Google Data » Google Docs

Google Data » Google Docs https://googledata.org Everything Google: News, Products, Services, Content, Culture Tue, 10 Jan 2017 00:16:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.13 Page setup and ODF and EPUB support in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps https://googledata.org/google-docs/page-setup-and-odf-and-epub-support-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/page-setup-and-odf-and-epub-support-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/#comments Wed, 04 Jan 2017 19:03:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=6570ee6421c91c7eb7aa948bf17c252b New versions of the Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android are now available on Google Play, including the following new features to help you get more done on the move:

Page setup in Google Docs and image support improvements in Sheets
You can now change the orientation, paper size, and page color Docs on Android. In Sheets, you can use the IMAGE function to view images inside of cells.

EPUB and ODF support on Android
Docs now supports exporting your files in the EPUB (.epub) and OpenDocument Text (.odt) file formats. Additionally, you can now import OpenDocument Text (.odt) files from the Android app. Similarly, you will now be able to import and export OpenDocument Spreadsheets (.ods) in Sheets and OpenDocument Presentations (.odp) in Slides.

Please note: these features are only available when the device is online. When the device is offline, an error dialog will show saying "Data connection needed to open this file type".

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1-3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Page setup
How to use Google Slides
How to use Google Docs
How to use Google Sheets

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]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/page-setup-and-odf-and-epub-support-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/feed/ 0 Quickly and easily cite your sources with Explore in Google Docs https://googledata.org/google-docs/quickly-and-easily-cite-your-sources-with-explore-in-google-docs/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/quickly-and-easily-cite-your-sources-with-explore-in-google-docs/#comments Mon, 05 Dec 2016 19:41:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=01200d0c56d4eec1717d17f294618383 In September 2016, we launched Explore in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to give you the insights, design tools, and research recommendations you need to do your best work. Today, we’re improving upon the feature by allowing you to easily cite those findings. Students writing research reports, analysts crafting whitepapers, and others looking to credit their sources can now insert citations as footnotes with the click of a button in Explore in Docs on the web. You can even change the format of your citation, switching between the MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. For more information on how to use citations in Docs Explore, check out the Help Center.

With the addition of citations support, we’re now ready to launch Explore in Docs to G Suite for Education customers on the Scheduled release track. That rollout will begin tomorrow, December 6th.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: See and use suggested content in a document

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> In September 2016, we launched Explore in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to give you the insights, design tools, and research recommendations you need to do your best work. Today, we’re improving upon the feature by allowing you to easily cite those findings. Students writing research reports, analysts crafting whitepapers, and others looking to credit their sources can now insert citations as footnotes with the click of a button in Explore in Docs on the web. You can even change the format of your citation, switching between the MLA, APA, and Chicago styles. For more information on how to use citations in Docs Explore, check out the Help Center.

With the addition of citations support, we’re now ready to launch Explore in Docs to G Suite for Education customers on the Scheduled release track. That rollout will begin tomorrow, December 6th.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: See and use suggested content in a document

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/quickly-and-easily-cite-your-sources-with-explore-in-google-docs/feed/ 0 Trash view and more in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides mobile apps https://googledata.org/google-docs/trash-view-and-more-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-mobile-apps/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/trash-view-and-more-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-mobile-apps/#comments Wed, 30 Nov 2016 02:07:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a37b6a9761bdc79d9b212d012cc76f62 Check out the following new features in the latest versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides mobile apps:

Trash view in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides iOS apps - You can now view and restore previously deleted files in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides iOS apps. Just select “Trash” from the menu on the left side of the screen.

GIF insertion in the Docs Android app - Using the Google Keyboard in the Docs Android app, you can now search for and insert GIFs into documents.

Trash view in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides iOS apps - You can now view and restore previously deleted files in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides iOS apps. Just select “Trash” from the menu on the left side of the screen.

GIF insertion in the Docs Android app - Using the Google Keyboard in the Docs Android app, you can now search for and insert GIFs into documents.

Download the latest versions of the Docs, Sheets, and Slides mobile apps from the Google Play Store and the App Store today.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Delete a document, spreadsheet, or presentation

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/trash-view-and-more-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-mobile-apps/feed/ 0 Save time with new custom templates in Docs, Sheets, Slides and Forms https://googledata.org/google-docs/save-time-with-new-custom-templates-in-docs-sheets-slides-and-forms/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/save-time-with-new-custom-templates-in-docs-sheets-slides-and-forms/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2016 18:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=bc0892ba066ab2b782cd3781e072cebd We recently launched new tools in G Suite like Explore, Action items, and other features to help your teams save time and focus on what’s important: creating impactful work, quicker. We know time spent re-creating files in the workplace takes away from the time your team can spend collaborating and achieving results.

That’s why, today, we’re introducing custom templates in G Suite for the Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms files your teams use the most.

Simply submit files to shared template galleries in the Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms home screens for your co-workers to adapt and use as needed. With these customizable templates, your teams can focus less on formatting and more on driving impact and sharing success.

Note that if you disabled template submissions to the old Google Drive templates gallery in the Admin console, users in your organization will not be able to see and use the new galleries when they launch. You can enable the new galleries for your users in the Admin console (Apps > G Suite > Drive and Docs > Templates). You can also configure the categories available for your organization’s templates from that same section in the Admin console.

In addition, G Suite for Business and Education customers can require templates be approved before they appear in the galleries, or prevent end users from submitting new templates altogether. These features are not enabled by default, so you’ll need to update your settings if you want to moderate or restrict template submissions to the galleries.

The old templates gallery will be shut down in early 2017, giving you and your users time to transition to the new galleries. We’ll let you know the exact date with a message in the old gallery, but it will not take place before February 1st, 2017.

An important note regarding this rollout:
To give you a chance to update your settings and curate your organization’s template galleries, we’re rolling out these features (both in the Admin console and in the home screens) to all admins, regardless of their release track, starting today. We’ll launch to end users on the Rapid release track today as well, with the rollout to end users on the Scheduled release track starting on December 7th.

Launch Details
Release track:

G Suite administrators

Launching to both Rapid and Scheduled release

G Suite end users

Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming on December 7th

Editions:

Template galleries

Available to all G Suite editions

Moderation and restriction capabilities

Available to G Suite for Business and Education customers only

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Admin action suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Enable templates for Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms
Help Center: Create a file from a template

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> We recently launched new tools in G Suite like Explore, Action items, and other features to help your teams save time and focus on what’s important: creating impactful work, quicker. We know time spent re-creating files in the workplace takes away from the time your team can spend collaborating and achieving results.

That’s why, today, we’re introducing custom templates in G Suite for the Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms files your teams use the most.

Simply submit files to shared template galleries in the Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms home screens for your co-workers to adapt and use as needed. With these customizable templates, your teams can focus less on formatting and more on driving impact and sharing success.

G Suite administrators

Launching to both Rapid and Scheduled release

G Suite end users

Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming on December 7th

Editions:

Template galleries

Available to all G Suite editions

Moderation and restriction capabilities

Available to G Suite for Business and Education customers only

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Admin action suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Enable templates for Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms
Help Center: Create a file from a template

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/save-time-with-new-custom-templates-in-docs-sheets-slides-and-forms/feed/ 0 Notifications and more in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android https://googledata.org/google-docs/notifications-and-more-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-apps-for-android/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/notifications-and-more-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-apps-for-android/#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2016 23:39:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=3682c311ceb056bceba1bcde67b01690 Check out the following new features in the latest versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps:

Notifications in Docs, Sheets, and Slides - Users who currently see notifications in their Google Drive Android app (for instance, when someone mentions them in a comment or shares a document with them) will now see notifications in their Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps as well. These notifications are specific to the app they’re working in and only appear if the user has an updated version of Google Drive installed on their mobile device.

Resize rows and columns in Sheets - Users will find it easier to resize rows and columns in the Sheets Android app, which now features options to specify the pixel sizes of rows and columns and to fit columns to their data exactly.

Create and edit data validation in Sheets - Just like they can on the web, users can now create and edit data validation criteria in the Sheets Android app.

Change the color of sheet tabs in Sheets - Users can now differentiate between sheets in a spreadsheet by changing the color of their tabs in the Sheets Android app.

Notifications in Docs, Sheets, and Slides - Users who currently see notifications in their Google Drive Android app (for instance, when someone mentions them in a comment or shares a document with them) will now see notifications in their Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps as well. These notifications are specific to the app they’re working in and only appear if the user has an updated version of Google Drive installed on their mobile device.

Resize rows and columns in Sheets - Users will find it easier to resize rows and columns in the Sheets Android app, which now features options to specify the pixel sizes of rows and columns and to fit columns to their data exactly.

Create and edit data validation in Sheets - Just like they can on the web, users can now create and edit data validation criteria in the Sheets Android app.

Change the color of sheet tabs in Sheets - Users can now differentiate between sheets in a spreadsheet by changing the color of their tabs in the Sheets Android app.

Visit the Google Play Store to download the latest versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Edit rows and columns in a spreadsheet
Help Center: Create an in-cell dropdown list
Help Center: Copy, re-order, and delete sheets

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/notifications-and-more-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-apps-for-android/feed/ 0 Research suggestions at your fingertips with Explore in Docs https://googledata.org/google-docs/research-suggestions-at-your-fingertips-with-explore-in-docs/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/research-suggestions-at-your-fingertips-with-explore-in-docs/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2016 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=d1c80080568d0da0190341b473c04b71 Posted by Kishore Papineni, Research Scientist, Google Research NY

Enabling easy access to vast amounts of information across multiple languages and modalities (from text to images to video), computers have become highly influential tools for learning, allowing you to use the world’s information to aid you with your research. However, when researching a topic or writing a term paper, gathering all the information you need from a variety of sources on the Internet can be time-consuming, and at times, a distraction from the writing process.

That’s why we developed algorithms for Explore in Docs, a collaboration between the Coauthor and Apps teams that uses powerful Google infrastructure, best-in-class information retrieval, machine learning, and machine translation technologies to assemble the relevant information and sources for a research paper, all within the document. Explore in Docs suggests relevant content—in the form of topics, images, and snippets —based on the content of the document, allowing the user to focus on critical thinking and idea development.

More than just a Search

Suggesting material that is relevant to the content in a Google Doc is a difficult problem. A naive approach would be to consider the content of a document as a Search query. However, search engines are not designed to accept large blocks of text as queries, so they might truncate the query or focus on the wrong words. So the challenge becomes not only identifying relevant search terms based on the overall content of the document, but additionally providing related topics that may be useful.

To tackle this, the Coauthor team built algorithms that are able to associate external content with topics - entities, abstract concepts - in a document and assign relative importance to each of them. This is accomplished by creating a “target” in a topic vector space that incorporates not only the topics you are writing about but also related topics, creating a variety of search terms that include both. Then, each returned search result (piece of text, image, etc) is embedded in the same vector space and the closest items in that vector space are suggested to the user.

For example, if you’re writing about monarch butterflies, our algorithms find that monarch butterfly and milkweed plant are related to each other. This is done by analyzing the statistics of discourse on the web, collected from hundreds of billions of sentences from billions of webpages across dozens of languages. Note that these two are not semantically close (an insect versus a plant). An example of a set of learned relations is below:

The connection between concepts related to "monarch butterfly", with the thickness of the lines representing the strength of connection, as determined by analysis of discourse on the web. Because this is a discourse graph and not a concept/classification hierarchy, this analysis indicates that "Butterflies & moth" and "Monarch butterfly" are not discussed together as often as "monarch butterfly" and "milkweed".

And because we take the entire document into account while constructing the search request and scoring each candidate piece of text, the resulting suggestions are typically different and more varied than the search snippets users would see if they search the web for each topic individually. By eliminating the need to switch tabs to search, and additionally suggesting new, related topics based on discourse on the web, Explore provides opportunities for learning that users might not discover otherwise - all from the Doc that they’re currently working in!

The information you need, in multiple languages

Cross-lingual predictive search is another key aspect of what we have designed and built. If the relevant material is likely to be in foreign languages, Google searches the web in those languages and translates the selected nuggets into the language of the document.

In the example pictured below, the user begins to type an essay in Docs about Claudia Neto and clicks on the “Explore” button to learn more about her. Explore returns relevant “Topics” and “Images” as well as “Related Research” sourced from multiple websites. Also, Explore suggests Dolores Silva as a related topic since she and Claudia have high mutual information in multilingual web text (statistics collected from more than 10 billion webpages).

Because Swedish ranks high among languages that have significant discourse on Claudia Neto, our algorithms search Swedish content on the Internet for any additional information about her that might not be available on English websites. Before returning information obtained from the Swedish websites, we use Google Translate to render the nugget in the user’s preferred language (in this case, English). Related Research is currently available in 10 languages with more to come in the future.

Explore in Docs is a useful tool that can be used worldwide, in all forms of industry and at all levels of education. Try out the Explore feature the next time you create a document, and check back for more exciting progress from the Coauthor team!]]> Posted by Kishore Papineni, Research Scientist, Google Research NY

Enabling easy access to vast amounts of information across multiple languages and modalities (from text to images to video), computers have become highly influential tools for learning, allowing you to use the world’s information to aid you with your research. However, when researching a topic or writing a term paper, gathering all the information you need from a variety of sources on the Internet can be time-consuming, and at times, a distraction from the writing process.

That’s why we developed algorithms for Explore in Docs, a collaboration between the Coauthor and Apps teams that uses powerful Google infrastructure, best-in-class information retrieval, machine learning, and machine translation technologies to assemble the relevant information and sources for a research paper, all within the document. Explore in Docs suggests relevant content—in the form of topics, images, and snippets —based on the content of the document, allowing the user to focus on critical thinking and idea development.

More than just a Search

Suggesting material that is relevant to the content in a Google Doc is a difficult problem. A naive approach would be to consider the content of a document as a Search query. However, search engines are not designed to accept large blocks of text as queries, so they might truncate the query or focus on the wrong words. So the challenge becomes not only identifying relevant search terms based on the overall content of the document, but additionally providing related topics that may be useful.

To tackle this, the Coauthor team built algorithms that are able to associate external content with topics - entities, abstract concepts - in a document and assign relative importance to each of them. This is accomplished by creating a “target” in a topic vector space that incorporates not only the topics you are writing about but also related topics, creating a variety of search terms that include both. Then, each returned search result (piece of text, image, etc) is embedded in the same vector space and the closest items in that vector space are suggested to the user.

For example, if you’re writing about monarch butterflies, our algorithms find that monarch butterfly and milkweed plant are related to each other. This is done by analyzing the statistics of discourse on the web, collected from hundreds of billions of sentences from billions of webpages across dozens of languages. Note that these two are not semantically close (an insect versus a plant). An example of a set of learned relations is below:

Because Swedish ranks high among languages that have significant discourse on Claudia Neto, our algorithms search Swedish content on the Internet for any additional information about her that might not be available on English websites. Before returning information obtained from the Swedish websites, we use Google Translate to render the nugget in the user’s preferred language (in this case, English). Related Research is currently available in 10 languages with more to come in the future.

Explore in Docs is a useful tool that can be used worldwide, in all forms of industry and at all levels of education. Try out the Explore feature the next time you create a document, and check back for more exciting progress from the Coauthor team!]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/research-suggestions-at-your-fingertips-with-explore-in-docs/feed/ 0 Five new ways to reach your goals faster with G Suite https://googledata.org/google-docs/five-new-ways-to-reach-your-goals-faster-with-g-suite/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/five-new-ways-to-reach-your-goals-faster-with-g-suite/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2016 18:04:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=329873e151b4212c777a9a966b0598ad (Cross-posted from The Keyword)

One of the core promises of Google Docs is to help you and your team go from collecting ideas to achieving your goals as quickly and easily as possible. That’s why last month we launched Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides — with machine intelligence built right in — to help your team create amazing presentations, spreadsheets and documents in a fraction of the time it used to take.

Today, we’re introducing five new time-saving features designed to speed up and simplify the way you work, so you can focus on bringing your team’s ideas to life.

1. Spend less time figuring out who owns what with Action Items

According to research by the McKinsey Global Institute, employees spend about 20 percent of their work week — nearly an entire day — searching for details internally and tracking down colleagues for answers. This can be especially true when a document is full of ideas, requests and comments, making it difficult to get a clear sense of who’s responsible for what.

To help keep your projects moving, when you type phrases like “Ryan to follow up on the keynote script,” or “Andrea to schedule a weekly check in” on desktop, Docs will intelligently suggest an Action Item to assign to the right person, thanks to Natural Language Processing (NLP).

You can also manually assign an Action Item to someone in the Docs, Sheets and Slides desktop and mobile apps by mentioning their name in a comment and checking the new Action Item box. The assignee will get an email notification and see the Action Item(s) clearly highlighted with a blue bar when they open the file.

2. Spend less time searching for the files that need attention

Once Action Items have been assigned, it’s easy for team members to identify documents, spreadsheets and presentations that need their attention. The next time they visit Docs, Sheets, Slides (or Drive) from their laptops or mobile apps, they’ll see a badge on any files with Action Items assigned to them, plus any unresolved suggestions that others have made to their files.

3. Spend less time building questions with smarter Forms

Since its launch in 2008, more than a billion questions have been asked in Forms, allowing us to identify common patterns, like question types and the response options that usually go with them. With the help of neural networks, we can now predict the type of question you’re asking and suggest potential responses for you to choose from, giving you back about 25 percent of the time you used to spend creating a Form.

Let’s say you’re planning an all-day event at the office and need to know which day works best for your team. When you type “What days are you available next week?” Forms will intelligently determine that “Checkbox” is the ideal question type, and generate related response options that you can add one by one or all together.

Also debuting today is a top-requested feature from our business and education customers — the new “File upload” question type. Your respondents can now upload files from their computer or Drive — all of which are neatly collected for you in a new Drive folder. Note: This feature is only available for G Suite customers in Forms shared within their organization.

4. Spend less time typing with a set of new voice commands

Last year, we launched Voice typing in Docs on the web to help you capture ideas, big and small, without lifting a finger. Today, we’re adding more ways to format and customize content with commands for changing text color, deleting words, inserting links and comments, plus a number of other ways to format, hands-free.

5. Spend less time switching between apps to get things done

We want you to be as productive and collaborative as possible, regardless of the tools you choose to work with, so we’ve partnered with Slack to make it even easier to work with Google Docs files. With a click of the "+" button in Slack, you can bring files from Drive directly into a conversation with your team, or create new Docs, Sheets and Slides files right from Slack. You can check out more details on Slack’s blog.

With the introduction of Explore, and more and more updates to products that build in machine intelligence, taking back time spent on mundane, repetitive tasks will only get easier with G Suite. Now, you can focus your energy on creative and strategic work, not busy work.

Launch Details
Release track:

Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Assigned action items
Priority badges
Voice typing improvements
Slack integration

Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming on November 2nd, 2016

Suggested action items
Suggested response options in Forms

Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming on November 9th, 2016

File uploads in Forms

Editions:
Available to all G Suite editions

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Add, edit, reply, or delete comments
Help Center: Edit your form
Help Center: Type with your voice
Slack Blog

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> (Cross-posted from The Keyword)

One of the core promises of Google Docs is to help you and your team go from collecting ideas to achieving your goals as quickly and easily as possible. That’s why last month we launched Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides — with machine intelligence built right in — to help your team create amazing presentations, spreadsheets and documents in a fraction of the time it used to take.

