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Showing posts from July, 2021

Weekly Update - July 31, 2021 - Google Meet, AdSense, YouTube

I can’t believe it’s already the end of July. Time flies! I hope you are staying cool. This week there are a few juicy updates for video and web creators, plus a new Google Meet PWA. Top stories this week: A reminder that YouTube and AdSense support will not contact you via Google Chat. They will only send you an email from an @google.com or @youtube.com email address. If you receive a Google Chat notification, you can open the Chat and see the email address of the other participants. Again, Google employees will only have an @google.com or @youtube.com address. If you aren’t sure, post a question in the official YouTube Help Community . AdSense has l aunched consent management features - required to comply with the GDPR and California’s CCPA - in Auto Ads. Learn how to set up a GDPR consent message for your website. There is a new Google Meet Progressive Web App (PWA). The PWA doesn’t have any new

Weekly Update - July 24, 2021: Olympics, YouTube, AdSense

The 2020 Olympics kicked off this week in Tokyo. While I am not sure it’s a good idea they are going ahead, I am looking forward to it. I like it all, from gymnastics, to track, to horse jumping. Once every four (or five) years I watch all the sports. Of course big tech is jumping in: Google has a cute interactive Doodle with multiple games, created together with Japanese animation studio STUDIO 4C.  Click here to start playing . On YouTube you can get highlights and clips on the official Olympics channel and regional news channels (such as CBC Sports ). Facebook has an Olympics portal with information and posts . Instagram has Olympics-related AR effects in Stories and Reels. Twitter has Event Pages by sport and country, with top Tweets from trusted accounts. It also lets you Tweet #ExpertEngine @Olympics and a sporting event hashtag, such as #basketball or #swimming, and you will receive a video reply to help you learn about the sport. Plus there are special emoji, Topics an

Tangi will shut down July 30

Tangi, the experimental DIY social sharing app from Google's Area 120, will shut down on July 30th. Tangi launched in January 2020 . The platform let creators upload short tutorial videos, which viewers could try themselves, and then respond to with a "Try It". It was a neat way to encourage positive engagement and build community. But as all Area 120 projects, it was an experiment, and ultimately most shut down.  After July 30th, all videos and data will be deleted, the website will no longer be accessible, and the Tangi social media accounts will be removed.  If you uploaded videos or "Try Its" to Tangi, you can export them at tangi.co/download . The Android Tangi app also lets you download individual videos.  I uploaded some videos to Tangi and I liked the premise, even though my tutorials didn't really fit neatly with what seemed to be mostly art, beauty, cooking and crafting content. My Tangi Profile   It would be neat if YouTube could incorporate some

New YouTube Super Thanks tip jar lets fans show appreciation

  YouTube has launched "Super Thanks" , a new way for fans to pay for a tip to their favorite creators. The  Super Thanks are available for $2, $5, $10 and $50, or the equivalent in your local currency.   When a fan buys a Super Thanks, they see a celebratory animation, and a highlighted "Thanks" comment is posted on the video. You can see what that looks like here . Super Chat and Super Stickers are similar, but those are limited to live chats. Super Thanks - formerly called Viewer Applause - lets a fan tip on your videos on demand. Super Thanks Policies YouTube's policies make clear that Super Thanks is not a tool for crowdfunding, donations or fundraising.  You must also comply with YouTube's Community Guidelines , Terms of Service and monetization policies .  It is not  available on videos that are: Age-restricted Unlisted Private Made for kids Videos with Content ID claims Vide

Weekly Update - July 17, 2021: YouTube, AdSense, Twitter

😀🎉  Happy World Emoji Day ! This week there are tons of updates for creators on YouTube, the web, and social media. Top stories this week: AdSense will start showing Anchor Ads on wider screens starting July 19. That means the formerly mobile ads (which stick to the top of the page) will start showing on desktop. You can turn off this option in your Auto Ads settings. I have Anchor ads enabled, and I’m going to leave this option on to see how well it performs. The YouTube Shorts video editor is now available worldwide . Make sure you have the latest version of the YouTube Mobile app, then tap the Create icon. You can use music, original audio from other videos, and record your own video (up to 60 seconds). And you can add multiple video clips. Learn how to create a Short . YouTube Clips is now available on gaming channels with at least 1000 subscribers . You can use clips to share highlights up to 60 seconds l

Weekly Update - July 10, 2021: YouTube, AdSense, Meet

Another hot weekend here on the west coast of the US has me daydreaming about ice cream and swimming pools. This was also a short holiday week and there are only a few updates for creators. Even so, there is news from YouTube, AdSense, Meet, and more. Plus new features for "hybrid" work meetings. YouTube YouTube Partners: you may have noticed your finalized earnings appeared earlier than usual in your AdSense account. YouTube estimated revenue is now finalized between the 7th and 10th of the following month , rather than between the 10th and 14th. Also note that this is the first month that Google will withhold taxes on YouTube earnings from US viewers. This only affects YouTube Partners outside the United States. If you have not yet submitted US tax information in your AdSense account, do it now . YouTube is introducing “New to You” , to help viewers explore new content and escape “stale” feeds

Weekly Update - July 3, 2021: YouTube, Zoom, Google Workspace

I hope you are all staying cool! Even tech companies go on holiday in the summer, so there aren’t many updates this week. Top news YouTube has expanded their policy prohibiting animal abuse . In particular they now explicitly forbid staged animal rescue videos that put the animals in harm’s way. There are exceptions for “standard” or “traditional” practices around food preparation and hunting, as well as for educational or fictional content. Meet group video calls hosted by personal Google accounts may now be cut off at 60 minutes. Users in the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Japan and Australia can pay for Google Workspace Individual, which offers advanced Google Meet and Calendar features. You can sign up for a free trial, with your current Gmail address and Google account. Note that personal accounts can still make 1:1 calls up to 24 hours long . Zoom has launched a new Progressive Web App (PWA) f