E-commerce has become one of the largest arms of the Internet. Almost every company with a store has an online version where people can buy items from the comfort of their home or office. To date, the most common payment method has been credit cards, but the idea of e-wallets has started to take off. One service leading this trend is Google Wallet, which has recently introduced a new and useful, feature.

The new Google Wallet feature introduces the ability to send money as a Gmail attachment. Before we get into the update however, here is an overview of what Google Wallet is about.

What is Google Wallet? The whole idea of Google Wallet is to provide you with an online 'wallet' that stores your payment information, (credit card, bank account numbers, and address), in the cloud. This is linked to your Google account. This service can be used across multiple devices, including your Android smartphone and tablet, and desktop browser.

Google Wallet has two main focuses - online and instore shopping. If you have the mobile app and a specific phone, you can use it to pay for items at stores that support this by simply tapping your phone on a terminal; no need to carry your physical credit or debit card. When you are shopping online, you can also click the Google Wallet button on supporting sites and your payment information, including your address, will be automatically added.

At the moment, the mobile app only works in the US, with no word on when it will be rolled out to other countries. The online version however is supported in the countries listed here.

Send money using Gmail Google recently introduced a new function for Google Wallet which could prove to be useful. Gmail users in the US can now, (or will soon), have the ability to send money to others by simply using an email attachment.

If you already have a Google Wallet account, you can hover over the paperclip icon at the bottom of the compose message window in Gmail, and select the $ icon. You can then select the amount of money to attach. The email recipient will be able to claim the money, as long as they also have a Google Wallet account.

This feature is free for users who have linked their bank account to Google Wallet, or have an available balance. If you use a credit card, there is a charge of 2.9% per transaction.

Is this a good idea for businesses? If your company has an online store or processes payments online, having a Google Wallet account could be a good idea, as it gives your customers another way to pay for their purchases.

The major downside though is that you need to have a Google Wallet account to receive money, and it is only for users in the US. This limits current usability, especially if you have customers outside of the US.

A common issue many companies focus on is how secure these transactions are. Google has noted that transactions are secure and can be monitored easily from the online version of Wallet. From what we can see, it may be a good idea to actually hold off supporting or accepting payment through email until this service has been out for a few months. It is highly likely that Google will push this functionality to more customers which will give you more time to prepare and ensure that payment through email is something your company could use.

If you would like to learn more about Google Wallet and how it could fit into your business, please contact us today.

To many Google fans, the tech company's I/O conference held in mid May is the best time of the year. It is at this conference that Google introduces new products and updates to existing services. One of the bigger updates announced at this year's conference is that Google Maps is getting a new look, one that could have a big impact on your business.

Here is an overview of the upcoming change to Google Maps and what it could mean for your business.

What's changed? The new version of Maps aims to bring a more personal map to users. It is currently an invite only update, but Google has noted that all users will be updated sometime between August and November this year.

The first thing you will notice when you see the new layout is that the maps themselves have been visually updated. Major roadways are now highlighted, while smaller roads are muted. This generally makes the map look less cluttered and easier to read. In truth, it looks a lot closer to the mobile app. Beyond that, Google Earth has been integrated into this new version of Maps.

While the new maps are easier to read, the biggest change is to the overall layout. In the existing Maps, when you search for a business or location a bar on the left of the screen displays search results and highlights businesses on the map with pins. The new version does away with the results bar and instead provides a drop-down card with businesses and locations shown as red dots on the map.

How the new Maps will work Google has made the new Maps more dynamic. In the current version, when you search or simply look at a map everybody sees the same results and a static map is shown to all users. In the new version, the map will be different for each user. Search results and identified businesses will be different based on your preferences, reviews, friends and search history.

Beyond that, the map itself is highly flexible. If you click on a business or landmark, it will change to show you similar businesses in the area, with closely related businesses bolded and popping out at you. Clicking on a bolded business will bring up a card on the left of the window with more information, including contact details, reviews, Street View, 360 Panoramas, (if available), and photos. Clicking on the card will open the business's Google+ page.

