- AdSense for Feeds was designed to help publishers earn revenue from their content by placing ads on their RSS feeds. Starting October 2, we’ll begin to retire this feature—and on December 3 we’ll close it. Publishers can continue to use FeedBurner URLs powered by Google, so they won’t need to redirect subscribers to different URLs. For more information visit the AdSense Help Center.
- Classic Plus is a Google Search feature that lets people upload or select images to use as a background on Google.com. Users won’t be able to upload new pictures starting from October 16, and we'll turn the service off in November 2012. You'll continue to have access to any images you've uploaded.
- Google storage in Picasa and Drive will be consolidated over the next few months, so users will have five GB of free storage across both services. If you’re paying for storage, your free storage will now be counted towards your total. So if you buy a 100GB plan, it will give you 100GB of total storage instead of adding to what you already had. We believe this approach will make it much easier for users. For both free and paid storage, people at or near their current storage limits will have the same amount of storage after this change.
- Spreadsheet Gadgets were designed to allow people to add customized features to Google Spreadsheets. But most popular gadgets have now been added directly into charts in spreadsheets. So we will slowly start turning off Gadgets in Spreadsheets next year.
- Starting on October 15, we'll stop issuing and displaying Google News Badges, as well as showing Recommended Sections. People can still tailor their Google News experience by adding custom sections or adjusting the frequency with which news sources appear.
- We've merged Insights for Search into a revamped Google Trends. You can now see search trends and compare search volume patterns across specific regions, categories, time frames and properties in a single place: google.com/trends. We will no longer support Trends for Websites, which allowed people to compare traffic to and audiences of different websites.
- Places Directory was an Android app that helped people find nearby places of interest. We've removed the app from Google Play and are taking down the Places Directory site because users can find everything in Google Maps for Mobile, which offers a much better user experience.
- We introduced +1 Reports in Webmaster Tools to help publishers measure +1 activity on their pages. Given that webmasters now use Social Reports in Google Analytics to get a wider view of social activity (including +1’s), we'll be discontinuing the stand-alone +1 Reports on November 14. Measuring social media remains a priority for Google Analytics, so stay tuned for future improvements.
Friday, September 28, 2012
More spring cleaning
Technology offers so many opportunities to help improve users’ lives. This means it is really important to focus or we end up doing too much with too little impact. So today we’re winding down a bunch more features—bringing the total to nearly 60 since we started our “spring” clean last fall.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Classic Japanese anime comes to YouTube, with fansubs from Viki
Collaborative subtitling hub Viki has opened a new channel on YouTube called tezukaanime bringing classic titles like Astro Boy to a global audience. The original animation series are in Japanese, but thanks to Viki’s crowdsourcing, polyglot community, the YouTube videos have captions available in as many languages as the community contributes.
The channel currently hosts 16 full-episodes of the iconic Astro Boy series from the 1980s, with subtitles uploaded so far in English, Arabic, Romanian, Turkish, Spanish, French, and transcribed Japanese. As more translators finish captions in new languages, Viki will add them to the videos on YouTube. The channel’s videos are available everywhere other than Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Italy and Spain.
Other titles on the channel include Jungle Emperor Leo, Black Jack, Dear Brother, The New Adventures of Kimba the White Lion, Don Dracula, and Marvelous Melmo, with more exciting titles to come soon. Subscribe to the channel to find out anytime new episodes are added.
Jean Huang Lundgren, Head of Video Partnerships, YouTube, Greater China and South East Asia, recently watched “The New Adventures of Kimba the White Lion - Full Episode 1.”
The channel currently hosts 16 full-episodes of the iconic Astro Boy series from the 1980s, with subtitles uploaded so far in English, Arabic, Romanian, Turkish, Spanish, French, and transcribed Japanese. As more translators finish captions in new languages, Viki will add them to the videos on YouTube. The channel’s videos are available everywhere other than Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Italy and Spain.
Other titles on the channel include Jungle Emperor Leo, Black Jack, Dear Brother, The New Adventures of Kimba the White Lion, Don Dracula, and Marvelous Melmo, with more exciting titles to come soon. Subscribe to the channel to find out anytime new episodes are added.
Jean Huang Lundgren, Head of Video Partnerships, YouTube, Greater China and South East Asia, recently watched “The New Adventures of Kimba the White Lion - Full Episode 1.”
Our September featured On The Rise partner is GonetotheSnowDogs
Congratulations to Jessica of GonetotheSnowDogs! Her channel, featuring her huskies Shiloh, Shelby, and Oakley, is our September featured “On The Rise” partner. Check out the “Spotlight” section of the YouTube homepage today to meet these quirky, entertaining pups.
Jessica has been filming her dogs and sharing their antics with the world via YouTube, of course for the last three years. While all centered around the three star huskies, the videos run the gamut from fun and entertaining to educational and instructional. Head on over to Jessica’s channel to see Shiloh and Shelby ‘singing’ a duet (it earned them a feature on Animal Planet!) and all three dogs reacting to a new present meant to help them cool down in the summer. If you have a dog of your own, you might be interested in Jessica’s tutorial videos, which cover topics like how to make your own chicken jerky dog treats.
Here are a few words from Jessica:
Christine Wang and Devon Storbeck, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “The Hunger Games - A Bad Lip Reading.”
Jessica has been filming her dogs and sharing their antics with the world via YouTube, of course for the last three years. While all centered around the three star huskies, the videos run the gamut from fun and entertaining to educational and instructional. Head on over to Jessica’s channel to see Shiloh and Shelby ‘singing’ a duet (it earned them a feature on Animal Planet!) and all three dogs reacting to a new present meant to help them cool down in the summer. If you have a dog of your own, you might be interested in Jessica’s tutorial videos, which cover topics like how to make your own chicken jerky dog treats.
Here are a few words from Jessica:
Almost three years ago, I put up a silly video of my dogs onto YouTube, and look what it has now grown to! I never thought that our dogs would be so loved by people all over the world! It started off as just showing the dogs and the silly things they do day by day, and it has turned into a combination of fun, and educational videos uploaded 3 times a week. You ask, and we will do our best to answer when it comes to questions about Siberian Huskies, or dogs in general! We are always willing to help when we can! We hope you enjoy what you see on our channel! How can someone not love dogs! And with the three we have, you get a variety of personalities you will come to love! Shiloh is the quite one, Shelby is the crazy one, and Oakley is the oddball still finding her place here (we just adopted her this past February.) We want to say thank you to YouTube for giving us this amazing opportunity, Thank you to our fans, friends, and family, for all of your love and support! Thank you to the stars of the channel, Shiloh, Shelby, and Oakley, for allowing me to point a camera at you all the time! Subscribe to our channel, and experience the joy that a dog can bring into your life!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 “The Hunger Games - A Bad Lip Reading.”
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
More renewable energy for our data centers
We announced our commitment to carbon neutrality back in 2007, and since then we’ve been finding ways to power our operations with as much renewable energy as possible. In our latest step toward this end, we just signed an agreement with the Grand River Dam Authority (GRDA) to green the energy supply to our Oklahoma data center with 48 MW of wind energy from the Canadian Hills Wind Project in Oklahoma, which is expected to come online later this year.
We’ve been working with GRDA, our local utility, to procure additional renewable energy since we “plugged in” our data center in 2011, and in February of 2012, GRDA approached us about purchasing power from Canadian Hills. In conjunction with the electricity GRDA already supplies Google to operate its data center, Google will pay GRDA a premium to purchase renewable energy generated by Canadian Hills. This brings the total amount of renewable energy for which Google has contracted to over 260 MW.
This agreement is a milestone for GRDA because it’s their first-ever wind energy project. It’s also a milestone for Google because it’s a little different from the previous Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) we’ve signed, where we agreed to buy the energy directly from the developer who built the wind farm. This agreement, by contrast, marks the first time we’ve partnered with a utility provider to increase the amount of renewable energy powering one of our data centers.
Although both options can make sense depending on the circumstances, we’re excited about this collaboration because it makes the most of our respective strengths: utilities like GRDA are best positioned to integrate renewable energy into their generation mix and to deliver power; we’re a growing company with a corporate mandate to use clean energy for our operations in a scalable way. We’ve been working closely with all of our utility partners to find ways to source renewables directly, and we look forward to working with other suppliers to deliver clean energy to our data centers.
We’ve been working with GRDA, our local utility, to procure additional renewable energy since we “plugged in” our data center in 2011, and in February of 2012, GRDA approached us about purchasing power from Canadian Hills. In conjunction with the electricity GRDA already supplies Google to operate its data center, Google will pay GRDA a premium to purchase renewable energy generated by Canadian Hills. This brings the total amount of renewable energy for which Google has contracted to over 260 MW.
This agreement is a milestone for GRDA because it’s their first-ever wind energy project. It’s also a milestone for Google because it’s a little different from the previous Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) we’ve signed, where we agreed to buy the energy directly from the developer who built the wind farm. This agreement, by contrast, marks the first time we’ve partnered with a utility provider to increase the amount of renewable energy powering one of our data centers.
