Googland

[G] Gmail now available in Welsh and Latin American Spanish

2012-05-24T22:28:00.001-07:00

The Google Apps Blog: Gmail now available in Welsh and Latin American Spanish

Posted by Chris Yang, Product Manager, Translator Toolkit

Languages can provide identity, pride, a sense of belonging and spiritual guidance to communities. We hope that by making Gmail available in both majority and minority languages, more people will be able to share their culture and knowledge with others worldwide. Today, we’re very excited to announce that Gmail is now available in Welsh and Latin American Spanish. You can select Welsh and Latin American Spanish as your default language in Settings:

Welsh, as a living language, is used by an increasing number of speakers, in their everyday life. For this project, we’d like to thank the Welsh Language Commissioner for working with us to make Gmail available to Welsh speakers around the world. The project was completed through Google Translator Toolkit, which is a Computer-Aided Translation tool supporting over 100,000 language combinations.

Spanish is spoken by more than 300 million people in the Americas and the Caribbean. The Latin American Spanish version of Gmail is designed to be a closer match to the expectations of Spanish speakers in the Americas.

These two languages bring the total number of supported languages in Gmail to 56.

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GoogleAppsBlog/~3/fkMOu4W3kYc/gmail-now-available-in-welsh-and-latin.html

[G] Rahul Nagvekar wins 2012 National Geographic Bee

2012-05-24T19:19:00.001-07:00

Google Lat Long: Rahul Nagvekar wins 2012 National Geographic Bee

Congratulations to 8th grader Rahul Nagvekar, who was just named the 2012 National Geographic Bee champion! Rahul is 14 years old and from Missouri City, Texas. It’s a good thing he has a passion for traveling, as this year’s winner receives a trip to the Galapagos Islands, in addition to a lifetime membership to the National Geographic Society and a $25,000 college scholarship. To get here today, Rahul has answered more than 300 geography-related questions since the Bee started at Quail Valley Middle School last fall.

This year, over four million students around the United States participated in the National Geographic Bee. Participants in the qualifying rounds were asked a variety of questions, ranging from locations of carnivorous plants, spider monkeys, natural disasters, soil types, language dialects, labor reforms, and glaciers. Participants must have a vast amount of knowledge in order to successfully answer questions on such diverse topics.

Physical, human, and cultural geography encompasses much of what takes place on our planet. These nine to fourteen year olds have a wealth of knowledge about the world that extends way beyond their years. The last question of this year’s final was: “Name the Bavarian City on the Danube River that was the legislative seat for the Holy Roman Empire from 1663-1806.” The winning answer is, of course, Regensburg, in Bavaria, Germany.

Google is once again proud to sponsor the National Geographic Bee. This contest highlights the importance of being geographically literate, a skill that is vital for all students. We are all explorers and must invest in understanding the world around us. Technology, like Google Earth, allows us to virtually visit any place on the planet so we can make those connections between people and their environment.

You can watch the 2012 National Geographic Bee tonight, Thursday, May 24th at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD. It will also air later on public broadcasting stations.

Congratulations to Rahul and all of the other state finalists!

Posted by Brian McClendon, VP of Engineering, Google Earth and Maps

URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2012/05/rahul-nagvekar-wins-2012-national.html

[G] Social Reports are now found under 'Traffic Sources'

2012-05-24T16:21:00.009-07:00

Google Analytics Blog: Social Reports are now found under 'Traffic Sources'

We’ve recently consolidated the locations of our social reports. The 3 reports, Social Engagement, Social Actions, & Social Pages were previously listed in the Audience section and have been moved to the Traffic Sources -> Social section. Click through to see the reports in your Analytics Account.

In addition we’ve added new social reports and functionality, as detailed on our recent blog post on the launch of our Social Reports. Users now have access to both onsite behavior, the existing data, and off-site social activities of partners such as Google+, Digg, and Reddit among others. Below is a summary of how to access the data from the old reports in the new ones.

To access onsite activities use the Traffic Sources -> Social -> Social Plugins report. Here you see the social activities broken down by content. Selecting a specific page shows you the social activities by network for that page. Click the “Social Source and action” tab highlighted in the screenshot below to see a breakdown of the itemized activities.

Hope you’ll find this information helpful and learn more about how social channels are delivering value to your website.

Posted by Linus Chou, Google Analytics Team

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tRaA/~3/cidjQnDs4o8/social-reports-are-now-found-under.html

[G] Gmail now available in Welsh and Latin American Spanish

2012-05-24T16:21:00.007-07:00

Official Gmail Blog: Gmail now available in Welsh and Latin American Spanish

URL: http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/gmail-now-available-in-welsh-and-latin.html

[G] Finding a home for new technology with Google Apps

2012-05-24T16:21:00.005-07:00

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Finding a home for new technology with Google Apps

Posted by Mike Mercurio, CEO, SDAR

Editors note: Today’s guest blogger is Mike Mercurio, CEO the San Diego Association of REALTORS®, California’s largest local branch of REALTORS®. See what other organizations that have gone Google have to say.

