Feed aggregator

The process of creating and accessing your stuff shouldn’t be, well...a process. Today, the Drive app for Android is getting several improvements to make creating and accessing your stuff on-the-go even easier. To help you find the content you care about, Drive files will now be displayed in a clean, simple card-style. You can swipe between files to see large previews that let you quickly review and discover the information you’re looking for. And if you want to keep some Drive files on your Android device, you’ll now be able to “download a copy” from the actions menu inside settings.

The updated Drive for Android app also gives you to a way to keep track of important paper documents like receipts, letters, and billing statements. Simply click “Scan” from the Add New menu, snap a photo of your document, and Drive will turn the document into a PDF that’s stored for safekeeping. And because Drive can recognize text in scanned documents using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology, a simple search will retrieve the scanned document later. No more frantic scrambling through drawers looking for a receipt or digging through your pockets to find that business card -- just scan, upload and search in Drive.


The editing experience in Google Sheets has also gotten some improvements: now you can adjust font types and sizes for a spreadsheet and tweak the cell text colors and cell alignment right from the app. Plus, the Drive app comes with Cloud Print support so you can print anything from Drive with a Cloud Ready printer -- perfect if you need to, say, print that extra resume right before a job interview.

Get the Google Drive app today on Google Play and circle us on Google+ for continued updates. 

Posted by Denis Teplyashin, Software Engineer

Posted by Shalini Agarwal, Product Manager

Email is an important part of how we get things done -- from planning an event with friends to organizing that family vacation to Costa Rica. And today, getting those things done is getting a little easier with new quick action buttons in Gmail, designed to help you tackle your digital to-do’s as quickly as possible.
These buttons appear next to certain types of messages in your inbox and let you take action on an email without ever having to open it. For example, you can RSVP to your friend's party invitation or rate that restaurant you went to last night all right from the inbox. You’ll be checking things off that to-do list in no time.

Flight confirmation emails are also becoming a bit more useful. Whether you’re frequently up in the air or just the occasional traveler, when you open a flight confirmation email in Gmail, all the important information about your flight will be displayed right at the top. You’ll be able to see whether your flight is on time, when your connection is and more -- no scrolling required.
These quick actions will roll out over the next few weeks, and we hope to add even more useful actions moving forward. If you are a developer and want to add actions to your emails, check out developers.google.com/gmail/schemas to learn more.

Posted by Travis Green, Product Manager, Google Wallet

Paying back your friends is now as simple as sending an email, whether you’re chipping in for lunch or reimbursing your roommate for your share of the rent.

Google Wallet is now integrated with Gmail, so you can quickly and securely send money to friends and family directly within Gmail -- even if they don’t have a Gmail address. It's free to send money if your bank account is linked to Google Wallet or using your Google Wallet Balance, and low fees apply to send money using your linked credit or debit card.



To send money in Gmail, hover over the attachment paperclip, click the $ icon to attach money to your message, enter the amount you wish to send, and press send.
While sending money in Gmail is currently only available on desktop, you can send money from Google Wallet at wallet.google.com from your phone or laptop. You will need to have set up Google Wallet to send and receive money, and Google Wallet Purchase Protection covers you 100% against eligible unauthorized payments.

We’re rolling out this feature over the coming months to all U.S. Gmail users over 18 years old, so keep an eye out for the $ icon in the attachment options. You can also get earlier access if your friends have the feature and send money to you.

To learn more, visit our website.

Posted by Thijs van As, Product Manager

Today we announced Hangouts, a big improvement to Google’s real-time communication services. Instead of different versions of chat, video chat and calling across Google products, Hangouts gives you one consistent way to connect with the people you care about.

What does this mean for your Gmail? You now have the option to switch from the current version of chat to Hangouts. Simply click “Try it out” next to your chat list to switch to Hangouts and give your chat an instant facelift (literally!). You’ll now see the profile photos in the order of your most recent conversations. With Hangouts, you’ll also be able to quickly send messages, have video calls with up to ten people at once, and share photos. You can start a conversation with just one friend or even a whole group.

