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A very special Christmas broadcast

Posted by Theo Luke, YouTube partnerships, EMEA 1957 was a very special year for the British Monarchy. It had already become an annual tradition for the monarch to issue a Christmas message to people in the United Kingdom and around the world. But fifty years ago this Christmas, Queen Elizabeth II's message was televised for the first time. In her broadcast, the Queen spoke about the technological developments that allowed her image to appear in people's homes around the nation, saying that "I very much hope that this new medium will make my Christmas message more personal and direct. That it is possible for some of you to see me today is just another example of the speed at which things are changing all around us." This Christmas, fifty years later, we are thrilled to say that the British Monarchy is embracing another new technology by launching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/theroyalchannel" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" target="_blank" title="http://www.youtube.com/theroyalchannel">The Royal Channel</a> on YouTube. By setting up the first ever channel from a monarchy, the Queen joins other world leaders including the French President <a href="http://www.youtube.com/nicolassarkozy" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" target="_blank" title="http://www.youtube.com/nicolassarkozy">Nicolas Sarkozy</a> and the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/downingst" onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)" target="_blank" title="http://www.youtube.com/downingst">British Government</a> in using online video to communicate with people around the globe. Right now, you can visit The Royal Channel to see <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBRP-o6Q85s">that first 1957 broadcast</a>, along with other rare and previously unreleased archive footage. And at around 3pm BST on Christmas Day, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0nmkYGCljE">this year's Christmas broadcast from the Queen appeared on YouTube</a> as well as on television. We're delighted to welcome the Queen to the YouTube community, and hope that you enjoy the unseen treasures on her channel as much as we have. Update: Linked directly to the 2007 Christmas Broadcast.

A very special Christmas broadcast

Posted by Theo Luke, YouTube partnerships, EMEA 1957 was a very special year for the British Monarchy. It had already become an annual tradi...

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Save some energy over the holidays

Posted by Bill Weihl, Green Energy Czar Here's a suggestion for everyone to save energy over the holidays (and at other times!): turn off your computer and monitor or put them into "sleep" mode when you're not using them. Why? The typical desktop PC uses 100-200 watts even when it's idle. That's the equivalent of 1-2 bright incandescent (read: inefficient) light bulbs. (Note: new PCs that comply with the latest Energy Star specifications consume less than 50-60 watts when idle.) You wouldn't leave your car running for hours when it's just sitting there. Most of us wouldn't leave a bright light bulb burning for hours when no one is nearby to need the light. So why leave your computer on? If you're leaving your office for the holidays, turn off your PC. If it consumes 100 watts, that will save 2.4 kWh/day, or over 25 kWh for the next 11 days through January 1st. In California, that will stop about 40 kg of CO2 from being put into the air, and save about $2.50. For every 1 million people who do this, that will stop 40,000 tonnes (metric tons) of CO2 from being emitted, and save $2.5 million. In many areas, it will reduce emissions even further, and save even more money. The same issue applies at home: turn off your computer or put it to sleep when you're not using it. The automatic power management settings on most computers will put them to sleep automatically after a specified idle period. If you use a screensaver, set it to "blank" the screen and put the monitor in sleep mode after a few minutes. Screensavers don't have any benefit (other than being nice to look at) on modern displays, and they consume as much or more energy as just about anything else you could ask your computer to do. You might be thinking, "why now?" This isn't just an issue for the holidays, but this is a good time to remind people. In general, when you're not using your computer, turn it off or put it to sleep. Most computers can go to sleep quickly, and then wake up with all your work exactly as it was when you put it to sleep -- so there's no downside. If you want to do even more to save energy with your computers and to help the entire IT industry move to higher energy efficiency, check out the <a href="http://www.climatesaverscomputing.org/">Climate Savers Computing Initiative</a>, which we co-founded last June to create a positive "virtuous circle" between the supply of and demand for energy-efficient computers. More than 140 companies, universities, governments, and nonprofits, along with thousands of individuals, have pledged to buy energy-efficient computers and to use automatic power management tools to save energy. As more people make the same commitments, the volume of energy-efficient computers sold will increase, and the very modest price premium they demand today should drop. Have a great holiday season!

