Introducing Google Building Maker

<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Cross-posted on the </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><a href="http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2009/10/introducing-google-building-maker.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Google Lat Long Blog</span></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">)</span></span></span><br /></div><div><br /></div>Some of us here at Google spend almost all of our time thinking about one thing: How do we create a three-dimensional model of every built structure on Earth? How do we make sure it's accurate, that it stays current and that it's useful to everyone who might want to use it?<br /><br />One of the best ways to get a big project done — and done well — is to open it up to the world. As such, today we're announcing the launch of <a href="http://www.google.com/buildingmaker">Google Building Maker</a>, a fun and simple (and crazy addictive, it turns out) tool for creating buildings for <a href="http://earth.google.com/">Google Earth</a>.<br /><br />We like to think of Building Maker as a cross between <a href="http://maps.google.com/">Google Maps</a> and a gigantic bin of building blocks. Basically, you pick a building and construct a model of it using aerial photos and simple 3D shapes – both of which we provide. When you're done, we take a look at your model. If it looks right, and if a better model doesn't already exist, we add it to the 3D Buildings layer in Google Earth. You can make a whole building in a few minutes.<br /><br />Our early beta testers insist that Building Maker is more like a game than a tool. Check out this video to see Building Maker in action:<br /><br /><object height="295" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JI6wVtCY99E&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JI6wVtCY99E&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br />For now, you can choose to make buildings in any of about 50 cities. We'll keep adding more cities, but don't feel left out if we don't have your hometown yet — modeling in a place you've never been is a fantastic way to discover more about it. Teachers might find that Building Maker is a great way to get students interested in geography. Armchair tourists can not only visit an unfamiliar city; they can engage with it. It's amazing what you learn when you look at something really closely.<br /><br />Here are some more things you should know about Building Maker:<br /><ul><li>Building Maker is an online tool, and it runs entirely in your web browser (Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, etc.)</li><li>Before you can add a building to Google Earth, you need to sign in to your <a href="http://www.google.com/accounts">Google Account</a> (so you get credit for what you contribute).</li><li>Models you create with Building Maker "live" in the <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse">Google 3D Warehouse</a> (a giant, online repository of 3D models).</li><li>You can use <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/">Google SketchUp</a> (our free, general-purpose 3D modeling tool) to edit or otherwise <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=161753">modify</a> anything you make with Building Maker.</li><li>Make sure you have the latest version of <a href="http://earth.google.com/">Google Earth</a> installed on your computer.</li><li>If you're on a Mac, you need to download the <a href="http://code.google.com/apis/earth">Google Earth plug-in</a> directly.</li></ul>Building Maker is free and available in 14 languages. Go to <a href="http://www.google.com/buildingmaker">www.google.com/buildingmaker</a> to join the worldwide mapping community. Have fun!<br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Mark Limber, Product Manager and Matt Simpson, User Experience Designer</span>

Introducing Google Building Maker

(Cross-posted on the  Google Lat Long Blog ) Some of us here at Google spend almost all of our time thinking about one thing: How do we crea...

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Save the date: Google I/O 2010

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SXiliSHOJYo8z30ip8dEnL_IrR2AxtOywjrob9S48_qykaI9v79K-ZrPJNX0fvqjPYbSdMJDvNm3bjqT50D9PJ8CrmlExmAN_Fy3TNYczis10woLajOQ4Ia3QojY47co1zUBS9Dgyhl5/s1600-h/adn2f3b3c7_305hspknzfr_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391835677996707970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2SXiliSHOJYo8z30ip8dEnL_IrR2AxtOywjrob9S48_qykaI9v79K-ZrPJNX0fvqjPYbSdMJDvNm3bjqT50D9PJ8CrmlExmAN_Fy3TNYczis10woLajOQ4Ia3QojY47co1zUBS9Dgyhl5/s320/adn2f3b3c7_305hspknzfr_b.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 70px;" /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We thought we'd let you know that our largest developer conference will be returning to Moscone Center, San Francisco on May 19-20, 2010. Find out more details on the <a href="http://googlecode.blogspot.com/2009/10/mark-your-calendars-for-google-io-2010.html">Google Code Blog</a>!<br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Joyce Sohn, Google Developer Team</span></div>

Save the date: Google I/O 2010

We thought we'd let you know that our largest developer conference will be returning to Moscone Center, San Francisco on May 19-20, 2010...

