Google Cloud Platform News

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  Going behind the design of the new Chromecast
  the she word chromecast • • sorangutan  

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  The She Word is a Keyword series all about dynamic and creative women at Google, and we recently spoke to two women behind the design of the new Chromecast, which hit shelves this week. Diana Chang and Katie Morgenroth are industrial designers tasked with designing hardware that fits naturally into your home. Below, we share how they tackle that challenge, as well as what’s in store for our favorite macaron-sized Made by Google device.  

  Elisabeth: How do you explain your job at a dinner party?

  Diana: I make tech less intimidating, more approachable, and easier to use—building a bridge between the consumer and the technology they’re using.

  Katie: These days, I’m focused on creating the conditions to help our amazing design team feel inspired and supported to do their best work. Framing design sprints, working closely with engineers to unblock challenging constraints and collaborating with the team to ensure our products are harmonious and beautiful are all in a day's work.

  

  Diana (left) and Katie (right) in their office at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View.

  What are you most excited about with the new Chromecast? How is it different than what we’ve seen before?

  D: Chromecast was our first-ever Made by Google product, and the foundation of our Cast technology. It was created way before our other hardware products, so we’ve updated the new Chromecast to make it look and feel more a part of the Google hardware family. It’s a small device, and the biggest improvements are actually in the tiny details. And those details can say a lot about a brand and how much we care about the people who use our products.

  K: The new design of Chromecast is all about simplicity; it looks like a little macaron. And it’s coming out in two new colors—Chalk and Charcoal—to match other devices in the Made by Google family. With all of our hardware devices, we want to make sure that they feel like they’re a part of your home.

  D: And because of the low cost (it’s still $35!), Chromecast remains an easy entry point for people to experience the power of smart home entertainment.

  

  Here it is! The new Chromecast is now available in the U.S., Canada, U.K., the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and Singapore, with more regions to come. In the U.S., you can buy it for $35 at the Google Store, Best Buy, Target, Walmart and even more retailers.

  

  What sets Chromecast (and Made by Google products) apart from other devices?
  

  D: The design language: it’s the reason I wanted to join Google. We’re making tech that is approachable, human-centric and easily blends in with other things in your house.

  K: Echo Diana. Our aesthetic is taking a counter stance to what we traditionally think about when we imagine technology. We are carefully designing our products to look beautiful as a family or individually.

  How would you describe Made by Google design aesthetic in one word?

  K: Can I have two? Approachable and optimistic.

  D: I would love to hear our customers describe it as sincere and honest.

  What’s a challenge you face as an industrial designer?

  D: Design is a form of art—unlike math, there’s no way to quantify if design is good or bad, right or wrong. And sometimes, it’s hard to explain a design decision to logical thinkers.

  Do you do other types of art too?
  

  D: Yes, art is a stress release for me—you don’t have to worry about specs or cost or whether people will like it. I love ceramics because every piece is unique. Clay has its own personality–you can’t really control it like plastic, rather, respect, understand and work together.

  What’s one habit that makes you successful?

  D: Hmm, well it’s hard to evaluate what “successful” means, but I’ll tell you what makes me different: my background. Growing up, I moved a lot and lived in different countries. Industrial design is a highly diverse field, and each of us brings a bit of our culture and background to the table. I make it a point to go to one new country every year—it helps me get a different perspective and think outside the box.

  K: This is a more boring than Diana’s answer, but I am an avid notetaker. I’m always distracted by something and I need to take notes to keep my inspiration and ideas organized. My wrist is a common spot for quick thoughts and I couldn’t live without Google Keep. I also sleep with a notebook beside my bed, just in case an idea pops up in a dream.

  Do you have any advice for aspiring designers?

  K: Struggle through the uncomfortable time until it makes sense.

  Was there a time that you had to apply that lesson while designing Chromecast?

