Loved a video so much that liking it, favoriting it, sharing it and even subscribing to the channel wasn’t enough? Just had to hold it in your grasp and never ever let it go?
We know the feeling, so today we’re making The YouTube Collection available for you in a new holdable version: DVD. A direct result of your feedback and demand, The YouTube Collection is a first of its kind offering in web video.
Here's a video outlining the details:
Want to try before you order? Take The YouTube Collection for a test drive with a simulator button we installed on a select group of YouTube videos. Just head "home."
The future of YouTube is waiting. You can find out more at this link: YouTube.com/TheYouTubeCollection.
And please remember it. Look for our other links soon!
Chet Flanagan, director of DVD product management, YouTube Global, recently watched "Toshiba HD- A2 HD-DVD Player - Unboxing."
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Bringing self-driving cars to NASCAR
Ever since mankind could go fast, we have longed to go faster. And ever since we’ve done work, we have longed to have someone else, or something else, do that work for us. You might already be familiar with our self-driving car project. We’ve spent years working on a tough engineering problem—how to create a hardware and software system capable of gathering and interpreting massive amounts of real-time data and acting on that knowledge swiftly and surely enough to navigate innumerable varieties of crowded thoroughfares without ever once (among other human frailties) exploding in a fit of road rage at the guy who just cut hard left across your lane without even bothering to flash his blinker.
Well, our autonomous cars have now been test-driven (or rather, test-ridden) for more than 200,000 miles without a single machine-caused mishap. And today we're moving the project one great leap forward with Google Racing, a groundbreaking partnership with NASCAR to help self-driving vehicles compete in the world of stock car racing. We think the most important thing computers can do in the next decade is to drive cars—and that the most important thing Google Racing can do in the next decade is drive them, if possible, more quickly than anyone else. Or anything else.
The program remains in its infancy; we’ll surely face numerous testing and competitive hurdles before our first car peels out into a NASCAR race. But I couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities. NASCAR’s ambitious technology investments—from driver safety to green initiatives—and the sport’s spirit of challenge, effort and execution all beautifully embody our most deeply held values as a company. Having skidded around a parking lot last week myself, I’m pretty sure that none of those test miles were as hard as it will be for one of our cars to hold its own in a field of 43 jacked-up, 800-horsepower beasts screaming down a straightaway within inches of each other at upwards of 200 miles per hour. I can't imagine a more exciting challenge for our team than to race our autonomous vehicles against their carbon-based competitors.
Larry and I have always believed in tackling big problems that matter, and we’re surer than ever that self-driving cars are one of them, capable of changing the world in all kinds of truly important ways, like reducing traffic and accidents by driving more efficiently, making correct split-second decisions and never shifting their focus off the road to check a map, text a friend, apply rear-view mirror mascara or dip a piece of tekka maki into a lid of soy sauce jostling over on the passenger seat. I hope that today’s announcement of Google Racing will mark another step along this path, and spur innovations that improve the daily lives of people all over the world. Or at the very least offer us a few cool new thrills on hot weekend afternoons.
Update Apr 1, 10:05 a.m.: As you probably guessed—no, Google Racing isn’t real. We were really happy to work with NASCAR on this April Fools' joke. The technological advancements this sport has made in the last decade are impressive and while we won’t be providing self-driving cars to compete in the races, we look forward to working together with NASCAR in the future on projects like their YouTube channel. What better way to drive change?
Well, our autonomous cars have now been test-driven (or rather, test-ridden) for more than 200,000 miles without a single machine-caused mishap. And today we're moving the project one great leap forward with Google Racing, a groundbreaking partnership with NASCAR to help self-driving vehicles compete in the world of stock car racing. We think the most important thing computers can do in the next decade is to drive cars—and that the most important thing Google Racing can do in the next decade is drive them, if possible, more quickly than anyone else. Or anything else.
Find more photos on our Google+ page
The program remains in its infancy; we’ll surely face numerous testing and competitive hurdles before our first car peels out into a NASCAR race. But I couldn’t be more excited about the possibilities. NASCAR’s ambitious technology investments—from driver safety to green initiatives—and the sport’s spirit of challenge, effort and execution all beautifully embody our most deeply held values as a company. Having skidded around a parking lot last week myself, I’m pretty sure that none of those test miles were as hard as it will be for one of our cars to hold its own in a field of 43 jacked-up, 800-horsepower beasts screaming down a straightaway within inches of each other at upwards of 200 miles per hour. I can't imagine a more exciting challenge for our team than to race our autonomous vehicles against their carbon-based competitors.
Find more photos on our Google+ page
Larry and I have always believed in tackling big problems that matter, and we’re surer than ever that self-driving cars are one of them, capable of changing the world in all kinds of truly important ways, like reducing traffic and accidents by driving more efficiently, making correct split-second decisions and never shifting their focus off the road to check a map, text a friend, apply rear-view mirror mascara or dip a piece of tekka maki into a lid of soy sauce jostling over on the passenger seat. I hope that today’s announcement of Google Racing will mark another step along this path, and spur innovations that improve the daily lives of people all over the world. Or at the very least offer us a few cool new thrills on hot weekend afternoons.
Update Apr 1, 10:05 a.m.: As you probably guessed—no, Google Racing isn’t real. We were really happy to work with NASCAR on this April Fools' joke. The technological advancements this sport has made in the last decade are impressive and while we won’t be providing self-driving cars to compete in the races, we look forward to working together with NASCAR in the future on projects like their YouTube channel. What better way to drive change?
Friday, March 30, 2012
The Big Tent, and big ideas, arrive stateside
The Internet has transformed society in so many ways, and that’s bound to continue. The aim of our Big Tent events is to bring together people with diverse views to debate some of the hot-button issues that transformation raises.
This week we hosted our first Big Tent event stateside at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. The theme was Digital Citizenship, and over the course of the day we discussed child safety online, the most effective ways to incorporate technology with education and what governments and civil society can do to maintain a responsible and innovative web.
The policymakers, commentators and industry members who attended heard from a variety of speakers, from child prodigy and literacy evangelist Adora Svitak to filmmaker and Webby Awards founder Tiffany Shlain. Wendy Kopp, the CEO and founder of Teach for America, gave a keynote about the need to integrate technology into education thoughtfully, not as a panacea, but rather within a greater context that supports critical thinking and other crucial curriculum goals. In a fireside chat with David Drummond, Jennifer Pahlka, the founder and executive director of Code for America (which takes the idea of skilled service from Teach for America and applies it to programmers) laid out her vision for a growing corps of young coder volunteers with an “agile, maker-and-doer mentality” that can help local governments better serve their citizens, and help citizens better participate in their democracy. “Instead of a chorus of voices,” she said, “I’d like to see a chorus of hands.”
We also launched a new Big Tent YouTube channel with a collection of content from past Big Tents and information about upcoming events around the world. Visit the channel to watch speaker videos, participate in the debate via the comments, get more information on the presenters and see how different communities approach many of the same issues. Stay tuned for future Big Tents, both here and abroad.
This week we hosted our first Big Tent event stateside at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. The theme was Digital Citizenship, and over the course of the day we discussed child safety online, the most effective ways to incorporate technology with education and what governments and civil society can do to maintain a responsible and innovative web.
The policymakers, commentators and industry members who attended heard from a variety of speakers, from child prodigy and literacy evangelist Adora Svitak to filmmaker and Webby Awards founder Tiffany Shlain. Wendy Kopp, the CEO and founder of Teach for America, gave a keynote about the need to integrate technology into education thoughtfully, not as a panacea, but rather within a greater context that supports critical thinking and other crucial curriculum goals. In a fireside chat with David Drummond, Jennifer Pahlka, the founder and executive director of Code for America (which takes the idea of skilled service from Teach for America and applies it to programmers) laid out her vision for a growing corps of young coder volunteers with an “agile, maker-and-doer mentality” that can help local governments better serve their citizens, and help citizens better participate in their democracy. “Instead of a chorus of voices,” she said, “I’d like to see a chorus of hands.”
We also launched a new Big Tent YouTube channel with a collection of content from past Big Tents and information about upcoming events around the world. Visit the channel to watch speaker videos, participate in the debate via the comments, get more information on the presenters and see how different communities approach many of the same issues. Stay tuned for future Big Tents, both here and abroad.
JetBlue emergency landing, Pope visits Latin America, Wildfire devastates Colorado
Everyday on the CitizenTube channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Each week we post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week, as seen through the lens of both citizen-reported footage and professional news coverage.
- We viewed appalling scenes in the air over America as a JetBlue flight was forced to make an emergency landing after the pilot was restrained for "erratic behavior".
- We saw the Pope endear himself to Latin America, donning a sombrero in Mexico and meeting Fidel Castro in Cuba.
- We witnessed devastating wildfires in Colorado force the evacuation of hundreds of residents, with at least one death reported.
- We observed a sense of 'petrol panic' as motorists in the UK and beyond were worried by rising oil prices and a potential fuel shortage because of strikes.
