Weekly Update - July 22, 2017: YouTube, Analytics, Google+

Here are this week’s updates in the Googleverse and beyond.

• For Creators, YouTube gives - block comments with links - and YouTube takes away - Video Editor and Slide Show will be retired
• YouTube fights terrorist recruitment by redirecting searches
• The Google+ G+1 button on 3rd party web sites no longer displays +1 count. If you plussed sites in the past, you can download the links and use them as bookmarks. 
• Google Analytics now lets you ask about your site’s stats in natural English

And there are more tips and updates for live streamers, video creators (and watchers), business owners, website publishers, Hangouts Meeters and more.

Image: Google Street View arrives in Space, with a walk-through of the International Space Station. Start here. The image is the Earth’s atmospheric glow and the stars of the Milky Way, and an experiment module at the tip of Japan’s Kibo module on the International Space Station. Credit: NASA (NASA Media Usage Guidelines)

Upcoming:

• 26 July: Twitch “Host & Interview Workshop”
• 31 July: CineSpace short film competition using NASA imagery deadline
• 2 August: YouTube NextUp applications deadline for Rio de Janiero (Brazil), Jakarta (Indonesia), Manila (Philippines), Mexico City (Mexico) 
• 21 August: Become a citizen scientist and contribute photos to the Eclipse Megamovie
• 13 September: Web clipboard to be removed from Google Docs, Sheets and Slides
• 20 September:YouTube Video Editor and Photo Slideshows retired

YouTube and Video Creation

• YouTube update: block comments with links and hashtags (YouTube)
• YouTube redirecting searches for violent extremist videos to content debunking recruiting narratives (YouTube blog)
• The YouTube Video Editor and Photo Slideshows will be going away September 20th (YouTube)
• How (and possibly why) videos rank differently in YouTube search and Google search (Stone Temple Consulting)
• YouTube TV is now available in 10 more cities around the U.S. (9to5Google)
• Creators Who Lost Revenue During “Adpocalypse” Seek Class Action Lawsuit Against YouTube (Tubefilter)

Go Live

• Live From Facebook Spaces: A New Way to Share VR With Friends (Facebook Newsroom)
• Almost 100,000 people were watching a fake Facebook Live of a tornado GIF (Mashable)
• Building a better Vodcast experience on Twitch (Twitch blog)
• 7 Tips to live stream from anywhere (YouTube Creator Academy)

Google+

• Move your Google +1s to Pinboard or other bookmark managers (Paul Lindner)
• Share your travel story or Collection with Google+ using the #MyTravelStory hashtag (Google+)

Other social media

• Facebook: Next Steps to Addressing Link Preview Modification (Faccebook Media Blog)
• Facebook Groups for Pages is available around the world (Chris Cox)
• Facebook: New Instant Articles Analytics Tool (Facebook Media blog)
• Twitter’s Safety Work: Results Update (Twitter blog)
• Snapchat Update Enables Users To Record, Share 6 Consecutive 10-Second Snaps (Tubefilter)
• MySpace Nukes Massive Security Loophole (But Go Delete Your Stuff Anyways) (Gizmodo)

Google Photos and Mobile Photography

• Motion Stills comes to Android (Research at Google Blog)
• Google Photos can now play 360-degree videos in the cloud (360Rumors)

Google for businesses

• Local business owners: it is worth sharing content on Google+ now that there are Google Posts? (Local Search Forum)
• Fighting Review Spam: The Complete Guide for the Local Enterprise (Miriam Ellis @ Moz)
• Google Websites Passes 250,000 Sites Created (Mike Blumenthal)
• WordPress.com Teams Up with Rebrand Cities to Bring Local Businesses Online (Wordpress.com blog)

Bloggers and Webmasters

• Google Analytics now lets you ask a question in natural English about your site's stats (Google Analytics)

AdSense and advertising

• AdSense update: Introducing full-width responsive ads on mobile (AdSense)

Hangouts and Messaging

• Send and receive chat messages in Hangouts Meet (Google Blog)
• Google Duo 14 (Android) / 14.1 (iOS) - improves performance and works in more countries. Adding servers around the world! (Justin Uberti)

Made by Google, Android, Project Fi

• Google says #BlobVoyage to the old blobby Android emoji (but keeps them on as Allo stickers) (Google Blog)
• Recurring reminders on Android Wear to be fixed with future Google app update (Android Police)

Productivity

• Follow your favorite topics from the Google Search results on mobile (Google Blog)
• Google Maps now shows elevations for walking directions (Mashable)

Privacy and Security

• A new look for the Google Transparency Report (Google Public Policy)
• Final removal of trust in WoSign and StartCom Certificates from Chrome (Chrome Security blog)

More around the web

• Maryam Mirzakhani, the Only Woman to Have Ever Won a Fields Medal, Has Died at 40 (Jezebel)
• I hacked my body for a future that never came (The Verge)
• Welcome to Outer Space View - the ISS in Google Street View (Google Blog)
• The curious comeback of the dreaded QR code (Wired)
• Net neutrality is dying with a whimper (Vox)
• A new chapter for Google Glass (The Team at X)
• Chatting with the National Spelling Bee champ on her success and what’s next (Google Blog)

Updated March 2019 to remove Google+ links