Google launched a new layout to Google+ yesterday. Panels now replace the stream, and the Hangout and Talk services are being integrated. UMICH accounts do not have access to Preview features for now as we await clarification from Google on issues related to Terms of Service.

Google also launched a new Hangouts App for smartphones. Although UMICH accounts can download and install these new apps, UMICH users are unable to sign in at this time. The original Google+ mobile app continues to work. 

You can still start Hangouts from within the Talk feature in M+Google Mail as well as the original Google+ mobile app (not the new Hangouts app). We have a support ticket open with Google and will update as we learn more. For more information, see Google's announcement.

The M+Google support site, google.umich.edu, will be getting some updates this weekend, including a refreshed home page with easier access to training materials, a cleaner navigation, and some other minor tweaks. We hope these small changes will make the site more useful to you. Please let us know what you think about this or anything else related to M+Google by using our Suggestions & Feedback form.

Google has just announced the unification of Gmail and Drive storage on the Google Enterprise Blog. You will soon receive 30GB of combined storage quota for use across Gmail and Drive (replacing the current allocation of 25GB for Gmail and 5GB for Drive), and for Google+ photos. Just as before, files created in Docs, Sheets, and Slides as well as photos in Google+ smaller than 2048px won’t count against storage quota. A new Google Drive storage page will allow you to see a breakdown of how storage is being used across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos for your account. This update is expected to roll out to UMICH accounts as part of the Scheduled Release starting June 4th.

RELEASED

Drive - Preview files    Released: Friday, Apr 5, 2013

Users can now preview more than 30 file types in Google Drive. They can flip through files to find the one they want as well as share, download, print or edit them with one click. Blog post

Sites - Embedded Drive folders    Released: Tuesday, Apr 16, 2013

You can now insert Drive folders into Google Sites. When editing a page, select the Folder option in the Insert menu, then select the checkbox next to the folder name. Site visitors must have view access to the Drive folder to see it embedded in the page. Inserting the folder on a page does not result in any access permission changes.

Gmail: New compose and reply experience enabled by default    Released: Tuesday, Apr 16, 2013

The redesigned Gmail compose and reply features, released in October 2012, are now enabled by default for all users.

Cloud Connect shut down      Released: Tuesday, Apr 30, 2013
Users will no longer be able to use this product and should install Google Drive on their computer. Google Drive for Windows/Mac achieves the same desktop editing and works across Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.http://support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?answer=3017040; http://deployment.googleapps.com/Home/user-resources/documentation-templates/launch-drive

ANNOUNCED

New chat experience in Google Drive     Release date: May 7, 2013

Chat in Docs and Slides has a new look similar to what you’re used to in Gmail. You can now start a group chat with just one click. Simply select the new chat button at the top right and a chat box will appear, making it easy for you to quickly message everyone who is in the file. Additionally, if collaborators or viewers have an active Google+ profile, you will see their profile picture on top instead of just their name. This feature will be available in Sheets soon.

Add events to Google Calendar from Gmail     Scheduled Release date: TBD

Dates and times within emails are lightly underlined. You can click them to schedule events at those dates and times without ever leaving Gmail. When you click on one of these underlined dates, you will be able to preview your schedule for the day and change the title, date or time of the event. You can then add the event to your calendar by clicking on “Add to calendar”. In addition, the calendar event will include a link back to the original email so you always have context.
http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2013/05/add-events-to-google-calendar-from-gmail.html

Beginning Tuesday, May 7: Chat in Docs and Slides will have a new look similar to what you’re used to in M+Google Mail. You will be able to start a group chat with just one click. Simply select the new chat button at the top right and a chat box will appear, making it easy for you to quickly message everyone who is working on the file. Additionally, if collaborators or viewers have an active Google+ profile, you will see their profile picture on top instead of just their name. This feature will be available in Sheets soon.
More information is available on the Google Enterprise Blog.

