Thursday, February 16, 2012

Googland

Googland

[G] Lay claim to your personal conservation plot with Adopt-an-Acre

Posted: 16 Feb 2012 02:20 AM PST

Google Lat Long: Lay claim to your personal conservation plot with Adopt-an-Acre


One of my favorite quotes is by American anthropologist Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

We can each play an active role in changing the world for the better by preserving areas we care about. The Nature Conservancy has just made it easier with their Adopt-an-Acre program. They've updated their mapping tool today as the result of a Google Earth Outreach Developer Grant, which offers funding to organizations that create clever, cutting-edge applications using Google mapping technologies.

One of the solutions for widespread habitat loss is to acquire large plots of land for conservation. Since 1991, the Adopt-an-Acre program has protected more than 600,000 acres spanning from North America to Africa and Australia, even protecting offshore areas critical for delicate coral reefs and humpback breeding grounds.

Adopt an acre through the Nature Conservancy

There are two featured areas that allow you to adopt a specific acre, the Nash Prairie Preserve in Texas and the Warm Springs Mountain Preserve in Virginia. Simply fly to ground level on the embedded Google Map and choose your acre. You can also select your plot through Google Earth by clicking on the "View in Google Earth" link. This map enables any interested individual to make a pledge and help restore an acre of land to its pristine state.

The Nash Prairie Preserve in Texas is a beautiful and vital tall prairie grassland. These prairies used to cover wide expanses in the Bottomlands region of coastal Texas, but these areas have been reduced due to metropolitan encroachment. More than 120 bird species and 300 plant species thrive in this disappearing ecosystem, which you can help protect.

The Warm Springs Mountain Preserve in Virginia is the other area within a 77,000 acre wildlife corridor where you can adopt a specific acre. If you have a connection to the Allegheny Mountains in Virginia, or if you are passionate about preserving species like the interior dwelling songbird, you can choose from a variety of landscapes, pristine rivers and mountain forests to conserve.

Best of all, you can adopt an acre in the name of a loved one or as a gift to someone else. Their name will appear on the map alongside others who have entered their names in support of preserving our wild America.

Learn more about what nonprofits have done with mapping technologies on the Google Earth Outreach website.

Posted by Tanya Birch, Google Earth Outreach
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2012/02/lay-claim-to-your-personal-conservation.html

[G] Mobile becomes a core component of AdSense

Posted: 15 Feb 2012 06:46 PM PST

Inside AdSense: Mobile becomes a core component of AdSense



We launched AdSense for mobile content before the smartphone revolution when everyone had a flip phone. Our goal was to help pioneering publishers monetize their mobile content. Since then, we've seen mobile technology advance and an increasing number of consumers are viewing content from "smarter" mobile devices. To make it easier for publishers to use AdSense to monetize mobile web pages, we've migrated all mobile ad unit sizes, including the mobile banner ad unit, into the core product.





All mobile ad sizes, including the 320x50, will be available through AdSense for content.



The new AdSense ad code automatically formats the ads for the device. We will continue to support high-end ad requests from our AdSense for mobile content product until May 1, 2012. We strongly encourage publishers who have designed mobile web pages for high-end devices to use the new AdSense ad code to avoid disruptions to service. Note that publishers with mobile websites built for WAP browsers should continue to monetize using AdSense for mobile content.



We continue to be committed to helping our AdSense publishers monetize their content as the mobile ecosystem evolves. For more information about AdSense or to learn more about how this transition may impact you, please visit our AdSense Help Center.



