Google Docs

Back in May Google rolled out new contextual quick action buttons in Gmail that appeared next to messages in your inbox allowing users to, for example, quickly RSVP to an invitation or check-in to flights. Today Google announced on its Gmail blog that it’s rolling out even more quick action buttons in Gmail. One of the new buttons will allow users to rate and review restaurants and save Google Offers with a single click:

For example, you can rate and review restaurants you ordered from on Seamless and even modify OpenTable reservations—all without opening an email. And for the deal lovers out there, you can conveniently save a promotion from Google Offers with one click, making it easy to find and buy it when you’re ready.

Another new quick action button will allow YouTube and Vimeo uploaders to click a “View video” button next to emails in their inbox to jump right to viewing their finished uploads (pictured below). The same button will also appear for Dropbox, Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google adds real time text cursors & improved themes to Slides

Jordan Kahn Nov 5 2013 - 12:08 pm PT

Google is making a few improvements to its Slides presentation tool in Google Drive today. The company announced a few new features for the web app including real-time text cursors and some user requested tweaks for the recently rolled out editable themes feature.

As you can see in the gif above, much like in Google Docs, you’ll now see contributors’ cursors with names in real-time as they type.

Google is also adding the ability to reuse a theme, add objects to themes and layouts, and update text styles in placeholders:

Reuse custom themes in new presentations

There may come a time when you want to reuse a theme that you worked hard to create, and now you can—just select “From another presentation…” in the theme chooser.

Add objects to themes and layouts

While editing a slide, you can now right click on any object and add it to a theme or a specific layout so that the next time you want to use it, it will already be part of the slide template.

Update text styles in placeholders

Let’s say you’re editing a body placeholder, and you change the font of your text (or other style properties, such as bold, color, etc.). You can now easily apply this formatting across slides that use the same layout by right clicking on the placeholder and selecting “Update in theme.”

Google rolling out colorful, streamlined design for Docs, Sheets, Slides & more in Google Drive

Jordan Kahn Sep 30 2013 - 2:14 pm PT

We already got a new Google Analytics app for Android today and the launch of its new Web Designer HTML5 design tool, and now Google has announced that it’s rolling out a new, cleaner look for Docs, Sheets, Slides and more in Google Drive on the web. Google explained that the new look brings a new streamlined header and more colorful and compact design for its online productivity suite:

First, you’ll notice each editor’s product icon displayed in the header, which doubles as a quick link back to all your files in Drive. Next, you’ll see that the header is more streamlined and compact, helping you to focus on what matters most—your content.

You’ll notice the changes in Docs, Sheets, and Slides (as pictured above), but also in Drawings, Forms and Apps Script.

Google Drive docs now provide automatic suggestions for hyperlinks

Jordan Kahn Aug 6 2013 - 12:34 pm PT

Google announced today that it will start offering suggestions for hyperlinks directly in Docs and Slides. When highlighting text and clicking “Insert Link” Google will automatically start generating URL suggestions based on the text:

You can hyperlink text in Docs and Slides when you want to attach related information to a word or sentence — for example, when writing a paper on Athens, you can highlight “Acropolis” and link it to a Google search result, a specific website, a heading or bookmark in your document, or even another file in Drive.

Starting today, the link tool now offers you suggestions based on the text you are hyperlinking just in case you don’t have the URL you need offhand. To try it out, select the text you want and click the “Insert link” icon from the menu bar (or use Ctrl K).

Chromecast could be pocket-sized lifesaver for business presentations and family outings

Chance Miller Jul 29 2013 - 6:53 am PT

Google’s new $35 Chromecast device has huge potential in a living-room environment, but as PC World notes, the device also could be a major player in the enterprise market as a presentation tool. If you have to give a presentation now, it’s tricky to make sure you have the right converters to connect to the projector at the office, and if you get there and it turns out you needed VGA, not DVI, you’re in big trouble. With the Chromecast, all you would have to do is bring it to your meeting and have your documents stored in Google Drive. From there you can cast all of your Chrome tabs to the big screen with no issues.