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Shared folders and multiple file upload in Google Docs

Today, we are happy to launch one of the <a href="http://productideas.appspot.com/#25/e=220cb">most requested Google Docs features</a> — the ability to share folders. Shared folders make it easy for a team of people to collaborate on projects that require multiple documents, spreadsheets or presentations. If you have a group of items you want to share, all that you have to do is put them into one folder and share it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGJQ8hG3Y4qa7XJY54CG99Zka2MSh5ubtCRlBZXtMj8OH01qm3NSeT3Jp-UcvNp3tHnbbwHk0piWzvjQhZayXgCgm5FkrOAoaVNGM7WOph9Jl0sP9mRsgOZZKanbNqjxhHguAcKefPe3s/s1600-h/d1.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391768341405716082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKGJQ8hG3Y4qa7XJY54CG99Zka2MSh5ubtCRlBZXtMj8OH01qm3NSeT3Jp-UcvNp3tHnbbwHk0piWzvjQhZayXgCgm5FkrOAoaVNGM7WOph9Jl0sP9mRsgOZZKanbNqjxhHguAcKefPe3s/s400/d1.png" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 103px;" /></a><br />Once you've shared a folder, all of the items in the folder will be accessible to the group. You can also add someone to an existing shared folder to give them access to all of the folder's content. Likewise, each item you add to the folder will be automatically shared. Just like with sharing documents, you can <a href="http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=50085">specify edit and view-only access</a> for a folder.<br /><br />In addition to sharing folders, you can now upload multiple files to Google Docs at the same time, simplifying the process of transferring documents from your desktop to the cloud. Once your documents are in the cloud, you can access them from any device connected to the Internet or share them with people you choose.<br /><br />These features are currently rolling out and will be available to everyone by the end of the day. If you're interested in learning more, check out our post on the <a href="http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2009/10/shared-folders-and-more-in-google-docs.html">Google Docs blog</a>.<br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Vijay Bangaru, Product Manager, Google Docs</span>

Shared folders and multiple file upload in Google Docs

Today, we are happy to launch one of the most requested Google Docs features — the ability to share folders. Shared folders make it easy fo...

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BLOGSCAN - PharmaLot is Back

<span style="color:#006600;">PharmaLot, written by Ed Silverman, one of the best blog sources for news and views about the pharmaceutical industry and related issues, is </span><a href="http://www.pharmalot.com/"><span style="color:#006600;">back in operation</span></a><span style="color:#006600;">. </span>

BLOGSCAN - PharmaLot is Back

PharmaLot, written by Ed Silverman, one of the best blog sources for news and views about the pharmaceutical industry and related issues, is...

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Making mobile search complete, easy and local

