Official Google Blog: April 2008

Congratulations to our U.S. and Canadian Anita Borg Scholars

April 30, 2008

Posted by Jordan Bookey, Diversity Programs ManagerDr. Anita BorgAnita Borg Institute for Women in Technologyscholarships pageThe 2008 U.S. Anita Borg Scholars ($10,000 winners)

Allison Park Heath - Rice University, PhD Computer Science

Amy Hurst - Carnegie Mellon University, Ph Human Computer Interaction

Betsy Nora DiSalvo - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing

Diane Marie Budzik - University of California, Los Angeles, PhD Electrical Engineering

Elizabeth Arrowsmith Bales - University of California, San Diego, PhD Computer Science

Emily Anne Fortuna -Rice University, B.S. Computer Science

Erika Shehan Poole - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing

Gabriela Marcu - University of California, Irvine, B.S. Informatics

Ghinwa Fakhri Choueiter - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, PhD Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Gina-Maria Pomann - The College of New Jersey, B.A. Math

Jennifer C. Stoll - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing

Jennifer Denise Tam - Carnegie Mellon University, PhD Computer Science

Jill Patrice Dimond - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing

Julie Maureen Letchner - University of Washington, PhD Computer Science

Katherine Mary Everitt - University of Washington, PhD Computer Science

Nancy Dougherty - Stanford University, B.S. Electrical Engineering Raluca Ada Popa - Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S. Computer Science

Sally Kadry Wahba - Clemson University, PhD Computer Science

Sarita Ann Yardi - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing

Silvia Lindtner - University of California, Irvine, PhD Information & Computer Science

Svetlana Yarosh - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing

Tammara Massey - University of California, Los Angeles, PhD Computer Science

Yvon Hall Feaster - Clemson University, B.S. Computer Information Systems

The 2008 U.S. Anita Borg Finalists ($1,000 winners)

Aditi Suhas Pendharkar - Carnegie Mellon University, M.S. Information Networking

Alokika Dash - Univeristy of California, Irvine, PhD Electrical Engineering & Computer Science

Ashley Leonora Podhradsky

Dakota State University, PhD Information Systems

Carla Mae Webb - Western Illinois University, B.S. Computer Science & Math

Christina Marie Williams - Colorado State University, B.S. Computer Science

Devorah Gurwitz - Touro College, B.S. Computer Science

Eakta Jain - Carnegie Mellon University, PhD Robotics

Elena Jocelyn Jakubiak - Tufts University, PhD Computer Science

Geeta Sharad Shroff - Carnegie Mellon University, B.S. Computer Science

Jessica Lee Heier - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Industrial & Systems Engineering

Karen Edwards Works - Worcester Polytechnic Institute, PhD Computer Science

Kathy Tran Pham - Georgia Institute of Technology, M.S.Computer Science

Kimber Diane Lockhart - Stanford University, B.Eng. Computer Science

Kriti Rameshlal Puniyani - Carnegie Mellon University, PhD Computer Science

Liangrong Yi - University of Kentucky, PhD Computer Science

Lisa Deanne Brown - Carnegie Mellon University, M.A. Entertainment Technology

Lisa Marie White - University of Notre Dame, B.Eng. Computer Science

Lisa Minerva Tolentino - Arizona State University, PhD Media Arts & Computer Science

Meghan Katheleen Revelle - The College of William and Mary, PhD Computer Science

Nahid Mahfuza Alam - Clemson University, PhD Computer Engineering

Ramya Raghavendra - University of California, Santa Barbara, PhD Computer Science

Rashida Zalika Davis - University of Delaware, PhD Computer & Information Sciences

Renuka Ajay Apte - Georgia Institute of Technology, M.S. Computer Science

Ruth Lorraine Wylie - Carnegie Mellon University, PhD Human-Computer Interaction

Sara Gatmir Motahari - New Jersey Institute of Technology, PhD Electrical & Computer Engineering

Sofia Jeon - Drexel University, PhD Computer Science

Sonya Stoyanova Nikolova - Princeton University, PhD Computer Science

Stiliyana Boycheva Stamenova - Macalester College, B.A. Math & Computer Science

Tasneem Kaochar - University of Arizona, B.S. Computer Science

Valerie Henderson Summet - Georgia Institute of Technology, PhD Human Centered Computing

Vibha Laljani - California Institute of Technology, B.S. Computer Science

Yi Mao - Purdue University, PhD Electrical & Computer Engineering

The 2008 Canada Anita Borg Scholars ($5,000 CAD Winners)