  K: Oh, definitely. We had to work through a lot of tricky requirements in order to keep the size compact and form simple. As often happens, our original intent evolved a bit, but we love the final result. As designers, we pride ourselves on our ability to keep an open mind and meet challenges with opportunities.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/inside-google/googlers/she-word/going-behind-design-new-chromecast/
• 

  Grab your library card to learn digital skills in Europe
  education google in europe grow with google • • sorangutan  

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  Editor’s Note: Today’s post comes from guest author, director of the Ilona Kish, Director of the Public Libraries 2020 Program in Europe.

  When you think of your local library, you may recall the memory of getting lost in a good book , or even using a computer for the first time. Today people think of computers and smartphones as ubiquitous–always charged and at their fingertips. But for too many, computers are—to excuse a librarian’s pun—a closed book. For those unable to access or use a computer or smartphone–a whole world is shut off, limiting their access to information and opportunities.

  Particularly in Europe, where 44 percent of Europeans lack basic digital skills, libraries are key to providing local tools and programs that teach those foundational skills. To help libraries provide welcoming spaces where people feel safe to learn, Public Libraries 2020 has partnered with Grow with Google in Europe, an initiative that has already helped over 4 million people Europeans grow their skills, and this year further pledged to help 1 million Europeans to find a job or grow their business by 2020.

  Now, the Public Libraries 2020/Grow with Google partnership will help Europeans, from students to pensioners learn about digital skills, online safety and computer science. The digital toolkit titled “Libraries Lead with Digital” features ideas for how to run sessions on digital skills, online safety and computer science, and it’s currently in a pilot phase with ten libraries across the UK and Ireland. By helping librarians share ideas and resources with one another, public libraries will be able to run effective sessions that encourage participation from people who would be otherwise hard to reach.

  
  

  

  From youngsters to pensioners: Stockton Central Library hosts sessions on digital skills, online safety and coding utilizing resources from the Libraries Lead with Digital toolkit.

  Library staff members in the pilot are helping residents respond to their local challenges. For example, they’re delivering extra trainings in rural areas like Norfolk; while in South Dublin there’s a drive to get more young people into STEM careers, making resources on coding particularly useful. The toolkit will help librarians share their knowledge with their colleagues, taking inspiration from the Google partnership already running with the American Library Association.

  We’ve already gotten some inspiring feedback from those ten libraries leading the way in the UK and Ireland. In Stockton, librarian Katherine McDonagh said, “We’re reaching people who wouldn’t usually attend our regular sessions and most importantly showing people that your public library is just as relevant as ever.”

  Author Neil Gaiman once described libraries as the “gates to the future.” With this new toolkit, Google and Public Libraries 2020 can help more people learn the digital skills and knowledge to feel confident as they step into that future, whatever it holds for them.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/grow-with-google/grab-your-library-card-learn-digital-skills-europe/
• 

  Made by Google
  • sorangutan  

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  https://www.blog.google/products/hardware/made-by-google-2018/
• 

  See your world differently with Playground and Google Lens on Pixel 3
  pixel google lens • • sorangutan  

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  Our phone’s camera has become an important part of our lives. We use it to capture moments that matter to us, like memories with our families, and the small things we don’t want to forget, like handwritten notes or parking tickets. And now, thanks to advancements in computer vision, our camera can understand our world and help in new ways.

  Today we introduced our most helpful camera yet on Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, so you can turn your world into a playground and do more with what you see.
  

  Introducing Playground, a new way to create and play

  From reenacting scenes in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” to hanging out with Eleven from “Stranger Things,” you’re already having fun with AR Stickers. Today, we’re taking a big step forward by introducing Playground, a new mode in the Pixel camera to create and play with the world around you. It helps you bring more of your imagination to a scene with cameos from your favorite superheroes, stickers that animate around you and fun captions that put words where the action is.

  Playground brings you more powerful AR experiences and uses AI to recommend content for expressing yourself in the moment. You can make your photos and videos come to life with Playmoji—characters that react to each other and to you—and tell a richer story by adding fun captions or animated stickers you’ll recognize from Gboard.

  

  You can snap photos on the back camera (left) or take selfies with Playmoji that respond to your facial expressions (right).

  Playground also works in selfie mode, so now you can up your selfie game by standing next to characters you love, like Iron Man from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. New packs for Weather, Pets, Sports and Signs let you have everyday fun, and coming later this year, you'll be able to sharpen your dance skills with moves from Childish Gambino.