People have been buying and selling property for centuries, often with the help of a professional who understands the complexities of real estate transactions. The San Diego Association of REALTORS® (SDAR) was created more than 100 years ago to give these professionals the opportunity to connect and discuss issues on a local level.

Our goal as an association is to give our 12,000 members the education and tools they need to be successful. It’s no secret that the real estate market has been challenging recently, so we are constantly looking for ways to help our members reduce their costs, streamline their operations, and find better ways to communicate with their buyers and sellers. We’ve been using Google Apps at our association main office and 5 service centers and have found the tools to be particularly useful in the real estate industry, so we decided to announce that we will be offering Google Apps to our members at our annual REALTOR® Expo and Conference.

We believe that Google Apps will transform the way our members do business. With Google Sites, they’re able to create websites for buyers with new listings and open houses, information on neighborhoods and schools, as well as directions and maps to each property. They can also create sites for properties on the market. Instead of calling or emailing clients, our REALTORS® can just update their sites, so buyers and sellers always have one place to go.

The most important aspect for members, however, has been the mobility of Google Apps. Since email, documents, and sites now live in the cloud, they can access this information from anywhere with an Internet connection -- at a property, from the office, or from home. Speed is of the essence in this business, and since REALTORS® are always on the go, being able to see new emails and respond right away is incredibly helpful.

With the uncertainty of the economy, we’re very happy to have found a way to significantly help our members’ businesses.

URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2012/05/finding-home-for-new-technology-with.html

[G] Google+ for Android: polish and performance

2012-05-24T16:21:00.003-07:00

Official Google Blog: Google+ for Android: polish and performance

We continue to work toward a simpler, more beautiful Google, and today we're accelerating these efforts with a new Google+ app for Android phones. The update includes lots of highly-requested features—like the ability to start a hangout on the go, and to edit posts inline—as well as a stream that celebrates the rich content shared across Google+. In all cases we're building for a mobile future, and we're excited about what's ahead.

Start a hangout from anywhere, and ring the folks that matter most
With Hangouts we want to help people connect face-to-face-to-face—at any time, from anywhere. Of course, there's really only one device that's always by your side—your phone—so we've invested in mobile hangouts since early on. Today we're adding another important feature to the mix: the ability to start a hangout directly from your mobile device.

To get started, tap “Hangout” in the (new) navigation ribbon, add some friends and tap “Start.” We'll ring their phones (if you want), and if someone misses the hangout, they can ring you back with a single tap.

Share your favorites, and feel awesome afterward
When you share with your circles, we owe you an experience that's both intimate and immersive. Your time and your relationships are precious, after all, so your posts should make you feel proud. Today's new Android app takes this to heart, with full-screen media in the stream, conversations that fade into view and instantly-touchable actions like +1.

Do more, in less time
We think you’ll find today’s app nicer to look at, but we’re also making it easier to use. Improvements include:

A navigation ribbon that slides in and out, providing quick access to just about everything
The ability to download photos directly from Google+, and turn them into wallpaper
The chance to edit posts inline, in case you make any mistakes while on the go

The update is available now from Google Play (version 2.6), so we invite you to download Google+, and let us know what you think!

Selected screenshots from today’s new Android app

Posted by Vic Gundotra, Senior Vice President

URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/google-for-android-polish-and.html

[G] A new human rights channel on YouTube

2012-05-24T16:21:00.001-07:00

YouTube Blog: A new human rights channel on YouTube

From its inception, YouTube has been a platform for free expression. Activists around the world use YouTube to document causes they care about and make them known to the world. In the case of human rights, video plays a particularly important role in illuminating what occurs when governments and individuals in power abuse their positions. We’ve seen this play out on a global stage during the Arab Spring, for example: during the height of the activity, 100,000 videos were uploaded from Egypt, a 70% increase on the preceding three months. And we’ve seen it play out in specific, local cases with issues like police brutality, discrimination, elder abuse, gender-based violence, socio-economic justice, access to basic resources, and bullying.

That’s why our non-profit partner WITNESS, a global leader in the use of video for human rights, and Storyful, a social newsgathering operation, are joining forces to launch a new Human Rights channel on YouTube, dedicated to curating hours of raw citizen-video documenting human rights stories that are uploaded daily and distributing that to audiences hungry to learn and take action. The channel, which will also feature content from a slate of human rights organizations already sharing their work on YouTube, aims to shed light on and contextualize under-reported stories, to record otherwise undocumented abuses, and to amplify previously unheard voices. The project was announced today at the Internet at Liberty conference, and will live at youtube.com/humanrights. Storyful will source and verify the videos, and WITNESS will ensure the channel features a balanced breadth of issues with the context viewers need to understand the rights issue involved.

