Saturday, February 11, 2012

Googland

Googland

[G] Syria unrest, Denver snowstorm, earthquake in the Philippines

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 10:40 PM PST

YouTube Blog: Syria unrest, Denver snowstorm, earthquake in the Philippines

Everyday on the CitizenTube channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Each week we post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week, as seen through the lens of both citizen-reported footage and professional news coverage.

Come back next week to see the news unfold on YouTube.

Posted by Olivia Ma, YouTube News and Politics Manager, recently watched "War Torn: An Iraq Veteran's Story."




URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/QwDsQqjqdvw/syria-unrest-denver-snowstorm.html

[G] Drupal Usability Study at Google livestreamed to 100+

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 10:40 PM PST

Google Open Source Blog: Drupal Usability Study at Google livestreamed to 100+



I am excited to announce what a huge success the Drupal usability studies were last week! We livestreamed 8 usability sessions using both Google+ Hangouts on Air and Livestream.com and had over 115 people watching live! The exciting conversations taking place in the #drupal-usability IRC channel proved how powerful live events are; the community truly came together through a process of collaborative brainstorming and experiencing the struggles of new users collectively as they happened.



Our usability lab setup was flawless thanks to the masterful help of my friend and coworker Garen Checkley. Jen Lampton from Chapter Three served as the help desk support for study participants during the session. I moderated the sessions and walked participants through different tasks that we created along with the help of Bojhan Somers and Angie Byron.







We divided our study participants into 2 groups to study; one using vanilla Drupal 7 to observe where new users had trouble understanding the the basic system, and one working with a custom Drupal 7 install that already had specific contrib-modules installed and enabled to gain insight into usability issues with specific interfaces, especially the hugely popular module Views."



Currently we are beginning the process of turning our findings into actionable items that we can put into issue queues. The Drupal Usability group will work hard to act on the results of this study to improve Drupal. Recorded videos of the sessions can now be viewed on our YouTube playlist.



Additionally, I have posted a video of my presentation "User Experience for You and Drupal too!" with Jen Lampton from Drupal Camp San Diego (SANDCamp) in an article on my blog. Be sure to check out the video for an overview of fundamental principles of user experience and how UX has evolved in the Drupal community.



When our findings and results from the study become more refined, Garen will write another blog post on this blog to share our findings and some more links. Until then, make sure to get involved with the Drupal Usability group if you are interested in helping to act on the findings of these studies and continue to make Drupal better!



By Becky Gessler, Google Search Quality team


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GoogleOpenSourceBlog/~3/aYjTd023lWs/drupal-usability-study-at-google.html

[G] Ship Wars@ Google Waterloo: A virtual battle of intergalactic spacecraft

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:25 PM PST

Official Google Blog: Ship Wars@ Google Waterloo: A virtual battle of intergalactic spacecraft

On Tuesday, January 24, Google Waterloo opened its doors to engineers from the Kitchener-Waterloo area to participate in the first ever Ship Wars Programming Competition. The brainchild of myself and another Waterloo engineer, Garret Kelly, Ship Wars is a competition in which participants code their own intergalactic crafts in the programming language of their choice, and then battle against each other in a virtual environment. The inaugural competition proved quite popular, drawing nearly 40 participants, ready for battle.

The game itself went through a lengthy series of internal tests and refinements at the Google Waterloo office in the weeks leading up to the tournament. On the day of the event, participants quickly learned how to play and were able to code, test and enter their virtual ships into competition in under three hours. Not an easy feat!

The engineers brought their own machines (mostly laptops, but a few brought in huge desktops) to build and run their ships. After a brief overview of the rules, they were able to get started coding their ships in the language of their choice—some even switched languages mid-way through the event, changing their plan of attack. They were able to control the way the ships moved (direction and speed) and the strength of their weapons, but were only given clues as to how their ship and weapon systems would behave inside the simulation— the rest had to be deduced by playing test matches against example ships. This type of on-the-fly problem solving proved to be a unique and exciting challenge.

To test their ships in battle against other engineers' creations, head-to-head battle stations were set up around the room. At these stations, participants could see how their ships were shaping up, watch them in action and ultimately decide what changes they could make before the final competition.

Local engineers design their virtual battleships

At the end of the evening, guests were given a tour of the Google Waterloo office while their ships "went to battle." Thousands of simulated head-to-head battles and 15 minutes later, to the sound of much laughter and raucous cheering, the ship captains saw their results and watched replays of some of the most dramatic battles. Prizes (a Motorola Xoom Tablet, a Samsung Galaxy Tablet and a Google messenger bag) were awarded to the designers of the three ships with the most wins. For more photos, here's a link to our album.

This wildly successful event will be expanding out to a few other Google offices in the near future. Be on the lookout, Pittsburgh and Cambridge: Ship Wars is coming to you next!