Hangouts transition effortlessly between desktop and mobile -- in fact, Hangouts will be available in Gmail, Google+, Android phones and tablets, iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch and as a Windows, Mac or Linux desktop application using the Chrome extension. You can start a Hangout on your phone, and pick it up in Gmail right where you left off!
The new Hangouts experience in Gmail is rolling out as an optional switch starting today. Click the “Try it out” button when it appears next to your chat list to switch right away, or you can switch later. Learn more about the new Hangouts here.

Cross-posted from the Google Drive blog

Life gets a bit easier when your Google products work well together—whether that’s inserting a Drive file into an email or sharing a photo from Drive on Google+. As this experience becomes more seamless, separate storage doesn’t make as much sense anymore. So instead of having 10 GB for Gmail and another 5 GB for Drive and Google+ Photos, you’ll now get 15 GB of unified storage for free to use as you like between Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos.

With this new combined storage space, you won’t have to worry about how much you’re storing and where. For example, maybe you’re a heavy Gmail user but light on photos, or perhaps you were bumping up against your Drive storage limit but were only using 2 GB in Gmail. Now it doesn’t matter, because you can use your storage the way you want.

We’ll also be making updates to the Google Drive storage page, so you can better understand how you’re using storage space. Simply hover over the pie chart to see a breakdown of your storage use across Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos. And if you need more storage, this is your place to upgrade, with plans starting at $4.99/month for 100 GB.

Pro tip: This change means you’re no longer limited to a 25 GB upgrade in Gmail—any additional storage you purchase now applies there, too.

These changes to Google Drive storage will roll out over the next couple of weeks. Google Apps users will also be getting shared storage, so visit the enterprise blog to learn more.

Posted by Clay Bavor, Director of Product Management

Life gets a bit easier when your Google products work well together—whether that’s inserting a Drive file into an email or sharing a photo from Drive on Google+. As this experience becomes more seamless, separate storage doesn’t make as much sense anymore. So instead of having 10 GB for Gmail and another 5 GB for Drive and Google+ Photos, you’ll now get 15 GB of unified storage for free to use as you like between Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos.
With this new combined storage space, you won’t have to worry about how much you’re storing and where. For example, maybe you’re a heavy Gmail user but light on photos, or perhaps you were bumping up against your Drive storage limit but were only using 2 GB in Gmail. Now it doesn’t matter, because you can use your storage the way you want.
We’ll also be making updates to the Google Drive storage page, so you can better understand how you’re using storage space. Simply hover over the pie chart to see a breakdown of your storage use across Drive, Gmail, and Google+ Photos. And if you need more storage, this is your place to upgrade, with plans starting at $4.99/month for 100 GB.

Pro tip: This change means you’re no longer limited to a 25 GB upgrade in Gmail—any additional storage you purchase now applies there, too.

These changes to Google Drive storage will roll out over the next couple of weeks. Google Apps users will also be getting shared storage, so visit the enterprise blog to learn more.

Posted by Clay Bavor, Director of Product Management

Over the last few years Internet penetration has continued to grow in Sub-Saharan Africa.  While the access gap remains significant in most countries, policy makers and the public now know that it’s not just a question of getting more Africans online, but also about the economic benefits that the Internet can bring.  For example, last year a study in South Africa showed that the Internet economy contributes up to $7.1 billion/R59-billion (or 2 percent) to South Africa’s gross domestic product.
A new report by Dalberg Global Development Advisors, supported by Google Africa, is one of the first studies to examine the Internet’s impact on, and potential contribution to, social and economic development in several Sub-Saharan Africa countries. It reveals how Internet-enabled services are affecting the public and private sectors in agriculture, health, finance, education, governance, energy & transport, and SME growth. The report also analyses the pre-conditions for impact, looking at both business and ICT infrastructure as well as factors that influence how and why users get online. The findings are based on a survey of 1,300 organizations in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal. 
One of the key findings of the report is that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are surprisingly optimistic about the Internet’s potential. More than 80 percent of SME owners expected that the Internet will help them grow their business. In addition, the report identifies big opportunities for cost savings as businesses shift to enterprise systems powered by the Internet. For example, in Kenya the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) reduced its administrative costs from 60% to 32% by automating its claims processing, accessing real-time data and tracking payment processes. In agriculture, access to online information is creating price transparency, improving supply chain management and providing climate and growth data which ultimately reduces costs and increases farmer incomes. For example, Manobi’s time to market service estimates that it has increased gum producer incomes by 40-50% by creating price transparency across local and international markets. Another interesting development is the growing linkage between mobile money and commerce, with services like Pesapal, MTN mMoney and Pagatech creating the infrastructure to generate Internet-based commerce. Meanwhile in healthcare, organizations are leveraging the Internet to reduce training costs for nurses.   The primary challenge for policymakers is to align policy across three dimensions - ICT policy, sector policy and general policies for doing business - in order to create the right environment to capture the Internet’s potential. Some governments in the countries featured have succeeded in creating the right market conditions. However, policymakers need to ensure ongoing investment in both core infrastructure and the conditions that drive Internet usage, including access, awareness, and attractivenes. These are needed to foster thriving ecosystems that drive both economic and social gains. Without such investments, policy makers risk missing out on the full benefits of the Internet. We hope that this report will help governments and policymakers across the region better understand how they can take advantage of the Internet to drive their economies, to remain competitive and to benefit their citizens. You can learn more at http://www.impactoftheinternet.com. 
 Posted by Ory Okolloh, Policy and Government Relations Manager, Google Africa

