Official Blog
Insights from Googlers into our products, technology, and the Google culture
Announcing the Africa News Innovation Challenge winners
November 30, 2012
Digital tools are an increasing impetus for innovation across African newsrooms. From crowdsourcing content to using infographics to tell stories, journalists are finding new ways to report the news. We're excited to be supporting these innovators through the $1 million Africa News Innovation Challenge,
announced in May this year
—the latest in a series of projects to spur innovation in African journalism.
Run by the the
African Media Initiative
, other partners include
Omidyar Network
, the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
, the
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
, the
U.S. State Department
, the
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS)
and the
World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
. The response to the challenge was really enthusiastic, with more than 500 proposals submitted.
The 20 winners are all exciting digital journalism projects that will contribute to solving some of the biggest challenges facing the African media industry. They range from mobile apps to mobilise citizens against corruption and improved infographics to communicate complex issues, to developing new platforms for sharing content on buses and taxis. Key themes among the projects include a growing concern about manipulated online content, the security of communications with whistleblowers and sources, and the need to improve engagement with audiences.
The projects have the potential to be replicated by media elsewhere in Africa, or to be scaled up across the continent, to create wide and sustained impact. Some projects will also develop new tools to support newsrooms and boost media revenues to support sustainable journalism. Winners will receive cash grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000; technology support from a team of four developers at AMI’s
jAccelerator lab
in Kenya, and business development support from top media strategists affiliated with the
World Association of Newspapers & News Publishers
. Ten of the winners will also be flown to the Knight Foundation’s annual M.I.T. Civic Media Conference in the U.S., while the rest will be showcased at other important industry events.
The ANIC winners are:
actNOW
(Ghana)
AdBooker
(South Africa)
Africa Check
(South Africa / Nigeria)
skyCAM
(Kenya / Nigeria)
Africa’s Wealth
(renamed
NewsStack
) (Nigeria / Namibia)
Citizen Desk
(Mozambique)
Code4Ghana
(Ghana)
ConvergeCMS
(Kenya / Tanzania / Uganda)
CorruptionNET
(South Africa)
DataWrapper
(Nigeria / Senegal / Tanzania)
End-to-End
(renamed
LastMile Crowdmapping
) (Liberia / Ghana / Kenya)
FlashCast
(Kenya)
Green Hornet
(South Africa)
ListeningPost
(South Africa)
MoJo: Keeping media honest by monitoring online journalism
(South Africa)
openAFRICA
(Kenya / Nigeria / Rwanda / South Africa)
ODADI
(renamed
Code4SouthAfrica
) (South Africa)
Oxpeckers
(South Africa)
Wikipedia Zero
(Cameroon / Ivory Coast / Tunisia / Uganda)
ZeroNews
(pan-African)
You can learn more about the winners’ projects on the
ANIC website
.
We can’t wait to see how these innovations unfold and we look forward to working with more African journalists to help them use technologies to tell important stories.
Posted by Julie Taylor, Communications Manager, Sub Saharan Africa
(Cross-posted from the
Africa Blog
)
Meet Google’s Top Contributors, a community of help
November 29, 2012
If you’ve ever asked a question in the
Google Help Forums
, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve met a Google Top Contributor. Last September, we
told you a little bit about the Top Contributors
when we hosted our 2011 Top Contributor Summit. Since then, Top Contributors continue to help millions of people get the most out of Google’s products by answering questions in Google’s Help Forums.
They also continue to give important feedback to Google. Top Contributors have advocated for features and improvements like custom colors in Google Calendar, more locations for offline Google Maps on Android devices, and protected ranges in Google Sheets. In short, they help Google build better products.
Starting today, you can find out more about Top Contributors on our
new website for the program
. You can learn about Google Help Forums, meet a few of the Top Contributors, and get a better understanding of what these incredible folks do to impact people’s lives in the forums every day.
We hope that the website brings the world of Google Help Forums to light and shows our thanks for the dedication Top Contributors show each day. To meet a Top Contributor or get some help, just stop by a forum and say hello. And let us know if you want more information on
joining the Top Contributor Program
!
Posted by Adrienne Ludwick, Top Contributor Program Manager
VetNet: A place for veterans and military spouses to build civilian careers
November 28, 2012
For several years now, we’ve been working to help the veteran community through outreach programs and by connecting veterans and their families to useful Google products and services. For example, we’ve built tools like the
Veterans Job Bank
to connect veterans with employers, today populated with more than a million jobs. And we created a
Resume Builder
to help job-seekers represent their experience in just a few clicks with Google Docs.
After years of working with the community, we’ve come to realize that it isn’t more tools that are needed, but rather organizing the ones that already exist, and making them easier to find. Perhaps the most complex challenge facing the veteran community today is the sheer volume of resources available to help them transition to civilian life. While this abundance is the measure of a grateful nation, and a tribute to those who served, in the end, the most important result is individuals and families getting the help they need.