Today, we’re introducing five new time-saving features designed to speed up and simplify the way you work, so you can focus on bringing your team’s ideas to life.

1. Spend less time figuring out who owns what with Action Items

According to research by the McKinsey Global Institute, employees spend about 20 percent of their work week — nearly an entire day — searching for details internally and tracking down colleagues for answers. This can be especially true when a document is full of ideas, requests and comments, making it difficult to get a clear sense of who’s responsible for what.

To help keep your projects moving, when you type phrases like “Ryan to follow up on the keynote script,” or “Andrea to schedule a weekly check in” on desktop, Docs will intelligently suggest an Action Item to assign to the right person, thanks to Natural Language Processing (NLP).

Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Assigned action items
Priority badges
Voice typing improvements
Slack integration

Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming on November 2nd, 2016

Suggested action items
Suggested response options in Forms

Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming on November 9th, 2016

File uploads in Forms

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Add a title, heading, or table of contents in a document

Note: all launches are applicable to all G Suite editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> The table of contents in Google Docs makes it easy to organize and navigate long and complex documents. Starting today, you have the option to include page numbers in these tables, a frequent request from G Suite customers. To do so, simply select the numbered option when inserting a table of contents from the Insert menu.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Add a title, heading, or table of contents in a document

Note: all launches are applicable to all G Suite editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/page-numbers-now-in-table-of-contents-in-google-docs/feed/ 0 View deleted files with the latest Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps https://googledata.org/google-docs/view-deleted-files-with-the-latest-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/view-deleted-files-with-the-latest-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2016 20:53:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=7dfdcc96f04d018140dbbc88dbf358a9 The newest versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android make it possible to retrieve trashed files you unexpectedly need or accidentally delete. Simply select Trash from the navigation menu in your Docs, Sheets, or Slides app, and you’ll be given the option to restore or permanently delete any files that you’ve trashed.

Visit the Google Play Store to download the latest Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android and check out the new functionality.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Delete a document, spreadsheet, or presentation

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/view-deleted-files-with-the-latest-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/feed/ 0 Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides makes work a breeze — and makes you look good, too https://googledata.org/google-docs/explore-in-docs-sheets-and-slides-makes-work-a-breeze-and-makes-you-look-good-too-2/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/explore-in-docs-sheets-and-slides-makes-work-a-breeze-and-makes-you-look-good-too-2/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2016 17:54:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=8b6de66f75e6823e6e8d474e76bdeaf3 (Cross-posted from the Google Docs Blog)

We built Google Docs to help you create your best work — from work, school or home, and everywhere in between. We know crafting presentations, projects and reports takes time and energy. That’s why today we’re introducing Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides to bring you insights, design tools and research recommendations so you can create better work, faster.

Explore uses Google smarts to help you create amazing presentations, spreadsheets and documents in a fraction of the time they used to take…so you can get on with what’s most important in your life. It’s like having a researcher, analyst and designer by your side.

Insights, instantly
Today’s updates to Explore in Sheets help you decipher your data easily, whether you’re new to spreadsheets or a formula pro. Just ask Explore — with words, not formulas — to get answers about your data. You can ask questions like “how many units were sold on Black Friday?,” “what are the top three items by sales price?,” or “what was the total cost of jackets last month?” Less time crunching numbers + crafting formulas = more time to find key insights and use them.

We’ve also added new formatting suggestions to help make your data pop. Explore in Sheets is available on the web, Android and now on iOS, too!

Beauty, baked in
Crafting the perfect pitch deck or sharing your team’s story is hard enough without having to make it look great, too. Explore in Slides makes design polishing simple. As you work, Explore dynamically generates design suggestions, based on the content of your slide. Simply pick a recommendation and apply it with a single click — no cropping, resizing or reformatting required.

We’ve seen that people save over 30% of the time they would have spent on formatting when they use Explore. So even if design isn’t your style, rest assured you’ll have a beautiful presentation to be proud of. Instantly.

Research, made simple
Explore in Docs makes researching and writing reports on the go a whole lot easier. Whether you’re writing about mobile retail trends or planning your next team offsite, you’ll get instant suggestions based on the content in your document. We’ll automatically recommend related topics to learn about, images to insert and more content to check out in Docs on your Android, iPhone or the web.

We know that it’s helpful to refer to other content when writing an analysis, summary or proposal. That’s why we’ve also made it easy to find a related document from Drive or search Google, right in Explore. Less time spent switching between apps more time to polish your ideas.

We designed Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides to make creating and working easy and most of all, fast — all backed by the power of Google. Let Explore save you time so you can focus on what matters most.

Posted by Ritcha Ranjan, Product Manager

Launch Details
Release track:
Mobile features: Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release
Web features: Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks [Update - October 17th, 2016: Explore for Google Docs only coming to G Suite for EDU customers on Scheduled release in the coming months.]

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: See and use suggested content in a document
Help Center: See and use suggested charts and analysis in a spreadsheet
Help Center: See and use suggested layouts in a presentation

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> (Cross-posted from the Google Docs Blog)

We built Google Docs to help you create your best work — from work, school or home, and everywhere in between. We know crafting presentations, projects and reports takes time and energy. That’s why today we’re introducing Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides to bring you insights, design tools and research recommendations so you can create better work, faster.

Explore uses Google smarts to help you create amazing presentations, spreadsheets and documents in a fraction of the time they used to take…so you can get on with what’s most important in your life. It’s like having a researcher, analyst and designer by your side.

Insights, instantly
Today’s updates to Explore in Sheets help you decipher your data easily, whether you’re new to spreadsheets or a formula pro. Just ask Explore — with words, not formulas — to get answers about your data. You can ask questions like “how many units were sold on Black Friday?,” “what are the top three items by sales price?,” or “what was the total cost of jackets last month?” Less time crunching numbers + crafting formulas = more time to find key insights and use them.

We’ve also added new formatting suggestions to help make your data pop. Explore in Sheets is available on the web, Android and now on iOS, too!

We designed Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides to make creating and working easy and most of all, fast — all backed by the power of Google. Let Explore save you time so you can focus on what matters most.

Posted by Ritcha Ranjan, Product Manager

Launch Details
Release track:
Mobile features: Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release
Web features: Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks [Update - October 17th, 2016: Explore for Google Docs only coming to G Suite for EDU customers on Scheduled release in the coming months.]

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: See and use suggested content in a document
Help Center: See and use suggested charts and analysis in a spreadsheet
Help Center: See and use suggested layouts in a presentation

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/explore-in-docs-sheets-and-slides-makes-work-a-breeze-and-makes-you-look-good-too-2/feed/ 0 Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides makes work a breeze — and makes you look good, too https://googledata.org/google-docs/explore-in-docs-sheets-and-slides-makes-work-a-breeze-and-makes-you-look-good-too/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/explore-in-docs-sheets-and-slides-makes-work-a-breeze-and-makes-you-look-good-too/#comments Thu, 29 Sep 2016 17:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=0c8584f58eb5c3aa584f27f08edef9fa Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides to bring you insights, design tools and research recommendations so you can create better work, faster.

Explore uses Google smarts to help you create amazing presentations, spreadsheets and documents in a fraction of the time they used to take… so you can get on with what’s most important in your life. It’s like having a researcher, analyst and designer by your side.

Insights, instantly
Today’s updates to Explore in Sheets help you decipher your data easily, whether you’re new to spreadsheets or a formula pro. Just ask Explore — with words, not formulas — to get answers about your data. You can ask questions like “how many units were sold on Black Friday?,” “what are the top three items by sales price?,” or “what was the total cost of jackets last month?” Less time crunching numbers + crafting formulas = more time to find key insights and use them.

We’ve also added new formatting suggestions to help make your data pop. Explore in Sheets is available on the web, Android and now on iOS, too!

We designed Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides to make creating and working easy and most of all, fast — all backed by the power of Google. Let Explore save you time so you can focus on what matters most.

Posted by Ritcha Ranjan, Product Manager]]> Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides to bring you insights, design tools and research recommendations so you can create better work, faster.

Explore uses Google smarts to help you create amazing presentations, spreadsheets and documents in a fraction of the time they used to take… so you can get on with what’s most important in your life. It’s like having a researcher, analyst and designer by your side.

Insights, instantly
Today’s updates to Explore in Sheets help you decipher your data easily, whether you’re new to spreadsheets or a formula pro. Just ask Explore — with words, not formulas — to get answers about your data. You can ask questions like “how many units were sold on Black Friday?,” “what are the top three items by sales price?,” or “what was the total cost of jackets last month?” Less time crunching numbers + crafting formulas = more time to find key insights and use them.

We’ve also added new formatting suggestions to help make your data pop. Explore in Sheets is available on the web, Android and now on iOS, too!

We designed Explore in Docs, Sheets and Slides to make creating and working easy and most of all, fast — all backed by the power of Google. Let Explore save you time so you can focus on what matters most.

Posted by Ritcha Ranjan, Product Manager]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/explore-in-docs-sheets-and-slides-makes-work-a-breeze-and-makes-you-look-good-too/feed/ 0 Use regular expressions to search in Google Docs https://googledata.org/google-docs/use-regular-expressions-to-search-in-google-docs/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/use-regular-expressions-to-search-in-google-docs/#comments Tue, 27 Sep 2016 14:18:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a1e7db977b5ce7f9f0f8c38afd281ab7 Starting today, you can use “regular expressions” to more quickly and easily find what you’re looking for in Google Docs on the web, much like you can in Google Sheets. With regular expressions, you can search for patterns of text, lists of words, and more, instead of single words or phrases.

For instance, imagine you need to find all the US zip codes referenced in a lengthy document. To do so, you can simply search for [0-9]{5}(-[0-9]{4})?. This will identify any zip code in your document consisting of five numbers with an optional hyphen and four-digit add-on.

To use regular expressions in the Find and Replace function, type the expression into the Find box and check the "Match using regular expressions" box. For more details, including info on those expressions that are supported in Docs, check out the Help Center.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Search and use find and replace

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> Starting today, you can use “regular expressions” to more quickly and easily find what you’re looking for in Google Docs on the web, much like you can in Google Sheets. With regular expressions, you can search for patterns of text, lists of words, and more, instead of single words or phrases.

For instance, imagine you need to find all the US zip codes referenced in a lengthy document. To do so, you can simply search for [0-9]{5}(-[0-9]{4})?. This will identify any zip code in your document consisting of five numbers with an optional hyphen and four-digit add-on.

To use regular expressions in the Find and Replace function, type the expression into the Find box and check the "Match using regular expressions" box. For more details, including info on those expressions that are supported in Docs, check out the Help Center.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Search and use find and replace

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/use-regular-expressions-to-search-in-google-docs/feed/ 0 See a snapshot of information about a file in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides https://googledata.org/google-docs/see-a-snapshot-of-information-about-a-file-in-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/see-a-snapshot-of-information-about-a-file-in-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/#comments Mon, 29 Aug 2016 20:43:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=64a43e2f68204034f027d81bc831630c Today, you can view the details of any file or folder stored in Google Drive, including the file or folder owner’s name, the last time it was opened or modified, its location, and more. With this launch, you’ll gain that same capability in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web.

To see details of a Google document, spreadsheet, or presentation, simply select Document details from the File menu.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/see-a-snapshot-of-information-about-a-file-in-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/feed/ 0 Better tables and charts in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps https://googledata.org/google-docs/better-tables-and-charts-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/better-tables-and-charts-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/#comments Thu, 11 Aug 2016 00:17:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=91f60c520b61445643d29c25142cda06 The latest releases of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android make it easy to create tables and improve the look of charts on your mobile phone or tablet.

For instance, starting today, when you copy a body of cells in Sheets and paste it into Docs or Slides, that selection will render as a fully-formatted table, gridlines and all. This will only work for selections of fewer than 400 cells; anything larger will be pasted in a tab-separated format. Note that you will need to update all three apps—Docs, Sheets, and Slides—for this to work.

We’ve also made improvements to the technology that powers charts in Sheets, so you may notice small changes to the way your charts are drawn.

Download the latest versions of the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps from the Google Play Store.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/better-tables-and-charts-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/feed/ 0 Announcing Android add-ons for Docs and Sheets https://googledata.org/google-docs/announcing-android-add-ons-for-docs-and-sheets-2/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/announcing-android-add-ons-for-docs-and-sheets-2/#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2016 18:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=5cd181cdfcf4a2e4019a6d0dfc2384a1 (Cross-posted on the Google for Work blog)

We know many of you consider your mobile device as your primary tool to consume business information, but what if you could use it to get more work done, from anywhere?

We’re excited to introduce Android add-ons for Docs and Sheets, a new way for you to do just that—whether it’s readying a contract you have for e-signature from your phone, or pulling in CRM data on your tablet for some quick analysis while waiting for your morning coffee, Android add-ons can help you accomplish more.

Get more done with your favorite third-party apps, no matter where you are

We’ve worked with eight integration partners who have created seamless integrations for Docs and Sheets. Here’s a preview of just a few of them:

DocuSign - Trigger or complete a signing process from Docs or Sheets, and save the executed document to Drive. Read more here.

DocuSign lets you easily create signature envelopes right from Google Docs

ProsperWorks - Import your CRM data to create and update advanced dashboards, reports, and graphs on Sheets, right from your device. Read more here.

AppSheet - Create powerful mobile apps directly from your data in Sheets instantly—no coding required. Read more here.

Scanbot - Scan your business documents using built-in OCR, and insert their contents into Docs as editable text. Read more here.

You can find these add-ons and many more, including PandaDoc, ZohoCRM, Teacher Aide, EasyBib, and Classroom in our Google Play collection, as well as directly from the add-on menus in Docs or Sheets.

Try them out today, and see how much more you can do.

Please note that Android add-ons will the respect same administrative controls as web add-ons. For more information on enabling and deploying add-ons within your organization, check out the Help Center.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Enable add-ons in Google Docs editors
Help Center: Use add-ons & Apps Script

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> (Cross-posted on the Google for Work blog)

We know many of you consider your mobile device as your primary tool to consume business information, but what if you could use it to get more work done, from anywhere?

We’re excited to introduce Android add-ons for Docs and Sheets, a new way for you to do just that—whether it’s readying a contract you have for e-signature from your phone, or pulling in CRM data on your tablet for some quick analysis while waiting for your morning coffee, Android add-ons can help you accomplish more.

Get more done with your favorite third-party apps, no matter where you are

We’ve worked with eight integration partners who have created seamless integrations for Docs and Sheets. Here’s a preview of just a few of them:

DocuSign - Trigger or complete a signing process from Docs or Sheets, and save the executed document to Drive. Read more here.

DocuSign lets you easily create signature envelopes right from Google Docs

ProsperWorks - Import your CRM data to create and update advanced dashboards, reports, and graphs on Sheets, right from your device. Read more here.

AppSheet - Create powerful mobile apps directly from your data in Sheets instantly—no coding required. Read more here.

Scanbot - Scan your business documents using built-in OCR, and insert their contents into Docs as editable text. Read more here.

You can find these add-ons and many more, including PandaDoc, ZohoCRM, Teacher Aide, EasyBib, and Classroom in our Google Play collection, as well as directly from the add-on menus in Docs or Sheets.

Try them out today, and see how much more you can do.

Please note that Android add-ons will the respect same administrative controls as web add-ons. For more information on enabling and deploying add-ons within your organization, check out the Help Center.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Enable add-ons in Google Docs editors
Help Center: Use add-ons & Apps Script

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/announcing-android-add-ons-for-docs-and-sheets-2/feed/ 0 Introducing Android Add-ons for Docs and Sheets https://googledata.org/google-docs/introducing-android-add-ons-for-docs-and-sheets/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/introducing-android-add-ons-for-docs-and-sheets/#comments Thu, 28 Jul 2016 17:14:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9efabe07966c5a2e5404ddf0862964c3 Cross-posted on the Google for Work blog.

We know many of you consider your mobile device as your primary tool to consume business information, but what if you could use it to get more work done, from anywhere? We’re excited to introduce Android add-ons for Docs and Sheets, a new way for you to do just that—whether it’s readying a contract you have for e-signature from your phone, or pulling in CRM data on your tablet for some quick analysis while waiting for your morning coffee, Android add-ons can help you accomplish more.

Get more done with your favorite third-party apps, no matter where you are

We’ve worked with eight integration partners who have created seamless integrations for Docs and Sheets. Here’s a preview of just a few of them:

DocuSign - Trigger or complete a signing process from Docs or Sheets, and save the executed document to Drive. Read more here.

DocuSign lets you easily create signature envelopes right from Google Docs

ProsperWorks - Import your CRM data to create and update advanced dashboards, reports and graphs on Sheets, right from your device. Read more here.
AppSheet - Create powerful mobile apps directly from your data in Sheets instantly — no coding required. Read more here.
Scanbot - Scan your business documents using built-in OCR, and insert their contents into Docs as editable text. Read more here.

You can find these add-ons and many more, including PandaDoc, ZohoCRM, Teacher Aide, EasyBib and Classroom in our Google Play collection as well as directly from the add-on menus in Docs or Sheets.

Try them out today, and see how much more you can do.

Posted by By Saurabh Gupta, Product Manager, Google Apps ]]> Cross-posted on the Google for Work blog.

We know many of you consider your mobile device as your primary tool to consume business information, but what if you could use it to get more work done, from anywhere? We’re excited to introduce Android add-ons for Docs and Sheets, a new way for you to do just that—whether it’s readying a contract you have for e-signature from your phone, or pulling in CRM data on your tablet for some quick analysis while waiting for your morning coffee, Android add-ons can help you accomplish more.

Get more done with your favorite third-party apps, no matter where you are

We’ve worked with eight integration partners who have created seamless integrations for Docs and Sheets. Here’s a preview of just a few of them:

DocuSign - Trigger or complete a signing process from Docs or Sheets, and save the executed document to Drive. Read more here.

DocuSign lets you easily create signature envelopes right from Google Docs

ProsperWorks - Import your CRM data to create and update advanced dashboards, reports and graphs on Sheets, right from your device. Read more here.
AppSheet - Create powerful mobile apps directly from your data in Sheets instantly — no coding required. Read more here.
Scanbot - Scan your business documents using built-in OCR, and insert their contents into Docs as editable text. Read more here.

You can find these add-ons and many more, including PandaDoc, ZohoCRM, Teacher Aide, EasyBib and Classroom in our Google Play collection as well as directly from the add-on menus in Docs or Sheets.

Try them out today, and see how much more you can do.

Posted by By Saurabh Gupta, Product Manager, Google Apps ]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/introducing-android-add-ons-for-docs-and-sheets/feed/ 0 The Art of Collaboration: from Sheets to the streets https://googledata.org/google-docs/the-art-of-collaboration-from-sheets-to-the-streets/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/the-art-of-collaboration-from-sheets-to-the-streets/#comments Wed, 20 Jul 2016 04:02:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a7c2a3815447f9777588366e421c26d5 Official Google Blog]

Warhol & Basquiat. Buñuel & Dalí. Rauschenberg & Johns. There are countless examples of artists collaborating to bring a shared creative vision to life. So we wondered: Could technology help bring together two artists who might not otherwise meet? What would they create…if their canvas were a spreadsheet? And how could we celebrate and share their work of art with the world?