- We followed the GOP candidates as the presidential race took yet another turn, with Rick Santorum winning his 11th state of the campaign in Louisiana.
- We marked a successful run-off presidential election in Senegal, won by Macky Sall amid many economic challenges in the country.
- We saw no let up in the controversy surrounding the Trayvon Martin case, as Trayvon's frustrated parents took their plea for justice to a Congressional forum on neighborhood watch groups and racial profiling.
- We overheard US President Barack Obama talking about a future after the next presidential election during a 3-day tour in South Korea that focused on securing nuclear stability in the region.
- And finally, we watched one man go where few have gone before, as Titanic director James Cameron plunged to the deepest point on Earth in his submarine: the Deepsea Challenger.
Come back to see the news unfold on YouTube.
Olivia Ma, YouTube News & Politics, recently watched "Suu Kyi set for parliament in key Myanmar vote".
Create your own video duels with YouTube Slam
Last year we started experimenting with the idea that you could find the next big thing on YouTube. YouTube Slam pits two videos against each other, where you get points for picking the crowd favorite. In just a few months, hundreds of thousands of you cast more than a million votes on Slams we created, and today we’re turning the game controls over to you.
You can now turn any of your playlists into a YouTube Slam. Play solo, share the YouTube link with your friends or even play together in a Google+ Hangout. Here’s how to do it:
When you click “Play Slam” you’ll be taken into your game, and we’ll show the highest scoring videos and players on the leaderboard page of your Slam. Click “View the winners” at any time to check it out.
Want to get your friends involved? You can now play custom or existing Slams live with friends inside a Google+ Hangout by clicking the “Play Slam with your friends” link. You can also share the YouTube Slam link with friends directly to get more people playing. If you feel like the Slam has been settled, you can remove it at any time.
Slam is still a work in progress, and we want to hear your feedback. Let us know what you think in the comments below or by clicking the “Feedback” link on any Slam.
Interested in learning more about the research behind YouTube Slam? Check out our recent Google Research Blog post about gamification of search ranking, or find out about our work on finding funny videos and talented musicians.
Sanketh Shetty, software engineer, recently played a “Tree Cutting Fails” Slam.
You can now turn any of your playlists into a YouTube Slam. Play solo, share the YouTube link with your friends or even play together in a Google+ Hangout. Here’s how to do it:
- Make a playlist with the videos you want to include in the Slam (you’ll need at least two videos and they have to be public), or choose a playlist you have already
- Go to www.youtube.com/slam/create
- Click the “Create Slam” button next to one of your playlists. It’ll look like this:
When you click “Play Slam” you’ll be taken into your game, and we’ll show the highest scoring videos and players on the leaderboard page of your Slam. Click “View the winners” at any time to check it out.
Want to get your friends involved? You can now play custom or existing Slams live with friends inside a Google+ Hangout by clicking the “Play Slam with your friends” link. You can also share the YouTube Slam link with friends directly to get more people playing. If you feel like the Slam has been settled, you can remove it at any time.
Slam is still a work in progress, and we want to hear your feedback. Let us know what you think in the comments below or by clicking the “Feedback” link on any Slam.
Interested in learning more about the research behind YouTube Slam? Check out our recent Google Research Blog post about gamification of search ranking, or find out about our work on finding funny videos and talented musicians.
Sanketh Shetty, software engineer, recently played a “Tree Cutting Fails” Slam.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
YouTube Shows comes to Korea
Over the last year Korean TV stations have been opening up YouTube channels and offering a wide variety and deep catalog of their shows—everything from weekly dramas to K-Pop musical programs. The main three terrestrial broadcasters all have multiple channels with their top shows — KBS (Main Channel, Drama, Entertainment, KBS Life, Documentary, KBS world), MBC (Kpop, Entertainment, Drama, MBC World), and SBS (Entertainment, Drama, FreeVOD, Culture). YouTube also has many top cable shows such as Pororo from Iconix animation studio and Sonbadak TV.
To help you find Korean TV on YouTube, viewers in Korea now have a new Shows page organizing all programs available. For the rest of the world, you can still find the shows through youtube.com/shows/other-languages, but note that not all programs are available in all countries.
On the Shows page in Korea, you’ll find new programs like Infinite Challenge (무한도전) and classics like My Lovely Sam-Soon (내 이름은 김삼순), with subtitles in English, Spanish and other languages. The new Shows pages also gives you key information about the program, such as a cast list and credits.
In many cases, each episode is divided into clips, but there’s no need to click on each video one at a time. The first video selected will automatically link to the next video and that one to the next. So once you start watching, you can easily flow to the end of the show.
If you have a favorite TV program, subscribe to the channel so that you’ll be updated on your homepage whenever there’s a new episode. We’ll be adding more programs from more stations in the future, so check back frequently.
Brian Suh, head of YouTube partnerships, Google Korea, recently watched “Infinite Challenge (무한도전).”
To help you find Korean TV on YouTube, viewers in Korea now have a new Shows page organizing all programs available. For the rest of the world, you can still find the shows through youtube.com/shows/other-languages, but note that not all programs are available in all countries.
On the Shows page in Korea, you’ll find new programs like Infinite Challenge (무한도전) and classics like My Lovely Sam-Soon (내 이름은 김삼순), with subtitles in English, Spanish and other languages. The new Shows pages also gives you key information about the program, such as a cast list and credits.
In many cases, each episode is divided into clips, but there’s no need to click on each video one at a time. The first video selected will automatically link to the next video and that one to the next. So once you start watching, you can easily flow to the end of the show.
If you have a favorite TV program, subscribe to the channel so that you’ll be updated on your homepage whenever there’s a new episode. We’ll be adding more programs from more stations in the future, so check back frequently.
Brian Suh, head of YouTube partnerships, Google Korea, recently watched “Infinite Challenge (무한도전).”
AnyoneButMeWebSeries is March’s YouTube partner On The Rise
Congratulations to AnyoneButMeWebSeries! The award-winning web series is our featured “On The Rise” partner for March and takes the stage in the “Spotlight” section of the YouTube homepage today.
Shot on location in NYC and LA and written and produced by Susan Miller and Tina Cesa Ward, Anyone But Me centers around gay, straight and ethnically diverse teenagers who deal with all-too-common questions about identity and modern relationships. Throughout the series, viewers may identify with the emotional struggles of moving, relationship changes and being true to yourself. The third and final season just wrapped, and you can watch the complete series on their YouTube channel. Check out the video below for more background on the series and its history:
Here are a few words from the show’s executives, Tina and Susan:
If you’ve enjoyed this monthly On The Rise blog series and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our On The Rise Channel. Keep an eye out for next month’s blog post, as your channel may be the next one On The Rise!
Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube partner support, recently watched “Elephant Plays with a Galaxy Note!”
Shot on location in NYC and LA and written and produced by Susan Miller and Tina Cesa Ward, Anyone But Me centers around gay, straight and ethnically diverse teenagers who deal with all-too-common questions about identity and modern relationships. Throughout the series, viewers may identify with the emotional struggles of moving, relationship changes and being true to yourself. The third and final season just wrapped, and you can watch the complete series on their YouTube channel. Check out the video below for more background on the series and its history:
Here are a few words from the show’s executives, Tina and Susan:
We love making drama. And we love making it on the web. It’s as if the gods gave us a piece of this huge creative territory and said “Own it. Plant weird, wonderful new things. Do what you want here.” As creators, we couldn’t ask for more. Anyone But Me is a rare thing in the indie television world. For one thing, we don’t have zombies. (Alas!) We get off on writing about real humans and their relationships. Anyone But Me launched in 2008. After our second season, we had a never been done before Webathon, and the fans funded us for Season 3. So many people had our back. We got press in Fast Company. Salon.com, The LA Times, Tubefilter, AfterEllen. And we collected a lot of cool awards along the way. But it’s thanks to the passion of our fans that we’re here! We’re grateful to YouTube for this honor and the opportunity to connect with people we hope will become new fans. (Oh, and if you subscribe to our channel you not only get 26 episodes of our show & some fun video extras, we also link you to other shows we like. What could be bad about that?)
If you’ve enjoyed this monthly On The Rise blog series and want to see more rising YouTube partners, check out our On The Rise Channel. Keep an eye out for next month’s blog post, as your channel may be the next one On The Rise!
Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube partner support, recently watched “Elephant Plays with a Galaxy Note!”
Learning independence with Google Search features
Searches can become stories. Some are inspiring, some change the way we see the world and some just put a smile on our face. This is a story of how people can use Google to do something extraordinary. If you have a story, share it. - Ed.
We all have memories of the great teachers who shaped our childhood. They found ways to make the lightbulb go off in our heads, instilled in us a passion for learning and helped us realize our potential. The very best teachers were creative with the tools at their disposal, whether it was teaching the fundamentals of addition with Cheerios or the properties of carbon dioxide with baking soda and vinegar. As the Internet has developed, so too have the resources available for teachers to educate their students.