Although both options can make sense depending on the circumstances, we’re excited about this collaboration because it makes the most of our respective strengths: utilities like GRDA are best positioned to integrate renewable energy into their generation mix and to deliver power; we’re a growing company with a corporate mandate to use clean energy for our operations in a scalable way. We’ve been working closely with all of our utility partners to find ways to source renewables directly, and we look forward to working with other suppliers to deliver clean energy to our data centers.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Dive into the Great Barrier Reef with the first underwater panoramas in Google Maps
Today we’re adding the very first underwater panoramic images to Google Maps, the next step in our quest to provide people with the most comprehensive, accurate and usable map of the world. With these vibrant and stunning photos you don’t have to be a scuba diver—or even know how to swim—to explore and experience six of the ocean’s most incredible living coral reefs. Now, anyone can become the next virtual Jacques Cousteau and dive with sea turtles, fish and manta rays in Australia, the Philippines and Hawaii.
Starting today, you can use Google Maps to find a sea turtle swimming among a school of fish, follow a manta ray and experience the reef at sunset—just as I did on my first dive in the Great Barrier Reef last year. You can also find out much more about this reef via the World Wonders Project, a website that brings modern and ancient world heritage sites online.
At Apo Island, a volcanic island and marine reserve in the Philippines, you can see an ancient boulder coral, which may be several hundred years old. And in the middle of the Pacific, in Hawaii, you can join snorkelers in Oahu’s Hanauma Bay and drift over the vast coral reef at Maui's Molokini crater.
We’re partnering with The Catlin Seaview Survey, a major scientific study of the world’s reefs, to make these amazing images available to millions of people through the Street View feature of Google Maps. The Catlin Seaview Survey used a specially designed underwater camera, the SVII, to capture these photos.
Whether you’re a marine biologist, an avid scuba diver or a landlocked landlubber, we encourage you to dive in and explore the ocean with Google Maps. Check out our complete underwater collection, featuring a Google+ underwater Hangout from the Great Barrier Reef. And you can always explore more imagery from around the world by visiting maps.google.com/streetview.
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
Get up close and personal with sea turtles at Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef
Starting today, you can use Google Maps to find a sea turtle swimming among a school of fish, follow a manta ray and experience the reef at sunset—just as I did on my first dive in the Great Barrier Reef last year. You can also find out much more about this reef via the World Wonders Project, a website that brings modern and ancient world heritage sites online.
At Apo Island, a volcanic island and marine reserve in the Philippines, you can see an ancient boulder coral, which may be several hundred years old. And in the middle of the Pacific, in Hawaii, you can join snorkelers in Oahu’s Hanauma Bay and drift over the vast coral reef at Maui's Molokini crater.
The Catlin Seaview Survey team on location on the Great Barrier Reef, encountering a manta ray
Whether you’re a marine biologist, an avid scuba diver or a landlocked landlubber, we encourage you to dive in and explore the ocean with Google Maps. Check out our complete underwater collection, featuring a Google+ underwater Hangout from the Great Barrier Reef. And you can always explore more imagery from around the world by visiting maps.google.com/streetview.
Explore more underwater images
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
Make voting go viral
Today is the first annual National Voter Registration Day in the U.S. and with just six weeks to go before Election Day, there’s never been a better time to register to vote.
A bunch of top creators agree. In honor of Voter Registration Day, they’ve put together their own videos about why it’s important to cast your vote on November 6 -- and why it’s important to register today.
For example, Nerdfighter extraordinaire Hank Green created this appeal which already has more than 150,000 views:
And SoundlyAwake is making his voice -- err, make that voices -- heard on the issue:
You can view these videos and more on the YouTube homepage and our YouTube Politics channel today.
You can also use your own channel and videos to encourage voter registration by using our new Voter Registration annotation. It functions just like a normal annotation but allows you to link out to www.google.com/elections/vote, a dedicated page where you and your subscribers can register to vote.
You can add this annotation to a video in a few easy steps:
Ramya Raghavan, News and Politics Manager, recently watched “#WeWill Rock the Vote”.
A bunch of top creators agree. In honor of Voter Registration Day, they’ve put together their own videos about why it’s important to cast your vote on November 6 -- and why it’s important to register today.
For example, Nerdfighter extraordinaire Hank Green created this appeal which already has more than 150,000 views:
And SoundlyAwake is making his voice -- err, make that voices -- heard on the issue:
You can view these videos and more on the YouTube homepage and our YouTube Politics channel today.
You can also use your own channel and videos to encourage voter registration by using our new Voter Registration annotation. It functions just like a normal annotation but allows you to link out to www.google.com/elections/vote, a dedicated page where you and your subscribers can register to vote.
You can add this annotation to a video in a few easy steps:
- Go to Edit Video on any of your uploads
- At the top of the page, you'll see a tab marked Annotation (fourth tab)
- Click "Add Annotation" and select "Cause" at the bottom of the list
- Under "Select a Cause" choose "Register to Vote"
- Choose the times you want it to appear and click "Save"
Ramya Raghavan, News and Politics Manager, recently watched “#WeWill Rock the Vote”.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship with the new Google for Entrepreneurs
Startups and entrepreneurs have the power to build technologies and creative solutions that transform the world and move us forward. Innovation is happening everywhere: There are approximately 400 million entrepreneurs across 54 countries, and 69 million early-stage entrepreneurs offering new products and services. As Google turns 14 this month, we’re celebrating this creative spirit and officially launching Google for Entrepreneurs, the umbrella for our several dozen programs and partnerships around the world that support startups and entrepreneurs.
Our focus is threefold:
We’re already on a roll, with current projects ranging from support for the annual journey of entrepreneurship through India by train, to partnering with a number of accelerator and incubator programs around the world, like iHub in Kenya and Le Camping in France. And, this week, we’re rolling out our newest partnership: teaming up with Women 2.0 to bring their Founder Friday events to more cities. These events bring together current and aspiring female entrepreneurs once a month to connect with mentors and one another to build community. We’re partnering to launch Founder Fridays in Detroit, New Orleans, Sao Paulo and Moscow over the next year.
To celebrate both our birthday and the spirit of entrepreneurship that’s helped get us where we are today, we are hosting our first annual Google for Entrepreneurs Week, which will bring together more than 3,000 entrepreneurs and Googlers around the world. We kicked off over the weekend with a Startup Weekend event hosted at the Google Ventures Startup Lab in Mountain View, Calif., where Bay Area entrepreneurs came together to create their own startups in 54 hours. Over the course of the next week, Googlers in 28 cities across 13 countries will be hosting an event in their communities to bring their passion and expertise to local entrepreneurs. We’re teaming with a number of partners to make this happen, including the Idea Village in New Orleans, Communitech in Waterloo, Tetuan Valley in Wroclaw, the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship in Johannesburg and the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce in Iowa.
For more on these existing programs and to stay connected on upcoming events, visit google.com/entrepreneurs and follow us on G+.
Our focus is threefold:
- Partnerships with strong organizations that serve entrepreneurs in local communities
- Google-led programs to bring our teams and our tools directly to entrepreneurs
- Placing relevant Google tools in the hands of startups as they are getting off the ground and ready to scale
We’re already on a roll, with current projects ranging from support for the annual journey of entrepreneurship through India by train, to partnering with a number of accelerator and incubator programs around the world, like iHub in Kenya and Le Camping in France. And, this week, we’re rolling out our newest partnership: teaming up with Women 2.0 to bring their Founder Friday events to more cities. These events bring together current and aspiring female entrepreneurs once a month to connect with mentors and one another to build community. We’re partnering to launch Founder Fridays in Detroit, New Orleans, Sao Paulo and Moscow over the next year.
To celebrate both our birthday and the spirit of entrepreneurship that’s helped get us where we are today, we are hosting our first annual Google for Entrepreneurs Week, which will bring together more than 3,000 entrepreneurs and Googlers around the world. We kicked off over the weekend with a Startup Weekend event hosted at the Google Ventures Startup Lab in Mountain View, Calif., where Bay Area entrepreneurs came together to create their own startups in 54 hours. Over the course of the next week, Googlers in 28 cities across 13 countries will be hosting an event in their communities to bring their passion and expertise to local entrepreneurs. We’re teaming with a number of partners to make this happen, including the Idea Village in New Orleans, Communitech in Waterloo, Tetuan Valley in Wroclaw, the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship in Johannesburg and the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce in Iowa.
For more on these existing programs and to stay connected on upcoming events, visit google.com/entrepreneurs and follow us on G+.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Google News turns 10
Google News launched on September 22, 2002—exactly a decade ago.
Inspired by the widespread interest in news after the September 11 attacks, we invested in technology to help people search and browse news relevant to them. Google News broke new ground in news aggregation by gathering links in real time, grouping articles by story and ranking stories based on the editorial opinions of publishers worldwide. Linking to a diverse set of sources for any given story enabled readers to easily access different perspectives and genres of content. By featuring opposing viewpoints in the same display block, people were encouraged to hear arguments on both sides of an issue and gain a more balanced perspective.
