June 2006 Newsletter
Google Librarian
of the newsletter, please visit:
http://www.googlelibrarian.com/wordpress/?page_id=59
Google Librarian News & Notes:
GoogleLibrarian.com is nearing 1000 members, and we'd like to thank
all of you for your continued support and visits. Our regular
newsletter will resume in July with montly publications. Also, be on
the look out for a series of new tutorials to be released later this
month on our site.
Google Book of the Month:
Google's PageRank and Beyond : The Science of Search Engine Rankings
By Amy Langville & Carl Meyer
Release Date: June 30th
This book is not yet released, and will be available on June 30th. If
you haven't pre-ordered this book for your library yet, now's the
time to do it.
If you have wondered what determines what sites come up first on the
search engine results pages, or what a PageRank is (and how you get
one), then this is the book for you. It is written on two levels, one
for the technically interested, and another for the technical
computational reader. It contains an extensive background chapter on
the mathematics of search engines, and interesting asides such as how
search engines make money. Webmasters can also benefit greatly from
the book with its insight into how to improve your search engine
rankings.
The Latest Google Innovations:
Google Spreadsheets -
In early June, Google released Google Spreadsheets, and online
spreadsheet application. It is currently in the limited testBeta
stage, and currently available to a small audience. You may sign up to
receive an invitation to the service at http://spreadsheets.google.com.
The application is very similar to Microsoft Excel, albeit with fewer
of the more advanced features. One innovative approach that Google has
taken to the Spreadsheets, however, is the ability to collaborate. One
you have saved your file online, it may be accessed simultaneously by
two people (after you invite the other person). Additionally, you can
chat in real time about it.
Google Browser Sync -
A Firefox browser extension that keeps all your browser settings for
different computers in sync. That way when you're at work and are
wishing you knew the URL to the website you bookmarked on your home PC,
you'll now be able to access it! It also remembers which tabs and
windows you had open when you last closed any of your browsers and
gives you a chance to reopen them.
Google Trends:
See what the world is searching for, when they're searching for it,
and how often. Google Trends allows you to see the latest trends in
search and our culture. It is also a helpful tool in determining the
popularity of a particular keyword.
Google Video Player (Mac Version) -
Google has finally released a Mac version of their video player.
Gmail (New Languages) -
The Gmail interface is now available in two new languages - Hebrew
and Arabic.
The Latest Google Rumours:
GBuy - According to some rumours flying around the net, Google is
gearing up to launch Gbuy , their long-anticipated payments system, on
June 28. GBuy is reported to be similar to PayPal, allowing online
payments from consumer to merchant. Want to know more? Check out the
article that started it all, brought to you by Forbes.com.
http://www.forbes.com/markets/equities/2006/06/09/google-0609markets09.html
Picasa Web Albums - This month, Google placed a link on their Picasa
website to "Picasa Web Albums". It was active for a short period
of time, and then removed. It is believed that Google will soon be
launching a web-based version of their Picasa desktop software,
allowing users to organize and share their photos online.
Feedback & Suggestions:
We always welcome your feedback and suggestions for the newsletter and
our website. Additionally, we accept member contributions in the form
of articles, reviews, and more. If you have something you'd like us
to include, let us know.