Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Googland

Googland

[G] Spotlighting Government Transformers

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 09:25 PM PST

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Spotlighting Government Transformers

Posted by Wendy Wu, Google Apps for Government Team

Two months ago, we launched the Government Transformers initiative to find government employees who are improving the way government operates. They build more transparent systems, save costs and improve services to the citizens. We have received many nominations in just two months. In the next few days, we'd like to recognize a few of these government employees and share how Google Apps has helped transform the way their agencies work.

Group purchasing in government, made simple
Virginia cities and counties have a cooperative purchasing agreement. Once a vendor signs a contract referencing 'cooperative purchasing' with a Virginia government entity, other cities and counties can buy under the same terms. In the past, the information sat with each individual agency and was not visible to others. In order to benefit from this procurement policy, T.W. created a Google Group for area managers to share contract information and purchase support items and services cooperatively. "We now have about 30 members from 12 cities and counties," said T.W., "and we simply send out an email to the group, and everyone gets the notice. Or people can go to our website to check out the discussion thread or history to find the contracting information they need, with complete transparency."
(T.W.Sawyer, Purchasing Agent, York County, Virginia)

Responding to constituents faster
People in Wyoming have a constant goal of innovating and searching for ways to make their state a pioneer in technology and efficiency. Under Governor Matt Mead's leadership, the IT department built an automated system to manage constituent inquiries with faster and more efficient responses. With Google Apps for Government, they used Google APIs along with traditional web development to build a robust solution in approximately four months. "Now, we see the status of every communication—whenever and wherever we are connected to the Internet," said Bob, "and our staff assigns tasks, routes communication through Gmail, and places follow-up items on calendars so constituent requests are handled timely and efficiently."
(Bob Mathews, Manager of Enterprise Application Development, Office of the CIO, State of Wyoming)

T.W. and Bob are two of many Government Transformers who are using Google Apps creatively to help their agencies run better. We look forward to sharing their success with you so make sure to check back this week for more transformer stories.
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2012/02/spotlighting-government-transformers.html

[G] Google Discovery House at SXSW

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:34 PM PST

Inside AdWords: Google Discovery House at SXSW

[Originally posted on the Google Agency Blog]

We're just as excited as you are to roll into Austin this year for South by Southwest Interactive 2012 for another Texas-sized festival packed with BBQ, margaritas, and the most exciting digital chatter of the year. This year, we'll be packing up some of our favorite things about Google and bringing them with us to the "Google Village" on Rainey St. - just a few steps from the Austin Convention Center.

We hope you'll join some of the 40-plus Googlers participating in panels and discussions around the SXSW festival! Our participation kicks off on Friday, March 9 at 3:30 PM, in a fireside chat where senior vice president Vic Gundotra will discuss the future of the Google+ project with Guy Kawasaki.

Then, on March 10-11 at the Google Village you'll find:

  • Android House with the latest and greatest from Android, complete with live music and a look at cool entertainment for your device
  • Google Maps House packed with cool ways to make the most of Google Maps and the places you know and love
  • Developer House with an exciting day of building LEGO race bots and gearing up for the ultimate rumble Sunday evening. Learn more on the Developers Blog
  • Discovery House where you can learn about our latest creative and advertising products, and see how Google can help you and your clients make the most of the web
As members of the advertising community, we'd love for you to come join us at the Discovery House in particular, where we've got a diverse lineup of discussions, teaching sessions, and social events. There's something for everyone:
  • Come learn how we're working with our partners to bring together creativity and technology in new ways, and re-imagining what online advertising can be. Be sure to stick around for our re-imagined happy hour, with a new take on classic cocktails.
  • Participate in engaging seminars about the latest in mobile marketing, the coolest things that Google+ users are creating with Hangouts, and how to make the most of consumer insights.
  • Want the full schedule? It's here.
Come swing by and have a drink on us in Austin - we'd love to hear all about everything exciting and innovative that you're seeing and hearing around town, too.

