Update to Google Spreadsheets released

Google has just released the first update to its Google Spreadsheets online service. It looks like there is now an "anyone can view" setting which will not require the creator of the specific Google-based spreadsheet from having to specifically name other users who have access to view a certain Google spreadsheet.

This sounds like a feature that should have debuted with the initial release, but oh well. Newer printing features include the ability to print an online Google spreadsheet while dropping empty rows and columns (much like Microsoft Excel), and there will also be an export to PDF option for those that wish to save Google spreadsheets to the world-standard Adobe PDF format.

What has Google Spreadsheets done financially for the Internet search giant? Probably nothing, and that's not the point most likely. It gets Google's name and brand even further entrenched into the media limelight and with consumers while costing the company virtually nothing except for creation and testing costs.

It's hard to imagine that Google Spreadsheets is a tax on Google's resources like its search engine and email service probably causes, but it's a great brand-builder. Google Spreadsheets seems to have not only received a nice facelift here with newer features, but again -- it's getting Google in the press at regular intervals -- and that is key.