Tag: Google

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Migrate from Google Videos to YouTube automatically!

A few days ago, I wrote how Google is closing down Google Videos and expects people to download their videos and then upload them to YouTube individually. Considering YouTube is owned by Google, it was quite disappointing that a more simple method was not arranged by Google.

Google probably got a lot of angry mail from Google Video users and they have decided to basically undo the closing down of Google Video.

Moving from Google Video to YouTube

People who used Google Video can download their videos like before but also directly upload them to YouTube without the need to download and upload all the videos individually.

  • Also the 29th April 2011, deadline for closing Google Video has been removed and video content will be accessible beyond that time.
  • This seems to be a complete U-turn by Google and it seems it now is not too keen on shutting down Google Video but only letting it die a natural death.

This change of decision is quite amusing from Google and it seems it is getting back to it’s geek roots. If you remember Gmail and other new products we often improved based on user feedback, and that is why they made such progress. In the past couple of years we have seen Google become more like other tech companies. So the change of attitude is welcome, maybe it is because of a new CEO at helm? 😀

Do drop in your comments.

Source: YouTube Blog

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News

Google Video Shutdown: Moving to YouTube is an Inconvenience

I am not sure many of your might have known of a service called Google Video. The service allows users to search for videos along with uploading videos they might have online.

Google Video was created as a competitor to YouTube but the latter simply took an unassailable lead. Google then bought YouTube and today it does play host to several hundreds of millions of videos and equal number of users.

So Google has realized that maintaining to similar services was not really useful and decided to shut down Google Videos. Message on Google Video’s website reads:

On April 29 2011, uploaded videos will no longer be available for playback.

Now when we access our videos on Google Videos, a download button shows up and we can download the files in FLV format.

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Moving from Google Video to YouTube is difficult!

  • The message is short and simple but if you have some videos on Google Video and want it transferred to your YouTube account, the method is not at all short and simple.
  • First we need to download all the video files on our computer and then separately upload them on YouTube.
  • I find it difficult to belive, how Google will retain Google Video users to YouTube with this strange request. I mean if you are moving files from one service to another by the same company there should be an easier and automated way.

I guess Google has gone a little lazy and instead of coming up with an online tool to transfer from Google Videos to YouTube or Picasa account, it has left the burden on users themselves.

Another reason might be that the usage on Google Video might be so low, that Google does not want to waste time on creating an online tool for it specifically.

What are your views on lack of a simpler system to move videos from Google Videos to YouTube? Do drop in your comments.

Link: Google Videos

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Tips

[Online Tool] Get Suggestions from Google to Improve Page Speed

The loading speed of a web page is a very important parameter for any webmaster. The point is a website should look have a great and simple design along with a lot of interactive options.

Sometimes the amount of coding done a theme for a site does affect it’s loading time. Google as you know, ranks some sites higher than others because loading speed is also plays a part in page ranks.

Use Google’s Page Speed online tool which carries out an analysis of page speed and also gives detailed advice.

Page Speed Features

  • Just enter any URL for which you want a report to be created.
  • Click on “Analyze Performance” and get details of your websites rating as far as Page Speed is concerned.
  • It also gives advice on improvements to your website which will help page to load up faster.

If you liked this post you can also read up on best practices for writing efficient CSS for faster page load and also check up loading speed of multiple sites.

Do drop in your comments.

Link: Page Speed Online

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Analysis

[April Fools Day] Round Up of Google’s Pranks for 2011!

1st of April pranks have become a sort of tradition for Google. Google last year went to the extent of declaring that they are changing their name to Topeka officially, have text based video for YouTube and also new Google wave notifications.

Read about last year’s April fools day pranks here.

This year I am sure Google expected many people to call their bluffs so they decided to come up with some, totally over the top and hilarious new features with their various products for 2011. Here is a quick round up of all the new Aprils fools day pranks.

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#1. Gmail Motion

Gmail Motion is supposed to be a beta product and it helps you improve your email experience. It is a technology that is supposed to help you use Gmail without using the keyboard and only via body movements.