Angelica Lim - Simon Fraser University, BSc Computer Science

Celina Gibbs - University of Victoria, MSc Computer Science

Christina Boucher - University of Waterloo, PhD Computer Science

Mireille Gomes - Queens University, BCompH Biomedical Computing

The 2008 Canada Anita Borg Finalists ($1,000 CAD Winners)

Alma Juarez-Domiguez - University of Waterloo, PhD Computer Science

April Khademi - University of Toronto, PhD Electrical Engineering

Carrie Demmans - University of Saskatchewan, MSc Computer Science

Cristina Ribeiro - University of Guelph, MSc Computer Science

Gail Carmichael - Carleton University, MSc Computer Science

Georgia Kastidou - University of Waterloo, PhD Computer Science

Jocelyn Simmonds - University of Toronto, PhD Computer Science

Katelyn Kent - University of New Brunswick, BSc Computer Engineering

Ming Hua - Simon Fraser University, PhD Computer Science

Pooja Viswanathan - University of British Columbia, PhD Computer Science

Terri Oda - Carleton University, PhD in Computer Science

Thuy Vu - University of Toronto, BSc Computer Science

Viann Chan - University of British Columbia, PhD Computer Science

Where art thou?

April 30, 2008

Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP, Search Products & User Experiencemap of where you can find the displayCheck it outwww.google.com/artistthemes

How to avoid getting hooked

April 29, 2008

Posted by Ian Fette, Google Security Team
This post is one of a series devoted to online security. - Ed.

Be careful about responding to emails that ask you for sensitive information. You should be wary of clicking on links in emails or responding to emails that are asking for things like account numbers, user names and passwords, or other personal information such as social security numbers. Most legitimate businesses will never ask for this information via email. Google doesn't.

Go to the site yourself, rather than clicking on links in suspicious emails. If you receive a communication asking for sensitive information but think it could be legitimate, open a new browser window and go to the organization's website as you normally would (for instance, by using a bookmark or by typing out the address of the organization's website). This will improve the chances that you're dealing with the organization's website rather than with a phisher's website, and if there's actually something you need to do, there will usually be a notification on the site. Also, if you're not sure about a request you've received, don't be afraid to contact the organization directly to ask. It takes just a few minutes to go to the organization's website, find an email address or phone number for customer support, and reach out to confirm whether the request is legitimate.

If you're on a site that's asking you to enter sensitive information, check for signs of anything suspicious. If you're on a site that's asking for sensitive information -- no matter how you got there -- check for the signs that it's really the official website for the organization. For example, check the URL to make sure the page is actually part of the organization's website, and not a fraudulent page on a different domain (such as mybankk.com or g00gle.com.) If you're on a page that should be secured (like one asking you to enter in your credit card information) look for "https" at the beginning of the URL and the padlock icon in the browser. (In Firefox and Internet Explorer 6, the padlock appears in the bottom right-hand corner, while in Internet Explorer 7 the padlock appears on the right-hand side of the address bar.) These signs aren't infallible, but they're a good place to start.

Be wary of the "fabulous offers" and "fantastic prizes" that you'll sometimes come across on the web. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is, and it could be a phisher trying to steal your information. Whenever you come across an offer online that requires you to share personal or other sensitive information to take advantage of it, be sure to ask lots of questions and check the site asking for your information for signs of anything suspicious.

Use a browser that has a phishing filter. The latest versions of most browsers -- including Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Opera -- include phishing filters that can help you spot potential phishing attacks.

New: Google Finance China, new Finance homepage

April 24, 2008

Posted by Feng Hong, Product ManagerGoogle Finance ChinaU.S.CanadaU.KChinaHelp Center

What makes a design "Googley"?

April 23, 2008

Posted by Sue Factor, Writer, User Experience Group—set out to articulate Design Principles1. Focus on people—their lives, their work, their dreams.
2. Every millisecond counts.
3. Simplicity is powerful.
4. Engage beginners and attract experts.
5. Dare to innovate.
6. Design for the world.
7. Plan for today's and tomorrow's business.
8. Delight the eye without distracting the mind.
9. Be worthy of people's trust.
10. Add a human touch.Ten things Google has found to be true

We have a lot of work to do when it comes to implementation.

Every real-world product will have to strike a balance between all ten principles.