Posted by Aaron Kemp, Software Engineer

(Cross-posted from the Technical Programs and Events blog)
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/ship-wars-google-waterloo-virtual.html

[G] Celebrating our history, accomplishments and community during Black History Month

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:25 PM PST

Official Google Blog: Celebrating our history, accomplishments and community during Black History Month

If you walk down the halls of our New York office, you might learn something about the history of technology. This month, our walls showcase the contributions of Black inventors in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in celebration of Black History Month.

Black History Month, which is every February in the U.S., provides us with an opportunity to recognize the history and diversity of the communities where we operate. Yesterday, our midwestern Googlers listened to the music of Michigan's only Black and Latino Orchestra and next week, Dr. Clarence Jones will be speaking to our Bay-area Googlers about writing Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. This is just a small sampling of the dozens of celebrations Googlers are hosting all month long.


Black History Month also gives us a chance to celebrate the diversity of our Googlers and highlight some ways we work with underrepresented groups. One of my favorite examples is the story of the Black Googlers Network (BGN). In June 2006, a group of Googlers looking to connect and foster community among Black colleagues got together to create an internal networking group. The Black Googlers Network started as a mailing list, but quickly grew into much more. Passionate about growing the next generation of Black leaders in the technology industry, BGN partnered with our university programs team to strengthen our relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). As a result, we've not only increased our recruiting presence at these schools, but are now also partnering with HBCU faculty to develop STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) curriculum, encouraging more students to pursue degrees in these areas and prepare them for careers in technology.

Members of our BGN are also shaping the way we do business. In May of 2009, two recent grads in our Ann Arbor office saw an opportunity, and what started as an idea bounced around between two twenty-somethings turned into an official Google program. The idea was to help minority-owned small businesses grow their online presence and, just a few months later, the idea became a reality when Accelerate with Google officially launched. The program has since grown into a team of several dozen Googlers, all working to get small, minority-owned businesses online and helping those business owners connect with one another.

Our passionate Googlers, like those behind BGN and Accelerate, allow us to better connect with the Black community and help to create an inclusive and diverse workplace. As we throw dozens of celebrations around the country in our Atlanta, Chicago, Ann Arbor, New York, Los Angeles and Mountain View offices to mark Black History Month, we invite you to join us by following our Google for Students and Life at Google pages on Google+, where we'll be hosting photos, recaps and hangouts throughout the month.

Posted by Yolanda Mangolini, Director of Global Diversity Talent & Inclusion
URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/celebrating-our-history-accomplishments.html

[G] Introducing our February “On The Rise” Nominees

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 03:25 PM PST

YouTube Blog: Introducing our February "On The Rise" Nominees

Each month, we identify four YouTube Partners whose Channels have experienced significant growth and are on the cusp of really taking off for our On The Rise program. Our February nominees include both entertainers and educators. Need a car repair tip or fun baking ideas? Want to learn about music production, or watch a drawing come to life? Look no further than the Partner videos below.



So, where do you come in? One of these partners will be featured on the YouTube homepage, and you can help them get there. Check out their videos below and vote for your favorite in the top right corner of this blog. In addition to your votes, each Channel will be evaluated on criteria such as audience engagement and Channel optimization to decide which Channel will be featured on the homepage, Facebook and Twitter at the end of the month.



In past months, Partners like ThePortraitArt and CaliforniaTravelTips have seen tremendous growth in their audience thanks to your support. You have until February 17th at 5pm PT to vote for your favorite Channel. Check back to see who secured the homepage feature on February 28th.



marydoodles

Hailing from Los Angeles, Mary's day job involves creating props and costumes for Epic Rap Battles of History. Her real hobby, though, is drawing - she's been doing it her whole life. Check out Mary's channel to witness her talent in motion.







yoyomax12

Need creative baking ideas for Valentine's day, birthdays, or other special occasions? Whether you're an experienced baker or just learning to bake, Tammy's channel offers easy-to-follow instructional videos packed with fun ideas and recipes for cookies, bars, and cupcakes.







wwwboyinabandcom

Dave is passionate about music. He's in a band, and he's dedicated his YouTube channel to hosting free music production tutorials. Listen to his original music, learn how to set up a home studio, read music software/hardware reviews, and more on this Telford, England, native's channel.







EricTheCarGuy

Eric is a certified master technician dedicated to the art of auto repair and helping the "do-it-yourselfer." He attended art school, but then shifted his focus to automotives and hasn't looked back. Check out his channel to learn how to drive a stick shift, replace a fuel pump, or shim a starter.







If you're interested in checking out more rising YouTube Partners, visit our On The Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and monthly blog winners.



Devon Storbeck and Christine Wang, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched "9 Year Old Jonny Mizzone - How Mountain Girls Can Love - Sleepy Man Banjo Boys."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/aGh_zZD4AOc/introducing-our-february-on-rise.html

[G] Tighten your laces as we head to the “Fastest Track in the World”

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 11:12 AM PST

YouTube Blog: Tighten your laces as we head to the "Fastest Track in the World"

The Millrose Games is regarded as the most historic indoor track & field event in the world, and is now coming to YouTube for the first time.