  

  Marvel Studios’ Avengers

  And for those moments when you aren’t quite sure where to start, Playground makes real-time suggestions to recommend content based on the scene you’re in. Are you walking your dog? Cooking in the kitchen? Gardening in the backyard? Playground uses advanced computer vision and machine learning to recommend relevant Playmoji, stickers and captions to populate the scene.

  

  Scene suggestions

  Once you’ve got your perfect shot, sharing with Playground is easy—with just a few taps straight from the camera.
  

  Do more with what you see with Google Lens

  Last year with Pixel 2, we introduced Google Lens to help you do more with what you see, whether its finding an outfit you like, copying and searching text, or identifying that cute dog in the park. This year, we’ve integrated Lens even more into Pixel 3 for a faster, more helpful experience.

  

  Lens Suggestions

  Lens is already a great way to quickly call a number, visit a URL, scan a QR code, and add an email address to your contacts. On Pixel 3, we’re introducing Lens Suggestions to bring these common actions right into the main Pixel camera. Simply point your camera, and with a single tap, call or save a phone number on a takeout menu, send an email right from a flyer, or open an address in Google Maps. This is all done on-device and takes advantage of Pixel Visual Core, so it doesn’t require an internet connection.

  We’ve also made it even easier to get to the full Lens experience on Pixel 3—just long press in the camera. It’s a fast and convenient new way to access Lens.
  

  

  Lens from recent apps screen on Pixel 3

  Finally, we’re making Lens accessible from the recent apps screen on Pixel 3, so regardless of the app you’re in, Lens can help. Just drag up from the home button and long press on an image. It’s great for when you see an outfit you like while browsing the web or scrolling through an app.

  With Google Lens and Playground, Pixel 3’s camera lets you do more with what you see and have fun with the world around you. Google Lens is available on all Pixel devices, with Playground on Pixel 3 first and coming to Pixel 1 and 2 soon. Preorder Pixel 3 or learn more on the Google Store.
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/google-ar-vr/see-your-world-differently-playground-and-google-lens-pixel-3/
• 

  Smart Compose comes to Pixel 3 and four new languages
  pixel gmail • • sorangutan  

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  In May, we introduced Smart Compose in Gmail on the web, which uses machine learning to help you draft emails faster. It has already saved people from typing over 1 billion characters each week and now it can help you write emails even faster while you’re on the go. We’re bringing Smart Compose to the Gmail mobile app, starting with Pixel 3. Smart Compose will offer writing suggestions as you type and if you like what you see, just swipe right to use it.

  

  Smart Compose has already rolled out globally in English. In the coming months, we’ll bring the experience to four new languages: Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese. We’ll also bring it to more mobile devices beginning in 2019.

  • desktop_smart_compose_ES.gif
  • desktop_smart_compose_fr-FR.gif
  • desktop_smart_compose_IT.gif
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  We’re excited to bring Smart Compose to more places and more languages to help you do more with Gmail—faster. Want to make it even better? Keep the feedback coming using the “Help & feedback” link on the web or mobile app.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/gmail/smart-compose-comes-pixel-3-and-four-new-languages/
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  Live albums—a new way to share that’s always up to date
  • sorangutan  

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  Many of us share the same photos with the same people over and over, whether it’s photos of your children to their grandparents, or cute pics of your pup to your best friend. Every time, we have to find the photos, select the ones we want to share and send them to the right people. And that’s if we even remember to share them at all.

  That’s why we made live albums, a new and easy way to share more of your memories from Google Photos. You can turn any album into a live album. Just choose the people (and pets) you want to see, and Google Photos will automatically add photos of them to your album as you take them. Then, you can share your album with family and friends so they can be a part of special moments as they happen—no manual updates needed. Live albums are rolling out now in a number of countries on Android, iOS and the web.
  

  

  A better photo frame that's always up to date 

  Digital photo frames have been around for years, but they are hard to set up, the photos get old fast, and you can’t pull up a specific memory when you want it. Now, there’s a new and easier way to enjoy more of your memories at home with Google Photos on the new Google Home Hub.
  