One teacher who has taken advantage of the web as an educational tool is Cheryl Oakes, a resource room teacher in Wells, Maine. She’s also been able to tailor the vast resources available on the web to each student’s ability. This approach has proven invaluable for Cheryl’s students, in particular 16-year-old Morgan, whose learning disability makes it daunting to sort through search results to find those webpages that she can comfortably read. Cheryl taught Morgan how to use the Search by Reading Level feature on Google Search, which enables Morgan to focus only on those results that are most understandable to her. To address the difficulty Morgan faces with typing, Cheryl introduced her to Voice Search, so Morgan can speak her queries into the computer. Morgan is succeeding in high school, and just registered to take her first college course this summer.
There’s a practically limitless amount of information available on the web, and with search features, you can find the content that is most meaningful for you. For more information, visit google.com/insidesearch/features.html.
We all have memories of the great teachers who shaped our childhood. They found ways to make the lightbulb go off in our heads, instilled in us a passion for learning and helped us realize our potential. The very best teachers were creative with the tools at their disposal, whether it was teaching the fundamentals of addition with Cheerios or the properties of carbon dioxide with baking soda and vinegar. As the Internet has developed, so too have the resources available for teachers to educate their students.
One teacher who has taken advantage of the web as an educational tool is Cheryl Oakes, a resource room teacher in Wells, Maine. She’s also been able to tailor the vast resources available on the web to each student’s ability. This approach has proven invaluable for Cheryl’s students, in particular 16-year-old Morgan, whose learning disability makes it daunting to sort through search results to find those webpages that she can comfortably read. Cheryl taught Morgan how to use the Search by Reading Level feature on Google Search, which enables Morgan to focus only on those results that are most understandable to her. To address the difficulty Morgan faces with typing, Cheryl introduced her to Voice Search, so Morgan can speak her queries into the computer. Morgan is succeeding in high school, and just registered to take her first college course this summer.
There’s a practically limitless amount of information available on the web, and with search features, you can find the content that is most meaningful for you. For more information, visit google.com/insidesearch/features.html.
Let’s fill London with startups...
London has become one of the world's great digital capitals. The Internet accounts for eight percent of the U.K. economy and has become, in these days of tough public finances, a welcome engine of economic growth.
We believe there is even more potential for entrepreneurs to energize the Internet economy in the U.K., and to help spur growth, today we’re opening Campus London , a seven story facility in the east London neighborhood known as Tech City. Google began as a startup in a garage. We want to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to be successful by building and supporting a vibrant startup community. Our goal with Campus is to catalyze the startup ecosystem and build Britain's single largest community of startups under one roof.
We believe there is even more potential for entrepreneurs to energize the Internet economy in the U.K., and to help spur growth, today we’re opening Campus London , a seven story facility in the east London neighborhood known as Tech City. Google began as a startup in a garage. We want to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs to be successful by building and supporting a vibrant startup community. Our goal with Campus is to catalyze the startup ecosystem and build Britain's single largest community of startups under one roof.
Google makes great films available in France
Cross-posted on the Google France Blog
Earlier this month, we introduced Google Play, a digital entertainment destination where you can find, enjoy and share your favorite apps on your Android phone or tablet in France. Today we’re adding movies for rent to Google Play for people in France, including hundreds of full-length feature films from major Hollywood and French studios. These movies will also be available for rent on YouTube.
We’ve got some fantastic films to keep everyone entertained through the upcoming summer months and beyond. From blockbusters like Les Aventures de Tintin: Le Secret de la Licorne and Les Schtroumpfs, to new releases such as Twilight Chapitre 4 : Révélation 1ère partie, Le Stratege, The Thing, and Drive, and even French classics like Le Bal Des Actrices and La Grotte Des Rêves Perdus, you can find many of your favourite movies in high quality available to rent now on Google Play and YouTube. To make these films available, we’ve partnered with many independent French studios including Cinéma(s) à la Demande, EuropaCorp, M6 Video / SND, Under The Milky Way, UniversCiné and Wild Side as well as major film studios such as Disney Europe, NBC Universal and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment France.
On Android phones and tablets, you can rent films from the Google Play Store and start watching them instantly in the Google Play Movies app. Movies can also be downloaded to the device so they’re available for viewing during the rental period without an internet connection. On the web, you can rent and watch movies on the Google Play website (play.google.com/movies) or on YouTube (youtube.com/movies). Using your Google Account, you can rent the same movies across both Google Play and YouTube.
Movies are available at competitive pricing, with new releases starting at €3.99 for standard definition and €4.99 for high definition and library titles at €2.99 for standard definition and €3.99 for high definition. For most movies, viewers will have 30 days to begin watching their rental, and, once started, 48 hours to finish.
The concept of cinema was invented in France -- the Lumière brothers screened their film The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station in 1895. So it’s exciting to be bringing this great content to our users in France through Google Play and YouTube.
Ben Serridge, Product Manager, recently watched "Cyrano De Bergerac."
Earlier this month, we introduced Google Play, a digital entertainment destination where you can find, enjoy and share your favorite apps on your Android phone or tablet in France. Today we’re adding movies for rent to Google Play for people in France, including hundreds of full-length feature films from major Hollywood and French studios. These movies will also be available for rent on YouTube.
We’ve got some fantastic films to keep everyone entertained through the upcoming summer months and beyond. From blockbusters like Les Aventures de Tintin: Le Secret de la Licorne and Les Schtroumpfs, to new releases such as Twilight Chapitre 4 : Révélation 1ère partie, Le Stratege, The Thing, and Drive, and even French classics like Le Bal Des Actrices and La Grotte Des Rêves Perdus, you can find many of your favourite movies in high quality available to rent now on Google Play and YouTube. To make these films available, we’ve partnered with many independent French studios including Cinéma(s) à la Demande, EuropaCorp, M6 Video / SND, Under The Milky Way, UniversCiné and Wild Side as well as major film studios such as Disney Europe, NBC Universal and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment France.
On Android phones and tablets, you can rent films from the Google Play Store and start watching them instantly in the Google Play Movies app. Movies can also be downloaded to the device so they’re available for viewing during the rental period without an internet connection. On the web, you can rent and watch movies on the Google Play website (play.google.com/movies) or on YouTube (youtube.com/movies). Using your Google Account, you can rent the same movies across both Google Play and YouTube.
Movies are available at competitive pricing, with new releases starting at €3.99 for standard definition and €4.99 for high definition and library titles at €2.99 for standard definition and €3.99 for high definition. For most movies, viewers will have 30 days to begin watching their rental, and, once started, 48 hours to finish.
The concept of cinema was invented in France -- the Lumière brothers screened their film The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station in 1895. So it’s exciting to be bringing this great content to our users in France through Google Play and YouTube.
Ben Serridge, Product Manager, recently watched "Cyrano De Bergerac."
Follow the Burma Elections on YouTube
On Sunday, April 1, millions of voters in Burma will cast a ballot in the parliamentary by-elections. This year, Burma is opening its doors to media and election observers alike to document the election proceedings in real-time. With support from Google Ideas, our friends at the J-School News Lab, a real-time reporting training program for Burmese journalists, will be curating a Burma Elections news channel on YouTube. Here, they will feature original reporting from J-School journalists on the ground, Burmese media outlets, and international broadcasters.
Until recently, Burma has been more or less closed to the outside world, making it difficult to find news and information about what was happening inside the country. We’re pleased that people around the world will be able follow what’s happening as Burmese voters head to the polls on election day.
Visit youtube.com/burmaelections for the latest news and developments.
Olivia Ma, YouTube News and Politics, recently watched “Wine: ‘I’ve Never Voted’”.
Until recently, Burma has been more or less closed to the outside world, making it difficult to find news and information about what was happening inside the country. We’re pleased that people around the world will be able follow what’s happening as Burmese voters head to the polls on election day.
Visit youtube.com/burmaelections for the latest news and developments.
Olivia Ma, YouTube News and Politics, recently watched “Wine: ‘I’ve Never Voted’”.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Do You Have What it Takes to be the ‘Next’ great YouTube Vlogger?
Vlogging, or video blogging, videos are some of the most popular on YouTube. And rightfully so--they’re one of the few types of videos that literally anyone can create: all you have to do is sit in front of camera, share words of wisdom (okay, wisdom not always required), and upload the video. From accounts of political struggle in the Middle East to fan reactions of newly-released music videos to testaments of personal discovery, the intimate act of vlogging can take many shapes and resonate with audiences around the world.
A few weeks ago, we asked YouTube creators what form of content we should tackle as part of our Next Creator program, a development initiative to help promising creators find their voices, improve their skills, and build their audiences. You resoundingly responded with calls for YouTube Next Vlogger.
Starting today through April 18, applications will be open for sixteen promising vloggers to take part in three months of intimate educational workshops held on Google+ Hangouts. Each vlogger will receive $5,000 worth of video equipment and more than $10,000 worth of promotion on and off YouTube. Participants will also receive mentoring from industry experts, such as iJustine, one of the most successful vloggers and content creators on YouTube!
