We’re looking at the things Google has done over the course of the year. For the first quarter, read this article. Now we’ll pick up in the second quarter.
Allow me to include the disclaimer from the previous post: I have not included every single Google-related story of the year. That would require a book (and a rather large one I believe) rather than an article. I’ve omitted most of the legal stories and rumors (both of which there have been many in 2010), and tried to stick mostly with actual releases, features, acquisitions, and happenings. Even still, I’m sure there are plenty of things that didn’t find their way into the article(s). Please feel free to add more in the comments. All of that said, it’s been a huge year for Google, even just looking at the items included.
April
Of course Google had some April Fool’s fun as usual. This year it included Google changing its name to Topeka, a new mobile search feature called "where am I?", the launch of Google Romance, standard voicemail mode for Google Voice, Google Wave wave notifications, YouTube TEXTp, the ability to upload and store anything in the cloud with Google Docs (like car keys), books in 3D, and an animal translation app for Android. More on each of these here.
Also in April, Google acquired Episodic, prepared for the iPad launch with multiple apps, increased the limit on Picasa Albums, added Buzz to Gmail for mobile, made Maps more useful on Blackberry, edged Google Voice closer to Skype’s territory, added univeral answers to Google Suggest for mobile, and acquired Plink to bolster Google Goggles.
Google Docs got a little more Wave-like, Google improved matching for AdSense link units, and Google made site speed a ranking factor in search. Google launched Buzz buttons, released an updated mobile app for the iPad, connected Blogger with Buzz, and launched a search option that allows users to look at an archive of tweets on any given topic in a timeline format.
Google introduced driving directions in 111 countries, announced Cloud Print (which is still being tweaked), introduced iPad targeting, acquired Agnilux, and was found to be discussing the ITA acquisition. The company also added to Google Maps’ suggest feature, tied Buzz into Maps, delved deeper into transliteration, scrapped GAP in favor of the AdWords Certification Program, sandwiched Google Earth into Google Maps, acquired Labpixies, improved mobile image search, improved Picasa sharing options, expanded Tag Advertising for local businesses, and added brand links and virtual keyboards to SERPs. Google also turned the Google Local Business Center into Google Places.
May
May was a big month for Google. The company picked up 3D desktop maker BumpTop, completely launched AdWords for Mobile, invested $38.8 Million In Advanced Wind Farms, reclaimed the Gmail name in the UK, added CPA bidding to Conversion Optimizer, launched an app gallery for Google Analytics, led a funding round for Invidi Technologies, officially rolled out the newly redesigned SERPs, teamed up with the SBA on helping small businesses grow online, launched Google Goggles translations, integrated Buzz more with email, provided new data to help optimize sites for conversions, launched new features in Google Reader, and hosted Conan O’Brien at the Googleplex.
Google launched a tool to let people compare the size of the gulf oil spill to the size of their own city, released an API for Google Moderator, added an "unlisted video" privacy option to YouTube, opened up retail options for the Nexus One, came clean about Wi-Fi network data collection from street view cars, made an offer to acquire Global IP Solutions, and hosted Google I/O, where it unveiled the Chrome Web Store, Google TV, Buzz APIs, a storage service for developers (previewed), and Froyo. The company also launched Wave as part of Google Apps and made it available to everyone.
The company then announced the purchase of Simplify Media, released a playable Pac-Man game in its logo, launched an encrypted search option, showed off new mobile ad formats, partnered with the biggest energy monitor manufacturer, unveiled an analytics-blocking add-on, revealed its AdSense revenue share, renewed a partnership with DISH Network, started letting brand advertisers target top sites, integrated Google Moderator with YouTube, launched a partner communication hub for YouTube, completed its acquisition of AdMob, made Buzz available for more mobile devices, and of course initiated the infamous Mayday update.
June
In June, Google released a savings calculator tool to push Google Apps, acquired Invite Media, launched new ad formats for the iPad via AdMob, launched background photos for Google’s homepage, added Android/iPhone apps to mobile search results, launched campaign toolkits, gave advertisers campaign insights tool, put Google Maps previews in Gmail and Buzz, launched tools to get people using Wave more, entered a partnership with OnStar, started keeping beehives, introduced AdWords Campaign Experiments, completed the Caffeine update, launched Page Speed for ads, let advertisers analyze their competition, moved short answers to mobile phones, gained access to 400,000 more books, launched Google Earth for iPad, launched click-to-call from apps, and introduced a new version of commerce search.
Google also announced the Google Display Network, reworked the iPad Gmail experience, worked with About.com to make the web faster, opened Google Voice to everyone, retired the AdWords Report Center, showed its HTML5 love with a new site, added multi-domain support for Google Apps, launched an Ad News site, open sourced Froyo, rewarded YouTube partners who put ratings on content, made sitelinks available in all AdWords campaigns, and added new sharing buttons to Blogger.
Google Docs viewer went mobile, Google launched new options for goals in AdWords, and put Buzz in social search, launched an AdWords feature for keyword diagnosis, improved Chrome’s accessibility, added suspicious log-in detection to Google accounts, launched an Android Payment Extension for the Google Checkout Store Gadget, and revamped the Google News homepage.
Read the rest:
What is your favorite thing that Google did in 2010? Least favorite? Comment here.