Week in Review - March 5, 2016: Google Photos, Google+, YouTube and more

This week Google Photos got a major makeover with easier navigation and faster editing and cropping on the web. Google+ updated the iOS app and web preview, which finally shows your intro, tagline and story. And the YouTube Policy Team posted a special note to creators - they are listening.

Also new and interesting: “Google Posts” are Google+-like posts that only appear in search results (limited to politicians and a few businesses at the moment), Google Design launches the “Resizer” tool to test responsive layouts, and Google Docs, Slides & Sheets got new expert-designed templates.

And there are more tips and updates for YouTubers, live broadcasters, Bloggers, AdSense Publishers, and more!

Image: Young Girl Lying Down Looking at an Album, c.1889, Edgar Degas

Google+

• Update G+ iOS update: create polls & communities, reply to YouTube comments and more (Luke Wroblewski)
• Update Google+ web preview update: better Collection sharing, post pinning, search history & more (Luke Wroblewski)
• Update "About" intro, tag line and story returns to the new Google+ (Luke Wroblewski)
• Update Is Google Finally Nuking Unverified Local Plus Pages? (Mike Blumenthal)
• Tip Google+ tip: credit the content you share! (Sooraj Wadhwa)

Google for Local Businesses

• Tip Find out what's new with Google My Business (Google Small Business)
• Update Is Google Finally Nuking Unverified Local Plus Pages? (Mike Blumenthal)
• Article Google's Newest Social Sharing Environment? Google Posts (Mike Blumenthal)
• Article “Google Posts” embeds a one-way social network directly into search results (Ars Technica)

YouTube

• A note from the YouTube Policy team to creators: YouTube is listening to your feedback (YT Spencer and the Policy Team)
• Tip A: Does your YouTube channel not have tabs or show much? If so- read on:productforums.google.com (YouTube Help Forum)
• Tip How To DISABLE YouTube Channel Navigation Tabs (video by The Lady From UNCLE)
• Tip Phone verify your YouTube channel to enable longer uploads, live streaming and other features (YouTube Help video)
• New Seven young women YouTuber stars from around the world named Change Ambassadors to the UN (Tubefilter)
• New YouTube's New Content Program Targets Women Filmmakers (Jezebel)

Live Streaming

• New Facebook updates News Feed ranking algorithm to highlight live broadcasts (TechCrunch & Facebook Newsroom)
• New Facebook may pay some celebrities to use its live streaming service (Re/code)
• New Blab makes it easier to find when your friends are online (Blab Daily Digest)
• New Meerkat moves from live streaming to video social networking - does that signal trouble for the live broadcast industry? (Re/Code)
• New IBM Acquires Ustream, creates Cloud Video unit (Ustream, from January 2016)

Google Photos and VR

• Update Google Photos update: Faster editing and cropping on the web (Google Photos)
• New Easier navigation in the Google Photos app: Collections is now Albums + shortcuts to videos, people and more - also on desktop (Google Photos & Whiskey Schultze)
• New Google Photos app gets a bottom navigation bar, just like Google+ (Luke Wroblewski)
• Google Photos gets the Disney Zootopia treatment (Joseph Smarr)
• New Google adds VR section to Google Store, starts selling Cardboard Viewers (Android Police)

Bloggers and Webmasters

• New Google Web Designer Blog launches (Google Web Designer Blog)
• New Introducing Resizer (Google Design)
• New Google’s Nifty New Tool Helps Designers Pick the Right UI (Wired)
• Tip Blogger basics: create a new post or static page for your blog (Real Blogger Status)

AdSense

• Tip What to do when your AdSense earnings start dropping (Inside AdSense blog)

Communications

•     New  Slack testing voiceo chat "gunning for Skype and Google Hangouts" (TechCrunch)

Productivity

• New Google Maps iOS update: make a detour or pit stop while navigating (Google Maps blog)
• Tip Turn-by-Turn Navigation Showdown: Google Maps vs. Waze (Lifehacker)
• New Citymaps offers downloadable offline maps (TechCrunch)
• New Google Updates Mobile Travel Experience with Additional Planning Features (Mike Blumenthal)
• New New templates for Google Docs, Sheets and slides designed by experts for entrepreneurs, students and teachers (Google Docs)
• Update Just like in Gmail, you can now expand the compose window in Inbox (Inbox by Google)
• Tip Chrome, the browser for business, gains improved security and support (Google for WOrk blog)
• TIp Should you fear your USB cable? Possibly yes (CNET)

Around the web

• How A Designer's 3-Year-Old Daughter Is Humanizing Google Voice Search (Fast Company Design)
• SearchReSearch: Skills we don’t know we don’t know… (Dan Russell via Mike Downes)
• Wikipedia Nearby page shows you articles based on your location
• Apple will now offer customer support, tips and tricks on Twitter @AppleSupport (Consumerist)
• Instagram bans Telegram and Snapchat links from user profiles (The Verge)

Updated March 2019 to remove Google+ links