With this in mind, we’ve put the powers of
Google+
behind a single hub called
VetNet
. Today, VetNet launches as a partnership with three founding organizations: the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s
Hiring Our Heroes
program, the
Institute for Veterans and Military Families
(IVMF) and
Hire Heroes USA
. In the long run, other organizations will be able to offer their services to the veteran community, all in the same easy-to-use place.
Through VetNet, these founding partners offer a full spectrum of employment resources for members of the community. Whether starting a job search from scratch, looking for mentors in a specific industry or starting a business, transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses will be able to connect with career services, job opportunities and each other.
All of the content and resources are organized into three tracks by objective, each hosted on its own Google+ page.
Basic Training Track
(google.com/+VetNetBasic)
: The place to start. From resumes to interviewing tips to advice from buddies. Dial into our first Resume Workshop today at 3pm EST.
Career Connections Track
(google.com/+VetNetCareer)
: Walmart, GE and Capital One are just a few of the companies that are participating in VetNet to help veterans and military spouses find civilian careers. Check out today’s Vets In Finance panel at 2pm EST.
Entrepreneur Track
(google.com/+VetNetEntrepreneur)
: An 8-week college-level course on the fundamentals of starting a business, starting next week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
To stay abreast of the most exciting events happening across all tracks, follow
+VetNetHQ
on Google+.
We’re proud to join forces with the Chamber, IVMF and Hire Heroes USA—to help them do what they do so well, and to simplify the process of finding and using resources for the veterans community. Our hope is simply to connect help to those who need it. If you’re a member of the community looking any career advice or help, get started at
VetNetHQ.com
. For those of us who have not served, please do what you can to spread word of VetNet to those who have.
Posted by Andy Berndt, Creative Lab
Get ready for winter: Mapping the Canadian Arctic and global ski resorts
November 28, 2012
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting shorter and the temperatures are dropping. To help prepare for the winter ahead, we’re adding more detail and imagery to the map for a variety of chilly destinations, making them more comprehensive and accurate than ever. Starting today, you can virtually experience the Canadian Arctic through new panoramic Street View images of Cambridge Bay and detailed maps created with the help of local community members. And if you’re planning a winter getaway, you can preview the slopes of more than 90 ski and snow resorts around the world, adding to dozens that are already available via Street View today.
Canada’s Arctic
When
we visited Canada’s far north
this past August, we worked with the nonprofit group
Nunavut Tunngavik
and the residents of
Cambridge Bay
to improve the map of this remote, but culturally rich, Nunavut hamlet.
The map this community helped build
using
Google Map Maker
, as well as the 360-degree images we collected using Street View trike and tripod technologies, is now available for all the world to see on Google Maps.
To get a sense of what it’s like to live up in the north, you can walk down
Omingmak Street
,
make your way to the bridge
(where locals fish for Arctic Char) and head out to the
Old Stone Church
. Check out some Arctic souvenirs in the
Arctic Closet
, or visit the
Ice Hockey and Curling Arena
—it’s uninsulated and freezes over once they flood it in the winter! You can also learn more about Inuit history and culture at the
Kitikmeot Heritage Society
and the
Arctic Coast Visitors Centre
.
View Larger Map
Explore the intersection of Omingmak (“musk ox”) Street and Tigiganiak (“fox”) Road
Ski and snow resorts across the globe
You can also view some of the world’s best runs right on Google Maps before you get there. Whether you’re looking to discover a piste you’ve never tried before, or just want to take in some winter wonderland scenery, we’ve added Street View imagery for resorts across Europe (including runs in Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Italy and Spain), Canada (including runs in British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario) and the U.S. (including runs in Utah and Michigan).
For example, take a look at
Sölden
, a popular ski resort in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria. It’s not just tourists who flock there every year, but fans of professional skiing—Sölden regularly hosts the giant slalom competition as part of the Alpine World Cup in late October.
View Larger Map
You can also visit
Canyons Resort
in Park City, Utah. With 19 chairlifts, 4,000 acres of skiable terrain and an average of 355 inches of snow each winter, Canyons is the largest ski and snowboard terrain park in the state.
View Larger Map
Visit the to see some of our favorite images of the
Arctic
and
resorts
available on Google Maps. As winter sets in, we encourage you to experience it all from the comfort (and warmth) of your couch—or check it out online, then dig out your thermal underwear and snow boots to hit the slopes!
Posted by Ulf Spitzer, Program Manager, Google Street View
Join the Arabic Web Days movement
November 20, 2012
Arabic content on the web represents just 3 percent of the total digital content online—yet Arabic speakers make up more than 5 percent of the global population. To help build a vibrant Arabic web, we’ve created Arabic Web Days, an initiative in the Middle East and North Africa focused on boosting the amount of Arabic content online. (
Note
: the video below is in Arabic only.)