YouTube creators from Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States are eligible. If previous Next Creator participants are any indication, the Next Vloggers will be an incredibly talented and engaging group. We can’t wait to introduce them to you on April 30, but they need to apply first!
Vlog on!
Austin Lau & Bing Chen, Global YouTube Creator Program Managers, recently watched The Dominic Show’s “Dating Tips: Break Ups”
A few weeks ago, we asked YouTube creators what form of content we should tackle as part of our Next Creator program, a development initiative to help promising creators find their voices, improve their skills, and build their audiences. You resoundingly responded with calls for YouTube Next Vlogger.
Starting today through April 18, applications will be open for sixteen promising vloggers to take part in three months of intimate educational workshops held on Google+ Hangouts. Each vlogger will receive $5,000 worth of video equipment and more than $10,000 worth of promotion on and off YouTube. Participants will also receive mentoring from industry experts, such as iJustine, one of the most successful vloggers and content creators on YouTube!
YouTube creators from Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States are eligible. If previous Next Creator participants are any indication, the Next Vloggers will be an incredibly talented and engaging group. We can’t wait to introduce them to you on April 30, but they need to apply first!
Vlog on!
Austin Lau & Bing Chen, Global YouTube Creator Program Managers, recently watched The Dominic Show’s “Dating Tips: Break Ups”
Crossing the 50 billion km mark and giving Google Maps for Android a fresh look
Every day, millions of people turn to Google Maps for Android for free, voice-guided GPS navigation to guide them to their destination. So far, Navigation on Google Maps for Android has provided 50 billion kilometers of turn-by-turn directions, the equivalent of 130,000 trips to the moon, 334 trips to the sun, 10 trips to Neptune or 0.005 light years! When getting to your destination matters most, Google Maps for Android will get you there:
A new look for Navigation on Android 4.0+ phones
In today’s release of Google Maps 6.5 for Android we’ve redesigned the Navigation home screen in Android 4.0+ to make it easier to enter a new destination or select from recent and favorite locations by swiping left or right.
Left: New Navigation home screen Right: Navigation in Google Maps for Android
Crisper, faster maps for high pixel density devices
If your device has a high pixel density screen, such as those on Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S II, Droid Razr and others, you’ll now get higher resolution map tiles that take better advantage of the pixels-per-inch on your screen. The result is a crisper, less cluttered map that is easier to read:
Left: Previous style Right:New style in Google Maps 6.5 for Android
Compare our new map on the right to the previous map on the left. The road network is easier to see, less obstructed by labels, and has more color contrast. At more zoomed-in levels, you’ll notice a more controlled amount of maps labels to avoid cluttering the map and blocking out street names. The new style also helps maps react faster to panning, zooming and twisting.
You'll start seeing the new style as you navigate around new areas on the map; however, you can see these changes immediately by clearing your cache from the Maps settings.
Pick your preferred public transit mode and route option
Google Maps 6.5 for Android now lets you choose to prioritize a particular transit mode (such as the bus or subway) and route option (like taking the recommended route, one with fewer transfers or one with less walking). Whether you just need to get somewhere as fast as possible, or you want to avoid the risk of a missed connection or you prefer not to tire your legs, you can get the transit directions that best suit you. Transit directions and schedules are available for 475 cities around the world.
To start using Google Maps 6.5 for Android, download the update from Google Play. Learn more about how to use other great features of Google Maps for Android on the redesigned Google Maps YouTube channel that has 12 new videos available today.
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
A new look for Navigation on Android 4.0+ phones
In today’s release of Google Maps 6.5 for Android we’ve redesigned the Navigation home screen in Android 4.0+ to make it easier to enter a new destination or select from recent and favorite locations by swiping left or right.
Crisper, faster maps for high pixel density devices
If your device has a high pixel density screen, such as those on Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S II, Droid Razr and others, you’ll now get higher resolution map tiles that take better advantage of the pixels-per-inch on your screen. The result is a crisper, less cluttered map that is easier to read:
Compare our new map on the right to the previous map on the left. The road network is easier to see, less obstructed by labels, and has more color contrast. At more zoomed-in levels, you’ll notice a more controlled amount of maps labels to avoid cluttering the map and blocking out street names. The new style also helps maps react faster to panning, zooming and twisting.
You'll start seeing the new style as you navigate around new areas on the map; however, you can see these changes immediately by clearing your cache from the Maps settings.
Pick your preferred public transit mode and route option
Google Maps 6.5 for Android now lets you choose to prioritize a particular transit mode (such as the bus or subway) and route option (like taking the recommended route, one with fewer transfers or one with less walking). Whether you just need to get somewhere as fast as possible, or you want to avoid the risk of a missed connection or you prefer not to tire your legs, you can get the transit directions that best suit you. Transit directions and schedules are available for 475 cities around the world.
To start using Google Maps 6.5 for Android, download the update from Google Play. Learn more about how to use other great features of Google Maps for Android on the redesigned Google Maps YouTube channel that has 12 new videos available today.
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
Giving you more insight into your Google Account activity
Every day we aim to make technology so simple and intuitive that you stop thinking about it—we want Google to work so well, it just blends into your life. But sometimes it’s helpful to step back and take stock of what you’re doing online.
Today we’re introducing Account Activity, a new feature in your Google Account. If you sign up, each month we’ll send you a link to a password-protected report with insights into your signed-in use of Google services.
For example, my most recent Account Activity report told me that I sent 5 percent more email than the previous month and received 3 percent more. An Italian hotel was my top Gmail contact for the month. I conducted 12 percent more Google searches than in the previous month, and my top queries reflected the vacation I was planning: [rome] and [hotel].
Knowing more about your own account activity also can help you take steps to protect your Google Account. For example, if you notice sign-ins from countries where you haven’t been or devices you’ve never owned, you can change your password immediately and sign up for the extra level of security provided by 2-step verification.
Account Activity is a complement to other tools like the Google Dashboard, which shows you what information is stored in your Google Account, and the Ads Preferences Manager, which lets you control the way Google tailors ads to your interests.
Give Account Activity a try, and tell us what you think by clicking on the “Send feedback” button in the lower right corner of your report. Over the next few months, we plan to incorporate more Google services. Meanwhile, we hope this feature helps you better understand and manage your information on Google.
Update March 30: Added information about related tools.
Today we’re introducing Account Activity, a new feature in your Google Account. If you sign up, each month we’ll send you a link to a password-protected report with insights into your signed-in use of Google services.
For example, my most recent Account Activity report told me that I sent 5 percent more email than the previous month and received 3 percent more. An Italian hotel was my top Gmail contact for the month. I conducted 12 percent more Google searches than in the previous month, and my top queries reflected the vacation I was planning: [rome] and [hotel].
Click the image for a larger version
Knowing more about your own account activity also can help you take steps to protect your Google Account. For example, if you notice sign-ins from countries where you haven’t been or devices you’ve never owned, you can change your password immediately and sign up for the extra level of security provided by 2-step verification.
Account Activity is a complement to other tools like the Google Dashboard, which shows you what information is stored in your Google Account, and the Ads Preferences Manager, which lets you control the way Google tailors ads to your interests.
Give Account Activity a try, and tell us what you think by clicking on the “Send feedback” button in the lower right corner of your report. Over the next few months, we plan to incorporate more Google services. Meanwhile, we hope this feature helps you better understand and manage your information on Google.
Update March 30: Added information about related tools.
Experience live music that matches your energy with The Switch
Audiophiles can choose a concert that matches their energy on March 28 at 6pm PT by visiting The Switch, an interactive music experience on YouTube, powered by 5 Gum.
During this intimate music experience, fans can enjoy two simultaneous live-streaming performances, curated by tastemakers La Blogotheque. Givers will bring their energetic sounds, while Theophilus London delivers relaxing grooves. At The Switch, you can pick the music that suits your mood.
The Switch experience continues with specially curated playlists that highlight La Blogotheque’s signature Take Away Shows, presented with a visual twist. These performances from stars like Vampire Weekend and emerging artists like My Brightest Diamond are another way to lay back or liven up, and see music in a new light. Check out playlists selected by the artists or build one of your own.
Catch new sounds on YouTube and see where your moods take you on The Switch.
Charles Jang, YouTube marketing programs manager, recently watched "[AZIATIX] "Go" - FULL MV."
During this intimate music experience, fans can enjoy two simultaneous live-streaming performances, curated by tastemakers La Blogotheque. Givers will bring their energetic sounds, while Theophilus London delivers relaxing grooves. At The Switch, you can pick the music that suits your mood.
The Switch experience continues with specially curated playlists that highlight La Blogotheque’s signature Take Away Shows, presented with a visual twist. These performances from stars like Vampire Weekend and emerging artists like My Brightest Diamond are another way to lay back or liven up, and see music in a new light. Check out playlists selected by the artists or build one of your own.
Catch new sounds on YouTube and see where your moods take you on The Switch.
Charles Jang, YouTube marketing programs manager, recently watched "[AZIATIX] "Go" - FULL MV."