The Chromecast would also be the perfect device to take on a family outing, as it would allow you to easily watch Netflix content on any TV with an HDMI connection at your hotel.

While it may take a little work to get all your documents in Google Drive, the process has gotten simpler and simpler over time and with more businesses switching to Google Apps anyway, there’s no reason not to use a Chromecast in the office.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google testing encryption to hide your Drive files on heels of NSA surveillance controversy

Jordan Kahn Jul 17 2013 - 12:19 pm PT

Privacy protection in the apps we use on a daily basis has been a big topic of conversation following accusations that Google and other large tech companies were working with government agencies to provide user data. Google has worked tirelessly to clear its name during the scandal, and today CNET reports that the company is testing encryption for Drive files that could further keep its users’ data protected from prying eyes.

As a reminder, Google does not currently encrypt files store in its Drive cloud storage service, but rather only encrypts files being transferred on their way to Drive:
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google adds 18 new languages for Drive, Docs, Sheets & Slides

Jordan Kahn Jun 18 2013 - 10:33 am PT

Google announced today on its Google Drive Blog that it is adding a number of new languages for its Google Drive apps including Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides on both mobile and desktop. The new languages include:

Afrikaans, Amharic, Basque, Chinese (Hong Kong), Estonian, French (Canada), Galician, Icelandic, Khmer, Lao, Malaysian, Nepali, Persian, Sinhalese, Spanish (Latin America), Swahili, Urdu, Zulu

Google noted that the majority of the languages are also supported by the built-in spellchecker in Drive and users will also be able to switch back and forth between languages. You’ll also be able to collaborate on Drive files in one language while collaborators use another.

The 18 new languages added today brings the total number of languages supported in Drive up to 65.

The new languages are available starting today through Drive on the web and through the iOS and Android apps.

New ‘Save to Drive’ code makes it easy for website owners to deliver media to readers’ Google Drive accounts

Seth Weintraub May 9 2013 - 9:20 am PT

Google just announced a nice bit of API code that will allow developers to to make it easy for readers of websites to download files to their Google Drive account.

Adding a Save to Drive button on your website is easy. You simply have to include the script and HTML tag below:

<script src="https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js"></script>
<div
 data-filename="My Statement.pdf"
 data-sitename="My Company Name"
 data-src="/path/to/myfile.pdf">
</div>

It isn’t hard to see how this could come in handy.

Google adds ability to open Microsoft Office files directly in Chrome on Mac & PC

Jordan Kahn Apr 25 2013 - 6:07 pm PT

Previously only available to Chromebook users, Google announced today on its Chrome blog that Mac and Windows users will now have the ability to open Microsoft Office files directly within Chrome. The functionality works for users running the latest Chrome Beta and requires installation of the Chrome Office Viewer (Beta) extension.

In addition to saving you time, the Chrome Office Viewer also protects you from malware delivered via Office files. Just like with web pages and PDFs, we’ve added a specialized sandbox to impede attackers who use compromised Office files to try to steal private information or monitor your activities.

Google Drive offline now lets you create & edit drawings, automatically access Docs, Sheets & Slides

Jordan Kahn Apr 25 2013 - 12:28 pm PT

On top of rolling out some new features to Google Drive earlier this morning including profile pictures and one-click group chat, Google also just announced some new additions to Drive’s offline mode.

When using Google Drive in offline mode, users will no longer have to worry about what files have been made available offline. Google will now automatically make Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides available offline as long as you have enough storage. Users will also now be able to create and edit drawings in offline mode.

The new offline features will be available to users in the coming days alongside the new group-chat and profile pictures features.

Google acknowledges Gmail, Drive, and Docs service disruption, Admin control panel/API outage (Update: Fixed)

Zac Hall Apr 17 2013 - 6:14 am PT

Update: 10:52 AM EST – Google’s status website reports that Gmail should be back online for everyone

The problem with Google Mail should be resolved. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support. Please rest assured that system reliability is a top priority at Google, and we are making continuous improvements to make our systems better.