What does this mean for my business? The most important factor to note about the new Google Maps is that Google has made your Google+ page an incredibly important part of your online presence. When a user searches for a business on Google Maps, they will be able to filter results based on top reviews and their Circles. What this means for you is that if you have had some less than positive reviews, or don't have a Google+ presence, your business will show up lower on search results, or may not even register on some personalized maps.

Essentially, Google wants to promote quality businesses that have an active presence on Google+. If you haven't been focusing on your Google+ profile, it is time to start doing so. You should ensure that your information is correct and up-to-date, and that you are posting content on a regular basis. You will also need to build up your contacts and encourage customers to review your business on Google+.

While the new version of Maps won't be out for a few months yet, it is wise to get ready for it today. If you would like to learn more about the changes and how you can prepare for these, please get in touch with us.

For Google fans, the middle of May has become one of the most looked forward to times of the year. That's when Google hosts their yearly conference, I/O, covering all things Google. Last year, 2012 saw the announcement of the incredibly popular Nexus 7 tablet, along with a number of new services and a new version of Android. Now that this year's I/O is over, many business owners are wondering what new products and features Google will be releasing during 2013.

Here's an overview of the four most interesting and potentially useful products for businesses that were introduced at I/O:

Google+ is set to explode (in a good way!) During the I/O Keynote, Google unveiled a new version of Google+, with a whopping 41 new features. This includes a revamped layout and a new pictures function that makes sharing and editing content even easier. The menu bar, (vertical bar on the left side of the window), has also been changed and looks great.

What's interesting is Google launched the updated Google+ almost as soon as the event finished. If you haven't logged in since May 15, do so and you should be given a tour of all the different changes.

It's time for Hangouts It's long been rumored that Google has been working on a way to merge all chat apps into a single platform. At the Keynote on May 15, Google announced an update to Hangouts, their video messaging platform on Google+.

Hangouts is now the main chat app and is integrated across Gmail, Google+, Android, iOS and your desktop. It replaces all previous chat apps with one centralized app that has video and group chat for up to 10 people, emoticons, and syncs messages across all platforms. This is great for businesses, especially if you have colleagues on the road using different devices. They can join in the conversation without any compatibility issues.

You should be able to upgrade to Hangouts by clicking on your picture in Gmail. For mobile devices simply update the Google Chat app you have installed and it should automatically upgrade to Hangouts.

Desktop search gets conversational Conversational search has become a popular tool on mobile devices, and it's now integrated with the desktop version of Google Search. If you have a microphone on your computer, you could use your voice to search on Google, instead of spelling out words, by pressing the Microphone symbol in the search bar.

At the I/O Keynote Google previewed an upcoming upgrade to voice search: Conversational search. This means you will be able to ask Google Search questions using a natural form of conversation. For example, if you are going to a conference in San Diego, you can simply ask Google: "What will the weather be like in San Diego next week?" Google will then provide the weather forecast. Beyond that, the voice search will always be on, so you can initiate a search by simply saying, "OK Google", and then asking your question.

This change from a keyword oriented to vocally induced search could change the way we search for businesses. Business owners will have to think about what questions people will ask when looking for certain types of companies, and develop keywords accordingly. While keyword search might be on the way out, the reality is that this is still important, even if natural sounding spoken searches are set to increase.

Google Maps gets a facelift Possibly the biggest announcement, for businesses at least, is that Google Maps has been re-engineered. The current version is static, so every user sees the same map and businesses when they search. The new Google Maps has been visually updated and is being billed as a personal experience. The map learns about you over time, and will highlight places based on what you are looking for, your previous search history and recommendations. From what we can see, the new Maps will be out sometime in August, but you can sign up to use it here.

This development could influence the way you use not only Google's services but also what services you use. Because it looks like results and recommendations shown on the maps will be heavily based off of reviews which are connected to your Google+ profile, you will probably have to pay more attention to Google+. We will cover more about this change in next week's Google article, so stay tuned.

If you would like to learn more about the changes Google has recently announced please contact us today.

Computers, while used in nearly every office, still mystify the vast majority of users. Sure they know how to operate one, but when it comes to ideas like the Internet and viruses, malware, trojans, etc. most people are lost. This is largely because of the large number of myths and lies about things like viruses, it's hard to know what is fact or fiction.