In partnership with Refinery29, a lifestyle digital media company, we linked up with renowned illustrators Marina Esmeraldo in Barcelona, and Mallory Heyer in NYC. We gave them a simple creative assignment—to “break the grid”—which literally can mean pushing the “grid” of Google Sheets to its limits, but also taps into the idea of supporting and celebrating women globally who break free of confined roles and ways of thinking, which is core to Refinery29's mission.

Marina and Mallory connected a handful of times on Google Hangouts to plan and sketch out ideas, and creatively “hack” Sheets in order to make art: resizing cells into thousands of pixel-like squares, merging cells to create color blocks, creating vibrant color gradients with conditional formatting and cell values, and other cool things we had no idea you could do with Sheets.

The result was a bright, beautiful design that celebrates the diversity and strength of women, and we wanted to share their finished project in a BIG way.

The final step was to convert Marina and Mallory’s final piece from the cells of a spreadsheet to the bricks of a giant wall—to go from Sheets to the streets. So, we turned to Colossal Media, a Brooklyn-based company that hand-paints murals all over the world.
After hand-mixing each of the colors and prepping the artwork for large-scale painting, Colossal spent five days painting each cell, letter, and gradient by hand, to create a 13’ x 34’ mural of the spreadsheet. And that’s how art was #madewithGoogleSheets.

To see it for yourself, check out Marina & Mallory’s spreadsheet or head to Bogart & Thames in Brooklyn to visit the wall in person (until August 14). We're delighted by the creativity and imagination brought about by artistic collaboration, and proud to be associated with the work’s inspirational message supporting strong women everywhere.

Posted by Michael Bolognino, Product Marketing Manager]]> Official Google Blog]

Warhol & Basquiat. Buñuel & Dalí. Rauschenberg & Johns. There are countless examples of artists collaborating to bring a shared creative vision to life. So we wondered: Could technology help bring together two artists who might not otherwise meet? What would they create…if their canvas were a spreadsheet? And how could we celebrate and share their work of art with the world?

In partnership with Refinery29, a lifestyle digital media company, we linked up with renowned illustrators Marina Esmeraldo in Barcelona, and Mallory Heyer in NYC. We gave them a simple creative assignment—to “break the grid”—which literally can mean pushing the “grid” of Google Sheets to its limits, but also taps into the idea of supporting and celebrating women globally who break free of confined roles and ways of thinking, which is core to Refinery29's mission.

The result was a bright, beautiful design that celebrates the diversity and strength of women, and we wanted to share their finished project in a BIG way.

The final step was to convert Marina and Mallory’s final piece from the cells of a spreadsheet to the bricks of a giant wall—to go from Sheets to the streets. So, we turned to Colossal Media, a Brooklyn-based company that hand-paints murals all over the world.
After hand-mixing each of the colors and prepping the artwork for large-scale painting, Colossal spent five days painting each cell, letter, and gradient by hand, to create a 13’ x 34’ mural of the spreadsheet. And that’s how art was #madewithGoogleSheets.

To see it for yourself, check out Marina & Mallory’s spreadsheet or head to Bogart & Thames in Brooklyn to visit the wall in person (until August 14). We're delighted by the creativity and imagination brought about by artistic collaboration, and proud to be associated with the work’s inspirational message supporting strong women everywhere.

Posted by Michael Bolognino, Product Marketing Manager ]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/the-art-of-collaboration-from-sheets-to-the-streets/feed/ 0 Choose a file’s folder location when you make a copy in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides https://googledata.org/google-docs/choose-a-files-folder-location-when-you-make-a-copy-in-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/choose-a-files-folder-location-when-you-make-a-copy-in-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2016 23:57:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a69575873d1bf209e8fea2548907fe79 Previously, when you made a copy of a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file, that copy would be automatically added to your My Drive folder—instead of the original file’s folder as most people would expect. Going forward, when you make a copy of a Docs, Sheets, or Slides file on the web, you’ll be able to choose which folder to place the file in. This should reduce confusion and make it easier to organize your Docs, Sheets, and Slides files.

Update (August 5th, 2016): Please note that this feature is only available when making copies in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides; the option does not appear in Google Drive.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/choose-a-files-folder-location-when-you-make-a-copy-in-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/feed/ 0 Give feedback faster with Quizzes in Google Forms https://googledata.org/google-docs/give-feedback-faster-with-quizzes-in-google-forms/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/give-feedback-faster-with-quizzes-in-google-forms/#comments Wed, 29 Jun 2016 14:28:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=37718020fa51487b5af45242c1d5742a (Cross-posted on the Google for Education blog)

Editor's note: On Monday, we announced four new ways to help teachers engage their classes using Google tools. In this post, we’ll dive deeper into one of these tools: Quizzes in Google Forms . If you are at ISTE in Denver, visit us at booth #2511 in the expo hall to learn more and demo our new tools.

Educators have told us that collecting feedback earlier in the learning process results in better outcomes for both teachers and students. But they’ve also shared that creating assessments and providing feedback can lead to hours of repetitive grading.

Dr. Ismael Piedra, a professor at the Instituto Technologico de Monterrey, for example, used “exit tickets” after his lectures to check student comprehension. But his attempts at gathering quick feedback would often result in 300 quizzes to grade and hours of work.

After months of pilots with educators like Dr. Piedra, we launched Quizzes in Google Forms on Monday to help teachers quickly create, deliver and grade assignments or assessments. With Quizzes, teachers can select correct answers for multiple choice and checkbox questions to reduce repetitive grading. They can also enter explanations and review materials to help students learn. And to make sure students understand the lesson material, teachers can prevent students from sending themselves a copy of their responses.

Nick Marchese, a music and programming teacher at the Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn, uses Quizzes in Google Forms to adapt his teaching throughout the learning process. “Quizzes help me optimize my teaching,” he explains. “After students take a quiz, I can check the summary of responses to see frequently missed questions and a visual representation of student scores. If I see there’s a question that a lot of students got wrong, then we start the next class by reviewing it.” Nick says that students love the immediate feedback they get while he loves how Quizzes can “automatically check multiple-choice questions and reduce time devoted to grading.”

Effie Kleinberg of Bnei Akiva Schools in Toronto, likes that Quizzes reduce the overhead of giving formative assessments. “Quizzes make it quick and easy to create and grade a student assessment,” he says. Effie posts his Quizzes as assignments in Google Classroom, where he is easily able to keep track of student responses and view results. Students receive quick, actionable feedback though explanations and review materials, without requiring Effie to manually grade each quiz.

We made Quizzes available to all Google Forms users so we can continue improving based on your feedback. Tasks like automating repetitive grading are just the beginning, so we look forward to hearing what you think. Get started by creating your first quiz today!

Posted by Tynia Yang, Software Engineer, Google Forms]]> (Cross-posted on the Google for Education blog)

Editor's note: On Monday, we announced four new ways to help teachers engage their classes using Google tools. In this post, we’ll dive deeper into one of these tools: Quizzes in Google Forms . If you are at ISTE in Denver, visit us at booth #2511 in the expo hall to learn more and demo our new tools.

Educators have told us that collecting feedback earlier in the learning process results in better outcomes for both teachers and students. But they’ve also shared that creating assessments and providing feedback can lead to hours of repetitive grading.

Dr. Ismael Piedra, a professor at the Instituto Technologico de Monterrey, for example, used “exit tickets” after his lectures to check student comprehension. But his attempts at gathering quick feedback would often result in 300 quizzes to grade and hours of work.

After months of pilots with educators like Dr. Piedra, we launched Quizzes in Google Forms on Monday to help teachers quickly create, deliver and grade assignments or assessments. With Quizzes, teachers can select correct answers for multiple choice and checkbox questions to reduce repetitive grading. They can also enter explanations and review materials to help students learn. And to make sure students understand the lesson material, teachers can prevent students from sending themselves a copy of their responses.

Edit content in Print layout view in the Docs Android and iOS apps - Tap the edit pencil when you’re viewing a document in Print layout mode, and you’ll be able to edit that document immediately—without needing to leave Print layout mode.

Add new and edit existing conditional formatting rules in the Sheets Android app - Format cells, rows, and columns to change their formatting (text, background color, and more) if they meet certain conditions, like containing a particular word or number.

Edit content in Print layout view in the Docs Android and iOS apps - Tap the edit pencil when you’re viewing a document in Print layout mode, and you’ll be able to edit that document immediately—without needing to leave Print layout mode.

Add new and edit existing conditional formatting rules in the Sheets Android app - Format cells, rows, and columns to change their formatting (text, background color, and more) if they meet certain conditions, like containing a particular word or number.

Check out the Help Center articles below for more information.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Print or change the page setup
Use conditional formatting rules in Google Sheets

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-editing-features-in-the-latest-google-docs-and-sheets-mobile-apps/feed/ 0 Document outline now available in the Google Docs app on your iOS devices https://googledata.org/google-docs/document-outline-now-available-in-the-google-docs-app-on-your-ios-devices/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/document-outline-now-available-in-the-google-docs-app-on-your-ios-devices/#comments Wed, 01 Jun 2016 17:34:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=5abd43bd98ec6718f8834ba6a21ab686 In March, we introduced the document outline in Google Docs on the web and Android devices. This feature simplifies and speeds up the process of navigating long, complicated documents. Today, we’re excited to announce that you can also use the document outline in the Docs app on your iPhone or iPad.

Displayed in a pane at the bottom of the page, this outline features headings for each section of your document, making it simple to quickly jump from place to place. If you haven’t manually applied headings, the feature will intelligently detect the logical divisions within your work. You can then edit or remove those headings as necessary.

This functionality, coupled with the fast scrolling feature launched for the Docs iOS app in April, will make it even easier for you to move through your work in Docs.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Edit and use document outline

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/document-outline-now-available-in-the-google-docs-app-on-your-ios-devices/feed/ 0 New ways to keep data flowing between your apps and ours https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-ways-to-keep-data-flowing-between-your-apps-and-ours/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-ways-to-keep-data-flowing-between-your-apps-and-ours/#comments Wed, 18 May 2016 20:03:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=7441b9115af293cd987793744c8ca70a (Cross-posted on Google Apps Developer Blog)

Posted by Tom Holman, Product Manager, Google Sheets

There was a time when office work used to be all about pushing physical paper. Computing and productivity tools have made things better, but workers still find themselves doing the same tasks over and over across the different apps they use: copying and pasting from a CRM app to a slide presentation, or manually exporting data from a project management app just to turn around and import it back into a spreadsheet. It’s the digital equivalent of pushing paper.

To make it easier to get the job done across multiple apps, without all the copy and paste, we’re announcing three new APIs and a new feature to help workers get to the data they need, when and where they need it.

Build seamless integrations with the new Sheets and Slides APIs

Our new APIs let developers connect their apps—and the data within them—more deeply with Google Sheets and Google Slides.

The new Sheets API gives developers programmatic access to powerful features in the Sheets web and mobile interfaces, including charts and pivot tables. For example, developers can use Sheets as part of a rich workflow that pushes data from their app into Sheets and allows users to collaborate on that data before the updated data is pulled back into the original app, removing altogether the need to copy and paste.

Teams at Anaplan, Asana, Sage, Salesforce, and SAP Anywhere are already building interesting integrations with the new Sheets API. Check out this video to see an overview of what’s possible, as well as several example integrations.

The new Sheets API is available today. Find the developer documentation as well as a codelab to help you get started at developers.google.com/sheets.

Similar to the Sheets API, the new Slides API gives developers programmatic access to create and update presentations. For example, developers can use this API to push data and charts into Slides to create a polished report from source data in other application, ready to present.

Conga, ProsperWorks, SalesforceIQ, and Trello are all building integrations with Slides using the new API. Several examples of what’s possible are in this video.

The Slides API will be launching in the coming months, and these partner integrations will be available soon after. You can sign up for early access to the Slides API at developers.google.com/slides.

Keep your data in sync with the new Classroom API

For developers building tools and workflows for schools, the Classroom API has launched new coursework endpoints to help you build stronger integrations that keep your data in sync. Read the full announcement on the Google for Education blog, here.

Say goodbye to stale data with linked charts

Finally, to make sure we can help keep all this data flowing seamlessly from app to app, users can now also embed linked charts from Sheets into Docs or Slides. The result? Once the underlying data in a spreadsheet changes, whether that change comes from an action taken in another app via the API or a collaborator, an updated chart in the corresponding presentation or document is just one click away.

For more information, see how to add a chart to a document or to a presentation.

We can't wait to see what you build.

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> (Cross-posted on Google Apps Developer Blog)

Posted by Tom Holman, Product Manager, Google Sheets

There was a time when office work used to be all about pushing physical paper. Computing and productivity tools have made things better, but workers still find themselves doing the same tasks over and over across the different apps they use: copying and pasting from a CRM app to a slide presentation, or manually exporting data from a project management app just to turn around and import it back into a spreadsheet. It’s the digital equivalent of pushing paper.

To make it easier to get the job done across multiple apps, without all the copy and paste, we’re announcing three new APIs and a new feature to help workers get to the data they need, when and where they need it.

Build seamless integrations with the new Sheets and Slides APIs

Our new APIs let developers connect their apps—and the data within them—more deeply with Google Sheets and Google Slides.

The new Sheets API gives developers programmatic access to powerful features in the Sheets web and mobile interfaces, including charts and pivot tables. For example, developers can use Sheets as part of a rich workflow that pushes data from their app into Sheets and allows users to collaborate on that data before the updated data is pulled back into the original app, removing altogether the need to copy and paste.

Teams at Anaplan, Asana, Sage, Salesforce, and SAP Anywhere are already building interesting integrations with the new Sheets API. Check out this video to see an overview of what’s possible, as well as several example integrations.

For more information, see how to add a chart to a document or to a presentation.

We can't wait to see what you build.

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-ways-to-keep-data-flowing-between-your-apps-and-ours/feed/ 0 Embed charts from Google Sheets in Google Docs and Slides and update them with a single click https://googledata.org/google-docs/embed-charts-from-google-sheets-in-google-docs-and-slides-and-update-them-with-a-single-click/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/embed-charts-from-google-sheets-in-google-docs-and-slides-and-update-them-with-a-single-click/#comments Wed, 18 May 2016 19:38:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=051a62208a96be61260eeda26f665e06 Charts help you display data in a visually compelling way. At work, the same chart may be used across multiple documents and presentations, to help you better convey your message and strengthen your argument. If that chart changes, it can be tedious and time-consuming to replace it in each and every file. To save you valuable time, we’re now making it possible to update your chart with a single click—without ever needing to leave your document or presentation.

To get started, simply go to Insert > Chart in Google Docs or Slides on the web. Insert a new chart, or select From Sheets to add an existing chart from the spreadsheet of your choice. As long as you check the Link to spreadsheet box, you’ll be given the option to update the chart with one click if its underlying data in Google Sheets changes. Should you no longer want to be notified of updates to a particular chart, you can simply unlink it. This same functionality is available if you copy and paste a chart into a document or presentation.

Please note that the ability to import or update linked charts will only be available to collaborators with edit access to the document, presentation, or underlying spreadsheet. For more information on embedding charts in your Docs and Slides files, check out the Help Center articles below.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Add a chart to a slide
Help Center: Add a chart to a document

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> Charts help you display data in a visually compelling way. At work, the same chart may be used across multiple documents and presentations, to help you better convey your message and strengthen your argument. If that chart changes, it can be tedious and time-consuming to replace it in each and every file. To save you valuable time, we’re now making it possible to update your chart with a single click—without ever needing to leave your document or presentation.

To get started, simply go to Insert > Chart in Google Docs or Slides on the web. Insert a new chart, or select From Sheets to add an existing chart from the spreadsheet of your choice. As long as you check the Link to spreadsheet box, you’ll be given the option to update the chart with one click if its underlying data in Google Sheets changes. Should you no longer want to be notified of updates to a particular chart, you can simply unlink it. This same functionality is available if you copy and paste a chart into a document or presentation.

Please note that the ability to import or update linked charts will only be available to collaborators with edit access to the document, presentation, or underlying spreadsheet. For more information on embedding charts in your Docs and Slides files, check out the Help Center articles below.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Add a chart to a slide
Help Center: Add a chart to a document

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/embed-charts-from-google-sheets-in-google-docs-and-slides-and-update-them-with-a-single-click/feed/ 0 Opening Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on mobile now easier when you’re offline https://googledata.org/google-docs/opening-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-files-on-mobile-now-easier-when-youre-offline/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/opening-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-files-on-mobile-now-easier-when-youre-offline/#comments Wed, 18 May 2016 19:21:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=7cad96c2419d15868c71d584c5203cfa We know that internet connections can be spotty when you’re working on your phone on the go. And we recognize that sometimes you need access to a file you didn’t remember to make available offline. With this launch, we’ll make it easier to open Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on your Android and iOS devices when you’re not online.

Starting today, any Docs, Sheets, or Slides files you’ve recently worked on will be automatically synced to your mobile device, so you can open them even if you don’t have an internet connection. As your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations go stale—or if your phone or tablet maxes out on storage space—we’ll remove those older files from your device. To see what documents are saved to your device and to access them later, simply select Offline from the overflow menu in your Docs, Sheets, or Slides app. This will show files synced both automatically and manually (note that manually synced files will now be labeled with a checkmark, instead of a pin icon).

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Work on Google files offline

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/opening-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-files-on-mobile-now-easier-when-youre-offline/feed/ 0 New ways to keep data flowing between your apps and ours https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-ways-to-keep-data-flowing-between-your-apps-and-ours-2/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-ways-to-keep-data-flowing-between-your-apps-and-ours-2/#comments Wed, 18 May 2016 19:11:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=9992a8925920004c2f8aab9d372215eb
Cross-posted from the Google Apps Developers Blog

There was a time when office work used to be all about pushing physical paper. Computing and productivity tools have made things better, but workers still find themselves doing the same tasks over and over across the different apps they use: copying and pasting from a CRM app to a slide presentation, or manually exporting data from a project management app just to turn around and import it back into a spreadsheet. It’s the digital equivalent of pushing paper.
To make it easier to get the job done across multiple apps, without all the copy and paste, we’re announcing three new APIs and a new feature to help workers get to the data they need, when and where they need it.

Build seamless integrations with the new Sheets and Slides APIs
Our new APIs let developers connect their apps—and the data within them—more deeply with Google Sheets and Google Slides.
The new Sheets API gives developers programmatic access to powerful features in the Sheets web and mobile interfaces, including charts and pivot tables. For example, developers can use Sheets as part of a rich workflow that pushes data from their app into Sheets and allows users to collaborate on that data before the updated data is pulled back into the original app, removing altogether the need to copy and paste.
Teams at Anaplan, Asana, Sage, Salesforce, and SAP Anywhere are already building interesting integrations with the new Sheets API. Check out the video below to see an overview of what’s possible as well as several example integrations.