  

  You don’t need a memory card or any gear to turn your display into a photo frame, and with live albums, you and your loved ones will always have the latest photos front and center. Plus you can say things like “Hey Google, show my pictures from Chicago” and they’ll pop up on the display. Google Home Hub also adjusts the screen brightness and color temperature based on its surroundings, so your photos fit more naturally into your space.

  And, you can turn your Pixel 3 into the same type of photo frame with the new Pixel Stand, bringing more of your memories into your home, office, or wherever you’re wirelessly charging your phone.
  

  Top Shot and depth editing

  With Google Photos, we're also making it faster and easier to capture the perfect photo and give you editing tools to make your portraits pop.

  Top Shot on Pixel 3 makes sure you always get the best shot—you know, the selfie where everyone actually has their eyes open. When you take a motion photo, Top Shot automatically captures alternate shots in HDR+, then recommends the best one—even if it’s not exactly when you hit the shutter. You can view the recommendation in your Google Photos app and scroll back and forth to see all the other frames. When you're ready, hit save.

  Google Photos can also help you create the perfect portrait without fancy camera equipment or lots of time spent editing. With our new depth editor, you can adjust the background blur and change the focus of your portrait photos in just a few taps. You can also make the subject of your photo pop by leaving them in color, while changing the background to black and white.
  

  

  These new editing features will be available on Pixel 3 and other phones that support portrait photos including Pixel 2 and Motorola phones such as the Moto G6.

  With these updates to Google Photos, you can spend less time editing and sharing memories, and more time enjoying them.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/photos/keep-your-favorite-photos-date-live-albums/
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  Making your connected home even smarter with Google Home and Nest
  google assistant google home nest • • sorangutan  

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  We’ve spent the last year working with partners to bring thousands of new devices on board to work with the Google Assistant. As of today, there are more than 200 million devices in people’s homes, made up of over 10,000 smart devices from over 1,000 brands—including Nest, LG, ADT, August, Simplisafe, Vivnt and VIZIO—that work with the Google Assistant. We’ve also expanded our offerings in categories like home security and entertainment, so that almost anyone with a TV can make their home smarter with the Google Assistant. In fact, you probably have the devices you need already.
  

  A thoughtful home should work with all types of devices, giving you the flexibility to set your home up in a way that works best for your family. Millions of TVs, set top boxes and security systems that are in homes today can be controlled with the Assistant. And with home view on Google Home Hub, we’re putting more control at your fingertips, so you can manage all of your connected devices from a single screen. Now you can control smart lights, pause the TV, monitor Nest camera feeds, adjust thermostats and more—all on one screen.* And with the redesigned Google Home app, you can control any of your connected devices while you’re on the go.  
  

  Here are some more ways that we’ve improved the smart home experience:

  • Lighting: Hundreds of smart lights work with the Google Assistant on Google Home, and now you can start your smart home with our newest bright idea: the Smart Light Starter Kit. The starter kit includes Google Home Mini and GE’s C-Life bulb. They come pre-linked, simplifying the setup process. The kit is yours for $55, and you can find it at the Google Store, Best Buy, Target, Lowes and Walmart.com. Additional C-Life and C-Sleep bulbs can also be easily added. It’s our way of making the smart home accessible for everyone—the kit is affordable, a breeze to set up, and the perfect addition to any home.
    

  

  • Entertainment: Chromecast, our very first Made by Google product, makes it possible to stream your favorite shows, music and movies from more than 2,000 apps. But you probably have more than one brand of devices in your living room, so now we’re making everything work together—you can control your VIZIO TV, DISH Hopper DVR and more, from your Google Home, Mini, Max and Hub. With DISH, you can play, pause and record content, search for shows or actors, change channels and control the volume without lifting a finger.
    
  • Energy: Nest thermostats have saved over 24 billion kilowatt hours of energy in millions of homes worldwide since we launched the Nest Learning Thermostat in 2011. Now we’re bringing you the Nest Learning Thermostat in three new finishes: mirror black, brass and polished steel. There are now seven color options to choose from in total, so you can find the one that matches your personal style best.
    