As part of our <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/10/captains-log.html">"Go Mobile" week</a> of tips and tricks, we're recapping some of our latest Google Search for mobile features. All of these new features either make mobile search more complete, easier to use or more local.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Complete</span><br />When you enter a query on Google.com on your phone, you access the same comprehensive index of the web as when you use Google.com on your computer — including universal search results such as images, local listings, news, blogs, videos, products and more. You get the same search experience you're familiar with, presented in an optimized format for your phone.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVYyMB7SHyhAJ0ZJXWVPx3lkuQVCFpqqxIDxNvqVzGOdXw1YHa3BRXJ7939_3IznKLhLVXPRR0F_jCPFIDzT-3s0pm3QIy-5vqDKYh43i1xZppdP0G9HhCLg3otEDaoPAGfTYrJ62Aw0d/s1600-h/m1.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391752974146192146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqVYyMB7SHyhAJ0ZJXWVPx3lkuQVCFpqqxIDxNvqVzGOdXw1YHa3BRXJ7939_3IznKLhLVXPRR0F_jCPFIDzT-3s0pm3QIy-5vqDKYh43i1xZppdP0G9HhCLg3otEDaoPAGfTYrJ62Aw0d/s400/m1.png" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 328px;" /></a><br /><ul><li>Product Search: In April, we launched <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/04/google-product-search-for-android-and.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">Product Search</a> for Android and iPhone, and <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/07/google-product-search-for-mobile-now.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">made a version available</a> for all other phones in July. Product Search lets you read product ratings and reviews and check prices while you're shopping.</li><li>iGoogle: In June, we launched <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/06/snack-time-with-new-igoogle-for-android.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">a new version of iGoogle</a> for Android and iPhone devices, making more of your desktop iGoogle gadgets available on mobile.</li><li>Image Search: In August we brought our Image Search results optimizations to feature phones. This lets you see more images on the screen while browsing and selected images in full screen, and makes navigating between images much easier.</li><li>Fast Flip: In September, we launched the <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-fast-flip-for-android-and-iphone.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">mobile version of Fast Flip</a> for Android and iPhone devices, letting you scan news articles quickly.</li><li>Search Options: Earlier this month, we launched <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/10/introducing-search-options-for-mobile.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">Search Options</a> for Android, iPhone and Palm WebOS phones, enabling you to further refine search results to get the information you're looking for.</li></ul>Completeness also means making our products available in languages and regions throughout the world. In July we launched optimized search results for <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/07/google-search-results-optimized-for.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">38 languages in 60 countries</a>, and in August, we added Arabic and Hebrew to reach our <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/hitting-40-languages.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">40 language goal</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Easy </span><br />Let's face it: typing a query into a mobile phone can be painful. Here are some recent features we've launched to make it easier to enter queries and get to the results you're interested in.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKN_369rnzkWFmryt_fEMPNmrROxDeCrWgeafwIcOYlr0DrnDkRuM5h8GNdmqT4VRzxVlAyWhQGdVaMCkXuzfY6qRT2DWil4829pbP1csB5g-KaKOSH6s6NeYtsShy-dCf3k8l0spy_58/s1600-h/m2.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391752177356131538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKN_369rnzkWFmryt_fEMPNmrROxDeCrWgeafwIcOYlr0DrnDkRuM5h8GNdmqT4VRzxVlAyWhQGdVaMCkXuzfY6qRT2DWil4829pbP1csB5g-KaKOSH6s6NeYtsShy-dCf3k8l0spy_58/s400/m2.png" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /><ul><li>Barcode scanning: In May, we introduced <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/05/google-product-search-for-android-now.