Posted by Caro McCarthy, Product Marketing Manager, Google+ B2B
URL: http://adwords.blogspot.com/2012/02/google-discovery-house-at-sxsw.html

[G] Understanding accessibility at CSUN 2012

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:34 PM PST

Official Google Blog: Understanding accessibility at CSUN 2012

This week we're attending the 27th annual CSUN International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference. As the Internet evolves, screen readers, browsers and other tools for accessibility need to grow to meet the complexity of the modern web. Conferences like CSUN are an opportunity to check in with web users with disabilities: not just to share our progress in making online technologies accessible, but to also discuss improvements for the future.

Who are these users? In August, we conducted a survey with the American Council of the Blind, to find out more about how people with sight impairment use the web. We received nearly 1,000 responses from people who are blind or visually impaired, from a wide range of professions in 57 countries: teachers, software developers, social workers, writers, psychologists, musicians and students. The results paint a picture of why it is critical to improve the accessibility of web applications. Of the respondents:
*Almost 90 percent reported regularly using the web to keep in touch with friends and family
*Over half use a smartphone, and over half own more than one computer
*Over two-thirds of respondents said they use social media
*Over 50 percent have completed a baccalaureate degree, and of those, 30 percent have gone on to to postgraduate studies at the masters' or Ph.D. level
*Of those who are currently students, over 70 percent have their assistive technology provided for by their school
*However, for those who have left school and are of working age, 46 percent are unemployed
Better web accessibility has the potential to increase educational and employment opportunities, provide social cohesion and enable independence for the people with disabilities. We imagine a future for the web where the most visually complex applications can be rendered flawlessly to screen readers and other assistive devices that don't rely on sight, using technologies that work seamlessly on browsers and smartphones.


[click here for audio description]

Since we last attended CSUN, we've made several improvements to the accessibility of our products:
*ChromeVox (in beta) provides a screen reader that's built for the web, right inside Chrome.
*We've improved accessibility for Google Docs, Sites and Calendar, including keyboard shortcuts and better support in modern screen readers
*Android 4.0 introduces touch exploration and out-of-box accessibility activation
*We've also expanded caption support on YouTube—improving access to broadcast and direct-to-web videos for people who are deaf or hard of hearing
If you're attending CSUN 2012, we hope you'll come up and say hello at one of our talks on the accessibility of our products, including the use of video in Google+ and Docs and accessibility on Android devices. And Friday we'll host a Q&A Fireside chat with Google product teams. You can also try some of these improvements out at our two hands-on demo sessions on Thursday, in the Connaught breakout room:
*10am to 12pm—Chromebooks and new features in Google Apps
*1pm to 3pm—Android 4.0 Galaxy Nexus phones
If you're not attending CSUN 2012, we'd love to hear your thoughts on accessibility in our web forum.

Posted by Naomi Black, Engineering Program Manager, Google Accessibility
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/understanding-accessibility-at-csun.html

[G] Google@SXSW: A taste of the Googleplex, in Austin

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:34 PM PST

Official Google Blog: Google@SXSW: A taste of the Googleplex, in Austin

Part of what makes Google such a fun place to work is that there's always something going on: diverse talks, lunchtime concerts, impromptu game tournaments, you name it—all wrapped up with a collective passion for building a better web. So when we were thinking of what we should do for this year's SXSW, it was pretty obvious: let's package up a few of the things that we love about Google and bring them with us to Austin, Texas.

Interactive talks
Our participation kicks off on Friday, March 9, in a fireside chat where senior vice president Vic Gundotra will discuss the future of the Google+ project with Guy Kawasaki. We also have Googlers speaking on more than 25 panels, covering topics as varied as the design of Google and YouTube, changing the world through hacking and WebGL's impact on the web.

Google Village
On March 10-11 we'll open up the Google Village. We're taking over Rainey Street (just a few steps away from the Austin Convention Center), setting up shop in four houses and packing them full of demos, drinks, talks and, of course, live music. Here's what you can expect at each of the houses:

  • Android House: We're showcasing the latest and greatest from Android, including phones and tablets running Android 4.0, live music on the backyard stage, and a look at cool entertainment for your device.
  • Google Maps House: Interested in enhancing Google Maps with biking directions or updating the business information in your local neighborhood? We'll show you how, plus many other ways you can add more map data to the places you know and love.
  • Developer House: Participate in code labs and spend a day with the team building LEGO race bots controlled by Android, leading up to the ultimate rumble Sunday evening. Learn more on the Developers Blog.
  • Discovery House: Find out more about our latest creative and advertising products, and see how Google can help you expand your business—or maybe start one.