In the last ten years, Google News has grown to 72 editions in 30 languages, and now draws from more than 50,000 news sources. The technology also powers Google’s news search. Together, they connect 1 billion unique users a week to news content.
As we have scaled the service internationally, we have added new features (Local News, Personalization, Editors’ Picks, Spotlight, Authorship, Social Discussions), evolved our design, embraced mobile and run ancillary experiments (Fast Flip, Living Stories, Timeline). In parallel, we have monitored our quality and challenged our engineers to improve the technology under the hood—increase freshness, group news better, rank stories more accurately, personalize with more insight and streamline the infrastructure.
Take a look back at the past decade in Google News through the top stories from each year and a few notable features that have launched in the interim:
It’s undeniable that the online news landscape has changed immensely. Smartphones and social networks have transformed how news is accessed and sourced, and shifted the relationship between readers and authors. Open journalism is the norm, and aggregation by humans and machines is an integral part of the ecosystem. New technologies such as Hangouts on Air have the potential to connect users, journalists and opinion makers and transform how stories are discussed.
Opportunities abound, and we are excited for where we can take this product in the next decade. While change is inevitable, one thing remains the same: our mission is to bring you the news you want, when you need it, from a diverse set of sources.
(Cross-posted on the Google News blog)
Inspired by the widespread interest in news after the September 11 attacks, we invested in technology to help people search and browse news relevant to them. Google News broke new ground in news aggregation by gathering links in real time, grouping articles by story and ranking stories based on the editorial opinions of publishers worldwide. Linking to a diverse set of sources for any given story enabled readers to easily access different perspectives and genres of content. By featuring opposing viewpoints in the same display block, people were encouraged to hear arguments on both sides of an issue and gain a more balanced perspective.
In the last ten years, Google News has grown to 72 editions in 30 languages, and now draws from more than 50,000 news sources. The technology also powers Google’s news search. Together, they connect 1 billion unique users a week to news content.
Google News today
As we have scaled the service internationally, we have added new features (Local News, Personalization, Editors’ Picks, Spotlight, Authorship, Social Discussions), evolved our design, embraced mobile and run ancillary experiments (Fast Flip, Living Stories, Timeline). In parallel, we have monitored our quality and challenged our engineers to improve the technology under the hood—increase freshness, group news better, rank stories more accurately, personalize with more insight and streamline the infrastructure.
Take a look back at the past decade in Google News through the top stories from each year and a few notable features that have launched in the interim:
It’s undeniable that the online news landscape has changed immensely. Smartphones and social networks have transformed how news is accessed and sourced, and shifted the relationship between readers and authors. Open journalism is the norm, and aggregation by humans and machines is an integral part of the ecosystem. New technologies such as Hangouts on Air have the potential to connect users, journalists and opinion makers and transform how stories are discussed.
Opportunities abound, and we are excited for where we can take this product in the next decade. While change is inevitable, one thing remains the same: our mission is to bring you the news you want, when you need it, from a diverse set of sources.
(Cross-posted on the Google News blog)
Friday, September 21, 2012
Arts and entertainment take the stage at our most recent Big Tent
What happens when you bring together the head of the Metropolitan Opera, YouTube creators, Comedy Central and Justin Bieber’s manager to discuss the Internet’s impact on arts and culture?
In partnership with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, our Big Tent in New York City, held this week, fostered a constructive and sometimes challenging conversation that saw more opportunities than challenges for artists through the Internet and technology.
While the speakers recognized the disruptive force of the Internet, they also saw the possibilities that technology creates for artists of all stripes to connect with audiences and tell stories in creative ways. As Scooter Braun, manager to artists including Justin Bieber, said, “I don’t think the music industry has changed as much as people think it has. It starts with music. All we have to do today is study interaction, which is the same thing we’ve always had to do.”
Many speakers saw the Internet as essential to their own creative endeavors. YouTube creators like Michelle Phan, Issa Rae and Julia Nunes all used online platforms to launch their careers.
Newsweek Daily Beast’s art and design critic Blake Gopnik, while seeing benefits to new cultural platforms like Google Art Project, reminded the audience of the importance of appreciating the space that contextualizes a work of art. His message of the communality and shared experience of viewing art live was one that resonated with speakers from the performing arts who stressed that the live experience could not be replicated or replaced by technology.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt made a surprise appearance and emphasized the power of mobile and new platforms to change the way we live. He highlighted how the Internet has led to an increase in content and lower costs of distribution. One of the accompanying challenges, he noted, is how, in this shift to abundant content and cheaper distribution, business models adapt to build audiences and deliver value.
The afternoon ended with drinks under a literal big tent, hosted by Cirque du Soleil, which launched Movi.Kanti.Revo—a new sensory Chrome experiment—to close out the day.
In partnership with the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, our Big Tent in New York City, held this week, fostered a constructive and sometimes challenging conversation that saw more opportunities than challenges for artists through the Internet and technology.
While the speakers recognized the disruptive force of the Internet, they also saw the possibilities that technology creates for artists of all stripes to connect with audiences and tell stories in creative ways. As Scooter Braun, manager to artists including Justin Bieber, said, “I don’t think the music industry has changed as much as people think it has. It starts with music. All we have to do today is study interaction, which is the same thing we’ve always had to do.”
Many speakers saw the Internet as essential to their own creative endeavors. YouTube creators like Michelle Phan, Issa Rae and Julia Nunes all used online platforms to launch their careers.
Newsweek Daily Beast’s art and design critic Blake Gopnik, while seeing benefits to new cultural platforms like Google Art Project, reminded the audience of the importance of appreciating the space that contextualizes a work of art. His message of the communality and shared experience of viewing art live was one that resonated with speakers from the performing arts who stressed that the live experience could not be replicated or replaced by technology.
Google chairman Eric Schmidt made a surprise appearance and emphasized the power of mobile and new platforms to change the way we live. He highlighted how the Internet has led to an increase in content and lower costs of distribution. One of the accompanying challenges, he noted, is how, in this shift to abundant content and cheaper distribution, business models adapt to build audiences and deliver value.
The afternoon ended with drinks under a literal big tent, hosted by Cirque du Soleil, which launched Movi.Kanti.Revo—a new sensory Chrome experiment—to close out the day.
Hanging out for Jewish-Arab dialogue in Israel
Despite the fact that Israeli Arab and Jewish youth live in the same country and even study at the same universities, they often grow up without meeting. When tensions rise in the region, this lack of mutual understanding can lead to stereotyping, hostility and even violence.
We believe the Internet can help break down these barriers. In honor of today’s 30th annual International Day of Peace, we’re partnering with the Peres Center for Peace, a non-profit organization founded by the President of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres. The center promotes cooperation and peacebuilding between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel as well as between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Together, we’ll be holding a series of Hangouts on Google+ designed to enable dialogue between Israeli Arab and Jewish students. “Hanging Out for Peace” is a six-month project that will involve nearly 150 Israeli university students, women and men, with an equal number of Arabs and Jews. Students will be divided into mixed Jewish and Arab ‘circles’, matched with other students who study the same subject at university.
The circles will meet via Hangouts on Google+, led by instructors from the Peres Center, and will undertake online and offline projects related to the circle’s area of academic focus. After a series of Hangouts, the students will meet face to face, present the projects they’ve developed to the larger group of participants and discuss issues that arose during their work together.
The Internet provides a perfect platform for dialogue and cooperation. It can help overcome physical barriers and connect people from different cultures who have shared interests and common values. We’re excited to see how this project develops and hope that, in a small way, it will help foster coexistence and understanding between Israeli Jews and Arabs and, in the future, build bridges between other communities, too.
We believe the Internet can help break down these barriers. In honor of today’s 30th annual International Day of Peace, we’re partnering with the Peres Center for Peace, a non-profit organization founded by the President of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres. The center promotes cooperation and peacebuilding between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel as well as between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
Together, we’ll be holding a series of Hangouts on Google+ designed to enable dialogue between Israeli Arab and Jewish students. “Hanging Out for Peace” is a six-month project that will involve nearly 150 Israeli university students, women and men, with an equal number of Arabs and Jews. Students will be divided into mixed Jewish and Arab ‘circles’, matched with other students who study the same subject at university.
The circles will meet via Hangouts on Google+, led by instructors from the Peres Center, and will undertake online and offline projects related to the circle’s area of academic focus. After a series of Hangouts, the students will meet face to face, present the projects they’ve developed to the larger group of participants and discuss issues that arose during their work together.
The Internet provides a perfect platform for dialogue and cooperation. It can help overcome physical barriers and connect people from different cultures who have shared interests and common values. We’re excited to see how this project develops and hope that, in a small way, it will help foster coexistence and understanding between Israeli Jews and Arabs and, in the future, build bridges between other communities, too.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Moving, singing and dreaming with a Chrome experiment from Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil stages impressive live performances that challenge the laws of physics and the limits of the human body. Today, at Google’s Big Tent event in New York, the wonder of Cirque du Soleil transcended the confines of real world performance and embraced the entire web through Movi.Kanti.Revo, a new sensory Chrome experiment crafted by Cirque du Soleil and developed by Subatomic Systems.