We hope this project can not only be a catalyst to awareness, but offer people new avenues for action and impact. The channel is committed to providing new citizen creators as well as viewers with the tools and information necessary so that every citizen can become a more effective human rights defender. It will also be available on Google+, where the broader human rights community can take part in discussions, share material, and find collaborators.

We welcome your feedback and thoughts on the channel, and if you want to suggest a video for inclusion, email the YouTube URL to witness@storyful.com. Please include any and all details around the time, place, and context of the video. Also, be sure to take the time to learn how to protect yourself and your subjects if you’re the one behind the camera.

Sam Gregory, WITNESS Program Director, and Olivia Ma, YouTube news manager, recently watched “Citizen Watch May 2012."

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/GYcPcP3lB0U/new-human-rights-channel-on-youtube.html

[G] How Google+ has helped Cadbury connect with over 1.2 million people

2012-05-24T03:58:00.013-07:00

Inside AdWords: How Google+ has helped Cadbury connect with over 1.2 million people

Cadbury has become the European brand with the largest number of followers on Google+, currently at 1.2 million. Their Google+ success is having a strong impact on their overall marketing strategy, especially by improving the performance of their Search campaigns. The question is how exactly did they do this?

Their first step was to create a Google+ page. As featured in a previous blog post, Cadbury used hangouts to interact in real time with Olympic athletes and chocolate experts, and to participate in creating the chocolate replica Google+ page. By promoting their hangouts, Cadbury grew their Google+ follower base by 150,000 people.

They also used circles to segment their followers according to their chocolate preferences and unveiled a brand-new product launch, the Dairy Milk Bubbly Bar, which has achieved a strong impact, already sales are over £8M.

However, where they are seeing tremendous results is in their search campaigns. Since they started using social extensions, which links Cadbury’s Google+ page to its AdWords campaigns, they have achieved a 17% uplift in CTR across all their AdWords campaigns. Now when you search for “Cadbury” and see the relevant ad, recommendations from your friends are displayed directly with it, making the ad much more relevant to you. By clicking on the social extension, you directly land on Cadbury’s Google+ page and can start following all the great content they are posting.

And since Cadbury installed the Google+ badge on its homepage, it’s now easier than ever for fans to follow the brand; Cadbury gains 10,000 new followers on average per day and have had an increase of 7.5% of traffic from Google URLs. To continue benefiting from their Google+ success, Cadbury are looking to include a Google+ social stream that will pull in their most recent updates into a re-launch of their homepage, which will be happening soon. Stay tuned to learn how Cadbury continue to innovate to make their Google+ experience a success!

Learn more about Cadbury’s success with Google+ by reading the full case study here.

Posted by Natalia Cano, Product Marketing Manager Google+ For Businesses

URL: http://adwords.blogspot.com/2012/05/how-google-has-helped-cadbury-connect.html

[G] ‘Hangout on Air’ and learn how to build a mobile site in minutes

2012-05-24T03:58:00.011-07:00

Inside AdSense: ‘Hangout on Air’ and learn how to build a mobile site in minutes

Did you know that 40% of mobile web users reported that they’ve turned to a competitor’s site after a bad mobile experience? With 44% of Americans owning a smartphone, publishers have the opportunity to meet their users’ expectations by delivering a mobile experience that’s on par with the desktop experience.

If you haven’t yet developed a mobile-optimized site, we’re here to help. We recently teamed up with DudaMobile to release a free mobile site builder. In three easy steps you’re able to get started with mobile: (1) enter your site’s URL, (2) customize your site and (3) redirect mobile users automatically to the new mobile-friendly version. It’s free and takes just a few minutes to complete!

Join us tomorrow, May 24th at 1pm ET/10am PT and watch as we showcase how ScienceDaily.com can use the mobile site builder to build a mobile-friendly site--live on air.

You’ll also hear from the CMO of DudaMobile, Dennis Mink; he’ll talk about best practices when using the mobile site builder and walk through important questions to ask yourself when building a mobile-friendly site.

Details on how to tune in

Sign into Google+ on Thursday, May 24 at 1pm ET/10am PT
Go to the Google AdSense+ Page
Look for the stream post and click to enter the live stream

If you have questions before or during the Hangout, post them on Google+ with the hashtag #GoMoSite.

Posted by Joseph Corral, Google Mobile Ads Marketing

URL: http://adsense.blogspot.com/2012/05/hangout-on-air-and-learn-how-to-build.html

[G] A faster, simpler Google Search app for iPhone

2012-05-24T03:58:00.009-07:00

Official Google Mobile Blog: A faster, simpler Google Search app for iPhone

(Cross posted on the Official Google Blog)

Starting today, when you use the Google Search app on your iPhone, you’ll see a completely redesigned interface that gives you faster results, beautiful full-screen image search, and a simple way to access all your Google apps in one place.

