Thursday, March 8, 2012

Googland

Googland

[G] Birds of a Feather Flocking Together: Google Apps Regional Groups

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 11:22 PM PST

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Birds of a Feather Flocking Together: Google Apps Regional Groups

Posted by Jordan Pedraza, Google Apps for Education Community Manager

In 2010, Northwestern University, Brady Corporation, and Motorola Mobility came together as organizations using Google Apps for Education or Business to share best practices, showcase custom solutions with Apps Script and APIs, and discuss common issues. The initial meeting was so successful, these customers formed the Google Apps Northcentral User Group and organized several followup meetings for other regional enterprise and education Google Apps customers to connect with each other and share feedback directly with Google.

Since then, we've helped to launch additional Google Apps Regional Groups for colleges and universities, businesses, governments, non-profit organizations, and large K-12 school districts. We continue to hear more productive and cross-industry conversations, from Boise State and Genentech exchanging deployment tips in the Northwest Group, to SUNY IT and Ahold discussing migration best practices in the Northeast Group. And these discussions aren't limited to talks about the transition to Google Apps; group members are also sharing creative and innovative uses of Google Apps: UNCG's Google Calendar mashup has inspired other organizations to adopt and customize Calendar with APIs more broadly for easier discovery of events.

We've already seen great communities with the K-12 user groups and now the trend continues for higher education, business, government, and non-profits. These regional groups join the existing K-12 user groups and are designed for Google Apps administrators and managers to network, learn, collaborate, and share resources through discussion forums, events, and webinars. While no industry is the same, we've heard from regional group members that it's better to "flock together like birds of a feather" and share how they're taking advantage of the tools and platform.

If you're a Google Apps administrator and your organization is located in the United States or Canada, please check out the list below – as well as appsusersgroup.com – to find and join your group. International groups are also currently launching in Australia/New Zealand, Spain, and UK/Ireland. If you don't see one for your region yet please check back in the near future, or let us know if you're interested in leading a new group!

North America http://groups.google.com/a/appsusersgroup.com/group/northamerica
Mailing list for all regional groups in the US and Canada

Northwest northwest.appsusersgroup.com
US: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming
Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, Yukon

Southwest southwest.appsusersgroup.com
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah

North Central northcentral.appsusersgroup.com
US: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Canada: Manitoba, Ontario, Nunavut

Southeast southeast.appsusersgroup.com
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee

Mid-Atlantic midatlantic.appsusersgroup.com
District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

Northeast northeast.appsusersgroup.com
US: Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
Canada: New Brunswick, Newfoundland & Labrador, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec

Australia-New Zealand australia-newzealand.appsusersgroup.com
Australia and New Zealand

UK-Ireland uk-ireland.appsusersgroup.com
United Kingdom and Ireland

Spain spain.appsusersgroup.com
Spain
URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2012/03/birds-of-feather-flocking-together.html

[G] Announcing WindowTester open source release

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 11:22 PM PST

Google Open Source Blog: Announcing WindowTester open source release

We are thrilled to announce the open sourcing release of WindowTester Pro, a solution that automates the process of GUI testing. WindowTester Pro is shipped as a Eclipse plugin and has support for Eclipse versions 3.5, 3.6 and 3.7. WindowTester Pro was previously offered by Instantiations Inc.

Using WindowTester Pro, developers can easily create tests for every GUI they create. The tests generated by WindowTester Pro are standard Java JUnit tests, thus they can be run within your Eclipse environment or they can be automated to run using Ant. Tests can be generated for SWT and Swing Java applications.

WindowTester Pro contains a recording console that captures and records keyboard clicks and mouse movements. The first step in test development is to turn on the Record feature and then work with various elements of the UI such as windows or buttons. WindowTester Pro will capture the steps taken.

Once the GUI has been exercised, the developer closes the application under test. When the application is closed, the recording is terminated and the test is generated.


Using WindowTester Pro empowers developers with testing capabilities and reduces the time required to hand-code tests. This enables developers to build quality into the product early in the process because problems are found and resolved earlier in the development cycle. WindowTester Pro can help developers and companies drastically lower both testing time and cost.

For more information, please visit the WindowTester Pro home page or join the discussion list.

The Googlers who made this open sourcing release possible include Eric Clayberg, Keerti Parthasarathy, Mark Russell, and Seth Hollyman.