  

  • Home security: With security products from Nest, August, ADT, Simplisafe, Vivint Smart Home and more, you can have peace of mind whether you’re at home or on the road. You can even see your Nest Cam’s feed right in the new Google Home app, just in case you hear something go bump in the night.
    
  • Household chores: We’ve added even more appliances from GE, iRobot and other brands that can help you take care of everything from starting the washer to vacuuming your home. And with Google Home Hub, cleaning is as easy as, “Hey Google, clean the kitchen.” Your Roomba will take off and tidy up for you.
  • Fun: To bring more fun to the home, we partnered with Disney and OtterBox to create a custom base accessory for Google Home Mini in celebration of Mickey Mouse’s 90th anniversary. Plus, anyone with a Google Home Mini can have fun with a growing list of Disney experiences—just say, “Hey Google, play Mickey Mouse Adventure” to get started.
    

  Now, when I say “Hey Google, good night” my doors lock, selected lights turn off, my alarm system arms, my heat sets to 66 degrees, and the Google Home Hub quietly plays cricket sounds to lull us off to sleep. That’s the difference between a smart home and a thoughtful home. And that’s the kind of home we want you to have.
  

  _{*Compatible smart devices required}
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/home/smart-home-ecosystem/
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  Five reasons (and two colors) why we love the new Chromecast
  • sorangutan  

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  We launched our first Chromecast in 2013 with the aim to make it easy to get your favorite content right from your phone to your TV. With thousands of compatible apps to cast from, people are tapping the Cast button more than ever. And since Chromecast, the Made by Google family of products has continued to grow, bringing the best of hardware, software and AI together. So for this fifth year of Chromecast, we wanted to share five reasons we’re excited about our newest Chromecast:

  
  

  1. Fits right in.With a new design and two colors—Chalk and Charcoal—Chromecast blends in with your decor and the rest of the Made by Google family.

  2. Same size, but even more powerful.Thanks to a 15 percent improvement in hardware speed, our newest Chromecast supports smooth streaming in 1080p at 60 frames per second, giving you a more lifelike image. So when you’re watching the game, it will feel even more like you’re there.

  3. Stream hands-free. Chromecast and Google Home work seamlessly together. Just say what you want to watch from compatible services, like YouTube or Netflix, and control your TV just by asking. Try, “Hey Google, play Cobra Kai from YouTube,” or “Hey Google, play Lost in Space from Netflix.” (You’ll need a Netflix subscription to get started.)

  4. More than a screen—it’s a canvas.When you’re not streaming, you can personalize your TV with new Live Albums from Google Photos. Enjoy a constantly updating stream of photos of the people and pets you care about and skip blurry ones and duplicates—all without lifting a finger. Plus, new photos will show up automatically on your TV.

  5. Your tunes in every room.Whether you’re listening to your favorites on YouTube Music or Spotify, there’s nothing better than hearing on all your speakers—including your high-quality speakers connected to your TV. Later this year, you'll be able to add Chromecast to speaker groups, so you can listen to your music in sync throughout the house.

  And, of course, Chromecast is still just $35. So it’s an affordable way to upgrade your TV at home or the perfect gift this upcoming holiday season for the streamer in your life.

  The new Chromecast is available from the Google Store starting today in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, and the U.S., with even more countries to follow in 2019.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/chromecast/five-reasons-and-two-colors-why-we-love-new-chromecast/
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  More control at your fingertips with the new Google Home app
  • sorangutan  

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  If you’re like me and have more than a few connected devices at home, then you’re probably constantly fumbling in and out of lots of different apps, with way too many passwords, and you’re the only one in the house that can make your home work.It can feel overwhelming and more than a little complicated. We get it. And we’ve got you covered.

  We’ve redesigned the Google Home App so that you can control all of your compatible smart devices from one place, saving you from a few headaches along the way. Here’s what’s new:

  • All devices in one view: You can keep track of everything in one place without needing to flip between apps. The new app organizes your devices by room so that you can easily control your speakers, lights, cameras, TVs and more than 10,000 connected devices that work with your Google Assistant. That means there are more than 200 million devices in the U.S. that can be controlled with your voice, many of them already in your home. Just note that controlling devices like a thermostat or lights requires smart thermostats or smart lights.
    
