 10 years. Google in Education decided to answer his call to action and became one of the founding members of a community of action called 100Kin10.

We shared our plan with U.S. Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, and his staff in April, who gave us their full support. With this backing, we were able to announce 100Kin10 in June at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) America meeting in Chicago. CGI also identified STEM education as one of its focus areas for its new branch of U.S. Initiatives.

This past week, 100Kin10 officially kicked off with 80 partner organizations, all contributing to a threefold mission: to reverse the United States' decades-long decline in STEM subjects, to ensure that all children have the basic STEM literacy to be full participants in our economy and democracy and to enable U.S. students to address the most pressing national and global challenges.

Google has made commitments to increase the supply of high quality teachers and retain excellent STEM teachers. Specifically:
  • Working with The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT to create a high-profile recognition program for the top 5% of STEM teachers nationwide and are well on our way to this.
  • Inviting districts nationwide to join us at Google for talent academies that will facilitate and fund HR pilot strategies for education.
  • Working with university faculty training future teachers throughout California to integrate educational technology across curriculum and scale the practice by funding research on the topic. To that end, we established the Google Faculty Institute this August and have already funded nine pilots across the state.
We believe every student should have access to high quality teaching and educational opportunity. We also recognize that as a collective, we can better measure our progress and take significant strides toward fulfilling the commitments the Department of Education has made around STEM teaching.

We welcome big challenges and look forward to helping achieve great success with 100kin10 in the months and years to come. For more information on Google's efforts in education, please visit our education website. 

Posted by Jordan Bookey, Manager, K-12 Education Outreach Team
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/answering-obamas-call-to-action-with.html

[G] Single-language labels in Google Maps

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT

Google LatLong: Single-language labels in Google Maps

If you use Google Maps in English, you might notice we've expanded our coverage of translated labels. Previously, map labels would display both transliterated and local names for many places. Using a single language can help users by making the map easier to read. For example, the label for Moscow on our English maps used to display as "Moskva (Москва)". This was great for learning how places are named in other languages but also resulted in twice as many labels on the map.

Maps with dual language labels (left) and new single-language labels (right)

Below are some nice examples of improvements in Europe and China. Many Italian cities are now labeled with translated English names and China now has province names in English.

Before (left) and single-language labels (right)

Before (left) and single-language labels (right)

We realize it can be useful to see local language labels for learning place names so we've kept the option available. If you prefer to see local language labels, you can still do so by unchecking English in the maps menu (move your cursor to the 'layers' menu in upper right corner of the map and un-check English when the menu drops down). This is the same for other single-languages which Maps supports. Also note that we may still show multiple labels in some places where there are two local languages or when place names are disputed.

In total, Google now has single-language Maps for 5 major languages - Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and now English with more languages on their way. We hope this change makes it easier to browse, explore and discover the world around you.

Posted by Bryce Stout, Product Manager
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2011/10/single-language-labels-in-google-maps.html

[G] The results are in: Zagat’s 2012 New York City Restaurants Survey

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT

Google LatLong: The results are in: Zagat's 2012 New York City Restaurants Survey

Editor's Note: Recently, we welcomed Zagat to the Geo product family (and we've never eaten better!). You can read more about the acquisition on the Official Google Blog.

Some exciting news for all you foodies out there, via Zagat Buzz:
Epic news alert! The results of our 2012 New York City Restaurants Survey are here. This year we compiled ratings and reviews for 2,111 Big Apple restaurants, based on the votes of 41,604 local diners (a new record)! These people know what they are talking about, having collectively dined out an estimated 6.4 million times. With numbers like that, it's no wonder that the restaurant industry is stabilizing – there were 135 noteworthy openings this year. Not too shabby.
Planning a trip to NYC? You may want to make a reservation at one of these Top-Rated Newcomers:
For the full scoop, head on over to Zagat Buzz.

Posted by Tim and Nina Zagat, Nooglers
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2011/10/results-are-in-zagats-2012-new-york.html

[G] Join the GA team and Partners at GAUGE NYC

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT

Google Analytics Blog: Join the GA team and Partners at GAUGE NYC

This is a guest post from Caleb Whitmore from Analytics Pros, a Google Analytics Certified Partner. Caleb is also the Chair of the Google Analytics Users' Great Event (GAUGE) conference. We hope you'll join the members of the GA team and GA Partners in New York for GAUGE.