Movi.Kanti.Revo comes from the Esperanto words for moving, singing and dreaming. In the experiment, you can follow a mysterious character through a beautiful and surreal world to encounter enchanting Cirque du Soleil performances and live an emotional journey made of love, doubts, hopes and dreams.
Breaking with the tradition of point and click web browsing, you can navigate through this unique experience simply by gesturing in front of your device’s camera. This was made possible using the getUserMedia feature of WebRTC, a technology supported by modern browsers, that, with your permission, gives web pages access to your computer’s camera and microphone without installing any additional software.
To bring the creativity of Cirque du Soleil to the browser, we mixed traditional HTML and CSS with 3D transitions and HTML5 APIs. If you’re more technology-curious, you can get a backstage tour via our Chromium blog and a brand new technical case study.
Chrome Experiments like Movi.Kanti.Revo demonstrate how the web has evolved into a beautiful creative canvas underpinned by continuously evolving web technologies. For optimal viewing, you’ll need to use a computer that has a camera and a browser that supports WebRTC, like Chrome. You can also access the experiment from a tablet or a mobile phone for a slightly different yet still beautiful experience.
Start your journey at www.movikantirevo.com.
(Cross-posted on the Google Chrome blog)
Movi.Kanti.Revo comes from the Esperanto words for moving, singing and dreaming. In the experiment, you can follow a mysterious character through a beautiful and surreal world to encounter enchanting Cirque du Soleil performances and live an emotional journey made of love, doubts, hopes and dreams.
Breaking with the tradition of point and click web browsing, you can navigate through this unique experience simply by gesturing in front of your device’s camera. This was made possible using the getUserMedia feature of WebRTC, a technology supported by modern browsers, that, with your permission, gives web pages access to your computer’s camera and microphone without installing any additional software.
To bring the creativity of Cirque du Soleil to the browser, we mixed traditional HTML and CSS with 3D transitions and HTML5 APIs. If you’re more technology-curious, you can get a backstage tour via our Chromium blog and a brand new technical case study.
Chrome Experiments like Movi.Kanti.Revo demonstrate how the web has evolved into a beautiful creative canvas underpinned by continuously evolving web technologies. For optimal viewing, you’ll need to use a computer that has a camera and a browser that supports WebRTC, like Chrome. You can also access the experiment from a tablet or a mobile phone for a slightly different yet still beautiful experience.
Start your journey at www.movikantirevo.com.
(Cross-posted on the Google Chrome blog)
Greater accessibility for Google Apps
It's been a year since we posted about enhanced accessibility in Google Docs, Sites and Calendar. As we close out another summer, we want to update our users on some of the new features and improvements in our products since then. We know that assistive technologies for the web are still evolving, and we're committed to moving the state of accessibility forward in our applications.
Since last year, we've made a number of accessibility fixes in Google Calendar, including improved focus handling, keyboard access, and navigation. In Google Drive, we incorporated Optical Character Recognition technology to allow screen readers to read text in scanned PDFs and images, and we added NVDA support for screen readers. New accessibility features in mobile apps (Gmail for Mobile and Google Drive on iOS and Android) included enhanced explore-by-touch capabilities and keyboard/trackpad navigability. For a full list of new features and improvements for accessibility in our products, check out our post today on accessible@googlegroups.com.
Based on these updates, we’ve also created an Administrator Guide to Accessibility that explains best practices for deploying Google Apps to support users’ accessibility needs. We want to give everyone a great experience with Google Apps, and this guide is another resource designed with that goal in mind.
For more information on these specific accessibility improvements, using Google products with screen readers, how to submit feedback and how to track our progress, please visit www.google.com/accessibility.
Since last year, we've made a number of accessibility fixes in Google Calendar, including improved focus handling, keyboard access, and navigation. In Google Drive, we incorporated Optical Character Recognition technology to allow screen readers to read text in scanned PDFs and images, and we added NVDA support for screen readers. New accessibility features in mobile apps (Gmail for Mobile and Google Drive on iOS and Android) included enhanced explore-by-touch capabilities and keyboard/trackpad navigability. For a full list of new features and improvements for accessibility in our products, check out our post today on accessible@googlegroups.com.
Based on these updates, we’ve also created an Administrator Guide to Accessibility that explains best practices for deploying Google Apps to support users’ accessibility needs. We want to give everyone a great experience with Google Apps, and this guide is another resource designed with that goal in mind.
For more information on these specific accessibility improvements, using Google products with screen readers, how to submit feedback and how to track our progress, please visit www.google.com/accessibility.
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Music Tuesday: Carly Rae Jepsen, Brother Ali and more
We celebrated Rosh Hashanah and Mexican Independence Day over the weekend, and we even offered a sneak preview of Pink’s new album, courtesy of the lady herself. What’s in store on youtube.com/music this week? Check it out.
Carly Rae Jepsen Speaks!
In “Call Me Maybe,” the diminutive Canadian singer created what will likely be the one of the viral sensations of 2012. No other song has inspired so many lip-syncs, covers and creative re-imaginings -- which is why we’re so pleased that Carly Rae took the time to share some of her favorite YouTube videos with us just as her album Kiss releases today. Wondering which “Call Me Maybe” cover she most prefers? Wonder no longer.
Brother Ali: Mourning in America and Dreaming In Color
This midwestern emcee has an interesting backstory which often overshadows his talent. So let’s just get it out of the way: yes, he’s an albino. Yes, he’s legally blind. Yes, he’s been a practicing Muslim for nearly two decades. Now, let it go. Because in his new album, released today and available on YouTube with a full video, Ali has made the album of a lifetime, a release that’s as thoughtful as it is political and as sympathetic as it is pointed. He takes on big issues, but he does it with such lyrical finesse you don’t feel assaulted (and that soul-laced production doesn’t hurt either). As an added bonus, check out Ali’s song-by-song commentary on the album -- all linked to in the video itself.
Live Music Extravaganza
The next week sees a veritable bonanza of live music happening on YouTube. Mark your calendars...it’s going to be a musical ride!
Friday, September 21: Bon Iver
Saturday, September 22: Farm Aid
Sunday, September 23: Metric
Monday, September 24: Grizzly Bear
Wednesday, September 26: Avicii
Sarah Bardeen, music community manager, recently watched “Instituto Mexicano del Sonido - Es-Toy.”
Carly Rae Jepsen Speaks!
In “Call Me Maybe,” the diminutive Canadian singer created what will likely be the one of the viral sensations of 2012. No other song has inspired so many lip-syncs, covers and creative re-imaginings -- which is why we’re so pleased that Carly Rae took the time to share some of her favorite YouTube videos with us just as her album Kiss releases today. Wondering which “Call Me Maybe” cover she most prefers? Wonder no longer.
Brother Ali: Mourning in America and Dreaming In Color
This midwestern emcee has an interesting backstory which often overshadows his talent. So let’s just get it out of the way: yes, he’s an albino. Yes, he’s legally blind. Yes, he’s been a practicing Muslim for nearly two decades. Now, let it go. Because in his new album, released today and available on YouTube with a full video, Ali has made the album of a lifetime, a release that’s as thoughtful as it is political and as sympathetic as it is pointed. He takes on big issues, but he does it with such lyrical finesse you don’t feel assaulted (and that soul-laced production doesn’t hurt either). As an added bonus, check out Ali’s song-by-song commentary on the album -- all linked to in the video itself.
Live Music Extravaganza
The next week sees a veritable bonanza of live music happening on YouTube. Mark your calendars...it’s going to be a musical ride!
Friday, September 21: Bon Iver
Saturday, September 22: Farm Aid
Sunday, September 23: Metric
Monday, September 24: Grizzly Bear
Wednesday, September 26: Avicii
Sarah Bardeen, music community manager, recently watched “Instituto Mexicano del Sonido - Es-Toy.”
5 Questions with Nirvan Mullick, the man behind 'Caine's Arcade'
Q: How did the Caine's Arcade video catch fire? Did you have a distribution strategy in place or was it all organic?
A: It was a mix. While making the film, I put together a flashmob invitation to surprise Caine with customers. The flashmob invitation went mini-viral, hitting reddit’s front page and HiddenLA’s facebook page. This brought Caine a global community of supporters that were waiting for the film to be finished. Once the film was finished, I submitted a follow up link to reddit and also sent the link to BoingBoing. BoingBoing re-posted the film right away, and it hit the front page of reddit shortly after. Then it just took off.
Q: What was the reaction of Caine & his family once the video became so popular and viewers donated hundreds-of-thousands of dollars to a college fund?
