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300 'search' stories May 2011 - April 2013

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Streetmap sues Google for favoring Google Maps over competitors in search results

Jordan Kahn Apr 11 2013 - 3:52 pm PT

According to Bloomberg, U.K. based internet map provider Streetmap is suing Google over allegedly favoring its own maps to those of competitors. Streepmap is claiming that it’s harder to find their maps (and other competitors) in a Google search than it is to find Google Maps. Streetmaps is calling the issue a “cynical manipulation” by Google and is calling for a change in the way Google displays map related search results:

“We have had to take this action in an effort to protect our business and attract attention to those that, like us, have started their own technology businesses, only to find them damaged by Google’s cynical manipulation of search results,” Kate Sutton, commercial director of Streetmap, said in the statement.

The lawsuit mirrors complaints at the heart of the EU’s current investigation into whether or not Google’s abuses its search dominance to favor its own services over competitors within search results and elsewhere. Earlier today we reported that Google had handed in a formal offer of concessions to the European Commission related to the investigation, but there is no word yet on exactly Google’s settlement offer includes…
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Google hands in formal offer of concessions to EU Commission in ongoing antitrust investigation

Jordan Kahn Apr 11 2013 - 7:16 am PT

Back in early February, European Union Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia confirmed Google had handed in a proposal settlement in the ongoing antirust investigation into whether some of Google’s practices with its search and ad businesses create unfair competition and abuse the company’s dominance. Today Reuters reports that Google has not submitted an official offer of concessions to the Commission:

“In the last few weeks, the Commission completed its preliminary assessment formally setting out its concerns. On this basis, Google then made a formal submission of commitments to the Commission,” said Antoine Colombani, the Commission’s spokesman on competition policy.

“We are now preparing the launch of a market test to seek feedback from market players, including complainants, on these commitment proposals,” he said.

One thing conveniently left out of the report: at this point we do not know what the commitments Google has made and how they might reflect the user experience for customers.

Google’s interaction designer talks revamping Google Search on iOS (Video)

Jordan Kahn Apr 9 2013 - 9:04 am PT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fpggknHC2c

In a recent “Life at Google” video (above), Interaction Designer on Google’s search team Noah Levin walks us through his work building the latest version of the Google Search app on iOS:

After just three months at Google, Interaction Designer Noah Levin helped change the way our users interact with Google Search on the iPhone and iPad. Learn how he takes a complex system and makes it a simple user experience for our most well-known product: Search.

Gmail app for Android updated with reply/archive/delete from notifications, faster search & more

Jordan Kahn Mar 18 2013 - 12:37 pm PT

Google announced today on its Official Gmail Blog that it has released an update to the Android app for Gmail that brings new features, faster search, and other enhancements for certain users. Perhaps the most notable new feature is the ability to reply, archive, and delete from notifications with one tap—rather than having to open the app to sort and reply to mail:

You can combine this with existing notification features like the ability to customize which messages you receive notifications for and set up different sounds for individual labels. So if you filter and label all the messages from your mom, you could set a ringtone to let you know you received a new mail from her and then quickly reply (because we know what can happen when you ignore your mother!).

The feature is available to users running Android 4.1 and up, but Google is also rolling out faster search, bug fixes, and performance enhancements for Android 4.0 and up. Users on Android 2.2 and up will now have access to a “New Labels API for 3rd-party app developers” and the usual performance improvements.

The updated Gmail app for Android is available from Google Play now.
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Google named top company to work for in 2013 by Fortune

Jordan Kahn Jan 18 2013 - 9:28 am PT

Fortune is out today with its list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. While not many tech companies appeared near the top this year, Google was able to capture the No. 1 spot for the fourth time. According to Fortune, Google ranks No. 1 again this year due to some new additions to its campus including “three wellness centers and a seven-acre sports complex, which includes a roller hockey rink; courts for basketball, bocce, and shuffle ball; and horseshoe pits.” Google’s entry also noted the “100,000 hours of subsidized massages” in 2012, onsite childcare and fitness center, subsidized gym memberships, domestic partner benefits for same-sex couples, and its job-sharing program.

