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Week in Review - October 3, 2015: New Nexii, Google Photos features, GMB Pages dashboard

This week Google announced new hardware, updated services and sites, and fabulous features! This week Google held a press event to announce new Nexus phones, a convertible tablet, new Chromecast, and some sweet updates to Google Photos (including chromecast support and (future) shared albums).

The new Nexii will work on Google's Project Fi network. You can get your questions about Project Fi answered in the new official Project Fi Help Forum!

This week was also PubCon in Las Vegas. AdWords announced new ad types on YouTube, Gmail and search, and AdSense launched the Certified Partner Program.

Plus HTTPS is now available for Blogger blogs, there is a new Google My Business dashboard for Local and Brand Pages, you can post to the top of Google+ Collections, Google Profile blue heads are going away and more!

Watch the full September Google Press Event (Google on YouTube) 

Image: from the NASA Project Apollo photo archive on Flickr

Nexus, Android, Project Fi

Google Photos

  • New! People Labeling, Chromecast support and (eventually) shared albums (Google Photos)
  • Update: Google Photos for Android: Chromecast support, label and merge people groupings, share animations directly to WhatsApp and more!
  • Update: Google Photos for iOS: face labeling, share animated GIFs to WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, but no Chromecast support yet

Google+, Google My Business, and Google Identities

  • New! Pin a to the top of a Google+ Collection in the Google+ Android App (John Elstone)
  • New! The new Google My Business Dashboard for Brand and Local Pages (Google+ discussion of my post here)
  • Update: View Insights about your Google+ Page anywhere with the updated Google My Business app (Google Business)
  • New! Google profile "blue heads" going away? The Google Bar will start showing an initial instead of a blue head for users with Google+ starting this week. It will be reflected across Google Products in the coming months (Google Apps updates)
  • Tip: Have you joined the Google+ Creators community? Get your Collections into feature shape!

Hangouts and Messaging

Blogger and Webmasters

  • New! HTTPS coming to Blogger .blogspot. blogs (Blogger Buzz)
  • Opportunity: Webmasters: you can help shape Google Search Console - sign up to be a trusted tester (John Mueller)

YouTube and Video Creators

AdSense and Google Ads

  • Opportunity: AdSense Publishers in New York and London: AdSense wants your thoughts and feedback in a user experience study focused on AdSense Policy Violation Notifications
  • New! Shopping card ads, app promotion ads, and more updates to advertising on YouTube videos (AdWords)
  • New! AdWords advertisers can now target ads on YouTube, Search and Gmail by email address (AdWords blog)
  • New! AdSense Launches the Certified Partner Program “trained experts on AdSense, DoubleClick for Publishers, and DoubleClick Ad Exchange who could help you earn more from your sites while also saving you time” (AdSense blog)

Productivity: Gmail, Docs, Drive, Maps and more


Updated March 2019 to remove the Google+ links

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