Week in Review - April 30, 2016: YouTube, Google Photos, AdSense

This week’s big news was YouTube’s announcement of an improved Content ID process that lets Creators earn while the claim is being disputed. That means that false claims won’t cost Creators money. YouTube also updated the mobile app with improved suggestions, launched the new YouTube Space in Toronto, and introduced new 6 second “bumper” ads.

Plus Google Photos lets you edit auto-created movies, there are new Page-Level ads for AdSense Publishers, and updates for Inbox, Gmail, Google Calendar, webmasters and much more!

And there is also plenty of Google news - in this year’s “Founders’ Letter” Sundar Pichai took a look at where Google is heading (AI all the way!), and the company is reportedly starting its own hardware division and an in-house business incubator for employees.

Read on for more!

Image: Mardi Gras float design for Krewe of Proteus, New Orleans, 1887. "The Elfin May-Pole" by Carlotta Marie Bonnecaze (d. 1930). Work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or less.

YouTube

• New! YouTube improving Content ID to let creators earn while a claim is disputed! (YouTube Creator Blog) 
• Update YouTube mobile app now uses neural network tech for Home screen suggestions (YouTube Blog)
• Opportunity Are you a Help Hero? Your tech support videos might be featured on the official YouTube Help channel 
• New Canadian Creators: YouTube Space Toronto opens today! (YouTube Blog)
• New YouTube will start showing 6 second "Bumper" ads on mobile devices (Inside AdWords)
• Update YouTube + Google Apps: New options for schools & businesses to manage YouTube access (Google Apps Updates)
• Article Setting the Record Straight: YouTube is good for musicians, songwriters and the music industry (YouTube Creator Blog)

Live streaming

• Tip Using mobile live streaming to promote your tourism business (Krishna De)
• New Twitch: Ad-free subs now available for all partnered channels (Twitch blog)

Google+

• Opportunity Have a Spring Cleaning or Interior Design G+ Collection? Submit to this week's#FeatureFriday contest! (Deadline May 11) (Sophie Bonnet)
• Opportunity Get your movie & flower Google+ Collections ready for #FeatureFriday! (Next up!) (Sophie Bonnet)
• Opportunity Do you post awesome content on Google+? Google+Create wants you! (Robert Wallis)
• Tip How to create a new Google+ Collection on your Android device (Sooraj Wadhwa)
• Tip How to create a new Google+ Collection on your iOS device (Sooraj Wadhwa)
• Article Google Posts Pick Up Where Google Authorship Left Off with Semantic Search (Eli Fennell)

Google Photos

• Update Google Photos update: customizable movies, redesigned search, manage device folders (Google Photos)
• Update SnapSeed update for Android and iOS (SnapSeed)
• This year's Google I/O schedule packed with VR talks (Ars Technica)
• Automated colorization of black & white photos (Gizmodo)

Local Businesses

• Google helps cover the costs for mid-sized businesses switching to Google Apps for Work (Google for Work Blog)
• Was your Google Local listing suspended? This may be why… (Joy Hawkins @ Search Engine Land)

Blogger and Webmasters

• Update Control which notifications you receive in Google Search Console (Google Webmasters)
• Tip Blogger Magic - Check / Edit FeedBurner Feed Details (Chuck Croll)

AdSense

• #MatchedContent Q&A with the AdSense Team on May 4th (AdSense)
• New The next generation of AdSense ads: Page-Level Ads (Inside AdSense blog)

Mobile messaging - Hangouts and more

• Update Hangouts iOS update: share content from other apps (Deepa Choundappan )
• Tip Googlers show you how they use Hangouts (The Apps Show)
• Update Introducing Video Calling in Facebook Messenger (Facebook Newsroom)
• Update Introducing Facebook, Messenger and Instagram Windows Apps (Facebook Newsroom)
• Update To our Windows Insiders: Skype UWP Preview app adds group audio and video features (Skype blog)
• Update Over 1 billion Skype mobile downloads – thank you! (Skype Blog)
• Update BBM Video Now Available As A Public Beta In The US And Canada (Android Police)

Productivity

• Update Google Apps users: Google Calendar now helps find a time for a meeting (Google Apps Updates Blog)
• Update Respond quickly with Google Drive notifications in Google Chrome (Google Apps Updates)This is how Material Design looks on Chrome OS, rolling out now (The Verge)
• Update Android Gmail app getting Microsoft Exchange support (Google Apps Updates)
• Update Inbox by Gmail: Save files to Google Drive (Steegle.com)
• Teachers & Educators: how do you use Google Slides in the Classroom? (Ms Drasby)
• Tip How use a different name for Gmail than your Google account name (Scott Greenstone)

Other Google News and Articles

• Google's 2016 "Founders' Letter" by Sundar Pichai - moving to an "AI first" world (Official Google Blog)
• Google is starting its own hardware division to handle Nexus, Pixel and its other consumer gadgets (The Next Web)
• Google Reportedly Is Building an In-House Business Incubator for Its Employees (Inc.)
• Google might have the best music app in the world (techinsider.io)
• Google Shuts Out Competitors on Android? Hardly (The New York Times)

Updated March 2019 to remove Google+ links