Live from the Lot
There's no place like Austin for live music, and on March 15-16 Google Music and YouTube Presents will host Live from the Lot, two days of concerts atop a downtown parking garage. We'll have performances by The Shins, Gossip, The Ting Tings and Heartless Bastards, to name a few. If you can't make it in person, tune in online for a full live stream of both days' shows at youtube.com/presents.

Plus, artists officially showcasing at SXSW can also stop by our artist lounge at Live from the Lot to relax and recharge with food, laundry machines, massages and more.

Get more details about our plans for SXSW on our website. The trucks just finished packing up the last Android statue, and we're all ready to go. It's Austin or bust—hope to see you there!

Posted by Marc Vanlerberghe, Marketing Director for Android
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/googlesxsw-taste-of-googleplex-in.html

[G] Susan Cain Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:34 PM PST

Inside Google Books: Susan Cain Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

Posted by Mireya Sémelas, Google eBooks Strategist Post content

I had the pleasure today of meeting Susan Cain when she participated in an Authors@Google event hosted at our Mountain View headquarters. Her stimulating new release Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking has made it to the top of The New York Times Bestseller list.

Before becoming an acclaimed author, Susan practiced corporate law for seven years and then worked as a negotiations consultant. Her list of clients includes well-known firms like JP Morgan, Merrill Lynch, One Hundred Women in Hedge Funds and many more. However, far from being the self-confident person that her career might make her appear to be, Susan declares herself an introvert. She prefers listening to talking and reading to socializing. Watch her presentation at Google here:



In her talk, Susan said that our style as introverts or extroverts is embedded in ourselves, just like our gender; and it makes us react to stimulation in different ways. Susan said that while extroverts seek stimulation, introverts tend to react more to light, sound and and other types of stimulation, preferring less of it.

From as early as our childhood days, Susan said, we are constantly exposed to extrovert environments: playgrounds in which we are made to join in games with other kids, school classes where we have to read out loud and participate in team assignments to obtain good grades. And yet, she asserted, some children stay on their parents' laps instead of running around with others or seek quiet spots to do their homework. This attitude accompanies us through adulthood, where we're exposed to workplaces that promote open working spaces, teamwork and social gatherings.


Susan's book asks how introverts can cope and succeed, and suggests that we try to achieve a balance between our introvert and extrovert impulses. She points out that the most successful teams and marriages include both an introvert and extrovert. "No man is an island," she stated, "...we need people around us."

At the end of her talk, Susan shared with the attendees three important takeaways that resonated, personally, with me:
  1. Give yourself time for quiet. Guilt-free. We're all entitled to it.
  2. Think differently about the next generation of introvert children. Solitude is a catalyst to creativity.
  3. Think hard about what the essence to your great power is.  Susan joked that it might be the ability to fly, go back in time, win a wizard scholarship or even find the key to a secret garden, but whatever it is - she urges us to use that power, well and brilliantly.  

URL: http://booksearch.blogspot.com/2012/02/susan-cain-quiet-power-of-introverts-in.html

[G] TED’s 10 Ads Worth Spreading winners announced today

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:34 PM PST

YouTube Blog: TED's 10 Ads Worth Spreading winners announced today

Today's guest blog post comes from Ronda Carnegie, Head of Global Partnerships at TED.



Last October, we at TED set out to recognize the best in advertising with a program called Ads Worth Spreading. We wanted to find and honor clever, engaging ads that clearly communicated a company's ideas, sparked thoughtful conversation about advertising, and advocated for audiences, who want to be entertained, not interrupted. Agencies and industry luminaries were invited to submit nominations via YouTube.