Save some energy over the holidays

Posted by Bill Weihl, Green Energy Czar Here's a suggestion for everyone to save energy over the holidays (and at other times!): turn of...

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'tis the season

Posted by David Griswold, Google Blog Team The holiday season is a time for reuniting with friends and family, reveling in <a href="http://books.google.com/books?q=christmas+stories&btnG=Search+Books" id="s7x2" title="stories">stories</a> and sentimentalities, cozying up to a cup of warm cocoa, listening to a fire slowly pop and fizzle. It's a time when we ease ourselves out of our <a href="http://www.google.com/calendar/" id="it0v">routines</a>, and have a moment to share our joys with those who are nearest to us. And the season affords us a unique opportunity to step back and empathize with people who face hardships <a href="http://www.mdgmonitor.org/" id="x5ph" title="throughout the world">throughout the world</a>. This season, Googlers everywhere are not only celebrating the joys of the holidays; quite a few of us have joined together to give back to our <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=community+service&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=29.384021,69.257813&ie=UTF8&mrt=kmlkmz&view=text" id="jx0r" title="local communities">local communities</a>. Whether it's helping kids craft public service announcements, contributing to <a href="http://www.mytwofrontteeth.org/google" id="tztk" title="toy drives">toy drives</a>, gathering donations for food banks, working with high schoolers on their college apps, writing get-well cards for sick children, or pitting teams of chefs against one another for charity, Googlers have made it a point to get creative. We've assembled pictures from these events in this album, and encourage you <a href="http://www.google.com/search?source=ig&hl=en&rlz=&q=community+service&btnG=Google+Search" id="wxem" title="to find a way">to find a way</a> to give back in your own community. <center> <embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&noautoplay=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fgblogphotos%2Falbumid%2F5146466862343602145%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="267" width="400"></embed> </center>

'tis the season

Posted by David Griswold, Google Blog Team The holiday season is a time for reuniting with friends and family, reveling in stories and sent...

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My Maps are Our Maps

Posted by Joscelin Cooper, Google Blog team The tools used for navigation and exploration are fraught with metaphorical possibility. A compass or telescope can be a powerful symbol for search, discovery, and the fearless embrace of the unknown. A map can tell you where you are, give you an idea of what lies ahead, and even better, give scale and breadth to your location. Maps connect us with the world in a way that is tangible, visual and now, even <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/map-making-so-easy-caveman-could-do-it.html" id="bfmg" title="interactive">interactive</a>. And for any of the myriad places you can point to on a map, there are traditions, stories, pictures and memories -- each is as unique and fascinating as its teller. For this year's holiday season we've created a <a href="http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68480" id="rv7z" title="My Map">My Map</a> for you to customize. <iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=103284839433106201971.000441462e89d7d0615ea&ll=58.539595,-74.179687&spn=76.872975,-84.375&output=embed&s=AARTsJp452pOViQTv0tJF8YVlefkXT1xlA"></iframe> <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msa=0&msid=103284839433106201971.000441462e89d7d0615ea&ll=58.539595,-74.179687&spn=76.872975,-84.375&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a> Mark your place in the world with <a href="http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68480#photos" id="emy6" title="photos">photos</a>, <a href="http://maps.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=68480#videos" id="wh_h" title="video">video</a> and stories that illuminate something about how you celebrate. Your stories can make for a considerably bigger map than any featuring geopolitical boundaries and highway markers; they can mark a human space of Chanukah candles, Christmas trees, family feasts and reunions great and small. We look forward to seeing how you make your mark.

My Maps are Our Maps

Posted by Joscelin Cooper, Google Blog team The tools used for navigation and exploration are fraught with metaphorical possibility. A compa...