For the next 30 days, we’re holding a series of online and offline events along with our partners Vinelab, Wamda, Yamli and Taghreedat, as well as Twitter, Wikipedia, TED, Soundcloud, and regional organizations Al Arabiya, TwoFour54 and Qatar Foundation’s Qatari Computing Research Institute. Here’s how you can get involved:
Participate in a series of
Hangouts on Google+
to get tips and tricks from industry experts on contributing Arabic content to the web—through online journalism, YouTube videos, Wikipedia editing, translation of English content, SEO and more
Join the
YouTube Tweet Up
in Doha, Qatar on December 15 to learn how to create viral Arabic videos and make money through YouTube
Participate in the region's
first Arabic infographics competition
with Tajseed
Volunteer to be part of a
TED initiative to create quality Arabic digital content
via Arabic subtitling during a kick-off event with TED, twofour54 and Taghreedat in Abu Dhabi on December 4
Sign up for
developer training at g|days
in Jordan on December 5-6 and Egypt on December 9-10 to learn about Arabic localization, webmaster tools, SEO and YouTube for Business
Learn about the Egyptian Ministry of Education’s
educational channels on YouTube
which include different curricula from first to twelfth grade, as well as e-Lessons via video and Google+ Hangouts.
Celebrate 12/12/12 as
National Arabic Web Day
Connect
with us: add the Arabic Web Days
badge
to your site, upload a video to
youtube.com/arabicwebdays
, visit our website:
www.arabicwebdays.com
and follow us on
Google+
and
Twitter
(in Arabic)
To get more details and to sign up for any of the above events, visit Arabic Web Days on
Google+
or see the
Arabia Blog
. Until then, let’s go Arabic!
Posted by Maha Abouelenein, Head of Communications, Middle East and North Africa
Discover the world of open source with Google Code-in 2012
November 20, 2012
Every time you send a text, check a webpage or post a status update, you’re using open source software. The Internet is made of open source. But have you ever created any yourself? With the
Google Code-in
contest, pre-university students (13-17 years old) can learn more and create open source software that people all over the world can use—and win cool prizes along the way.
Starting Monday, November 26 and for the following 50 days, contest participants will work on fun online tasks for
10 different open source organizations
. Possible challenges include documentation, marketing outreach, software coding, user experience research and more.
Participants earn points for each task they successfully complete and can earn prizes like T-shirts and certificates of completion. This year we’re doubling the number of grand prize winners to 20 talented students, who will win a trip to Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. They’ll spend a day getting a tour of the “Googleplex,” meeting and talking with Google engineers, plus enjoy another full day exploring San Francisco and other surprises.
Some of the 2011 Google Code-in Grand Prize Winners by the Golden Gate Bridge
Last year, 542 students from 56 countries and 360 schools completed 3,054 tasks during the eight-week contest. This year we want to encourage even more students to participate in the contest and learn about open source development. If you’d like to sign up, please review our
Frequently Asked Questions
and the
contest rules
on our
program site
. You can also watch our
screencast
, check out some
sample tasks
from last year’s contest and join our
discussion list
for any other questions. For details on important dates for the contest, see the
timeline
. You can register for your account on the
program site
when the contest opens on Monday, November 26 at 9:00am PST.
Finally, our Open Source Programs team will be hosting a
Hangout on Air
on the Google in Education page November 26 at 2:00pm PST to discuss the details of the Google Code-in contest and answer any questions.
We hope you’ll spend your winter (or summer, for our friends in the southern hemisphere) learning about the ins and outs of open source development through hands-on experience. Ready...set...
Posted by Stephanie Taylor, Open Source Programs
Something to smile about: A 5,000-mile walk across Asia, guided by Google Maps
November 19, 2012
Inspiration comes in many shapes and forms. For U.S. Marine Sgt. Winston Fiore, it was a news article about the
International Children’s Surgical Foundation
(ICSF) and Dr. Geoff Williams, who provides free facial-reconstructive surgeries for children with cleft lips/palates in developing countries. Although cleft palates are quite correctable, if left untreated the deformity can cause serious health issues. Many children don’t have the surgery because the cost of each procedure ($250 USD) is out of reach for their families.
Inspired to do something to help, Winston set out on a 5,000-mile trek across Southeast Asia to raise money and awareness for the ICSF—a mission he dubbed
Smile Trek
. Armed with sturdy boots, a 20-pound vest carrying essentials and an Android phone with Google Maps, Winston set off on his mission in October 2011. In the last year, he has walked (yes, walked!) through Brunei, China, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Along the way he’s met countless individuals who have contributed to his cause, whether it was a place to stay, a hot meal or a monetary donation on
his website
.
Trekking along: Winston, standing in front of a durian fruit stand near Sematan, the westernmost town of Malaysian Borneo
Out on the road, Winston’s Android phone and Google Maps became “the hub” of his entire operation. He used Google Maps to find accurate and easy-to-use walking directions everywhere he went, whether it was through remote villages and farms, down tiny dirt roads, or across rice paddies and desolate sugar cane fields. “Walking directions in Google Maps were critical to my trek. The directions were accurate and efficient—it’s essential to take the shortest route when you’re walking 20-25 miles each day,” said Winston. “But the best part was being routed onto roads and trails through areas I otherwise never would have discovered with, say, driving directions, or even a physical map.”
