Google released a product they call "Cloud Connect on Feb 24. Using a Microsoft Office Plug-in, it allows someone who works in Office and stores documents locally to also sync them to Google Docs. At the moment, it works on Windows computers (XP, Vista, Windows 7)
Google's help page has this description: "Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office brings collaborative multi-person editing to the familiar Microsoft® Office experience. You can share, backup, and simultaneously edit Microsoft Word, PowerPoint®, and Excel® documents with coworkers."
Google's help page is here
We have added a number of new sessions to our continuing series of Google "Hands on" Classes held in the 90-26 Training Facility. Register for these classes at Employee Self Service. To take a quick look at the IT calendar which lists these classes, go here.
These are the classes that we currently offer.
Course Number |
Course title |
Description |
|---|---|---|
ITD0200 |
Introduction to Gmail/Gcal |
The basics of the Gmail Web interface and Google Calendar |
ITD0201 |
Introduction to Google Docs |
Covers Spreadsheet, Document, Presentations and Forms |
ITD0202 |
Introduction to Google Sites |
Building a team web site (blog, file cabinet, web pages, etc) |
ITD0203 |
Google Calendar Tips & Tricks |
Beyond the Basics: advanced scheduling hints, integration with Gmail, repeating meetings, useful labs |
ITD0204 |
Introduction to Smartsheet |
A task management and simple project management tool that offers a variety of views (grid, gantt, calendar) and a variety of capabilities (attach files, start discussions, generate alerts). This product is not from Google, but available through our Google Service. |
ITD0205 |
Google Tools |
A look at a wide number of Google Tools with emphasis on how they can be used together in a productive way. |
From a Google Blog - New features for the Google Docs Viewer
Google Docs Viewer allows users to quickly view PDFs, Microsoft Word documents and PowerPoint presentations online by viewing them in the browser without downloading them locally.
New files supported:
Microsoft Excel (.XLS and .XLSX)
Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 / 2010 (.PPTX)
Apple Pages (.PAGES)
Adobe Illustrator (.AI)
Adobe Photoshop (.PSD)
Autodesk AutoCad (.DXF)
Scalable Vector Graphics (.SVG)
PostScript (.EPS, .PS)
TrueType (.TTF)
XML Paper Specification (.XPS)
As of Thursday, Feb 17, anyone with a Lab account has access to Google Video. This allows you to store videos and then reference them from links in email or on websites. Our first successful use of this new capability was achieved by Anne Boynton, Emergency Services Specialist. Anne loaded the presentations made at the most recent Building Managers and BET Quarterly Seminar into Google Video for viewing. The meeting was held on January 25, 2011 and features talks by Chief Bruce Martins, City of Fremont Fire Department and Bill Nay, Security Consultant.
According to Rocky Saunders, Emergency Services Manager, videos stored on Google, "are going to be mostly emergency services training tools. The video feature in Google offers the Emergency Services Program a great tool to easily make video clips readily available to either a targeted segment of the lab, such as Building Emergency Teams, or they can be available to the entire lab."
Access Google Video by clicking on the video link when you are in any of our core Google products (Gmail, Gcal, Gdocs, Gsites) using your Lab account. When you do, the screen you see will look like this. Note that the video can be shared with anyone at the lab, but cannot be shared outside the lab (this is the right tool for content that is restricted to lab staff). For an overview of video distribution options at the Lab, visit Labtech.
Here are some options and support levels for various video sharing services:
Lab Users will see a redesigned user interface for Google Docs over the next several days. One of the most helpful changes is the addition of a preview pane on the right side of the screen. Filters that allow document selection by the manner in which they are shared, sorting options, and more convenient ways to keep your documents organized highlight the changes. For more information, check out Google's Blog. In a prior blog post, Google added the capability to upload and play videos.
If you have never used Google Docs, consider reviewing some of the older YouTube video's that explain how they can be used.