The GAUGE Google Analytics User Conference in New York City is just around the corner on October 17th and 18th. It's not to late to grab a spot and and catch up on the latest and greatest with Google Analytics, learn from top experts on GA, and meet other users of the product and members of the Google Analytics team! More information and registration is at www.gaugecon.com. Use code GBLOG10 for a 10% registration discount.



Whether you're new to using Google Analytics or a veteran user with years of experience, there's always something new to learn about the product thanks to the rapid change of the Internet and the hard work of the Analytics team at Google to continually improve GA. So, how can you keep your knowledge of how Google Analytics works and what you can do with it? There's a great answer: Google Analytics User Conferences!




Attendees at GAUGE in San Francisco
I have the privilege of leading one such conference: GAUGE, or as we call it, the Google Analytics Users' Great Event. GAUGE is one of many flavors of Google Analytics User Conferences popping up all over the world, led by cohorts of Google Analytics Certified Partners. The New York GAUGE event is presented by: Analytics Pros, Blue State Digital, Cardinal Path, and E-Nor. This event is also co-located with Data Driven Business Week, which includes eMetrics, Conversion Conference, Predictive Analytics World, IMC, and Text Analytics World.



Our goal with GAUGE is to create an event that is by users, for users and insanely practical. I started GAUGE after going to one-too-many conferences where great ideas were presented but little practical "how-to do this with Google Analytics" guidance was given. The GAUGE in New York is a two-day event that includes:

  • 24 hands-on sessions and workshops led by top Google Analytics experts

  • Two keynote addresses: Mythbusting Google Analytics by Stephane Hamel and How to use GA data by Piyanka Jaine

  • "What's New with Google Analytics" presented by Phil Mui of Google

  • Q&A session with Google Analytics engineers

  • Analytics Helpdesk where you can get direct consultation from a Google Analytics pro

  • Exhibits from Google Analytics application developers

  • Networking with Googlers and other GA users, and more!

Google Analytics blog readers can use code GBLOG10 for a 10% registration discount.  We also have a 15% discount for WAA members, a 25% discount for teams of 3 or more from the same company as well as a 50% discount for government and non-profit employees. You can contact gauge@analyticspros.com with registration questions.



If you're not able to attend GAUGE in New York, consider attending our San Francisco event in early 2012, or watch for other Google Analytics conferences and training events happening around the world (here's a page listing some recent/forthcoming events).



I hope to see you in New York or at another GAUGE event in the future!



Posted by Trevor Claiborne, Google Analytics team


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tRaA/~3/DC4mEG0f4Ww/join-ga-team-and-partners-at-gauge-nyc.html

[G] Interpreting Your Data: Where do I start?

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT

Google Affiliate Network: Interpreting Your Data: Where do I start?

Welcome to the first post in our new "Interpreting Your Data" series for affiliate advertisers, brought to you by Google Affiliate Network analysts. View all posts in the series here.
Affiliate program success can be evaluated in different ways, so you'll need to clearly define performance requirements and metrics early. Questions you should seek to answer include:

- What is happening?
- Why it is happening?
- What actions can I take?

In this post, we'll cover time periods and getting started with performance analysis.

Time Periods
The first thing you'll want to decide is what time periods are important to you. Do you want a broad,  monthly view or do you need to get more granular with a weekly view? Next, decide how you want to compare your time periods.  Year over year will help take seasonality into account.  If you are a new affiliate advertiser, week over week and/or month over month will help show how your program is growing.

Performance analysis
After the time period comparisons are determined, start by looking at your main metrics and see if they're up or down.  It's important to look at more than just transactions.  An increase in transactions is valuable but you'll also want to see if your clicks increased to really understand the reason behind your increase.  Did your opportunities just convert better or did you have a larger base of clicks?


Now, it's time to dig deeper into your program and examine changes in publisher performance. Take a look at your publishers using the same time comparisons. This will help you identify and sort by publisher activity to find the biggest increases or decreases. If only a few of your publishers saw large gains, review any actions you took with them. Did you purchase an ad placement? Did you increase their commission rate or run an exclusive affiliate offer with them? If you saw increases across many or most of your publishers, this could be a result of a sale, or might be tied to publishers implementing creatives or offers that better appealed to your customers.  Once you're able to make conclusions about the cause and impacts of program changes, you can take the appropriate steps to optimize publisher performance and drive more conversions.

It's important to understand when gains or losses are due to seasonality and when they're due to actions taken by you and/or your publishers.  For instance, if December is your top month, January sales are going to be down when comparing month over month.  This is why it's helpful to use year over year comparisons and understand the seasonality of your business.

