Friday, February 10, 2012

Googland

Googland

[G] Leroy Merlin Spain moves to the cloud

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 10:12 PM PST

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Leroy Merlin Spain moves to the cloud

Posted by Luis Herrero, CIO, Leroy Merlin Spain

Editors note: Today we are happy to announce that the Spanish Leroy Merlin stores are moving to Google Apps for Business. Our guest blogger, Luis Herrero, CIO at Leroy Merlin Spain, tells us about the move.

Leroy Merlin Spain employees over 8,000 people in 50 stores throughout the country. Our large retail spaces provide self service and sales assisted services across four areas - DIY, building, gardening, and decoration. We're the leading chain in this sector in Spain offering products, services and solutions to over 27 million customers.

Earlier this year we identified the need to modernize our IT systems, and we were seeking a system that would allow the business to become more efficient. We wanted a unified technology solution that is easy to use and would enable our teams across multiple stores to communicate and collaborate together.

After considering various options in the market, we decided to implement Google's technology solutions for business. The primary reasons for choosing Google Apps were the speed, simplicity, ease of implementation and the quality of the service offered, together with Google's wide experience with many other clients.

The adoption of Google Apps for Business is part of our strategy to position our business as a dynamic and innovative company, able to merge the business with one of the most advanced technologies in the market. We see our move as an opportunity for our employees to have powerful and easy collaboration and communication tools, and we look forward to seeing what we can achieve with these tools as we complete the roll out.
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2012/02/posted-by-luis-herrero-cio-leroy-merlin.html

[G] Quantifying comedy on YouTube: why the number of o’s in your LOL matter

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 06:35 PM PST

Research Blog: Quantifying comedy on YouTube: why the number of o's in your LOL matter

Posted by Sanketh Shetty, YouTube Slam Team, Google Research 

In a previous post, we talked about quantification of musical talent using machine learning on acoustic features for YouTube Music Slam. We wondered if we could do the same for funny videos, i.e. answer questions such as: is a video funny, how funny do viewers think it is, and why is it funny? We noticed a few audiovisual patterns across comedy videos on YouTube, such as shaky camera motion or audible laughter, which we can automatically detect. While content-based features worked well for music, identifying humor based on just such features is AI-Complete. Humor preference is subjective, perhaps even more so than musical taste.

 Fortunately, at YouTube, we have more to work with. We focused on videos uploaded in the comedy category. We captured the uploader's belief in the funniness of their video via features based on title, description and tags. Viewers' reactions, in the form of comments, further validate a video's comedic value. To this end we computed more text features based on words associated with amusement in comments. These included (a) sounds associated with laughter such as hahaha, with culture-dependent variants such as hehehe, jajaja, kekeke, (b) web acronyms such as lol, lmao, rofl, (c) funny and synonyms of funny, and (d) emoticons such as :), ;-), xP. We then trained classifiers to identify funny videos and then tell us why they are funny by categorizing them into genres such as "funny pets", "spoofs or parodies", "standup", "pranks", and "funny commercials".

 Next we needed an algorithm to rank these funny videos by comedic potential, e.g. is "Charlie bit my finger" funnier than "David after dentist"? Raw viewcount on its own is insufficient as a ranking metric since it is biased by video age and exposure. We noticed that viewers emphasize their reaction to funny videos in several ways: e.g. capitalization (LOL), elongation (loooooool), repetition (lolololol), exclamation (lolllll!!!!!), and combinations thereof. If a user uses an "loooooool" vs an "loool", does it mean they were more amused? We designed features to quantify the degree of emphasis on words associated with amusement in viewer comments. We then trained a passive-aggressive ranking algorithm using human-annotated pairwise ground truth and a combination of text and audiovisual features. Similar to Music Slam, we used this ranker to populate candidates for human voting for our Comedy Slam.

 So far, more than 75,000 people have cast more than 700,000 votes, making comedy our most popular slam category. Give it a try!

