More Options for Google+ Badges

UPDATE (2/2/12): The new Google+ badge is now out of preview and available to all users on all sites.When we launched Google+ pages in November, we also released Google+ badges to promote your Google+ presence right on your site. Starting today in developer preview (and soon available to all your users), we're adding more options for integrating the Google+ badge into your website. You can configure a badge with a width that fits your site design and choose a version that works better on darker sites. You'll also see that Google+ badges now include the unified +1 and circle count that we added to Pages last month. If you’re still considering whether to add a Google+ badge...

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Improving Google+ Plugins Across the Web

Over a million websites use Google+ plugins -- like the +1 button and the badge for Pages -- to help visitors connect with their brand and share their content with others. Today we're excited to announce a number of improvements to these plugins that make sharing and connecting even easier.Easier to share from the +1 button Starting today, it’ll be a little easier to share right from the +1 buttons all across the web. Now, after you +1 something, the share box will pop open right away, without an extra click. Add a comment if you want, choose the people you want to share with, and you’re done.Easier to follow brands and businesses When you add Google+ pages to your circles, it's typically to follow their news and updates. That's why we're updating badges for...

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A New Look for the +1 Button

UPDATE (3/14/12): Today, we released the new +1 button from preview and it’s now rolling out to all users. You may also notice the numbers in your +1 buttons increase, as we update our plugins to better reflect social activity around your content. Our Webmaster Tools Help Center article has more details on this update.  Join the conversation on Google+.Following in the footsteps of our new red and white Google+ icon, the +1 button is sporting a fresh coat of paint. Starting today, this update will be visible first to our Google+ Platform Preview Groupand shortly thereafter we’ll roll it out to the public.Check out the new pixels:Before you’ve +1’d  After you’ve +1’d The +1 buttons you’ve already...

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Moving the Google+ Hangouts API Out of Preview

One of the most important ways we connect with others is in person. That's why we're so excited about Google+ Hangouts, and why we launched a preview of the Hangouts API a few months ago. Today we're moving this API out of preview, and enabling developers to launch and share their hangout apps with the entire Google+ community!Hangout apps are regular web apps, running in a big window inside the Hangout UI. In addition to using shared-state APIs to give users real-time interactivity, you also have access to built-in Hangout features, such as: Initiate a group video chat with up to 10 people  Control hangout microphones, cameras, speakers and volume levels  Add sound effects and attach image overlays to faces  Set UI elements such as the video feed, chat pane, and...

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Eadweard Muybridge on Google Screen

Eadweard J. Muybridge ( /ˌɛdwərd ˈmaɪbrɪdʒ/; 9 April 1830 – 8 May 1904) was an English photographer of Dutch ancestry who spent much of his life in the United States. He is known for his pioneering work on animal locomotion which used multiple cameras to capture motion, and his zoopraxiscope, a device for projecting motion pictures that pre-dated the flexible perforated film strip.[1] Names Born Edward James Muggeridge, he changed his name several times early in his US career. First he changed his forenames to the Spanish equivalent Eduardo Santiago, perhaps because of the Spanish influence on Californian place names. His surname appears at times as Muggridge and Muygridge (possibly due to misspellings), and Muybridge from the 1860s. In...

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25 Google Plus Resources, Articles, and Reviews to Help You Get Started

Google+ (or is it “Google Plus”?), the search giant’s big social initiative, has arrived and there’s a lot to learn. Google’s answer to Facebook has been in the works for a year and has been delayed several times due to disagreements about its design, purpose, and execution. Facebook’s threat to Google’s domination of the Web was a wake-up call that ignited the development of the new social platform. Even though Facebook’s traffic seems to be slowing in the U.S. and Canada, the network’s exponential growth frightened Google’s leadership into taking action. When Facebook discovered the company’s plans, it went into  “lockdown” for 60 days and focused on completing new features like Facebook Groups, Facebook Messages, and Facebook Places. Google...

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WSJ Pulls Back On What Google Searchers Can Read For Free

Are you used to using Google as a way around the Wall Street Journal’s paywall? Think again. The WSJ has been holding back stories available through Google’s “First Click Free” program, a move that I suspect other newspapers might soon emulate. Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed that I wasn’t able to read some Wall Street Journal stories when visiting from Google. I figured this was some type of bug. But a recent case got me digging deeper: the Journal’s story about how Google created a workaround past Safari’s default privacy settings as a way of enabling +1 buttons on Google’s ads. I was unable to read the full story after finding it listed in search results at Google, either in regular Google web search listings or in Google...

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Shortcuts in Google Search

Have you ever wondered how to search Google for terms inside a specific website? Or find how many sites link to yours? Below is a list of common advanced search techniques with descriptions and examples: Search for an exact phrase "exact phrase to search" Will return only results with the exact phrase. Search within one website site:www.website.com "search phrase" This example searches through www.website.com for the phrase “search phrase”. Search for link to a specific website link:www.website.com Will return all the websites that have a link to www.website.com. Exclude words or phrases from search results search phrase -excluded Searches for the phrase but will only return results excluding the text after the minus sign. View a cached version of a web page cache:www.website.com View a cached...

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Ditch Paper Catalogs Without Missing Out on Your Favorite Products

If you love shopping catalogs, but hate having all the paper clutter in your home, here’s a easy new way to ditch the mess (and save a few trees at the same time). Try using the Google Catalogs app (available on both Android and iPad). It’s just like flipping through your favorite printed versions, without the inevitable trip to the curb with a heavy recycling bin. Plus, you can get more information and head directly to a store’s website to purchase the item. Take a look at the full list of catalogs available and start shopping greener. Find out more ways to be eco-friendly during earth month with The Ultimate Guide to Going Green....

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