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Introducing YouTube with a Peruvian flavor
Peru is a multicultural and multilingual country, the result of the merger of different influences and customs throughout the centuries. It has a cultural abundance, from its literature, music and dance to its incredible cuisine, famous worldwide for its variety and originality. Taking all this into account, it's not surprising to find great examples of this culture's expressions on videos that anyone could enjoy at YouTube, such as Marca Perú, PerúTubers, Alicia and Sucedió en el Perú.
We want to share even more of the culture of Peru with you, so today we’re kicking off a local version of YouTube in Peru: youtube.pe. The country becomes number 43 globally where a local YouTube version is available, and sixth in Latin America together with Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Chile.
YouTube Peru will give more exposure to local talent, as well as make the experience of discovering, sharing and commenting on videos have a local flavor, making them more relevant with local tastes. Peruvians can now browse videos by category or by popularity and find local talent easily, without missing anything that also happens on a global scale.
We can’t wait to see how YouTube Peru comes to life and acquires its own personality. So we invite you to start a channel to upload your best moments and talents to YouTube, and share those of others who are celebrating their world through video.
Gianfranco Polastri, country manager for Google Peru, recently watched “Experience Sundance: Meet the FIlmmakers #12.”
We want to share even more of the culture of Peru with you, so today we’re kicking off a local version of YouTube in Peru: youtube.pe. The country becomes number 43 globally where a local YouTube version is available, and sixth in Latin America together with Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia and Chile.
YouTube Peru will give more exposure to local talent, as well as make the experience of discovering, sharing and commenting on videos have a local flavor, making them more relevant with local tastes. Peruvians can now browse videos by category or by popularity and find local talent easily, without missing anything that also happens on a global scale.
We can’t wait to see how YouTube Peru comes to life and acquires its own personality. So we invite you to start a channel to upload your best moments and talents to YouTube, and share those of others who are celebrating their world through video.
Gianfranco Polastri, country manager for Google Peru, recently watched “Experience Sundance: Meet the FIlmmakers #12.”
Take a train through the Swiss Alps with Street View
For the first time, you can ride a train on Street View. Through a partnership with UNESCO and Rhaetian Railways, we captured 75.8 miles/122 km of the famous UNESCO World Heritage Albula/Bernina railway line with Street View cameras. Starting today, in addition to accessing the imagery from directly within Google Maps, you can also find the collection in our new gallery.
Like our trip to the Amazon, this Swiss mountain journey also began last year, when we attached the Street View trike to the wagon of a Rhaetian Railway train. From the very front of the train, the trike took 360-degree images along the expansive track.
You can watch the video of how we did it here, and for more Street View collections around the world, visit our updated Street View gallery.
Enjoy the ride!
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
Like our trip to the Amazon, this Swiss mountain journey also began last year, when we attached the Street View trike to the wagon of a Rhaetian Railway train. From the very front of the train, the trike took 360-degree images along the expansive track.
You can watch the video of how we did it here, and for more Street View collections around the world, visit our updated Street View gallery.
Enjoy the ride!
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
Explore Mandela’s archives online
Last year we announced a $1.25 million grant to the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory to help preserve and digitize thousands of archival documents, photographs and videos about Nelson Mandela. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory (NMCM) is committed to documenting the life and times of one of the world's greatest statesmen and spreading his story to promote social justice throughout the world.
Today, the Mandela archive has become a reality. Along with historians, educationalists, researchers, activists and many others around the world, you can access a wealth of information and knowledge about the life and legacy of this extraordinary African leader. The new online multimedia archive includes Mandela’s correspondence with family, comrades and friends, diaries written during his 27 years of imprisonment, and notes he made while leading the negotiations that ended apartheid in South Africa. The archive will also include the earliest-known photo of Mr. Mandela and never-before seen drafts of Mr. Mandela's manuscripts for the sequel to his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.
We’ve worked closely with the NMCM to create an interactive online experience which we hope will inspire you as much as us. You can search and browse the archives to explore different parts of Mandela’s life and work in depth: Early Life, Prison Years, Presidential Years, Retirement, Books for Mandela, Young People and My Moments with a Legend.
For example, you might be interested in Nelson Mandela’s personal memories of the time he was incarcerated and click into the Prison Years exhibit. You can immediately see a curated set of materials threaded together into a broader narrative. These include handwritten notes on his desk calendars, which show, for example, that he met President F.W. De Klerk for the first time on December 13, 1989 for two and a half hours in prison; the Warrants of Committal issued by the Supreme Court which sent him to prison; the earliest known photo of Nelson Mandela’s prison cell on Robben Island circa 1971; and a personal letter written from prison in 1963 to his daughters, Zeni and Zindzi, after their mother was arrested, complete with transcript.
From there, you might want to see all the letters held by the archive, and click “See more” in the letters category, where you can discover all personal letters or use the time filter to explore his diaries and calendars written between 1988 and 1998, where you can see that in the last page of the last diary, he met with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda to exchange ideas about the situation in northern Uganda. If you were a researcher, you can search through various fragments of Madiba’s memory that relate to Ahmed Kathrada, his long-time comrade, politician and anti-apartheid activist, where you can find photos, videos, manuscripts and letters that relate to him.
Finally, by clicking into the exhibit, My Moments with a Legend, you can go beyond Madiba’s personal materials to get a diverse perspective through photos, videos and stories, via the memories of people like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, F.W. De Klerk and Nomfundo Walaza, a community worker.
The Nelson Mandela Digital Archive project is an initiative by the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and the Google Cultural Institute, which helps to preserve and promote our diverse cultural and historical heritage. Some of our other initiatives include the Art Project, digitizing the Dead Sea Scrolls and bringing the Yad Vashem Holocaust materials online.
You can start exploring the Nelson Mandela archive right now at archive.nelsonmandela.org. We hope you’ll be inspired by this influential leader—the face of South Africa’s transition to democracy.
Today, the Mandela archive has become a reality. Along with historians, educationalists, researchers, activists and many others around the world, you can access a wealth of information and knowledge about the life and legacy of this extraordinary African leader. The new online multimedia archive includes Mandela’s correspondence with family, comrades and friends, diaries written during his 27 years of imprisonment, and notes he made while leading the negotiations that ended apartheid in South Africa. The archive will also include the earliest-known photo of Mr. Mandela and never-before seen drafts of Mr. Mandela's manuscripts for the sequel to his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom.
We’ve worked closely with the NMCM to create an interactive online experience which we hope will inspire you as much as us. You can search and browse the archives to explore different parts of Mandela’s life and work in depth: Early Life, Prison Years, Presidential Years, Retirement, Books for Mandela, Young People and My Moments with a Legend.
For example, you might be interested in Nelson Mandela’s personal memories of the time he was incarcerated and click into the Prison Years exhibit. You can immediately see a curated set of materials threaded together into a broader narrative. These include handwritten notes on his desk calendars, which show, for example, that he met President F.W. De Klerk for the first time on December 13, 1989 for two and a half hours in prison; the Warrants of Committal issued by the Supreme Court which sent him to prison; the earliest known photo of Nelson Mandela’s prison cell on Robben Island circa 1971; and a personal letter written from prison in 1963 to his daughters, Zeni and Zindzi, after their mother was arrested, complete with transcript.
From there, you might want to see all the letters held by the archive, and click “See more” in the letters category, where you can discover all personal letters or use the time filter to explore his diaries and calendars written between 1988 and 1998, where you can see that in the last page of the last diary, he met with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda to exchange ideas about the situation in northern Uganda. If you were a researcher, you can search through various fragments of Madiba’s memory that relate to Ahmed Kathrada, his long-time comrade, politician and anti-apartheid activist, where you can find photos, videos, manuscripts and letters that relate to him.
Finally, by clicking into the exhibit, My Moments with a Legend, you can go beyond Madiba’s personal materials to get a diverse perspective through photos, videos and stories, via the memories of people like Archbishop Desmond Tutu, F.W. De Klerk and Nomfundo Walaza, a community worker.
The Nelson Mandela Digital Archive project is an initiative by the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory and the Google Cultural Institute, which helps to preserve and promote our diverse cultural and historical heritage. Some of our other initiatives include the Art Project, digitizing the Dead Sea Scrolls and bringing the Yad Vashem Holocaust materials online.
You can start exploring the Nelson Mandela archive right now at archive.nelsonmandela.org. We hope you’ll be inspired by this influential leader—the face of South Africa’s transition to democracy.
Monday, March 26, 2012
A new kind of summer job: open source coding with Google Summer of Code
It's only Spring Break for most college students, but summer vacation will be here before you know it. Instead of getting stuck babysitting your little sister or mowing your neighbor's lawn, apply for Google Summer of Code and spend the summer of 2012 earning money writing code for open source projects.
Google Summer of Code is a global program that gives university students a stipend to write code for open source projects over a three month period. Accepted students are paired with a mentor from the participating projects, gaining exposure to real-world software development and the opportunity for future employment in areas related to their academic pursuits. Best of all, more source code is created and released for the use and benefit of all.