The winners of the second Ads Worth Spreading initiative were announced moments ago at the TED Conference in Long Beach, CA. This year's 10 winners were carefully curated to shine a spotlight on ads that break the mold through longer-form, idea-based storytelling; were driven by ideas; value human attention and intelligence, and take the time to tell a thought-provoking story.



Entries ranged from 30-second spots to five-minute mini-documentaries, as well as several custom-made TED Talk-like pieces humanizing companies and causes. The winning work will be showcased at TED2012 as well as on TED.com and you can watch them all here on YouTube. Enjoy the full list of winners below!



The 2011/12 Ads Worth Spreading are:               



Chipotle: Back to the Start; Company: Chipotle; Agency: Creative Artists Agency

As he regrets the mass production and artificial methods of his industrial animal factory, a determined farmer opts to return to sustainable farming methods for the future and betterment of society.



Citizen Engagement: The Return of Ben Ali; Brand: Engagement Citoyen; Agency: Memac Ogilvy Tunisia

Although former Dictator of Tunisia President Ben Ali was ousted amidst the chaos of the Tunisian Revolution, many quickly lost interest in politics. In order to galvanize the Tunisian people out of hibernation, La Goulette shocked residents by warning the return of tyranny. 88% turned up for the October 23rd vote.



NTT Docomo Mobile Phone: Xylophone; Brand: NTT Docomo, Inc.; Agency: Drill Inc.

Organic and imaginative, NTT Docomo captures the essence of their new mobile phone to redefine nature and technology.

                                                                                       

Microsoft/Xbox: Kinect Effect; Brand: Microsoft / Xbox; Agency: Twofifteenmccann

Pushing the realm of imagination and technology, the Kinect takes a leap into the future of education, gaming and interaction



Sharpie: Start with Sharpie; Brand: Sharpie; Agency: Draftfbc - Chicago  

Cheeming Boey, builds a career around drawing on cups with Sharpies. His inspirational story is one of creativity and drive, challenging those who tried to taint his dream.



Mazda: Defy Convention; Brand: Mazda; Agency: Team Cosmos/JWT Germany/Team Mazda Europe     This moving advertisement shows how their heritage helps Mazda to see things differently and overcome adversity.



L'Oreal Paris: Aimee Mullins; Brand: L'Oreal Paris; Agency: R/GA and McCann Erickson

L'Oreal's new beauty ambassador knows a lot about challenging notions of perceived beauty and achievement, as the wearer of double prosthetic legs.



Rethink Breast Cancer: Your Man Reminder; Brand: Rethink Breast Cancer; Agency: john st.

A tongue-in-cheek assertion that women are more likely to watch a video if it features a 'hot guy' underpins the serious message of this video.



Prudential Day One: Linda;  Brand: Prudential; Agency: Droga5  

Linda Gutherie reveals the thought process and life changes behind retirement as she shares her first day of retirement.



Canal +: The Bear; Brand: Canal+; Agency: BETC Euro RSCG

A bear skin rug that becomes a movie director? Just watch it ;-)



Guest to the YouTube Blog Ronda Carnegie, Head of Global Partnerships at TED, recently watched "Back to the Start".


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/fFoUWF7i6n8/teds-10-ads-worth-spreading-winners.html

[G] Meet marydoodles, our February YouTube Partner On The Rise

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:34 PM PST

YouTube Blog: Meet marydoodles, our February YouTube Partner On The Rise

This year's not-so-short month of February brought us lots of talented YouTube Partners as part of our monthly "On The Rise" program, and in the end, marydoodles, was the partner featured on today's YouTube homepage.



Mary Gutfleisch came to Los Angeles by way of Minnesota and Chicago, and now spends her days making props and costumes for Epic Rap Battles of History. But her true passion is making pictures - her work spans techniques such as watercolor painting, pen and ink, and chalk drawings. And the subjects of Mary's work are just as varied: she's covered dragons, teddy bears, zombie-style self portraits, and she's even captured the elusive narwhal.