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Google adds horizontal carousel for web based iPad searches about local places

Jake Smith Dec 4 2012 - 2:35 pm PT

Google updated its web experience for U.S. iPad users who search for local places, such as bars and restaurants, on Google Search. The Mountain View-based company called the new feature a “horizontal carousel” of results that will display at the top of page, while normal search results will display below. Tapping on a business in the carousel, as seen in the image above, will display quick information about the location, including: address, Zagat rating, phone number, location on a Map, and a link to the website—accompanied with pictures. There’s also a new map link in the upper-right hand corner that shows you nearby places on a map.

Google has always shown its support for tablets and smartphones on its mobile Search page, and today’s update is definitely beneficial. When calling a restaurant to place an order or make a reservation, I’ve found Google to be the quickest way to find the needed information (definitely beating apps like Yellow Pages to get the same information).

Source: Google
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Gmail users can now search for emails by size, flexible dates, and more

Jordan Kahn Nov 14 2012 - 12:26 pm PT

Google just announced on the Official Gmail Blog that Gmail users would have new options when searching within their inbox starting today. Users can now find emails by size by searching for “size:5m” or “larger:5m”, for instance, to find emails larger than 5MB. Google is also rolling out new date search operators, including: “older_than”, “newer_than”, and exact match.

We’re always looking for ways to make it faster and easier for you to find your messages using search in Gmail. So starting today, you can now search emails by size, more flexible date options, exact match and more… These changes go hand in hand with other recent enhancements to search such as the improved autocomplete predictionsand a field trial for instant results from Gmail, Google Drive and more as you type.

How to claim free Google Chromebook goodies: 100GB Google Drive storage, 12 Gogo in-air Wi-Fi passes

9to5 Staff Oct 22 2012 - 11:00 am PT

Google launched its new ARM-powered Chromebook last week with two years of 100GB Google Drive storage and 12 Gogo in-air, Wi-Fi passes for free, and it even published FAQ pages so folks could access the perks in just a few quick steps.

Here’s how to claim the 100GB of Google Drive storage:

Log into your Chromebook (ARM-powered Chromebook, Samsung Chromebook Series 5 550, or Samsung Chromebox Series 3 only).
Update to to the latest version of Chrome OS (Chrome OS 23 required).
Go to the Google Drive offer page, and the 100GB will soon load in your account (Google will verify the Chrome OS device—only one deal per Google account).

More details are available at Google’s Goodies page.

The steps for Gogo passes are below.

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Google allowing more users in field trial for Gmail results in Google Search

Jake Smith Oct 15 2012 - 6:35 pm PT

Google has opened its Google search+ Gmail result beta further this afternoon so more users can get Gmail results in their main Google Search. The feature was first introduced in a limited beta in August. For those who do not know about the feature, relevant Gmail conversations will appear in Google Search (as you can see in the image above). Just search “Paris” and emails that you have sent talking about “Paris” will then appear. If you think about it, expanded search makes a lot of sense.

Furthermore, the folks at Google announced this afternoon that Google Drive, Google Calendar and more will now appear when searching in Gmail:

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YouTube optimizes search to reward engaging videos

Élyse Betters Oct 12 2012 - 9:45 am PT

YouTube is tweaking the way it ranks videos as part of its recent trend to improve video discovery.

Google’s video-sharing platform made changes to Suggest Videos in March, and it refreshed YouTube Analytics just yesterday, and now it is attempting to applaud and boost popular videos with new optimizations to ranking.

YouTube elaborated on the official YouTube Creator blog:

The experimental results of this change have proven positive — less clicking, more watching. We expect the amount of time viewers spend watching videos from search and across the site to increase. As with previous optimizations to our discovery features, this should benefit your channel if your videos drive more viewing time across YouTube.