Search by voice, by typing, or with your camera

Get results, fastWhen you’re on the go, you usually want to get things done quickly. Autocompletion of search suggestions is significantly faster in this latest version of the app, bringing you search predictions instantly with each letter you type. You’ll also notice that pages load faster, and checking out multiple pages is easy with the slide-in panel. Quickly swipe back and forth between webpages and your search results, and swap between search modes like Images and Places with a swipeable menu. Finding text within a webpage is a snap as well; just try tapping the magnifying glass on the bottom menu option on any page.


Easily switch between search modes using the swipeable menu at the bottom	Swipe the slide-in panel to instantly return to your search results

Beautiful Image SearchSearching for images will never again be a chore. Tap the images button at the bottom of the search results page, and watch high-resolution images load into a beautiful grid. Browse the images by scrolling down the full-screen grid, or tap on a single image to get details about it and then quickly swipe from image to image. You can also tap and hold an image to save it to your camera roll to use as your wallpaper or share with a friend.

Full-screen image results take advantage of every inch of the screen

Swipe or tap on the edges to move between images.

Sutro Tower image by Marc Liyanage

Simple accessWe’ve put all of your favorite Google services in one place for easy access. You can choose to browse Google web apps, or see just the apps that you have on your phone. Sign in once, and you’ll never need to sign in again to check a quick email, view your next calendar appointment or see what’s hot on Google+.

All your Google mobile apps in one place

Download the Google Search app now for a fast, beautiful, simple search experience on your iPhone.

Posted by Noah Levin, Interaction Designer, Google Search app

URL: http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2012/05/faster-simpler-google-search-app-for.html

[G] A faster, simpler Google Search app for iPhone

2012-05-24T03:58:00.007-07:00

Official Google Blog: A faster, simpler Google Search app for iPhone

Search by voice, by typing, or with your camera

Get results, fast
When you’re on the go, you usually want to get things done quickly. Autocompletion of search suggestions is significantly faster in this latest version of the app, bringing you search predictions instantly with each letter you type. You’ll also notice that pages load faster, and checking out multiple pages is easy with the slide-in panel. Quickly swipe back and forth between webpages and your search results, and swap between search modes like Images and Places with a swipeable menu. Finding text within a webpage is a snap as well; just try tapping the magnifying glass on the bottom menu option on any page.


Easily switch between search modes using the swipeable menu at the bottom	Swipe the slide-in panel to instantly return to your search results

Beautiful Image Search
Searching for images will never again be a chore. Tap the images button at the bottom of the search results page, and watch high-resolution images load into a beautiful grid. Browse the images by scrolling down the full-screen grid, or tap on a single image to get details about it and then quickly swipe from image to image. You can also tap and hold an image to save it to your camera roll to use as your wallpaper or share with a friend.

Full-screen image results take advantage of every inch of the screen

Swipe or tap on the edges to move between images

Sutro Tower image by Marc Liyanage

Simple access
We’ve put all of your favorite Google services in one place for easy access. You can choose to browse Google web apps, or see just the apps that you have on your phone. Sign in once, and you’ll never need to sign in again to check a quick email, view your next calendar appointment or see what’s hot on Google+.

All your Google mobile apps in one place

Download the Google Search app now for a fast, beautiful, simple search experience on your iPhone.

Posted by Noah Levin, Interaction Designer, Google Search app

URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/faster-simpler-google-search-app-for.html

[G] Software downloads in Syria

2012-05-24T03:58:00.005-07:00

Official Google Blog: Software downloads in Syria

Free expression is a fundamental human right and a core value of our company—but sometimes there are limits to where we can make our products and services available. U.S. export controls and sanctions programs, for example, prohibit us from offering certain software downloads in some countries.

The fine details of these restrictions evolve over time, and we’re always exploring how we can better offer tools for people to access and share information. For example, last year we were able to make some of our products available for download in Iran. And today we’re pleased to make Google Earth, Picasa and Chrome available for download in Syria.

As a U.S. company, we remain committed to full compliance with U.S. export controls and sanctions. We remain equally committed to continue exploring how we can help more people around the globe use technology to communicate, find and create information.

Posted by Neil Martin, Export Compliance Programs Manager

URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/software-downloads-in-syria.html

[G] More Chrome goodness coming your way

2012-05-24T03:58:00.003-07:00

Google Chrome Blog: More Chrome goodness coming your way

Today’s Chrome Beta channel release is chock full of bug fixes. Thanks to automatic updates, you can sit back, relax, and let the goodness come to you.