Here are five common myths about viruses that confuse people, and the truths associated with them. Before we delve deeper it would be a good idea to explain what a virus is.

A virus is a computer program that infects a computer and can generally copy itself and infect other computers. Most viruses aim to cause havoc by either deleting important files or rendering a computer inoperable. Most viruses have to be installed by the user, and usually come hidden as programs, browser plugins, etc.

You may hear the term malware used interchangeably with virus. Malware is short for malicious software and is more of an umbrella term that covers any software that aims to cause harm. A virus is simply a type of malware.

Myth 1: Error messages = virus A common thought many have when their computer shows an error message is that they must have a virus. In truth, bugs in the software, a faulty hard drive, memory or even issues with your virus scanner are more likely the cause. The same goes with if your computer crashes, it likely could be because of something other than a virus.

When you do see error messages, or your computer crashes while trying to run a program or open a file, you should scan for viruses, just to rule it out.

Myth 2: Computers can infect themselves It's not uncommon to have clients bring their computers to a techie exclaiming that a virus has magically appeared on the system all by itself. Despite what some may believe, viruses cannot infect computers by themselves. Users have to physically open an infected program, or visit a site that hosts the virus and download it.

To minimize the chance of being infected you should steer clear of any adult oriented sites - they are often loaded with viruses, torrent sites, etc. A good rule of thumb is: If the site has illegal or 'adult' content, it likely has viruses that can and will infect your system if visited, or files downloaded from there.

Myth 3: Only PCs can get viruses If you read the news, you likely know that many of the big viruses and malware infect mostly systems running Windows. This has led users to believe that other systems like Apple's OS X are virus free.

The truth of the matter is: All systems could be infected by a virus, it's just that the vast majority of them are written to target Windows machines. This is because most computers run Windows. That being said, there is an increasing number of threats to OS X and Linux, as these systems are becoming more popular. If this trend keeps up, we will see an exponential rise in the number of viruses infecting these systems.

Myth 4: If I reinstall Windows and copy all my old files over, I'll be ok Some believe that if their system has been infected, they can simply copy their files onto a hard drive, or backup solution, reinstall Windows and then copy their files back and the virus will be gone.

To be honest, wiping your hard drive and reinstalling Windows will normally get rid of any viruses. However, if the virus is in the files you backed up, your computer will be infected when you move the files back and open them. The key here is that if your system is infected, you need to scan the files and remove the virus before you put them back onto your system.

Myth 5: Firewalls protect networks from viruses Windows comes with a firewall built into the OS, and many users have been somewhat misled as to what it actually does, and that firewalls can protect from viruses. That's actually a half truth. Firewalls are actually for network traffic, their main job is to keep networks and computers connected to the network secure; they don't scan for viruses.

Where they could help is if a virus is sending data to a computer outside of your network. In theory, a firewall will pick up this traffic and alert you to it, or stop the flow of data outright. Some of the bigger viruses actually turn off the firewall, rendering your whole network open to malware attacks.

What can I do? There are many things you can do to minimize the chances of infection. The most important is to install a virus scanner on all of your systems, keep it up to date and run it regularly. But a defensive strategy like this isn't enough, you need to be proactive by:

• Not installing programs from sources you don't know or trust
• Being weary of any program that asks you for your password
• Not installing any browser add-ons or plugins suggested by websites. Instead, download them from the browser's app store, or the developer's website.

If you are worried about the security of your systems and network, call us today. Our team of security experts can work with you to provide a plan that will meet your needs.

It wasn't that long ago when video calls were only seen in cartoons and sci-fi. These days, video calls are seen to be a normal part of the various forms of communication at a business's disposal. One of the newer video platforms is integrated into Google Hangouts, Google's integrated chat platform that allows small businesses like yours chat and host video chats with up to 10 participants. Hangouts is still so new that it can be hard to figure out how your business could use it.

Below are four ways you or your business could use the video conferencing capabilities of Google Hangouts.

