Tons of Google Fun: Reader, GMail Stickers, Googlebot, Friend Connect

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This week, there are more Google updates than you can shake a stick at. I'll try to sum them all up for you as best I can in a short, informative way.

Google Reader

First up, Google Reader has made a few changes. If you use this as your primary feed provider, you will notice a different look today. The corners are less rounded and all the drop shadows are gone. It has a lighter feel to it and the sidebar sections are now collapsible. It also seems a little faster.

You can now hide the counter telling you how many posts are unread, in case you are like me and a number over 1,000 just makes you feel like you will never be able to catch up.

The biggest change to Google Reader is the one hidden in the browse tab. It will generate some feed bundles for you that you can add all at once. Then, if you select “browse all bundles,” you can see all of the bundles. These are algorithmically generated, unlike in the past when bundles were edited by hand.

Googlebot

Next up, Google has given you more control over Googlebot by upgrading the crawl rate setting in Webmaster Tools so that webmasters experiencing problems with the bot can now provide more specific information. Crawl rate for your site determines the time used by Googlebot to crawl your site on each visit. The obvious goal for Google is to thoroughly crawl your site so your pages can be indexed and returned in search results, without creating a noticeable impact on your server's bandwidth. While most webmasters are fine using the default crawl setting, some webmasters may have more specific needs.

For most sites, it's often best to just choose the "Let Google determine my crawl rate" option, which is the default. However, if you're facing bandwidth issues with your server, you can customize your crawl rate to the speed that's best for your web server. The custom crawl rate lets you provide Googlebot with insight into the maximum number of requests per second and the number of seconds between requests that you feel are best for your site.

GMail Stickers

Google has introduced some rather funky stickers, yes stickers, for anyone who's looking for something a little more "campy".

gmail stickers 300x225 Tons of Google Fun: Reader, GMail Stickers, Googlebot, Friend Connect

Yes, that's a unicorn. I actually kind of like the "m-velope" sticker.

So how do you get your stickers? Just send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

Send me some Gmail stickers already
P.O. Box 391420
Mountain View, CA 94039-1420

Make sure to include enough postage to return a sticker pack via U.S. mail. It's less than one ounce, so a standard $0.42 stamp will do if you're in the United States; enclose an international reply coupon if you're outside of the U.S.

Google Friend Connect

Google Friend Connect is now available in beta to any webmaster looking to add a more social feel to his or her site. This service lets webmasters add social features to their sites by simply copying and pasting a few snippets of code — no advanced coding or technical background required.

Even better, you don't have to deal with the hassle of creating yet another username and password — Friend Connect lets you log in using an existing account from Google, Yahoo, AOL, or OpenID.

Google has also expanded the features available to users with richer, more integrated profiles and new ways to discuss and share content. You can now even include YouTube videos in your comments (hmmm).

Additionally, websites that use Friend Connect become OpenSocial containers, capable of running applications created by the OpenSocial developer community.

To learn more, please visit www.google.com/friendconnect or just watch the video below...