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New Toolbar adds accessible features

Posted by Jonas Klink, Software Engineer, Accessibility Last week Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/annc/20071212_toolbar.html">launched version 5</a> as a public beta. This version introduces a number of exciting features, such as making your Toolbar settings available from any computer that you log into with your Google Account, improved suggestions for broken links, as well as important changes that make Toolbar more accessible for assistive technology users. This release adds support for Windows Accessibility APIs (used by screen readers, etc.) and enables keyboard navigation and access. From inside a browser with Toolbar installed, the global shortcut Alt+G places your cursor in the Google Toolbar search box. If you're using a screen reader, you'll hear "Google Toolbar Search". Pressing the Tab key brings keyboard focus to the button placed immediately after the search box, and right and left arrow keys move focus between buttons. More information on keyboard access is documented in the <a href="http://www.google.com/support/toolbar/bin/search.py?query=accessibility&Action.Search=Search&ctx=en%3Asearchbox">Toolbar Help Center</a> (query 'accessibility'). Version 5 comes as a part of our ongoing efforts to enhance accessibility in our client-side and web applications, which is a matter I hardly need to mention is very important. Personally, I see my work that went into the Toolbar as an important step forward, as the product reaches a very large number of users and enables everyone to gain quick access to a multitude of useful features, through a unified UI. Adding keyboard navigation and other features that enhance the ease of access to these features benefit everyone. We look forward to making further improvements to accessibility (including the installation process) in future releases. You can download the new Google Toolbar at <a href="http://toolbar.google.com/T5">http://toolbar.google.com/T5</a>.

New Toolbar adds accessible features

Posted by Jonas Klink, Software Engineer, Accessibility Last week Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer launched version 5 as a public beta...

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Decorate your desktop

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Google Desktop team This is the time of year when People Who Love to Decorate — you know who you are — can go all out. And while you're festooning your home and office, don't forget your computer desktop! The Inside Google Desktop Blog has a guide to the <a href="http://googledesktop.blogspot.com/2007/12/desktop-gadgets-for-holiday-season.html" id="g-_m" title="latest holiday gadgets">latest holiday gadgets</a>, with a picture of each one and tips on how you might use it. You can decorate a Christmas tree, listen to music, exchange ornaments with a friend, count down to the New Year, and more. They look right at home on your desktop, or you can put them in the Google Desktop sidebar or your iGoogle home page. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_XknK0NYUyKx8_I65r8X4Tf3jqOQsNiwGzmHPia19o6MBDQ53jtiGpRLjZgO_UVJNHRwjyX7NenmeBwaqtyapNWJWF6GC-bAaQaQnVKYVnxw9rc9T2wgB5ONKoC2V64tZnzot_nHN-0G/s1600-h/Desktop_tree.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146121664690181602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB_XknK0NYUyKx8_I65r8X4Tf3jqOQsNiwGzmHPia19o6MBDQ53jtiGpRLjZgO_UVJNHRwjyX7NenmeBwaqtyapNWJWF6GC-bAaQaQnVKYVnxw9rc9T2wgB5ONKoC2V64tZnzot_nHN-0G/s320/Desktop_tree.gif" style="cursor: pointer;" /></a> </div>Take the Christmas Tree gadget, for instance. When you start it up, it's a simple tree with gently falling snow. With a few clicks you can add ornaments wherever you like. If you find the animated precipitation distracting, you can hide the snowflakes. We hope you enjoy these gadgets. And happy holidays from the Google Desktop Team!

Decorate your desktop

Posted by Kathy Walrath, Google Desktop team This is the time of year when People Who Love to Decorate — you know who you are — can go all o...

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Get your cricket scores here

Posted by Sadeesh Duraisamy and Prasanna Meda, Software Engineers Around Google we look to add value for our users in various ways. One way to do this is through our 20% time (engineers can spend one day a week working on projects that are not necessarily part of their current job responsibilities -- an integral part of our <a href="http://www.google.com/support/jobs/bin/static.py?page=about.html" target="_blank">philosophy)</a>. So the two of us decided to use our 20% time for something near to the hearts of many. If you know what a silly mid-on is and what LBW stands for, chances are you're one of the tens of millions of cricket fans that just can't get enough of the latest scores. Well, we have good news: you can now get the latest cricket scores when you visit <a href="http://news.google.com/news?ned=in" target="_blank" title="http://news.google.com/news?ned=in">Google News India</a>. There's more detail about this new feature on the <a href="http://googlenewsblog.blogspot.com/2007/12/cricket-scores-in-google-news.html">Google News Blog</a>.

Get your cricket scores here

Posted by Sadeesh Duraisamy and Prasanna Meda, Software Engineers Around Google we look to add value for our users in various ways. One way ...

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