Watch the funny video demo below:

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Link: Gmail Motion

#2. Chromercise

Google also introduced another spoof service that wants you to build muscle tone and flexibility through a finger fitness program called chromercise. Look at the video below which explains how you can get Chromercised.

Link: Chromercise

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#3. Google Hiring Auto-Completers

This one is bizarre, as if to suggest that Google is hiring auto-completers which shows up with auto – suggestions while we type in a search query.

I clicked on the link and was taken to another page which shows the eligibility. This includes a certification in psychic reading.

Link: Google Autocompleters

#4. Top 5 Viral Pictures of 1911

YouTube also joined the fun and introduces the top 5 viral videos in 1911 celebrating 100 years of YouTube! Yes, apparently YouTube was invented before the internet or the computer itself.

Check the video collection of the top 5 viral pictures of 1911.

Enjoy April’s Fools day with these Google pranks and do let me know if there are any more I have missed this year.

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News

Google Launches +1 to Challenge Facebook’s Growing Influence!

Almost any page I visit online now a days, I come across three buttons on every page. These buttons are retweet, FB Like and FB share buttons. This proves how traffic on the internet has also become social and is not just controlled totally by search algorithms.

This meant people were now discovering new content thanks to their friends on social networks and not necessarily through search results. Google had announced that it will have some sort of a social layer on all its products. Today Google unveiled +1 feature which is very similar to Facebook’s “Like” feature.

Try out Google’s +1 with your search results

  • Sign –in to your Google account while using Google search
  • Now visit http://www.google.com/experimental/ and click on “Join this experiment” for +1 button.
  • This will start showing search results on Google with the option to click on +1 (see image).

  • The links you select as +1 will show up even in your Google profile.

Here is the video that explains Google +1:

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Future plans for Google’s +1

  • Google will soon start allowing web-pages to add a +1 button so that people can click on this button.
  • This will mean +1 will become a rival of Facebook’s “Like” button.

This is the first time I feel Google is really taking “social” seriously. Only time will tell if Google has hit a jackpot or if it has hit a dud like it did with Google Buzz.

Do try out Google +1 and let me know your views and opinions. Do drop in your comments.

Link: Google +1 Button

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News

Google Summer of Code 2011: Students start applying!

Every year Google holds a global competition which encourages students to write code for open source projects. Google even offers the students a stipend to write code all summer.

Google has announced that it will start accepting applications for the Summer of Code 2011 program.

How will Google Summer of Code 2011 work?

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  • The concept is simple. Through March, Google invited organizations to be part of Summer of Code program. Some of the major participating organizations are Apache, Mozilla, Melange, Wikimedia, Drupal and WordPress.
  • Now in April, students have to register along with proposing a project for approval by a participating open source organization.
  • Once the proposal is accepted, students can write code all summer from April to September. Hence the name Summer of Code.

Eligibility

  • The age limit for participants is 18 years old or over.
  • The students also need to be enrolled in a college program. If they are graduating in the summer they need to be enrolled in a college on 26th April 2011.

For complete details on Eligibility click here.

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The Prize

  • Other than boasting rights; the participant get a hefty cash prize if their projects are selected by Google.
  • Also very often Google end up recruiting the participants who do well. This is not really a declared part of the prize but even Google admits it does hire from the program.

Last year, Google held a similar program for school kids who were under the age of 18. The program was called Google Code-in and Devils’ Workshop guest author, Gautam Gupta was ranked 5th.

If you are passionate about code and open-source do look up Google Summer of Code 2011 and start applying.

Link: Google Summer of Code 2011

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Tips

Add Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter accounts to your Google Profile

A lot has been written about search going social. It has even prompted Google to add social layers to its products across the board. While Google does that and keeps us guessing what their plans are, there are some interesting changes with Google profiles.

Google is already looking to make profile pages a lot more attractive by allowing Picasa web albums being displayed on it.

I was looking up my Google profile after a long time and noticed that I could add 6 different social networks to my Google profile.

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How to add accounts to Google Profile!

  • First you need a Gmail account. If you have used Gmail, your profile exists. Visiting it by typing in http://google.com/profiles
  • Sign-in to your account and look up Account Settings from the extreme top right hand corner. The option looks somewhat like a wheel from a gear.
  • Now check up connected accounts and simply add your social profiles to these. You can visit http://profiles.google.com/connectedaccounts directly if you are already logged into your Gmail account.

