Skip to main content

Weekly Update - February 17, 2018: Ad Blocking, YouTube Music, International Project Fi

This week ❤ was in the air, and there were updates for bad ad haters, video creators and more.
  • There are hundreds of new free music tracks in the YouTube Audio Library. The songs can be used for any project, including monetized videos. The only limitation is that some tracks require attribution. 
  • The latest version of the Chrome browser no long displays ads on websites that have advertising that doesn’t comply with the Better Ads Standards. If you’re a webmaster, be sure to check your site’s Ad Experience Report in the Google Search Console. Visitors will be able to override Chrome to show the ads, but I wouldn't count on anyone doing that.
  • Some sites are finding creative ways to replace advertising. Membership fees or sponsorships are a common way to let your fans show their support. But Salon has a new idea: instead of displaying ads, allow them use your web browser to mine cryptocurrency. It's unclear whether this will earn them much real money or overheat visitors' computers. But it's certainly better than unscrupulous (or hacked) sites that use your browser to mine cryptocurrency without notice or  permission. 
  • In a recent deal/settlement with Getty Images, Google has removed the “View Image” button from Google image search results. In return there will be “deeper integration of Getty Images’ world class imagery across Google’s suite of products and services”
  • Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) are everywhere. Google is introducing AMP Stories in mobile search and they will be bringing “the power of AMP” to Gmail, for better or worse.
  • Project Fi is now an even better carrier for international travellers. Mobile data is now available in more than 170 countries, and the Project Fi app will notify you if coverage will be available for any upcoming trips based on international flights in Gmail.
Plus tips and updates for video creators, live streamers, business owners, and more.

Happy New Year! 新年快乐! It’s the year of the dog.
The Olympic Winter Games are in full swing. Meanwhile Winter sports: Californians do it on grass :)


Video: by me.

 Image:Tranquility by Takeuchi Seihō (1935) (Public Domain)

Upcoming:

YouTube and Video Creation

Go Live

Google+

  • Google+ #CreateConnections with Freya de Castelbajac (Google+ Collections Community)
  • Create a welcome introduction post for your Google+ Collection (Nina Trankova)

Other social media

Google Photos and Mobile Photography

Google for businesses

Bloggers and Webmasters

  • Google shuts down Google Blogsearch "Ping" (Google Webmasters)
  • Manage Plugins in the WordPress Mobile Apps (WordPress)
  • Jason Kottke on blogging for 20 years: "I am like a vaudevillian. I’m the last guy dancing on the stage, by myself, and everyone else has moved on to movies and television.” (Nieman Lab)

AdSense and advertising

Hangouts and Messaging

Made by Google, Android, Project Fi

Productivity and Search

Privacy and Security

More around the web

Updated March 2019 to remove Google+ links
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Spam and personal attacks are not allowed. Any comment may be removed at my own discretion ~ Peggy