====


Exploiter Internet pour favoriser le développement socio-économique de l'Afrique

Au cours des dernières années, la pénétration d'Internet n'a cessé de s'étendre en Afrique sub-saharienne. Alors que l'accès à Internet reste très inégal dans la plupart des pays, les décideurs comme le public ont pris conscience aujourd'hui que l'enjeu n'est pas seulement de donner un accès Internet aux Africains : c'est l'économie toute entière qui peut en tirer parti. Par exemple, une étude menée en Afrique du Sud l'année dernière a montré que l'économie générée par Internet contribue à hauteur de 7,1 milliards $ / 59 milliards R (soit 2 %) du PIB de l'Afrique du Sud.
De même, Dalberg Global Development Advisors a conduit, avec le soutien de Google Afrique, l'une des premières études sur l'impact et la contribution potentielle d'Internet sur le développement économique et social de plusieurs pays d'Afrique sub-saharienne. Ce rapport révèle le rôle des services Internet dans les secteurs public et privé de l'agriculture, de la santé, de la finance, de l'éducation, des gouvernements, de l'énergie et des transports et la croissance des PME. Le rapport tient également compte du contexte environnant, notamment les infrastructures en place en matière de technologies d'informations et de communication, le tissu économique ainsi que les facteurs qui déterminent le comportement et les motivations des utilisateurs. Les résultats de ce rapport se basent sur une étude menée auprès de 1300 organismes du Ghana, du Kenya, du Nigeria et du Sénégal. 
L'une des principales conclusions de ce rapport est que les Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (PME) sont étonnamment optimistes quant au potentiel d'Internet. Plus de 80 % des chefs de PME s'attendaient en effet à ce qu'Internet les aident à développer leur business. De plus, le rapport identifie le très grand potentiel d'économie de coûts que représente la transition des entreprises vers des systèmes basés sur Internet. Ainsi au Kenya, le NHIF (National Health Insurance Fund) a réduit ses coûts administratifs de 60 % à 32 % grâce à l'automatisation du traitement des réclamations, l'accès à des données en temps réel et le suivi des paiements. Dans le domaine de l'agriculture, la transparence sur les prix qu'apporte l'accès à des informations en ligne permet d'améliorer la gestion de la chaîne d'approvisionnement et de disposer d'informations sur la météo et la croissance qui au final permettront de réduire les coûts et d'améliorer le revenu des agriculteurs. Le service Time2Market de Manobi, par exemple, aurait permis, selon Manobi, d'augmenter le revenu des producteurs de gomme de 40 à 50 % en instaurant une transparence des prix sur les marchés locaux et internationaux. Autre évolution intéressante : le lien de plus en plus serré entre le commerce et les paiements mobiles, avec des services tels que Pesapal, MTN mMoney et Pagatech qui apportent l'infrastructure nécessaire au commerce sur Internet. Les établissements de santé l'ont aussi compris : ils utilisent actuellement Internet pour réduire les coûts de formation des infirmières.  
Le premier défi qui s'impose aux décideurs est de faire coïncider leurs actions à trois niveaux : les technologies de l'information et de la communication, les politiques sectorielles et les politiques générales en matière d'entreprises, afin de créer un environnement favorable à l'exploitation du potentiel d'Internet. Certains gouvernements des pays représentés dans le rapport ont réussi à créer les bonnes conditions de marchés. Quoi qu'il en soit, les décideurs doivent faire en sorte qu'un investissement continu soit apporté à l'infrastructure de base d'Internet et aux conditions nécessaires à son utilisation (accessibilité, connaissances et attractivité) . Ces conditions sont indispensables pour stimuler les écosystèmes en plein essor, qui généreront à leur tour des gains économiques et sociaux. Sans ces investissements, les décideurs risquent de passer à côté du plein potentiel qu'Internet peut apporter. 
Nous espérons que ce rapport aidera les gouvernements et les décideurs de la région à mieux comprendre dans quelle mesure Internet peut les aider à booster leur économie, à rester compétitifs et à améliorer la vie de leurs concitoyens. Pour en savoir plus, rendez-vous sur http://www.impactoftheinternet.com.  
Publié par Ory Okolloh, responsable stratégie et Relations gouvernementales, Google Afrique