For additional resources on analyzing your program, please see this help center article.
Posted by Elliott Chapman, Account Strategist
URL: http://googleaffiliatenetwork-blog.blogspot.com/2011/10/interpreting-your-data-where-do-i-start.html

[G] This week's Trends: hits, protests, and Steve Jobs

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT

YouTube Blog: This week's Trends: hits, protests, and Steve Jobs

Each weekday, we at YouTube Trends take a look at the most interesting videos and cultural phenomena on YouTube as they develop. We want take a moment to highlight some of what we've come across this week:







Check back every day for the latest about what's trending on YouTube at: www.YouTube.com/Trends



Kevin Allocca, YouTube Trends Manager, recently watched "Brad Pitt!."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/s3qoHj8dNUw/this-weeks-trends-hits-protests-and.html

[G] Twenty award winners blaze their way into our Zurich office

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT

Official Google Blog: Twenty award winners blaze their way into our Zurich office

Last week in our Zurich office, we held a celebratory event for the 20 winners of the second annual European Google Trailblazer Awards, intended to recognize students that exhibit great potential in science and engineering. The eight girls and 12 boys aged 16-19 were selected for their work in national science, informatics and engineering competitions that took place in Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, Switzerland and the U.K. over the past year. Partnering with each of these competitions, Google engineers awarded "Trailblazer" status to the participants who demonstrated an outstanding use of computing technology in their projects. The aim of the distinction is to reward and encourage these students' achievements, bring talented students to experience life at Google and show them what a career in computer science can look like, with a special emphasis on how computer science touches every discipline.


Every Trailblazer winner this year was truly worthy of the title. Ciara, Ruth and Kate, three of the winners of the the BT Young Scientist competition in Ireland, taught themselves to code in order to develop a mobile app for teens to measure their carbon footprints, looking at their use of typical teenage appliances like MP3 players, hair straighteners and computer games. Joszef, one of the winners of the Scientific and Innovation Contest for Youth in Hungary, developed a portable heart monitor combined with GPS that would alert medical services instantly if you were having a heart attack, and include your location so they could respond quickly. Tom and Yannick, winners of the Junior Web Awards in Switzerland, learned HTML and CSS in order to build an interactive health website—and made it available in French, German and English. These are just a few examples.

While at Google Zurich, the Trailblazers covered a wide swath of material, learning about data centers, security and testing, hearing from the Street View team on managing operations in multiple countries and from recruiters on how to write a strong resume. Google engineers chatted about careers in computer science and then tasked the group to solve problems like a software engineer: imitating how a software program might work, the participants lined up in groups of six and had to create an algorithm to reorder themselves without speaking to each other during the re-arranging. For their most in-depth challenge, the students developed and pitched their own award-winning product with guidance from product managers. In just 20 minutes, each student had to come up with product ideas and a pitch—delivered to the product managers—that would convince even Larry Page that their tech product would be the next big thing.

The students left Zurich buzzing about the pathways a career in tech can lead them down, and we can't wait to see how these young entrepreneurs develop over the next few years.

If you'd like a shot at becoming a Google Trailblazer in 2012, enter one of our partner competitions in Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Romania, Switzerland or the U.K. (you need to be at high school in one of these countries to be eligible for entry). More countries and partner competitions will be added each year, so keep an eye on google.com/edu for further details.

If you're the organizer of an pre-existing national science and engineering competition in Europe, the Middle East or Africa (EMEA) and would like your competition to be considered for a Trailblazer prize from Google, please complete this form.

Posted by Alison Daniel-Cutler, Pre-University Education Outreach, EMEA
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/twenty-award-winners-blaze-their-way.html

[G] National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2011: Our Shared Responsibility

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT

Official Google Blog: National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2011: Our Shared Responsibility

On the Internet, as with the offline world, the choices we make often have an impact on others. The links we share and the sites we visit can affect our security and sometimes introduce risk for people we know. Given how quickly our collective use of technology is evolving, it's useful to periodically remind ourselves of practices that can help us achieve a more secure and enjoyable online experience.

This month, Google once again joins the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA), government agencies, corporations, schools and non-profit organizations in recognizing National Cyber Security Awareness Month. It's a time for us to offer education that increases online security for everyone.