Celebrate World Book Day with The Literacy Project

April 22, 2008

Posted by Anne Meyer, Chief of Education Design, CASTCenter for Applied Special Technology (CAST)UDL EditionsCall of the Wildmany projectsThe Literacy Projectshare your thoughts

Five factors to look for in Pennsylvania

April 22, 2008

Posted by Brittany Bohnet, Google Elections Teameach set of state resultsNational Journalembeddable Google MapAge.registered Democrats by age bracket.Democratic primary in the 2002 gubernatorial race.county-by-county resultsGeography and growth.rate of population growthRace.racial breakdownReligion. religious adherence by countyGoogle Maps

Helping others go green

April 21, 2008

Posted by Bill Weihl, Green Energy Czarwhat you're doingblogged

Today we're launching the largest batch of new Google Transit cities yet. Travelers in San Francisco, Denver, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Rhode Island and other locations across the country can now use Google Maps to plan trips using public transportation.

Google Checkout continues to help you and your friends and family team up and donate to environmental organizations. We have a new video to help you learn how to donate and see how easy it is to map your network of generosity.

The Google Desktop team has developed a handy little gadget that will help those of you making Earth Day pledges to reduce your energy consumption. Install the Energy Saver gadget to enable and optimize your computer’s power management settings, putting it to sleep when you're not using it.

Google SketchUp has created a new site for green design professionals, and Google for Educators has put together some [recommendations] for teachers who want to use Google Earth and Maps to teach about environmental issues in the classroom.

Several more Google blogs are celebrating Earth Day as well, so be sure to read about the teacher who has cut his paper use by using Docs and Spreadsheets, advertising best-practices for environmental organizations, eco-trendspotting on YouTube and Google.org's tribute to the green collar economy.

A new look for Google Video

April 18, 2008

Posted by Bindu Reddy, Group Product Managervision Google Video Blog

Here's to Tom Lehrer, elemental geek

April 17, 2008

Posted by Jonathan J. Rosenberg, Senior VP, Product ManagementTom Lehrer"The Element Song"New Math""The Masochism Tango"Who's Next""Poisoning Pigeons in the ParkThe Electric Companytune about the letter 'e.'

Working together to fight malware

April 17, 2008

Posted by Panayiotis Mavrommatis, Google Security Team
We recently began a series of posts related to online security that focus on how we secure information (with postslikethese) and how you can protect yourself online. Here's the latest in the series.- Ed.malwarerecent researchsecurity communityidentifyshareadd a labelnotify webmastersclean up their sitesrequest a reviewcrucial part

Use anti-virus software. Most anti-virus software is specifically designed to find and remove harmful software on your computer. Be sure you have anti-virus software installed on your computer (you can get a free trial through Google Pack if you don't), keep it current, and use it to run frequent full-system checks.

Make sure your operating system and browser are up to date. Attackers typically target vulnerabilities in your operating system (OS) and your browser to install malware on your computer. OS and browser providers frequently release updates to close those vulnerabilities. Enable automatic updates for both your browser and your OS, and check for alerts to ensure you have the latest and greatest protection.

Be careful about what you download. While Google and everyone else in the online community is working hard to identify harmful sites, new sources of malware are emerging all the time. Whenever you're prompted to download an email attachment, install a plug-in, or download an unfamiliar piece of software, take a moment to think it through. You won't always be able to identify a risky download, but if you practice some reasonable caution, you'll be able to reduce that risk.

report ithelp page

We can't wait for Earth Day

April 16, 2008

Posted by David Bercovich, Google Green TeamEarth Day

If you use Google Checkout to donate to a non-profit environmental organization on behalf of anyone you know, we'll generate a personal view of Google Maps that includes a marker representing your donation. The people you donate on behalf of will get an email about your contribution, and if they follow your example, their donation will be marked on your map as well. We'll connect the markers, so that you can watch how your generosity spreads as more and more people donate. Visit Checkout's Earth Day page to learn more.

Hot on the heels of last week's Google Transit launch in Chicago, a whole new batch of transit agencies have made their data available on Google Maps. From Lubbock, Texas to Walla Walla, Washington, people in communities across the country will now find it easier than ever to leave their cars at home.

I hope you'll take a moment to download the newest version of Google Earth, which launched earlier today. While you're exploring its fancy new features, be sure to check out some of the latest Global Awareness layers (found in the left-side "Layers" panel) that celebrate the beauty and biodiversity on Earth, like ARKive's Endangered Species and Greenpeace's Stop Climate Change. And I encourage you to visit the Google Earth Outreach Showcase, which features a number of environmentally-focused KMLs that can be downloaded and viewed in Google Earth.

you're Earth Day '08

A whole new world to explore

April 16, 2008

Posted by Peter Birch, Product Manager, Google EarthGoogle Earth 4.33D Warehouse

New navigation - We've improved the zoom control so you can swoop down from outer space to street level in a single seamless motion. And with the addition of the "look" joystick, you can look up at buildings or across a mountain range.