Posted by Vishay Nihalani, Product Manager, Mobile Ads


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tuAm/~3/tOwdOs5ySfM/mobile-becomes-core-component-of.html

[G] More Sports Channels Kick Off on YouTube

Posted: 15 Feb 2012 02:01 PM PST

YouTube Blog: More Sports Channels Kick Off on YouTube

Hot on the heels of the launch of four new action sports channels we've added more hard-hitting channels for all the YouTube sports fanatics out there. See the latest controversy in the world of soccer, watch insider interviews with basketball pros, or get smart with in-depth sports documentaries and analysis.
  • Bleacher Report: From Linsanity to Tebowing, Bleacher Report has your sports fix covered. Bleacher Report's channel showcases the fun and entertaining side of sports with their flagship daily show BR5, provides a full throttle fill of football with NFL Draft 365 and their college football recruiting show Full Ride. The documentary series Why We Watch uncovers the great stories that dot the sports landscape. With in-depth opinion and analysis, top athlete and celeb appearances and much more, Bleacher Report will get you a front row seat for the latest in sports.
  • KickTV: Kick is where soccer fanatics -- football for all you global diehards -- can get their regular dose of "the beautiful game". Every day, Kick's roster of international stars and pundits debate the hot-button topics on The Mixer. On The Whip, Kick's experts highlight the good, the bad, and the ugly from around YouTube's football world. History buffs can dip into the past to catch full matches on the Kick Classics channel, while aspiring stars can learn the game in the Academy channel. From London to Los Angeles, Buenos Aires to Barcelona, Kick will be covering the world's most popular sport with unparalleled breadth and depth.
  • The NOC: Bringing you the world's most famous sports stars like you've never seen them before, the NOC is a 24-hour channel devoted to athlete lifestyle and comedy. Original shows include Say What, a funny take on what athletes say in social media. The Ice Bucket offers an inside look at how athletes unwind off the field. And FaceOff features athletes competing against celebrities and YouTube stars. Stay tuned for new comedy sketches every month.



Just program these new channels into your homepage now to get some of the latest and greatest on sports!

Ty Barnes, Strategic Partner Development Manager, recently watched "Lin for the Win...Jeremy Lin hits game winner in Toronto!"


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/fie1tOyJ_8Q/more-sports-channels-kick-off-on.html

[G] Selling More Shoes with Multi-Channel Funnels

Posted: 15 Feb 2012 02:01 PM PST

Google Analytics Blog: Selling More Shoes with Multi-Channel Funnels

Shoes of Prey, an online retailer that sells custom-made shoes globally, have made significant improvements in their online conversion rates thanks to insights gleaned from their Multi-Channel Funnels reports. Through taking action based on these insights they were able to increase their conversion rate by 40%, increase same-day purchases by 20%, and better understand how to manage their social media strategy.



Head on to the APAC Conversion Room blog to learn how Shoes of Prey achieved these results and more.

Part 1: Thanks to the Top Conversions Paths report, Shoes of Prey were able to understand the sequence of channel interactions that led to conversions, and take action to reduce the number of interactions before a purchase is made.



Part 2: The Time Lag report helped them realise how long it typically took visitors to make a purchase from the time they first visited the site. Using this insight, Shoes of Prey were able to put into place marketing initiatives to help reduce the time to purchase.



Part 3: The Assisted Conversions report aided Shoes of Prey in understanding how influential their various marketing channels were either earlier in the sales funnel or as a direct response mechanism. They now have a better understanding of what role social media plays in influencing sales and can now manage their campaigns better.



Posted by Vinoaj Vijeyakumaar, Senior Conversion Specialist, Google Southeast Asia


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tRaA/~3/vP-_B7zvhAs/selling-more-shoes-with-multi-channel.html

[G] Our team's new Google+ Page

Posted: 15 Feb 2012 02:01 PM PST

Docs Blog: Our team's new Google+ Page

As our product and team have evolved over the past few years, we've enjoyed sharing news and notes with you on this blog. In turn, you've voiced your experiences with our products via blog comments, forum posts, tweets, and more. Hearing from you every day motivates us to build better products - that's why we wanted to give you another more interactive place to join in on the conversation.

Starting today, we're launching a new Google+ page dedicated to Google Docs. We'll share info about feature launches, tips and tricks, behind the scenes snapshots, and more. You'll have opportunities to Hangout with us, too.

