In September, we announced some changes to the default avatar that Google account owners with Google+ enabled see when logged into their accounts. We’re now making those same changes for Google account owners who don’t have Google+ enabled. Starting today, if a Google account owner has not added a photo to his or her account, we’ll show a custom avatar with that account owner’s given-name initial (two-character given names will be fully displayed). In some cases where initials are not available, a plain colored avatar will be used instead.
We know that when you’re working in Google Docs, you’re often working in Google Sheets and Google Slides at the same time. With that in mind, we’re making it easier to find and switch between your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Starting today, when you search from the Docs, Sheets, and Slides home screens on the web, your results will contain files from all three Apps. At the top of the results screen, you’ll see Top results, which will contain a mix of files, if relevant. Just below that you’ll see Recent documents (or Recent spreadsheets, or Recent presentations, whichever is applicable), which will only contain files from the App you’re working in.
Google Drive allows you to upload files, images, and videos so you can work on them anywhere and anytime. With today’s update, if you’re using the latest versions of Chrome or Firefox on the web, you can now drag a file from your desktop directly into Drive folders or subfolders.
Sometimes emails are mistakenly marked as spam or put into Trash, and they can be difficult to discover via search. To help address this issue, Gmail will now search in both the Trash and Spam folders (only Trash was indexed previously). If a match is found, a footer at the bottom of search results will indicate the match and direct the user to view the messages. In addition, if a search query is too general to return useful search results, a different footer will now be shown guiding the user to try refining their query using Gmail advanced search.
An update on the migration of older spreadsheets to the new Google Sheets Back in November 2014, we announced that older spreadsheets (those created prior to Dec 2013, including any subsequent copies) would start being gradually migrated to the new version of Google Sheets for Google Apps domains on the Rapid release track, with Scheduled domains to follow. While the migration started for consumer spreadsheets, we decided to delay the migration for the Rapid release track to ensure a more smooth process. Starting next week, we will formally start the migration for Rapid release domains, with Scheduled release domains to follow 2-3 weeks later (note: we have decided against displaying the migration notification in the Sheets interface for Google Apps customers to prevent unnecessary confusion).
The migrations will take several months to complete, but you'll be able to take advantage of the new features and capabilities in the new Sheets as older spreadsheets are migrated. Simpler spreadsheets will be upgraded first, while those that use Apps Script and more complex features will be migrated weeks to months later to ensure a seamless transition.
New status menu, bandwidth control for Google Drive for Mac/PC Posted: 14 Jan 2015 12:20 PM PST Google Drive for Mac/PC syncs any or all of your files to Google Drive on the web, making them available anywhere, at any time, on any device. It also provides secure cloud-based storage for your files.
A new version of Google Drive for Mac/PC is rolling out this week, featuring a new, more visually rich status menu. The menu allows people using Google Drive for Mac/PC to more clearly follow their sync status, including guidance on already synced files, files currently syncing and files yet to be synced. When you hover over a recently synced file, you’ll see an icon that saves you steps by letting you share it right from the menu:
You can also now choose to limit how much bandwidth Drive consumes while syncing your files for those times when you need extra bandwidth for something else. You can do that in theAdvanced section of the Preferences menu.
New versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for iOS are now available in the App Store. New features include: Support for viewing and editing text in tables in the Docs app Ability to insert, move, resize and rotate text boxes, shapes and lines in the Slides app Enhanced support for iPhone 6/6+ (all apps) General fixes and performance improvements (all apps)
At Google I/O in June, we introduced material design, a single underlying design system that allows for a unified experience across platforms and device sizes. It features smooth animations and transitions between screens, a multi-layered interface with quick access to the elements that you need most often, and a colorful UI with diverse fonts and styles. Material design principles have begun to appear in recent Google product launches, including Google Classroom, the Docs, Sheets, and Slides home screens and mobile apps, the Drive Android app, Android 5.0 Lollipop and the new Gmail and Calendar Android apps. You’ll continue to see more Google products adopting these new design principles across platforms in the coming months
To help with this transition, we’ve created a few resources for Google Apps customers. First, a special segment of The Apps Show featuring an interview with Lucas Pettinati, UX Lead for Google Apps. Lucas explains Google’s approach to applying material design to Apps products and what to expect moving forward. Second, an instructional guide outlining the functional elements of material design and a deep dive into how these elements surface in the new Gmail Android app. Check out these resources and share them with your organization.
A new Hangouts Chrome app was launched today with an updated UI. The app is available for Windows and Chrome OS platforms and brings the best of Hangouts to your desktop.
Improvements include:
Streamlined design that keeps your chats accessible without getting in the way of everything else. Your contact list and all your chats are condensed into one easy to toggle window. Works outside of your browser so your chats are always available, not tucked away inside a window. You’ll get all your messages as long as you have the app running, and your chats will sync across Hangouts on all your devices. Includes all the video and voice features you’re used to in Hangouts. We recently announced you can make phone calls to any number in the world (via Hangouts dialer) and now you can do this right from your desktop.
Your work depends on the best solutions to some tough problems. Whether you're working to optimize distribution networks or delivery routes, or simply getting the best staff schedules and optimizing your finances, the Google Sheets add-on for linear optimization can now help you do the math. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/linear-optimization/goadmgmjlkioggkbpbjlakbjjmlhdpen?utm_source=permalink
This add-on is one of many available. Remember to check out the complete store for Docs and Sheets often--more useful tools are being added each week.
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