1. Provide customer support If you have a product or service, you have likely had clients contact you with questions or concerns. When customers are having problems, they normally prefer to talk face-to-face with a real person. The problem is, you may not be where your customers are, or they may not be able to reach you.

Hangouts provides you with an ideal channel where customers can contact you, see your face and discuss problems they may be having.

2. Product demonstrations Have a product that customers have been asking how to use, or would like to know more about? Why not host a Hangout? This is a great platform that allows you and up to 10 customers to interact. You can show them how the product works, how it can help them and answer questions all face-to-face. If a participant would like to learn more, you can then host a one-on-one Hangout.

3. Conduct team meetings There are two useful Hangouts features that could be a boon to productivity. The first is the ability to share your screen with participants and the other is built in compatibility with productivity apps like Google Drive. This allows you and your team to collaborate on a document, spreadsheet or even presentation.

Hosting a Hangout is also great if you or a teammate is away. You can still work together because Hangouts is now Google's main chat app with integration across desktop and mobile devices. As long as you have an Internet connection, and a device with a camera you can join a Hangout. Imagine having someone out in the field with a tablet talking to colleagues who are on their desktops. This will make your team and company more productive.

4. Launch a new product or service Google Hangouts allows you to live stream events on both Google+ and YouTube. This could be useful if you are launching a new product, or service and want to enable people who can't make it to the event to take part. You can even record the event so people can watch it later.

While still relatively new, video conferencing and webinars are quickly becoming one of the most popular ways for small businesses to really connect with their customers regardless of their location. If you are looking to learn more about Google Hangouts and how they could be used in your business, please contact us today.

It's safe to say that Google is one of the most well known Internet companies out there. When many of us look for something on the Internet, we don't 'search for it', we 'Google it'. Google Search is the most popular search engine, and one of the reasons for this is that it's constantly evolving into something better and more efficient. Google recently introduced a small change to the search results page that business owners should know about.

This change, while not a major overhaul, did move some features around, making the overall results look cleaner.

With any search results that show a website, you will notice the site name in blue (clicking on it will take you to the website). Below the main result, you can see the URL (website address) in green. Beside the green URL there is now a downward facing green arrow. If you press this you should get a drop-down with up to three options:

• Cached - Clicking on this will show a snapshot of the page from a previous date - the link is from when Google last visited the page. According to Google, the cache is a backup of the page in case the current page is not available. While not generally important to many viewers, Google actually uses websites in their cache to determine if your site is relevant to various search terms.

<li><strong>Similar -</strong> Will search for sites similar to that result. This is a great way to find similar content to what is shown on that specific page.</li>

<li><strong>Share -</strong> Allows you to quickly share the site on your Google+ page. This means that you don't have to open your Google+ page to share content, just press Share and a pop-up window will open where you can add a comment and pick which friends/circles to share it with. This option is great for all Google+ users, as it makes sharing quicker and easier.</li>

While certainly not the biggest change Google has made to the search results page, this could prove to be helpful, especially if you share content, or need to find similar content on a regular basis. If you would like to learn more about how Google fits into your business, please contact us today.

The Internet browser is arguably one of the most important computer programs. For some companies, especially those operating in the cloud, it's become the main way work is done. One of the most popular browsers is Google's Chrome. When installing Chrome for the first time, you may have noticed that it asked you to 'sign in to Chrome'. This has led to more than a few questions being asked about what exactly this means.

Below is an overview of the sign in to Chrome feature.

What exactly is it? Google assumes that the majority of users who download Chrome have a Google account. What Sign in to Chrome does is link to your Google account. When you link your copy of Chrome to your Google account, all bookmarks, apps, tabs and browser preferences will sync with your account.

You can then link other copies of Chrome to your account and all of this information and your saved preferences will be automatically available. Basically it's like having the exact same copy of Chrome with you, wherever you go. For example, you can have all of your bookmarks from your work computer available to you on your Android device, or at home.

Another benefit of signing into Chrome is that it makes it easier to use all of Google's apps. For the most part, you will only have to sign in once and all of your Google's apps are there, ready to be used.