This just in from Google: Update January 17, 2013: We'll continue to support appointment slots in Calendar for all Google Apps for Business, Education and Government customers. Before the New Year we announced a planned suspension of the appointment slots feature in Google Calendar. We heard your feedback and are pleased to announce Google will continue to support appointment slots in Calendar for all Google Apps for Business, Education and Government customers. Watch this short video to learn how to create appointment slots and read about appointment slots on Google's help site. Learn more about using your Google calendar. (Read the original update.)

Google has just launched a support site for the new compose with a consolidated collection of resources including the latest news, rollout schedule, and training materials: http://whatsnew.googleapps.com/new-gmail-compose

The new compose window is now the default for M+Google Mail and is rolling out to U-M users. This is an update made by Google and cannot be changed or turned off by U-M's Google Apps administrators. However, you can control the size and placement of the default window. If you prefer to have a large compose window centered on your screen, hold SHIFT as you click on the COMPOSE button. If you have Keyboard Shortcuts enabled, press SHIFT+C to open a larger window. You can also pop out the compose window by clicking on the arrow in the upper right of the window. Here is more info about the compose window:

• Gmail's new compose and reply experience - Gmail Help
• Overview with video about new compose
• A comprehensive guide of the new compose
• Introducing the new compose in Gmail

Update 11:35: All issues with Google Apps should be resolved. If you continue to experience issues, please call 4-HELP. 

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We are currently experiencing performance issues with Google Apps. The M+Google team is working with Google to resolve the issues. Refer to the ITS service status page for updates. http://status.its.umich.edu/ 

Announced in March for Scheduled Release:

Google Keep

Google Keep is a new Web and Android app to save ideas and organize to-dos the moment they happen. With Google Keep you can create notes, lists, photos and voice recordings right from your phone. You can also access, edit, and create new notes on the web at http://drive.google.com/keep. In the coming weeks, you'll also be able to do the same directly from your Google Drive. Download Google Keep from Google Play on devices running Android 4.0+ (Ice Cream Sandwich or higher). NOTE: Currently, Keep is NOT part of M+Google Core Apps and therefore falls outside of the Google Apps for Education agreement. For now, Keep is covered by the following terms: http://support.google.com/drive/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2450387. More Information: 

• https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.keep
• http://googledrive.blogspot.com/2013/03/google-keepsave-whats-on-your-mind.html

Cloud Connect deprecation

Two years ago, Google introduced Cloud Connect as a free plug-in to help people work in the cloud by automatically saving Microsoft Office files from Windows PCs to Google Drive. But installing Google Drive on your desktop achieves the same thing more effectively—and Drive works not only on Windows, but also on Mac, Android and iOS devices. Existing users will no longer be able to use Cloud Connect as of April 30. More Information:

• http://support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=3017040
• http://deployment.googleapps.com/Home/user-resources/documentation-templates/launch-drive

Starting at about 10:40 am today, U-M users began experiencing errors and slowness while accessing M+Google Drive. Google is aware of the issue and is currently troubleshooting. We do not have an ETA for service restoration at the moment. The link to the Google status page for the incident is here:
http://www.google.com/appsstatus#hl=en&v=issue&ts=1363665599000&iid=281772ec1e2cb9c718aa0a46e0b6eb94

We will post updates as they become available.

Update: -- Google reported the problem resolved at 12:35 pm.

Announced in Feb for Scheduled Release:

Preview files in Google Drive
Users can now preview more than 30 file types in Google Drive. They can flip through files to find the one they want as well as share, download, print or edit them with one click. For more information: http://googledrive.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/preview-files-in-google-drive.html

HTML5 support for Google Drive videos
Videos stored in Google Drive are now available in HTML5. Videos will be served in HTML5 if Flash support is not available in the browser. This change allows users to play videos on their mobile phones without Flash support. For more information: http://support.google.com/drive/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=2423694

New look for the “Create” menu in Drive
The “Create” menu in Google Drive has a new look. This change allows for easier access to Drive apps and third party apps. To create a new file from a template, open the appropriate editor (Docs, Sheets or Slides) and click on File > New > From template. This functionality has been removed from the new “Create” menu. For more information: http://googleappsupdates.blogspot.com/2013/02/new-look-for-create-menu-in-drive.html

February 5 Release: Edit Google Slides Offline

Users now have the ability to create, view and edit presentations without an internet connection with Google Slides offline. This is automatically enabled for users who have already enabled offline editing of Docs and Sheets. Offline access to presentations is only available in Chrome and on Chrome OS devices. Read more about Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides offline.

