Google Tutorials
Implement the Google AJAX Search API
Let's be honest...WordPress' search functionality isn't great. Let's be more honest...no search functionality is better than Google's. Luckily for us, Google provides an awesome method by which we can use their search for our own site: the Google AJAX Search API. Let me show you how to implement this awesome API within your own website!
Google Font API
Google recently debuted a new web service called the Font API. Google's Font API provides developers a means by which they may quickly and painlessly add custom fonts to their website. Let's take a quick look at the ways by which the Google Font API can be used.
Google and the World Cup
Anyone that knows me knows I'm a complete soccer hooligan. The upcoming World Cup has me more excited than a 4 year old at Disneyland. That's why I was so pleasantly happy to see Google do something really creative when you search for "World Cup":
Video: Speed Up Your JavaScript
I generally try to listen to JavaScript/development podcasts and videos when I'm working. It's a great way to continue to learn and get ideas while doing the ho hum programming busywork that's unavoidable. Here's a great Google Talks presentation that was given last summer about JavaScript and speed.
Google-Style Element Fading Using MooTools or jQuery
Google recently introduced an interesting effect to their homepage: the top left and top right navigation items don't display until you move your mouse or leave the search term box. Why? I can only speculate that they want their homepage as simple as possible; after all, the search box is given focus immediately and at least half of their users probably just type their term and hit enter — no need for more clutter. Here's how you can implement a similar system with MooTools or jQuery.
Async Google Analytics
It seems like every website these days uses Google Analytics. And why not? It's an outstanding tool that gives you any and every statistic you could ever want. The problem with Google Analytics is that it's been, well, slow loading at times. That's why I was so pumped when I saw Google was releasing an async version of their script.
Dynamically Create Charts Using jQuery Flot and Google Analytics
Earlier in the week I published a popular article titled Dynamically Create Charts Using MooTools MilkChart and Google Analytics. My post showed you how to use MooTools MilkChart and a splash of PHP to create beautiful charts of Google Analytics data. I was interested in seeing what jQuery had to offer in the charting department. jQuery Flot is what I found.
Remotely Download Google AJAX Libraries Using PHP
I don't know how to use all of the JavaScript libraries but perusing their code is interesting. If I'm looking to code something I'll look at how each of the other libraries accomplishes the task. The problem is that you need to go out and download each one. And of course they're all on different development schedules so you'd also need to make sure to grab the latest version of the library. Instead of manually accomplishing that task, I've chosen create a script that does all of that for me.
Retrieve Google Analytics Visits and PageViews with PHP
Google Analytics is an outstanding website analytics tool that gives you way more information about your website than you probably need. Better to get more than you want than not enough, right? Anyways I check my website statistics more often than I should and it ends up taking a few minutes to get logged in, select the right site, select the current day, etc. I found a great Google Analytics PHP API that allows me to get just the statistics I'm looking for.
Turn Internet Explorer into Chrome with Chrome Frame
I'm just going to cut to the chase: Internet Explorer is rubbish. I don't care what version you throw at me — 6, 7, 8...rubbish. Apparently Google agrees with me because they've released Google Chrome Frame, a browser plugin and META tag system that allows you to turn IE installs into a virtual "Chrome" install so that IE will support HTML5's canvas tag and take advantage of JavaScript performance improvements featured in Google Chrome.