View the complete map of Winston's journey on
his site
In addition to using Google Maps, Winston relied on many other Google products during his trek. He used
Google Latitude
to keep his family, friends and supporters informed of his whereabouts, and
MyTracks
to record his speed, distance and the places he visited. He also used
Google Translate
to communicate with locals, and in one case found it essential: when bit by a stray dog outside of Bangkok, he typed "I got bit by a dog, can someone take me to a hospital?" into his app. A taxi driver took him to the hospital, where he got 11 shots!
Today, after walking 5,000 miles in 408 days, Sgt. Fiore completes his journey, with more than $65,000 raised for ICSF. The money will help to fund more than 200 life-saving surgeries for children in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world. If you’d like to contribute to the International Children’s Surgery Fund and Winston Fiore’s effort, we encourage you to visit
smiletrek.org
.
Posted by Jennifer J. Chen, Product Manager, Google Maps
Supporting people with disabilities through outreach and accessibility tools
November 19, 2012
Globally, there are approximately 285 million visually impaired people in the world—and each one of those people has networks of family and friends. Increasing the accessibility of products impacts not only the millions of people with disabilities, but also the lives of the people connected to them.
It’s because of the wide impact better accessibility tools can have that we partner with organizations like the
Vision Serve Alliance
, which brings together the CEOs of U.S. nonprofits that serve the blind and visually impaired to network and share best practices.
On Thursday, November 8 we welcomed 63 of these executives to Google’s San Francisco, Calif. office. There, we showed how we’re making Google’s products more accessible to blind and visually impaired users. We also shared insight into Google's culture—our commitment to openness, transparency and encouraging Googlers to bring their whole selves to work.
The attendees talked with representatives from the Google self-driving car team about the technology’s potential impact on mobility for the blind and visually impaired, as previously
demoed
by Steve Mahan from the
Santa Clara Valley Blind Center
. Other teams of Googlers also joined the event to demonstrate accessibility features in products like Chrome and Android. Chromevox is a screen reader that's built into Chrome OS and the Chrome browser. Android’s built-in accessibility features include text-to-speech,
haptic feedback
, gesture navigation, trackball and directional-pad navigation, all of which help visually impaired users navigate their mobile devices.
In line with our efforts to empower all people with disabilities, on December 3 we’re celebrating the International Day of Disability in Google offices in North America. We’ll have 7-minute flash talks about how Google’s work on accessibility empowers different communities, and a global product accessibility improvement day where Googlers test our products for accessibility bugs.
Posted by Seval Oz, New Business Development Senior Manager
Thanksgiving gone Google
November 19, 2012
Thanksgiving is about sharing,
giving thanks
and connecting with family and friends. Yet, all too often we get caught up in the holiday rat race—the mad dash to the airport, the supermarket, the mall—and forget to take time out to enjoy the holiday.
To kick off the holidays this year, we wanted to crank up the fun and tone down the stress. So we did a little planning for you and created a
one-stop-Google-shop
to get you through the week.
Cooking
With tools like
recipe search
and YouTube
cooking videos
that show you the right (and wrong) ways to carve a deep-fried turkey, Google can help you master your Thanksgiving meal with lots of laughs along the way. You can also join members of the Google+ cooking community for cooking lessons over live hangouts. Learn how to make new dishes like
pumpkin brulee
for the sweet tooths at the table or mix things up this year with a
vegan-friendly feast
.
Connecting
Though we can’t control the skies and guarantee a turbulence-free flight home, we can help minimize the time you spend waiting around, with
real-time flight updates
. Download the
Google Search App
to get flight updates on the go. And don’t forget to download
TV shows
,
music
and more from Google Play to stay entertained on board.
Of course, for those of you who couldn’t make it home this year, you can still get everyone together with Google+ Hangouts. Try
scheduling a hangout
to video chat with up to nine people you’d otherwise miss this holiday.
Sports
Whether you’re rooting for the
Cowboys
or the
Jets
,
Texans
or the
Patriots
, we can help you stay on top of all the scores and stats. If you’re on the run, ask for real time scores or game details using
Voice Search
on the
Google Search App
.
Shopping
This year Black Friday starts on Thursday, with Wal-Mart, Target and Toys R Us all kicking off sales on Thanksgiving night. To help you get a head start on the deal-seekers, try our new
shortlists
, a super-simple alternative to sharing lists of links or bookmarks, as well as 360-degree imagery for many of
the season’s hottest toys on Google Shopping
. For those of you brave enough to face the masses at the store, use
indoor Google Maps
to get in and get out of the mall fast.
By putting all your favorite Google features in one place, we hope we can help make things just a little bit easier this Thanksgiving—giving you more time to make memories with those who matter most and enjoy every last bite of that much deserved pumpkin pie. Visit our
Thanksgiving hub
to get started.
Posted by Carolyn Witte, Search Marketing Team
Investing in green energy in Greene County, Iowa
November 15, 2012
If you drive northwest from Des Moines, Iowa, you’ll see a lot of corn fields. From time to time, you’ll also see wind turbines rising out of those fields, making efficient use of our natural resources to produce renewable energy. It’s places like these that are home to a vibrant, emerging clean energy economy.