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">barcode scanning</a> to Product Search for Android devices to make entering specific product queries easier.</li><li>Desktop-to-mobile query suggestions: Sometimes your mobile search is actually one that you've already done on your computer. In September, we <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/09/your-mobile-and-desktop-search-history.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">synchronized your desktop and mobile search history</a> so that you can easily repeat past searches.</li><li>Search by voice: We're constantly improving our speech recognition technology for searching by voice on <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/03/look-ma-no-hands-google-mobile-app-for.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">BlackBerry</a>, <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/02/search-with-your-voice-on-android.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">Android</a> and <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2008/11/google-mobile-app-for-iphone-now-with.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">iPhone</a> devices.</li><li>Quick Search Box: And just last week, we announced an <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/10/quick-search-box-for-android-search.html">integrated search capability</a> for Android devices that lets you search your contacts and applications in addition to the web — all at the same time.</li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">Local</span><br />As you're out on the go, your mobile phone can be a great tool for finding information about what's nearby, whether you need to find the nearest gas station or ATM, or want to check if the local hardware store is still open before driving there. Here are some recent things we've launched to make Google mobile search an even more powerful way to find local information.<br /><ul><li>Search with My Location: In July, we brought <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/07/search-with-my-location-for-iphone-30.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">automatic location detection to Google.com</a> for the iPhone Safari browser, so you don't need to specify where you are when you are searching for businesses near you. In September, we launched <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-mobile-app-for-windows-mobile.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">Search with My Location on Google Mobile App</a> for Windows Mobile phones.</li><li>Category browsing: Also in September, we released a completely <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/09/introducing-new-local-search-for-mobile.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">redesigned local search experience</a> for most phones. With the new local tab, you can search for businesses around you by simply browsing a categorized list of businesses. </li><li>Starring and history: The new local tab also lets you <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/09/introducing-new-local-search-for-mobile.html#utm_campaign=gomobile&dc=gomobile&utm_source=blog">star local listings</a> on Google Maps on your computer and have them automatically appear on your phone. It also remembers listings you've viewed on either your phone or Google Maps on your computer, to let you easily find them again. Watch the video below to see a demo of the new local search.</li></ul>If you haven't tried Google Search on your phone in a while (or ever!) go ahead and give it a try now by going to <span style="font-weight: bold;">Google.com</span> in your mobile browser. Hopefully some of these new features will make mobile search more useful for you. And as part of "Go Mobile" week, if you have any questions for the Google mobile team you can ask them <a href="http://productideas.appspot.com/#16/e=276d9">here</a> until 11:59 PDT on Tuesday. Then, we'll answer a few on Wednesday on the <a href="http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/">Google Mobile Blog</a>. Otherwise, you can leave comments on our <a href="http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Google+Mobile?hl=en">Help Forum</a> as always.<br /><br /><object height="340" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y_62nFjUW7Q&hl=en&fs=1&"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y_62nFjUW7Q&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object><br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Scott Huffman, Engineering Director</span>