A: None of us were expecting that level of response. I had been hoping to raise $25,000 for Caine’s Scholarship Fund over the course of maybe a year... the first day we raised over $100k. Caine’s dad was in tears, overwhelmed by phone calls from parents and media around the world; he had never experienced that level of kindness from strangers, who put together a college fund for his son overnight. George was the proudest dad in the world. Meanwhile, Caine couldn’t really process how much money had been donated- he just knew it was a lot. But he was super excited to have so many customers visiting his arcade. The first weekend after the film went viral, over a thousand people showed up to play. There was a 4 hour line stretching around the block. 5 months later, people still come every day from around the world. It’s amazing.
Q: Tell us about the Imagination Foundation. Was it always something you had hoped to launch or did it originate solely from the video?
A: The formation of the foundation was inspired by the global response to the video. After the film went viral, I didn’t sleep the first 2 days. The response was overwhelming, and I was trying to take it all in and absorb as much of the feedback as I could. I got emails from thousands of people, including videos from kids around the world sharing their creativity. I began to think about ways that this project could transition from helping Caine to helping other kids as well. On the third day, I wrote the mission statement for the Imagination Foundation on a napkin: to find, foster, and fund creativity and entrepreneurship in more kids like Caine. While the Imagination Foundation wasn’t something I’d planned before the film, I have worked in the non-profit space for the past 12 years, and have always been interested in the intersection of media and social change. So when this happened, I knew there was an lightning-in-a-bottle opportunity to try and make something that could have an impact for more kids. Two days after I wrote the mission statement, I connected with the Goldhirsh Foundation, who recognized the opportunity to make an impact and put up a $250,000 Matching Challenge Grant (matching public donations to Caine's Scholarship Fund dollar-for-dollar) to help us start the Imagination Foundation. To date, we have raised $215k of the goal.
Q: How do you intend to use video going forward to tell the story of the Global Cardboard Challenge?
A: I met Caine by chance when I went to buy a door handle. But there are so many more kids like Caine out there. We started the Imagination Foundation to build a discovery platform to help find amazing stories of creative kids like Caine, and to then share those stories with the world. With the Global Cardboard Challenge, we are inviting filmmakers and storytellers around the world to document local Cardboard Challenge events on video, and to then share those videos with us so we can celebrate the creativity of kids everywhere. Send us your videos by October 13th and we will have some cool prizes and opportunities to share the videos with our community. As we build our community further, we plan to continue using video to share inspiring stories of creative kids around the world while inspiring creative actions in line with our mission.
Q: Do you have any advice for fellow filmmakers who are looking to drive awareness for causes they care about?
A: I think it is really important to be authentic and personal, and to find the details that communicate the heart of your story. It’s also important to have a clear call to action, and to keep it simple and engaging. The success of videos like Kony 2012 (30min) and Caine’s Arcade (11 minutes) show that videos don’t need to be super short to keep people’s attention. If your story is strong, your audience will stay with you, and you can take the time you need to tell your story. That said, don’t make it a second longer than it needs to be.
Arthur Woods, YouTube partner operations associate, recently watched "John Hockenberry: We are all designers"
Watch The Killers UNSTAGED, directed by Werner Herzog
Today at 4 pm PT, YouTube brings you the next installment of the American Express UNSTAGED concert series, in partnership with VEVO. This may be the most experimental UNSTAGED pairing yet: The Killers’ show will be helmed by German avant garde director Werner Herzog. You can watch the whole thing live on youtube.com/thekillersVEVO at 4pm PT, followed by an immediate rebroadcast.
In 2003, The Killers were an anomaly: a rock band from Las Vegas who played rock’n’roll like Brits. They didn’t fit into Vegas’ nu-metal-obsessed scene, and they couldn’t seem to grab the attention of any labels stateside. Then the band got picked up by England’s Lizard King Records...and suddenly the U.S. started to perk up its ears. After their debut single “Mr. Brightside” began to hit the airwaves, they signed with Island Def Jam, and the rest is history. A slew of hit singles followed, and pretty soon bands like Coldplay and U2 counted themselves as fans. Their albums began selling like proverbial hotcakes.
They also established their strong video aesthetic right out of the gate, dropping the lush, Moulin Rouge-esque video for “Mr. Brightside.” The piece resonated, billowing with a big storyline and sumptuous burlesque visuals. It deserved -- and won -- a VMA in 2005, and the band went on to make a bevy of videos that inhabit an American West which is both a comedic and an uneasy place: “For Reasons Unknown,” “All These Things,” and “Human.” But these guys aren’t just serious: for every mini-film like “When You Were Young” or “Boots,” they’ve got a poker-faced, antics-laced offering like “Read My Mind.”
To pair such visually gifted musicians with Werner Herzog is nothing short of inspired. Herzog is an iconoclast of the first order, a German director whose work compels, fascinates, and alienates in equal measure. Herzog is drawn to the margins, outliers and extremes whether in his fiction or documentary offerings. His output is so varied we can’t list it all here, but you can get a taste of his style with films like Grizzly Man, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and Into The Abyss -- or with this recent interview.
We’re thrilled to present to you such a potent, creative combination. Be sure to tune in today for what may be the show of a lifetime.
Sarah Bardeen, music community manager, recently watched “Battle Born Studio Tour.”
In 2003, The Killers were an anomaly: a rock band from Las Vegas who played rock’n’roll like Brits. They didn’t fit into Vegas’ nu-metal-obsessed scene, and they couldn’t seem to grab the attention of any labels stateside. Then the band got picked up by England’s Lizard King Records...and suddenly the U.S. started to perk up its ears. After their debut single “Mr. Brightside” began to hit the airwaves, they signed with Island Def Jam, and the rest is history. A slew of hit singles followed, and pretty soon bands like Coldplay and U2 counted themselves as fans. Their albums began selling like proverbial hotcakes.
They also established their strong video aesthetic right out of the gate, dropping the lush, Moulin Rouge-esque video for “Mr. Brightside.” The piece resonated, billowing with a big storyline and sumptuous burlesque visuals. It deserved -- and won -- a VMA in 2005, and the band went on to make a bevy of videos that inhabit an American West which is both a comedic and an uneasy place: “For Reasons Unknown,” “All These Things,” and “Human.” But these guys aren’t just serious: for every mini-film like “When You Were Young” or “Boots,” they’ve got a poker-faced, antics-laced offering like “Read My Mind.”
To pair such visually gifted musicians with Werner Herzog is nothing short of inspired. Herzog is an iconoclast of the first order, a German director whose work compels, fascinates, and alienates in equal measure. Herzog is drawn to the margins, outliers and extremes whether in his fiction or documentary offerings. His output is so varied we can’t list it all here, but you can get a taste of his style with films like Grizzly Man, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, and Into The Abyss -- or with this recent interview.
We’re thrilled to present to you such a potent, creative combination. Be sure to tune in today for what may be the show of a lifetime.
Sarah Bardeen, music community manager, recently watched “Battle Born Studio Tour.”
More movies and TV shows from Twentieth Century Fox coming to Google Play and YouTube
Google Play and YouTube offer the latest new movie releases and your favorite TV shows to enjoy on your Android phone or tablet and on the web. But you’ve been missing one critical thing…Stewie Griffin. We’re happy to share that Stewie, “Family Guy,” and more than 600 other titles from Twentieth Century Fox will soon be joining the catalog for you to rent or buy on Google Play and YouTube.
Today you can buy Fox’s new release Prometheus in HD, available three weeks ahead of the Blu-ray, DVD and video-on-demand release. And over the next few weeks you’ll be able to rent or buy your favorite Fox movies like X-Men, Ice Age and Black Swan, and TV shows like “Glee,” “Modern Family,” “New Girl” and many more.
These new titles will be available first in the U.S., and we’ll be bringing them to more countries soon. We’re now working with all six of the major film studios and many independent studios to bring you the best new releases and your favorite classics to rent or own.
Today you can buy Fox’s new release Prometheus in HD, available three weeks ahead of the Blu-ray, DVD and video-on-demand release. And over the next few weeks you’ll be able to rent or buy your favorite Fox movies like X-Men, Ice Age and Black Swan, and TV shows like “Glee,” “Modern Family,” “New Girl” and many more.
These new titles will be available first in the U.S., and we’ll be bringing them to more countries soon. We’re now working with all six of the major film studios and many independent studios to bring you the best new releases and your favorite classics to rent or own.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Finding the next generation of talented video educators with YouTube Next EDU Guru
Across the Northern Hemisphere, students and their teachers are heading back into the classroom for another year of reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic. While what we learn has broadly stayed the same for years, how we learn is changing rapidly as technology advances. The rise of online educational videos is giving learners access to the world’s greatest thinkers and teachers, leveling the playing field for all.
We believe that inspiring online educators can come from all walks of life, and we want to find the next generation of educational YouTube stars - people with a talent for explaining tough concepts in compelling ways, and the passion and drive to assemble a global classroom of students. YouTube educational channels like Khan Academy, CrashCourse, Veritasium, Numberphile, MinutePhysics and Ted-Ed have grown to millions of views and subscribers - could you be next?