Today we‘re announcing that we’ve made an equity investment of $75 million in a 50MW wind farm in Rippey, a small town in Greene County, about an hour outside of Des Moines. The Rippey project, developed by
RPM Access
, is expected to produce enough energy to power over 15,000 Iowa homes. The project, which is now in operation, uses turbines produced by
Nordex USA
at their Jonesboro, Ark. facility.
Investment team members Nick Coons and Steffi Russell-Egbert visiting the Rippey project on a (windy) day in October.
We’ve taken two approaches to greening the grid in Iowa, a state where we
operate a data center
. Back in 2010,
we entered into
a long-term contract to purchase wind energy from NextEra Energy Resources’ Story County II wind farm. This time, we’re investing directly into a wind project, which has been contracted to sell all of the energy to the
Central Iowa Power Cooperative
, an Iowa-based utility that will deliver the energy to local consumers. We’re happy to help make more renewable energy available to Iowans and to support the growing wind energy industry in the state.
This project brings our committed investment to the renewable energy sector to more than $990 million. Read more about our previous investments on our
Google Green site
.
Posted by Axel Martinez, Assistant Treasurer, Head of Capital Markets
The results are in—Zagat’s America's Top Restaurants revealed
November 14, 2012
To help people find the best places to eat in 46 U.S. cities and regions, we’re revealing the results of our 2013
America’s Top Restaurants
Survey covering 1,822 of the nation’s top-rated restaurants. From Boston to Portland and Chicago to Miami, the results of this year’s Zagat Survey are based on millions of reviews from everyday diners who shared their experiences through their favorite Google products.
Winners include perennial favorites like the “exceptional” American
Gary Danko
(San Francisco), Eric Ripert’s French “seafood shrine”
Le Bernardin
(New York), and the “flawless” New American
Bacchanalia
(Atlanta), as well as top spots like
Alinea
(Chicago),
Urasawa
(Los Angeles) and
Joël Robuchon
(Las Vegas).
While many of the top restaurants break out the china and crystal, a number of standouts included in the guide are casual gourmet places like pizzerias:
Settebello
(Vegas and Salt Lake City),
Supino Pizzeria
(Detroit’s No.1 restaurant),
Serious Pie
(Seattle) and
Dough
(San Antonio); sandwich specialists:
Bäco Mercat
(LA),
Cochon Butcher
(New Orleans) and
Melt Bar & Grilled
(Cleveland); burger specialists:
B Spot
(Cleveland),
Flip Burger Boutique
(Atlanta) and
Sketch
(Philadelphia); and BBQs:
Union Woodshop
,
Slows Bar BQ
and
Zingerman’s Roadhouse
(Detroit).
Thanks to those of you who share your restaurant adventures with us, we also have a snapshot of what dining out in America looks like. Based on surveyors in 10 major cities, we have found that the average number of meals cooked at home (7.0 per week) outpaces the average number of meals they eat/take out (6.1)—a trend that has been building since the Great Recession. We also know that diners in Houston eat out the most (4.1 times per week vs. the 3.2 national average), and that at 19.6 percent, the
City of Brotherly Love
is also the city of most generous tippers.
Zagat ratings and reviews for tens of thousands of restaurants at every price point and cuisine are available via the Google products you use every day, like
search
, Google+,
Maps
and mobile.
Congratulations to
this year’s winners
and bon appétit!
Posted by Bernardo Hernandez, Managing Director, Zagat
A healthy grant to support healthy buildings
November 14, 2012
Imagine having nutrition-label-like data about every product you use at your fingertips—knowing exactly what ingredients make up things like office chairs or house paint and how they could impact your health today and 30 years from now. It’s a future that goes hand in hand with our commitment to
creating the healthiest work environments possible
and promoting transparency within the wide world of building materials.
Today, we’re taking a step toward that future with a $3 million grant to the
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)
, a leading non-profit organization that works to create greener buildings and communities in the U.S. and around the world.
There’s a lack of clear and accessible information on building ingredients, which means that a lot of us might be exposed to potentially harmful and toxic chemicals in building materials—whether it’s in the desk you sit at every day or the building’s paints, tiles and carpeting. This grant is designed to improve human health and well-being by supporting more industry research and better standards around healthy materials.
We’ve
already done a lot
to eliminate many of these chemicals in our offices around the world, and we want to make it easier for others to do the same. The USGBC has had great success with their widely adopted
LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. LEED is certifying 1.7 million square feet every day with 9.3 billion square feet participating in LEED across all 50 states and 138 countries. We think they’re in a great position to build on this track record to create real and lasting change in the industry.
But it isn't enough just to have better labeling or standards about the ingredients in various products. We also need to know more about the ingredients themselves, which is why this grant also supports more scientific research and outreach so we can all do a better job of understanding how building materials impact human health. By doing so, we hope to empower consumers and businesses alike to make more informed decisions about the materials they purchase and use in their day-to-day lives.
Posted by Lacy Caruthers, Sustainability Team
Honoring the spirit of Veterans Day year-round
November 13, 2012
This Veterans Day was an especially poignant one for us at Google. November 9 marked the fifth anniversary of the Google Veterans Network, our employee volunteer community that strives to make Google a great place to work for those who have served, their families and their friends. Our group has doubled in size every year, and we represent 34 offices in nine countries around the world.
