Key breaking news coming from Google today.

1) Google just launched Google Sites - a full wiki service that I was just waiting for.

2) Google AdSense new contractual terms - if you are an online publisher using AdSense, you have probably stumbled already on the AdSense new contract and terms which you are forced to approve anytime you try to login in your AdSense account. But many like me, have opted for approving it, without really reading the fine print, as really there is no choice between accepting the contract or giving up AdSense. But the changes to the AdSense for publishers contract are quite interesting and worth paying some attention to.

As part of the editorial transformation that Master New Media is going through, one new element is my increasing video presence in different styles and formats. One of these, is the daily news. Nothing really fancy, ambitious or special, but just an alternative way to get your daily dose of key stories that are specifically relevant to online independent publishers and authors. So not the generic typical media and technology news, but just like for the manually selected digest of specialty news I bring to you daily on Master New Media home page a focused short report on professional online publishing stories.

Here more details on today's Google news:

Google Sites

Here is a nice video from Google introducing the new Google Sites service launching today:

Here is an overview of what the new Google service has to offer.

Google Sites is the easiest way to make information accessible to people who need quick, up-to-date access. People can work together on a Site to add file attachments, information from other Google applications (like Google Docs, Google Calendar, YouTube and Picasa), and new free-form content.

Creating a site together is as easy as editing a document, and you always control who has access, whether it's just yourself, your team, or your whole organization. You can even publish Sites to the world.
Key Features:

AdSense New Contractual Terms for Publishers

Key changes:

1. You can now have ads from other contextual advertising networks alongside AdSense. Similarly, you may have other site search from other providers in addition to Google.

2. You can display Google AdSense ads and Referral buttons on error pages and registration pages as the following line is now deleted from AdSense terms.

3. You may place the AdSense for Search box on web pages that have no other content.

4. You may place Google ads associated with multiple AdSense accounts on the same web page.

5. AdSense Referral products (like Firefox, Google Pack, etc) can be placed on web pages that contain no other content.

6. AdSense Publishers probably need to add a new privacy policy to their website disclosing information about ad cookies to visitors.

Finally, as you may have already found out, you are required to accept these new AdSense Terms and Conditions before May 25, 2008 else you may not be able to continue using your Google AdSense account.

(Thanks to Amit Agarwal of Digital Inspiration for checking and reporting in great detail about these new changes. See more details on the AdSense contractual changes on his excellent short report.