Tech Topic 78: Preferred Source Button, Meet Speech Translation, Gemini Canvas Travel Planner

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In the first Tech Topic for 2026, Peggy shared a tip for promoting your blog as a Preferred Search Source, Nina explained how Google Workspace Admins can manage Meet speech translation, and Bob demonstrated how to use Canvas in Google Search AI Mode to make travel plans.

This week's Meet background prompt: A red train in a winter fairy tale forest in a big curve shown in the lower left and right.

Peggy Kolm: Add a "Preferred Source" Button to your Blog

Google Search now lets users add news sites and blogs as "Preferred Sources". If you make a news-related query, your Preferred Sources will appear more often on the "Top Stories" and "From Your Sources" sections of the search results. 

Peggy explained that if you have a blog or news site, you can make it easier for your readers to add your site to their Preferred Sources in two ways: 

1. Share a link that readers can click to add your site as a Preferred Source.

Link format: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=<your website URL>

To try to add OnEBoard News as one of your Preferred Sources, click this link: 
https://google.com/preferences/source?q=news.oneboard.network

Note that only frequently-updated sources can be added, so not all sites are available. 

2. Add an official button to your website or blog. Google supplies the button images, and all you need to do is upload it to your site, and add the special URL as noted above. Get the button.

Peggy says, "you know there's nothing to lose in implementing this, right? You know, add the button."

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Nina Trankova: Manage AI-Powered Speech Translation in Google Meet


Nina demonstrated how Google Workspace administrators can configure Google Meet's new AI-powered speech translation. This translates speech in real time between English and either French, German, Italian, Portuguese or Spanish. 

Speech Translation begins rolling out in beta on January 27. It is available to Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Plus and Frontline Plus, as well as Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers. 

Nina says, "now is the time to decide whether you have a group or a department from your organization that you don't want to use speech translation or just the opposite you would wish everyone to use it. Just make this architecture settings from the admin side of the  permissions."

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Bob Danley: Use Canvas in Google Search AI Mode as your travel agent

Bob demonstrated how to use Canvas in Google Search's AI Mode to plan a trip. 

After opting in to Google's AI Mode Search Labs experiment, open AI Mode, and enter a prompt detailing the trip you want to plan. Click the Create Canvas button for a summary that can include flights, hotel, estimated travel costs, expected weather and other information. 

The summary includes links so that you can book your travel if you like the suggestions. 

Bob says, "It's a cool little tool in like less than five to 10 minutes . . .  this does all the work for you."

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OnEBoard will be back with 3 Tips in 10 Minutes on January 25.

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