Veterans Day 2012 doodle
This year, we’re honoring the spirit of Veterans Day with a week of activities from November 7-14. Googlers deployed with
Team Rubicon
to Rockaway Beach, N.Y. to help residents recover from Hurricane Sandy, cooked dinner for military families at
VA Puget Sound Fisher House
, hosted a Meals Ready-to-Eat luncheon in Atlanta, Ga., and ran a U.S. Marine Corps Combat Fitness Test in Mountain View, Calif.—just a few of the events underway around the United States.
Our commitment to supporting the military veteran community at large continues to strengthen, with a focus on helping veterans make a successful transition to civilian life. Here are some examples of how Google tools and employees have joined the fight against veteran unemployment, in particular:
20 resume workshops at Google offices for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in the U.S. as well as the U.K. Many of these veterans belong to the
Student Veterans of America
.
A
scholarship program
for veterans studying computer science and our inaugural
Student Veterans Summit
Our first-ever
Google for Entrepreneurs Day
for hundreds of veterans and military spouses who are aspiring business owners in San Diego, Calif.
VetNet
, a career services platform coming soon on Google+, in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce
Hiring Our Heroes Foundation
,
IVMF
and
Hire Heroes USA
We’ve also put our technology to work as sponsors of
Veterans Week NYC
, including:
Google technology training for more than 100 wounded warriors and caregivers in NYC and a
panel discussion
, also broadcast on Google+, with advice for wounded warriors on transitioning to the civilian workplace.
A live broadcast of the
Bob Woodruff Foundation
's annual
Stand Up For Heroes
concert on YouTube and Google+ to raise awareness and funds for wounded warriors.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, November 14, a broadcast of the
Big Apple Circus
for military families around the country, hosted by the
USO
. You can join in the fun on
Google+
where we’ll stream the performance live.
Honoring wounded warriors with The Boss at
Stand Up For Heroes
on November 8.
Photo by Stefan Radtke.
Please follow our new
Google for Veterans & Families
Google+ page to stay abreast of our support for the community all year long. Every day is Veterans Day here at Google.
Update
Dec 7
: You can now watch video from the November 14 Big Apple Circus on
YouTube
.
Posted by Carrie Laureno, Audience Evangelist and Founder, Google Veterans Network
Deck the halls with tools for shopping
November 13, 2012
I love shopping for gifts for my family and friends, but it’s not always easy. Fortunately, the Google Shopping team has built several new tools to help you (and me!) get an early and stress-free start on holiday shopping.
Explore products in 360-degree detail on Google Shopping
Having trouble imagining what a toy actually looks like from the online picture? Now, when searching for a subset of toys on Google Shopping, you can see 360-degree photos of the products. These interactive images bring the in-store feeling of holding and touching a product to your online browsing.
Look for the “3D” swivel icon on the product image to see a toy in 360-degree view, on HTML5 enabled browsers. We’ve also put together a Holiday Toy Collection featuring this enhanced imagery—explore the collection
on this site
. 360-degree imagery is coming for other types of products soon.
If you’re a retailer or manufacturer interested in displaying these rich images of your products on Google Shopping, please fill out
this form
.
Use Shortlists to stay organized and collaborate with friends
New in Google Shopping,
Shortlists
make it easier to research products and plan purchases with friends and family. Instead of using bookmarked websites and docs containing long lists of URLs, or back-and-forth emails with friends, you can now consolidate all your shopping research in one place. With Shortlists, you can easily:
Keep track of products you like from Google Shopping and across the web
View product photos, prices and specs side by side
Share your Shortlist with friends, who can add their own ideas
Create a Shortlist by visiting
google.com/shopping/shortlists
or clicking the “Add to Shortlist” button as you browse products on Google Shopping.
Discover great deals and store promotions on Google Shopping
To help you make the most of your holiday budget, Google Shopping now shows discounts or promotions on the products you're viewing. If discounts or promotions are available, you can click on the link and visit the retailer’s site to redeem the offer.
That’s not all...a few more new Google Shopping features
Here are a few of the other tools we’ve created to make your holiday shopping a little easier:
Not sure you’ve found the perfect gift? Read
reviews
from people you know and write your own product reviews on Google Shopping.
Found an item that’s
almost
perfect but not quite? Now you can view
“visually similar” results
for even more types of products and categories, including
jewelry
,
coats
,
handbags
and more.
Buying an important gift? Look for the
Google Trusted Store logo
as you shop. It indicates a store ships quickly and delivers excellent customer service.
Shopping on the go? Browse for gift ideas, find local sales and research products with the new and improved
Google Shopper 3.0
, currently available for
Android
.
Still need some inspiration? Browse
holiday catalogs
from the top retailers directly on Google Shopping.
Happy holiday shopping!