Partner integrations with the new Google Sheets API
The new Sheets API is available today. Find the developer documentation as well as a codelab to help you get started at developers.google.com/sheets.

Similar to the Sheets API, the new Slides API gives developers programmatic access to create and update presentations. For example, developers can use this API to push data and charts into Slides to create a polished report from source data in other application, ready to present.
Conga, ProsperWorks, SalesforceIQ and Trello are all building integrations with Slides using the new API. Several examples of what’s possible are in the video below.

Partner integrations with the new Google Slides API
The Slides API will be launching in the coming months, and these partner integrations will be available soon after. You can sign up for early access to the Slides API at developers.google.com/slides.

Keep your data in sync with the new Classroom API
For developers building tools and workflows for schools, the Classroom API has launched new coursework endpoints to help you build stronger integrations that keep your data in sync. Read the full announcement on the Google for Education blog, here.

Sync assignments & grades programmatically with the Google Classroom API

Say goodbye to stale data with linked charts
Finally, to make sure we can help keep all this data flowing seamlessly from app to app, users can now also embed linked charts from Sheets into Docs or Slides. The result? Once the underlying data in a spreadsheet changes, whether that change comes from an action taken in another app via the API or a collaborator, an updated chart in the corresponding presentation or document is just one click away.

Linked charts allow for easy updates in Docs & Slides
For more information, see how to add a chart to a document or to a presentation.
We can't wait to see what you build.

Posted by Tom Holman, Product Manager, Google Sheets]]>
Cross-posted from the Google Apps Developers Blog

There was a time when office work used to be all about pushing physical paper. Computing and productivity tools have made things better, but workers still find themselves doing the same tasks over and over across the different apps they use: copying and pasting from a CRM app to a slide presentation, or manually exporting data from a project management app just to turn around and import it back into a spreadsheet. It’s the digital equivalent of pushing paper.
To make it easier to get the job done across multiple apps, without all the copy and paste, we’re announcing three new APIs and a new feature to help workers get to the data they need, when and where they need it.

Build seamless integrations with the new Sheets and Slides APIs
Our new APIs let developers connect their apps—and the data within them—more deeply with Google Sheets and Google Slides.
The new Sheets API gives developers programmatic access to powerful features in the Sheets web and mobile interfaces, including charts and pivot tables. For example, developers can use Sheets as part of a rich workflow that pushes data from their app into Sheets and allows users to collaborate on that data before the updated data is pulled back into the original app, removing altogether the need to copy and paste.
Teams at Anaplan, Asana, Sage, Salesforce, and SAP Anywhere are already building interesting integrations with the new Sheets API. Check out the video below to see an overview of what’s possible as well as several example integrations.

Partner integrations with the new Google Sheets API
The new Sheets API is available today. Find the developer documentation as well as a codelab to help you get started at developers.google.com/sheets.

Similar to the Sheets API, the new Slides API gives developers programmatic access to create and update presentations. For example, developers can use this API to push data and charts into Slides to create a polished report from source data in other application, ready to present.
Conga, ProsperWorks, SalesforceIQ and Trello are all building integrations with Slides using the new API. Several examples of what’s possible are in the video below.

Partner integrations with the new Google Slides API
The Slides API will be launching in the coming months, and these partner integrations will be available soon after. You can sign up for early access to the Slides API at developers.google.com/slides.

Keep your data in sync with the new Classroom API
For developers building tools and workflows for schools, the Classroom API has launched new coursework endpoints to help you build stronger integrations that keep your data in sync. Read the full announcement on the Google for Education blog, here.

Linked charts allow for easy updates in Docs & Slides
For more information, see how to add a chart to a document or to a presentation.
We can't wait to see what you build.

Posted by Tom Holman, Product Manager, Google Sheets]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-ways-to-keep-data-flowing-between-your-apps-and-ours-2/feed/ 0 Talk with your audience—not at them—with Slides Q&A https://googledata.org/google-docs/talk-with-your-audience-not-at-them-with-slides-qa/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/talk-with-your-audience-not-at-them-with-slides-qa/#comments Wed, 04 May 2016 18:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=173a9a4033c4d48a5ecb7e1c5270783a
At just 17 years old, Shree took home the top prize at the first ever Google Science Fair for her research on drug resistance in ovarian cancer. Now, a senior at Harvard, she’s met with President Obama twice, crowdfunded a Minecraft computer program to support STEM education, and has given talks across the globe. But she still gets nervous every time she’s asked to speak at events.

When Shree recently visited our New York office to present to 200 middle school students, we invited her to try a new feature in Google Slides: Slides Q&A. This update—rolling out globally today—helps speakers connect with their audience and collect real-time feedback. With a simple link displayed on a Slides presentation, audience members can submit questions from their phones, laptops, and tablets—and vote on those they want answered the most.
Hear what your audience has to say
Slides Q&A is great for audience members, too. During Shree’s talk, students submitted more than 170 questions and voted 800 times. They enjoyed being able to submit questions online the moment they thought of them instead of having to remember them until the end of the presentation. Some students also chose to submit questions anonymously.

At the end of her talk, Shree left time for Q&A, but she couldn’t possibly answer all 170 questions. So, she sorted the questions based on audience votes—and responded to the top ones. The question with the most overall votes was submitted by a seventh grader named Leila. She says, “I was so surprised when I saw my question was the most liked. I probably wouldn’t want to stand up and ask the question because I’m kind of shy.”

Focus on your ideas, not set up
Slides Q&A makes it easy to interact with your audience—without having to worry about mics or moderators. Slides also helps you get your big ideas and stories on screen—without having to worry about wires or set up stress. Starting today, we're improving this "Show up, don't setup" experience in two ways:

You can now present your slides to a Hangout from your iPhone or iPad. So with just your phone or tablet and the Slides app, you can present to any screen using Chromecast, AirPlay or Hangouts.
And for those of you who like presenting from a computer, we're introducing a new laser pointer on the web. Just in time for May the 4th (be with you).

Today’s Slides updates are rolling out globally on Android, iOS, and the web. So go on, share your stories and present with confidence.

And for a little inspiration, check out Shree’s full talk, #HowCanWe Make the World Better with Science? on the Talks@Google channel.

Posted by Michael Frederick, Google Slides Engineer]]>
At just 17 years old, Shree took home the top prize at the first ever Google Science Fair for her research on drug resistance in ovarian cancer. Now, a senior at Harvard, she’s met with President Obama twice, crowdfunded a Minecraft computer program to support STEM education, and has given talks across the globe. But she still gets nervous every time she’s asked to speak at events.

When Shree recently visited our New York office to present to 200 middle school students, we invited her to try a new feature in Google Slides: Slides Q&A. This update—rolling out globally today—helps speakers connect with their audience and collect real-time feedback. With a simple link displayed on a Slides presentation, audience members can submit questions from their phones, laptops, and tablets—and vote on those they want answered the most.
Hear what your audience has to say
Slides Q&A is great for audience members, too. During Shree’s talk, students submitted more than 170 questions and voted 800 times. They enjoyed being able to submit questions online the moment they thought of them instead of having to remember them until the end of the presentation. Some students also chose to submit questions anonymously.

At the end of her talk, Shree left time for Q&A, but she couldn’t possibly answer all 170 questions. So, she sorted the questions based on audience votes—and responded to the top ones. The question with the most overall votes was submitted by a seventh grader named Leila. She says, “I was so surprised when I saw my question was the most liked. I probably wouldn’t want to stand up and ask the question because I’m kind of shy.”

You can now present your slides to a Hangout from your iPhone or iPad. So with just your phone or tablet and the Slides app, you can present to any screen using Chromecast, AirPlay or Hangouts.
And for those of you who like presenting from a computer, we're introducing a new laser pointer on the web. Just in time for May the 4th (be with you).

Same goes for Android—you can now create a note while you’re browsing or tapping away in other apps—without having to open Keep. Just open the “Share via” window and choose Keep to create a new note.

Organize your thoughts with #Labels
One of your top asks has been for a way to organize and categorize notes, and now it’s as easy as using a #hashtag. This should help you keep track of to-do lists for a #trip or a collect your favorite #recipes, for example.

You’ll also notice that some of the menus have been moved around to group similar options together, as pictured below.

So whether you’re researching a project at work, putting together details for your Science Fair submission, or collecting inspiration for your upcoming home renovation, give these updates a try on the web, or with the Keep app on Android and for iPhone & iPad.

Posted by Mario Anima, Product Manager ]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/stay-on-task-with-todays-updates-in-google-keep/feed/ 0 Choose the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files you want to access offline https://googledata.org/google-docs/choose-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-files-you-want-to-access-offline/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/choose-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-files-you-want-to-access-offline/#comments Mon, 18 Apr 2016 23:29:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=c0300dd6fd269042f0435b54fd296588 An internet connection isn’t always easy to come by, but that shouldn’t stop your employees from completing their work. That’s why we give Google Apps admins the option of allowing their users to enable offline access to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files. Once an individual user has enabled offline access in Google Drive, a subset of their Docs, Sheets, and Slides files are synced to their computer or device. The specific files synced are based on certain criteria, primarily recency.

With this launch, we’ll allow end users to choose the specific files they want to make available for offline access when they’re working in a Chrome browser on their desktop computer. This will make it easy for individuals to work anywhere, anytime, even when they don’t have an internet connection. To make a file available for offline access, a user simply needs to visit the Docs, Sheets, or Slides home screen and toggle the Available offline switch in a file’s overflow menu to ON.

Please note that this feature will only be available to users working in a Chrome browser on desktop and whose admins have allowed them to enable offline access in Drive. For more information, check out the Help Center.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> An internet connection isn’t always easy to come by, but that shouldn’t stop your employees from completing their work. That’s why we give Google Apps admins the option of allowing their users to enable offline access to Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files. Once an individual user has enabled offline access in Google Drive, a subset of their Docs, Sheets, and Slides files are synced to their computer or device. The specific files synced are based on certain criteria, primarily recency.

With this launch, we’ll allow end users to choose the specific files they want to make available for offline access when they’re working in a Chrome browser on their desktop computer. This will make it easy for individuals to work anywhere, anytime, even when they don’t have an internet connection. To make a file available for offline access, a user simply needs to visit the Docs, Sheets, or Slides home screen and toggle the Available offline switch in a file’s overflow menu to ON.

Please note that this feature will only be available to users working in a Chrome browser on desktop and whose admins have allowed them to enable offline access in Drive. For more information, check out the Help Center.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/choose-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-files-you-want-to-access-offline/feed/ 0 Scroll quickly through Google Docs on your iPhone or iPad https://googledata.org/google-docs/scroll-quickly-through-google-docs-on-your-iphone-or-ipad/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/scroll-quickly-through-google-docs-on-your-iphone-or-ipad/#comments Wed, 06 Apr 2016 20:03:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=789bea8db841ec68cb40fd56e98ca194 In March, we introduced the ability to quickly and easily scroll through Google Docs files on your Android phone or tablet. We’re excited to announce that we’re now launching that same functionality for your iOS device. Starting today, when you begin scrolling in Google Docs on your iPhone or iPad, a small navigation handle will automatically appear on the side of the screen. Touching that handle will display any headers you’ve created or—if you haven’t manually applied them—headers that we’ve intelligently detected. This will allow you to quickly skip from section to section, instead of slowly swiping up and down.

Check out the Help Center for more information on using this feature.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Edit and use a document outline

NOTE: The image above uses material from this Wikipedia article, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/scroll-quickly-through-google-docs-on-your-iphone-or-ipad/feed/ 0 Set expiration dates for access to Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides files https://googledata.org/google-docs/set-expiration-dates-for-access-to-google-drive-docs-sheets-and-slides-files/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/set-expiration-dates-for-access-to-google-drive-docs-sheets-and-slides-files/#comments Tue, 15 Mar 2016 17:20:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=c4bca13859843301818a679dd32b0fc0 We know that businesses today don’t operate in isolation; employees work not only with one another, but with third-party vendors, clients, customers, and other businesses as well—and often on a temporary basis. To keep your organization’s information safe in these situations, we’re introducing the ability to set an “expiration date” for specific user access to files in Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

For instance, imagine your business hires an outside contractor for a project lasting three months. To complete the job, that contractor needs to view a spreadsheet containing the contact information of your employees. Following this launch, you’ll be able to share your employee list in Sheets with the contractor, give them view access only, and set that access to expire when their contract does (in three months). If the contractor attempts to open the spreadsheet after the expiration date has passed, they’ll be denied access.

This functionality, coupled with the Information Rights Management (IRM) features we launched last July, should significantly increase the security of your organization’s documents and information.

Please note that you’ll only be able to set expiration dates for users with comment or view access; you will not be able to set expiration dates for file owners or users with edit access.

IMPORTANT: This feature will roll out gradually over the course of two to three months; please note that you may not see the feature in your domains until mid- to late Q2 2016.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (2–3 months for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Change your sharing settings in Google Drive
Help Center: Share Google Drive files and folders

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> We know that businesses today don’t operate in isolation; employees work not only with one another, but with third-party vendors, clients, customers, and other businesses as well—and often on a temporary basis. To keep your organization’s information safe in these situations, we’re introducing the ability to set an “expiration date” for specific user access to files in Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides.

For instance, imagine your business hires an outside contractor for a project lasting three months. To complete the job, that contractor needs to view a spreadsheet containing the contact information of your employees. Following this launch, you’ll be able to share your employee list in Sheets with the contractor, give them view access only, and set that access to expire when their contract does (in three months). If the contractor attempts to open the spreadsheet after the expiration date has passed, they’ll be denied access.

This functionality, coupled with the Information Rights Management (IRM) features we launched last July, should significantly increase the security of your organization’s documents and information.

Please note that you’ll only be able to set expiration dates for users with comment or view access; you will not be able to set expiration dates for file owners or users with edit access.

IMPORTANT: This feature will roll out gradually over the course of two to three months; please note that you may not see the feature in your domains until mid- to late Q2 2016.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (2–3 months for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Change your sharing settings in Google Drive
Help Center: Share Google Drive files and folders

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/set-expiration-dates-for-access-to-google-drive-docs-sheets-and-slides-files/feed/ 0 Create better presentations and collaborate more easily on documents with the latest Google Slides and Docs apps for Android https://googledata.org/google-docs/create-better-presentations-and-collaborate-more-easily-on-documents-with-the-latest-google-slides-and-docs-apps-for-android/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/create-better-presentations-and-collaborate-more-easily-on-documents-with-the-latest-google-slides-and-docs-apps-for-android/#comments Thu, 10 Mar 2016 17:51:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=413a3530f266d67e995483ec3e938260 New versions of the Google Slides and Docs apps for Android are now available on Google Play.

In the Slides Android app, you can now create and edit presentations that read from right to left, a necessity when presenting in languages such as Hebrew and Arabic.

In the Docs Android app, you can now select, copy, and comment on content in Print Layout view.

How does Google Docs fit into the Songcraft process?
We have been using Google Docs since its inception both individually and in various work relationships. Al and Mike started using Docs at Dubway Studios as a way to share information amongst both fulltime and part-time staff. The studio business has a lot of moving parts, and the ability to post forms showing what a producer or engineer needed for upcoming sessions, and that the support staff can look at for setup greatly streamlined the process. Last minute changes become less of a hassle.

As part of our “Songs of the Road” series, we had staff coming from all different locations around the country. We share all the data for our shoots - locations, contacts, directions, call times, etc - and keep everything up to date as it changes. All the staff members using their smartphones and Google Docs apps are able to log in and get or input any updates as needed on the fly. As we add staff, we just share access with them according to their needs.

What are 3 tips you’d give for other folks who use/would consider using Google Docs?

Using the “Comments” function in real time is a great way to be able to make edits and give and take feedback about them with the rest of the members of your team.
Share documents with the “View” function for those people who you do not want to give login access to, but want to share information with.
Organize your folders and color code to more easily find documents across multiple projects in Drive.

]]> In the spirit of Basement Queens--an original song that was #madewithGoogleDocs, we recently caught up with SongCraft presents to chat about how they use Google Docs to power their super cool web series where they bring artists together to write a song in less than a day.

We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

Hi Mike! Tell us a little about yourself and Songcraft.
SongCraft Presents is a web series about writing and recording a brand new song, usually in less than a day. In each episode songwriter Ben Arthur collaborates with a new artist - sometimes individuals, and sometimes a band- to write a song. Rob Reinhart, of the syndicated radio program Acoustic Cafe, usually hosts and narrates the show, and interviews the artists along the way. Al Houghton and me (Mike Crehore) of Dubway Studios, record the music, whether done in a studio or on the fly, and produce the finished product. Our director, Matthew Hendershot captures the process, and edits the footage into its final form.

2015 had us in 5 locations around the country producing a version of our series called “Songs of the Road,” as well as returning to SXSW 2015 to work with 3 more artists. You can see all those episodes at SongCraft Presents or at our YouTube channel.

Using the “Comments” function in real time is a great way to be able to make edits and give and take feedback about them with the rest of the members of your team.
Share documents with the “View” function for those people who you do not want to give login access to, but want to share information with.
Organize your folders and color code to more easily find documents across multiple projects in Drive.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-the-team-from-songcraft-presents-mygoogledocs/feed/ 0 Navigate documents quickly and easily with the outline tool in Google Docs https://googledata.org/google-docs/navigate-documents-quickly-and-easily-with-the-outline-tool-in-google-docs/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/navigate-documents-quickly-and-easily-with-the-outline-tool-in-google-docs/#comments Wed, 09 Mar 2016 19:25:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=6e96d3b380c30e7f7481d554f098d763 It can be difficult, not to mention time-consuming, to navigate lengthy, complex documents. To make that process easier, today we’re launching an outline tool in Google Docs on the web and Android. Displayed in a pane to the left of the page, this outline features headers for each section of your document, making it simple to quickly jump from section to section. If you haven’t manually applied headers, no worries—we’ll do it for you, intelligently detecting the logical divisions within your work. You can then edit or remove these headers as necessary.

This launch will also allow you to move through documents on your Android phone or tablet at super speeds. When you begin scrolling on your mobile device, a small navigation handle will automatically appear. Touching that handle will display the entire document’s structure, allowing you quickly skip from section to section, instead of slowly swiping up and down.

To surface an outline in your document, simply click Tools > Document outline in Docs on your computer or select Document outline from the overflow menu on your Android device. Check out the Help Center article below for more details.

Launch Details
Release track:
Mobile features: Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release
Desktop features: Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> It can be difficult, not to mention time-consuming, to navigate lengthy, complex documents. To make that process easier, today we’re launching an outline tool in Google Docs on the web and Android. Displayed in a pane to the left of the page, this outline features headers for each section of your document, making it simple to quickly jump from section to section. If you haven’t manually applied headers, no worries—we’ll do it for you, intelligently detecting the logical divisions within your work. You can then edit or remove these headers as necessary.

To surface an outline in your document, simply click Tools > Document outline in Docs on your computer or select Document outline from the overflow menu on your Android device. Check out the Help Center article below for more details.