Posted by Dharani Govindan, Technical Program Manager

URL: http://chrome.blogspot.com/2012/05/more-chrome-goodness-coming-your-way.html

[G] Software downloads in Syria

2012-05-24T03:58:00.001-07:00

Google Public Policy Blog: Software downloads in Syria

Posted by Neil Martin, Export Compliance Programs Manager

Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog

URL: http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2012/05/software-downloads-in-syria.html

[G] A tribute to Bob Moog, sonic doodler

2012-05-23T03:47:00.009-07:00

Official Google Blog: A tribute to Bob Moog, sonic doodler

In the mid-1960s, Dr. Robert Moog unleashed a new universe of sounds into musicdom with his invention of the electronic analog Moog Synthesizer. The timbre and tones of these keyboard instruments (true works of art in and of themselves) would come to define a generation of music, featuring heavily in songs by The Beatles, The Doors, Stevie Wonder, Kraftwerk and many others.

When people hear the word “synthesizer” they often think “synthetic”—fake, manufactured, unnatural. In contrast, Bob Moog’s synthesizers produce beautiful, organic and rich sounds that are, nearly 50 years later, regarded by many professional musicians as the epitome of an electronic instrument. “Synthesizer,” it turns out, refers to the synthesis embedded in Moog’s instruments: a network of electronic components working together to create a whole greater than the sum of the parts.

With his passion for high-tech toolmaking in the service of creativity, Bob Moog is something of a patron saint of the nerdy arts and a hero to many of us here. So for the next 24 hours on our homepage, you’ll find an interactive, playable logo inspired by the instruments with which Moog brought musical performance into the electronic age. You can use your mouse or computer keyboard to control the mini-synthesizer’s keys and knobs to make nearly limitless sounds. Keeping with the theme of 1960s music technology, we’ve patched the keyboard into a 4-track tape recorder so you can record, play back and share songs via short links or Google+.

Much like the musical machines Bob Moog created, this doodle was synthesized from a number of smaller components to form a unique instrument. When experienced with Google Chrome, sound is generated natively using the Web Audio API—a doodle first (for other browsers the Flash plugin is used). This doodle also takes advantage of JavaScript, Closure libraries, CSS3 and tools like Google Web Fonts, the Google+ API, the Google URL Shortener and App Engine.

Special thanks to engineers Reinaldo Aguiar and Rui Lopes and doodle team lead Ryan Germick for their work, as well as the Bob Moog Foundation and Moog Music for their blessing. Now give those knobs a spin and compose a tune that would make Dr. Moog smile!

Posted by Joey Hurst, Software Engineer

URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/tribute-to-bob-moog-sonic-doodler.html

[G] Google Maps Engine grants for nonprofits

2012-05-23T03:47:00.007-07:00

Google Lat Long: Google Maps Engine grants for nonprofits

Today, we are excited to announce a new addition to the Google Earth Outreach Grants program. Now, eligible nonprofit organizations in the U.S., U.K., Brazil and Canada can apply for grants of Google Maps Engine, a platform formerly known as Google Earth Builder, for hosting, storing, managing, and styling map data.

Google Earth Builder has been available to businesses since August 2011. A new name is just the beginning. Several nonprofit organizations, including World Wildlife Fund and Eyes on the Forest (a coalition of Sumatran NGOs), as well as Living Oceans Society, have already been using the platform to tell stories and engage their constituents in an interactive way.

It's no secret that the natural habitats of wildlife such as tigers, rhinos, elephants and orangutans are disappearing at an alarming rate. The World Wildlife Fund, in partnership with Eyes on the Forest, uses Google Maps Engine to develop and publish Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data showing the reduction of ranges for these four endangered species. In addition, they are publishing maps on floral diversity and change in carbon stocks and forest cover over time.

While some nonprofits focus on terrestrial conservation, Living Oceans Society works to protect the British Columbia coastline. As GIS and mapping specialists, they create and publish maps such as kayak routes, dive sites, eelgrass beds, and oil and tanker traffic to inform residents of the recreational value of natural habitats as well as inform policy-makers about the risks that increasing industrial practices pose to the ecosystem.

With this addition of Google Maps Engine to the Google Earth Outreach Grants program, we’re releasing three new Google Maps Engine tutorials to educate nonprofits on how to use the product. We’ll also be hosting a Google+ Hangout on the Google Earth Plus page to provide more information about the program and answer questions from potential grant recipients. Tune in by visiting the Google Earth Plus page on May 24th at 10:30 a.m. PDT to join the Hangout on Air.

More information about eligibility for a Google Maps Engine grant and how organizations can apply is available on the Google Earth Outreach Maps Engine for Nonprofits page.