Update: 9:01 AM EST – Google’s status website also reports issues with Google Docs

As of 8:58 AM EST, Google has acknowledged a service disruption with Google Mail as well as Google Drive.

Google is also reporting a complete outage of its admin control panel/API.

While the outage does not seem to reach everyone, my work Gmail account has been telling me that my password is wrong all morning.

Notably, Google Calendar and Talk seem to be unaffected.

Is anyone else having trouble accessing their Gmail on their iPhones?

— J(enna) Wortham (@jennydeluxe) April 17, 2013

Chrome 26 beta includes improved spell check with support for new languages

Jordan Kahn Feb 26 2013 - 10:22 am PT

Google announced today on the Chrome Blog that it is promoting Chrome 26 to the beta channel and including a number of new features in the release. Among the most notable new features included in today’s Chrome Beta release is an improved default spell checker that brings support for additional languages like Korean, Tamil, and Albanian. Google also highlighted other new features included in the beta like the ability to sync custom dictionaries and “support for grammar, homonym and context-sensitive spell checking in English.”

Furthermore, for users who have enabled the “Ask Google for suggestions” spell check feature, we’re now rolling out support for grammar, homonym and context-sensitive spell checking in English, powered by the same technologies used by Google search. Support for additional languages is on the way.The new spell checking engine – which is also available in Google Docs – even understands proper nouns like “Justin Bieber” and “Skrillex,” so if you’re wondering how many Ns there are inDananananaykroyd, worry no more (there are four).

The new features will rollout to users on Chrome OS, Linux, and Windows in the “coming weeks” with Mac support some time after.

Google integrates Drive-enabled third-party apps into Google Drive

Jordan Kahn Feb 8 2013 - 7:19 am PT

Google announced today on the Google Developers Blog that it would now allow users to add Drive-enabled Chrome web apps to the Create menu in Google Drive. While users could previously select from one of Google’s own apps such as Google Docs or Sheets, a new “Connect more apps” button will now allow users to install apps from the Chrome Web Store’s Drive collection of apps. Once an app is installed, users will then be able to launch the app from the Create menu and open Drive files directly in the app (as highlighted in the image below):

Google makes Quickoffice iPad app free to Google Apps for Business customers

Jordan Kahn Dec 19 2012 - 3:11 pm PT

Google made some announcements today regarding its work with the Quickoffice team since acquiring the company in June. On top of noting work to take advantage of Quickoffice conversion technology in Google Docs, Google launched a free version of the QuickOffice iPad app exclusively for Google Apps for Business customers today. There are also free iPhone and Android versions of the app for creating and editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files coming to Apps customers in the near future:

Converting old files to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides is the easiest way to share and work together, but perhaps not everyone you work with has gone Google yet. To complement what you can do with Google documents, we’re also making it easier for you to make quick edits to Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint files without conversion. Starting today, the Quickoffice iPad app is available for free to all Apps for Business customers, and iPhone and Android versions are on the way.

Vice President of Google Enterprise Amit Singh welcomed the announcement on his Twitter account: “Customers can now get Quickoffice for free. No need to license microsoft for your ipad.”

[tweet https://twitter.com/aksingh77/status/281531037249581056]
Expand
Expanding
Close

‘Discussion’ function adds a little conversation to Google spreadsheets

Élyse Betters Sep 5 2012 - 10:36 am PT

Google Drive received an update today that makes it easier to collaborate and communicate, as Google’s popular discussion function, previously only available in documents and presentations, is now live in spreadsheets.

According Software Engineer Patrick Donelan on the official Google Docs blog:

Getting things done with others would be much easier if everyone was sitting right next to you. But since that’s rarely the case, we’re always updating Google Drive to make it easier to collaborate with others, no matter where you are or who you’re with.

Today we’re bringing the discussion functionality that’s already in documents and presentations to spreadsheets. If a cell has a comment in it, you’ll see an orange triangle in the upper right corner and when you hover over the cell you’ll see the full discussion.

Totaled comments are now at the bottom of the sheet tab’s screen, where a simple mouse hover on the comment icon will display a thread. Users can also +mention to include other people in the project’s discussion, which will send a notification to their email, and then they can choose to reply without even leaving their Gmail inbox.