At the moment the big difference after you add these accounts it when you carry out social search queries on Google. But when it comes to the profile, the added accounts show up as not so different from the other links you can add manually. This probably means Google is looking to do something different with accounts from these social media.

I wonder if Google is planning to build a super social network in the form of Google Profiles, which allows us to manage and look up all our social presence from one place.

Also Google does not treat social profiles as real people but just another link. This might be a way to tying up those links! What are your views?

Do drop in your comments.

Link: Google Profile

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Tips

[Online Tip] Stop Google from Tracking Your Data on Chrome Browser!

Google might have several online properties but the single most important one it has is obviously its search engine. Almost everyone types in keywords to search for stuff they need online. So how does Google make money? They simply show relevant text ads, which might interest you while searching. Once you click on their text ad, Google makes money. This sort of simple revenue model has created a multi-billion dollar industry.

How does Google knows which advertisement to show you?

That is quite simple, all it does is track your search patterns thanks to your browser. This allows Google to show newer and more relevant ads to you. This of course increases the chances of people clicking on the ads which subsequently makes Google billions.

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If you do not want personalization of ads on your browser, use Keep My Opt Outs Chrome extension, which does not allow collecting data from your browser.

Features of Keep my Opt Outs Extension

  • Many times we get prompted for Chrome permission warnings. The extension still does not allow tracking any of our records.
  • This is done by now allowing cookies to be stored from websites. This conforms to web privacy standards.
  • We can do this all by tweaking Chrome preferences for cookies or even checking http://www.google.com/ads/preferences for making sure we do not get personalized ads.

Are you someone who does not mind Google tracking your information for showing preferences? Do drop in your comments.

Link: Keep My Opt Outs

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News

Facebook adds another Googler to the list!

Facebook is leaving no stone unturned to make itself good and popular. Recently Facebook hired an ex Googler, named Amid Zoufonoun.

Amid Zoufonoun was in Google since 2003. Zoufonoun has led major acquisitions including On2, Grandcentral (Google Voice), Metaweb, Widevine, Feedburner, and Simplify Media, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Credit

He was director of corporate development in Google. Now he is leaving Google to come to Facebook. His will continue to be director of corporate development once he starts at Facebook next week. I wonder what package Facebook offered him to join their team. 🙂

Prior to moving to Google, Zoufonoun was the director of intellectual property and corporate counsel at ArrayComm LLC. He has a BS in electrical engineering from Santa Clara University and a JD from Santa Clara’s School of Law.

Well, jokes apart this is really good. Mark Zuckerberg just wants the best minds in the market to be with him. Last month Alexandre Hohagen,Google’s head of Sales joined Facebook.

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News

Google Docs adds Discussions feature: Works like a ticketing system!

When it comes to using a word processor, I do not even have MS Office on my laptop. I only use Google Docs, if I ever want to create documents. One reason why I like Google Docs so much, is that I can share these documents with my colleagues. It also allows me to chat with them on the side, and see them typing or making changes live. This makes Google Docs one heck of a collaborative tool.  Well now things are getting better with a new feature on called “Discussions”. 🙂

What does Discussions bring to Google Docs?

  • Firstly, Discussion can be inserted in the documents and we can notify anyone someone about it through email. See image below on how the discussion can be started. While you are looking up a document, click on the new Discussion tab on the top right.

  • Just type in @username, and most times the email id will auto-populate. Now an email notification is sent to the person you have started a discussion.
  • The person you are collaborating with can reply to your discussion via email or even on the document, if you are sharing it with that person.
  • This is truly collaborative in a way, because it allows discussions to be “Resolved” instead of being deleted. This means we can use Discussions like a ticketing system.
  • For example, if I am stuck with something on a document, I can raise the ticket for my colleague to resolve it through Discussions. (see image below)

Here is a video created by Google, to showcase Discussions on Google Docs.

Do try out Discussion in Google Docs, and drop in your comments and views.

Link: Google Docs

Source: Google Blog

Related: Sync MS Office on multiple computers with Google Docs