Google Drive Blog
The latest news and updates from the Google Drive team.
Google Docs and Sites 2011: A Year in Review
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
This year, we introduced over 100 new features to Google Docs to make creating, sharing, and collaborating in the cloud an even better experience.
In addition to the features you
asked for the most
, like
page numbers
and
vertical merge
, here are our team’s favorite improvements of 2011:
A new version of Google presentations
with character-by-character collaboration - plus new transitions, animations, and themes
Comments in Google documents
, followed by improvements including collapsible discussions, better email notifications, and a more detailed discussion pane
A Google Docs Android app
available in 48 languages for searching, viewing, and sharing Google Docs on the go in 48 languages
Comment-only access in documents
that allows others to view and comment on your doc without editing
Offline viewing
for your documents and spreadsheets
Pivot tables
in spreadsheets to process and summarize large data sets in seconds
Pagination in documents
that provide visual page breaks on the screen
New printing options
such as one-click CloudPrint from your mobile device
Page-level permissions
in Google Sites for better control over who can view and edit your pages
Improved accessibility
including new screen reader support and shortcuts that makes Google Docs more accessible and navigable for blind users
A new look
across Google Docs and Sites for a more consistent web experience
Our team also loved hearing from you throughout the year: We had you
ask us anything in a Reddit AMA
, met our
Docs and Sites Top Contributors
, and held our first
Docs Office Hours Google+ Hangout
. Our interactions with you were constant reminders of why we build these products.
Let us know in the comments what your favorite features of 2011 were -- and what you’re wishing for in the new year. Thanks for following along -- we look forward to bringing you more in 2012.
Happy holidays from the Google Docs team!
Posted by: Jonathan Rochelle, Product Management Director
Create and celebrate with Google Docs templates for the holidays
Thursday, December 15, 2011
This season, brighten up your holiday celebrations with some of our fun and festive Google Docs templates.
If you’re hosting a gift exchange with your friends, family, or colleagues, try our new
Secret Santa gift exchange template
by following
these instructions
. This template will allow you to quickly send out a form to collect the necessary information from participating guests. Then, using a
Google script
, the form will assign Secret Santas and send automated emails to guests with all the details - no folded paper scraps necessary.
Here are a couple of other ways to make your holiday planning easier:
Have guests
RSVP to your holiday soiree
Organize or budget for your
shopping list
Create a sheet of
customized gift tags or mailing labels
Browse the
template gallery
for more ideas, or submit and share your own templates for others to use. Wishing you the best this holiday season!
Posted by: Teresa Wu, Community Manager
College Tips by Google: A new site for students
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Are you applying to college, in the midst of your college years or getting ready for graduation? Wherever you are in your academic journey, Google has tips and tricks to help. Check out our
new site
, designed just for students, to learn how Google Docs and other Google products can help you stay on your A-game.
Posted by: David Kaufman, Cornell University ‘10 (Go Red!), Product Marketing Manager
Try Google presentations. No login required.
Friday, December 9, 2011
We recently launched a new version of
Google presentations
with many new features to help you create beautiful presentations together. We’ve added the new editor to our
Docs demos
to make it easier to test drive your presentation building skills.
Check out the new animations and transitions, get artsy with drawings, and show off your masterpiece to a friend or colleague. You can share the link in the demo with others and work on the same presentation together. No login required. No Google account needed. Just go to
docs.google.com/demo
to take it for a spin.
The new Google presentations continues to gradually roll out to all users. You can try it in the demo and if you like it, you can
enable it
in your Docs settings.
Posted by: Sarah Cooper, User Experience Designer
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