More, faster 3D buildings - It's more fun to navigate through a lot of new 3D content. Besides adding thousands of buildings contributed by people around the world, we've added dozens of photo-textured cities and towns in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Street View - The popular Google Maps feature makes its Google Earth debut.

Sunlight feature - Never seen the sunrise over the Alps? Now you can.

New languages - There are 12 new languages, including Danish, English (UK), Spanish (Latin American), Finnish, Hebrew, Indonesian, Norwegian, Portuguese (PT), Romanian, Swedish, Thai, and Turkish.

Check out the Lat Long blog for all the details, or head over to our website at earth.google.com. And stay tuned for more details about Earth Day coming soon.

KML, the HTML of geographic content

April 14, 2008

Posted by Michael Weiss-Malik, KML Product ManagerOpen Geospatial ConsortiumKMLGoogle Earthcell phoneThere's more on KML's standardization on the Lat Long blog.

Building software tools to find child victims

April 14, 2008

Posted by Shumeet Baluja, Research ScientistNational Center for Missing & Exploited ChildrenjoinedCyberTiplinecreated innovative software tools

Salesforce for Google Apps

April 14, 2008

Posted by Scott McMullan, Google Apps Partner Lead, Google Enterprisepartnered with Salesforce.comSalesforce for Google Appsmore detail

AstadiaAppirioshare your thoughts

The Spelman College CS Olympiad

April 11, 2008

Posted by Marcus Mitchell, Engineering DirectorSpelman College Computer Science OlympiadGoogle GadgetsiGoogle Directory

First place: Morehouse College Team 2 (Lawrence Forrester, Kevin Walton, Mark Slade, Michael Davis)

Second place: Old Dominion University Monarchs (Duc Nguyen, Cesar Barbieri, Darrin Lee, Nicole Jackson)

Third place: Spelman College YOMamaBoards (Jonecia Keels, Jazmine Miller, Paige McReynolds, Arielle Baine)

First-place winner.

Sharing gadgets just got better

April 10, 2008

Posted by Jeff Regan, EngineeriGooglethe same gadget dataGoogle Docssticky notescrossword

full list of gadgetsGadgets API BlogWe would love to know what you think.

Last call for scalability papers

April 8, 2008

Posted by Andrew Schwerin, Software EngineerSeattle Scalability Conference

Parallelization techniques (fully automatic or programmer-assisted)

Algorithms that are robust in the face of system failures (flaky hardware, OS bugs, network failures)

Managing large, evolving data stores

Languages and tools for organizing high-throughput data processing systems

Handling partial failure (automatic failure detection/diagnosis/repair)

Gadgets for a cause

April 8, 2008

Posted by Samantha Crow, Product Marketing Manager, iGooglePew/Internet studyGadget Builder for organizationssubmit your gadgetappropriate categoryPoliticsNewsGoogle Gadget Center

Developers, start your engines

April 7, 2008

Posted by Kevin Gibbs, Tech Lead, Google App EngineGoogle App EngineGFSBigtablemore detailsign updownload the SDK

New C-SPAN channel on YouTube

April 7, 2008

Posted by Steve Grove, Head of News and Politics, YouTubeYou Choose '08

IowaNew HampshireSuper TuesdayC-SPAN's YouTube channel

Cone of silence (finally) lifts on the spectrum auction

April 3, 2008

Posted by Richard Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel, and Joseph Faber, Corporate Counseldouble super secretanti-collusion rulesdidn't pick up any spectrum licensesfar more financial incentivefour openness conditionsD Block re-auctionAndroid"white spaces"

Official Blog

Congratulations to our U.S. and Canadian Anita Borg Scholars

Where art thou?

How to avoid getting hooked

New: Google Finance China, new Finance homepage

What makes a design "Googley"?

Celebrate World Book Day with The Literacy Project

Five factors to look for in Pennsylvania

Helping others go green

A new look for Google Video

Here's to Tom Lehrer, elemental geek

Working together to fight malware

We can't wait for Earth Day

A whole new world to explore

KML, the HTML of geographic content

Building software tools to find child victims

Salesforce for Google Apps

The Spelman College CS Olympiad

Sharing gadgets just got better

Last call for scalability papers

Gadgets for a cause

Developers, start your engines

New C-SPAN channel on YouTube

Cone of silence (finally) lifts on the spectrum auction

Happy birthday, Google Grants

Selling Performics Search Marketing

Google Docs mean sharing

Announcing Project Virgle

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