It's fitting that the theme of this year's Cyber Security Awareness Month is "Our Shared Responsibility." With ever-increasing ways to access the web and share information, we need to focus on keeping our activities secure. In that spirit, and to help kick off Cyber Security Awareness Month, we're introducing a new Google Security Center. The Security Center is full of practical tips and information to help people stay safe online, from choosing a secure password to using 2-step verification and avoiding phishing sites and malware.

We also continue to develop products and services that help people protect their information online. Examples that have stood out so far this year include the Chromebook, 2-step verification in 40 languages, and Chrome browser warnings for malicious downloads and out-of-date plugins, among others. We develop free products and tools such as DOM Snitch, a Chrome extension that helps developers identify insecure code.

We recognize the importance of security education and are committed to helping make your online experience both exciting and safe to use. We all have a responsibility to take steps to protect ourselves and together develop a culture of security. We encourage everyone to Stop. Think. Connect.


Posted by Eric Davis, Public Policy Manager, Security
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/national-cyber-security-awareness-month.html

[G] Silicon Valley has gone Google

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Silicon Valley has gone Google

Posted by Rich Rao, Director of Enterprise Online Sales and Operations

When Business Insider recently released its 20 Silicon Valley Startups to Watch, we were curious how Google Apps ranked among these businesses' IT solutions of choice. The answer turned out to be: really well. We found 97% of these companies from the last two years were running on Google Apps.

We built Google Apps to help businesses improve how they work together with the power of the web, so we were thrilled to learn that the hottest startups in a community as dynamic as Silicon Valley are running on Apps.


Of course, Silicon Valley isn't the only tech hot spot. There are tons of cities booming with startups and other small and medium-sized businesses, and they all have one thing in common: whether in Boston, Chicago, Delhi, London or none of the above, they can benefit from taking a 100% web approach. With Google Apps you can focus on your business, not your IT.

Over the next few weeks, we'd like to introduce you to a few businesses that have gone Google in Silicon Valley. These are companies that believe in thinking big and growing fast, and they have adopted Google Apps to help them do both. Together they embody a lot of qualities that we think you'll find interesting, and we hope you find their stories inspirational.
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2011/10/silicon-valley-has-gone-google.html

[G] Get more out of YouTube through your Google Account

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 04:35 PM PDT

YouTube Blog: Get more out of YouTube through your Google Account

While it's fun to sit back and watch your favorite videos on YouTube, you can get even more from the platform simply by logging in, which is why we're expanding the features available to you by allowing you to log into YouTube with your Google Account.



If you are logged in to your existing Google Account, you can now choose to personalize your YouTube experience, where YouTube will suggest videos and channels based on what you've watched and liked in the past. You can also "like" videos, purchase or rent a latest release from YouTube.com/Movies, add videos to your own "Watch Later" queue, share videos across various platforms, connect YouTube with one of your social networks, as well as access and manage your watch history (so you don't forget that amazing video you recently watched). Of course, all of the privacy controls always available on YouTube remain unchanged, and you can read more about this here.



Want to try these features but don't yet have a Google account? You can create one here, or as always you can create a YouTube account here.



We think having access to these features will make your experience on YouTube even better. Still, there are a bunch of benefits you'll only get by signing directly into YouTube with your own YouTube account, like allowing you to upload and share your videos with the world, comment on videos, rate and make video responses, or build video playlists to watch and share (hint: great for dance parties). Not to mention that signing in will ensure that the recommended videos we suggest to you will be better and more relevant based on your subscriptions and activity.



However you choose to enjoy your YouTube, we want to help you find more of what you're into, and hope you'll enjoy this new sign-in option. Happy active, engaged viewing!



Brett Hobbs, Software Engineer, recently watched "Whole Foods Parking Lot - Music Video [HD]."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/8-f54Cn7-ng/get-more-out-of-youtube-through-your.html

[G] Google eBooks travels ‘across the pond’

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT

Inside Google Books: Google eBooks travels 'across the pond'

Posted by Kihyun Jung, Google eBooks Product Manager

We're happy to announce that we've just opened a new chapter of our Google eBookstore today. Google eBooks is now available in the United Kingdom. Readers in the UK now have access to the world's largest ebooks collection, with hundreds of thousands of ebooks for sale – from major UK publishers like Hachette, Random House and Penguin – as well as more than two million public domain ebooks for free.

Just as in the US, we've designed the Google eBooks platform in the UK to be open. You can purchase, download and view Google eBooks on many devices: Android and Apple tablets and smartphones, the Google eBooks Web Reader and eReaders from Sony, Kobo, Elonex, and more. Your Google eBooks are stored in the cloud, so you can easily access them and continue reading wherever you last left off, regardless of which device you were on.