Here are a few words from Mary:


First off, I'd love to give a big shout out to every single teacher who caught me drawing in their class but never made me stop. It was very rude of me. I apologize. I've always loved creating art and I LOVE movies and making videos! So to be able to combine the two...it feels like the best Christmas ever and it's not even Christmas. And the most amazing thing is that this is all supported by many many many individuals (like yourself) who watch. So thank YOU! And thanks to the folks at YouTube for recognizing my channel and to all my friends over at Epic Rap Battles of History for letting me ride your coattails (I will dry clean your coat). It's awesome to be able to connect with other artists and fans alike and I hope to inspire you as much as you've inspired me. Art is more accessible now than ever before and I feel lucky to be able to sharedji/kjmOMG! I JUST SPILLED HOT TEA ALL OVER MY ARM!!!


If you've enjoyed this monthly On The Rise blog series and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our On The Rise Channel. Keep an eye out for next month's blog post, as your channel may be the next one On The Rise!



Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched "The Orangutan and the Hound."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/Bv1YvJqWtVc/meet-marydoodles-our-february-youtube.html

[G] Check out your new image ads from the AdWords Display Ad Builder

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 02:58 PM PST

Inside AdWords: Check out your new image ads from the AdWords Display Ad Builder

Image and video ads on the Google Display Network can have a strong impact on the success of your online marketing campaigns. These ads convey your messages in more engaging and memorable ways, enticing viewers to buy what you're selling.

The Display Ad Builder tool within AdWords already lets you easily create image and video ads for free and gives you the flexibility to customize these ads to suit your needs. Check out these image ads for examples of what you can create:


But today we're announcing a new feature that essentially builds your image ads for you.

The Display Ad Builder now automatically creates suggested image ads, using the existing text ads in your campaign.
  • Click on the suggested ad that you like best.
  • If necessary, customize any fonts, text, or colors that need tweaking.
  • Then incorporate the ad into one of your ad groups. It's that simple.
Check out your suggested ads now>>

You don't even have to be in the Display Ad Builder tool to use this new feature.
  • If you're in one of your ad groups, you can select an existing text ad and under "More Actions," choose "Generate Display Ad."
  • AdWords will create an image ad based on the text ad you selected.

If you want to create your ad from scratch, you can always choose from hundreds of template designs.
  • Add your text and customize the fonts, colors, and background.
  • Choose images from the AdWords stock gallery, from your computer, or straight off your website.
  • Review the ad in all formats to make sure it looks right, then add it to your campaign.
For more information about Display Ad Builder, visit the Display Network website.

Posted by Lauren Barbato, Inside AdWords crew
URL: http://adwords.blogspot.com/2012/02/check-out-your-new-image-ads-from.html

[G] Dynamic Views: Update #3 - Gadgets!

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 02:58 PM PST

Blogger Buzz: Dynamic Views: Update #3 - Gadgets!


Hi Bloggers.

Have you been contemplating a new design for your blog? Are you ready to spruce up your pages with a fresh, modern, and new look? Then you may want to check out Dynamic Views - which now include gadget support.

Dynamic Views are a set of templates that make it easy and fun to explore a blog. As you might expect, we've made the gadgets interactive too. Instead of appearing in a panel that consumes valuable real estate on your blog, gadgets now appear in a dock that slides in and out as you move your cursor over them.
Gadgets supported in Dynamic Views include: Blog Archive, Followers, Labels, Profile, Subscribe (a new gadget - automatically present if either Follow By Email or Subscription installed), and Link List. These gadgets make it easier for your readers to navigate your blog (archive, labels), and to follow it (followers and RSS).

If you are currently using a traditional template and change to Dynamic Views, supported gadgets will automatically appear on your blog. Gadgets can be added, removed, and customized from the Layouts tab the same as with any other template.

If you're one of the millions of blogs who have adopted Dynamic Views since we launched them in September 2011, we encourage you to head on over to our Google+ page and tell us what you like about them!

Happy blogging.

Bruce Polderman, Product Manager
URL: http://buzz.blogger.com/2012/02/dynamic-views-update-3-gadgets.html

[G] Michael Fassbender and Your Film Festival

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 02:58 PM PST

YouTube Blog: Michael Fassbender and Your Film Festival

On February 2, we opened submissions to Your Film Festival, a competition to find the world's best storytellers and connect them with a global audience. Created in partnership with Ridley Scott and Scott Free London, the Venice Film Festival, and Emirates, Your Film Festival will send 10 finalists, as chosen by you, to the 2012 Venice Film Festival where a grand prize winner will receive $500,000 to work on their next project.