Further reading:
  1. "Opinion Mining and Sentiment Analysis," by Bo Pang and Lillian Lee. 
  2. "A Great Catchy Name: Semi-Supervised Recognition of Sarcastic Sentences in Online Product Reviews," by Oren Tsur, Dmitry Davidov, and Ari Rappoport. 
  3. "That's What She Said: Double Entendre Identification," by Chloe Kiddon and Yuriy Brun.
URL: http://googleresearch.blogspot.com/2012/02/quantifying-comedy-on-youtube-why.html

[G] Customize your standard reports

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 06:35 PM PST

Google Analytics Blog: Customize your standard reports

Designing a good custom report can be challenging, and sometimes all you really want is a slightly different version of a standard report. Using the new "Customize" feature in Google Analytics allows you to tweak our definitions of Standard Reports into your own Custom Reports.


So, what's new?
There is a new button in the action bar on all tabular standard reports in Analytics, labeled "Customize". 






Where to find the "Customize" option on standard reports


Clicking this button loads the custom report builder. From there, you are just clicks away from your own custom report.





An example of a customized standard report


What can I use it for?
Here are some example use cases to get the ideas flowing:
  • New metrics, familiar reports - The best metrics are the ones that provide actionable insights into your business. Try adding different metric groups to your favorite reports to see if how it impacts your view of conversion rates.

  • Drill down into your data - Sometimes, the best route to a particular piece of data is a drilldown not found in any standard report. You could customize the Language report to drill into search terms for a language-by-language comparison of your organic search traffic.

  • Filter to find insights - Ad campaigns can span many networks. Try customizing the AdWords Campaigns report and applying a filter for Ad Distribution Network matches "Google Search" to see your performance on only Google Search. 

What else should I know? 
  • Not all standard reports can be transformed into custom reports. Look for the "Customize" button to see if a particular report can be customized.

We hope you'll gain even greater insights into your data by customizing the power of Google Analytics standard reports to more closely match your business needs.


- Chris Anderson, Google Analytics team




URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tRaA/~3/CWtAHjWQSsw/customize-your-standard-reports.html

[G] AdWords campaign management – Even better when you share

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 06:35 PM PST

Inside AdWords: AdWords campaign management – Even better when you share


Last January, we introduced a new way to manage changes across multiple campaigns with lists, starting with negative keyword lists. These lists give advertisers the ability to create and manage groups of negative keywords in your account and to associate them with multiple campaigns. We're now pleased to announce two new developments to our lists feature which will sit in a new place in the AdWords left navigation panel called the "Shared library."

#1. Placement exclusion lists

Exclusion lists, which are similar to negative keyword lists, allow you to create lists of placements to exclude, and associate these lists with multiple campaigns in your account.


For example, let's say you have a set of particular placements on our Display Network that you don't want your ads to appear on. Previously, you'd need to add these as placement exclusions to every campaign targeted to the Display Network within your account. With placement exclusion lists, you can create a single list containing these placement exclusions and associate them with any or all the campaigns in your account running on the display network. Additionally, if you wanted to add another exclusion, you'd just have to add it to the list once, and it would automatically apply to all the associated campaigns.

#2. List suggestions

The new list suggestions feature will tell you where you are using the same negative keywords or placement exclusions across multiple campaigns and therefore where it would be useful to create lists for these keywords/placements instead.


We hope these features will help you manage your negative keywords and placement exclusions more easily and efficiently by removing the need for duplication of entities across your account.

Please visit our Help Center to find out more about placement exclusion lists and the list suggestion feature.

Posted by Luisa Lu, Software Engineer
URL: http://adwords.blogspot.com/2012/02/adwords-campaign-management-even-better.html

[G] Search Funnels refresh: new and improved interface

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 06:35 PM PST

Inside AdWords: Search Funnels refresh: new and improved interface

In March 2010, we launched Search Funnels, a tool that helps advertisers understand the series of search impressions and search clicks that result in conversions.

Since then, we've been tweaking the user interface to make it more useful and usable. We're launching our interface refresh today and want to familiarize you with the new interface so you can migrate smoothly. For the next few weeks you'll also be able to access the previous version (see the left navigation bar under the report list), but we hope you'll take advantage of the improvements in the new version.

