Gingerbread architecture for all

<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(Cross-posted from the <a href="http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/2008/12/gingerbread-architecture-for-all.html">Google SketchUp Blog</a>)</span><br /><br />Chilly weather, hot chocolate, holiday celebrations... I'm proud to kick off our sweetest <a title="SketchUp" target="_blank" href="http://sketchup.google.com/" id="fm97">SketchUp</a> modeling challenge ever: the first annual Google SketchUp Gingerbread House Design Competition. To make it a little easier to design the gingerbread house of your dreams, I modeled a blank house to get you started. Go ahead and <a title="download" target="_blank" href="http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=539a3e1c5487720d45f5590ac69325a5" id="mfj1">download</a> it from the 3D Warehouse, then follow the instructions in the file.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZ1HMQi1co10ZSr52PlkqWEZbQpmqH02VypGcxlBUpwygle21hBeiyNJLn3OBvtTBd_DXmln3NbfmwXI3ZHajbrqSKsvwpUA1doWZuv2VWzJr4gvbPO2w1sLRZuDcJB32Rtt36mfQzDYq/s1600-h/Gingerbread+House.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280207571539506418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDZ1HMQi1co10ZSr52PlkqWEZbQpmqH02VypGcxlBUpwygle21hBeiyNJLn3OBvtTBd_DXmln3NbfmwXI3ZHajbrqSKsvwpUA1doWZuv2VWzJr4gvbPO2w1sLRZuDcJB32Rtt36mfQzDYq/s400/Gingerbread+House.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 286px;" /></a><br /><br />I also built a <a title="selection of decorations" target="_blank" href="http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/cldetails?mid=4a805adbfc4a25d945f5590ac69325a5&ct=mdcc" id="vncw">selection of decorations</a> (candy canes, gumdrops, wafer roof tiles) that you can use to spiff up your model. Of course, you're welcome to do anything you like; it's your masterpiece. When you're finished, don't forget to label your gingerbread house with the tag "gingerbread2009" and upload it to the 3D Warehouse. The competition deadline is January 4th at midnight, Pacific Standard Time.<br /><br />This undertaking is all about having fun with SketchUp, so the prizes will be glory based. (What did you expect: a gingerbread flat-screen TV?) We'll award the following prizes, and announce the winners here and on the <a title="SketchUpdate" target="_blank" href="http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/" id="uahe">SketchUpdate</a> about a week after the competition closes on January 4th.<br /><ul><li> 1st, 2nd and 3rd place – for the best overall gingerbread houses in the collection</li><li> The 'Sprinkles' Prize – for the best additions to the base model (the crazier, the better)</li><li> The 'Swirl' Prize – for the best use of <a title="Dynamic Components" target="_blank" href="http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/2008/11/more-about-dynamic-components.html" id="d1xy">Dynamic Components</a> in the model</li><li> The 'Sweet-tooth' Prize – for the most creative use of a single candy ingredient in a model</li></ul>If you're looking for inspiration, take a gander at what folks did with <a title="Santa's sleigh" target="_blank" href="http://sketchupdate.blogspot.com/2008/01/santas-going-to-need-bigger-garage.html" id="xqze">Santa's sleigh</a> last year. Have fun, and happy holidays.<br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Aidan Chopra, Product Evangelist<br /></span>

Gingerbread architecture for all

(Cross-posted from the Google SketchUp Blog ) Chilly weather, hot chocolate, holiday celebrations... I'm proud to kick off our sweetest ...