Making mobile search complete, easy and local

As part of our "Go Mobile" week of tips and tricks, we're recapping some of our latest Google Search for mobile features. All...

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Nemeroff, Seroquel, and ACCME

Nemeroff, Seroquel, and ACCME<br /><br />Roy Poses has <a href="http://hcrenewal.blogspot.com/2009/10/more-on-misleading-promotion-of.html">discussed</a> the atypical antipsychotic drug Seroquel (quetiapine) several times on this site, pointing out manipulation of clinical research results to enhance the appearance of efficacy, and suppression of studies with unfavorable results. I call this augmenting the marketed profile of the drug. Daniel Carlat has commented on published Seroquel data <a href="http://carlatpsychiatry.blogspot.com/2009/06/geodon-ineffective-for-bipolar.html">here</a> and ClinPsych <a href="http://clinpsyc.blogspot.com/search?q=Seroquel">here</a>.<br /><br />AstraZeneca, the marketer of Seroquel, has also been busy with continuing medical education (CME) programs that augment Seroquel’s profile. Last December 8, one such program went on line, aired by the provider CME Outfitters. The program’s title was “Atypical Antipsychotics in Major Depressive Disorder: When Current Treatments Are Not Enough.” The corporate logo for CME Outfitters is Education with Integrity. I will allow readers to decide if the company is meeting its mission statement in this respect.<br /><br />The key opinion leader engaged by CME Outfitters to discuss Seroquel and other atypical antipsychotic drugs was Charles Nemeroff of Emory University. He was joined by 2 KOLs-in-training, whom I will not name. The corporate sponsor that paid CME Outfitters and, indirectly, these presenters was AstraZeneca. I do not need to rehearse here the ethical issues that have surrounded Dr. Nemeroff for the past several years. Suffice it to say that, as a result of those issues, Dr. Nemeroff is no longer chair of the department of psychiatry at Emory University, he is no longer editor-in-chief of the ACNP journal Neuropsychopharmacology, he was removed from involvement with ongoing federally funded research grants at Emory University, and he was put on a short leash by the Emory administration.<br /><br />On December 23, 2008 I filed a formal complaint about Dr. Nemeroff’s program with ACCME. My bill of particulars was lengthy, detailed, and backed up by extensive<br />materials. In due course, ACCME investigated the complaint and found that the program did violate ACCME standards. With respect to content, ACCME determined that Dr. Nemeroff’s program lacked sufficient information about possible adverse effects of treatment with atypical antipsychotic drugs; and failed to emphasize sufficiently the efficacy of alternative treatments. With respect to commercial bias, ACCME determined that bias existed as a result of the absence of contrasting therapy data, and through downplaying the drawbacks related to treatment with atypical antipsychotic drugs in depressed patients.<br /><br />Following these findings by ACCME, the provider was notified of the violations in early September 2009, and the program was removed from the provider’s website. The sanitized statement of violations determined by ACCME does not capture the nuances of deceit, ineptitude, and deficient educational content in Dr. Nemeroff’s program. One remarkable example was Dr. Nemeroff’s citation of data, from one of his own publications, that were previously retracted. Did he think no one would notice?<br /><br />A second example involved biased presentation of the sponsor’s data for Seroquel. Two doses of Seroquel (150 mg and 300 mg) were tested. Only the results for the 300 mg dose were statistically significant. Nevertheless, in the video presentation one of the junior presenters stated very clearly that there was “significant improvement in both response and remission with both doses” of Seroquel. That is a falsification of the scientific record. That falsification does not meet ACCME requirements for fair, balanced, truthful, and honest teaching. As moderator, Dr. Nemeroff was required to correct this false statement made by his junior assistant, but Dr. Nemeroff failed to do so.<br /><br />The negative findings and sanction by ACCME against Dr. Nemeroff’s program are welcome, though I have to say it took ACCME an inordinately long time to complete their work. I also presented ACCME with several follow-on questions, which the Council is now considering. These are:<br /><br />• Did ACCME notify the presenters that their program violated ACCME policies? If not, why not?<br /><br />• Will CME credits be clawed back from physicians and other professionals who obtained credits through the noncompliant program? If not, why not? I believe this would be an effective form of negative feedback to the provider and the presenters.<br /><br />• Does ACCME have a process to require the provider and presenters to ascertain whether any patients were injured as a result of the violations that created biased and deficient information in this program? If not, why not?<br /><br />• Does ACCME require the provider to notify physicians and other professionals who completed the noncompliant program that the provider was sanctioned for violation of ACCME standards? If not, why not?<br /><br />• Does ACCME require the provider to furnish corrective materials to such professionals in order to remedy the bias and incompetence to which they were subjected through violation of ACCME standards, and thereby to remove potential danger to future patients? If not, why not?<br /><br />• Why did ACCME allow the noncompliant program to remain available long after the complaint was filed? I suggest that ACCME needs to place a hold on programs that are subject to active complaint. Had such a policy been in effect in December 2008, the violating program would not have been re-aired by the provider in early 2009, it would not have remained on-line for 9 months, and the damage to the continuing education community would have been contained.<br /><br />• Will ACCME issue a public listing of sanctions it has enforced against providers and presenters? If not, why not? State medical boards do exactly that in relation to physicians and other professionals who violate standards of practice.<br /><br />• Finally, I reminded ACCME that its primary constituents are patients, physicians and other professionals, not commercial or academic CME providers. It seems to me that ACCME was altogether too laissez-faire and dilatory in the way it handled this matter. At the time of my initial complaint last December, I requested expedited review precisely because additional airings of this violating program were scheduled.<br /><br />The good news is that ACCME seems to have got the message that things need to change. As one of their officers wrote to me recently, “We sincerely appreciate the time and effort you have put into participating in our complaints and inquiries process. You have raised important issues that the ACCME will review and address.” I await their next communications on the remaining questions.<br /><br />As for Dr. Nemeroff, he is yesterday’s news. The adverse findings by ACCME about his program serve as a reminder to corporate sponsors and CME companies that Dr. Nemeroff is so compromised by now that he has lost effectiveness as a front man for Pharma. Indeed, he is so toxic that he now glows in the dark.