By Keerti Parthasarathy, Software Engineer, Google
URL: http://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2012/03/announcing-windowtester-open-source.html

[G] Welcome to your new YouTube channel

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 03:42 PM PST

YouTube Blog: Welcome to your new YouTube channel

Making it easier to connect with the content you love was the aim of the redesigned homepage and channel layouts we launched in December of last year. You can now start with a video you love, discover and follow a whole channel of great content from that creator or curator, and organize all the channels you love in a homepage that's always updated with the new videos you'll want to watch.



Since these updates, the data shows we're onto something:


  • Daily unique visits to channels have increased by 60 percent since December 2011

  • Daily net subscriptions are up 50 percent since December 2011


Today is the next step in the new YouTube look and feel we launched in December, where all channels will be updated to the new layout. What does this mean for you? Well, for starters, you'll now see every channel organized into one of four channel templates customized to suit different types of creators:







We've also built new ways to help you stay more engaged with the channels you love. For example, the Channel Feed shows you all the videos uploaded to a channel, as well as playlists and Liked videos across YouTube. The channel feed makes it clear what you'll get if you subscribe. When you do, this feed will also be published on your homepage so you can keep up with all the latest activity from your favorite channels.







On the topic of features — a big thank you for all your feedback that we've incorporated over the past six months. You've helped us learn what works and what needs improvement as we evolved the design over time. Your feedback continues to drive updates and new features, and for all of you creators, here are a few updates to note:


  • You wanted the ability to feature content prominently so we added a Featured tab and subsequently improved it with more templates and a search feature to help you program it more easily

  • You told us having Favorites more accessible was important to you, so we turned it into a customizable part of your channel

  • You wanted to link your +Page or your Google+ Profile to your channel, so we added this option


If you're a YouTube creator, check out our post from last week with tips on making your channel look awesome, as well as the YouTube Creator Blog for regular updates on ways to improve your channel and connect with other creators.



The YouTube Team


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/odec-3EfM-8/welcome-to-your-new-youtube-channel.html

[G] A completely redesigned Google Search App for Windows 7.5 phones

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 03:42 PM PST

Official Google Mobile Blog: A completely redesigned Google Search App for Windows 7.5 phones

(Cross posted on the Inside Search Blog)

Windows Phone owners can now get easy access to the Google Search App, available in the Windows Phone Marketplace. Check out these features which help you get useful results fast:
  • Google Autocomplete: As you type in your search, our autocomplete feature offers search predictions that often match your intended search term making search entry easier and faster.

  • Voice Search: With our voice feature, you can avoid typing all together. Simply press the microphone and begin speaking your query.

  • My Location: With your permission, Google can use your device location to provide nearby results easily and accurately. For instance, a search for "coffee shops" quickly displays the nearest places you can go to for a cup of coffee.

The new Google Search app now has Voice Search (left) as well as Google Autocomplete (right)

You can download the app from the Windows Marketplace and try it for yourself. It's available worldwide in English, Spanish, French, Italian, and German.

Posted by Ryan Doherty, Software Engineer
URL: http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2012/03/completely-redesigned-google-search-app.html

[G] And the Next Causes are...

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 12:08 PM PST

YouTube Blog: And the Next Causes are...

Last month we announced YouTube Next Cause: a new program designed to help nonprofit organizations that are already changing the world better use online video to drive action.



We were honored, inspired and deeply moved by many of the applications we received.



We are proud to introduce you to some members of the first class of YouTube Next Cause: 20 organizations who've demonstrated passion and huge potential for using YouTube to further their causes.




The organizations come from big cities and small towns across the country from Illinois to Colorado to Texas to California and many work all over the world. They also work on variety of issues from animal abuse to homelessness to poverty alleviation to children's health.



 Check out these great organizations:



 





Autism Speaks

Children's Hospital Boston

IFAW - International Fund for Animal Welfare

Sunlight Foundation

BuildOn

American Heart Association

CARE

American Foundation for Equal Rights

Malaria No More

The Humane Society of the United States

The Pablove Foundation

COTS - Committee on the Shelterless

Durango Discovery Museum

Save Mount Diablo

Art Resources in Teaching

breakthrough

Per Scholas

The Supply

Born Free USA

The Lazarex Cancer Foundation



Stay tuned to this blog for more updates from the YouTube Next Cause channels, and learn more about other programs helping partners grow at the YouTube Creator Hub.