This event serves as a homecoming for the country's top men's and women's athletes aiming for Olympic Gold in London as they sprint to the finish line on the "world's fastest indoor track." You can watch the Millrose Games livestream in HD on YouTube starting at 1pm PT Saturday, February, 11, 2012. The premiere showcase begins at 3:45pm PT and runs through the famed Wanamaker Mile around 7pm PT.







Highlights of the event include Olympic gold medalist LaShawn Merritt in pursuit of the first sub-minute 500m dash. Also, three of the women slated to run in the 400-meter dash have won Gold at the Olympic Games, so you can watch Sanya Richards-Ross, Natasha Hastings and Mary Wineberg go head to head.



Get your stopwatches ready as the 2012 Millrose Games are expecting to see top talent challenge long-standing records. You can get even more into track and field on YouTube Sports.



Julie Kikla, YouTube Sports, recently watched "Worlds fastest man meets his match."


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/rug6BDGkWYE/tighten-your-laces-as-we-head-to.html

[G] Celebrating one year of web vulnerability research

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 11:12 AM PST

Google Online Security Blog: Celebrating one year of web vulnerability research

Posted by Adam Mein, Technical Program Manager, Google Security Team

In November 2010, we introduced a different kind of vulnerability reward program that encourages people to find and report security bugs in Google's web applications. By all available measures, the program has been a big success. Before we embark further, we wanted to pause and share a few things that we've learned from the experience.

"Bug bounty" programs open up vulnerability research to wider participation.

On the morning of our announcement of the program last November, several of us guessed how many valid reports we might see during the first week. Thanks to an already successful Chromium reward program and a healthy stream of regular contributions to our general security submissions queue, most estimates settled around 10 or so. At the end of the first week, we ended up with 43 bug reports. Over the course of the program, we've seen more than 1100 legitimate issues (ranging from low severity to higher) reported by over 200 individuals, with 730 of those bugs qualifying for a reward. Roughly half of the bugs that received a reward were discovered in software written by approximately 50 companies that Google acquired; the rest were distributed across applications developed by Google (several hundred new ones each year). Significantly, the vast majority of our initial bug reporters had never filed bugs with us before we started offering monetary rewards.

Developing quality bug reports pays off... for everyone.

A well-run vulnerability reward program attracts high quality reports, and we've seen a whole lot of them. To date we've paid out over $410,000 for web app vulnerabilities to directly support researchers and their efforts. Thanks to the generosity of these bug reporters, we have also donated $19,000 to charities of their choice. It's not all about money, though. Google has gotten better and stronger as a result of this work. We get more bug reports, which means we get more bug fixes, which means a safer experience for our users.

Bug bounties — the more, the merrier!

We benefited from looking at examples of other types of vulnerability reward programs when designing our own. Similarly, in the months following our reward program kick-off, we saw other companies developing reward programs and starting to focus more on web properties. Over time, these programs can help companies build better relationships with the security research community. As the model replicates, the opportunity to improve the overall security of the web broadens.

And with that, we turn toward the year ahead. We're looking forward to new reports and ongoing relationships with the researchers who are helping make Google products more secure.
URL: http://googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.com/2012/02/celebrating-one-year-of-web.html

[G] Snazzier graphics for more users

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:17 AM PST

Google Chrome Blog: Snazzier graphics for more users

Every day the web becomes more powerful, allowing developers to create the next generation of beautiful, immersive experiences online. In our latest Chrome Beta release, we've made a few enhancements to ensure users have a smooth ride in these graphics-intensive applications. If you want to dig into the details, clip on your pocket protector and head over to the Chromium blog.

Posted by Tom Wiltzius, Associate Product Manager and Snazz Master
URL: http://chrome.blogspot.com/2012/02/snazzier-graphics-for-more-users.html

[G] Share your Google Earth adventures on Google+

Posted: 10 Feb 2012 07:17 AM PST

Google Lat Long: Share your Google Earth adventures on Google+


Millions of people use Google Earth to explore exotic islands, re-visit their childhood homes, and scout out day hikes. Are you one of them? If so, why not share your virtual travel with friends and family?

With the recent release of Google Earth 6.2, you can easily share screenshots of your explorations with the people in your Google+ circles. Give it a try: just open Google Earth, sign in to your Google account via the button on the top right, and click "Share" to send a snapshot of your 3D view to your Google+ stream. Watch how easy it is to share:


We've already seen fantastic Google Earth land and cityscapes shared on Google+, not to mention solar systems, ocean topography, Street View scenes, weather forecasts, gigapixel photography and more. If you can find it in Google Earth, you can share it on Google+.

With Google Earth 6.2, you can easily share your Google Earth adventures on Google+.

And if you're looking to engage with like-minded cartographers, add the new Google Earth +Page to your Google+ circles and share your own Google Earth snapshots with us. Use the hashtag #GoogleEarthSnapshot in your image description and we could include your photo in a community album on Google+!

There's a world full of geo enthusiasts out there, so check our Google+ page often to share in the exploration.

Posted by Mark Harrison, Community Manager
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2012/02/share-your-google-earth-adventures-on.html
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