  • Quick actions to get things done: The new Google Home app now automatically generates quick actions for important features across your home with immediate access to key experiences like turning on and off smart lights, viewing your cameras, and broadcasting messages to your other Google Home devices and more.* 
    
  • Check in from anywhere:You’re even in control while you’re away from home—simply open the Google Home app to check in your home and make sure things are the way you want them—like making sure your thermostat is set to the right temperature when you get home.* Now you can have convenience and peace of mind, no matter where you are. 
    
  • Access for everyone in your home:Now, everyone under the same roof can control smart devices in your home, they just need the Google Home app on their phone. That means one app to get it all done—add, remove and control devices. We also added a feature for those of us who are on call to answer tech questions for our less-savvy family members that lets you control multiple homes. That means you can manage your parents’ home or help that cousin who’s having trouble setting up their smart home. 
    
  • Access the Google Assistant right in the app: The Google Assistant is easily accessible, right from the app. Go ahead, tap the mic and say, “Hey Google, dim the lights.” 
    

  

  So, whether you’re trying to change the temperature in your home, quickly put on some music, check-in on your backyard camera or turn off the lights as you head to bed, it’s all just a few taps away in the Google Home app.*

  The updated Home app will be rolling out to iOS and Android users this week. And if you’re new to the Google Home family, you can download it on Google Play and in the App Store.

  _{*Compatible smart devices required}

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/home/new-home-app/
• 

  Accessories made for you
  google home pixel pixelbook • • sorangutan  

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  There's a lot of new hardware from Google coming your way, and so are new accessories to go along with them. We're launching a variety of beautiful and useful accessories make charging your phone, listening to your favorite song, and looking stylish with your device better than ever.

  From our signature fabric cases, to smart bulbs connected to your Google Assistant, we’ve created lots of compatible accessories designed to pair perfectly with your Google devices and help you put your personal stamp on your devices.

  Wireless charging, redefined: meet Pixel Stand

  Ever tried to use your phone while it’s plugged into a wall charging? Us too. It can be a mess. With Pixel Stand, we’re solving that problem by tilting the angle of the screen to give you the info you need while your Pixel 3 or Pixel 3XL phone is charging.

  

  Pixel Stand makes it easier to receive notifications, listen to music and access the web with help from the Google Assistant while your Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are charging. Features include:

  • An enhanced music experience on your Pixel 3. See your favorite artists' album covers on display while listening to their music. 
    
  • While docked, turn your phone into a digital photo frame with Google Photos and relive your favorite moments with family and friends.
    
  • Quick access to your Google Assistantso you can get a rundown of your day, the traffic for your commute and listen to your favorite podcast just by saying “Hey Google, good morning.”
    
  • Smart home integrations to help you manage your home. If you have a Nest Hello video doorbell, you can get a live feed on your Pixel screen when docked.
    
  • A gentle wake-up with Pixel Stand’s Sunrise Alarm, which mimics a sunrise on your screen over the course of 15 minutes, brightening your room so you can get on with your day.

  

  Rich digital audio, and the Google Assistant in your ear

  Last year, we introduced Pixel Buds—wireless headphones that give you instant access to the best features available from the Google Assistant. This year, we’ve included a pair of wired Pixel USB-C Earbuds in the box with Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL—the first wired USB-C headphones to include access to the Google Assistant. These not only provide rich audio quality, but also allow the Google Assistant read notifications, give in-ear directions, and provide real-time translation through Google Translate, optimized for Pixel users. You’ll also get a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter, so you can use any other 3.5mm compatible headphones with your Pixel 3.

  Protect your Pixel, just in case

  We’ve updated our line of fabric cases with stylish new colors, or you can customize your own My Case with a personal photo, curated design, or stylized map. Perfectly made for your phone, our cases work with Qi wireless charging and Active Edge™.