YouTube does not detail the exact adjustments, but it clearly wants to feed engaging videos to users who do not have a specific search query in mind. The result, as YouTube suggested above, will not only supply users with trending video but will also pipe more views to successful publishers.

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Google begins nixing Zagat scores for more common rating system

Élyse Betters Oct 11 2012 - 8:54 am PT

Product Marketing Manager Megan Stevenson revealed on her Google+ profile yesterday that Google is beginning to downplay the Zagat rating system on Google+ Local and other Google products in favor of a more simplified, standard metric.

“Today it’s easier than ever to write accurate, useful reviews on Google+ Local, thanks to the updated rating scale we rolled out,” explained Stevenson. “If you want to rate the food at a restaurant, or the quality of a mechanic, just choose “poor – fair,” “good,” “very good,” or “excellent”. Behind the scenes, we will convert your ratings into numbers and factor them into the business’ precise 30-point score that shows up in Google+, Search and Maps. ”

SearchEngineLand’s Matt McGee said the change is “a good thing,” because “no one understands” Zagat scores. I beg to differ. The Zagat Survey once included over 70 cities, with roughly 250,000 reviewers since it began in 1979. In Manhattan, for example, practically every restaurant, nightclub, and business features a Zagat rating sticker out front next to its required health-grade notice. They primarily act as a guide-to-life for metro-dwellers, so I had mixed emotions when Google plucked up the revered company in 2011.

McGee said Google took “a big risk when it converted its entire local search/review system to a largely unfamiliar 30-point rating scale,” as “consumers are familiar with five-point (or five-star) rating scales.” I will agree the five-point scale is more common; however, I do not think McGee should write off the entire world when he claims nobody understands the Zagat scoring system.

With that said, Google’s use of phrases—like “Very Good” or “Excellent”—to describe a business is very fool-proof. It requires less thinking and gets to the point rather quickly. So, while I do not wish to see Google ditch Zagat scores all together, I will concede that the new direction seems like a more user-friendly approach.

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Google testing new mobile site

Jordan Kahn Oct 10 2012 - 1:50 pm PT

[tweet https://twitter.com/nerderk/status/256020893275414529]

As Google has done with past updates to its products, it appears to be testing a redesigned version of its mobile homepage with a small group of users. A NewGeekGuide reader noticed the change on Android. There were also reports of iOS users noticing a new UI. As highlighted in the image above, the updated Google mobile website includes a redesigned top toolbar that looks similar to the desktop version. The redesigned toolbar also provides access to a slide-out sidebar that contains quick links to all of Google’s services as opposed to a top bar containing just a few tabs for “Images”, Maps”, “Places”, “more”, etc. The toolbar provides links to the “Web” and “Images”, as well as Google+ notifications and profile information. It is possible Google will push the redesigned UI to all users soon.

Gmail users can now search inside attachments

Jordan Kahn Oct 2 2012 - 6:07 am PT

As noted by the Google Operating System blog, Gmail recently rolled out the ability to search inside of attachments stored in Gmail. While you have always been able to search for the file name of an attachment in Gmail, the text within attached PDFs, documents, and other files was not previously searchable from your inbox search bar. To access the feature, simply search for “has:attachment” followed by a keyboard or phrase you are trying to find within an attachment.

The good news is that Gmail has finally added support for searching inside attachments. I’ve just tested this feature for .pdf files, .doc documents, .ppt presentations and it works, even though some old attachments may not be indexed yet.