Today, we'd like to introduce the newest member of the Your Film Festival team, award-winning actor Michael Fassbender.







Fassbender joins Ridley Scott as a Your Film Festival juror, as well as co-executive producer on the winner's grand prize project. This means that he and Ridley will work together to produce the winner's next film project! With credits including Shame, X-Men: First Class, 300 and Inglorious Basterds, Michael brings world-class experience ranging from some of the biggest blockbusters to the most critically acclaimed indies.



If you haven't submitted yet, consider this your 1-month warning. Submissions close on March 31 at midnight ET. For more information, check out the Your Film Festival channel.



Good luck!



Nate Weinstein, entertainment marketing manager, recently watched "Kevin Allocca: Why videos go viral."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/kOyMQKdjj28/michael-fassbender-and-your-film.html

[G] Captions for all: more options for your viewing and reading pleasure

Posted: 28 Feb 2012 06:41 AM PST

YouTube Blog: Captions for all: more options for your viewing and reading pleasure

Since we first announced caption support in 2006, YouTube creators have uploaded more than 1.6 million videos with captions, growing steadily each year. We've also enabled automatic captions for 135 million videos, more than tripling the number of captioned videos available since July 2011. YouTube and Google's video accessibility team have been hard at work, and we wanted to let you know about some of our progress over the past few months:



For YouTube viewers



More languages: We now support automatic captions and transcript synchronization in Japanese, Korean, and English. Speech recognition for those languages makes it easier for video owners to create captions from a plain transcript. Video owners can also add captions and subtitles in 155 supported languages and dialects, from Afar to Zulu. In Movies and Shows, you can even find out which subtitle languages are available before deciding to rent.





Search for videos with captions: Looking for that great quote from a video on YouTube? Add ", cc" to any search, or after searching, click Filter > CC to only see results with closed captions.





Caption settings: While watching a video, you can change the way the captions look by clicking on the "CC" icon and then the "Settings..." menu item. This includes changing the font size or colors used, and we're planning to make this available on other platforms and add more options soon.





Broadcast caption support: If the channel owner provides a video caption file in a broadcast format, we now support its position and style information, just like you'd see on TV. This means the text can appear near the character who is speaking, italicized to indicate an off-camera narrator, or even scrolling if the original captions were generated in a real-time mode. Check out this little demo from CPC to see how it looks.



For YouTube creators



More supported formats: YouTube now supports many of the common caption formats used by broadcasters, such as .SCC, .CAP, EBU-STL, and others. If you have closed captions that you created for TV or DVDs, we'll handle the conversion for you.



MPEG-2 caption import: If you upload an MPEG-2 video file that contains closed captions with CEA-608 encoding, we'll import the captions along with the video and create YouTube captions. For example, the nonprofit organization Public.Resource.Org recently added thousands of public domain videos with closed captions to YouTube, coming from government agencies like the National Archives. Here's some insight from Carl Malamud, President, Public.Resource.Org:

Many of the DVDs and VHS tapes lying around in our vaults and attics--particularly those that were produced by governments and others that care about accessibility of their videos--already have Closed Captions embedded in them. Pulling that information out automatically and making it visible on YouTube means that these videos will continue to be accessible to new generations of viewers.




Along with the millions of people like myself who rely on captions and subtitles, we were very encouraged when the Federal Communications Commission published rules governing closed captioning requirements for video on the web, whether that's to your computer, tablet, phone or other device. We hope these new regulations will drive captions closer to becoming ubiquitous for video everywhere, and in the meantime we'll keep developing more ways for you to enjoy all the great channels on YouTube.



Ken Harrenstien, software engineer, recently rented "Cars 2" and was ecstatic to see its awesome captions.


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/Q6-ORsOVL_g/captions-for-all-more-options-for-your.html
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