July 2012 Summaries

The Google Analytics Multi-Channel Funnels Reporting API, introduced by John Huang, enables developers to access detailed conversion path data, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of how multiple marketing channels contribute to conversions. This API provides metrics such as Assisted Conversions, First Interactions Conversions, and Last Interaction Conversions, as well as insights into Top Paths, Path Length, and Time Lag. It allows users to integrate this data with other sources, automate processes like bidding, and create new visualizations. Case studies highlight its benefits: Cardinal Path used it to analyze Lollapalooza ticket sales, and Mazeberry helped 123Fleurs reduce customer acquisition costs by 20% by integrating this data into their reporting framework. The API requires the new v3.0 API libraries for functionality, inviting developers to upgrade and explore its potential.

Mod_pagespeed, an open-source Apache module developed by the PageSpeed Team, automates web performance optimization by applying best practices such as cache extension, image optimization, and CSS inlining, thereby enhancing site speed with minimal manual input. As of version 0.10.22.4, it supports A/B testing integrated with Google Analytics, allowing users to assess its impact on live traffic and optimize configurations based on experimental data. In a month-long experiment conducted on a small, largely static blog, mod_pagespeed demonstrated a 20% reduction in average page load time, primarily by shifting a significant portion of page loads from 1-3 seconds down to 0-1 second, while also improving the performance of longer load times. This capability to measure and optimize performance seamlessly underscores its effectiveness in making the web faster, encouraging users to adopt the experiment framework for site improvement.

The Google Science Fair of 2012 saw young scientists from over 100 countries presenting innovative projects, with winners including Jonah Kohn's work on enhancing the music experience for the hearing impaired, Iván Hervías Rodríguez and his team's exploration of water's hidden properties, and Brittany Wenger's development of a neural network for breast cancer detection. Additionally, Princeton researchers demonstrated the power of crowd-sourced astronomy by reconstructing Comet Holmes' orbit using amateur photographs, while the Olympic Games in London celebrated participants like Trevor Barron, an Olympian and Google Summer of Code contributor. The week's noteworthy events also included a tribute to Sally Ride, a pioneering astronaut.

Google I/O 2012 was a significant event attended by 5,500 developers in San Francisco, with an additional 3.5 million viewers online and 350 I/O Extended viewing parties worldwide. The event featured two keynotes, 130 sessions, 150 sandbox partners, and notable highlights such as the unveiling of the Nexus 7 and a Project Glass demo. Attendees and online participants were offered a comprehensive experience through various sessions and a 3 1/2 minute highlight video. The archives, available on developers.google.com/io, allow enthusiasts to catch up on sessions and events, including insights into Android, Google Compute Engine, and Chrome. The I/O team encourages ongoing engagement through Google Developers Live for year-round interaction and support from developer advocates worldwide.

Google BigQuery, a cloud-based service launched in May, allows businesses to analyze large datasets efficiently. To enhance productivity and streamline data integration, Google has introduced new partners in their Cloud Platform Partner Program. These partners, including Informatica, Pervasive Software, Talend, and SQLstream, provide tools for easily importing data from diverse sources into BigQuery. Additionally, partnerships with data visualization companies like QlikTech, Jaspersoft, Bime Analytics, and Metric Insights enable the creation of interactive dashboards, significantly improving customer engagement. The initiative aims to empower developers and businesses to leverage Google's data processing capabilities for innovative applications. Ju-kay Kwek and Amanda Bradford from Google emphasize the potential of BigQuery for developing new applications and strategic partnerships.

Fridaygram is a recurring feature on the Google Developers Blog that highlights intriguing happenings from the tech world and beyond, appealing to a broad audience interested in technology and quirky discoveries. This edition showcases the Web Lab, a series of five interactive experiments hosted at the Science Museum in London, which can be remotely controlled by users worldwide, fostering a sense of global connectivity through collaborative musical performances. Additionally, it highlights a fascinating image from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter that reveals a mysterious cavern opening on Mars, sparking curiosity and questions about its origin and purpose. It also introduces an interesting Earth Opposite tool, which allows users to find the geographic opposite of their location, adding an element of playful exploration. Fridaygram is not limited to developer topics but includes a variety of intriguing items, this week acknowledging Mike Pegg for highlighting the Earth Opposite tool.

The Google Developers Expert (GDE) program, introduced by Google's Developer Relations team, aims to recognize and reward developers who demonstrate exceptional technical expertise and significant contributions to the developer community. The inaugural group of 26 honorees specializes in areas such as Android, Cloud, HTML5, Chrome, and Google Maps, and enjoys benefits like early access to developer releases, annual summits at Google headquarters, and a domain-specific badge for promoting their services. Selection criteria include technical skills, a strong online presence, and experience in public speaking, with candidates being nominated by the Google Developer Relations team and a committee making the final approval. The program encourages service to the community, with members actively participating in forums like Stack Overflow and speaking at conferences. Interested developers can nominate themselves by providing personal and professional details to the provided contact email.

In July 2012, Google announced the release of a new Fusion Tables API, which enhances the existing SQL API by allowing developers to read and modify table and column metadata as well as define styles and templates for data visualization. Integrated with the Google APIs console, the new API offers developers centralized management of Google APIs, along with built-in reporting and authentication features. A six-month deprecation period for the older SQL API was also declared, with a migration guide provided to facilitate an easy transition for developers. The API's detailed features are available in its documentation.