Comments prior to today’s update are tucked away as saved “Notes”, which are still accessible in spreadsheets, and users can further take advantage of the black triangle in cell corners to differentiate them from the new-comment style. Moreover, users can create new notes or annotations in a cell from the “Insert” menu.

Go to the official Google Docs blog for more detailed information.

Google details energy efficiency of Google Apps and the cloud

Élyse Betters Jun 18 2012 - 7:42 am PT

Google’s reduction of energy use for servers and server cooling.

Google wants businesses to make Google Apps their primary productivity suite, so the company is recruiting at full swing today with a new blog post that discloses a few stats about its energy efficiency.

Google Apps is a Google service that features several Web applications like traditional office suites. The services vary per edition but generally include Docs, Gmail, Calendar, Talk, Sites, Groups, Video, and Marketplace. Its popularity among businesses and academicians is rapidly increasing due to enhanced sharing features, accessibility, and cost.

According to Senior Vice President for Technical Infrastructure Urs Hoelzle on the Official Google Blog:

At Google, we’re obsessed with building energy efficient data centers that enable cloud computing. Besides helping you be more productive, cloud-based services like Google Apps can reduce energy use, lower carbon emissions and save you money in the process. Last year, we crunched the numbers and found that Gmail is up to 80 times more energy-efficient than running traditional in-house email. We’ve sharpened our pencils again to see how Google Apps as a whole—documents, spreadsheets, email and other applications—stacks up against the standard model of locally hosted services. Our results show that a typical organization can achieve energy savings of about 65-85% by migrating to Google Apps.

Hoelzle further explained how lower energy use equals less carbon pollution. The executive supported this statement with an anecdote about the U.S. General Administration. It switched to Google Apps for Government to save $285,000 annually at a 93 percent cost reduction, and it reduced energy consumption by 90-percent and carbon emissions by 85-percent.

Google demos Google Glasses at street fair booth in SF [Photo]

Élyse Betters Jun 5 2012 - 7:36 pm PT

Google sought consumer feedback on its highly anticipated Google Glasses product today while set up in a street fair booth in the San Francisco area.

According to GottaBeMobile’s Xavier Lanier, who also posted the picture above, the Google Research booth on Union Street screened “qualified” passerbys with an insights survey:

I found the Google booth to be out of place amongst the other booths, most of which were selling handicrafts and food. I asked a Google employee what the booth was all about and she said they had something to show people that hadn’t been released yet. I asked to see it, but was told I couldn’t see it unless I “qualified.”

Outside the booth is a table where research candidates are screened with a survey. The Google Docs survey, which can be completed on either a Google-supplied MacBook Pro or Vizio Android tablet, is designed to identify physically active smartphone users that are parents and at least somewhat interested in new technology products. The survey is also used to screen for those who actively use social media.

Google releases SDK for integrating web apps with Google Drive

Jordan Kahn Apr 24 2012 - 11:11 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0ee3R3tfdd4]

You probably know by now that Google just unveiled its new cloud service called “Google Drive.” The service integrates with Google Docs online, offers an Android app, and it provides a desktop app for Dropbox-like functionality. In addition, Google announced availability of a Google Drive SDK and 18 web apps that used the SDK to create apps integrated with the service.

Integrating your application with Google Drive makes it available to millions of users. Drive apps are distributed from the Chrome Web Store, and can be used with any modern browser. Plus, your app can take advantage of Google’s sharing, storage, and identity management features.

So, what exactly will the Google Drive SDK allow you to do? Google will allow you to integrate sharing through Drive directly into your apps that manage files such as web app Lucidchart. Google already partnered with 18 apps that have integrated Drive features. The post also explained how Google would let you tap into Drive’s storage and indexing features:

Expand
Expanding
Close

Google launches ‘Gmail Meter’: Monthly insight reports based on email habits

Élyse Betters Apr 19 2012 - 11:45 am PT

[youtube=http://youtu.be/ZooybMt9sRQ]

Google released Gmail Meter today, which is a tool for analyzing your inbox that is similar to the Google Account Activity feature launched last month.