This is a great feature if you have multiple devices and want to have access to the same information, bookmarks and preferences. The downside is that it can be a security issue, especially if you sign in to Chrome on a public computer. If you forget to logout, other users will have access to your browser and potentially, to your Google accounts.

How to sign in to Chrome

1. Open Chrome and click on the three vertical lines in the top-right of the browser.
2. Select Sign in to Chrome.
3. Enter your Google account information (username and password).
4. Confirm what you want to sync by ticking or unticking the relevant boxes.
5. Click Ok.

For businesses we recommend that you sync only your bookmarks, apps and open tabs. For security reasons, it would be a good idea to not sync passwords or auto-fill.

If you would like to learn more about Chrome or any of Google's other apps, please contact us to schedule a chat.

The security of your network and systems is something that's likely in the back of your mind at all times. You read the news about various websites and networks being hacked, passwords being leaked, etc. and probably wonder if your accounts are secure. It's a good idea to take steps to ensure your accounts are protected, the first being to regularly change your password.

Here's how you can change the password for your Google account.

How passwords work with Google As you probably know, Google offers a wide variety of services and chances are high that if you have a Google account, you use more than one service. You'll also know that you only have to log in once to get access to almost any Google app.

This is because Google uses Single Sign-on (SSO), which is an access property that allows a user to enter a password once and gain access to all related services. This is meant to make the 'Google experience' seamless and more efficient.

While this is useful, it can also be a bit of a security issue. If someone was to get a hold of your Google password, they will have access to everything on your Google account. It would, therefore, be a good idea to change your password on a regular basis - at least every three months. Luckily, Google has made it easy to change it, and offers two main ways to do so:

Change your password from Gmail You can change your password from Gmail by:

1. Logging into Gmail and pressing the cog on the right-hand side of the window (Below the black bar)
2. Selecting Settings from the drop-down menu.
3. Clicking on Accounts which will be on the horizontal menu bar in the window that opens.
4. Clicking Google Account Settings followed by Security from the menu bar that opens.
5. Selecting Change password and entering your current along with your new password.
6. Pressing Change password.

Change your password from the Accounts tab You can also easily change your password by:

1. Going to accounts.google.com.
2. Logging into your Google account.
3. Clicking on Security from the left-hand menu bar.
4. Selecting Change your password and entering your current along with your new password.
5. Pressing Change password.

When changing your password, it is best to pick a new password, don't simply add on a character, letter or number to an existing password. If you would like to learn more about the security of your online accounts and how we can help, contact us today.

Although Facebook is widely considered to be the most popular social network, there's a high chance it won't remain that way forever. Google is betting on this and has been quietly improving their social media service Google+, to the point where it's now a platform that businesses like yours should have a presence on. In order to leverage the potential of this network, it would be a good idea to create engaging posts.

Here's four things you can do to make your Google+ posts more engaging

1. Use formatting What many users don't know is that they have text formatting options that allow you to put emphasis within the body of the post. For example you can:

• Bold words - If you put an asterisk on either side of the text, it will be bolded. e.g., bold will show as bold in the post.
• Italicize words - Putting an underscore before and after text will italicize them. e.g., italics will show as italics in the post.
• Strike through words - Placing a hyphen around a word/word will strike through the text. e.g., -strike- will show as strike.

Using proper formatting, especially bold or italics, will draw a reader's attention. For example if you write a post about an upcoming company event, you can bold the date, or put the name of a book, show, video, etc. in italics.

2. Post something and then comment on it Social media, especially Google+, is all about interaction. You want to communicate with your followers or be the conversation starter. One commonly observed trend about Google+ is that its users tend to be more interactive than on platforms. As such, it would not be good idea to just post a link on your profile and leave it - you'll be missing out on potential interaction!

Instead, when you post a link, share content or another post, share it first and then comment on it. Ask your circles for their opinion, thoughts, ideas, etc. When they interact with you, be sure to reply and keep the conversation going.

If you notice that you have made a mistake or grammar gaffe, hover over the post and select the downward facing arrow in the top-right of the post box. Click on Edit Post to make changes.