For the past ten days, interested students have had the opportunity to review the ideas pages for this year’s 180 accepted projects and research which projects they would like to contribute to this year. We hope all interested students will apply! Submit your proposal to the mentoring organizations via the Google Summer of Code program website from today through Friday, April 6 at 19:00 UTC.
Google Summer of Code is a highly competitive program with a limited number of spots. Students should consult the Google Summer of Code student manual for suggestions on how to write a quality proposal that will grab the attention of the mentoring organizations. Multiple proposals are allowed but we highly recommend focusing on quality over quantity. The mentoring organizations have many proposals to review, so it is important to follow each organization’s specific guidelines or templates and we advise you to submit your proposal early so you can receive timely feedback.
For more tips, see a list of some helpful dos and don’ts for successful student participation written by a group of experienced Google Summer of Code administrators, our user’s guide for the program site, Frequently Asked Questions and timeline. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Google Summer of Code on our Google Open Source blog, mailing lists or on Internet relay chat at #gsoc on Freenode.
To learn more about Google Summer of Code, tune in to the Google Students page on Google+ next Monday, April 2 at 3:30pm PT for a Hangout on Air with open source programs manager Chris DiBona. He'll be talking about Google Summer of Code with other members of the open source team at Google. Submit your questions about the program between now and next Monday using the hashtag #gsochangout, and Chris and the open source team will answer them live during the Hangout On Air.
Good luck to all the open source coders out there, and remember to submit your proposals early—you only have until April 6!
Google Summer of Code is a global program that gives university students a stipend to write code for open source projects over a three month period. Accepted students are paired with a mentor from the participating projects, gaining exposure to real-world software development and the opportunity for future employment in areas related to their academic pursuits. Best of all, more source code is created and released for the use and benefit of all.
For the past ten days, interested students have had the opportunity to review the ideas pages for this year’s 180 accepted projects and research which projects they would like to contribute to this year. We hope all interested students will apply! Submit your proposal to the mentoring organizations via the Google Summer of Code program website from today through Friday, April 6 at 19:00 UTC.
Google Summer of Code is a highly competitive program with a limited number of spots. Students should consult the Google Summer of Code student manual for suggestions on how to write a quality proposal that will grab the attention of the mentoring organizations. Multiple proposals are allowed but we highly recommend focusing on quality over quantity. The mentoring organizations have many proposals to review, so it is important to follow each organization’s specific guidelines or templates and we advise you to submit your proposal early so you can receive timely feedback.
For more tips, see a list of some helpful dos and don’ts for successful student participation written by a group of experienced Google Summer of Code administrators, our user’s guide for the program site, Frequently Asked Questions and timeline. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Google Summer of Code on our Google Open Source blog, mailing lists or on Internet relay chat at #gsoc on Freenode.
To learn more about Google Summer of Code, tune in to the Google Students page on Google+ next Monday, April 2 at 3:30pm PT for a Hangout on Air with open source programs manager Chris DiBona. He'll be talking about Google Summer of Code with other members of the open source team at Google. Submit your questions about the program between now and next Monday using the hashtag #gsochangout, and Chris and the open source team will answer them live during the Hangout On Air.
Good luck to all the open source coders out there, and remember to submit your proposals early—you only have until April 6!
Measuring to improve: comprehensive, real-world data center efficiency numbers
To paraphrase Lord Kelvin, if you don’t measure you can’t improve. Our data center operations team lives by this credo, and we take every opportunity to measure the performance of our facilities. In the same way that you might examine your electricity bill and then tweak the thermostat, we constantly track our energy consumption and use that data to make improvements to our infrastructure. As a result, our data centers use 50 percent less energy than the typical data center.
One of the measurements we track is PUE, or power usage effectiveness. PUE is a ratio of the total power used to run a data center to the amount used to power the servers. For instance, if a data center has a PUE of 2.0, that means that for every watt of energy that powers the servers, another watt powers the cooling, lighting and other systems. An ideal PUE would be 1.0.
In 2011, our trailing 12-month average PUE was approximately 1.14—an improvement from 1.16 in 2010. In other words, our data centers use only 14 percent additional power for all sources of overhead combined. To calculate this number we include everything that contributes to energy consumption in our data centers. That means that in addition to the electricity used to power the servers and cooling systems, we incorporate the oil and natural gas that heat our offices. We also account for system inefficiencies like transformer, cable and UPS losses and generator parasitic energy draw.
If we chose to use a simpler calculation—for instance, if we included only the data center and the cooling equipment—we could report a PUE as low as 1.06 at our most efficient location. But we want to be as comprehensive as possible in our measurements. You can see the difference in this graphic:
We’ve been publishing our PUE quarterly since 2008—in fact, we were the first company to do so, and are still the only one. Our numbers are based on actual production data taken from hundreds of meters installed throughout our data centers, not design specs or best-case scenarios. One way to think of it is comparing a car manufacturer’s mileage estimates for a new model car to the car’s real-life miles per gallon. We’re measuring real-world mileage so we can improve real-world efficiency.
Our 2011 numbers and more are available for closer examination on our data center site. We’ve learned a lot through building and operating our data centers, so we’ve also shared our best practices. These include steps like raising the temperature on the server floor and using the natural environment to cool the data center, whether it’s outside air or recycled water.
We’ve seen dramatic improvements in efficiency throughout the industry in recent years, but there’s still a lot we can do. Sharing comprehensive measurement data and ideas for improvement can help us all move forward.
One of the measurements we track is PUE, or power usage effectiveness. PUE is a ratio of the total power used to run a data center to the amount used to power the servers. For instance, if a data center has a PUE of 2.0, that means that for every watt of energy that powers the servers, another watt powers the cooling, lighting and other systems. An ideal PUE would be 1.0.
In 2011, our trailing 12-month average PUE was approximately 1.14—an improvement from 1.16 in 2010. In other words, our data centers use only 14 percent additional power for all sources of overhead combined. To calculate this number we include everything that contributes to energy consumption in our data centers. That means that in addition to the electricity used to power the servers and cooling systems, we incorporate the oil and natural gas that heat our offices. We also account for system inefficiencies like transformer, cable and UPS losses and generator parasitic energy draw.
If we chose to use a simpler calculation—for instance, if we included only the data center and the cooling equipment—we could report a PUE as low as 1.06 at our most efficient location. But we want to be as comprehensive as possible in our measurements. You can see the difference in this graphic:
We’ve been publishing our PUE quarterly since 2008—in fact, we were the first company to do so, and are still the only one. Our numbers are based on actual production data taken from hundreds of meters installed throughout our data centers, not design specs or best-case scenarios. One way to think of it is comparing a car manufacturer’s mileage estimates for a new model car to the car’s real-life miles per gallon. We’re measuring real-world mileage so we can improve real-world efficiency.
Our 2011 numbers and more are available for closer examination on our data center site. We’ve learned a lot through building and operating our data centers, so we’ve also shared our best practices. These include steps like raising the temperature on the server floor and using the natural environment to cool the data center, whether it’s outside air or recycled water.
We’ve seen dramatic improvements in efficiency throughout the industry in recent years, but there’s still a lot we can do. Sharing comprehensive measurement data and ideas for improvement can help us all move forward.
No fresh snow? No problem with The Ski Channel on YouTube
If you’re a skier like me, you may have experienced some highs and lows this winter in your search for epic powder. Though spring has sprung, you can now get more of a downhill fix than ever by checking out The Ski Channel on YouTube.
The folks at The Ski Channel partnered with Epic Planks to create a new series called Germination. The series features some of the best young shredders around the world, doing what they do best on some of the coolest slopes and most creative urban environments. Here’s the first episode, kicking off big from Norway:
There are many more adventures to come on The Ski Channel, and you can subscribe to get the first runs delivered right to your homepage. For even more channels where adrenaline meets snow, head to YouTube Sports to keep winter alive all year round.
Julie Kikla, YouTube Sports content partnership manager, recently watched “Yard Sale skiing ski crash free skiing extreme.”
The folks at The Ski Channel partnered with Epic Planks to create a new series called Germination. The series features some of the best young shredders around the world, doing what they do best on some of the coolest slopes and most creative urban environments. Here’s the first episode, kicking off big from Norway:
There are many more adventures to come on The Ski Channel, and you can subscribe to get the first runs delivered right to your homepage. For even more channels where adrenaline meets snow, head to YouTube Sports to keep winter alive all year round.
Julie Kikla, YouTube Sports content partnership manager, recently watched “Yard Sale skiing ski crash free skiing extreme.”
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Ideas worthy of space travel: The YouTube Space Lab global winners
Can you teach an old spider new tricks? Could better understanding alien superbugs cure diseases on Earth? These are the questions that will be asked by the two winning experiments of YouTube Space Lab, the science competition that challenged students from 14 to 18 years old to design a science experiment that could be performed in space. Your votes and our expert judges chose the winners from thousands of entries from around the world. Experiments submitted by Dorothy and Sara, from Troy, Mich., U.S. (winners in the 14-16-year-old age group) and Amr from Alexandria, Egypt (winner in the 17-18-year-old age group) will be performed aboard the International Space Station and live streamed to the world on YouTube.