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Net neutrality and the benefits of caching

<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(Cross-posted from the <a href="http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2008/12/net-neutrality-and-benefits-of-caching.html">Google Public Policy Blog</a>)</span></span><br /><br />One of the first posts I wrote for this blog last summer <a href="http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-do-we-mean-by-net-neutrality.html" id="h82m" title="tried to define">tried to define</a> what we at Google mean when we talk about the concept of net neutrality.<br /><br />Broadband providers -- the on-ramps to the Internet -- should not be allowed to prioritize traffic based on the source, ownership or destination of the content. As I noted in that post, broadband providers should have the flexibility to employ network upgrades, such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cache" id="ss8t" title="edge caching">edge caching</a>. However, they shouldn't be able to leverage their unilateral control over consumers' broadband connections to hamper user choice, competition, and innovation. Our commitment to that principle of net neutrality remains as strong as ever.<br /><br />Some critics have questioned whether improving Web performance through edge caching -- temporary storage of frequently accessed data on servers that are located close to end users -- violates the concept of network neutrality. As I said <a href="http://googlepublicpolicy.blogspot.com/2007/06/what-do-we-mean-by-net-neutrality.html" id="v6p7" title="last summer">last summer</a>, this myth -- which unfortunately underlies a <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122929270127905065.html" id="k4_t" title="story in Monday's Wall Street Journal">confused story in Monday's <i>Wall Street Journal</i></a> -- is based on a misunderstanding of the way in which the open Internet works.<br /><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cache" id="j.sg" title="Caching">Edge caching</a> is a common practice used by ISPs and application and content providers in order to improve the end user experience. Companies like <a href="http://www.akamai.com/" id="ym68" title="Akamai">Akamai</a>, <a href="http://www.limelightnetworks.com/" id="wlk7" title="Limelight">Limelight</a>, and <a href="http://aws.amazon.com/cloudfront/" id="l5a:" title="Amazon's Cloudfront">Amazon's Cloudfront</a> provide local caching services, and broadband providers typically utilize caching as part of what are known as content distribution networks (CDNs). Google and many other Internet companies also deploy servers of their own around the world.<br /><br />By bringing YouTube videos and other content physically closer to end users, site operators can improve page load times for videos and Web pages. In addition, these solutions help broadband providers by minimizing the need to send traffic outside of their networks and reducing congestion on the Internet's backbones. In fact, caching represents one type of innovative network practice encouraged by the open Internet.<br /><br />Google has offered to "colocate" caching servers within broadband providers' own facilities; this reduces the provider's bandwidth costs since the same video wouldn't have to be transmitted multiple times. We've always said that broadband providers can engage in activities like colocation and caching, so long as they do so on a non-discriminatory basis.<br /><br />All of Google's colocation agreements with ISPs -- which we've done through projects called OpenEdge and <a href="http://whiteafrican.com/2008/07/04/google-kenya-and-the-google-global-cache/" id="y_2:" title="Google Global Cache">Google Global Cache</a> -- are non-exclusive, meaning any other entity could employ similar arrangements. Also, none of them require (or encourage) that Google traffic be treated with higher priority than other traffic. In contrast, if broadband providers were to leverage their unilateral control over consumers' connections and offer colocation or caching services in an anti-competitive fashion, that would threaten the open Internet and the innovation it enables.<br /><br />Despite the hyperbolic tone and confused claims in Monday's <span style="font-style: italic;">Journal</span> story, I want to be perfectly clear about one thing: Google remains strongly committed to the principle of net neutrality, and we will continue to work with policymakers in the years ahead to keep the Internet free and open.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">P.S.:</span> The <span style="font-style: italic;">Journal</span> story also quoted me as characterizing President-elect Obama's net neutrality policies as "much less specific than they were before." For what it's worth, I don't recall making such a comment, and it seems especially odd given that President-elect Obama's supportive stance on network neutrality hasn't changed at all.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update: </span><a href="http://lessig.org/blog/2008/12/the_madeup_dramas_of_the_wall.html">Larry Lessig</a>, <a href="http://www.savetheinternet.com/blog/2008/12/15/net-neutrality-in-the-front-seat/">Save the Internet</a>, <a href="http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1905">Public Knowledge</a>, <a href="http://isen.com/blog/2008/12/bogus-wsj-story-on-net-neutrality.html">David Isenberg</a>, <a href="http://blog.wired.com/business/2008/12/wsj-wtf.html">Wired</a> and others all found fault with today's piece too.<br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Richard Whitt, Washington Telecom and Media Counsel</span>

Net neutrality and the benefits of caching

(Cross-posted from the Google Public Policy Blog ) One of the first posts I wrote for this blog last summer tried to define what we at Goog...

