December 2012 Summaries

In 2012, the Google Developer community experienced a year of significant achievements, including the expansion of the Google Developer Groups (GDG) to 335 active and incubating chapters across more than 90 countries. The community facilitated Google I/O 2012, reaching over 13,000 developers globally through more than 50 I/O Extended events, and conducted 75 DevFests in just three months, engaging over 14,000 developers in 39 countries. Developers actively participated in Google+ Hangouts on Google Developers Live, learning to create innovative apps using Google tools and technologies, while DevFest hackathons led to the creation of numerous impressive applications. Phoebe Peronto, from the Google Developer Product Marketing team, emphasized the goal of empowering developers through Google’s resources, and encouraged involvement in local GDG chapters and online platforms for continuous engagement with the community.

The introduction of the YouTube Android Player API simplifies embedding and playing YouTube videos within Android applications by eliminating the need for a WebView and offering features such as high-quality video playback on Android 2.2 (Froyo) or newer, fullscreen and orientation change support, closed captions, and YouTube ads integration. Announced at Google I/O 2012 and launched as an experimental API, it also provides programmatic access similar to existing Player APIs and integrates with the Android YouTube app via standard YouTube Intents. The API client library can be easily included in Android projects, allowing developers to create customizable video playback experiences on devices with Android YouTube app version 4.2.16 or newer, as exemplified by applications like Flipboard. For more detailed information and examples, developers are encouraged to consult the full YouTube API Blog post or explore the YouTube Android Player API playlist for tutorials.

Mod_pagespeed 1.2 introduces enhancements aimed at improving website performance through better caching and optimization techniques. The new canonicalize_javascript_libraries feature allows sites to replace local JavaScript libraries with hosted versions from ajax.googleapis.com, reducing redundant downloads and improving load times by utilizing cached versions. Additionally, the insert_dns_prefetch filter enables faster DNS resolution by pre-resolving DNS entries for critical assets, which can significantly cut down page load times. The update also includes the ability to optimize resources from external servers not running mod_pagespeed and introduces progressive JPEG conversion as a core filter to enhance image loading and reduce file sizes. These advancements are designed to streamline the browsing experience by leveraging shared resources and minimizing unnecessary data transfer, ultimately contributing to faster web performance.

Mark Davis discusses the challenges and solutions related to linguistic sorting in web applications, emphasizing the importance of sorting names and other data correctly according to the user's language preferences. Previously, developers had to rely on server-side solutions to generate sort keys, which were cumbersome and inefficient. However, the new internationalization specification for ECMAScript, now implemented in browsers like Chrome, offers a comprehensive client-side solution for linguistic sorting, as well as the correct formatting of numbers, dates, and times according to locale preferences. This specification aligns with industry standards such as BCP47 and LDML and allows for better language and locale matching, even in offline web applications. The implementation of this API enables web developers to handle these tasks more effectively, ensuring that the results are appropriate for the user's language and locale, while Mark Davis, who has played a significant role in Unicode developments, shares his personal connection to Switzerland.

The Women Techmakers series, highlighted by Phoebe Peronto, showcases influential female technologists driving social change through innovative uses of technology. The series began with Julie Hanna from Kiva.org, who emphasized the global impact of Kiva's technology for social good, followed by Jennifer Pahlka of Code for America, who discussed her initiative, "Peace Corps for Geeks," aimed at solving civic problems with technology. Sasha Laundy of Codecademy presented scalable methods for teaching coding, while Kim Polese, the first Java Product Manager, spoke on the importance of open-source technology for universal innovation. The series also highlights upcoming interviews with Rony Ross of Panorama Software and Yael Karov of Ginger Software, offering insights into their contributions to the tech industry. The series is accessible online for those who missed the live sessions, and the audience is encouraged to nominate other women techmakers for future episodes using the hashtag #WTM.

The YouTube Data API version 3.0, introduced in 2012, marked a significant update aimed at enhancing user experience and efficiency. This version improved integration with Google's common API infrastructure, utilized JSON encoding for more efficient data handling, and introduced new functionalities such as Freebase topic integration and universal search, which allow more precise video searches by using topic IDs instead of keywords. The update also expanded capabilities for social media management apps, enabling better audience engagement through features like channel bulletin posts and subscriber list management. The release of API version 3.0 was supported with rich client library support, improved tooling, and extensive reference documentation, marking the biggest overhaul since the API's inception in 2007.