Today we’re teaming up with Khan Academy to start a search for the Next EDU Gurus--10 super talented and engaging content creators who we’ll support with training, promotion, and a $1000 B&H gift card for production equipment, so they can take the next step in their YouTube - and education - careers.
Do you set historical events to music? Doodle your geometry? Sing your Shakespeare? We’re looking for content creators who create all kinds of curriculum-related videos, from grammar to geography, history to histograms. You can submit any style of video as long as it’s educational and family-friendly--just bear in mind that we’re looking for content creators who can take people on a journey through a topic, so if you could imagine making ten, twenty, or fifty more videos on the topic in the future, all the better!
The 10 YouTube Next EDU Gurus will be selected by a panel from the YouTube Education team and the Khan Academy. One of these 10 will also be awarded the Khan Academy EDU Guru Prize. The program is open to creators in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand; it opens today and closes on October 1.
Our new EDU Gurus will help meet the growing demand for great educational content on YouTube. In the last year, you all spent 50% more time learning from YouTube Education’s 700,000 videos, and the number of subscribers to YouTube’s educational channels more than doubled. Check out the YouTube.com homepage today for the latest videos from some of our most engaging educational creators. You can also see a playlist of their latest and greatest below.
If you’re an educator, visit youtube.com/teachers to view more than 300 playlists curated by teachers to align with common education topics. And if you’re looking for inspiration about incorporating YouTube in your school curriculum, see how one school from Kent, WA uses YouTube to experience the world beyond the walls of their classroom.
Angela Lin, YouTube Education team, recently watched “Capitalism and Socialism: Crash Course World History #33.”
We believe that inspiring online educators can come from all walks of life, and we want to find the next generation of educational YouTube stars - people with a talent for explaining tough concepts in compelling ways, and the passion and drive to assemble a global classroom of students. YouTube educational channels like Khan Academy, CrashCourse, Veritasium, Numberphile, MinutePhysics and Ted-Ed have grown to millions of views and subscribers - could you be next?
Today we’re teaming up with Khan Academy to start a search for the Next EDU Gurus--10 super talented and engaging content creators who we’ll support with training, promotion, and a $1000 B&H gift card for production equipment, so they can take the next step in their YouTube - and education - careers.
Do you set historical events to music? Doodle your geometry? Sing your Shakespeare? We’re looking for content creators who create all kinds of curriculum-related videos, from grammar to geography, history to histograms. You can submit any style of video as long as it’s educational and family-friendly--just bear in mind that we’re looking for content creators who can take people on a journey through a topic, so if you could imagine making ten, twenty, or fifty more videos on the topic in the future, all the better!
The 10 YouTube Next EDU Gurus will be selected by a panel from the YouTube Education team and the Khan Academy. One of these 10 will also be awarded the Khan Academy EDU Guru Prize. The program is open to creators in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand; it opens today and closes on October 1.
Our new EDU Gurus will help meet the growing demand for great educational content on YouTube. In the last year, you all spent 50% more time learning from YouTube Education’s 700,000 videos, and the number of subscribers to YouTube’s educational channels more than doubled. Check out the YouTube.com homepage today for the latest videos from some of our most engaging educational creators. You can also see a playlist of their latest and greatest below.
If you’re an educator, visit youtube.com/teachers to view more than 300 playlists curated by teachers to align with common education topics. And if you’re looking for inspiration about incorporating YouTube in your school curriculum, see how one school from Kent, WA uses YouTube to experience the world beyond the walls of their classroom.
Angela Lin, YouTube Education team, recently watched “Capitalism and Socialism: Crash Course World History #33.”
A new way of doing things on campus
Josh remembers the old days at college, when working on a group project meant trekking through the snow (uphill both ways, of course) to meet with his team in the library, followed by endless rounds of back-and-forth revisions (in red pen, no doubt). And by old days, he means last year. As Josh—a rising senior at Princeton University—heads back to campus this fall, he and his classmates will be getting a whole new experience with Google Apps for Education.
Princeton is just one of the many colleges and universities now using Google Apps. In fact, seven of the eight Ivy League universities and 72 of this year’s top 100 U.S. Universities (as determined by 2013 U.S. News and World Report’s ranking) have gone Google, too.
We’re also welcoming 14 other new schools to the Google Apps for Education family, just in time for back-to-school:
And this is just the beginning. As more schools go Google, we continue to be amazed by the creative ways students and teachers are using technology to work better together, and we’re looking forward to the surprises in store this school year.
(Cross-posted on the Google Enterprise Blog.)
Princeton is just one of the many colleges and universities now using Google Apps. In fact, seven of the eight Ivy League universities and 72 of this year’s top 100 U.S. Universities (as determined by 2013 U.S. News and World Report’s ranking) have gone Google, too.
We’re also welcoming 14 other new schools to the Google Apps for Education family, just in time for back-to-school:
- Bates College
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Georgetown University
- Princeton University
- Rice University
- Smith College
- Stony Brook University
- University of California, Berkeley
- University of Colorado, Boulder
- University of Dayton
- University of Mississippi
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Arts and Sciences
- Vassar College
- Virginia Tech
And this is just the beginning. As more schools go Google, we continue to be amazed by the creative ways students and teachers are using technology to work better together, and we’re looking forward to the surprises in store this school year.
(Cross-posted on the Google Enterprise Blog.)
Google Maps shows how we spent summer 2012
In the blink of an eye, summer is coming to an end. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was planning out all my summer activities as I eagerly awaited the start of long, sunny days and warm nights.
Before we approach the official end of summer on September 21, our Google Maps team thought it’d be fun to see how those of us in the Northern Hemisphere have spent the dog days. To do this, we reviewed the summer search activity on maps.google.com in several countries between the end of May and the beginning of September. Within each country, a look at some of the top-rising searches and the often-searched landmarks on Google Maps gives us a sense of how people around the world spent their summers.
We’re honored that people rely on the comprehensive and accurate imagery in Google Maps to research, plan, preview and digitally experience distant as well as local destinations across the globe. Take a look and click through for a larger image:
North Americans sought out the best local beaches to help cool off from the summer heat. In comparison, many more people from Spain, Italy and France searched for community swimming pools. In cooler areas of the U.K. the rising Google Maps searches included many indoor activities such as squash, bars and going to the gym. And, as expected, travel was a clear choice for the summer, as indicated by a surge in searches for lodging in almost every region.
Many popular destination searches were located outdoors. National parks and Hawaiian islands were the most popular searches in the U.S., while local parks, zoos, gardens and playgrounds topped Canada’s and Europe’s list. Major landmarks such as the Empire State Building in New York City, Niagara Falls in Canada, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Taj Mahal in India also topped the list of often-searched places in Google Maps. And of course, with the Summer Games drawing in international audiences, Wembley Stadium and the Olympic Stadium were two of the most searched for locations throughout the U.K. this summer.
Check out the destinations that captured people’s attention this summer and see how your interests compared to others around the world. We hope you enjoy this look back to remember the fun places we all went with Google Maps this summer, and we can’t wait to help you find your next adventure!
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
Before we approach the official end of summer on September 21, our Google Maps team thought it’d be fun to see how those of us in the Northern Hemisphere have spent the dog days. To do this, we reviewed the summer search activity on maps.google.com in several countries between the end of May and the beginning of September. Within each country, a look at some of the top-rising searches and the often-searched landmarks on Google Maps gives us a sense of how people around the world spent their summers.
We’re honored that people rely on the comprehensive and accurate imagery in Google Maps to research, plan, preview and digitally experience distant as well as local destinations across the globe. Take a look and click through for a larger image:
North Americans sought out the best local beaches to help cool off from the summer heat. In comparison, many more people from Spain, Italy and France searched for community swimming pools. In cooler areas of the U.K. the rising Google Maps searches included many indoor activities such as squash, bars and going to the gym. And, as expected, travel was a clear choice for the summer, as indicated by a surge in searches for lodging in almost every region.
Many popular destination searches were located outdoors. National parks and Hawaiian islands were the most popular searches in the U.S., while local parks, zoos, gardens and playgrounds topped Canada’s and Europe’s list. Major landmarks such as the Empire State Building in New York City, Niagara Falls in Canada, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Taj Mahal in India also topped the list of often-searched places in Google Maps. And of course, with the Summer Games drawing in international audiences, Wembley Stadium and the Olympic Stadium were two of the most searched for locations throughout the U.K. this summer.
Check out the destinations that captured people’s attention this summer and see how your interests compared to others around the world. We hope you enjoy this look back to remember the fun places we all went with Google Maps this summer, and we can’t wait to help you find your next adventure!
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Getting America’s businesses online
The web is where we go to find things—somewhere to eat tonight, someone to cut your hair or someone to come quickly to tend to your plumbing disaster. Ninety-seven percent of Americans who use the Internet—pretty much all of us—are looking online for local goods and services. Businesses need to be where their customers are. In 2012, that’s online.