Launch Details
Release track:
Mobile features: Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release
Desktop features: Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/navigate-documents-quickly-and-easily-with-the-outline-tool-in-google-docs/feed/ 0 Export Google Docs files as EPUB publications https://googledata.org/google-docs/export-google-docs-files-as-epub-publications/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/export-google-docs-files-as-epub-publications/#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2016 21:58:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=61995d1b29201406bba599caa4047f37 EPUB is the most widely supported file format for publishing accessible documents and digital books, allowing people to consume long-form content in their preferred apps on a diverse range of screen sizes and devices, including smartphones, tablets, and eReaders. To make it easier for authors, publishers, and academic institutions to create works that can be consumed digitally, today we’re launching the ability to export Google Docs files as EPUB publications. Simply go to the File menu > Download as > EPUB Publication (.epub).

Check out the Help Center for more information.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Download a file

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> EPUB is the most widely supported file format for publishing accessible documents and digital books, allowing people to consume long-form content in their preferred apps on a diverse range of screen sizes and devices, including smartphones, tablets, and eReaders. To make it easier for authors, publishers, and academic institutions to create works that can be consumed digitally, today we’re launching the ability to export Google Docs files as EPUB publications. Simply go to the File menu > Download as > EPUB Publication (.epub).

Check out the Help Center for more information.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Download a file

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/export-google-docs-files-as-epub-publications/feed/ 0 New templates in Google Docs: designed by experts, made for you https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-templates-in-google-docs-designed-by-experts-made-for-you-2/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-templates-in-google-docs-designed-by-experts-made-for-you-2/#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2016 20:50:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=fa5608f622fb15f356a603e6f9d0cacb (Cross-posted on the Google for Work Blog.)

We launched a collection of templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides in September to give your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations the extra polish they deserve. Today, we’re adding to that collection with new templates designed by five experts in their fields. All templates are available on the web and on Android and iOS.

For your big ideas, at work and on the go
Intuit's QuickBooks software helps small business owners get more out of financial planning with tools like automated budgeting, tax time reports, and payroll. Use the new annual business budget template by QuickBooks in Sheets to easily manage your budget so you can focus on building your business.

GV provides venture capital funding to bold new companies. In the fields of life science, healthcare, artificial intelligence, robotics, transportation, cyber security, and agriculture, GV’s companies aim to improve lives and change industries.The new GV pitch template in Slides helps entrepreneurs share their vision, based on proven presentation tactics.

And, in the bestselling book, Made to Stick, brothers Chip and Dan Heath revealed that “sticky” messages of all kinds draw their power from the same main traits. In their big idea template in Slides, they use these principles to help you build and deliver your most memorable presentation yet.

For a head start, at school and beyond
Reading Rainbow, the third-longest-running children's TV series in US history and award-winning digital service, has been inspiring children to read for more than 30 years. Reading Rainbow created a lesson plan and a book report template in Docs to help teachers and students get things done.

The Google Science Fair (GSF) is an annual online science and engineering competition open to teens globally. In the competition, young scientists have tackled issues like world hunger, life-threatening diseases and the energy crisis. Use GSF’s science fair template in Slides for a head start on your next project—or for this year’s GSF.

Jump-start your next project with these easy-to-use templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides—available on the web and on your Android device or iPhone. Let us know what you create!

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> (Cross-posted on the Google for Work Blog.)

We launched a collection of templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides in September to give your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations the extra polish they deserve. Today, we’re adding to that collection with new templates designed by five experts in their fields. All templates are available on the web and on Android and iOS.

Jump-start your next project with these easy-to-use templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides—available on the web and on your Android device or iPhone. Let us know what you create!

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-templates-in-google-docs-designed-by-experts-made-for-you-2/feed/ 0 New templates in Google Docs: designed by experts, made for you https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-templates-in-google-docs-designed-by-experts-made-for-you/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-templates-in-google-docs-designed-by-experts-made-for-you/#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2016 19:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=fa4f48020104e2da06ebc47c1cfb3fde launched a collection of templates in Docs, Sheets and Slides in September to give your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations the extra polish they deserve. Today, we’re adding to that collection with new templates designed by five experts in their fields. All templates are available on the web and on Android and iOS.

For a head start, at school and beyond
Reading Rainbow, the third longest running children's TV series in US history and award-winning digital service, has been inspiring children to read for over 30 years. Reading Rainbow created a lesson plan and a book report template in Docs to help teachers and students get things done.

For your big ideas, at work and on the go
Intuit's QuickBooks software helps small business owners get more out of financial planning with tools like automated budgeting, tax time reports, and payroll. Use the new annual business budget template by QuickBooks in Sheets to easily manage your budget so you can focus on building your business.

GV provides venture capital funding to bold new companies. In the fields of life science, healthcare, artificial intelligence, robotics, transportation, cyber security and agriculture, GV’s companies aim to improve lives and change industries.The new GV pitch template in Slides helps entrepreneurs share their vision, based on proven presentation tactics.

Jump-start your next project with these easy-to-use templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides—available on the web and on your Android or iPhone. Let us know what you create!

Posted by Brian LeVee, Product Manager]]> launched a collection of templates in Docs, Sheets and Slides in September to give your documents, spreadsheets, and presentations the extra polish they deserve. Today, we’re adding to that collection with new templates designed by five experts in their fields. All templates are available on the web and on Android and iOS.

For your big ideas, at work and on the go
Intuit's QuickBooks software helps small business owners get more out of financial planning with tools like automated budgeting, tax time reports, and payroll. Use the new annual business budget template by QuickBooks in Sheets to easily manage your budget so you can focus on building your business.

Jump-start your next project with these easy-to-use templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides—available on the web and on your Android or iPhone. Let us know what you create!

Posted by Brian LeVee, Product Manager ]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-templates-in-google-docs-designed-by-experts-made-for-you/feed/ 0 Issue commands when voice typing in Google Docs https://googledata.org/google-docs/issue-commands-when-voice-typing-in-google-docs/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/issue-commands-when-voice-typing-in-google-docs/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2016 19:33:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=e5432b3c837a8bd5628903d155dbfaae In Google Docs, you don’t need to type to put words on a page—you can simply talk. But as any good employee knows, crafting an effective document takes a whole lot more than simply adding text. The process may involve bolding and italicizing, copying and pasting, inserting bullet points and tables, undoing and redoing formatting, and more.

Until now, it was tough to take these types of actions using only your voice. With this launch, we’re changing that. Starting today, you can simply pause, issue a command, pause again, and resume dictating. To see a list of all commands, check out this Help Center article or say “voice commands help” when you’re voice typing. Please note that Voice commands work in English only.

Watch the full video here.

As an added bonus, we’re also making it possible to dictate in Docs on the web in dozens of additional dialects and accents. Please note that these features are only available when you’re working in a Chrome browser on your computer.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release (voice commands)
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming on March 7th, 2016 (additional languages)

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Type with your voice
Video: Type, edit and format with your voice in Docs—no keyboard needed

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/issue-commands-when-voice-typing-in-google-docs/feed/ 0 Type, edit and format with your voice in Docs—no keyboard needed! https://googledata.org/google-docs/type-edit-and-format-with-your-voice-in-docs-no-keyboard-needed/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/type-edit-and-format-with-your-voice-in-docs-no-keyboard-needed/#comments Wed, 24 Feb 2016 19:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=f69ce5a5d24a8bf91520b4f28c34b944 Voice typing in Docs to help you capture ideas, compose a letter, or even write the next great novel—all without touching your keyboard. Starting today, you can also edit and format your documents with your voice.

To get started, select "Voice typing" in the "Tools" menu when you’re using Docs in Chrome. Say what comes to mind—then start editing and formatting with commands like “copy,” “insert table,” and “highlight.”

Check out the full list of commands in our Help Center or simply say “Voice commands help” when you’re voice typing.
It’s a quick and easy way to get ideas out of your head, and into a doc. So try out Voice typing (and editing and formatting) today!

Posted by Isaiah Greene, Product Manager]]> Voice typing in Docs to help you capture ideas, compose a letter, or even write the next great novel—all without touching your keyboard. Starting today, you can also edit and format your documents with your voice.

To get started, select "Voice typing" in the "Tools" menu when you’re using Docs in Chrome. Say what comes to mind—then start editing and formatting with commands like “copy,” “insert table,” and “highlight.”

Check out the full list of commands in our Help Center or simply say “Voice commands help” when you’re voice typing.
It’s a quick and easy way to get ideas out of your head, and into a doc. So try out Voice typing (and editing and formatting) today!

Posted by Isaiah Greene, Product Manager ]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/type-edit-and-format-with-your-voice-in-docs-no-keyboard-needed/feed/ 0 Notification settings and more in the latest Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps https://googledata.org/google-docs/notification-settings-and-more-in-the-latest-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/notification-settings-and-more-in-the-latest-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2016 00:42:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=ff8c7815423ff34339007ea90a38692c The latest versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps include several new features that make working on your mobile phone or tablet easier and more efficient. Check out some of what’s new below:

Notification settings in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps
As of last November, you can receive mobile notifications when a Drive file is shared with you or someone requests access to a Drive file you own. Previously, the only way to disable those notifications was via a setting in Drive. With this launch, we’ll allow you to enable or disable those notifications from the Settings menus in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps as well.

View existing Named Ranges in the Google Sheets Android app
In Google Sheets on the web, you can name a range of cells so that they’re easier to keep track of and find later and to simplify the process of creating formulas. With this launch, you can now view those named ranges and quickly navigate to their locations in the Google Sheets app for Android.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Turn mobile notifications on or off
Help Center: Name a range of cells

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> The latest versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps include several new features that make working on your mobile phone or tablet easier and more efficient. Check out some of what’s new below:

Notification settings in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps
As of last November, you can receive mobile notifications when a Drive file is shared with you or someone requests access to a Drive file you own. Previously, the only way to disable those notifications was via a setting in Drive. With this launch, we’ll allow you to enable or disable those notifications from the Settings menus in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps as well.

View existing Named Ranges in the Google Sheets Android app
In Google Sheets on the web, you can name a range of cells so that they’re easier to keep track of and find later and to simplify the process of creating formulas. With this launch, you can now view those named ranges and quickly navigate to their locations in the Google Sheets app for Android.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Turn mobile notifications on or off
Help Center: Name a range of cells

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/notification-settings-and-more-in-the-latest-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/feed/ 0 Support for more formats, languages, and filtering functionality in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for Android https://googledata.org/google-docs/support-for-more-formats-languages-and-filtering-functionality-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-apps-for-android/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/support-for-more-formats-languages-and-filtering-functionality-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-apps-for-android/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2016 21:19:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=0c04d27e555df0a5ab6a37573b4212b9 Updated versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps are now available on Google Play. These versions include the following new features:

Import and export additional file formats in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides - As long as you’re online, you can now import and export the following file formats in and from the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps:

Import - .txt, .rtf, and .html (in Docs)
Export - .docx, .rtf, .pdf, .txt., and .html (from Docs), .xlsx, .pdf, .html, .csv, and .tsv (from Sheets), and .pptx, .pdf, and .txt (from Slides)

Open CSV and TSV files in Google Sheets - In the latest version of the Android app for Sheets, you can open, view, and edit spreadsheets that are formatted as .csv or .tsv files.

Read from right to left in Google Sheets - If you use a right-to-left language (e.g. Hebrew) in Sheets, you’ll now see an option in the Android app to format your spreadsheet in that same direction. Once enabled, your columns will progress from right to left (starting with “A”), and your row numbers will appear on the right-hand side of your screen.

Filter data in Google Sheets - You can now apply new filters to spreadsheets in the Sheets Android app, as well as view and change existing ones. (NOTE: This feature became available in the app’s previous release.)

Check out the Help Center articles below for more information.

Launch Details

Release track:

Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:

Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:

All end users

Action:

Change management suggested/FYI

More Information

Help Center: Get started with the Sheets app for Android

Help Center: Edit and view text from right to left

Help Center: Sort and filter data on Android

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

]]> Updated versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps are now available on Google Play. These versions include the following new features:

Import and export additional file formats in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides - As long as you’re online, you can now import and export the following file formats in and from the Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps:

Import - .txt, .rtf, and .html (in Docs)
Export - .docx, .rtf, .pdf, .txt., and .html (from Docs), .xlsx, .pdf, .html, .csv, and .tsv (from Sheets), and .pptx, .pdf, and .txt (from Slides)

Open CSV and TSV files in Google Sheets - In the latest version of the Android app for Sheets, you can open, view, and edit spreadsheets that are formatted as .csv or .tsv files.

Read from right to left in Google Sheets - If you use a right-to-left language (e.g. Hebrew) in Sheets, you’ll now see an option in the Android app to format your spreadsheet in that same direction. Once enabled, your columns will progress from right to left (starting with “A”), and your row numbers will appear on the right-hand side of your screen.

Filter data in Google Sheets - You can now apply new filters to spreadsheets in the Sheets Android app, as well as view and change existing ones. (NOTE: This feature became available in the app’s previous release.)

Check out the Help Center articles below for more information.

Launch Details

Release track:

Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:

Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:

All end users

Action:

Change management suggested/FYI

More Information

Help Center: Get started with the Sheets app for Android

Help Center: Edit and view text from right to left

Help Center: Sort and filter data on Android

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/support-for-more-formats-languages-and-filtering-functionality-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-apps-for-android/feed/ 0 Quick and easy commenting in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides https://googledata.org/google-docs/quick-and-easy-commenting-in-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/quick-and-easy-commenting-in-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2016 20:54:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=b3e91d75e6d4487f63c92627100c9e02 Work with others, with ease. Today’s launches make it super simple to comment on your colleagues’—and your own—Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on the web and mobile. Check out what’s new below:

Instant comments in Google Docs on the web - Highlight text or hover over the edge of a page to surface a small commenting icon, then click on that icon to quickly add a comment to that area of the document.

Instant mentions in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web, Android, and iOS - Start typing someone’s name or email address in a comment, and a list of suggested contacts will appear. Select anyone from that list to trigger an email notification to them—there’s no need to type “+” or “@” before their name!

Comments in the Google Sheets and Slides apps for Android and iOS - Add new and reply to existing comments in the Sheets* and Slides mobile apps—just like you can in the Docs apps for Android and iOS.

Comment swiping in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps - Simply swipe to move from one comment to the next in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides iOS apps, as well as the Slides Android app (you can already do this in the Docs and Sheets Android apps!).

Try out these new features in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides, and collaborate with fewer clicks!

Launch Details
Release track:
Mobile features - Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Instant mentions in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on Android and iOS
Comments in the Google Sheets and Slides apps for Android and iOS*
Comment swiping in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for iOS

Web features - Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming on February 10th

Instant comments in Google Docs on the web
Instant mentions in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web

*NOTE: Comments in the Google Sheets Android app launched on November 12th, 2015.

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Comment in Docs, Sheets, & Slides
Google for Work Blog

]]> Work with others, with ease. Today’s launches make it super simple to comment on your colleagues’—and your own—Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on the web and mobile. Check out what’s new below:

Instant comments in Google Docs on the web - Highlight text or hover over the edge of a page to surface a small commenting icon, then click on that icon to quickly add a comment to that area of the document.

Instant mentions in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web, Android, and iOS - Start typing someone’s name or email address in a comment, and a list of suggested contacts will appear. Select anyone from that list to trigger an email notification to them—there’s no need to type “+” or “@” before their name!

Comments in the Google Sheets and Slides apps for Android and iOS - Add new and reply to existing comments in the Sheets* and Slides mobile apps—just like you can in the Docs apps for Android and iOS.

Comment swiping in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps - Simply swipe to move from one comment to the next in the Docs, Sheets, and Slides iOS apps, as well as the Slides Android app (you can already do this in the Docs and Sheets Android apps!).

Instant mentions in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on Android and iOS
Comments in the Google Sheets and Slides apps for Android and iOS*
Comment swiping in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides apps for iOS

Web features - Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming on February 10th

Instant comments in Google Docs on the web
Instant mentions in Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/quick-and-easy-commenting-in-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/feed/ 0 Mobile comments are here in Docs, Sheets & Slides—just in time for #ChocolateCakeDay https://googledata.org/google-docs/mobile-comments-are-here-in-docs-sheets-slides-just-in-time-for-chocolatecakeday/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/mobile-comments-are-here-in-docs-sheets-slides-just-in-time-for-chocolatecakeday/#comments Wed, 27 Jan 2016 19:02:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=3c46a96a661c5e71cfcefc034a9b80a4 When Jim, one of the engineers on the Google Slides team, brought a zucchini chocolate cake into the office last week, we knew we had to get the recipe.

So we asked him and his wife, Alison, to let us in on the family secret—just in time for Chocolate Cake Day. They worked together in Slides (mobile commenting across Google Docs just launched today!) to perfect the recipe. Alison writes:

Growing up, my grandma made zucchini chocolate cake often, especially when there was a surplus of zucchinis at the local farmer’s market. The cake is ridiculously moist and pairs well with many different frostings, though cream cheese is my favorite.

Thanks to mobile commenting, Jim and I went back and forth on the recipe—Jim on his Nexus 9, me on my iPhone—until we had it just right:
Check out our family recipe in Slides. We call it Straka’s Zucchini Chocolate Cake—in honor of my grandma.

Happy Chocolate Cake Day, from our family to yours.

Posted by Alison Zoll, chemist, baker and wife of Jim Zoll, Slides engineer

Get the apps on Android and iOS (Docs, Sheets, Slides)]]> When Jim, one of the engineers on the Google Slides team, brought a zucchini chocolate cake into the office last week, we knew we had to get the recipe.

So we asked him and his wife, Alison, to let us in on the family secret—just in time for Chocolate Cake Day. They worked together in Slides (mobile commenting across Google Docs just launched today!) to perfect the recipe. Alison writes:

Growing up, my grandma made zucchini chocolate cake often, especially when there was a surplus of zucchinis at the local farmer’s market. The cake is ridiculously moist and pairs well with many different frostings, though cream cheese is my favorite.

Thanks to mobile commenting, Jim and I went back and forth on the recipe—Jim on his Nexus 9, me on my iPhone—until we had it just right:
Check out our family recipe in Slides. We call it Straka’s Zucchini Chocolate Cake—in honor of my grandma.

Happy Chocolate Cake Day, from our family to yours.

Posted by Alison Zoll, chemist, baker and wife of Jim Zoll, Slides engineer

Get the apps on Android and iOS (Docs, Sheets, Slides)]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/mobile-comments-are-here-in-docs-sheets-slides-just-in-time-for-chocolatecakeday/feed/ 0 Increased control over Google Drive file sharing https://googledata.org/google-docs/increased-control-over-google-drive-file-sharing/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/increased-control-over-google-drive-file-sharing/#comments Mon, 25 Jan 2016 16:57:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a5f7278c2bcffd51fd24553a4c708866 When you share Google Drive files using Google Apps, we try our best to ensure that your recipients can actually access them. For instance, if you link to a Google Slides presentation in Gmail and that presentation hasn’t been shared with your recipient, we show you an option to share it before sending the email.

We also do this if you “+” someone into a comment in Docs, Sheets, or Slides, if you add someone to a protected range in Sheets, or if you attach a Google file to a Calendar invite (provided the person on the other end doesn’t already have access).