The Google Team announced Gmail Meter on the Official Gmail Blog. Google Apps Script Top Contributor Romain Vialard developed the Google Apps Script-powered feature after looking at his sent mail one day and noticing there were many things he wanted to know about his email habits.

The video above explains the tool, but here is a quick run-down: Gmail Meter sends an email on the first day of every month containing statistics about an Inbox for detailing a user’s emailing habits. Some of the data measured regards volume statistics, daily traffic, traffic patterns, email categories, times before first response, word count, thread lengths, and top senders and recipients.

A screenshot for each data measurement is below.

Leaked video reveals Microsoft is combating Google Apps with cloud features in upcoming ‘Office 15’

Élyse Betters Apr 16 2012 - 11:53 am PT

[youtube=http://youtu.be/vT503jUG4Y4]

A leaked video suggests Microsoft’s world-renowned productivity suite will soon feature cloud-like options in an effort to curb Google Apps’ growing market share with its alternate offering.

The 30-second promo above is hosted on YouTube by Within Windows. It emphasizes “Office 15” as the suite’s newly re-branded name. It also focuses on the accessibility of the next iteration through remote access to documents, which is enabled by a normal sign-in procedure. The cloud options will tracks and store all of a user’s virtual papers in Microsoft’s cloud-based Sky Drive service.

Microsoft Office is dueling many cloud-based productivity suites, such as Google Apps, and it is steadily losing market share. The downward spiral even caused the once-great Word processing giant to embark on a smear campaign against Google, where it lambasted the Mountain View, Calif.-based Company as a shady advertiser with alternative motives.

Google Drive leak verifies name, reveals third-party integration (photo)

Élyse Betters Apr 13 2012 - 7:21 am PT

Google’s rumored alternative to Dropbox just got a name confirmation while suggesting third-party integration.

The Verge reported that online computing graphic tool Lucidchart implemented a link for integrating Google Drive to its control panel for automatic synchronizing to the cloud. The link quickly disappeared, but the leaked screen capture above seems to verify Google Drive’s name and a taste of what it can do.

Google rolls out Hangout apps to bring poker, quizzes, drawing, and productivity to Google+

Élyse Betters Mar 28 2012 - 1:21 pm PT

3 Comments

Just when the tech-world is seemingly about to explode with apps—apps for Android, apps for iPhone, apps for set-top boxes, apps for computers, apps for Facebook—Google adds to the bubbling pot with Google+ Hangout apps.

Google Product Manager Amit Fulay announced on Google+ today the first implementation of apps in the social network’s standout multi-person video chat feature:

Report: ‘Impressive’ Google Drive coming in a week or two

Seth Weintraub Mar 27 2012 - 11:19 am PT

5 Comments

The Cloud storage Google Drive has been an on-again, off-again rumor for years.

Today, GigaOm’s Om Malik says Google Drive will release to the public in the first week in April.

I am told the big day is sometime during the first week of April 2012…Google is going to offer 1 Gb of storage space for free, but will charge for more storage. The market leader Dropbox currently offers 2 Gb for free. Google’s product will come with a local client and the web interface will look much like the Google Docs interface. Interestingly, it will launch for Google Apps customers and will be domain specific as well. Google has also built an API for third party apps with this service so folks can store content from other apps in the Google drive. My sources are impressed, so far with what they have seen.

This could be the last piece of the Cloud puzzle.
Expand
Expanding
Close

Google Docs updates spell checker to recognize words like ‘Skrillex’

Élyse Betters Mar 21 2012 - 1:52 pm PT

Google Docs can now spell check ~~threw~~ through the Web.

Software Engineer Yew Jin Lim took to the official Google Docs blog this afternoon to explain how the Internet is helping Google Docs get smarter. The ambiguous and ever-adapting Googlebot is able to crawl cyberspace and adapt to words. The resulting action enables Google to improve suggestions during misspelled queries in Google Search. Well now, the same process is applied to Google Docs…