Sunita Williams—the NASA astronaut who’ll fly to the International Space Station later this year and perform the winning experiments live on YouTube—announced the global winners at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., where the six regional winning teams were gathered. While in Washington, all the teams also took a ZERO-G weightless flight and a private tour of the the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum.
In addition to having their experiments performed in space, Amr, Dorothy and Sara get to choose between one of two awesome space adventures: a trip to Japan to watch their experiment blast off in a rocket bound for the ISS or, once they’re 18 years old, a week-long astronaut course in Star City, Russia, the training center for Russian cosmonauts.
Subscribe to the YouTube Space Lab channel for all the best space playlists and to check out video of the winners on their ZERO-G flight. Stay tuned for the live stream from space, which will take place later this year.
Meet Amr from Alexandria, Egypt
Global Winner, 17-18-year-old age group:
Watch his entry: “Can you teach an old spider new tricks?”
Meet Dorothy and Sara from Troy, Mich., U.S.
Global Winners, 14-16-year-old age group:
Watch their entry: “Could alien superbugs cure diseases on Earth?”
Sunita Williams—the NASA astronaut who’ll fly to the International Space Station later this year and perform the winning experiments live on YouTube—announced the global winners at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., where the six regional winning teams were gathered. While in Washington, all the teams also took a ZERO-G weightless flight and a private tour of the the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum.
In addition to having their experiments performed in space, Amr, Dorothy and Sara get to choose between one of two awesome space adventures: a trip to Japan to watch their experiment blast off in a rocket bound for the ISS or, once they’re 18 years old, a week-long astronaut course in Star City, Russia, the training center for Russian cosmonauts.
Subscribe to the YouTube Space Lab channel for all the best space playlists and to check out video of the winners on their ZERO-G flight. Stay tuned for the live stream from space, which will take place later this year.
Ideas worthy of space travel: The YouTube Space Lab global winners
Can you teach an old spider new tricks? Could better understanding alien superbugs cure diseases on Earth? These are the questions that will be asked by the two winning experiments of YouTube Space Lab, the science competition that challenged students from 14 to 18 years old to design a science experiment that could be performed in space. Your votes and our expert judges chose the winners from thousands of entries from around the world. Experiments submitted by Dorothy and Sara, from Troy, Mich., U.S. (winners in the 14-16-year-old age group) and Amr from Alexandria, Egypt (winner in the 17-18-year-old age group) will be performed aboard the International Space Station and live streamed to the world on YouTube.
Meet Amr from Alexandria, Egypt Global Winner, 17-18-year-old age group:
Meet Dorothy and Sara from Troy, Mich., U.S. Global Winners, 14-16-year-old age group:
Sunita Williams—the NASA astronaut who’ll fly to the International Space Station later this year and perform the winning experiments live on YouTube—announced the global winners at a special ceremony in Washington, D.C., where the six regional winning teams were gathered. While in Washington, all the teams also took a ZERO-G weightless flight and a private tour of the the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum.
In addition to having their experiments performed in space, Amr, Dorothy and Sara get to choose between one of two awesome space adventures: a trip to Japan to watch their experiment blast off in a rocket bound for the ISS or, once they’re 18 years old, a week-long astronaut course in Star City, Russia, the training center for Russian cosmonauts.
Subscribe to the YouTube Space Lab channel for all the best space playlists and to check out video of the winners on their ZERO-G flight. Stay tuned for the live stream from space, which will take place later this year.
Zahaan Bharmal, head of marketing operations in EMEA, recently watched "Meet the Space Lab Winners"
Meet Amr from Alexandria, Egypt Global Winner, 17-18-year-old age group:
Watch their entry: “Can you teach an old spider new tricks?”
Meet Dorothy and Sara from Troy, Mich., U.S. Global Winners, 14-16-year-old age group:
Watch their entry: “Could alien superbugs cure diseases on Earth?”
In addition to having their experiments performed in space, Amr, Dorothy and Sara get to choose between one of two awesome space adventures: a trip to Japan to watch their experiment blast off in a rocket bound for the ISS or, once they’re 18 years old, a week-long astronaut course in Star City, Russia, the training center for Russian cosmonauts.
Subscribe to the YouTube Space Lab channel for all the best space playlists and to check out video of the winners on their ZERO-G flight. Stay tuned for the live stream from space, which will take place later this year.
Zahaan Bharmal, head of marketing operations in EMEA, recently watched "Meet the Space Lab Winners"
Selamat datang, YouTube Malaysia!
Today in Kuala Lumpur we announced the opening of a brand new localized domain for Malaysia at www.youtube.com.my. This is our 42nd country with an official local site.
While YouTube has already been available in Malaysia’s most widely spoken languages — Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese, and English — having a Malaysia-specific homepage can now deliver the most relevant videos for Malaysians as well as make it easier to highlight great content from our local partners such as KRU Studios. If you’re in Malaysia, the site will automatically detect your location and send you to the Malaysia page. Anyone else interested in Malaysian content but outside the country can just as easily get to the homepage by just selecting “Malaysia” in the Location section at the bottom of the page.
At the YouTube launch event, we had amazing performances from some of Malaysia’s top musicians, such as silky voiced singer Yuna, pop princess and Flo Rida collaborator Mizz Nina, hip-hopper Joe Flizzow, and warm and fuzzy electro-poppers Tenderfist. You can see them here plus some top K-Pop stars like 2NE1, Miss A, Beast, Jang Keun Suk, Sistar and Infinite, sending some congrats to YouTube Malaysia.
In the last few years, Malaysians have shown a gift for creating video hits. You may have seen the guy who proposed to his girlfriend using Internet memes. Then there’s singer and ukelele player Zee Avi, who posted a few videos on YouTube in 2007 and ended up signing to Jack Johnson’s Brushfire label. Meanwhile school teacher Cikgu Shida has mimed her way across tons of popular songs to become a sudden Internet star in her homeland.
With YouTube now open in Malaysia, we are excited to see more and more Malaysians join the YouTube community. And hopefully this will also mean the world can more easily discover the amazing culture and talent that exists in Malaysia today.
Adam Smith, director of product management, YouTube Asia-Pacific, recently watched "Tenderfist - Everything's Gone"
While YouTube has already been available in Malaysia’s most widely spoken languages — Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese, and English — having a Malaysia-specific homepage can now deliver the most relevant videos for Malaysians as well as make it easier to highlight great content from our local partners such as KRU Studios. If you’re in Malaysia, the site will automatically detect your location and send you to the Malaysia page. Anyone else interested in Malaysian content but outside the country can just as easily get to the homepage by just selecting “Malaysia” in the Location section at the bottom of the page.
At the YouTube launch event, we had amazing performances from some of Malaysia’s top musicians, such as silky voiced singer Yuna, pop princess and Flo Rida collaborator Mizz Nina, hip-hopper Joe Flizzow, and warm and fuzzy electro-poppers Tenderfist. You can see them here plus some top K-Pop stars like 2NE1, Miss A, Beast, Jang Keun Suk, Sistar and Infinite, sending some congrats to YouTube Malaysia.
In the last few years, Malaysians have shown a gift for creating video hits. You may have seen the guy who proposed to his girlfriend using Internet memes. Then there’s singer and ukelele player Zee Avi, who posted a few videos on YouTube in 2007 and ended up signing to Jack Johnson’s Brushfire label. Meanwhile school teacher Cikgu Shida has mimed her way across tons of popular songs to become a sudden Internet star in her homeland.
With YouTube now open in Malaysia, we are excited to see more and more Malaysians join the YouTube community. And hopefully this will also mean the world can more easily discover the amazing culture and talent that exists in Malaysia today.
Adam Smith, director of product management, YouTube Asia-Pacific, recently watched "Tenderfist - Everything's Gone"
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Visit the Amazon on World Forest Day with Street View
Last August, a few members of our Brazil and U.S. Street View and Google Earth Outreach teams were invited to the Amazon Basin to collect ground-level images of the rivers, forest and communities in the Rio Negro Reserve. Today, on World Forest Day, we’re making those images available through the Street View feature on Google Maps. Now anyone can experience the beauty and diversity of the Amazon.
Take a virtual boat ride down the main section of the Rio Negro, and float up into the smaller tributaries where the forest is flooded. Stroll along the paths of Tumbira, the largest community in the Reserve, or visit some of the other communities who invited us to share their lives and cultures. Enjoy a hike along an Amazon forest trail and see where Brazil nuts are harvested. You can even see a forest critter if you look hard enough!
This project was made possible in partnership with the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), the local nonprofit conservation organization that invited us to the area. We used the Street View trike and a tripod camera with a fisheye lens—typically used to capture imagery of business interiors—to capture both the natural landscape and the local communities. In all, more than 50,000 still photos were stitched together to create these immersive, 360-degree panoramic views:
Many areas of the Amazon, including Rio Negro Reserve, are under the protection of the Brazilian government with restricted access to the public, so we hope that this Street View collection provides access to this special corner of the planet that many of us otherwise wouldn’t have the chance to experience. Together with FAS, we’re thrilled to help everyone from researchers and scientists to armchair explorers around the world learn more about the Amazon, and better understand how local communities there are working to preserve this unique environment for future generations.