Jessica Mason, communications associate, recently watched "The Story of Keep Calm and Carry On"


URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/91loDU_dr00/and-next-causes-are.html

[G] Protecting the world’s coral reefs through mapping

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 08:07 AM PST

Google Lat Long: Protecting the world's coral reefs through mapping


Editors Note: Today's guest author is Katie Reytar, a Research Associate for the World Resources Institute. WRI was the recipient of a Google Earth Outreach Developer Grant, funded through the Google Inc. Charitable Giving Fund at the Tides Foundation. We're excited to help them share and visualize the results of years of research about the state of the world's reefs.

Since 1998, the World Resources Institute (WRI) has been using GIS (Geographic Information System) models to develop map-based assessments of threats to the world's coral reefs. Reefs at Risk Revisited, released in February 2011, is the latest assessment in the series and is based on a nearly three-year study that produced the most highly-detailed global maps of coral reef threats to date. The study analyzed and mapped threats to coral reefs from local human activities such as coastal development, unsustainable fishing, and marine and land-based pollution, as well as climate-related threats caused by increasing levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

While the Reefs at Risk Revisited report, maps and data sets are the core components of our work, we found ourselves still searching for a compelling way to convey our findings on these dynamic yet fragile reef ecosystems. We also wanted to generate greater awareness of the unique characteristics of reef habitats across different geographies and the irreplaceable cultural and life-sustaining services that reefs provide to people all over the world. All of these elements are best communicated when you can see them for yourself, which is why we created a virtual tour of these reefs around the world with our Google Earth Outreach Developer Grant.

Watch a virtual tour of the most at-risk reefs in the world courtesy of the World Resources Institute.

In the tour, the Reefs at Risk Revisited maps come alive on Google Earth with photos and underwater video from each of the major coral reef regions of the world: the Caribbean, Middle East, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, Australia, and Pacific, as well as a global-level introduction and conclusion. The journey to each region provides a brief overview of the biodiversity of reef ecosystems, their importance to people and local economies, and the types and magnitudes of threats that reefs face, illustrated with footage of both healthy and damaged reefs.

You'll also experience first hand these fantastically dynamic and productive ecosystems that extend across about 250,000 sq km (96,500 sq miles) of the tropical ocean. Even though this area represents less than 0.1% of the global ocean, reefs are home to as many as 25% of all known marine species. In the tropics, coral reefs are not only a critical habitat for marine species, but they also play an essential role in the lives of millions of people who live near them: they provide food and income from fisheries, revenue from tourism, and protection for coastal communities from storm surges.

Among the other products of the Reefs at Risk Revisited project are global maps of coral reefs rated according to level of threat in the present, 2030, and 2050. These maps are available as downloadable KML files on the WRI website for viewing on Google Earth, and also as part of an online map developed using Google Fusion Tables. With these interactive maps you can zoom in to your favorite reef to explore it more closely in your own self-guided tour.

Explore Reefs at Risk Revisited in Google Earth.

We hope that you enjoy our tour and maps, and that you are able to visit a coral reef to learn more about these important and unique ecosystems. With improved understanding, we can manage and protect these resources so that we can all enjoy them and benefit from them for generations to come.

Posted by Katie Reytar, Research Associate at the World Resources Institute
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2012/03/protecting-worlds-coral-reefs-through.html

[G] Mapping the March to Tampa

Posted: 07 Mar 2012 08:07 AM PST

Google Lat Long: Mapping the March to Tampa


Cross-posted on the Google Politics & Elections blog

Super Tuesday has arrived! So far, 12 states have held caucuses or primaries to nominate a Republican presidential candidate in time for the RNC convention in Tampa this August. Today, 10 more states with 419 delegates at stake will get a chance to add their voices. From Alaska's Bering Sea to the Georgia's Golden Isles, voting will span five time zones and over 4,000 miles; by the time polling closes in Nome, AK, it'll be 12 a.m. on the East Coast.

Our Politics & Elections team has mapped the results of every contest since Iowa, and now we've upgraded the visualization. The new map lets you track both the state-by-state numbers as well as the results by county, with delegate counts in addition to raw numbers and percentages from the AP. This auto-updating map will live on google.com/elections, and outlets subscribing to Associated Press election results can also embed it on their site.


We also have some other great tools to help you make sense of this year's political scene. Our infographic gallery features Google Insights for Search data, much of which is broken down by state to make sense of regional variation. Follow the Google+ page for Hangouts on Air with prominent political reporters and daily insight. And if you just want to quickly look up how things are going, you'll find fresh results in Google search on both desktop and mobile.


Posted by Jesse Friedman, Google Politics & Elections Team
URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2012/03/mapping-march-to-tampa.html
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