Posted by Tanya Birch, Program Manager, Google Earth Outreach

URL: http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2012/05/google-maps-engine-grants-for.html

[G] Notifying users affected by the DNSChanger malware

2012-05-23T03:47:00.005-07:00

Google Online Security Blog: Notifying users affected by the DNSChanger malware

Posted by Damian Menscher, Security Engineer

Starting today we’re undertaking an effort to notify roughly half a million people whose computers or home routers are infected with a well-publicized form of malware known as DNSChanger. After successfully alerting a million users last summer to a different type of malware, we’ve replicated this method and have started showing warnings via a special message that will appear at the top of the Google search results page for users with affected devices.

The Domain Name System (DNS) translates familiar web address names like google.com into a numerical address that computers use to send traffic to the right place. The DNSChanger malware modifies DNS settings to use malicious servers that point users to fake sites and other harmful locations. DNSChanger attempts to modify the settings on home routers as well, meaning other computers and mobile devices may also be affected.

Since the FBI and Estonian law enforcement arrested a group of people and transferred control of the rogue DNS servers to the Internet Systems Consortium in November 2011, various ISPs and other groups have attempted to alert victims. However, many of these campaigns have had limited success because they could not target the affected users, or did not appear in the user’s preferred language (only half the affected users speak English as their primary language). At the current disinfection rate hundreds of thousands of devices will still be infected when the court order expires on July 9th and the replacement DNS servers are shut down. At that time, any remaining infected machines may experience slowdowns or completely lose Internet access.

Our goal with this notification is to raise awareness of DNSChanger among affected users. We believe directly messaging affected users on a trusted site and in their preferred language will produce the best possible results. While we expect to notify over 500,000 users within a week, we realize we won’t reach every affected user. Some ISPs have been taking their own actions, a few of which will prevent our warning from being displayed on affected devices. We also can’t guarantee that our recommendations will always clean infected devices completely, so some users may need to seek additional help. These conditions aside, if more devices are cleaned and steps are taken to better secure the machines against further abuse, the notification effort will be well worth it.

URL: http://googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.com/2012/05/notifying-users-affected-by-dnschanger.html

[G] Google Acquires Motorola Mobility

2012-05-23T03:47:00.003-07:00

Google Public Policy Blog: Google Acquires Motorola Mobility

Posted by Larry Page, CEO

Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog

The phones in our pockets have become supercomputers that are changing the way we live. It’s now possible to do things we used to think were magic, or only possible on Star Trek--like get directions right from where we are standing; watch a video on YouTube; or take a picture and share the moment instantly with friends.

It’s why I’m excited to announce today that our Motorola Mobility deal has closed. Motorola is a great American tech company that has driven the mobile revolution, with a track record of over 80 years of innovation, including the creation of the first cell phone. We all remember Motorola’s StarTAC, which at the time seemed tiny and showed the real potential of these devices. And as a company who made a big, early bet on Android, Motorola has become an incredibly valuable partner to Google.

Sanjay Jha, who was responsible for building the company and placing that big bet on Android, has stepped down as CEO. I would like to thank him for his efforts and am tremendously pleased that he will be working to ensure a smooth transition as long-time Googler Dennis Woodside takes over as CEO of Motorola Mobility.

I’ve known Dennis for nearly a decade, and he’s been phenomenal at building teams and delivering on some of Google’s biggest bets. One of his first jobs at Google was to put on his backpack and build our businesses across the Middle East, Africa, Eastern Europe and Russia. More recently he helped increase our revenue in the U.S. from $10.8 billion to $17.5 billion in under three years as President of the Americas region. Dennis has always been a committed partner to our customers and I know he will be an outstanding leader of Motorola. As an Ironman triathlete, he’s got plenty of energy for the journey ahead--and he’s already off to great start with some very strong new hires for the Motorola team.

It’s a well known fact that people tend to overestimate the impact technology will have in the short term, but underestimate its significance in the longer term. Many users coming online today may never use a desktop machine, and the impact of that transition will be profound--as will the ability to just tap and pay with your phone. That’s why it’s a great time to be in the mobile business, and why I’m confident Dennis and the team at Motorola will be creating the next generation of mobile devices that will improve lives for years to come.

URL: http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2012/05/google-acquires-motorola-mobility.html

[G] Join us at the AdSense GetMo Exhibition in London

2012-05-23T03:47:00.001-07:00

Inside AdSense: Join us at the AdSense GetMo Exhibition in London

We’ve talked a lot recently on our blog about how mobile usage is rising at a rate faster than any other technology to date. To keep up, it’s important for your business to develop a mobile strategy.

If you’re located in the London, UK area (or are willing to travel to London!) we’d like to let you know about the GetMo Exhibition we’re hosting on Wednesday, 30 May. During this event, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about mobile trends. You’ll meet mobile site developers from the GetMo site to hear how they can help you develop a mobile site with their offerings.