Start exploring this portion of the Amazon and other collections around the world on the updated Street View site and gallery.
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
Tributary of the Rio Negro - View Larger Map
Take a virtual boat ride down the main section of the Rio Negro, and float up into the smaller tributaries where the forest is flooded. Stroll along the paths of Tumbira, the largest community in the Reserve, or visit some of the other communities who invited us to share their lives and cultures. Enjoy a hike along an Amazon forest trail and see where Brazil nuts are harvested. You can even see a forest critter if you look hard enough!
Amazon Rainforest - View Larger Map
This project was made possible in partnership with the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), the local nonprofit conservation organization that invited us to the area. We used the Street View trike and a tripod camera with a fisheye lens—typically used to capture imagery of business interiors—to capture both the natural landscape and the local communities. In all, more than 50,000 still photos were stitched together to create these immersive, 360-degree panoramic views:
To do this directly from maps you can go to Brazil map and drag Pegman to the Rio Negro River
Start exploring this portion of the Amazon and other collections around the world on the updated Street View site and gallery.
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
Improving video awesomeness with one click
Whether you’re perfecting your double backflip at the park, capturing a flash mob on your phone, or enjoying singing in a subway, it’s not easy to get your video quality perfect. Sometimes videos suffer from symptoms like “shaky-camera-itis” or “augmented-darkness-levels” that keep viewers from seeing just how awesome your video really is. We made a big step last year with the YouTube Video Editor, and now we’re adding a feature that does the work of curing these symptoms for you.
If you upload a video that’s shaky or dark, we’ll automatically offer to fix it for you, creating an updated version of your video on YouTube.
When you upload a video that could use a fixup, you’ll see a notification bar on the Upload page and in your Video Manager. Click the button to fix it, and you’ll see a side by side preview to decide if you want to accept the edits.
Select “Okay” if you’d like us to update your video to the preview version (you can always undo this later). Even if you’re uploading a video from your mobile device, the Video Manager on the desktop will give you a notice if this video can be cured as well. Here’s an overview:
This breakthrough in video awesomeness is possible thanks to our research team who expanded on the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button launched last year, automatically detecting if stabilization or color correction would be helpful for you. The result is a one-click option rolling out over the next few days that cures these two symptoms now, and more planned in the future.
So you keep capturing those awesome moments, and we’ll keep on developing ways to help you make those videos even more awesome.
John Gregg, software engineer, recently watched “Panda,” and then watched “Panda (stabilized).”
If you upload a video that’s shaky or dark, we’ll automatically offer to fix it for you, creating an updated version of your video on YouTube.
When you upload a video that could use a fixup, you’ll see a notification bar on the Upload page and in your Video Manager. Click the button to fix it, and you’ll see a side by side preview to decide if you want to accept the edits.
Select “Okay” if you’d like us to update your video to the preview version (you can always undo this later). Even if you’re uploading a video from your mobile device, the Video Manager on the desktop will give you a notice if this video can be cured as well. Here’s an overview:
This breakthrough in video awesomeness is possible thanks to our research team who expanded on the “I’m Feeling Lucky” button launched last year, automatically detecting if stabilization or color correction would be helpful for you. The result is a one-click option rolling out over the next few days that cures these two symptoms now, and more planned in the future.
So you keep capturing those awesome moments, and we’ll keep on developing ways to help you make those videos even more awesome.
John Gregg, software engineer, recently watched “Panda,” and then watched “Panda (stabilized).”
Friday, March 16, 2012
One year of Syrian protests, Japan Earthquake anniversary, Clooney visits Sudan
Everyday on the CitizenTube channel (and @CitizenTube on Twitter), along with our curation partners @storyful, we look at how the top news stories are covered on YouTube. Each week we post a weekly recap of the top news stories of the week, as seen through the lens of both citizen-reported footage and professional news coverage.
- We witnessed devastating scenes from Afghanistan, as 16 civilians were killed and five injured after a US soldier allegedly went on a shooting spree in the south of the country.
- We were saddened to hear of the deaths of 28 Belgians, including 22 children, who were killed in a coach crash inside a Swiss motorway tunnel near Sierre.
- We followed George Clooney as he witnessed the horrific effects from the war crimes that have taken place in Sudan's Nuba Mountains.
- We marked one year since the revolt against Assad's regime began in Syria, even as towns where the uprising began, such as Daraa, continued to be mercilessly bombed.
- We observed a 'mini-Tuesday' for GOP candidates on the US campaign trail, as Rick Santorum pulled off a southern sweep with wins in Alabama and Mississippi.
- We viewed solemn reflections in Japan one year after the most powerful earthquake in their history struck, causing a devastating tsunami and the now infamous Fukushima nuclear plant incident.
- We saw heightened violence between Israelis and Palestinians leave at least 20 people dead.
- We were awestruck as a massive tornado hit Dexter, Michigan on Thursday, leaving several homes destroyed as it swept through the town.
- We watched David Cameron receive a warm White House welcome from President Obama as the UK and the US celebrated their 'special' relationship.
Come back next week to see the news unfold on YouTube.
Olivia Ma, YouTube News & Politics, recently watched "Raw Video: Clooney Arrested at D.C. Protest"
Infographic: YouTube Ad Blitz post-game report
From brewskies to Bradshaw and celebs to salsa, the 2012 Super Bowl brought millions of you from across the globe to YouTube's Ad Blitz channel to vote on your favorite commercials. When the final tallies came in, Ad Blitz saw more than 89 million views worldwide, and the day after the game, 26 percent of those came from outside the US.
The Ad Blitz team was so excited by all of you that participated, so to thank you we pulled together an infographic about the activity from the big game.
If you’re as inspired as we are by some of these commercials, check out more creative campaigns on YouTube to spark some ideas of your own.
Lexi Turpack, YouTube interactive programs analyst, recently watched ‘Vitalic - Poney Part 1.’
The Ad Blitz team was so excited by all of you that participated, so to thank you we pulled together an infographic about the activity from the big game.
If you’re as inspired as we are by some of these commercials, check out more creative campaigns on YouTube to spark some ideas of your own.
Lexi Turpack, YouTube interactive programs analyst, recently watched ‘Vitalic - Poney Part 1.’
Thursday, March 15, 2012
19,000+ episodes of Indian TV on YouTube Shows
India is one of world’s largest producers of TV shows. With more than 400 terrestrial and local channels available, Indians often face the challenging question: What am I going to watch?
The good news is that we increasingly don’t have to worry about when to watch. Over the last few years, major Indian broadcasters such as Sony Entertainment Television, Colors, ImagineTV, Star India, and VikatanTV have been bringing their shows to YouTube so that you can watch them whenever you want.
Now that our Indian TV partners offer more than 19,000 full episodes of 300 programs in six different languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, and Punjabi), we wanted to offer our Indian viewers an updated Shows page at youtube.com/shows to help you better follow shows you love and discover new favorites. For the rest of the world, you can still find the shows through youtube.com/shows/other-languages.
You’ll find programs into genres like drama and comedy, as well as the latest and top watched episodes featured on the page. Missed the last episode of Bade Acche Lagte Hai? It’ll be right there in the channel waiting for you. If you’re looking for a few good places to start, check out popular shows like Balika Vadhu, Ramayan, CID, Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and Thendral.
These 19,000+ episodes are just a start, so we hope we can keep delivering more and more content that viewers across India—and around the world—want to see.
Ajith Rao, software engineer, recently watched “Adaalat - Episode 104,” and Gowri Ramkumar, technical account manager, recently watched “Kuch toh log Kahenge - episode 118.”
The good news is that we increasingly don’t have to worry about when to watch. Over the last few years, major Indian broadcasters such as Sony Entertainment Television, Colors, ImagineTV, Star India, and VikatanTV have been bringing their shows to YouTube so that you can watch them whenever you want.
Now that our Indian TV partners offer more than 19,000 full episodes of 300 programs in six different languages (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, and Punjabi), we wanted to offer our Indian viewers an updated Shows page at youtube.com/shows to help you better follow shows you love and discover new favorites. For the rest of the world, you can still find the shows through youtube.com/shows/other-languages.
You’ll find programs into genres like drama and comedy, as well as the latest and top watched episodes featured on the page. Missed the last episode of Bade Acche Lagte Hai? It’ll be right there in the channel waiting for you. If you’re looking for a few good places to start, check out popular shows like Balika Vadhu, Ramayan, CID, Devon Ke Dev...Mahadev, Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah and Thendral.
These 19,000+ episodes are just a start, so we hope we can keep delivering more and more content that viewers across India—and around the world—want to see.
Ajith Rao, software engineer, recently watched “Adaalat - Episode 104,” and Gowri Ramkumar, technical account manager, recently watched “Kuch toh log Kahenge - episode 118.”
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