3. Tag people There will be times when you mention specific people or companies in your posts. Why not create this into a potential for engagement by tagging them? You can do this by putting an @ or + sign and typing the person/company's name. Just make sure there is no space between the @ or + sign, and when you type the name, a pop-up box should show up and allow you to select the profile. Clicking on it will add a link to the profile in the post and will also automatically share it with them when you hit Share.

4. Vary your content A key to an engaging profile is that it needs to be varied. Don't focus on sharing links or just pictures as this will eventually cause users to stop interacting with you. A good mixture of shares, +1s, images and original content with links will keep those in your circles much more interested.

While Google+ isn't the most popular social media platform today, Google is investing heavily in it, and it appears to be paying off. If you are looking for ways to get your profile and presence established before the big rush, let us know, and we may be able to help.

Peruse the C section of your dictionary and you'll find that Collaboration means to work jointly with others in or on an intellectual endeavour. And now this buzz word is all the rage in business: you're constantly collaborating with your team members to close a sale, or with a business partner to jointly launch the next big thing. Technology has definitely made this easier, and one of the front runners on collaboration is Google with their cloud-based storage and office suite Google Drive. The question is, how can Drive help you and your colleagues work together?

Here's an overview of how collaboration works within Google Drive. Before we look into it however, it's a good idea to define Drive. Launched last year, Drive is a cloud based document/file sharing and storing service that also has an attached office productivity suite. The easiest way to think of Drive is as an online hard drive with an office suite - similar to Microsoft Office. When you create a new document, it is automatically saved on your Drive, much like saving a document to your computer.

1. What exactly is collaboration to Google? From Google's viewpoint, it appears that the main idea of collaboration is to breed greater efficiency in organizations. This means sharing files with other users who can edit/work on them in real-time. There is essentially one version of the document that all users see which means not having to send the different versions to each other and no confusion over which is most up to date.

In practice, it's interesting. Say you have a Google Doc that will become a report. You can share it with your team, divide the sections up and all be writing at the same time. This could drastically reduce emails sent back and forth requesting for information and updates, and increase overall efficiency of your team.

The storage side of Drive allows you to create folders similar to those on your hard drive. Where Drive differs is that you can share these folders and the files within with specific users, customers or your whole organization.

2. How to share documents One of the key features of Drive's collaborative functions hinges on the ability to share documents and files. There are at least five sharing options including:

• Private - The file/document will be only be shared with specific people you invite, or only you.
• People within the organization with the link - Will give anyone in your organization access to the document as long as they click on the URL link to the document. You will have to send them the link to the individual users.
• Everyone in the organization - Anyone within the company can search for, and access the file on Drive.
• Anyone with the link - Anyone with the URL link can access the document. You will have to send the link to the people you want to access the file.
• Public on the web - The file can be searched for using Google Search and can be accessed by anyone.

You can share individual documents by clicking on the blue Share button in the top-right of the Spreadsheet, Document, Presentation or Form. You can then select the sharing option, or enter individual email addresses by entering the address in the bar labeled Add people:. By default the user will receive an email with a link to the document.

3. How to see revision history One of the downsides of collaboration in Drive is that because it's done in real-time, it can be tough to see the changes that have been made. Drive does store the changes however, all you have to do is look at any document and press File followed by See revision history.

You'll notice a bar on the right pop-up with the last ten major changes. Clicking on the individual change will show you the changes that were made to the document in a different color. You can select Restore this session to revert the changes.

4. Using in-document chat and comments for better collaboration If you are working with people who aren't in the office, Drive has integrated chat into every Document, Spreadsheet and Form. If other users are looking at the file, you will see their name under the Share and Comments buttons. If you click on the black triangle, the chat bar will open to the right of the window. This will allow you to talk with the other users from within the document - there's no need to switch browser tabs.

If a user has written something you aren't sure of, or would like more information on you can highlight the text and press the Comments button - the dark grey highlight box that looks like a speech bubble in the menu bar above the text entry field - to leave a comment. All users who you have shared the document with will get an email with the comment.

Google Drive is a great way for companies to collaborate both within and outside the organization. When used properly, you should see an increase in the productivity and efficiency of your employees. If you would like to learn more about how Google Drive and other Google Apps can help your business, please contact us today.