The agenda will feature sessions including:

Mobile Industry Trends with Ian Carrrington, Mobile Advertising Sales Director

A glimpse into the world of Android with Richard Hyndman, Developer Advocate

Offerings available from GetMo vendors

GetMo publisher panel

Spots are filling up, but if you’d like to attend the upcoming event, fill out our interest form before Thursday, 24 May. Although we won’t be able to accommodate all requests due to space constraints, we’ll do our best to include as many interested publishers as possible. We also recommend ensuring you’re opted in to receiving ‘Special Offer’ emails so we can reach you in the future.

We hope to see you in London at our GetMo Exhibition!

Posted by Marta Lysiak - AdSense Optimisation Team

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/tuAm/~3/9E-uHI-HYZc/join-us-at-adsense-getmo-exhibition-in.html

[G] Make smarter decisions with the new Auction insights report

2012-05-22T18:26:00.001-07:00

Inside AdWords: Make smarter decisions with the new Auction insights report

A key component of developing a search ads strategy is understanding what other advertisers are doing, and using this intelligence to optimize campaigns for top performance. To empower advertisers to make better informed optimization decisions, we’re launching the Auction insights report.

We currently provide Impression share columns within campaign and ad group reports that show the percentage of impressions received, compared to the estimated number of impressions for which they were eligible. While this report gives valuable insight into missed opportunities in aggregate, it also raises additional questions -- who competes in the same auctions, and can performance data be made available at a more detailed level?

With the Auction insights report, you can compare your performance with other advertisers who compete in the same set of auctions as you do. You can see how often your ads rank higher than other advertisers’ ads on the search results page, and how often your ads appear compared to theirs based on your estimated possible impressions. This information can help you make strategic decisions about bids, budgets, and keyword choices by showing you where you are succeeding and where you may be missing opportunities for improved performance.

The Auction insights report provides data at the keyword-level, and provides five different statistics: impression share, average position, overlap rate, position above rate, and top of page percent:

Note: Mock data only.

Reports can be generated for one keyword at a time, and data is only available for keywords that meet a minimum threshold of activity for the time period specified. If you see this icon () to the left of a keyword in your statistics table on the Keyword tab, you’ll know that the Auction insights report is available for that keyword.

Note: This report provides information on other advertisers that participated in the same auctions as you. This does not indicate that the other advertisers have the same keywords, match types, or other targeting settings as you. The other advertisers’ metrics shown are based only on instances when your ads were also estimated to be eligible to appear. These reports will not reveal the actual keywords, quality, or settings from your campaign, and it will not give you insight into the same information for others.

While this information is already available by performing queries on Google search -- and many already attempt to estimate this data by scanning the ads that appear -- this report will make it easier to access and understand this information. It is available at no additional cost to advertisers whose keywords have a minimum threshold of activity.

This report will be rolling out over the next few days. For more information on the Auction insights report, visit the AdWords Help Center.

Posted by Bhanu Narasimhan, Group Product Manager, AdWords

URL: http://adwords.blogspot.com/2012/05/make-smarter-decisions-with-new-auction.html

[G] Reintroducing the platform formerly known as Google Earth Builder

2012-05-22T15:22:00.003-07:00

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Reintroducing the platform formerly known as Google Earth Builder

Posted by Dylan Lorimer, Google Maps Engine Product Manager

In September 2011 we launched Google Earth Builder, a product that allows customers to use Google's cloud computing infrastructure to store, manage and share their own geospatial data and maps. Google Earth Builder enables secure access to geospatial data it hosts through our geospatial apps like Google Earth and our geospatial APIs like the Google Maps API. Customers have used the platform in a variety of ways, including third parties using it to power their applications, data providers using it to commercially distribute their geospatial data, and customers creating their own 3D globes with private mapping data. We didn’t think “Earth Builder” reflected the true capabilities of the product or vision that we have for easily accessible geospatial data. So, today we're renaming Google Earth Builder to be called Google Maps Engine. Today we’re also announcing the launch of our Google Maps Engine grants program for nonprofits. We hope that Google Maps Engine will power the next generation of world class mapping applications, and we are excited about all the new innovations that we’re working on bringing to the platform soon.

Dylan Lorimer, Google Maps Engine Product Manager

URL: http://googleenterprise.blogspot.com/2012/05/reintroducing-platform-formerly-known.html

[G] A world of opportunity at the G(irls)20 Summit

2012-05-22T15:22:00.001-07:00

Official Google Blog: A world of opportunity at the G(irls)20 Summit

We’re pleased to have Farah Mohamed join us today to talk about her organization, the G(irls)20 Summit, of which Google is a proud sponsor. The mission of the G(irls)20 Summit is to showcase how girls and women can impact a country’s economic prosperity, political stability and social innovation. - Ed.