We hope that our Google+ page will give you a fun new environment to share your feedback, learn about our products, and most importantly, connect with our team and our community of Docs users. Later today, I'll be doing our first of five Hangouts with members of the team - visit our page and add us to your circles to find out how you can participate.

Posted by: Teresa Wu, Community Manager
URL: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2012/02/our-teams-new-google-page.html

[G] Innovation is in their jeans: Jordache moves to Google Apps

Posted: 15 Feb 2012 02:01 PM PST

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Innovation is in their jeans: Jordache moves to Google Apps

Posted by Ezri Silver, SVP Operations, Jordache

Editors note: Today's guest blogger is Ezri Silver, SVP of Operations at Jordache Enterprises. Jordache became well known for its designer jeans in the 1970s and continues to manufacture a wide variety of denim, apparel and accessories. See what other organizations that have gone Google have to say.

Although our fashion sense has stayed ahead of the times since the 1970s, we were stuck in the past when it came to technology. We have about 20,000 employees, and we were using Novell® GroupWise for communication and collaboration. From a functional and collaboration standpoint, we were missing flexibility, access and speed. Our calendars couldn't accept Mircosoft® Outlook invites, basic file sharing didn't work well across platforms, and employees couldn't communicate efficiently due to the sluggishness of overloaded Groupwise email and the limited mobile access to their email and documents.

As our email volume grew, GroupWise couldn't support it and we experienced frequent outages that brought business to a halt. Once, when the electricity went out in New York, we lost access to email for 24 hours – that's unacceptable for a fast-moving manufacturing and retail business. We have stores all over the country and factories around the world, and we needed an easier, more reliable way to support communications among all of them.

We evaluated Microsoft® Exchange, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Office 365, but then one of our employees suggested Google Apps. We quickly saw that Google was the best solution. Employees would have access to their email, documents and calendars from anywhere, our IT team wouldn't have to worry about outages, and employees could collaborate easily across store locations. Plus, Google offered more ongoing innovative feature development and a better price.

We started by piloting Google Apps in about 20 retail stores across the country. With the help of Google Apps partner, Cloud Sherpas, we now have access to our email, calendar, and documents regardless of whether we are in the office, on vacation, or at a plant in China.

Google Apps is built for team collaboration, which makes so many business processes easier. For example, reviewing job applicants used to involve emailing each reviewer for individual feedback. With Google Groups, we can post the resume to a group and people can provide feedback and discuss it so that we interview the best candidates for the team. We also use Google spreadsheets to track supply orders and Google Docs forms to distribute quick inventory surveys and aggregate data from our retail stores.

On top of the easy access and collaboration, Google Apps has saved us at least 20% over GroupWise and about 30% over Office 365. The pricing of Google Apps is simple, and it's easy to see how much value you get for $50 a year. Plus, with Google Apps you know you always have the latest features instead of being stuck with a specific version. For Jordache, moving to Google Apps has been a great experience with a lot of solid business and technology benefits.
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2012/02/innovation-is-in-their-jeans-jordache.html

[G] Nothing Says Valentine’s Day Like Vampires: Get Twilight Today For Only $2.99

Posted: 15 Feb 2012 08:52 AM PST

Inside Google Books: Nothing Says Valentine's Day Like Vampires: Get Twilight Today For Only $2.99

Posted by Ariel Levine, Google eBooks Associate

Forget the chocolate and flowers this Valentine's Day. The rush of new brooding love can be all yours with our special offer on Stephenie Meyer's Twilight eBook. Seventeen-year-old Isabella "Bella" Swan moves to a new town in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula, and her life changes completely when she meets Edward Cullen, the most attractive guy at her high school. But Edward has a deep, supernatural secret, and his love, though pure and true, threatens her very existence. The angsty affection of Twilight spawned a whole new genre of paranormal romance when it was released and the series continues to lead the bestseller lists today. Treat yourself to this guilty pleasure with the first book in the series - Twilight, today for only $2.99. This offer is good for readers within the United States and Canada, through midnight EST today, 2/14/12.
URL: http://booksearch.blogspot.com/2012/02/nothing-says-valentines-day-like.html

[G] Celebrate Kisses Across Canada

Posted: 15 Feb 2012 08:52 AM PST

Google Lat Long: Celebrate Kisses Across Canada

First kisses, last kisses and all those kisses in between... here's your chance to kiss and tell!