Driving & Walking directions are useful for planning for that weekend get-away or finding directions to a new restaurant. But sometimes you miss a turning, or pull over to verify that you really are on the right road, even though you have the directions. So how cool would it be if your phone could tell you when your turn-off was coming or what to do if you miss it?
That’s why we’ve worked to improve the comprehensiveness and usefulness of Google Maps through advanced features like voice-guided, turn-by-turn navigation. From today, these handy features are now available in Kenya, Ghana, Senegal and Ivory Coast.

It includes everything you’d expect from a GPS navigation system – turn-by-turn voice guidance and automatic rerouting – and more.  Google Maps Navigation (Beta) requires no downloads or updates, and is accessible to any smartphone user running Android 2.2+ or iOS 5.1+ in these countries (iOS 5.1 not available in Ivory Coast).
In addition to guiding you on your journey, you also have access to information about any of the thousands of cities, towns, roads, and points of interest that have been mapped by users in Google Map Maker.  In other words, whether you’re heading to Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny for a football match or Cape Coast for a family holiday, Google Maps Navigation has you covered. Your phone will announce upcoming directions to you as you move along your route — in English or French.

To get Google Maps with Navigation on your Android 2.2+ device, search for and download the newest release of 'Google Maps' in Google Play or install Google Maps from the Google Play store. If you use an iOS 5.1+ device, search for and download the newest release of 'Google Maps' in the App Store.

Are your bags packed? Its time to hit the road.
Posted by Jacqueline Rajuai, Geo Program Manager

====


Google Maps Navigation (Bêta) pour mobile disponible dans 4 nouveaux pays africains 

Les itinéraires Voiture et Piéton sont très utiles pour organiser un weekend ou chercher l'itinéraire d'un nouveau restaurant. Malgré cela, il nous arrive pourtant de rater une rue ou de devoir s'arrêter pour vérifier que nous sommes sur la bonne route. Alors que diriez-vous si votre téléphone vous indiquait que la prochaine rue où il faut tourner approche ou ce que vous devez faire si vous la manquez ?

C'est pourquoi nous avons travaillé à améliorer l'exhaustivité et l'utilité de Google Maps à travers des fonctionnalités avancées telles que la navigation détaillée par guidage vocal. Nous sommes très heureux d'annoncer aujourd'hui que ces fonctionnalités sont maintenant disponibles au Kenya, Ghana, Sénégal, ainsi qu'en Côte-d'Ivoire.
Google Maps Navigation n'a rien à envier à un système de navigation GPS : guidage vocal détaillé, calcul automatique de nouvel itinéraire, et bien plus.  Google Maps Navigation (Bêta) ne nécessite aucun téléchargement ou mises à jour, et est accessible à partir de tout Smartphone utilisant la technologie Android 2.2 ou iOS 5.1 dans ces pays (iOS 5.1 n'est pas disponible en Côte-d'Ivoire).
En plus de votre itinéraire, vous avez accès aux informations sur les milliers d'agglomérations, villes, routes et sites intéressants, ajoutées par les utilisateurs de Google Map Maker. En d'autres termes, que vous vous rendiez à un match de foot au Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny ou à une réunion de famille à Cape Coast, Google Maps Navigation est là pour vous. Votre téléphone vous guidera en temps réel, en anglais ou en français.