We’ve heard from many Apps admins, however, that they want greater control over the sharing options their employees have in these scenarios. In response to that feedback, today we’re introducing new Access Checker settings in the Admin console (Admin console > Apps > Google Apps > Settings for Drive > Sharing settings).

If an admin allows external, public file sharing (i.e. they’ve checked the box next to Allow users in XYZ domain to publish files on the web or make them visible to the world as public or unlisted files), that admin will now be able to say which of the following three options their users will have when sharing files in the scenarios described above:

Option 1: Recipients only, their domain, or public (no Google account required)
Option 2: Recipients only or their domain
Option 3: Recipients only

For example, if an admin chooses option 1 and an employee in their domain attaches a Google Sheets spreadsheet to an event in Calendar, that employee will be asked if they want to share that spreadsheet with guests of the event only or one of two additional options: (1) anyone in their domain with the link (if all guests are in their domain), or (2) anyone with the link (if any guests are in different domains).

At launch, for admins who allow external, public file sharing, “recipients only, their domain, or public” will be the option selected by default.

Alternatively, if an admin prohibits external, public file sharing, that admin will be able to choose which of the following two options their users see when sharing files in the scenarios described above:

Option 1: Recipients only or their domain
Option 2: Recipients only

For these admins, “recipients only or their domain” will be the option selected by default.

It’s important to note that the sharing options shown to users will be determined based on the settings in the document owner’s domain, which may not be the same as the settings in the domain of the person sharing the file. If someone tries to share multiple files and different policies apply to each (e.g. because the document owners are in different domains), we'll abide by the least permissive policy when showing options to users.

Consider this example: a user tries to send an email with three files attached—one file allows public sharing, and two allow sharing with recipients only. In that case, we’ll only offer the option to share with recipients, as that option abides by the least permissive policy associated with the files being shared.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
Admins and end users

Action:
Admin action required

More Information
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> When you share Google Drive files using Google Apps, we try our best to ensure that your recipients can actually access them. For instance, if you link to a Google Slides presentation in Gmail and that presentation hasn’t been shared with your recipient, we show you an option to share it before sending the email.

Option 1: Recipients only, their domain, or public (no Google account required)
Option 2: Recipients only or their domain
Option 3: Recipients only

Option 1: Recipients only or their domain
Option 2: Recipients only

For these admins, “recipients only or their domain” will be the option selected by default.

It’s important to note that the sharing options shown to users will be determined based on the settings in the document owner’s domain, which may not be the same as the settings in the domain of the person sharing the file. If someone tries to share multiple files and different policies apply to each (e.g. because the document owners are in different domains), we'll abide by the least permissive policy when showing options to users.

Consider this example: a user tries to send an email with three files attached—one file allows public sharing, and two allow sharing with recipients only. In that case, we’ll only offer the option to share with recipients, as that option abides by the least permissive policy associated with the files being shared.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
Admins and end users

Action:
Admin action required

More Information
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/increased-control-over-google-drive-file-sharing/feed/ 0 Basement Queens: an original song, #madewithGoogleDocs https://googledata.org/google-docs/basement-queens-an-original-song-madewithgoogledocs/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/basement-queens-an-original-song-madewithgoogledocs/#comments Wed, 20 Jan 2016 18:01:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=3c91ef735d8d0ff89f4ac5ae602c82b9 Hall & Oates.

Some of the most popular songs ever recorded were the result of collaborations. Recently we asked ourselves: Could technology help bring together two musicians who might not otherwise meet? And if so: What would they create? With this in mind, we challenged two unique artists—burgeoning hip hop queen Lizzo and indie frontwoman Sad13 (Sadie Dupuis of Speedy Ortiz)—to write a song together in Google Docs.

Sad13 and Lizzo first connected in Hangouts—in Massachusetts and Minnesota, respectively—to hash things out. Within seconds they were inside a doc—riffing in real-time on ideas, then lyrics, then overall structure. And in just a couple of weeks they had a track they were really excited about.

The pair of women then flew to Brooklyn to meet for the first time IRL, and to record their new single, "Basement Queens"—a celebration of creating their own sound, on their own terms. And that's how music was #madewithGoogleDocs.
Watch the video for a behind-the-scenes look at the entire process, then download or stream the song for free from Google Play. We think you'll agree: Sad13 and Lizzo definitely earn their "reputation / for making magic from the basement."

Credits
Song produced by Computer Magic
Drums by Jordyn Blakely
Photos by James Chororos
Film by Mixtape Club
Recorded at Room 17
#madewithGoogleDocs]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/basement-queens-an-original-song-madewithgoogledocs/feed/ 0 Search quickly and easily across Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides https://googledata.org/google-docs/search-quickly-and-easily-across-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/search-quickly-and-easily-across-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2016 21:50:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=bef46fc681978314433128613bec804a 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.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming in two weeks

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/search-quickly-and-easily-across-google-docs-sheets-and-slides/feed/ 0 Meet Whale Thief—a comedy group that makes a feature length film in just 24 hours https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-whale-thief-a-comedy-group-that-makes-a-feature-length-film-in-just-24-hours/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-whale-thief-a-comedy-group-that-makes-a-feature-length-film-in-just-24-hours/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2016 17:05:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=e761c6f39473b11044275032b86116d3 Recently we heard about Movie Cram, an event where hundreds of people work together to create a feature-length film in a single day, organized—with the help of Google Docs—by comedy group Whale Thief. We got in touch with members Matt Klinman, Benjamin Apple, and Matt Mayer to hear more about the role Google Docs plays in powering this massive undertaking.

We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

Hi Whale Thief! Tell us a little about who you are and what Movie Cram is.
Movie Cram is an annual event where we make a feature-length film—from pitch to production to screening—in just 24 hours. This year 200+ people participated, including 14 writers, 29 production teams, 10 musicians, and more than 100 actors. The event is run by Whale Thief, our six-member comedy group based in New York City.

Making a movie in a day requires a lot of parallel processes. The writers write their scenes simultaneously and then merge them into a single screenplay. The production teams shoot simultaneously, each with their own cast of actors. This whole time, musicians are recording an original soundtrack inspired by the script. Finally each production team edits their respective scenes and delivers them to us between 11 p.m. and midnight so we can quickly assemble them into a seamless playlist. At midnight, the finished product premieres in front of a live audience at the UCB Theatre in Chelsea.

How does Google Docs fit into the Movie Cram process?
We use Google Docs to organize the massive amounts of data required to pull off an event of this complexity. In the months leading up to each year’s Movie Cram we use Docs to keep track of everything—from who’s available to do the event, to who canceled at the last minute, to everyone’s contact info, to our to-do and done lists. On the day of the event, we use it to take notes on all of the movie pitches, keep track of who’s writing what and which actors are assigned to which production teams, and organize the soundtrack files.

What are three tips you’d give to other filmmakers who use/would consider using Google Docs?

Use formatting to your advantage. It sounds obvious, but if you take the time to bold your column headers, add section descriptions, and come up with a color-coded priority key, it will quickly pay off in the form of higher scannability—especially when you’re sharing docs with others.
Use Docs to give and get notes! If you ask someone to look over an entire document and then give you their thoughts on it, chances are they’ll have forgotten half of their notes by the time they start emailing you. If they can give notes as they go by leaving comments or suggestions, the resulting feedback will be far more thorough.
Get creative! Each document type is meant to display a different kind of information, but you never know what might happen if you try to subvert that intended purpose. For example, once when two of us were editing the same spreadsheet (one of us in New York, one in Los Angeles), we ended up using the spreadsheet itself as a chat room. When we wanted to indicate agreement, we just bolded what the other person had written, or increased the font size. We could write in any direction and follow our own digressions visually, or respond to individual lines before continuing. Eventually the spreadsheet looked like the wall of a gas station bathroom. It was great.

Thanks to the crew at Whale Thief for answering our burning questions about Movie Cram. For more, check out Movie Cram’s latest film on YouTube and read this New York Times article for details about how this audacious project works. ]]> Recently we heard about Movie Cram, an event where hundreds of people work together to create a feature-length film in a single day, organized—with the help of Google Docs—by comedy group Whale Thief. We got in touch with members Matt Klinman, Benjamin Apple, and Matt Mayer to hear more about the role Google Docs plays in powering this massive undertaking.

We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

Hi Whale Thief! Tell us a little about who you are and what Movie Cram is.
Movie Cram is an annual event where we make a feature-length film—from pitch to production to screening—in just 24 hours. This year 200+ people participated, including 14 writers, 29 production teams, 10 musicians, and more than 100 actors. The event is run by Whale Thief, our six-member comedy group based in New York City.

Making a movie in a day requires a lot of parallel processes. The writers write their scenes simultaneously and then merge them into a single screenplay. The production teams shoot simultaneously, each with their own cast of actors. This whole time, musicians are recording an original soundtrack inspired by the script. Finally each production team edits their respective scenes and delivers them to us between 11 p.m. and midnight so we can quickly assemble them into a seamless playlist. At midnight, the finished product premieres in front of a live audience at the UCB Theatre in Chelsea.

What are three tips you’d give to other filmmakers who use/would consider using Google Docs?

Use formatting to your advantage. It sounds obvious, but if you take the time to bold your column headers, add section descriptions, and come up with a color-coded priority key, it will quickly pay off in the form of higher scannability—especially when you’re sharing docs with others.
Use Docs to give and get notes! If you ask someone to look over an entire document and then give you their thoughts on it, chances are they’ll have forgotten half of their notes by the time they start emailing you. If they can give notes as they go by leaving comments or suggestions, the resulting feedback will be far more thorough.
Get creative! Each document type is meant to display a different kind of information, but you never know what might happen if you try to subvert that intended purpose. For example, once when two of us were editing the same spreadsheet (one of us in New York, one in Los Angeles), we ended up using the spreadsheet itself as a chat room. When we wanted to indicate agreement, we just bolded what the other person had written, or increased the font size. We could write in any direction and follow our own digressions visually, or respond to individual lines before continuing. Eventually the spreadsheet looked like the wall of a gas station bathroom. It was great.

Thanks to the crew at Whale Thief for answering our burning questions about Movie Cram. For more, check out Movie Cram’s latest film on YouTube and read this New York Times article for details about how this audacious project works. ]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-whale-thief-a-comedy-group-that-makes-a-feature-length-film-in-just-24-hours/feed/ 0 Use templates to create files in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides mobile apps https://googledata.org/google-docs/use-templates-to-create-files-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-mobile-apps/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/use-templates-to-create-files-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-mobile-apps/#comments Tue, 15 Dec 2015 22:23:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=15e2a257a23531417fdb3f2a15332c1d Templates allow you to quickly and easily create files with specific purposes—for instance, you can pull together a project proposal in Google Docs, an invoice in Google Sheets, or a case study in Google Slides without spending unnecessary time or resources on formatting. In September, we launched templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web; today, we’re rolling out that same functionality for their corresponding Android and iOS apps.

Starting now, when you go to create a new document, spreadsheet, or presentation on your Android or iOS device (by clicking the red “+” button in the bottom right corner of your screen), you’ll be given the option to choose a template. These templates will be the same as those available to you in Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web, including a meeting agenda, pitch deck, expense report, and more.

Focus on your content, not your formatting. Check out the Help Center article below for more information on getting started with templates.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> Templates allow you to quickly and easily create files with specific purposes—for instance, you can pull together a project proposal in Google Docs, an invoice in Google Sheets, or a case study in Google Slides without spending unnecessary time or resources on formatting. In September, we launched templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web; today, we’re rolling out that same functionality for their corresponding Android and iOS apps.

Starting now, when you go to create a new document, spreadsheet, or presentation on your Android or iOS device (by clicking the red “+” button in the bottom right corner of your screen), you’ll be given the option to choose a template. These templates will be the same as those available to you in Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web, including a meeting agenda, pitch deck, expense report, and more.

Focus on your content, not your formatting. Check out the Help Center article below for more information on getting started with templates.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/use-templates-to-create-files-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-mobile-apps/feed/ 0 Enhanced commenting, charts, and font functionality in the Google Docs and Sheets apps for Android https://googledata.org/google-docs/enhanced-commenting-charts-and-font-functionality-in-the-google-docs-and-sheets-apps-for-android/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/enhanced-commenting-charts-and-font-functionality-in-the-google-docs-and-sheets-apps-for-android/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2015 22:31:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=bc868d09e93620e5fd9186d43344b453 Commenting is crucial to collaboration amongst your employees. This launch makes it easier for them to work together—even from their mobile devices. In the latest version of the Google Sheets app for Android, users can now add new and reply to existing comments. In the newest Google Docs app for Android, they can now see comments and suggestions in Print Layout view—and then resolve, close, accept, or reject those comments and suggestions—making it simpler to move between their desktop and mobile devices.

This launch also helps users better create and edit charts in the Sheets app for Android. For instance, if a user a selects a single cell and inserts a chart, we’ll automatically expand that data selection to include the immediately surrounding cells. This will make it easier for users to create robust charts with relevant information. In addition, when an employee creates a new chart, they’ll now see three recommended chart types, which we’ll suggest based on the data they’ve selected.

As a bonus, when your employees download the latest version of the Sheets app for Android, they’ll be able to view the more than 400 new fonts added to Sheets on the web earlier this week.

For more information on these new features, check out the Help Center articles below.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information

Google Play Store
Add comments to documents and spreadsheets on Android
Add a chart or graph to a spreadsheet

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

]]> Commenting is crucial to collaboration amongst your employees. This launch makes it easier for them to work together—even from their mobile devices. In the latest version of the Google Sheets app for Android, users can now add new and reply to existing comments. In the newest Google Docs app for Android, they can now see comments and suggestions in Print Layout view—and then resolve, close, accept, or reject those comments and suggestions—making it simpler to move between their desktop and mobile devices.

As a bonus, when your employees download the latest version of the Sheets app for Android, they’ll be able to view the more than 400 new fonts added to Sheets on the web earlier this week.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/enhanced-commenting-charts-and-font-functionality-in-the-google-docs-and-sheets-apps-for-android/feed/ 0 Do more on the go with new features in the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps https://googledata.org/google-docs/do-more-on-the-go-with-new-features-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/do-more-on-the-go-with-new-features-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/#comments Wed, 28 Oct 2015 20:31:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=97a16ea36a43408989f3051b6277499b The latest versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps include several new features that make it easier to work on your mobile device. You can now:

View more content at one time in Sheets - Now, when you scroll down or zoom in on a spreadsheet, we’ll hide your toolbars and headers so that you can see more of your content on the screen at one time. To bring those toolbars and headers back, simply scroll up or zoom out.

View existing filters in Sheets - If you apply filters to your data in Sheets on the web, those filters will now appear in the Sheets Android app as well (previously, you might not have known that you were viewing filtered content).

Paste only values, formatting, and more in Sheets - Already available in Sheets on the web, the Paste special feature in the Sheets Android app allows you to copy content and then paste only the associated values, formatting, formula, data validation, or conditional formatting. You can also paste everything but borders or paste your content in a transposed order.

Hyperlink text and shapes in Slides - You can now insert new and edit existing links in your presentations directly from the Slides Android app toolbar and context menu.

Use superscripts and subscripts in Docs and Slides - Create superscript and subscript text in the Docs and Slides Android apps using the text formatting palette.

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Edit spreadsheets on Android
Edit documents on your phone or tablet
Edit presentations on your phone or tablet
Add a link to a document

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

]]> The latest versions of the Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Android apps include several new features that make it easier to work on your mobile device. You can now:

View existing filters in Sheets - If you apply filters to your data in Sheets on the web, those filters will now appear in the Sheets Android app as well (previously, you might not have known that you were viewing filtered content).

Paste only values, formatting, and more in Sheets - Already available in Sheets on the web, the Paste special feature in the Sheets Android app allows you to copy content and then paste only the associated values, formatting, formula, data validation, or conditional formatting. You can also paste everything but borders or paste your content in a transposed order.

Hyperlink text and shapes in Slides - You can now insert new and edit existing links in your presentations directly from the Slides Android app toolbar and context menu.

Use superscripts and subscripts in Docs and Slides - Create superscript and subscript text in the Docs and Slides Android apps using the text formatting palette.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/do-more-on-the-go-with-new-features-in-the-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-android-apps/feed/ 0 Five tips for (finally) writing your novel with Docs & NaNoWriMo https://googledata.org/google-docs/five-tips-for-finally-writing-your-novel-with-docs-nanowrimo/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/five-tips-for-finally-writing-your-novel-with-docs-nanowrimo/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2015 16:09:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=16132024a37b1046e2d518b75e31f0d2 National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo, founded in 1999 by Chris Baty and friends) exists: to help you realize your creative dreams today.

The idea is straightforward. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 p.m. on November 30. You don’t have to take a novel-writing class or read how-to books; you learn to write a novel by doing it. In the words of NaNoWriMo: “Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.”

If you are considering giving it a shot this November, here are five ways Docs can help you get cracking:

Write everywhere - Get the app for Android or iPhone/iPad, and add new paragraphs or make edits anytime an idea strikes—on the bus, while you’re walking the dog, or even those times you’re caught without Wi-Fi, like on a plane. Of course, you can also tinker with your burgeoning masterpiece from any desktop computer by signing in at docs.google.com, so you never have to worry about having the right machine or device with you.
Know your word count - You’ve got one month to make it to 50,000 words, so it’s critical to track your progress as you go. To grab your word count, use the shortcut command + shift + C (mac) / Ctrl + shift +C (pc), finding it in the Tools menu, or by clicking the three grey dots in the Android app. Once you’ve got your tally, update your progress by pasting your wordcount into the NANOWRIMO header menu.
Get & manage feedback - Wrimos, as they're known, like to get feedback from each other as they write, and Docs makes that easy. When you’re ready for input, hit the big blue Share button, set permissions to “Can comment,” and the people you've shared with will be able to add comments or make suggestions that you can choose to accept or reject.
See previous versions - Docs comes with revision history built-in, so you never lose previous version of your novel. Click on “See revision history” in the file menu, and you’ll see all your edits, grouped by date, so you can easily go back in time—or even revert to a previous version that you prefer. If you do invite others to give feedback on your work, click the “See new changes” button at the top for an instant look at any edits they made.
Share your novel - Once you’re finished (congrats, BTW!), you can choose to publicly share your novel for the world to read. Also in the File menu, hit “Publish to the web” and you’ll be able to share the URL of your novel far and wide—on your favorite social networks, in email, or however you’d like.

Good luck, and godspeed!

Posted by Michael Bolognino, Product Marketing Manager]]> National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo, founded in 1999 by Chris Baty and friends) exists: to help you realize your creative dreams today.

The idea is straightforward. On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 p.m. on November 30. You don’t have to take a novel-writing class or read how-to books; you learn to write a novel by doing it. In the words of NaNoWriMo: “Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.”