Gmail and Google.com down or slow for many users (NewGeekGuide.com)
Gmail video conferencing gets updated to hangouts, tops out at 9 additional participants (NewGeekGuide.com)
Google rolling out new multiple account login page for Gmail (NewGeekGuide.com)
Google adds CardDAV protocol for syncing Google contacts on iOS & other devices (NewGeekGuide.com)

Google Catalogs launches on the web as part of Google Shopping

Jordan Kahn Oct 1 2012 - 11:59 am PT

Google announced on the Google Commerce blog today that it is finally bringing the previously tablet-only Google Catalogs shopping experience to the web. The catalogs will now be available to browse through any web browser as part of Google Shopping, and they will feature the same collection of issues from partners such as Eddie Bauer, J.Crew, and Williams Sonoma. To visit Google Catalogs on the web, go to www.google.com/shopping/catalogs

Once you find a catalog you like, click on the issue to open the catalog viewer where you can flip through catalog pages and zoom in to see products up close. To view information about specific products, roll your mouse over the page and click the tag for the product you’re interested in. This opens a box with more information, additional views, and price. Clicking ‘View Details’ takes you directly to the retailer’s site to learn more or make a purchase.

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Google merges Trends with Insights for Search to create ‘single powerful tool’

Élyse Betters Sep 27 2012 - 10:50 am PT

Google just combined Trends and Insights for Search into one product.

According to Google Support:

We have launched a new version of Google Trends, bringing the great functionality of both Google Insights and Google Trends into one. Following the release of the revamped of hot trends and the special olympics addition, this release should make it even easier for you to tell stories about search and explore what people are interested in around the world.

As these product are now one, Insights for Search is being deprecated. We are working hard to make sure that any URLs you might have stored for Insights/Trends will be gracefully handled by the new united site.

Google Trends previously detailed how often a particular term is Google searched relative to the total volume of searches conducted across the world; where as Google Insights for Search provided, well, insights into those search terms. Unlike Trends, Insights for Search also provided a visual graph.

Now, both products have been folded and redesigned into a fancy new tool:

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Google Maps updated with improvements to interior panoramic imagery

Jordan Kahn Sep 18 2012 - 2:05 pm PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMWxBpM-MSA&feature=youtu.be]

Google has been working with businesses to get panoramic Street View-style imagery for quiet a while to essentially provide Google Maps users with the ability to browse the inside of retail stores and other buildings. Today, Google is rolling out some improvements to the feature including an easier way to access the 360-degree imagery. Now, when browsing Google Maps, you can drag the orange Pegman onto any orange circle (which indicate a location with interior imagery) to zoom right into the building:

Now, if you’re searching or browsing Google Maps and want to check out what a business looks like on the inside, we’ve improved your ability to find and view these 360-degree panoramics. Simply drag and drop the orange Pegman on the left hand side of your screen onto an orange circle on the map. Voila! You’ll be virtually transported through the doors, and able to pan around and explore the interior of the establishment.

Google also posted the video above showing off where to find some of these interior business photos.

Google rolls out new panoramic Street View imagery of Brazil and pre-hispanic Mexican cities (NewGeekGuide.com)
A look at how Google builds accurate maps with ‘Ground Truth’ data (NewGeekGuide.com)
Google Maps updated with new Street View imagery to celebrate Space Day (NewGeekGuide.com)

‘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.

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Google+ rolling out new features for better control over Circles

Jordan Kahn Aug 22 2012 - 10:39 am PT

Google Product Manager Austin Chang made an announcement on his Google+ today highlighting some new features rolling out on Google+ (via TNW). In addition to the “sliders” the service rolled out last year, allowing you to filter what you read and share on Google+, Google is rolling out three new features today that provide even more control. The new features allow you to control notifications from specific circles, opt to send emails for important news you are sharing, and mute notifications from a specific contact within a circle. Chang explained:

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Google’s Voice Search adds 13 new languages

Élyse Betters Aug 17 2012 - 7:25 am PT

Google’s Voice Search is now available in 42 languages in 46 countries.

The search giant added 13 new languages to its app; so over 100 million worldwide speakers can now use Voice Search. The new languages include, according to the official Google blog, Basque, Bulgarian, Catalan, European Portuguese, Finnish, Galician, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Romanian, Serbian, Slovak, and Swedish.