Posted by Vineet Buch, Group Product Manager, Google Shopping
Transparency Report: Government requests on the rise
November 13, 2012
We think it’s important to shine a light on how government actions could affect our users. When we first launched the
Transparency Report
in early 2010, there wasn’t much data out there about how governments sometimes hamper the free flow of information on the web. So we took our first step toward greater transparency by disclosing the number of government requests we received. At the time, we weren’t sure how things would look beyond that first snapshot, so we pledged to release numbers twice a year. Today we’re updating the Transparency Report with data about government requests from January to June 2012.
This is the sixth time we’ve released this data, and one trend has become clear: Government surveillance is on the rise. As you can see from the graph below, government demands for user data have increased steadily since we first launched the Transparency Report. In the first half of 2012, there were 20,938 inquiries from government entities around the world. Those requests were for information about 34,614 accounts.
The number of government requests to remove content from our services was largely flat from 2009 to 2011. But it’s spiked in this reporting period. In the first half of 2012, there were 1,791 requests from government officials around the world to remove 17,746 pieces of content.
You can see the country-by-country trends for requests to hand over
user data
and to
remove content
from our services in the Transparency Report itself, but in aggregate around the world, the numbers continue to go up.
As always, we continue to improve the Transparency Report with each data release. Like before, we’re including
annotations
for this time period with interesting facts. We’re also
showing new bar graphs
with data in addition to tables to better display content removal trends over time. We’ve now translated the entire Transparency Report into 40 languages, and we’ve expanded our FAQ—including one that explains how we sometimes
receive falsified court orders
asking us to remove content. We do our best to verify the legitimacy of the documents we receive, and if we determine that any are fake, we don’t comply.
The information we disclose is only an isolated sliver showing how governments interact with the Internet, since for the most part we don’t know what requests are made of other technology or telecommunications companies. But we’re heartened that in the past year, more companies like
Dropbox
,
LinkedIn
,
Sonic.net
and
Twitter
have begun to share their statistics too. Our hope is that over time, more data will bolster public debate about how we can best keep the Internet free and open.
Posted by Dorothy Chou, Senior Policy Analyst
Ghetto Film School uses Google+ to teach master classes in filmmaking
November 13, 2012
The best thing about building tools is seeing what people do with them. Since Google+ launched, it’s been fascinating to discover people using it in ways we never could have dreamed up—like the photographer who figured out how to turn a camera, a phone and Hangouts into
Virtual Photo Walks
.
Ghetto Film School
had a different idea. They’ve been running filmmaking programs for young people in their South Bronx neighborhood since 2000, and when they heard about Google+, they thought it would be a great way to bring what they do to teenagers beyond the Bronx. And from that simple idea, Ghetto Film School’s MasterClass series—discussions between great directors and young filmmakers from around the world—was born.
Ghetto Film School’s story is the latest addition to the
Google+ Stories YouTube channel
. Each video captures how people—from
small business owners
to
astronomy fans
to
journalists
—are using Google+ to connect with others who share their interests. Have a Google+ story of your own? We’d love to
hear about it
.
Posted by Kevin Proudfoot, Executive Creative Director, Creative Lab
Let indoor Google Maps be your guide this holiday shopping season
November 13, 2012
The holiday shopping season is upon us. Your favorite retail stores are already playing holiday tunes, promoting sales, and decking out their displays in red and green. But if flashbacks of people rushing all around you frantically trying to find gifts for everyone on their lists are giving you anxiety, fret not. This year you can use
indoor Google Maps
on your Android device to stay cool, calm, collected and most of all, one step ahead of the crowd.
On Black Friday and throughout this holiday season, simply zoom in to a participating store on Google Maps to devise your shopping game plan. An indoor floor plan with helpful labels will automatically appear, and the familiar “blue dot” icon will help you figure out the fastest way to the accessories department, the food court when you need to refuel, and the closest restroom or ATM when you need a break from your marathon shopping session. For many locations, you can even get indoor walking directions to find the best route from one store to the next.
Indoor Google Maps for Mall of America in Bloomington, MN (left)
and for Macy's in New York, NY (right)
These accurate, easy-to-use indoor maps are available for a number of popular retail locations across the globe including many local malls and select Best Buy, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Harrod’s, Selfridges, John Lewis and other stores. With the help of your Android device, you can beeline it to the camcorder you’ve been eyeing for your dad, and then quickly make your way to that sweater you know your sister will love. For list of additional venue partners, including some in Belgium that just became available today, check out
this list
.
Indoor Google Maps for
West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (left)
and for Nordstrom in Seattle, WA (right)
We hope these indoor maps make finding your way in and around retail stores easier, less stressful and more efficient this holiday season. To access them, simply update Google Maps on your Android by visiting Google Play on your phone or
desktop
. Happy holiday shopping!
Posted by Cedric Dupont, Product Manager, Google Maps
The new Acer Chromebook
November 12, 2012
Creating a
better, simpler
computer and making it available for everyone is at the core of the Chromebook vision. It’s exciting to see people using Chromebooks as the perfect additional computer in the home, and we continue to work with our partners to make them easy-to-use and more affordable. Today, we’re delighted that our partner Acer is introducing a new addition to the Chromebook family: the
new Acer C7 Chromebook
.