Nemeroff, Seroquel, and ACCME

Nemeroff, Seroquel, and ACCME Roy Poses has discussed the atypical antipsychotic drug Seroquel (quetiapine) several times on this site, poi...

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This week in search 10/9/09

<span style="font-style:italic;">This is part of a regular series of posts on search experience updates that runs on Fridays. Look for the label "<a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/search/label/This%20Week%20in%20Search">This week in search</a>" and subscribe to the series. - Ed.</span><br /><br />This week we made many small improvements to the functionality and usability of our search results. Here's an overview:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Quick, in-browser viewing of Google Docs</span><br />We've incorporated the <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/quickly-view-formatted-pdfs-in-your.html">"Gview" tool from Google Docs on search results</a>. Instead of the old "View as HTML" view, PDFs on search results now have a "Quick View" link that shows you Gview's image-rendered version, which preserves tables and graphics from the document. This means you can view PDF documents quickly and easily right in your browser.<br />Example search: [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS291US304&q=1099&aq=f&oq=&aqi=">1099</a>] (note the "Quick view" links on the first two results)<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">An improved interface for local information in web search</span><br />We changed our interface for local business information when it occurs in search results. It's now much more readable (larger fonts) and friendlier to use (easier to click on just what you want).<div>Example search: [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS291US304&q=pizza+palo+alto&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g2g-m8">pizza palo alto</a>]<br /><br />Here are before and after shots for the search [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS291US304&q=bakeries+san+francisco&btnG=Search&aq=f&oq=&aqi=">bakeries san francisco</a>]:<div><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuvtNARTaltHo0x012mg1R2tP5VRq_vNy55dOR4-gtbnQn6nRC4HubFSd3_CaLpH1ES1DuoXEYkDwhmkW95j3OzTtaBv-wImguxt0DRqudL-6BzAVT9OQCF0E98ujwSY237wk3NVG24No/s1600/bakeries+before.png"><img border="1" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzuvtNARTaltHo0x012mg1R2tP5VRq_vNy55dOR4-gtbnQn6nRC4HubFSd3_CaLpH1ES1DuoXEYkDwhmkW95j3OzTtaBv-wImguxt0DRqudL-6BzAVT9OQCF0E98ujwSY237wk3NVG24No/s1600/bakeries+before.png" /></a></td><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGckUs6wOFefLbpMvCrPJVRGwlaUDPCfQPIA1UQfhErbwNrLCsMXefgGIvPJXTbZRepqw9AR7CZ7xiX1X-P37ofP3MoeGuajbBYZA5V2h_8u2z_MQ5AdSlsOu-VTEKbm_sNUzTTxSSBP4/s1600-h/bakeries+after.png"><img height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghGckUs6wOFefLbpMvCrPJVRGwlaUDPCfQPIA1UQfhErbwNrLCsMXefgGIvPJXTbZRepqw9AR7CZ7xiX1X-P37ofP3MoeGuajbBYZA5V2h_8u2z_MQ5AdSlsOu-VTEKbm_sNUzTTxSSBP4/s1600/bakeries+after.png" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table> <!--END MAPS TABLE--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> Click on either image for a larger version</span></span></div><div><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Access to multiple providers in weather results</span><br />We also changed the interface for our weather results when they occur in web search. Now you'll see an array of different weather providers to choose from, including The Weather Channel, Weatherunderground and AccuWeather, if you want more detailed weather information. This way, you get the weather information you need, in the layout you prefer, from the service you choose.<br />Example search: [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS291US304&q=washington+dc+weather&aq=f&oq=&aqi=g-p1g9">washington dc weather</a>]<br /><br />And here are before and after shots for the search [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS291US304&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=weather">weather</a>] (when done from the <a href="http://maps.google.com/?q=Google%20Inc.