  • 0301-0117--Blackbird_Comp_v05_SIMP.jpg
  • Pixel 3 Fabric Cases.jpg
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  • Pixel 3 Not Pink, Pink Moon Case & My Case.jpg

  Something for everyone

  Our Made for Google line of accessories includes more than 400 compatible add-ons for your Pixel, Pixelbook, Pixel Slate and Google Home Mini, from more than 40 popular brands, including:

  • Cases by brands like Bellroy, Incipio, Speck, Nomad, Otterbox and Sonix so your Pixel and Pixel Slate are covered for any occasion.
    
  • A wide variety of audio products, from Libratone's USB-C earbuds to Skullcandy’s on-ear cans. All of these sound great and look even better.

  To see more of our Made by Google and Made for Google accessories, head over to the Google Store.
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/pixel/accessories-made-for-you/
• 

  New ways to experience Made by Google products
  google home pixel hardware • • sorangutan  

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  Today, we told you about what’s coming in our latest family of #MadebyGoogle products. But what's a line-up of shiny new products without a plethora of ways for the world to experience, try and buy them? As we continue to build products for everyone, we’re exploring helpful new ways to get our products to everyone.
  

  The Google Hardware Store pop-ups

  Starting on October 18, New Yorkers and Chicagoans can try out and buy our new products at a pop-up shop in each city—the only place you can shop Google products in a fully Google-made experiential space. Our pop ups will be open October 18 through December 31, so if you’re in Chicago (Bucktown at 1704 N. Damen) or NYC (SoHo at 131 Green Street), come visit us.
  

  The Google Store and Enjoy

  You can now pre-order and shop all of our products via the online Google Store, including the Pixel 3 / 3XL (that works with all major carriers). And as of October 18, folks in the Bay Area can buy the new Pixel 3 / 3XL and get it delivered as soon as three hours and expertly set up via the Enjoy service. You can also get the Pixel 2XL, Pixelbook and Google Home Max via Enjoy delivery now. We’re bringing the Google Store to you!

  

  Google Store + Enjoy bring the expertise of the Google Store to you.

  b8ta

  Made by Google products are part of an interactive shopping experience in five b8ta stores across the country, including Austin, Corte Madera, Houston, San Francisco, Tysons Corner, and will be available in two new b8ta stores in Short Hills, NJ and Scottsdale, AZ opening later this year. As a part of the unique in-store experience, customers can test out and shop Google’s Home products in interactive home-like vignettes. Visit a store and demo products with one of b8ta’s experts.
  

  Made by Google products are now part of a new interactive shopping experience in b8ta.

  goop

  goop is joining forces with Made by Google products to offer the Google Home smart speaker family across the U.S. in permanent goop Lab stores and goop GIFT pop-ups this holiday season. Abroad, customers can shop at the goop London pop-up which opened this past September. Keep an eye out for more information from goop + Made by Google later this month.

  And as for the future...

  

  It’s a bird, it’s a plane. It’s Google Home Mini being delivered by drone! You read that right—along with Wing (an Alphabet company), we’re pushing the boundaries of conventional delivery. As a part of a small, localized test, Google Home Minis were recently dropped off at customers’ homes only 10 minutes after ordering. Although not a reality today, imagine the possibilities in years to come… 

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/hardware/new-ways-experience-made-google-products/
• 

  Google Pixel 3: Make every day more extraordinary
  • sorangutan  

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  Today we’re introducing Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL, the new smartphones from Google. Pixel brings you the best of Google in a phone, powered by AI to deliver more helpful, thoughtful and enjoyable experiences. That means a phone that answers for you when a telemarketer calls, a camera that uses AI to make sure you never miss the shot, and a more helpful visual and audio experience while charging, powered by the Google Assistant.

  Brilliant photos every time and super-charged selfies

  We’re taking more photos on our phones than ever before, but we still often miss the perfect moment. Pixel 3 helps you get that perfect shot on the first try.

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  Here’s how the best camera gets even better with Pixel 3:
  
  

  • Capture smiles, not blinks:A feature we call Top Shot uses AI to help you capture the perfect photo every time. When you take a motion photo, it captures alternate shots in HDR+, then recommends the best one—even if it’s not exactly when you hit the shutter—looking for those where everyone is smiling, with eyes open, and facing the camera.