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the Canada Kiss Map is a Google Maps API powered application that enables users to share the stories and locations of their most memorable smooches.

from www.torontokissmap.com

Creator Chris Kay Fraser teaches creative writing and moonlights as an independent Maps API developer. She views this clever use of the Google Maps API as an opportunity for Canadians to share their romantic tales. All entries are anonymous and must be 500 characters or less.

Fraser launched a smaller scale version of the project in the summer called the Toronto Kiss Map which already has thousands of entries. As Fraser told the Canadian Press, "people have responded in incredible ways."

Check it out for yourself, and Happy Valentine's Day to all our users - in Canada and around the world!

Posted by Aaron Brindle, Google Canada
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2012/02/celebrate-kisses-across-canada.html

[G] An easy way to access directions and locations you care about

Posted: 15 Feb 2012 08:52 AM PST

Google Lat Long: An easy way to access directions and locations you care about

If you're anything like me, you might use Google Maps to look up the same places and directions more than once, like the location of your hotel while you're on vacation, or directions to a friend's house that you've visited before. When you're signed in to your Google account, the My Places tab on Google Maps makes it easy to find starred locations, places you've rated and checked-in, saved Custom Maps, and even past local searches.

Now, when you visit My Places, you'll see directions you've recently looked up appear on the panel to the left of the map. You can also filter the results to access only these previous directions from the 'More' tab.



This historical archive of directions results makes it quicker and easier to continue planning later. For example, if you have a few minutes to spare during the day and use your work computer to search for directions from your house to the restaurant where you're meeting friends for dinner, you can easily access those same directions from your home computer via My Places once you're ready to head out. We'll even remember when you've customized your directions by dragging the blue line to your preferred path, and show that you route again.

These past directions and places will only appear for signed-in users who enable Web History. And like other items in My Places, it's simple to remove any of the locations or directions via the drop-down arrow next to each item.

Whenever you need to access or organize your important places and directions, just visit Google Maps and click on the My Places button to get started.

Update (2/15): Sorry for the delay, but the new feature for viewing saved directions in My Places will be available soon. We'll update this post again when the feature is live.

Posted by Tatsuo Nomura, Software Engineer, Google Maps
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2012/02/easy-way-to-access-directions-and.html

[G] Trading over the Internet

Posted: 15 Feb 2012 08:52 AM PST

Google Public Policy Blog: Trading over the Internet

Posted by Winter Casey, Senior Policy Analyst

In the Stone Age, as humans struggled to survive and build, they traded for food and tools. In the Age of Discovery, as explorers traversed the seas, they traded spices. And now in the Information Age, as the Internet becomes an increasingly robust business platform, all kinds of goods and services are traded online every day.

Thanks to the Web, trade has never been easier. Companies large and small can have easy access to a global marketplace. And in that way, the free flow of information without restriction across the Internet is contributing to growing economies across the world.

Fortunately, several countries and entities have recognized the critical role that open information flows play in trade and economic growth. Just a few weeks ago, the United States and Japan signed new information and communications technology principles which support open government and the free flow of information across national borders. That agreement comes on the heels of similar principles signed by the U.S. and EU and members of the U.S. business community last year.

We hope that more governments and industries will recognize the role that the free flow of information plays in the global economy. A consistent and transparent framework for cross-border flows of goods, services and information will help individuals and businesses around the world.

URL: http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2012/02/trading-over-internet.html
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