@37.423156,-122.084917&hl=en">Googleplex</a>, since the location is auto-detected):<br /><!--WEATHER TABLE --><br /><table><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI56juSk8mUJ0Nu1-dRfxuzmKjgBmRWMD6DgFpupO8nHcsISjiEiUJThyyW8yaoJSdyArrVWSd57YLcd2EMoUsDTlczFNJrzv72BjRo5Jukcj2MU_34Uv2xyPFAmm-s4yvIUoSrLL324uS/s400/weather+before.png"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI56juSk8mUJ0Nu1-dRfxuzmKjgBmRWMD6DgFpupO8nHcsISjiEiUJThyyW8yaoJSdyArrVWSd57YLcd2EMoUsDTlczFNJrzv72BjRo5Jukcj2MU_34Uv2xyPFAmm-s4yvIUoSrLL324uS/s1600/weather+before.png" width="250" /></a></td><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Iw068F6xMT_Rh0tzENVbC2fEpY8yK-gM5VI21HSxo4wxd1CoGRX4A9ZCOZHNow5it3cWiyKkiEu0douf0wBFUFN-1ThVqnr1x8w1iMqsP4DdgPFoti8Dreal6TFyP1f6L3dgEsPXO2nj/s400/weather+after.png"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Iw068F6xMT_Rh0tzENVbC2fEpY8yK-gM5VI21HSxo4wxd1CoGRX4A9ZCOZHNow5it3cWiyKkiEu0douf0wBFUFN-1ThVqnr1x8w1iMqsP4DdgPFoti8Dreal6TFyP1f6L3dgEsPXO2nj/s400/weather+after.png" width="250" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><!-- END WEATHER TABLE --><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Click on either image for a larger version</span></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Public service information for searches related to poison control</span><br />While it's relatively infrequent, people do occasionally turn to Google during medical emergencies. Our goal in these cases is to get our users the help they need as quickly as possible. As of this week, searches related to [poison control] trigger a special result with the phone number for the poison control hotline.</div><div>Example searches: [<a href="http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en#hl=en&source=hp&q=poison+control&aq=1p&aqi=g-p2g8&oq=pois&fp=7d15299a959dbb33">poison control</a>], [<a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rlz=1R1GGGL_en___US306&hs=ReR&q=first+aid+bleach+poisoning&aq=f&oq=&aqi=">first aid bleach poisoning</a>]<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Search options panel for mobile</span><br />This week on mobile search, we added a Search Options panel so now you can get all of the same slice-and-dice functionality you have from your desktop when you search the web on your phone. Try doing a search from your phone and you will see an "Options" link on the righthand side above the results. Click on it and you see the same panel that you are accustomed to on search from your desktop.<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Crawling AJAX</span><br />We also made an exciting announcement this week about <a href="http://googlewebmastercentral.blogspot.com/2009/10/proposal-for-making-ajax-crawlable.html">making AJAX crawlable</a>. Web applications are becoming increasingly popular, but much of what is contained with a web application is usually inaccessible to our crawlers and thus can't be found in our search. Our team has been busy working on techniques for how to crawl AJAX. This announcement just represents the start, as it's currently in the prototype phase, but it does demonstrate that we are constantly working on how to improve search — our features, ranking, and, in this case, our comprehensiveness. We're always very excited to include new content in our search to make our results even better.<br /><br />Hope you enjoyed this week's features. Stay tuned for what's next!<br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Marissa Mayer, VP Search Products & User Experience</span></div></div>

This week in search 10/9/09

This is part of a regular series of posts on search experience updates that runs on Fridays. Look for the label " This week in search ...

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