Pour disposer de la navigation avec Google Maps sur votre appareil Android 2.2+, cherchez et téléchargez la nouvelle version de Google Maps sur Google Play, ou installez Google Maps depuis le site Android Market.

Si votre appareil fonctionne avec iOS 5.1, cherchez et téléchargez la nouvelle version de Google Maps sur l'Apple Play Store.

Vos valises sont prêtes ? C'est le moment de prendre la route. Publié par Jacqueline Rajuai, Geo Program Manager

They say that the devil is in the details, but they are wrong. Opportunity is in the details.

Taking care of the details is hard work, that is why so few do it right. Apple usability experts who painstakingly decide what sound the faux-keys should make when you press them, or the engineers at Google trying to shave off another tenth of a second before the results of your query pop up, are examples of people focused on the details.

Two caveats though: the first one, the details should support a strategy. Addressing random details here and there is not going to work. And second, taking care of just a few details is not enough. An outstanding customer experience is the result of taking care of hundreds of small details, all working together and supporting the strategy.

Every time we have to make a decision we face the temptation of trying to find a “happy medium”.  Settling for a happy medium is tempting (and dangerous) because it makes it look as if we made a decision when we really haven’t. 

Another problem with the “happy medium” is that it is seldom happy: we’re just creating a situation where, more often than not, nobody is completely satisfied and everybody is just somewhat OK. 

The happy medium is especially dangerous when trying to build a brand or develop a new product. Accept that you’re going to delight some people (your customers) and alienate others (not your customers) and just go ahead.  That’s how great brands, amazing products and powerful movements are made.

It’s been awhile since my last blog post, and that’s not due to my lack of inspiration but more due to the fact that it’s been quite busy over here at Sitebrand.  With new customers coming on board weekly, the support team and myself have been swamped getting customers live and ready to conquer the world of personalization!  Working with new customers is always rewarding because it allows us to tackle new problems and trigger segments that we don’t normally deal with on a day-to-day basis.  Definitely one of my favorite parts of the job……

Email has traditionally been one of the largest marketing initiatives with any online retailer, and there is nothing wrong with that.  In fact, it’s encouraging to see retailers reaching out to their shoppers with upcoming promotions and seasonal sales.  I’m definitely guilty of subscribing to over a 100 different email newsletters, and this isn’t just because their our clients!  I do enjoy getting the latest deals, but I also like to see how retailers are approaching their shoppers and what type of message they’re trying to portray.  Only recently I received a large number of ‘Mother’s Day’ inspired email newsletters from a number of different retailers, which reminded me that it’s about that time of the year.  I enjoyed reading through all the witty one-liners and clicking on the different promotions that were being offered, but when I clicked through the newsletter I was sadly disappointed in the post-click marketing efforts these sites were making. 

When I get a ‘Mother’s Day’ email newsletter promoting a 10% of coupon, it gets me interested and entices me to click through to the site but once I get there……where did my promotion go?  Retailers are making the cardinal mistake of leaving the promotion or message in the email and not following through bringing the consumer to the actual site. 

With Sitebrand’s Segment&Serve, retailers are able to use our URL Parameter rule to target and recognize email newsletter readers and help create the same message from the email newsletter to the site.  By using a Sitebrand content space with the same message that was being displayed in the email newsletter, Sitebrand empowers retailers to create a seamless transition from the inbox to the site.  By having this piece of content locked in for the duration of that email readers visit, Sitebrand is able to help reinforce the urgency of the email promotion and remind the shopper of the coupon code once they enter the cart process.  This type of continuity will help the shopper forget that they even left their inbox to chase that ‘Mother’s Day’ promotion, and ultimately help convert yet another shopper. 

We have a growing number of clients using this new method of post-click marketing personalization with astounding success. This Sitebrand functionality is definitely one that online retailers will want to consider for today’s ever changing marketplace.  

A perfect example of how to target your shoppers once they click through from an email newsletter.

 

Alok Ahuja
‘The Road Less Travelled’