Here's a sampling of some of the improved features:

Compare date ranges and see if your funnel has changed year-over-year. Just click on the date range drop down and this menu will appear:




Access drill-down dimensions quickly via tabs. You'll see these tabs at the top left of the Search Funnels tables:



View total conversions and conversion value side-by-side in our histogram reports, now available in all Search Funnels reports:


We've also made it easier to create persistent drill-down filters so you can view multiple reports focusing on the same analysis. For example, if you'd like to do an analysis based on "all the Top Paths where the first click was Campaign XYZ," you can now Save this drill-down and then click through multiple reports. If you no longer want to have this view, just click the "Clear" button above the report title and you'll return to the unfiltered version of the report:



Click "Save" to keep a first-clicked view across reports
Click "Clear" to return to an unfiltered view

We hope you enjoy these new usability tweaks, and happy path analyzing!

Posted by Laura Holmes, Product Manager

URL: http://adwords.blogspot.com/2012/02/search-funnels-refresh-new-and-improved.html

[G] An update on the Google bar

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 06:35 PM PST

Official Google Blog: An update on the Google bar

Two months ago, we announced our plans to roll out a new design for the Google bar. Our goal was to create a beautifully simple and intuitive experience across Google. Based on your feedback, we realized there were some elements of the new bar that we could improve, and with that in mind, we're introducing an updated version that we believe will provide a better experience.

The new design retains many of the feature changes we made in November that proved popular, including a unified search box and Google+ sharing and notifications across Google. The biggest change is that we've replaced the drop-down Google menu with a consistent and expanded set of links running across the top of the page.



We'll be rolling out this new version of the Google bar over the next few weeks. In the meantime, we invite you to read about the new design in our Help Center, and send us your feedback.

Posted by Eddie Kessler, Technical Lead
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/update-on-google-bar.html

[G] Congratulations to Amit Singhal on his election to NAE

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 06:35 PM PST

Official Google Blog: Congratulations to Amit Singhal on his election to NAE

This morning, the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced the election of 66 new members, including our very own Amit Singhal, Google Fellow and lead on Google Search. Amit joins a list of nine of us Googlers who have previously been recognized by the NAE: Sergey Brin, Vint Cerf, Jeff Dean, Sanjay Ghemawat, Larry Page, Eric Schmidt, Dick Sites, Ken Thompson and myself.

Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. The Academy recognized Amit for his contributions to information retrieval and search, where Amit has creatively applied and extended the science of information retrieval to new heights that were almost unthinkable when the field was founded. In so doing, he has had a tremendous and beneficial impact on the world with sustained excellence of Google's search.

Amit was similarly recognized by the Association of Computing Machinery two months ago. I encourage you to read more about his important contributions in our blog post from December. Congratulations to Amit!

Posted by Alfred Spector, VP, Google Research
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/congratulations-to-amit-singhal-on-his.html

[G] Your front row seat to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 03:15 PM PST

YouTube Blog: Your front row seat to Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in NYC

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week kicks off today, and you can be front row at the Lincoln Center. YouTube Live From the Runway, presented by Maybelline NY, is your ticket to the hottest shows including Diane Von Furstenberg, Michael Kors, and Vera Wang.



Fashionistas from around the world can watch around 30 of today's hottest designers live streamed from NYC. You can also find fashion and beauty tutorials, behind-the-scenes action, interviews with designers, models, celebrities and more, all at www.youtube.com/liverunway.







Tune in today through February 16 for the live stream. You can also add your favorite shows to your calendar from the designer line-up schedule on the channel.



Jamie Reichstein, lifestyle program manager, recently watched "Sporty Look for Spring 2012: Trend Report."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/2QwV5uOjKfk/your-front-row-seat-to-mercedes-benz.html

[G] AdSense in Your City goes global

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 03:15 PM PST

Inside AdSense: AdSense in Your City goes global




Following the success of AdSense in Your City events in North America and the positive feedback we've received so far, we're expanding this program to reach more publishers. That's right, we're now packing our passports and taking these events to international cities!



In addition to the recently announced lineup of US cities for upcoming AdSense in Your City events, we'll soon be hosting events in Amsterdam, Bogota, Melbourne and Vienna. There's plenty more to come in 2012 as well, when we'll be visiting Auckland, Berlin, Buenos Aires, London, Mexico City, Paris, and Sydney, just to name a few. Members of the AdSense team will share the latest product updates and offer 1-to-1 optimization consultations, and you'll hear

from experts on areas such as DFP Small Business, Mobile, YouTube, and Webmaster Tools. You'll also have the chance to meet other local publishers during the day to share your experiences.