We've partnered with independent booksellers, so you will soon be able to buy Google eBooks through your favourite bookstore. Booksellers like Gardners' Hive, as well as others to come, will be selling Google eBooks in the UK. We're also working with local retailers like Blackwell's as affiliate partners.

Since Google eBooks launched in 2010, it has enabled a rich ebooks ecosystem that includes application developers, publishers, device manufacturers, affiliates, and retailers. This gives consumers choice in what they buy, where they buy, and how they read.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a digital copy of Great Expectations while you're sitting on the Tube or having afternoon tea – it's on us.

URL: http://booksearch.blogspot.com/2011/10/google-ebooks-travels-across-pond.html

[G] Safe Browsing Alerts for Network Administrators is graduating from Labs

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT

Google Online Security Blog: Safe Browsing Alerts for Network Administrators is graduating from Labs

Posted by Nav Jagpal, Security Team

Today, we're congratulating Safe Browsing Alerts for Network Administrators on its graduation from Labs to its new home at http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/alerts/

We announced the tool about a year ago and have received a lot of positive feedback. Network administrators, large and small, are using the information we provide about malware and phishing URLs to clean up their networks and help webmasters make their sites safer. Earlier this year, AusCert recognized our efforts by awarding Safe Browsing Alerts for Network Administrators the title of "Best Security Initiative."

If you're a network administrator and haven't yet registered your AS, you can do so here.
URL: http://googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.com/2011/10/safe-browsing-alerts-for-network.html

[G] Dynamic Views: Update #1

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT

Blogger Buzz: Dynamic Views: Update #1

Hi Bloggers!

Last week, we launched Dynamic Views in an effort to make it easier for readers to enjoy and discover your posts. You responded. As of today, hundreds of thousands of blogs have changed their blog template to Dynamic Views. The clear favorite appears to be Magazine, with Classic running a close second.

I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to provide their feedback, and let you know that in the last week we've made the following improvements:
  • Added more emphasis to search results with Magazine & Timeslide
  • Improved the preservation of image position within the full post
  • Enabled JavaScript support within posts
  • Fixed the issue that sometimes resulted in continuously spinning gears after clicking a link
  • Turned on support for Archive pages
The other big pieces of feedback we've heard have been around gadget support and customization. The good news is...both are on the way! Since Dynamic Views uses HTML5, Javascript and CSS3, our existing library of gadgets is being rewritten to function in this new environment. We'll be introducing the first set of gadgets very soon, so stay tuned!

With respect to customization, we realize that many bloggers have invested lots of time and effort to personalize their blog with custom background, fonts, etc. We plan to enable similar customization of Dynamic View templates via the Template Designer in the very near future.

Our plan is to continue to introduce updates and improvements as quickly as we can. Thanks again for your feedback, and we're happy to hear that you're enjoying Dynamic Views!

Happy blogging.

Bruce Polderman, Product Manager
URL: http://buzz.blogger.com/2011/10/dynamic-views-update-1.html

[G] YouTube now has movies in the UK

Posted: 07 Oct 2011 09:52 AM PDT

YouTube Blog: YouTube now has movies in the UK

Back in May we brought new release movies and more for rent to YouTube in the US. Last month, we took it to Canada. Now, over a thousand full-length feature films from major Hollywood and British studios are available for rent in the UK at youtube.com/movies.



We've got some cracking films to keep everyone entertained through the upcoming winter months and beyond. From blockbusters like The Dark Knight and Reservoir Dogs, to new releases such as Hanna, Fast Five, and Red Riding Hood, and even British classics like Monty Python's The Meaning of Life and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, you can find many of your favourite films in high quality available to rent now at youtube.com/movies.



There's always more to explore on YouTube. Many movie pages also feature YouTube Movie Extras with free behind-the-scenes videos, cast interviews, parodies, clips and remixes from YouTube's unique community of content creators. Over time we'll also be adding additional videos and features to YouTube Movie Extras so that you can get even more into movies on YouTube.



Britain has a long history of cinema, starting from the first moving pictures being developed on celluloid film in the UK. Now British film buffs can be part of the digital revolution too, at youtube.com/movies.



Matteo Vallone, YouTube Business Product Manager, recently watched "The Big Lebowski."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/gCJsn7zVQSA/youtube-now-has-movies-in-uk.html
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