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Five 'Blog' stories January 2012 - April 2013
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Watch out Disqus and Livefyre: Google+ comments can now be integrated into Blogger

Avatar for Mark Gurman Apr 18 2013 - 9:38 am PT
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Today, Google has announced that it is integrating Google+ comments into its Blogger blogging service.For example, comments from Google+ users regarding a Blogger post will actually show up in the comments on a Blogger blog post.

Now when you’re browsing your blog’s comment threads, you’ll see activity from direct visitors, and from people talking about your content on Google+. For example, if there’s a public Google+ discussion about one of your blog entries, those comments and replies will also appear on your Blogger blog. This way you can engage with more of your readers, all in one place.

With Google’s recent moves to unify its products, this change is notable as it integrates both Google+ and Blogger in a seamless, sensible fashion…


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Google Play services v2.0 includes Google Maps Android API

Avatar for Élyse Betters Dec 3 2012 - 11:19 am PT
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The Trulia Android app uses the new Maps API (starting tomorrow), so users can search for a place in 3D.

The Android Developers blog just unveiled version 2.0 for Google Play services.

Google Play services is a new platform that provides developers with improved integration for Google products. The latest version of the platform includes two new APIs, and the most notable one is an anticipated upgrade for Maps.

According to the announcing blog post, the new Google Maps Android API allows developers to “bring many of the recent features of Google Maps for Android to your Android apps.” The API is available supports Froyo devices and up:

The new API uses vector-based maps that support 2D and 3D views, and allow users to tilt and rotate the map with simple gestures. Along with the layers you’ve come to know from Google Maps such as satellite, hybrid, terrain and traffic, the new API lets you include indoor maps for many major airports and shopping centers in your app.

Google further launched Photo Sphere mode in the Camera for Android 4.2, which allows users to create panoramas, and now it is releasing new APIs that enable “developers, businesses, and photographers to explore new uses of Photo Sphere for work and for play.”

Photo Sphere is now an open format, too, so users can create and access it via the web and mobile devices. Go to the Android Developers blog for more information on either API key.


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Google introduces live blogging gadget for Google I/O

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 25 2012 - 10:10 am PT
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We all know Google I/O is just around the corner with yet another Nexus tablet leak today and news of some fresh Google TV products hitting the market soon. We will be on hand this week with live coverage of the event, and Google will make things even easier this year thanks to a new blogging tool it is unleashing specifically for the conference. As noted on Google’s developers website, you can now create your own embeddable Google I/O keynote live blogging gadget that will pull the event’s live video stream, and then it will post from your Google+ account:


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Google+ Circles integrate with Google Voice for improved caller management

Avatar for Élyse Betters Feb 23 2012 - 3:09 pm PT
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[youtube=http://youtu.be/cOZU7BOeQ58]

Google announced today that it is adding Google+ Circles to Google Voice.

Software Engineer Tom Ford took to the official Google Voice blog to tell users how Circles give callers more control with organizing and managing in Google Voice:

Circles give you more control over how you manage your callers; for example, calls from your “Creepers” circle can be sent straight to Voicemail, only your “College Buddies” circle will hear you rap your voicemail greeting, or you can set your “Family” circle to only ring your mobile phone.

As Ford mentioned, go to the Groups & Circles tab in Google Voice settings to customize Circles.

More information is available below.


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Better late than never: Blogger gets threaded commenting

Avatar for 9to5 Staff Jan 12 2012 - 9:30 am PT
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If you are a blogger and you are using Google’s blogging service called “Blogger,” you are probably aware of its many limitations compared to WordPress— the de facto blogging standard. Google has been slow to address the many concerns Bloggers users have and has been neglecting the service lately. One of the glaring issues has always been Blogger’s commenting system that leaves a lot to be desired.

Today, the Blogger team announced that threaded commenting is now live in Blogger. Previously, there was no way of telling whether posters put up a new comment or responded to another comment on the thread. Threaded commenting, which is a norm on the vast majority of other blogging platforms, solves this problem elegantly with indentation. A small, but welcome fix. Here is to hoping the team is working on bigger issues as Blogger is definitely crying for some love.


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