Keep an eye out for more information about these events and be sure to opt in to receiving 'Special Offer' emails so we can let you know when we'll be touching down at a city near you. We hope to see you at an AdSense in Your City event soon.



Posted by Arlene Lee - Inside AdSense Team


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tuAm/~3/UGLMOml8RFw/adsense-in-your-city-goes-global.html

[G] Lightsabers Out: May the Force Be With Us!

Posted: 09 Feb 2012 08:04 AM PST

YouTube Blog: Lightsabers Out: May the Force Be With Us!

Today we'd like to welcome Chris Hardwick, actor, comedian, writer, and general nerd enthusiast, to the YouTube Blog to announce a truly "out of this world" event. Keep an eye out for Chris on The Nerdist Channel coming to a YouTube near you!



Humans of the 'Tube! I am BEYOND pleased to blab about something which has been brewing and bubbling at Nerdist Industries for the past few months that is finally ready to spill over into the public consciousness. And now, a leading question! Are you going to San Diego Comic-Con this year? If so, how are you getting there? Plane? Bus? Rickshaw? Pack mule? Some type of matter disassembler/reassembler? Whatever your answer, I'm sure that "on foot" was not on the list….UNTIL NOW!!!



Nerdist Industries—in an exclusive partnership with Lucasfilm and Machinima—is proud to announce COURSE OF THE FORCE, a five-day Olympic-torch-style lightsaber relay run that begins at Santa Monica pier on Saturday, July 7th and ends in San Diego on Wednesday, July 11th (just in time for preview night of SDCC '12)!



Yes! You heard right (with your eyes)! We are going to run down the California coast—lightsaber ahoist (not a real word)—and pass it off, one nerd at a time. Segments are purchasable in quarter-mile increments and ALL proceeds from your segment monies will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. See? It's not just a vanity exercise! It actually benefits a wonderful charity.







Here's some backstory you didn't ask for! In 2012, I will be attending my 9th San Diego Comic-Con. While I always look forward to that extended weekend of Nerdvana, I sometimes feel a bit like the commercial shininess of it slightly eclipses its intended spirit. To me, going to Cons as a kid was all about having a safe haven—a place where like-minded folks could come together to celebrate nerdly passions and accept each other for the oddball (by the larger and more boring sector of society's standards) stuff we were all into. Ultimately, it should be the most fun thing of the year. For poop sake, most of you save up your whole year of cash and vacation time to go to SDCC so why not run at it screaming?? This is a rare opportunity to dress like a Sith (or ANYTHING of your choosing, Star Wars-y or not) and run down the beach while power chanting with a glowing sword made of light in your hand. On ANY OTHER DAY that would easily get you arrested or at the very least, detained. Don't feel like running but want to support someone who is? FINE! Join us for parties, live music and comedy each night along the way.



Space is limited to about 500 running slots so snatch yours POST HASTE at courseoftheforce.com. In addition to a place on the Course, you'll also get a limited edition lightsaber of your very own and a swag bag that would make a scavenging Jawa jealous. Great swag, general public silliness and a celebration of Nerd pride...all for an amazing cause. Please join us in taking the Con out of the hall and stretching it to a full week of activities as we storm the yellow brick road (sand) to Oz (SDCC)!



If you are geographically challenged and can't make it out to Southern California in July, the entire relay will be livestreamed at YouTube.com/nerdist, aka, The Nerdist Channel. WHAT IS THAT??? Excellent query, Person! The Nerdist Channel on YouTube is a partnership between Nerdist Industries, The Jim Henson Company, and Broadway Video. We officially launch April 1 and will be bringing you nerd-centric programming with such folks as me, Neil Patrick Harris, Rob Zombie, Awkward Family Videos, The Dudesons and The Kids in the Hall, just to name a few. Additionally, we'll have programs that cover gaming, science, tech and cosplay. Shows with other people you may recognize as being relevant to your interests will be announced VERY soon so keep an eye glued to Nerdist.com for that business!



Also, if you've read this far, you are a nice person and I heartily thank you.



Guest YouTube blogger Chris Hardwick hosts The Nerdist Podcast, AMC's Talking Dead, and recently watched "COURSE OF THE FORCE - An Epic Journey". He also enjoys synth-driven rock music and Salt & Vinegar chips.


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/gegx7HnrIPA/lightsabers-out-may-force-be-with-us.html
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