If you are considering giving it a shot this November, here are five ways Docs can help you get cracking:

Write everywhere - Get the app for Android or iPhone/iPad, and add new paragraphs or make edits anytime an idea strikes—on the bus, while you’re walking the dog, or even those times you’re caught without Wi-Fi, like on a plane. Of course, you can also tinker with your burgeoning masterpiece from any desktop computer by signing in at docs.google.com, so you never have to worry about having the right machine or device with you.
Know your word count - You’ve got one month to make it to 50,000 words, so it’s critical to track your progress as you go. To grab your word count, use the shortcut command + shift + C (mac) / Ctrl + shift +C (pc), finding it in the Tools menu, or by clicking the three grey dots in the Android app. Once you’ve got your tally, update your progress by pasting your wordcount into the NANOWRIMO header menu.
Get & manage feedback - Wrimos, as they're known, like to get feedback from each other as they write, and Docs makes that easy. When you’re ready for input, hit the big blue Share button, set permissions to “Can comment,” and the people you've shared with will be able to add comments or make suggestions that you can choose to accept or reject.
See previous versions - Docs comes with revision history built-in, so you never lose previous version of your novel. Click on “See revision history” in the file menu, and you’ll see all your edits, grouped by date, so you can easily go back in time—or even revert to a previous version that you prefer. If you do invite others to give feedback on your work, click the “See new changes” button at the top for an instant look at any edits they made.
Share your novel - Once you’re finished (congrats, BTW!), you can choose to publicly share your novel for the world to read. Also in the File menu, hit “Publish to the web” and you’ll be able to share the URL of your novel far and wide—on your favorite social networks, in email, or however you’d like.

Good luck, and godspeed!

Posted by Michael Bolognino, Product Marketing Manager]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/five-tips-for-finally-writing-your-novel-with-docs-nanowrimo/feed/ 0 Meet Susanna, founder & CEO of BridgEd Strategies https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-susanna-founder-ceo-of-bridged-strategies/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-susanna-founder-ceo-of-bridged-strategies/#comments Mon, 12 Oct 2015 15:37:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=f3bd66c63e16526cfc2ba78f7b0c7a48 We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

Hi Susanna! Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
I'm the founder & CEO of BridgEd Strategies, a consulting firm that works with education organizations to develop & implement strategy, communication, and change management plans that help them better serve low-income, first generation students. I'm a lifelong educator with experience ranging from being a K - 12 classroom teacher to a senior administrator at a technical college. Most recently I served as a program officer at a large national philanthropic foundation.

I returned home to New York City last year after a decade in Seattle.

How does Google Docs fit into your everyday work at BridgEd?
When I launched my consulting practice last year, I made the conscious choice to use Google Docs and other Google products instead of buying the other office software. I've had a Gmail account for over a decade and use Google calendar to organize (and keep a historical record of) my life.

I was nervous about solely relying on Google Docs- I was unsure how I would collaborate with clients who use the other office software. I initially gave myself six months to road test this approach. It's been seamless. I use Google Docs to write, collaborate, plan, and edit with clients and partners across the world. I’m able to access my clients’ Office documents with no translation issues.

I also chose to switch from an iPhone to an Android-based cell phone. Having all of my communications devices on the same platform makes it incredibly easy to access information, no matter where I am.

When my laptop recently stopped working, I wasn’t worried about whether I’d remembered to back everything up because all of my work was automatically saved to my Google Drive. As an independent consultant, I’m my own CEO, CFO, HR Director, and Director of IT. This peace of mind is a huge relief.

What are 3 tips you’d give for other organizations who use/would consider using Google Docs?

Google Drive is your most powerful asset for organizing and sharing information. A well-organized Google Drive will make collaboration and communication so much easier. Bonus: the search function means you don’t even have to be that organized.
The “Suggest” feature in Google Docs makes co-writing easy and exciting. I have collaborated on two blog post projects with people I know only through Twitter-- and Google Docs made that process not only possible but easy as well.
I’ve saved a photo of my signature as a .jpg in my Google drive to easily sign Google Docs.

]]> We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

Hi Susanna! Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
I'm the founder & CEO of BridgEd Strategies, a consulting firm that works with education organizations to develop & implement strategy, communication, and change management plans that help them better serve low-income, first generation students. I'm a lifelong educator with experience ranging from being a K - 12 classroom teacher to a senior administrator at a technical college. Most recently I served as a program officer at a large national philanthropic foundation.

I returned home to New York City last year after a decade in Seattle.

How does Google Docs fit into your everyday work at BridgEd?
When I launched my consulting practice last year, I made the conscious choice to use Google Docs and other Google products instead of buying the other office software. I've had a Gmail account for over a decade and use Google calendar to organize (and keep a historical record of) my life.

I was nervous about solely relying on Google Docs- I was unsure how I would collaborate with clients who use the other office software. I initially gave myself six months to road test this approach. It's been seamless. I use Google Docs to write, collaborate, plan, and edit with clients and partners across the world. I’m able to access my clients’ Office documents with no translation issues.

Google Drive is your most powerful asset for organizing and sharing information. A well-organized Google Drive will make collaboration and communication so much easier. Bonus: the search function means you don’t even have to be that organized.
The “Suggest” feature in Google Docs makes co-writing easy and exciting. I have collaborated on two blog post projects with people I know only through Twitter-- and Google Docs made that process not only possible but easy as well.
I’ve saved a photo of my signature as a .jpg in my Google drive to easily sign Google Docs.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-susanna-founder-ceo-of-bridged-strategies/feed/ 0 Meet Jarrett, teacher & social entrepreneur https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-jarrett-teacher-social-entrepreneur/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-jarrett-teacher-social-entrepreneur/#comments Wed, 07 Oct 2015 14:14:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=68cce047c14d116d59a8259d0c2cc6e4 Jarrett is a teacher and social entrepreneur based in West Philadelphia who uses Google Docs and Drive to power a student run organization that creates healthy snacks, called Rebel Ventures.

We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

Hi Jarrett! Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
I work for an organization called the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative at Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships. Over the past 4 years, I’ve worked with West Philly HS students to build a business that produces healthy snacks called Rebel Ventures. Our mission is to make good food affordable to everyone. Simply put, good food is good for the people who eat it, good for the people who make it, and good for the planet. Our goal is to create healthy snacks and healthy jobs for our community.

How does Google Docs fit into your workday?
The Rebel Ventures Google Drive folder is the foundation of our job training model. Our business is divided into 6 departments (accounting, operations, sales, marketing, design, r&d) and high-school students rotate through each department, learning and developing a diverse set of skills by running the business activities within that department. The more skills HS students master, the more more money they earn.

We store all our files in our Drive, no matter what software is used to create them. All HS students with smartphones download Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc for their phone so they can access and manipulate the content at all times.

We use Slides to create all the tutorials that students use to teach themselves specific Rebel skills when no one is available to train them. Our entire accounting and sales systems are built in Sheets called Master Accounts. Every week a HS student opens and updates our Future Sales tab, which is transcribed on a whiteboard, carried into our kitchen, and the rest of the crew work on fulfilling orders.

We also use Sheets to improve our product quality in the Research and Development department. Every time we create a new flavor or product, we conduct a crew-wide taste test, where each individual ranks the products in a variety of set categories. A HS crew member is responsible for entering the data from the paper taste test forms into a spreadsheet, and then uses different functions to analyze and visualize the data so we can make informed recipe development decisions.

Our performance management system is based on peer evaluation. Every two weeks all Rebel crew members (high school, college, staff) fill out an anonymous Google Form where they rate their colleagues in 3 categories, and provide comments to justify the ratings. Our high school Rebel crew leaders are responsible for analyzing this data and then using it to co-plan SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) goals for individual improvement.

What are 3 tips you’d give for other organizations who use/would consider using Google Docs?

Trust your team and let them play. We give our high school students free access to computers as well as their phones during work, trusting that if they are using this technology they are working with Drive and Docs. The apps are simple enough that the students can self direct their activities, and they know to look to their peers and mentors if they need help manipulating a particular doc.
Build and keep building. We usually don’t have any idea what the final form of any of our docs, spreadsheets, presentations, or forms will look like before we start making them. We have a goal in mind, but otherwise just start building from the ground up until we’ve created a tool that is useful. We test the tool and continue building. If more than one person is working on a doc at a time, we make sure they have their own device to access the doc so we don’t stifle creativity, independence, and cooperative communication.
Be organized and be transparent. We do our best to keep our Drive organized through folders, and regularly train our staff on how to navigate the system. We also put everything our staff needs into Drive so there is open access to the information we need to do our jobs.

]]> Jarrett is a teacher and social entrepreneur based in West Philadelphia who uses Google Docs and Drive to power a student run organization that creates healthy snacks, called Rebel Ventures.

We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

Hi Jarrett! Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
I work for an organization called the Agatston Urban Nutrition Initiative at Penn’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships. Over the past 4 years, I’ve worked with West Philly HS students to build a business that produces healthy snacks called Rebel Ventures. Our mission is to make good food affordable to everyone. Simply put, good food is good for the people who eat it, good for the people who make it, and good for the planet. Our goal is to create healthy snacks and healthy jobs for our community.

How does Google Docs fit into your workday?
The Rebel Ventures Google Drive folder is the foundation of our job training model. Our business is divided into 6 departments (accounting, operations, sales, marketing, design, r&d) and high-school students rotate through each department, learning and developing a diverse set of skills by running the business activities within that department. The more skills HS students master, the more more money they earn.

Trust your team and let them play. We give our high school students free access to computers as well as their phones during work, trusting that if they are using this technology they are working with Drive and Docs. The apps are simple enough that the students can self direct their activities, and they know to look to their peers and mentors if they need help manipulating a particular doc.
Build and keep building. We usually don’t have any idea what the final form of any of our docs, spreadsheets, presentations, or forms will look like before we start making them. We have a goal in mind, but otherwise just start building from the ground up until we’ve created a tool that is useful. We test the tool and continue building. If more than one person is working on a doc at a time, we make sure they have their own device to access the doc so we don’t stifle creativity, independence, and cooperative communication.
Be organized and be transparent. We do our best to keep our Drive organized through folders, and regularly train our staff on how to navigate the system. We also put everything our staff needs into Drive so there is open access to the information we need to do our jobs.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-jarrett-teacher-social-entrepreneur/feed/ 0 Meet Bodie, filmmaker & storyteller https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-bodie-filmmaker-storyteller/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-bodie-filmmaker-storyteller/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2015 16:23:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=81258a21e563633e18d4202b9e6ce281 Bodie is an award winning writer and director of short films and other projects that have aired on MTVu, Logo, and the Sundance Channel, and has collaborated with DJ ShyBoy to create music videos for his debut album Water on Mars. Currently Bodie’s video work can be seen as part of the Los Angeles Public Library’s exhibit, “To Live and Dine in L.A.” exploring food culture and issues of food justice in and around L.A.

We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

1. Hey Bodie! Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
I see myself as a jack-of-all-trades film/media maker/storyteller/… . Although my background is firmly rooted in traditional forms of storytelling--like theatre and film--I’m fortunate that over the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to expand my knowledge of all things new-media related.

Currently I’m an assistant professor of cinematic practice at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts’ division of Media Arts + Practice. I teach documentary film production, web design, installation-based storytelling, and everything in between. The incredible group of faculty, staff, and students in our department are exploring all types of media (interactive, immersive, web-based, etc.) and how it can be used to critically engage with the issues most pressing to our culture and society. It’s an exciting place to be and, even though I’m a professor, I feel like I learn more than my students every day!

With my newfound awareness of the possibilities inherent to these emergent modes of storytelling, I’m now collaborating with many artists and designers to develop stories that will harness these technologies. This doesn’t mean I’ve completely turned my back on narrative feature films (in fact, I’m in various stages of the writing process for three), but because every project can take such a long time to gestate, I’m a firm believer of casting as wide a net as possible to keep the artistic practice in tip-top shape.

2. How does Google Docs fit into your filmmaking and teaching?
Google Docs is integral to all that I do; I use it to keep track of any ideas I have for future projects, my artistic partners and I use all of the Docs tools for our collaborations, and I use it in my classes as a space in which my students can ideate for group projects.

Re-reading that paragraph I find it amusing because I don’t think I have ever thought of word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations as artistic tools, but the way Google has designed them (and continually improved them) they’ve truly become a key part of my creative process.

3. What are 3 tips you’d give for filmmakers who use/would consider using Google Docs?

Try to think outside of the box - I’ve adapted Sheets to a 3x5” index card technique I learned at UCLA as a way to map out my screenplays, Slides has become a good pre-visualization tool for my video shoots, and Docs can be adapted to use for almost any idea!
Sync to your devices - I use the entire suite on my phone, laptop, and desktop at school. The mobility it allows is incredible and saves me from having to make multiple copies of documents for each device.
Collaborate - the fullest potential of Google Docs is only revealed once you use it to work with others.

]]> Bodie is an award winning writer and director of short films and other projects that have aired on MTVu, Logo, and the Sundance Channel, and has collaborated with DJ ShyBoy to create music videos for his debut album Water on Mars. Currently Bodie’s video work can be seen as part of the Los Angeles Public Library’s exhibit, “To Live and Dine in L.A.” exploring food culture and issues of food justice in and around L.A.

We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

1. Hey Bodie! Tell us a little about yourself and what you do.
I see myself as a jack-of-all-trades film/media maker/storyteller/… . Although my background is firmly rooted in traditional forms of storytelling--like theatre and film--I’m fortunate that over the past few years I’ve had the opportunity to expand my knowledge of all things new-media related.

Currently I’m an assistant professor of cinematic practice at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts’ division of Media Arts + Practice. I teach documentary film production, web design, installation-based storytelling, and everything in between. The incredible group of faculty, staff, and students in our department are exploring all types of media (interactive, immersive, web-based, etc.) and how it can be used to critically engage with the issues most pressing to our culture and society. It’s an exciting place to be and, even though I’m a professor, I feel like I learn more than my students every day!

With my newfound awareness of the possibilities inherent to these emergent modes of storytelling, I’m now collaborating with many artists and designers to develop stories that will harness these technologies. This doesn’t mean I’ve completely turned my back on narrative feature films (in fact, I’m in various stages of the writing process for three), but because every project can take such a long time to gestate, I’m a firm believer of casting as wide a net as possible to keep the artistic practice in tip-top shape.

2. How does Google Docs fit into your filmmaking and teaching?
Google Docs is integral to all that I do; I use it to keep track of any ideas I have for future projects, my artistic partners and I use all of the Docs tools for our collaborations, and I use it in my classes as a space in which my students can ideate for group projects.

Try to think outside of the box - I’ve adapted Sheets to a 3x5” index card technique I learned at UCLA as a way to map out my screenplays, Slides has become a good pre-visualization tool for my video shoots, and Docs can be adapted to use for almost any idea!
Sync to your devices - I use the entire suite on my phone, laptop, and desktop at school. The mobility it allows is incredible and saves me from having to make multiple copies of documents for each device.
Collaborate - the fullest potential of Google Docs is only revealed once you use it to work with others.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-bodie-filmmaker-storyteller/feed/ 0 Google Keep: save your thoughts from wherever—including iPhones https://googledata.org/google-docs/google-keep-save-your-thoughts-from-wherever-including-iphones/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/google-keep-save-your-thoughts-from-wherever-including-iphones/#comments Thu, 24 Sep 2015 18:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=0888c56e74c48b7223d6d4356565f68f Google Keep can help. And starting today, the things you love about Keep on the web and Android are now available on iOS:

Find what you need, quickly by searching and filtering your notes by color and type like images, audio and text. You can also add labels to help you organize your thoughts.
Set time or location-based reminders so you won’t forget to swing by the dry cleaners or miss an item on your shopping list.
Do more, together by sharing your notes so you can divvy up the packing list and watch as the items get checked off in real time.

Give the new Keep app for iOS a try (it's rolling out today) and capture what’s on your mind!

Posted by Genevieve Cuevas, Software Engineer]]> Google Keep can help. And starting today, the things you love about Keep on the web and Android are now available on iOS:

Find what you need, quickly by searching and filtering your notes by color and type like images, audio and text. You can also add labels to help you organize your thoughts.
Set time or location-based reminders so you won’t forget to swing by the dry cleaners or miss an item on your shopping list.
Do more, together by sharing your notes so you can divvy up the packing list and watch as the items get checked off in real time.

Give the new Keep app for iOS a try (it's rolling out today) and capture what’s on your mind!

Posted by Genevieve Cuevas, Software Engineer]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/google-keep-save-your-thoughts-from-wherever-including-iphones/feed/ 0 Do your best work with Google Docs https://googledata.org/google-docs/do-your-best-work-with-google-docs/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/do-your-best-work-with-google-docs/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2015 19:03:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=53e5b84d9a43b77a867484767d1793b5 To help you and your employees be as efficient as possible, collaborate more effectively, and create beautiful, compelling content, we’re launching several new features in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms. Read on for more information about each!

Be more efficient
New functionality in Docs saves you time by enabling you to work on the go, in the way that’s fastest and easiest for you.

Research in Docs on Android

Research in the Docs Android app makes working whenever, wherever, easier. Use the feature to search Google without leaving the app, then add those facts, images, and quotes you find directly to your document with only a few taps on the screen. Spend less time toggling between apps and copying and pasting and more time on the work that’s important to you!

Voice typing in Docs
Voice typing allows you to dictate your ideas directly to Docs, both in Chrome on the web and via the Android and iOS mobile apps. When using Docs on the web, simply select Voice typing in the Tools menu, click the microphone button to activate the feature, and start speaking —no keyboard necessary. When using your phone, just tap the microphone button on your keyboard to begin. Voice typing is available in more than 40 languages.

Work better together
Collaborate more effectively with your colleagues and partners using the following new features in Google Docs, Slides, and Forms.

See new changes in Docs
Easily check out the changes made to a Docs file since you last viewed it—and who made them—by clicking See new changes at the top of your document or from the File menu in Docs on the web. Quickly glance at the latest edits and pick up right where your teammates left off.

Revamped Google Forms
Ask and get answers in style with the brand new Forms look, feel, and functionality. In addition to an improved mobile-friendly interface, the revamped Forms features a selection of new themes and color palettes, the ability to customize your form with your own photo or logo, and buttons to quickly insert images, GIFs, and videos. Responses are easier to analyze as well, as they now appear in the same window as the form editor (you can also view them in Sheets).

Try out the new Forms by visiting this site (don’t worry—you can revert back to the old UI at any time). Responders will only see the new UI for those forms created or edited in it. Remember—this is an early, opt-in-only release of the new Forms, and we’ll continue to add features and functionality in the future.
Loading...
Google Fonts preserved in Microsoft® Word and PowerPoint on PCs
You no longer need to worry about sending documents and presentations created in Docs and Slides to customers and partners using Word and PowerPoint on PCs—even when those documents and presentations contain Google Fonts. Google Fonts will now be preserved when you download Docs and Slides files in Word and PowerPoint.

Create compelling content
Create your best and most beautiful work with a bit of help from Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides—in particular, using the features described below.

Explore in Sheets
Spend less time trying to make sense of your data and more time acting on it with Explore in Sheets. This new feature on the web and in the Android app analyzes the data (including some types of text) in your spreadsheets and automatically creates charts and surfaces insights based on that information. Highlight different sets of data and watch as the charts change dynamically, then drag and drop those charts directly into your spreadsheet. You can do the same with instant calculations (for example, the sums and counts of certain ranges). Like a built-in analyst at your beck and call, Explore allows you to easily visualize trends and better understand your data.