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@Twitter: Welcome to Google Friend Connect

We know many of you enjoy using Twitter to see what people are talking about and to let others know what you've been up to, whether it's sharing a YouTube video or checking in on your friend's tweets. To help you and your Twitter network stay connected no matter where you are on the web, we're excited to announce that <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/12/google-friend-connect-now-available.html">Google Friend Connect</a> has integrated with Twitter. This means that when you join a friend connected site, you can choose to use your Twitter profile, discover people you follow on Twitter who are also members of the site, and quickly tweet that you have found a cool website.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yAXb5w6eZhMMMA5JLXAcswCwNwDZ2c_vCCVWaH9bbmJ4YsExEknegIeWAS-ftFa8WPC9DJ6PTNuXU_LC7GiN4TAFJZcOy9_6WsBLx_Q7djOdRlvODckMjLPepZOtWJYTmDAcxlIO36ZC/s1600-h/twitter_blogpost_2.gif"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279860864425133314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_yAXb5w6eZhMMMA5JLXAcswCwNwDZ2c_vCCVWaH9bbmJ4YsExEknegIeWAS-ftFa8WPC9DJ6PTNuXU_LC7GiN4TAFJZcOy9_6WsBLx_Q7djOdRlvODckMjLPepZOtWJYTmDAcxlIO36ZC/s400/twitter_blogpost_2.gif" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 314px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /><br />To send a tweet about a site you have joined, click the invite link in the members gadget, then click the Twitter icon on the share tab. The next time your followers sign in to Twitter, they'll see your tweet containing a link to the interesting site you've found.<br /><br />This integration with Twitter is an example of how we want to continue improving Friend Connect, extending the open social web and bringing social features to more places on the web.<br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Mussie Shore, Product Manager</span>

@Twitter: Welcome to Google Friend Connect

We know many of you enjoy using Twitter to see what people are talking about and to let others know what you've been up to, whether it...

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Google Chrome (BETA)

Since we <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/fresh-take-on-browser.html">first released Google Chrome</a>, the development team has been hard at work improving the stability and overall performance of the browser. In just 100 days, we have reached more than 10 million active users around the world (on all seven continents, no less) and released 14 updates to the product. We're excited to announce that with today's fifteenth release we are taking off the "beta" label!<br /><br />Google Chrome is a better browser today thanks to the many users who sent their feedback and the many more who enabled automatic crash reports, helping us rapidly diagnose and fix issues. Some of the areas where we've made great progress include:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Better stability and performance of plug-ins (particularly video). </span>Video and audio glitches were among the <a href="http://blog.chromium.org/2008/10/beta-and-plugin-improvements-in-google.html">most common bugs fixed</a> during the beta period. If you had problems watching videos with Google Chrome in the past, you should be pleasantly surprised with the performance now.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Even more speed.</span> Google Chrome starts up fast, loads pages quickly, and just keeps getting faster. Since the first beta, the V8 JavaScript engine runs 1.4 times faster on the <a href="http://www2.webkit.org/perf/sunspider-0.9/sunspider.html">SunSpider benchmark</a> and 1.5 times faster on the <a href="http://code.google.com/apis/v8/run.html">V8 benchmark</a> — and there is more speed to come.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Bookmark manager and privacy controls.</span> We heard you! <a href="http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=95714">Better bookmark features</a> were a top request from our users. It's now easier to switch between another browser and Google Chrome with the bookmark import and export features, and we added a new simple way to manage large numbers of bookmarks, too. We also wanted to make it even easier for you to control your browsing data, so all of the features in Google Chrome which affect user privacy are now grouped in one place with <a href="http://www.google.com/support/chrome/bin/answer.py?answer=114836">detailed explanations for each one</a>.<br /><br />We've taken security very seriously from the beginning and we will continue to look for ways to make Google Chrome and all browsers even more secure. Google Chrome's <a href="http://blog.chromium.org/2008/09/security-architecture.html">unique sandbox technology</a> creates an additional layer of defense against harmful software, while the <a href="http://blog.chromium.org/2008/11/understanding-phishing-and-malware.html">Safe Browsing</a> feature provides protection against phishing and malware attacks for many browser users.<br /><br />We have removed the beta label as our goals for stability and performance have been met but our work is far from done. We are working to add some common browser features such as form autofill and RSS support in the near future. We are also developing an <a href="http://dev.chromium.org/developers/design-documents/extensions">extensions platform</a> along with support for Mac and Linux. If you are already using Google Chrome, the update system ensures that you get the latest bug fixes and security patches, so you will get the newest version automatically in the next few days. If you haven't used Google Chrome for a while, now might be a good time to give it another spin.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.google.com/chrome/?utm_campaign=en&utm_source=en-blog-ogb&utm_medium=blog&brand=CHMP">Download Google Chrome</a> and try it out. <a href="http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Chrome">Let us know what you think</a>.<br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by By Sundar Pichai, VP, Product Management, and Linus Upson, Engineering Director</span>