Yet, more than half of all small businesses in the U.S. don’t have a website. Many of those businesses are completely invisible in the one place people are looking for them. The impact of being online is real: Businesses that make use of the web are expected to grow 40 percent faster and are nearly twice as likely to create jobs. Since small businesses make up half of the U.S. GDP and contribute two-thirds of all new jobs, the potential impact of getting these businesses (more than 15 million of them) online is enormous. We wanted to help spur a new wave of SMBs on the web, and change the perception that getting online is hard, expensive and time-consuming.
In July 2011, we went to Austin to get Texas businesses on the web. Texas Get Your Business Online helped any business in Texas get a free, easy-to-build website as well as a free, customized domain name and web hosting for one year. The tools and resources made it fast, easy and free for any business in Texas to get online.
The response from the small business community in Texas was tremendous—thousands of businesses started to get online at events throughout the state and on the web. So we decided to expand the program, going state-by-state to get businesses online. At the end of August 2012, we went to Alaska and Hawaii. These were our 49th and 50th states. Just over a year after our experiment in Austin, we’ve brought America Get Your Business Online to all 50 states, with help from ASBDC, Score, Intuit and over 500 local partners. We’ve had more than 20,000 small businesses attend more than 200 events throughout the country.
This is just the beginning of our commitment to get businesses on the web and succeeding online. Today, small businesses throughout the U.S. can get online for free at www.AmericaGetOnline.com. Businesses get a free, easy-to-build website as well as a free, customized domain name and web hosting for one year. It’s fast, it’s easy and it’s free.
If you’re a small business, get your business online today. Or, if you know a great business that is not online, use this tool to invite them to the web. Getting America’s businesses online may very well be the fastest, easiest step we can take to grow our small businesses and our economy.
Yet, more than half of all small businesses in the U.S. don’t have a website. Many of those businesses are completely invisible in the one place people are looking for them. The impact of being online is real: Businesses that make use of the web are expected to grow 40 percent faster and are nearly twice as likely to create jobs. Since small businesses make up half of the U.S. GDP and contribute two-thirds of all new jobs, the potential impact of getting these businesses (more than 15 million of them) online is enormous. We wanted to help spur a new wave of SMBs on the web, and change the perception that getting online is hard, expensive and time-consuming.
In July 2011, we went to Austin to get Texas businesses on the web. Texas Get Your Business Online helped any business in Texas get a free, easy-to-build website as well as a free, customized domain name and web hosting for one year. The tools and resources made it fast, easy and free for any business in Texas to get online.
The response from the small business community in Texas was tremendous—thousands of businesses started to get online at events throughout the state and on the web. So we decided to expand the program, going state-by-state to get businesses online. At the end of August 2012, we went to Alaska and Hawaii. These were our 49th and 50th states. Just over a year after our experiment in Austin, we’ve brought America Get Your Business Online to all 50 states, with help from ASBDC, Score, Intuit and over 500 local partners. We’ve had more than 20,000 small businesses attend more than 200 events throughout the country.
This is just the beginning of our commitment to get businesses on the web and succeeding online. Today, small businesses throughout the U.S. can get online for free at www.AmericaGetOnline.com. Businesses get a free, easy-to-build website as well as a free, customized domain name and web hosting for one year. It’s fast, it’s easy and it’s free.
If you’re a small business, get your business online today. Or, if you know a great business that is not online, use this tool to invite them to the web. Getting America’s businesses online may very well be the fastest, easiest step we can take to grow our small businesses and our economy.
Meet our September “On The Rise” nominees!
Reaching 100,000 subscribers is a big milestone for our dedicated YouTube partners. In our monthly On The Rise program, we identify four partners whose channels are seeing significant growth but haven’t yet reached the 100,000 subscriber mark, and we give them a chance to jumpstart their audience development and channel growth. This September, our candidates for the On The Rise feature are still in the early stages relative to that milestone, but their content is engaging and they’re passionate about building their YouTube presence.
We’re sharing their channels with you so you can help them grow their presence on YouTube: one of these candidates will have the opportunity to be featured on the YouTube homepage later this month. Check out their videos below and vote for your favorite here. In addition to your votes, each channel will be evaluated on criteria such as viewer engagement and channel optimization techniques to decide which partner will be featured on the homepage, Google+, Facebook and Twitter at the end of the month.
In past months, featured On The Rise partners like thevfxbro and mikeyssmail have gained many subscribers and seen their careers take off, in large part due to your support. This month’s poll will be open until September 19, 5pm PT, so don’t forget to vote for your favorite channel. Check back to see who secured the homepage feature on September 27.
stampwithtami
Tami White loves to stamp! She’s created hundreds of cards for all occasions using stamps, sponges, ink pads, and cardstock. Her channel hosts tutorials on how to make different themed cards and crafts using different stamping techniques and tools.
wcfoodies
Rebecca Lando of Working Class Foodies focuses on making inexpensive dishes using local and seasonal foods. Not a great cook? Not to worry, her channel has instructional recipe videos for all experience levels.
photoshopCAFE
Designers, photographers, and videographers - if you’re looking for editing assistance, look no further than photoshopCAFE! Colin Smith showcases some of his best tutorials on Adobe editing solutions, backed up by his website forums where you’re guaranteed to find advice and tips from like-minded artists.
GoneToTheSnowDogs
Your dog may be able to sit and stay, but has she been featured on a lottery ticket, vacuum ad, or Animal Planet show? Even if your answer is yes, we’re pretty sure you’ll admire these fun and often educational videos featuring huskies Shiloh, Shelby, and Oakley.
If you’re interested in checking out more rising YouTube Partners, visit our On The Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and monthly blog winners.
Devon Storbeck and Christine Wang, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Edward and Bella - A Bad Lip Reading of Twilight.”
We’re sharing their channels with you so you can help them grow their presence on YouTube: one of these candidates will have the opportunity to be featured on the YouTube homepage later this month. Check out their videos below and vote for your favorite here. In addition to your votes, each channel will be evaluated on criteria such as viewer engagement and channel optimization techniques to decide which partner will be featured on the homepage, Google+, Facebook and Twitter at the end of the month.
In past months, featured On The Rise partners like thevfxbro and mikeyssmail have gained many subscribers and seen their careers take off, in large part due to your support. This month’s poll will be open until September 19, 5pm PT, so don’t forget to vote for your favorite channel. Check back to see who secured the homepage feature on September 27.
stampwithtami
Tami White loves to stamp! She’s created hundreds of cards for all occasions using stamps, sponges, ink pads, and cardstock. Her channel hosts tutorials on how to make different themed cards and crafts using different stamping techniques and tools.
wcfoodies
Rebecca Lando of Working Class Foodies focuses on making inexpensive dishes using local and seasonal foods. Not a great cook? Not to worry, her channel has instructional recipe videos for all experience levels.
photoshopCAFE
Designers, photographers, and videographers - if you’re looking for editing assistance, look no further than photoshopCAFE! Colin Smith showcases some of his best tutorials on Adobe editing solutions, backed up by his website forums where you’re guaranteed to find advice and tips from like-minded artists.
GoneToTheSnowDogs
Your dog may be able to sit and stay, but has she been featured on a lottery ticket, vacuum ad, or Animal Planet show? Even if your answer is yes, we’re pretty sure you’ll admire these fun and often educational videos featuring huskies Shiloh, Shelby, and Oakley.
If you’re interested in checking out more rising YouTube Partners, visit our On The Rise channel, which features nominees, trending partners and monthly blog winners.
Devon Storbeck and Christine Wang, YouTube Partner Support, recently watched “Edward and Bella - A Bad Lip Reading of Twilight.”
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Introducing a new YouTube app for your iPhone and iPod touch
For all you diehard YouTube fans out there who can’t get enough YouTube on your mobile, we’ve got some great news: starting today, you can download the official YouTube app for iPhone and iPod touch from the App Store, bringing you more of the videos you love and more ways to share them with the people you care about.
The new app is built by YouTube engineers, to give our iPhone and iPod touch users the best mobile experience. Here’s what you’ll find:
Tens of thousands more videos: Watch official music videos like Taylor’s latest hit.
The new app is built by YouTube engineers, to give our iPhone and iPod touch users the best mobile experience. Here’s what you’ll find:
Tens of thousands more videos: Watch official music videos like Taylor’s latest hit.
New YouTube channel guide: Swipe your finger from the left edge of the screen to reveal a guide with your subscribed channels on YouTube, giving you instant access to everything from Alli Sports to YOMYOMF.
Find awesome videos faster: Get to videos like “Gangnam Style” faster with new search tools that give suggestions while you type, and let you sort through videos or channels. Flip through related videos, comments and more info, all while watching a video.
More ways to share with the people you love: Share that incredible video you found on YouTube on Google+, Facebook or text message in the app, as well as from Twitter and email.
There’s even more to explore with the new YouTube app for iPhone and iPod touch, available for download from the App Store today. We’re working on an optimized version of the YouTube app for iPad in the coming months, and stay tuned for more details.