Research shows that investing in girls and women can help the global economy. Consider the following examples:

According to Plan UK, an extra year of education increases a girl’s income by 10 to 20% and is a significant step on the road to breaking the cycle of poverty.
In Kenya, adolescent pregnancies cost the economy $500 million per year, while investing in girls could potentially add $32 billion to the economy (NIKE Foundation, 2009, Girl Effect).
If men and women had equal influence in decision-making , an additional 1.7 million children would be adequately nourished in sub-Saharan Africa (International Labour Organization, 2009).

These are significant estimates, and they highlight a real opportunity for global economic growth. That’s why the G(irls)20 Summit is working with Google and many other corporate and foundation partners to empower girls and women.

Launched in 2010 at the Clinton Global Initiative, the G(irls)20 Summit precedes the G20 Leaders Summit, and brings together one girl aged 18 to 20 from each G20 country plus the African Union. The delegates attend workshops and participate in panel discussions to come up with tangible, scalable solutions for how to engage and empower girls and women around the world. Then, at the end of the summit, they lead a press conference and present a set of recommendations for the G20 leaders to consider.

This year, the Summit will take place in Mexico City from May 28-31. But the impact of the Summit will be ongoing, thanks in part to the power of the Internet and social media. Take past Summit participants July Lee of the U.S. and Noma Sibayoni of South Africa, who launched Write With A Smile to encourage teens to continue with their education. Or Riana Shah of India who co-founded Independent Thought & Social Action (ITSA India), an education reform organization that aims to empower socially responsible youth leaders. And the African Union’s Lilian Kithiri continues to persevere creating awareness around reproductive health to communities living in the rural areas of Kenya.

There are a few ways you can experience the Summit:

Join us in Mexico City on May 28
Sign up for your number in support of girls and women
Join the conversation via our live stream on www.girls20summit.com on May 28, 29 and 31

Whether you’re a girl, boy, woman or man, we all have a role to play in empowering girls and women. As UN Under Secretary-General Michelle Bachelet once said, “gender equality and women’s empowerment are goals in their own right and central to all other goals—must be more than a mantra. It must become a lived reality for women and men and boys and girls in all countries.”

Posted by Farah Mohamed, President & CEO, G(irls)20 Summit

URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/world-of-opportunity-at-girls20-summit.html

[G] Music Tuesday: Garbage, Kimbra and the Gossip

2012-05-22T11:28:00.003-07:00

YouTube Blog: Music Tuesday: Garbage, Kimbra and the Gossip

It seems appropriate, in the wake of Donna Summer’s untimely death last week at the age of 63, that we are devoting an entire Music Tuesday today to behind-kicking female musicians. Summer herself was a force to be reckoned with. She was at the forefront of disco’s transformation from fringe movement to global phenomenon, all on the strength of her groundbreaking collaboration with Italian producer Giorgio Moroder. Many of her biggest hits sound as vital and provocative today as they did 30+ years ago, and though she always seemed too down-to-earth to be called a diva, she undeniably was one. Check out some of her best moments, and check out three contemporary musicians who also follow their own muses -- with inspiring results.

Garbage’s Favorite New Tracks

The alt-rock band best known for their late-‘90s work returns to recording after a seven-year hiatus. Lead singer Shirley Manson is still acerbic, and the band still knows to marry snarling guitars and danceable beats. (Hurray!) But just as enjoyable is Manson’s playlist of her favorite videos. From the frayed, strange Dirty Beaches to gloriously over-the-top offerings from MIA and Jack White, she hits the sweet spot with videos that rock and unsettle you simultaneously. And which video do you think she had on repeat until she started to freak out her husband? Watch her introduction to find out.

Introducing Kimbra

The New Zealand-based singer Kimbra set the blogosphere afire late last year. Though her debut album Vows only released down under in 2011, her videos gave her global reach, and people were quickly entranced by her precise, crystalline voice and striking aesthetic. (That was before her duet with Gotye claimed a parking spot on top of U.S. charts.) Vows releases today in the U.S., and to celebrate, the singer drops a little science about the music videos she loves.

Watch Gossip Live Tonight!

Today, Gossip release A Joyful Noise, the next step on their evolution from underground alt-dance stars to bona fide members of the dance pop elite. Check them out live tonight on Bowery Presents’ channel at 9:45 ET/6:45 PT. And in the meantime, let Beth Ditto school you in the ways of Gossip.

Sarah Bardeen, Music Community Manager, recently watched “Ceu - Retrovisor.”

URL: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/youtube/PKJx/~3/kMOjtXnbypk/music-tuesday-garbage-kimbra-and-gossip.html

[G] We’ve acquired Motorola Mobility

2012-05-22T11:28:00.001-07:00

Official Google Blog: We’ve acquired Motorola Mobility

Posted by Larry Page, CEO

URL: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/05/weve-acquired-motorola-mobility.html

[G] We’ve acquired Motorola Mobility

2012-05-22T08:10:00.001-07:00

Official Google Blog: We’ve acquired Motorola Mobility

Posted by Larry Page, CEO