In a celebratory week, the Google Developers Blog marked the 197th birthday of computing pioneer Lady Ada Lovelace with a special Google Doodle, recognizing her contributions, including publishing the first algorithm for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. Coinciding with this, Google Developers Live launched new episodes of the Women Techmakers series, spotlighting women making significant social impacts through tech innovations. Scientific advancements were also highlighted, with Spanish researchers using zebra fish to explore the evolutionary transition from fins to limbs by activating a specific gene. Additionally, archaeoastronomer Clive Ruggles and archaeologist Nicholas Saunders proposed that the line drawings in the Peruvian desert are labyrinths meant for walking, offering a new perspective on these ancient creations. Each Friday, the blog diverges from its usual developer focus to present engaging topics unrelated to coding.

Google App Engine 1.7.4, released in December 2012, introduced several new features and improvements, with some graduating from Experimental to General Availability status, alongside routine bug fixes. The release expanded European Union datacenter support, with deployment initially limited to billing-enabled applications, and included enhancements for Java and Python, such as a new Maven plugin and an upgraded Python interpreter to version 2.7.3. Notable features made generally available included Task Queue statistics, traffic splitting for app versions, and LogsReader and Logs API, while Datastore query support was expanded experimentally with 'DISTINCT' functionality. The release marked a pause in the monthly release cycle for the holidays, with normal scheduling to resume in February, and users were encouraged to engage with the Google Cloud Platform community and stay informed via newsletters.

Women Techmakers, a series presented by Google Developers Live, features influential women in technology who are using their expertise to drive social change. In a week-long series starting December 11, 2012, the program highlights inspiring figures such as Julie Hanna, chairwoman of Kiva.org, who has facilitated over $350 million in micro-loans to low-income entrepreneurs through her platform. Other notable guests include Jennifer Pahlka of Code for America, who collaborates with web professionals to enhance public service, and Sasha Laundy from Codecademy, who discusses innovative methods for making coding education accessible and engaging. The series also features Kim Polese, chairwoman of ClearStreet Inc., who shares her insights on helping individuals achieve financial health and her experiences as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur. Viewers are encouraged to participate in the discussions via Google+ and can catch live or archived episodes online.

In a light-hearted Fridaygram post, Scott Knaster from the Google Developers Blog highlights several intriguing events and developments from December 2012, including the launch of Google's Global Impact Awards, which aim to support organizations using technology for humanitarian purposes such as providing clean water and protecting endangered species. Additionally, the post discusses the GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission, which has begun delivering detailed images of the moon's surface through its Ebb and Flow spacecraft, enriching our understanding of lunar features without revealing any unexpected phenomena like alien robots. The post also nods to pop culture by mentioning the silent-era character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, created by Walt Disney, finally getting a voice, and ends with a playful invitation to watch a video of a non-alien, non-giant transformer robot.

Google HackFair, held in Seoul, South Korea on November 17 and 18, 2012, was an extended hackathon event that provided developers with two months to create and showcase their projects. The event featured 153 developers who submitted 92 projects, of which 40 were selected for display, using technologies like Android, Chrome, App Engine, and HTML5. Creative projects included a remote-controlled car guided by Android and a braille printer using Go. In addition to the exhibition, a mini-conference and Google Developers Group booth hosted 27 sessions, attracting over 1,000 attendees. Although the event concluded, developers are still refining their projects, and more information on the projects is available online. The event was organized by Soonson Kwon, Developer Relations Program Manager for South Korea, who aims to help Korean developers utilize Google's products effectively.

"Keeping the Internet Free & Open," a series hosted by Google Developers Live in December 2012, featured discussions on the future of internet regulation and the importance of maintaining an open web. The event included contributions from technical, entrepreneurial, and policy experts who explored the economic and social impacts of the internet and the potential consequences of increased regulation. Sessions covered topics such as data transparency, the role of startups in advocating for internet freedom, and the implications of global policy discussions, like those at the ITU meeting in Dubai, where some governments aimed to increase censorship. Derek Slater, a policy manager at Google, emphasized the significance of global advocacy efforts for innovation policy, underscoring the company's commitment to a free and open internet.