You’ve already shown us you love YouTube on mobile—to the tune of 1 billion mobile views a day—so we can’t wait to see what you think about this new experience.
(Cross-posted on the YouTube blog)
Introducing a new YouTube app for your iPhone and iPod touch
For all you diehard YouTube fans out there who can’t get enough YouTube on your mobile, we’ve got some great news: starting today, you can download the official YouTube app for iPhone and iPod touch from the App Store, bringing you more of the videos you love and more ways to share them with the people you care about.
The new app is built by YouTube engineers, to give our iPhone and iPod touch users the best mobile experience. Here’s what you’ll find:
Tens of thousands more videos: Watch official music videos like Taylor’s latest hit.
New YouTube channel guide: Swipe your finger from the left edge of the screen to reveal a guide with your subscribed channels on YouTube, giving you instant access to everything from Alli Sports to YOMYOMF.
Find awesome videos faster: Get to videos like “Gangnam Style” faster with new search tools that give suggestions while you type, and let you sort through videos or channels. Flip through related videos, comments and more info, all while watching a video.
More ways to share with the people you love: Share that incredible video you found on YouTube on Google+, Facebook or text message in the app, as well as from Twitter and email.
There’s even more to explore with the new YouTube app for iPhone and iPod touch, available for download from the App Store today. We’re working on an optimized version of the YouTube app for iPad in the coming months, and stay tuned for more details.
You’ve already shown us you love YouTube on mobile—to the tune of 1 billion mobile views a day—so we can’t wait to see what you think about this new experience.
Andrey Doronichev, head of YouTube mobile, recently watched “One-Shot // Goodbye, beloved sister.”
The new app is built by YouTube engineers, to give our iPhone and iPod touch users the best mobile experience. Here’s what you’ll find:
Tens of thousands more videos: Watch official music videos like Taylor’s latest hit.
Andrey Doronichev, head of YouTube mobile, recently watched “One-Shot // Goodbye, beloved sister.”
Monday, September 10, 2012
Google Drive: Updates for iOS and Android
Every day, more and more people are choosing to live online and get things done in the cloud. Helping to make this experience as seamless as possible, Google Drive is one place where you can create, share and keep all your stuff. Drive is available on the web, as well as Mac, Windows and Android and iOS.
Updates for iOS
Starting today, if you’re using the Drive app on your iOS device you can also edit Google documents, just as you can with the Android app. From your iPhone or iPad, you can create a new document, edit an existing one or format text. And, just like on your computer, you’ll be able to see other people’s edits instantly as they’re made.
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Updates for Android
We’re also updating the Drive app for Android phones and tablets today. You can now add comments, reply to existing comments and view tables in your Google documents. And you’ll have the same new abilities to view presentations and organize your stuff as your friends with iPhones do.
More to come...
Looking ahead, we have plenty more planned for the Drive mobile apps—including native editing and real-time collaboration for Google spreadsheets. Stay tuned.
Get Drive in the App Store for your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch and visit the Play Store to get the latest on your Android phone or tablet. To learn more about Google Drive, visit drive.google.com/start.
Posted by Anil Sabharwal, Senior Product Manager
(Cross-posted on the Enterprise and Drive blogs)
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Live from the Runway brings New York Fashion Week to you
Today marks the kick-off of Fashion Week in New York - and once again we’re giving you a front row seat. For the fourth season, YouTube and Maybelline New York are bringing Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week right to your screen with Live from the Runway. Get insider access to 30 live streaming fashion shows and on-demand videos all in one place with show schedules, backstage beauty looks, interviews, trends and how-to videos.
Tune in each day through September 13 to see live runway shows from your favorite designers streamed right to your computer, mobile phone or tablet. To make sure you catch your favorites, add the show to your calendar right from the channel. Then join in on the scene online and dish on the latest collections with #LiveRunway. Let the catwalks begin!
Jamie Reichstein, lifestyle program manager, recently watched “Rebecca Minkoff Fashion Week Boot Camp”
Tune in each day through September 13 to see live runway shows from your favorite designers streamed right to your computer, mobile phone or tablet. To make sure you catch your favorites, add the show to your calendar right from the channel. Then join in on the scene online and dish on the latest collections with #LiveRunway. Let the catwalks begin!
Jamie Reichstein, lifestyle program manager, recently watched “Rebecca Minkoff Fashion Week Boot Camp”
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Making exploration easier for people around the world with Google Maps
Maps keep our spirit of adventure alive by making it easier for us to explore the world around us. That’s why today, we’re making Google Maps even better with new turn-by-turn navigation with traffic conditions, biking directions, Map Maker and new Street View imagery in more locations globally. These improvements are part of our ongoing effort to build the best map we can -- one that’s comprehensive, accurate and easy for you to use.
First, we’re expanding Google Maps Navigation (Beta) with voice guided, turn-by-turn directions in thousands of towns across India. Navigation is one of the most frequently requested features in this region and can be especially helpful when driving in densely populated cities like Delhi or Bangalore. We’re also adding live traffic conditions for major roads with estimated travel times to help you save time and to reduce stress on the road.
Biking directions and Map Maker are also now rolling out to New Zealanders. Local cyclists can access biking directions directly on Google Maps, and use Map Maker to add bike lanes and trails if their favorite route is missing or they discover a new one. Beyond biking trails, Map Maker can also be used to make the New Zealand map more accurate with details such as new road names, building footprints and more.
Biking directions from Remuera in Auckland to the local Google office
Later today, we’ll also release new Street View imagery for more than 150 university campuses globally. With classes just getting started, freshman students, transfers and even empty-nesting parents can now familiarize themselves with college campuses around the world, including UCLA in the U.S., Pembroke College in the U.K., McGill University in Canada and Sophia University in Japan. These new panoramic views join our growing list of universities whose campuses are already available in Google Maps.
View Larger MapRoyce Hall at the University of California, Los Angeles
Finally, to celebrate all the places you can reach with Google Maps—all seven continents, the sky, the moon and even the depths of the ocean—we made a video that we hope will inspire you to keep exploring.
Keep exploring at maps.google.com/helloworld. Here’s to many new adventures.
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
First, we’re expanding Google Maps Navigation (Beta) with voice guided, turn-by-turn directions in thousands of towns across India. Navigation is one of the most frequently requested features in this region and can be especially helpful when driving in densely populated cities like Delhi or Bangalore. We’re also adding live traffic conditions for major roads with estimated travel times to help you save time and to reduce stress on the road.
Turn-by-turn voice navigation in New Delhi, India
Biking directions and Map Maker are also now rolling out to New Zealanders. Local cyclists can access biking directions directly on Google Maps, and use Map Maker to add bike lanes and trails if their favorite route is missing or they discover a new one. Beyond biking trails, Map Maker can also be used to make the New Zealand map more accurate with details such as new road names, building footprints and more.
Later today, we’ll also release new Street View imagery for more than 150 university campuses globally. With classes just getting started, freshman students, transfers and even empty-nesting parents can now familiarize themselves with college campuses around the world, including UCLA in the U.S., Pembroke College in the U.K., McGill University in Canada and Sophia University in Japan. These new panoramic views join our growing list of universities whose campuses are already available in Google Maps.
View Larger Map
Finally, to celebrate all the places you can reach with Google Maps—all seven continents, the sky, the moon and even the depths of the ocean—we made a video that we hope will inspire you to keep exploring.
Keep exploring at maps.google.com/helloworld. Here’s to many new adventures.
(Cross-posted on the Lat Long blog)
Monday, September 3, 2012
David Victori is the winner of Your Film Festival with “The Guilt”
Following a red carpet screening of the ten finalist films at the world’s oldest film festival in Venice, juror and award winning actor, Michael Fassbender took to the stage to announce that “The Guilt” by David Victori has been selected as the first grand prize winner of Your Film Festival on YouTube.
See the finalists arrive at Venice Film Festival and Michael Fassbender announce the winner
From over 15,000 entries, the YouTube community voted to choose 10 finalists who flew to Venice Film Festival. The Your Film Festival jury of luminaries, which included Sir Ridley Scott as well as Michael, chose the winning film. David has won $500,000 to create a new project on YouTube with the support of the jurors and Scott Free Productions. Subscribe to David’s channel and watch as he begins his new project with Ridley and Michael.
Watch the Your Film Festival winning film, David Victori’s “The Guilt”
Dom Elliott, marketing manager, recently watched “Live Stream from Space on September 13th!”
See the finalists arrive at Venice Film Festival and Michael Fassbender announce the winner
From over 15,000 entries, the YouTube community voted to choose 10 finalists who flew to Venice Film Festival. The Your Film Festival jury of luminaries, which included Sir Ridley Scott as well as Michael, chose the winning film. David has won $500,000 to create a new project on YouTube with the support of the jurors and Scott Free Productions. Subscribe to David’s channel and watch as he begins his new project with Ridley and Michael.
Watch the Your Film Festival winning film, David Victori’s “The Guilt”
Dom Elliott, marketing manager, recently watched “Live Stream from Space on September 13th!”
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