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Google Self-Advertising Products
2006-12-26 04:53:00
Google has been buying AdWords ads for its products in hopes to diverge traffic from its most popular product -- search to other services. I have done several searches trying to dig all the AdWords ads Google use to advertise its own products (see below for the products I have dug). I concluded that most these products that Google actually spend money competing with other advertisers are either unpopular and has a low market share or the Google version of that product for that particular keyword ranks pretty low (e.g. If you search for 'calendar', Google's calendar service ranks third). And recently, they even added something call 'Tip' which appears right below the search box when users search for particular keywords to promote its four products: Google Images (for searching images), Google Calendar (Google's web-based calendar service), Blogger (Google's free blogging service which recently went out of beta), Picasa Web Album (Google owned online album which provide one-tim...
More About: Google , Products , Advertising , Sing , Advert

Top 10 Google Innovations 2006
2006-12-20 18:23:00
Google Custom Search Engine (CSE)Google Custom Search Engine is an extension of Google Coop which allows everyone to create search engines according to our own preference. Here is what so good about it:Specify sites you want to include in searches. Learn moreIntegrate your search engine with AdSense and get paid when users click on the ads displayed on result pages. Learn moreInvite contributors to refine the search results by including more relevant sites in your index. Learn moreCompatible with Google API allowing you to create an AJAX based search engine. See exampleRefine results with self-defined labels. Learn moreAbility to upload annotations in bulk. Learn moreGmail + Google TalkIf you can chat with someone and get immediate respond, why border sending an email? Google engineers came up with an innovative idea of combining its web-based email service with its IM client so that users can see each other and chat directly in a browser. The feature is called Gmail Chat which sin...
More About: Google , Top 10 , Innovations , Innovation , Nova

Order prints in Picasa Web Album
2006-12-14 07:25:00
Picasa Web has been one of the best online album service by providing an one-time 250 MB of storage (compared to the 10 MB per month in Flickr) as well as the high speed and ads-free interface. Today, it added a search function and even partnered with two photo printing companies (Photo Works and Shutterfly) to let users to order prints for their fancy photos. The set up process is fast and painless:Click the 'View Order ' link at the top right corner of your album:Update: The search feature isn't available to everyone yet.Click on the 'Select Print Provider' button:There are currently two providers (Photo Works and Shutterfly):Go to any photos (even the ones in other's album) and click 'Order photo' on the right sidebar and you will be brought back to the ordered photos page:By click on the 'Continue to Print Provider' button, you will then brought to the print provider to continue your purchase. This feature is extremely easy-to-use and you can even order prints for the ...
More About: Picasa , Casa , Album , Picas

Santa's Toy Hunt in Google Earth
2006-12-14 07:01:00
Google employees once again used their creativity and created a toy hunt in Google Earth . Every day from December 12th until Christmas Eve, a clue will appear outside Sant a's North Pole workshop:They even set up a promotion page where you can find the details of the game including all the huge presents in varies places. Download the latest version of Google Earth as well as the Santa KML file to play. Keep track of Santa and on December 24th, Santa will load his sleigh, take the reins and soar into the skies, delivering presents to good children all over the world.
More About: Google , Googl

Search for patents on Google
2006-12-14 03:23:00
Google launched a very interesting new search service today which is another attempt to make public domain government information more easily accessible using Google’s search technology as said in the Official Google Blog. It works like Google Book Search where you type in a keyword and Google will return the relevant patent to you.The most impressive thing about this new feature is that it includes advance search when it initially release which makes searching easier. To search for all the Google patents, click here. I would say that this is another addictive Google product where you can spend hours searching for patents that you find funny (just like exploring the world with Google Earth).
More About: Google , Patents , Patent , Googl

Google Toolbar for FireFox 3
2006-12-13 08:11:00
As said in the Official Googl e Blog post, Firefox users have been waiting for Google to launch a new version of Google Toolbar which has the same function as the IE version. Now it is finally here. All features you have in IE toolbar can be found in the new version. Yet, there is a first launch feature which integrates Google Toolbar and Google Docs & Spreadsheet. Now when ever you search on Google and found some documents or spreadsheet you would like to view, apart from view as HTML, you can now easily view them in Google Docs & Spreadsheet and then edit them. Also, Google has used this tool to fix the problem of Firefox blocking Docs & Spreadsheet from copying and pasting text.Related: Official Google Blog - Nifty Toolbar upgrades for Firefox
More About: Firefox 3