Google Chrome (BETA)

Since we first released Google Chrome , the development team has been hard at work improving the stability and overall performance of the br...

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Safety, education, and empowerment on YouTube

<span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >(Cross-posted from the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/blog">YouTube Blog</a>)</span><br /><br />We've always been committed to providing you the tools to have the best possible YouTube experience. Educating parents, teens, and families on how to stay safe on our site is a critical part of that commitment, so we can't think of a more appropriate place to introduce our new <a href="http://help.youtube.com/support/youtube/bin/request.py?contact_type=abuse">Abuse and Safety Center</a> than at the Family Online Safety Institute (<a href="http://www.fosi.org/cms/">FOSI</a>) conference in Washington, D.C., today.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPzJRG3dljFyXQNFhcxu4FdDx-II_1vRYE42QyLusvrCeK9EM-6nAI0DBAsDnfJQ4HIsctxpkLiHrk7ENDv5uRw-SJ5Bqpn4tzRLpmSx6KvCkotXQuVgx3SYaBq1Eq6kmT1E_pyXZV5GX/s1600-h/Abuse+and+Safety+Homepage.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278401253487315554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPzJRG3dljFyXQNFhcxu4FdDx-II_1vRYE42QyLusvrCeK9EM-6nAI0DBAsDnfJQ4HIsctxpkLiHrk7ENDv5uRw-SJ5Bqpn4tzRLpmSx6KvCkotXQuVgx3SYaBq1Eq6kmT1E_pyXZV5GX/s400/Abuse+and+Safety+Homepage.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 194px;" /></a><br />The center features straightforward safety tips and multimedia resources from experts and prominent safety organizations. We are empowering people with the information and tools they need to help them deal with issues like cyberbullying, online harassment, and hateful content.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__bujkNa295QIy7wBKRc3PFzQ9nWxY0qCYBH9qHRkrfFgeLPojDCjYFAp3O5gy_N1ayjtzj3FOHhqdK0i1WgvITmMMBPS9kgVeiUp75JhA2ta3AA6iEvnQwiW7JyhpEoABu0t4ot2hLR6/s1600-h/Abuse+and+Safety+Teen+Safety.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5278401683031763522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj__bujkNa295QIy7wBKRc3PFzQ9nWxY0qCYBH9qHRkrfFgeLPojDCjYFAp3O5gy_N1ayjtzj3FOHhqdK0i1WgvITmMMBPS9kgVeiUp75JhA2ta3AA6iEvnQwiW7JyhpEoABu0t4ot2hLR6/s400/Abuse+and+Safety+Teen+Safety.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 254px;" /></a><br /><br />The new center also makes it easier for you to find our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/signup_login?next=safety_help">Help and Safety Tool</a>, which lets you report concerns to us and gives you granular control over your channel, like the option of blocking comments from specific users or disabling the video comments feature on specific videos.<br /><br />The Abuse and Safety Center is easy to find. Just look at the bottom of any YouTube page and click on the link titled "Abuse and Safety Center." From phishing scams to just learning what it means to be a good YouTube citizen, you'll find the information you need.<br /><br />Finally, check out FOSI's meeting <a href="http://www.fosi.org/cms/index.php/ann-conf-08-overview.html">page</a> for more information about our presence at the conference, where Shantal Rands from Google's legal team will receive a FOSI Award for Outstanding Achievement in advancing the goal of a safer Internet. Plus, Andrew McLaughlin, Google's Director of Global Policy & Government Affairs, is speaking about "Protecting Kids and Free Speech Online," and YouTube's Policy Analyst Micah Schaffer will address online safety in social media.<br /><br />We'll continue to add new information and features to the center, so check back often. <br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by The YouTube Team</span>