“Each new language usually requires that we initially collect hundreds of thousands of utterances from volunteers and, although we’ve been working on speech recognition for several years, adding these new languages led our engineers and scientists to tackle some unique challenges,” explained Product Manager Bertrand Damiba in Google’s post.

This update is rolling out over the next week. Those with an Android 2.2 or later device can use Voice Search by way of a microphone icon on the Google Search widget from the homescreen. Otherwise, a user must install the Voice Search app from Google Play.

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Google+ for Android now lets teens join Hangouts, Hangouts on Air from mobile

Élyse Betters Aug 15 2012 - 1:11 pm PT

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JagF4t0tJk&feature=player_embedded]

Google updated its Google+ for Android app today, and the most notable tweak allows users to join Hangouts on Air from their mobile devices.

That is not all: Teens can now create and join Hangouts from their mobile devices too. Apparently, they could not before, but Google now lets them take advantage of the social network’s premier video-chat feature on an Android-based smartphone or tablet.

Additional updates include:

– Floating timestamp in photos view

– Shortcuts for post creation

– Ability to report abuse in Events

Screenshots of the updated app are below.

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Google rolling out new multiple account login page for Gmail

Jordan Kahn Aug 10 2012 - 2:27 pm PT

According to a report on TheNextWeb, Google appears to be testing a new Gmail login page that will make it much easier to log in and out of multiple accounts. The current Gmail login page requires users to enter their login information each time they sign in from the login page. The new Gmail page will allow you to add login information for multiple accounts and easily select any account with one click. Keep an eye out for a link at the bottom of the login page to try the new feature.

Gmail iOS app updated with support for Notification Center, ‘Send-as’ option, and persistent logins

Google responds to influx of copyright removal notices by updating search

Élyse Betters Aug 10 2012 - 11:36 am PT

Google experienced more copyright removal notices for URLs in the last month than it did for all of 2009.

The search engine processed more than 4.3 million URL removal requests in the last 30 days, and it plans to redirect this data as a signal for search rankings. The bevy of infringing Web content spurred Google to take into account valid copyright removal notices for websites to verify its search algorithms yield the highest quality results.

Google elaborated on its Inside Search blog:

Sites with high numbers of removal notices may appear lower in our results. This ranking change should help users find legitimate, quality sources of content more easily—whether it’s a song previewed on NPR’s music website, a TV show on Hulu or new music streamed fromSpotify.

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Google buys social ad firm Wildfire for a reported $250M

Élyse Betters Jul 31 2012 - 11:32 am PT

Google just acquired social media marketing company Wildfire.

AllThingsD reported “people familiar with the transaction” estimate Google bought the social ad business for $250 million, “plus earnouts, employment agreements, etc.”

Wildfire currently serves 16,000 customers, including 30 of the top 50 brands, and it reportedly raised $14 million since founding in 2008. Google will likely merge Wildfire into its ever-expanding social and advertising services to better entice marketers into buying either traditional or display ads for a variety of platforms— even direct rival Facebook.

Both companies took to their respective blogs today to confirm the buyout (below).

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Report: Google shells out over $5M lobbying in Q2, while Apple barely spends $500K

Élyse Betters Jul 23 2012 - 8:10 am PT

The congressional lobbying disclosure reports for Q2 2012 are available, and Google is far ahead of Apple in terms of money spent lobbying.

Fortune’s Philip Elmer-DeWitt reported that “Google has outspent Apple nearly 10 to one,” and he noted which bills Apple is giving the most attention:

The list is long, and it ranges from the Do Not Track Kids Act of 2011 to “issues related to the transportation of batteries.” Given the latest kerfuffle about Apple’s temporary withdrawal from the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool program a couple weeks ago, I was interested to see “EPEAT” on the list.

Google also took an active interest in environment, with its specific lobbying issues pertaining to “renewable energy policies.”

Google’s report is here, while Apple’s report is here.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Mac.

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