Partial cell formatting in Sheets
When it comes to spreadsheets—and the cells that comprise them—we know that one size doesn’t always fit all. That’s why it’s now possible to select only a portion of the characters within a cell in Sheets and to apply text formatting to only those characters (as opposed to the entire cell). This functionality is available on the web and in the Sheets Android app.

Templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides
Focus on your content, not your formatting, with the new templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides on the web. Choose from a wide variety of documents, spreadsheets, and presentations pre-designed for a multitude of use cases, including newsletters, invoices, pitch decks, case studies, and more. Simply visit the Docs, Sheets, and Slides home screens to access these new templates and get started. While these templates are only available in English at the moment, we’ll be rolling them out in additional languages soon.

If you and/or your employees previously created your own templates, you can still access them (and create new custom templates) at drive.google.com/templates. We understand that some businesses and brands have additional needs when working with templates, and we’re looking to address these in future updates.

Themes in Slides
In addition to using the new templates described above, you can also use a set of 22 new themes in Slides to quickly create compelling presentations. Some of these new themes are simply updated versions of old themes (e.g. Simple Light, Simple Dark, and Swiss), while others are completely new (e.g. Beach Day, Modern Writer, and Spearmint). These themes can be accessed from a new Themes side panel in Slides, so you can easily experiment with and toggle between them when crafting presentations. Though the old themes are no longer accessible from this panel, they will continue to work in any presentations already using them.

Check out the Help Center articles below for more information on each of these new and improved features!

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release:

Research in Docs on Android

Voice typing in Docs on Android and iOS

Google Fonts preserved in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint on PCs

Explore in Sheets on Android

Partial cell formatting in Sheets on Android

Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming the week of September 21st:

Voice typing in Docs on the web

See new changes in Docs

Revamped Google Forms (opt-in only)

Explore in Sheets on the web

Partial cell formatting in Sheets on the web

Templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Themes in Slides

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center articles:

Do quick research in a document or presentation

Type with your voice

See the history of changes made to a file

Try the new version of Google Forms

Quickly get insights on a spreadsheet using Explore

Edit and format data in Google spreadsheets

Docs, Sheets, and Slides templates

Customize a slide with layouts and themes

]]> To help you and your employees be as efficient as possible, collaborate more effectively, and create beautiful, compelling content, we’re launching several new features in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms. Read on for more information about each!

Be more efficient
New functionality in Docs saves you time by enabling you to work on the go, in the way that’s fastest and easiest for you.

Research in Docs on Android

Revamped Google Forms
Ask and get answers in style with the brand new Forms look, feel, and functionality. In addition to an improved mobile-friendly interface, the revamped Forms features a selection of new themes and color palettes, the ability to customize your form with your own photo or logo, and buttons to quickly insert images, GIFs, and videos. Responses are easier to analyze as well, as they now appear in the same window as the form editor (you can also view them in Sheets).

Try out the new Forms by visiting this site (don’t worry—you can revert back to the old UI at any time). Responders will only see the new UI for those forms created or edited in it. Remember—this is an early, opt-in-only release of the new Forms, and we’ll continue to add features and functionality in the future.

Google Fonts preserved in Microsoft® Word and PowerPoint on PCs
You no longer need to worry about sending documents and presentations created in Docs and Slides to customers and partners using Word and PowerPoint on PCs—even when those documents and presentations contain Google Fonts. Google Fonts will now be preserved when you download Docs and Slides files in Word and PowerPoint.

Create compelling content
Create your best and most beautiful work with a bit of help from Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides—in particular, using the features described below.

Explore in Sheets
Spend less time trying to make sense of your data and more time acting on it with Explore in Sheets. This new feature on the web and in the Android app analyzes the data (including some types of text) in your spreadsheets and automatically creates charts and surfaces insights based on that information. Highlight different sets of data and watch as the charts change dynamically, then drag and drop those charts directly into your spreadsheet. You can do the same with instant calculations (for example, the sums and counts of certain ranges). Like a built-in analyst at your beck and call, Explore allows you to easily visualize trends and better understand your data.

Check out the Help Center articles below for more information on each of these new and improved features!

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release:

Research in Docs on Android

Voice typing in Docs on Android and iOS

Google Fonts preserved in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint on PCs

Explore in Sheets on Android

Partial cell formatting in Sheets on Android

Launching to Rapid release, with Scheduled release coming the week of September 21st:

Voice typing in Docs on the web

See new changes in Docs

Revamped Google Forms (opt-in only)

Explore in Sheets on the web

Partial cell formatting in Sheets on the web

Templates in Docs, Sheets, and Slides

Themes in Slides

Rollout pace:
Gradual rollout (potentially longer than 3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center articles:

Do quick research in a document or presentation

Type with your voice

See the history of changes made to a file

Try the new version of Google Forms

Quickly get insights on a spreadsheet using Explore

Edit and format data in Google spreadsheets

Docs, Sheets, and Slides templates

Customize a slide with layouts and themes

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/do-your-best-work-with-google-docs/feed/ 0 Google Docs and Classroom: your school year sidekicks https://googledata.org/google-docs/google-docs-and-classroom-your-school-year-sidekicks-3/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/google-docs-and-classroom-your-school-year-sidekicks-3/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2015 17:59:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=c08b6f9170008c7168e29deb728c4daf
Schoolwork, minus the work

Writing papers is now a lot easier with the Research tool in Docs for Android. You can search Google without leaving Docs, and once you find the quotes, facts or images you’re looking for, you can add them to your document with just a couple taps. That means less time switching between apps, and more time perfecting your thesis statement.

With Voice typing, you can record ideas or even compose an entire essay without touching your keyboard. To get started, activate Voice typing in the Tools menu when you're using Docs in Chrome. Then, when you’re on the go, just tap the microphone button on your phone’s keyboard and speak your mind. Voice typing is available in more than 40 languages, so we can help with your French homework, too. Voilà!

Do more, together
We’ve made it easier for you to tell what was added or deleted in Docs—and who made the changes. Now when you’ve left a document and you come back to it later, you can just click “See new changes” to pick up right where your classmates left off.

Forms helps you get a lot of information easily and in one place—so when you want to vote on your class field trip or collect T-shirt sizes for your team, you don’t have to sort through dozens of emails. With the new Forms, you can survey with style—choose one of the colorful new themes or customize your form with your own photo or logo, and we’ll choose the right color palette to match. Easily insert images, GIFs or videos and pick from a selection of question formats. Then send out your survey and watch as the responses roll in!

Your best work, your best you
Creating presentations, crafting newsletters and managing your team’s budget is hard enough without having to worry about making everything look good. With the new collection of templates in Docs, Sheets and Slides, you can focus on your content while we make sure it gets the expert polish it deserves. Choose from a wide variety of reports, portfolios, resumes and other pre-made templates designed to make your work that much better, and your life that much easier.

With Explore in Sheets, you can now spend less time trying to decipher your data, and more time making a point. Explore creates charts and insights automatically, so you can visualize trends and understand your data in seconds on the web or on your Android. It’s like having an expert analyst right by your side.

Mission control, for teachers and students

A year ago, we launched Classroom to save teachers and students time and make it easier to keep classwork organized. Today we’re launching a Share to Classroom Chrome extension to make it easy for teachers to share a website with the entire class at the same time—no matter what kind of laptop students have. Now the whole class can head to a web page together, without losing precious minutes and focus to typos.

Rock this school year with Google Docs and Classroom. Your first assignment? Try these new features, which are rolling out today.

Posted by Ritcha Ranjan, Product Manager

]]>
Schoolwork, minus the work

Mission control, for teachers and students

Rock this school year with Google Docs and Classroom. Your first assignment? Try these new features, which are rolling out today.

Posted by Ritcha Ranjan, Product Manager

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/google-docs-and-classroom-your-school-year-sidekicks-3/feed/ 0 Meet Ben, President of Delta Upsilon WSU https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-ben-president-of-delta-upsilon-wsu/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-ben-president-of-delta-upsilon-wsu/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2015 21:32:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=10e733b6542a2c38ea9ddeec97820c56 Meet Ben Hundley--a fraternity president who keeps his chapter moving with a little help from Google Docs.

We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

Hi Ben! Tell us a little about yourself and Delta Upsilon WSU.
My name is Ben Hundley and I am the current President of Delta Upsilon WSU. We are a small chapter between the size of 30-40 guys currently and we are based off of the four founding principles of: Promotion of Friendship, Development of Character, Diffusion of Liberal Culture and the Advancement of Justice. Our organization recently celebrated 120 years on our campus and we are extremely proud of the continued tradition and benefit our members offer to the community.

How does Google Docs fit into your chapter’s day to day?
We as a chapter use Google Docs primarily with our executive board and recruitment team. The executive board has 8 sitting members and the recruitment team has 5 sitting members. For the executive board, we are able to keep documents saved via a house Google account. This allows us to ease the transition each year during officer elections.

This summer we have been using Google Docs heavily in order to allow the executive board to give input on the restructuring of our organization's bylaws. It has made it significantly easier for us to discuss changes and execute those changes in a timely manner because we can have multiple people addressing the same issues or action points without having to be in the same city or state. Our recruitment team is able to coordinate our recruiting efforts through Google Sheets. The lifeblood of any collegiate organization is recruiting new members and therefore, having an easily accessible spreadsheet to track who is calling who and which people have already been contacted is vital.

What are 3 tips you’d give to other fraternities & sororities who use/would consider using Google Docs? If our chapter had to give 3 tips to other greek life, they would be:

Host a training session!! Although Google Docs are easy to navigate, it is still essential to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Don't forget to learn the ins and outs of privacy and sharing documents
EXPERIMENT! Try out features and see if they can be adapted to your chapter's needs.

]]> Meet Ben Hundley--a fraternity president who keeps his chapter moving with a little help from Google Docs.

We want to know how you use Google Docs, too, so share your own examples at +GoogleDocs or @googledocs with the hashtag #mygoogledocs. -Ed.

Hi Ben! Tell us a little about yourself and Delta Upsilon WSU.
My name is Ben Hundley and I am the current President of Delta Upsilon WSU. We are a small chapter between the size of 30-40 guys currently and we are based off of the four founding principles of: Promotion of Friendship, Development of Character, Diffusion of Liberal Culture and the Advancement of Justice. Our organization recently celebrated 120 years on our campus and we are extremely proud of the continued tradition and benefit our members offer to the community.

Host a training session!! Although Google Docs are easy to navigate, it is still essential to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Don't forget to learn the ins and outs of privacy and sharing documents
EXPERIMENT! Try out features and see if they can be adapted to your chapter's needs.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/meet-ben-president-of-delta-upsilon-wsu/feed/ 0 New (School) Year resolutions with #GoogleEdu https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-school-year-resolutions-with-googleedu/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-school-year-resolutions-with-googleedu/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2015 12:00:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=70b8b4661aa2669459a79bcaa6bd0508 Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog)

The tradition of ringing in each New Year with resolutions (whether we stick to them or not) is always an opportunity to reflect and start the year ahead on the right foot. As students and teachers around the world return to campuses and classrooms this fall, we’re embarking on a different kind of fresh start: a New (School) Year. And we want to help you make the most of it. So we’ve put together a few resolution ideas, plus tips to help you stick to them. We’ve also made a resolution of our own: to bring the best of Google technology to education.

The best of Google, for education
Like many resolutions, ours might sound familiar—and that’s because the Google for Education team has been working on it for a while. Over the last few years, we’ve spent a lot of time with teachers and students, witnessing firsthand how technology is helping in the classroom and learning about challenges that are yet unsolved. With feedback from schools, we’ve improved products like Google Apps for Education and Docs, building in new features specifically useful for education. We’ve also created new learning experiences like Google Classroom—a sort of mission control for teachers and students, offering a single place to keep track of all class materials, eliminating paperwork and making it easy for teachers to collaborate with students, and students to collaborate with each other.

So as part of our resolution this school year, we’re launching some new features in Google Classroom. Teachers can now easily ask students questions in Classroom, alongside all the other class materials in the stream. Teachers also told us that they want more ways for students to engage with each other, and flex their critical thinking muscles. So now students can comment on each other’s answers in Classroom and have open-ended discussions. In the next month, we'll also make it possible for teachers to add assignments, due dates and field trips to a shared calendar.

So what’s your resolution?
We’re sure you’ve already set some big goals for the year ahead—from acing AP Bio to landing that killer internship. Whatever your plans, it can be tough to stick with those goals once assignments and social commitments start to pile up. So we’ve collected 50+ tips from more than 15 Google products to help you follow through with your resolutions. Here are some ideas:

Resolution 1. Get (and stay) organized
When you’re bogged down by clutter, it can be tough to get stuff done. Make this your year to be more organized. Never miss another study group with help from Google Calendar. Use Google Sheets to keep all your classmates' info in one place, and better manage your inbox by emailing everyone at once with a Google group.

Resolution 2. Get (mentally) fit
Push yourself to take your studies to the next level. Teach yourself how to code with Made with Code. Make the most of language class by saving your most used words and phrases with Google Translate or magically translating webpages with Google Chrome.

Resolution 3. Get some worldly perspective
Not studying abroad this year? No problem. You can still unleash your inner explorer with Google Maps Treks and visit the Pyramids of Giza or the Great Barrier Reef without leaving your room. Or bring your art history class to life by seeing those masterpieces up close and in perfect detail with Cultural Institute.

We hope these give you new ideas for how you can make this school year your best yet. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be announcing more tips and other updates—so follow along with #GoogleEdu and on Google+. We’ll be doing our homework to stick to our resolution, so we can hopefully give you what you need to do the same. Now go hit those books!

Posted by Miriam Schneider, Google for Education

]]> Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog)

The tradition of ringing in each New Year with resolutions (whether we stick to them or not) is always an opportunity to reflect and start the year ahead on the right foot. As students and teachers around the world return to campuses and classrooms this fall, we’re embarking on a different kind of fresh start: a New (School) Year. And we want to help you make the most of it. So we’ve put together a few resolution ideas, plus tips to help you stick to them. We’ve also made a resolution of our own: to bring the best of Google technology to education.

Posted by Miriam Schneider, Google for Education

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-school-year-resolutions-with-googleedu/feed/ 0 Hover over Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides Share button to see warning if sharing settings are invalid https://googledata.org/google-docs/hover-over-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-share-button-to-see-warning-if-sharing-settings-are-invalid/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/hover-over-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-share-button-to-see-warning-if-sharing-settings-are-invalid/#comments Mon, 24 Aug 2015 18:50:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=a8e407d41594fdbaf9c439affa307e55 In July, we launched notifications in the Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides sharing dialogues that warn users when they attempt to share files with others but cannot do so due to their own or the recipient’s domain-wide sharing settings. Starting today, a similar warning will appear when a user hovers over the Share button in a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file if that user is allowed to edit that file’s permissions.

As with the sharing dialogue, this warning will appear when:

a file is shared with a person outside of the sharing employee’s domain, but sharing outside of that employee’s domain is disabled,
a file is shared with a person outside of the sharing employee’s domain, but sharing into the receiving person’s domain is disabled, and/or
a file is shared using one of the “anyone” options, but sharing or publishing outside of the sharing employee’s domain is disabled.

This feature was specifically requested following the July launch and gives your employees increased visibility into how their files are being shared.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

]]> In July, we launched notifications in the Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Slides sharing dialogues that warn users when they attempt to share files with others but cannot do so due to their own or the recipient’s domain-wide sharing settings. Starting today, a similar warning will appear when a user hovers over the Share button in a Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides file if that user is allowed to edit that file’s permissions.

As with the sharing dialogue, this warning will appear when:

a file is shared with a person outside of the sharing employee’s domain, but sharing outside of that employee’s domain is disabled,
a file is shared with a person outside of the sharing employee’s domain, but sharing into the receiving person’s domain is disabled, and/or
a file is shared using one of the “anyone” options, but sharing or publishing outside of the sharing employee’s domain is disabled.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/hover-over-google-docs-sheets-and-slides-share-button-to-see-warning-if-sharing-settings-are-invalid/feed/ 0 New features in the Google Docs and Sheets mobile apps https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-features-in-the-google-docs-and-sheets-mobile-apps/ https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-features-in-the-google-docs-and-sheets-mobile-apps/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2015 11:44:00 +0000 https://googledata.org/?guid=ed74f8511d09b3f5253f5f63ad12f28d The latest releases of the Google Docs and Sheets mobile apps include the following new features:

Print Layout view in Google Docs for Android and iOS (Beta) - You can now select Print Layout from the overflow menu in the top right corner of the Docs app on Android and iOS to see a fully paginated, read-only version of your document. While you can’t make edits in that view, the document itself will be updated in real-time when collaborators make changes to it. This feature is currently in beta; additional functionality, including the ability to edit in Print Layout view, will roll out in the future.

Autofill in Google Sheets for Android - Using the autofill feature, it’s easy to repeat information or complete a pattern in a Sheets spreadsheet on the web. This launch brings that same functionality to the Sheets app for Android. Simply select the data you want to repeat, as well as the cells where you want to repeat that data. Tap the selected data again to open a menu, and then select Autofill to automatically populate those cells.

More intuitive keyboard functionality in Google Sheets for Android - Previously, when a user clicked into a cell, the Sheets Android app would automatically open the alphabetic keyboard—regardless of whether that cell contained text or numeric values. Going forward, the app will launch the alphabetic keyboard when the cell contains text and the numeric keyboard when the cell contains numbers or symbols. It will also offer an easy way to shift between the two keyboard options.

Download the latest Google Docs and Sheets Android apps on Google Play and the latest Google Docs iOS app from the App Store.

Launch Details
Release track:
Launching to both Rapid release and Scheduled release

Rollout pace:
Full rollout (1–3 days for feature visibility)

Impact:
All end users

Action:
Change management suggested/FYI

More Information
Help Center: Autofill

Note: all launches are applicable to all Google Apps editions unless otherwise noted

Launch release calendar
Launch detail categories
Get these product update alerts by email
Subscribe to the RSS feed of these updates

]]> The latest releases of the Google Docs and Sheets mobile apps include the following new features:

Print Layout view in Google Docs for Android and iOS (Beta) - You can now select Print Layout from the overflow menu in the top right corner of the Docs app on Android and iOS to see a fully paginated, read-only version of your document. While you can’t make edits in that view, the document itself will be updated in real-time when collaborators make changes to it. This feature is currently in beta; additional functionality, including the ability to edit in Print Layout view, will roll out in the future.

Autofill in Google Sheets for Android - Using the autofill feature, it’s easy to repeat information or complete a pattern in a Sheets spreadsheet on the web. This launch brings that same functionality to the Sheets app for Android. Simply select the data you want to repeat, as well as the cells where you want to repeat that data. Tap the selected data again to open a menu, and then select Autofill to automatically populate those cells.

More intuitive keyboard functionality in Google Sheets for Android - Previously, when a user clicked into a cell, the Sheets Android app would automatically open the alphabetic keyboard—regardless of whether that cell contained text or numeric values. Going forward, the app will launch the alphabetic keyboard when the cell contains text and the numeric keyboard when the cell contains numbers or symbols. It will also offer an easy way to shift between the two keyboard options.

]]> https://googledata.org/google-docs/new-features-in-the-google-docs-and-sheets-mobile-apps/feed/ 0