Google Finance updates
2006-12-13 07:15:00
After 6 month from launch, Googl e Finan ce has its second update (read more about the first update). This time more changes have been made:They redesigned the homepage adding currency information, sector performance for the U.S. market, and a listing of top market movers along with the relevant and important news of the day.Top movers section added to highlight most active companies by price, market cap, volume, and popularity which is calculated by the sophisticated Google Trends.Richer portfolio capabilities that let you import other online portfolios to Google Finance, use different views and add transactions to make it easier to track your investments. Displaying up to 40 years of data for U.S. stocks.More data can be shown in your Google Personalized homepage gadget.The more interesting thing I find is the 'Feedback' button on the top right corner. I suppose they are desperate in receiving more feedback and suggestions to come up with more innovative ideas to fight with Yahoo ...
More About: Updates

Happy Birthday, Edvard Munch!
2006-12-12 17:08:00
Today is the birthday of the great artist Edvard Munch. And to celebrate this, Google has a created a doodle for this. Try google some information related to him. More interestingly, you can perform an image search to take a look at his great art works. Enjoy!
More About: Happy , Birthday , Birth , Happy Birthday

Supporting more language in AdSense for Content
2006-12-12 04:24:00
As an AdSense publisher located in Hong Kong, it is excited to hear that AdSense for Content (AFC) finally official supports Chinese Traditional (I say officially because many sites have started putting ad codes on pages which is mainly written in a Chinese Traditional). Now publisher signing up for AdSense choosing Chinese Traditional as their primary language for their site will be able to choose AFC as an option. Together with Chinese Traditional, Croatian, Czech, Slovak are now official supported as well. Hurray!
More About: Adsense , Language , More , Ense

Google Base get changed
2006-12-12 00:20:00
The one-year-old Googl e Base has a new layout. If you have ever tried Live Image Search this won't be new to you. In the new look, you will be able to view items in either table form or grid form, rate and comment on individual items and also refine your search results will improved sorting and refinement user interface.I pretty much like the new layout as it gives you some idea of the item before you really click to see its details using AJAX technology. This reduces the time for users to locate the information that most suits them. One thing Google can improve is the loading speed of the item preview bubbles. Though no one actually knows how Google is going to use its Base, I am pretty sure (just see how desperate the Base Team wants feedback) it will going to be another changing-the-world product.Reference: Google Base Official Blog
More About: Chang , Chan

New 'Ads by Google'
2006-12-11 04:28:00
It has been a hot topic in Digital Point these days when more and more members are reporting the new 'Ads by Googl e ' format. So far (I have personally experienced), there are two new formats for the 'Ads by Google' label. They are either a 'Google' logo or a big 'G' which replaces the original 'Google' text. See the screenshot below: (Screenshots taken from Google Operating System)Google is constantly testing its ads to see which attracts more attention or more user friendly. Just a few months before, AdSense publishers are aware that Google adds in a small relevant image to leaderboards and skyscrapers to see if it increase CTR. According to a previous Inside AdSense post, it said:Just as we have holiday logos for our Google homepage and "Goooooooooogle" at the bottom of our search results, we thought "Ads by Goooooogle" would be a fun alternate version of "Ads by Google" for our AdSense ad units. They are both branding features we've tested, and we found ...

$50 off for New AdWords Advertisers
2006-12-10 14:02:00
At the same time when Google extended its Checkout promotion to the end of next year to celebrate the holidays, it once again offers new AdWords advertisers a $50 off coupon. As using, you will have to fill in basic information about your advertising program and contact information and they will send you the promotional code to credit your new account. But this time, apart from the coupon sign up sheet, there are 9 tips to customise your ads for the holidays. Be sure to take a look if your business is related to the holidays.
More About: Advertisers , Adwords , Advert , Advertise , Vert

Gmail Fetcher
2006-12-10 10:49:00
I am a hard working Google saleman and goes around to persuade people switch to Google and of course, Gmail is one of the product that people accept most. However, same as switching to other email clients, it is a headache to manage all of the accounts at one go. Though you can customise the 'From:' address in Gmail, you still can't receive emails from other clients like Yahoo and MSN. Now, it is possible. Gmail Fetch er allows users to fetch emails from other email clients via POP3. Here are a few things you can do with the incoming emails (Quote from Gmail Help Center):Leave a copy of retrieved messages on the server. If you'll only be accessing your email through your Gmail account, leave this unchecked. If you'd like to be able to access your mail directly from that account, or if you're accessing it through any other accounts or devices, click to select this option. Always use a secure connection (SSL) when retrieving mail. Label incoming messages. If you'd like to automa...
More About: Etch

Google Maps Ads
2006-12-10 10:26:00
Google has added ads to its map service long ago but it is till recent that they try to target the ads according to locations. Not only that, ads will now show up on the map. And the advertisers can even provide a small square image so that it appears in the ad bubble. Thought I am not living in the US, I still feel excited for this feature. I would even suggest Google to add the latest 'click-to-call' feature to ads (yet the pricing system for this kind of ads should be CPM as I wouldn't click on the ad if I could ask for details about the company on the phone.)
More About: Google , Google Maps , Maps , Googl