Safety, education, and empowerment on YouTube

(Cross-posted from the YouTube Blog ) We've always been committed to providing you the tools to have the best possible YouTube experienc...

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Creating change with your homepage

In the spirit of holiday giving, we've partnered with nonprofit organizations to create themes that showcase the change they are helping to create. With<span style="font-family: arial; border-collapse: collapse;"></span> <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=themes&cat=causes">iGoogle Themes for Causes</a>, you can show your support for the cause that inspires you most by adding that theme to your iGoogle page.<br /><br />Our partners in iGoogle Themes for Causes span a variety of areas including the environment, international development, education, health, civil rights, and disaster relief. They include organizations like <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=themes&url=essence-ig-themes.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/heifer/xml/heifer.xml">Heifer International</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=themes&url=ighosting.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/xml/charity_oxfam.xml">Oxfam America</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=themes&url=ighosting.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/xml/charity_ashoka.xml">Ashoka</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=themes&url=ighosting.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/xml/charity_doctors_wo_borders.xml">Doctors without Borders</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=themes&url=ighosting.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/xml/charity_save_the_children.xml">Save the Children</a>, <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=themes&url=ighosting.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/xml/charity_water.xml">charity:water</a>, and <a href="http://www.google.com/ig/directory?type=themes&url=ighosting.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/xml/charity_conservation_int.xml">Conservation International</a> — just to name a few. We're honored to help these organizations increase their reach by making their themes available to the millions of iGoogle users around the world who care about the great work they're doing.<br /><br />The intent of these themes is to raise awareness as well as donations. Each theme has a "Donate" link that appears in the upper right-hand corner to make your holiday donations easier. We also encourage you to share your favorite Theme for a Cause with your family and friends.<br /><br />We hope you find your favorite cause among our new themes and can make it a part of your homepage.<br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP, Search Products & User Experience, and Michaela Prescott, Senior Product Marketing Manager</span>

Creating change with your homepage

In the spirit of holiday giving, we've partnered with nonprofit organizations to create themes that showcase the change they are helping...

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The global Zeitgeist

Google's users are intrinsically curious. Why else would you search? And, since we at Google are pretty curious ourselves, we wondered which of our users' queries might be truly global and which may be unique to certain cultures. This is why, for the first time, our annual <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2008/">Year-End Zeitgeist</a> features search data from more than 30 countries.<br /><br />So, what do we in this global village have in common? Mainly a strong interest in socializing and politics. Social networks comprised four out of the top 10 global fastest-rising queries, while the U.S. election held everyone's interest around the globe. Republican VP candidate, Sarah Palin, may have lost in the election, but she was the #1 fastest-rising query on our global list (Obama was #6).<br /><br />On the other hand, cultural differences still abound. Russians elected Dmitri Medvedev as their president, but a couple of popular musical acts got more attention from Google searchers. And in Poland, the 5th fastest-rising term was "Jozin z Bazin," an old 1978 Czech song that roughly translates to, "Joe of the Swamp." The song became a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV2NpPqIHnw">sensation on YouTube</a>, and the comedian who originally performed it is touring again!<br /><br />It's because of our inquisitive users that our annual Zeitgeist list is a true reflection of the times, with the billions of Google searches conducted every year lending us insight into our global society.<br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP Search Products & User Experience</span>

The global Zeitgeist

Google's users are intrinsically curious. Why else would you search? And, since we at Google are pretty curious ourselves, we wondered...

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