Auto-Reply Now in Google Groups

Google Groups now has an Auto-Reply feature! If you're the creator or owner/manager of a Google Group, the auto-reply feature allows you to create up to four different, customized auto-responses for different recipients: 

Calendar Events that Update when Google Groups Change

This is a great new feature Google rolled out to our UCSC domain last week! When you join, invite someone to join, or directly add them to a Google Group, that person will automatically be added to all of the Group's meetings in Google Calendar. 

Gmail Attachments Have the Power of Google Drive

You’re probably used to downloading email attachments, but each of those files takes time to download, eats up space on your device, and can get buried deep inside your “Downloads” folder.

New Way to Navigate to Google Apps

Google has rolled out a new version of the Google bar (top black banner) for Google Apps for Education accounts.

Google Terms of Service Changes

Google is updating their Terms of Service effective November 11, 2013. These changes do not impact the Google Core Services at UCSC.

More On Gmail's Delivery Delays

Some of you probably didn't even notice, but Google had a substantial problem delivering email messages on Monday, Sept. 23. Read all about it. Remember to always check the ITS website (its.ucsc.edu) for the latest Google and other service outage/status information under News & Alerts.

Google Open Labs Fall/Winter Schedule

Google Open Labs are available to faculty, staff, and students to drop in and get personal help with Google services. Labs are open two days per month from 1:30 to 3:30 at Kerr Hall 159 and 2300 Delaware 279.

5 Exciting Gmail and Google Drive Updates

It's hard to keep up with every single change Google makes to their products since they release hundreds of updates every year. I try to highlight the "big" updates in this blog specific to UCSC, but here are 5 exciting "little" updates worth mentioning that took place this summer to Gmail and Google Drive.

New Google + Hangouts is Now Available

The new Google+ Hangouts is now available to UCSC. The new Hangouts unifies chats, audio calls, and video meetings across all of your devices. Whether you’re in Gmail, on the desktop, Android phones, tablets, iPhone, iPad or using a Chrome extension, you won't miss a thing because all your Hangouts are synchronized. You can start a Hangout on your phone, and pick it up in Gmail right where you left off!

Tips & Tricks for Google Spreadsheets

Want to learn some tips and tricks for Google Spreadsheets from the Google experts? View 30 minute video here. 

New Gmail Inbox

We get a lot of different types of email: messages from our boss, co-workers and friends, social notifications, deals and offers, confirmations and receipts, and more. All of these emails can compete for our attention and make it harder to focus on the things we need to get done. Sometimes it feels like our inboxes are controlling us, rather than the other way around. 

New Storage Limits between Drive and Gmail

Your UCSC Google account now has 30 GB of unified storage to use as you like between Drive and Gmail. Just as before, files created in Docs, Sheets and Slides don't count against your storage quota. Storage will also be shared with photos you upload to Google+ larger than 2048px. 

Google Forms Refreshed

Google just released a new version of Forms in Google Drive. Forms let you easily create questionnaires and automatically collect responses in a spreadsheet. This new version has better editing options and more ways to work collaboratively. 

Add Meetings to Google Calendar from Gmail

If you do a lot of scheduling over email, it's now easier to create meetings and events directly from your UCSC Gmail account. Starting today, dates and times within emails are lightly underlined: click them to schedule that meeting, event, conference call or lunch date without ever leaving Gmail!

Google Sites Privacy Setting Change

The default privacy for new UCSC Google Sites was changed from a

very "open" model to a "private by default, but can be set to open"

model. This change does NOT affect existing Google sites, just new sites created after May 21, 2013. 

Newly Designed Google+

On May 15, Google announced at their developers conference a newly designed and feature rich Google+ application. In addition, they announced an upgraded version of Hangouts. To our surprise, Google then launched these changes. If you have a Google+ profile, you will notice several differences throughout the application.

New Chat Experience in Google Drive

Working together in Google Drive just got easier with new profile photos and one-click chat feature.

Google Now Available for Android, iPhone, iPad

Many of us can't imagine life without our smartphones. We use them for all sorts of things, like getting reminders of important calendar appointments and driving directions to a restaurant. With the launch of Google Now for UCSC accounts on Android, iPhone and iPad, your smartphone will become even smarter. Here's a great article posted in the Santa Cruz Sentinel newspaper about what exactly is Google Now and how it works. Read article

A Cheat Sheet of Gmail Keyboard Shortcuts

Do you use Gmail a lot? Then you need to see this graphic with all the keyboard shortcuts that can make working in Gmail a million times easier. It comes complete with visualizations of each action, for some reference of what you're actually accomplishing. Article written by Kyle Wagner

Chrome Extensions Make Work Fun

Chrome extensions are tiny programs that enhance your Chrome browser experience by allowing you to add extra features and functionality to your tool bar area. Extensions are super simple to add to your Chrome browser and fun to use, especially when using them with Google Apps. Watch a video about Extensions (2 minutes) 

Manage Multiple Google Accounts

Do you have multiple Google accounts that you are trying to manage and sometimes use different browsers - like Chrome for your UCSC account and Firefox for personal Gmail account? Here are some tips to help manage all your Google accounts using the same browser.

New! Google Open Labs

Google Open Labs are now available to faculty, staff, and students to drop in and get personal help with Google services. Labs are open two days per month from 1:30 to 3:30 at Kerr Hall 159 and 2300 Delaware 279.

Don't Forget the Advanced Editor Sharing Settings in Google Drive!

When giving editing rights to collaborators in Google Drive, consider what permissions you want them to have.

It's easy to share a Google document, spreadsheet or presentation with colleagues and give them editing rights. But allowing colleagues to edit your document means they also have the ability to share the document with more people or change the permissions you set for others. Let's face it, if it's your document do you want fellow editors to have this power?

Google Sites Training - April 19

Mark your calendar! Google Sites training is available on April 19 from 10AM to Noon at Merrill College Cultural Center. No RSVP needed. Free!

Organize Google Drive Files under Multiple Folders

Here's a great tip for how to organize your Google Drive documents and files under multiple folders in My Drive. 

Google Spring Cleaning

Today Google announced several features and services they plan to retire as part of their fall/spring cleaning. Here is a list of items. For more details, visit: Google's Spring Cleaning

Google Training for Drive/Docs, Groups, Sites

Faculty and staff may now sign up for in person Google training classes for Drive/Docs and Groups at: http://shr.ucsc.edu/training/course_listings/tech-training.html

Google Docs Export to New MS Office Formats

As of Jan. 31, 2013, you will not be able to export Google Doc files to the older MS Office 97-2003 formats (.doc, .ppt, .xls), and will instead be able to export to the newer MS Office formats (.docx, .xlsx, .pptx). 

If you use an older version of Office, Google recommends installing the free compatibility plugin from Microsoft, which will open the modern Office file types. More information

Name Change in UCSC Google

On January 29 at 8AM, ITS is making a change to how your first and last name appear in UCSC Google Apps. What ever your first and last name is in the Campus Directory, that is how your name will appear in Google. You are allowed to edit your name fields in the Campus Directory. 

UCSC Google Forum - Feb. 20

Mark your calendar! Faculty and staff are invited to attend the UCSC Google Apps Forum on Wednesday, February 20, from 11am to 1pm at Merrill College Cultural Center. 

Appointment Slots LIVE ON!

Google has decided to keep the very popular Appointment Slot feature in Google Calendar for Education, Gov. and Business partners only - that's us!

Google No Longer Supports IE8

Google has discontinued support for the Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) browser. If you still access the UCSC Google Apps services using IE8, please consider updating your browser. For a list of Google supported browsers, click here.