Have you noticed how the top of your orkut page is nicer now? Yes, that small bar with links to other Google products (such as Gmail, Maps and Books) just got new features!

The main change is a link to the new orkut settings window that you can open at any time:

Now all your orkut settings will be there in one easy place. Simply open the four tabs (Profile, Privacy, General and Notifications) to check your current settings. It will be faster than ever to change them the way you really want!

We also added to the top of the page a new link to change your profile color or theme:

Later, if you visit someone else's page and (totally) crave their theme, just grab it for yourself with the "get this theme" link that will also show up at the top of the page when you visit other orkut profiles:

I hope you enjoy both these new features!

Posted by Gustavo Moura, Google interaction designer

Ready for a parade packed with students wielding bright colored top hats and canes? Then you’re in luck, because Queima das Fitas (Burning of the Ribbons), one of the largest student celebrations in Europe, is now in full force.

Right now, students are filling the streets of Portugal in order to celebrate their recent graduations. Logically, students finishing their final years of university head up the parade, with their first year classmates bringing up the rear. Burning of the Ribbons is not just for students though, it actually attracts thousands of people from around the country and usually lasts for an entire day.

Never a group to miss out on a party, the orkut team decided to make a doodle to congratulate all the graduates out there (no matter where they’re from), and to celebrate this special date:

If you’d like to participate as well, look for someone who’s celebrating this year in the Portugal community. If you get really inspired, you could even plan a trip to join the party next year. Hope you enjoy the day!

Posted by Pedro Nunes, consumer operations

Today we're launching a variety of small -- but fun! -- changes to the friend updates page, so you can enjoy even more your time while checking the updates from your friends. Some of the newest upgrades include:

Comments and updates with time stamps
Now, at the end of each update or comment, you'll see the time it was posted, so you can tell which postings are the freshest!

Bigger and squared pictures
On the friend updates page, all photos are now displayed in a bigger size and squared format. But don't worry if your profile picture is isn’t square -- it will only be displayed cropped into a square on the updates page. If you don't like how you look as a square, though, consider swapping out you photo for one that looks better in that format.

Comments with hover cards
All comments are now shown as text boxes. Got so many friends you can't remember them all by name? No worries: Just hover your mouse over a name and a "hover card" will display a photo and more information about your friend.

Bubbles for friends on chat
It's now even easier to start a chat conversation with a friend who's also using chat. Just click on the small bubbles (green means online, orange means away from the computer, and red means busy) that appear in the photo of those friends, and a chat window will show up at the bottom of the screen.

We hope you enjoy these improvements, and stay posted for more news coming soon!

Posted by Barbara Veloso, Google designer

A few weeks ago we announced the option to add photos to scraps on the new orkut. Now, we're thrilled to tell you that you can also add maps to you scraps!

To add a map to a scrap, first click the text box to write and edit a scrap. You'll then see customization options on the top. Just click the red placemark icon to add a map to your message, like this:

You can search for a specific address or place (anywhere in the world!), or you can manually drop a placemark onto the map. Both options are easy, even if you're unfamiliar with Google Maps.

Once you select an address, your scrap draft will look like this:

Just post it and your friend will see the map you added. If the map is clicked, it loads the Google Maps page for that same spot, so your friend can further explore the area, check Street View photos, and even find public transit, driving or biking directions to get there.

So c'mon, get scrappy with maps - it's a lot of fun!

Posted by Rodrigo Almeida, software engineer