Mid-February Release: Google Forms Refresh

Just as you can in Docs, Sheets, and Slides, now you can invite others to work simultaneously with you as you create and edit a form—or chat with the group about your ideas without ever leaving the app. With new features like auto-save, undo/redo, and keyboard shortcuts, it’s easier to get stuff done quickly in Forms. NOTE: Unlike the previous version, forms are no longer tied to a specific spreadsheet. Responses are collected and stored only in the form. If owners prefer to see the data in a spreadsheet, they can specify a destination spreadsheet for the data at any time. For more info see Google's official announcement,

Back in April, Google announced Drive -- a new member of the Google Apps suite that replaces and enhances your Google Documents List.
Originally rolled out as an opt-in service, Drive will soon become the default web interface for all users.

• If you already use Google Drive, you will not see any change. If not, you will be switched to the Google Drive user interface sometime over the next several weeks. Drive will then replace your existing Docs List.
• This will result in a different organizational structure to your files and folders, but it will NOT delete any of your content.

If you still haven't moved to M+Google, time is running out! On February 27, most remaining @umich.edu accounts will begin forwarding to the M+Google mail platform. (Read the announcement.) To avoid a possible service disruption or loss of data, please complete this form ASAP to move your current email account into M+Google. Questions?  See the Self-Migration page or contact the ITS Service Center.

A new document, "Sites and Web Page Accessibility," is now available in the Accessibility section of the M+Google website. This document describes the three primary accessibility features that cannot be optimally implemented using Sites—primary language specification, use of cascading style sheets, and correct heading markup—and provides suggestions on how to handle them. The new document also provides links to additional web accessibility resources. The Web Accessibility at the U-M page provides additional guidance on implementing accessibility within web pages.

The Dearborn campus recently announced that it will move to M+Google on March 18, 2013. Based on the recommendations of cross-unit groups of faculty and staff members who engaged users and conducted the required analyses, UM-Dearborn approved the adoption of two new tools across academic and service units: Google, a suite of collaboration tools, including email and calendaring; and Canvas, a single learning management system (LMS).

In her January 16 letter announcing the decision to campus, Provost & Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Catherine A. Davy wrote: Collectively, we are confident that recent decisions will, with your support, help to ensure that UM-Dearborn has access to leading technologies. These technologies will be accompanied by robust training to support and maximize our continuing reputation for excellence in teaching and research.

For more information about UM-Dearborn's move to M+Google, visit their Going Google website.

The decision to sunset Appointment Slots remains unchanged. (Read the previous update.) The Calendar team reviewed feedback and adoption and they decided not to change the original decision. They did decide to give users more time to find alternatives with extending the timing until January 30, 2013 instead of January 4, 2013.

Second, existing appointment slots will continue to work during the whole of 2013, so users will be able to book appointments. Also existing appointment slots will stay editable (for example, change time/date). However, after January 30, 2013 no one will be able to create new appointment slots. In early January 2014 all appointment slots will be converted to normal calendar events.

Here are two workarounds for use case “Office hours of user A”:

• create Office hours as one event in A’s calendar, and keep a spreadsheet with list of available slots and who takes which slot. One can write “how to book” instructions into event description and attach spreadsheet to the event;

• create Office hours as one event in A’s calendar, and on event details page in “Show me as” select “Available”. Other users will see this event when look at the A’s calendar, but it won’t appear as busy time for them, so they can simply invite A to events they create.

• Jooners.com
• Reservation script
• YouCanBook.me
• ScheduleOnce
• Appointment-plus.com
• WASS - Web Appointment Scheduling System (open source)
• Scheduling Assistant (open source)
• Timetrade.com
• Appointlet.com
• Skedge.me
• Touchbase