The new Acer C7 Chromebook delivers a hassle-free computing experience with speed, built-in security and the simplicity of automatic updates. It features a full-size keyboard, fully clickable trackpad, an extra bright 11.6-inch display and over 3.5 hours of battery life. Powered by an Intel Core processor, the Acer Chromebook is fast—boots up in 18 seconds, resumes instantly and high-definition videos play smoothly (yes, videos like
Gangnam Style in 1080p
, in case you’re one of the few left who hasn’t seen it). You can easily store your stuff on the Chromebook or in the cloud, with a 320GB hard drive and 100GB of free storage on Google Drive.*
As you’d expect from a Chromebook, it’s easy to share with others around the home. Moms, dads, siblings or even your roommate can all have separate accounts and simply log in to get things done. And because Chromebooks bring you the best of Google, if you use products like Gmail, Drive, Maps, YouTube and Google+, your stuff is always available and everything
just works
.
Starting tomorrow, the Acer Chromebook will be available for $199 in the U.S. on Google Play, BestBuy.com and rolling out this week in select Best Buy stores. In the U.K., it’s available on Google Play, Amazon UK, PC World and Currys. We’re working hard to bring it to more countries soon.
Together with Acer, it’s great to welcome the newest addition to the Chromebook family. We hope it will make a great additional computer for your family, too.
New Chromebooks
, for everyone.
Posted by Sundar Pichai, SVP, Chrome & Apps
*You will have 100 GB of free storage for 2 years, starting on the date you redeem the offer on eligible Chrome devices.
Update
11/15:
The latest update for the Acer C7 Chromebook enhances battery life to 4 hours. You should get this update when you open your computer for the first time. Thanks to auto-updates, you already have a better computer than the one you bought.
(Cross-posted on the
Chrome Blog
)
JAM with Chrome: Play music live with your friends online
November 8, 2012
If you ever dreamed of playing in a band, now’s your chance to be a rock star.
JAM with Chrome
is an interactive web application that enables friends in different locations to play music together in the Chrome browser on their computers. No matter what your level of talent—from daydreaming air guitarist to music pro—you can JAM together in real time over the web.
When you enter the site, you can choose from a selection of 19 different instruments, from acoustic and bass guitars to drum kits and keyboards. Once you get playing, you can switch instruments as often and as many times as you like.
In the default “easy mode” you can experiment by clicking individual strings, drum pads or keys, or you can play around with the four different autoplay functions and let the machines do the work. Switch to “pro mode” to play any instrument using your keyboard.
Invite up to three friends in different locations to join your JAM via the sharing buttons on the site. Here’s “Keyboard Cat” jamming with his friends:
JAM with Chrome is a Chrome Experiment that uses the latest modern web technologies, including HTML5 features such as the Web Audio API, Websockets, Canvas and CSS3. For more detailed information on the technologies used, check out the
technology link
in the app.
Go on, get the band together at
jamwithchrome.com
.
Posted by Emma Turpin, Google Creative Lab
(Cross-posted from the
Chrome Blog
)
Marking the fall of the Iron Curtain
November 8, 2012
There are certain events in history that are momentous enough to make you remember where you were at the time. This Friday is the 23rd anniversary of one of those moments—the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, 1989.
To mark this turning point in history, we’re releasing a collection of online exhibitions under the theme of
The Fall of the Iron Curtain
. Partners, including The DDR Museum in Berlin, Polish History Museum, Romanian broadcaster TVR and Getty Images, have created 13 exhibitions containing
documents
,
videos
and
photos
telling the stories behind how events unfolded.
Independent historians have also contributed their expertise. For example, Niall Ferguson, professor of history at Harvard University, provides video commentary on events as part of his exhibition
The Fall of the Wall: Revelation, not Revolution
.
Some of the other exhibitions include:
Solidarity & the fall of The Iron Curtain
- the creation and evolution of the Solidarity trade union leading to Lech Walesa's election as President of Poland in 1990
Visions of Division
- Professor Patrick Major, a specialist in Cold War history, gives an account of life in a divided Germany and the everyday human cost of the Wall
Years of change
- diary of a fictitious author documenting events in Berlin such as the staged elections, the first protests and David Hasselhoff's concert at the wall
The Berlin Job
- a personal account of life in East Berlin made by independent curator Peter Millar, one of the only non-German correspondents in East Berlin in the 1980s
Romanian Revolution
- a series of four exhibitions containing more than 50 videos documenting the live TV transmission of the overthrow of Romanian dictator Ceausescu
The Fall of the Iron Curtain
is the latest chapter in the work of the Google Cultural Institute, following the launch last month of
42 online historical exhibitions
telling the stories behind major events of the last century. You can explore all the exhibitions on
www.google.com/culturalinstitute
and follow us on
our Google+ page
.
If you’re a partner interested in working with the Google Cultural Institute to turn your archives into online exhibitions, we’d love to hear from you—please fill out this
form
.
Posted by Mark Yoshitake, Google Cultural Institute
(Cross-posted from the
Google Europe blog
)
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