  • Get better zoom:When you zoom in on a phone camera, the image looks grainy. Super Res Zoom is a computational photography technique, traditionally used for astronomy and scientific imaging, that produces sharp details when you zoom.

  • No light; no problem:Pixel 3 lets you take natural-looking photos in dark surroundings, all without a flash. With Night Sight, coming soon to Pixel 3, you can take bright, detailed, colorful shots around the campfire, in a moonlit forest, or after you close out the bar.

  • No selfie stick required:Get everyone in the picture with Group Selfie, which gives you 184 percent more room in your photo for friends and scenery.

  • Look … no hands! Photobooth mode uses AI to recognize that when you’re smiling or making a funny expression, you’re ready for a selfie. It snaps the photo on its own so you don’t need to reach for the shutter button—a good option for candids.  

  • Even more stunning portraits, front and back:When you take photos in Portrait Mode, you can change the blurriness of the background, or change the part of the picture in focus, after the fact. Google Photos can also make the subject of your photo pop by leaving them in color, while changing the background to black and white.

  • Create and play:In Playground, you can make photos, selfies and videos come to life by adding your favorite superheroes, animated stickers and fun captions. In celebration of Marvel Studios’ 10 Year Anniversary, you’ll enjoy seeing the characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (exclusively on Pixel) react to each other and to you. New packs for Weather, Pets, Sports and Signs let you have everyday fun, and coming later this year, you'll be able to sharpen your dance skills with moves from Childish Gambino.

  • Super smooth video:When you want to capture something that won’t stop moving—think an adorable toddler or your new puppy—Motion Auto Focus will make sure your Pixel 3 camera stays in sharp focus automatically, as you record. And if you happen to be taking a selfie video while walking or moving around, Pixel 3 brings you front-facing video stabilization.  

  

  Unlimited storage for all of your photos and videos

  With Pixel 3, you can save all your favorite moments with free, unlimited photo and video storage in original resolution*. It’s hassle-free, you don’t have to think about back-ups. Come back to Google Photos later and search for the beach photos you took on your Pixel 3, and they’ll pop right up.

  Your AI-powered sidekick

  AI in Pixel 3 enables new features that make your day-to-day actions simpler and easier.

  If you want to know more about something you’re looking at, use Google Lens, built right into the Pixel 3 camera. To scan and translate text, find similar styles of clothing, or identify popular plants and animals, you can now long press in the Pixel 3 camera to easily open Lens. When you point your camera at information you want to remember or don’t feel like typing in—like a URL or QR code on a flyer or an email address on a business card—Google Lens suggests what to do next, like creating a new contact.

  You can count on even more help across other apps too, including Gmail’s Smart Compose, now available for mobile on Pixel 3. Smart Compose suggests phrases in your emails so that you can draft them faster, on the go. Gboard, the keyboard built into your Pixel 3, will recommend GIFs, stickers and more, to make your conversations fun and engaging. Both are available first in English. 

  The Google Assistant is also baked into Pixel 3 to help you find answers and control your phone and compatible smart home devices—all with a simple squeeze or by using your voice. This year we have two new Assistant features coming to Pixel.

  First, starting out in English in the U.S., Pixel 3’s on-device AI helps you screen phone calls and avoid spam calls. Imagine you’re at dinner with family or in a meeting at work and a call from an unknown caller comes in. Just tap on “Screen call” to find out who's calling and why, as well as other information (as prompted by you). You'll immediately see a transcript of the caller's responses so that you can then decide whether to pick up, respond by tapping a quick reply (e.g., “I’ll call you back later”), or mark the call as spam and dismiss. Processing the call details on-device means these experiences are fast, private to you, and use up less battery.

  

  Second, Pixel users in the U.S. will be the first to get access to an experimental new Google Assistant feature, powered by Duplex technology, which helps you complete real-world tasks over the phone, like calling a restaurant to book a table. This feature will initially be available later this year in New York, Atlanta, Phoenix and the San Francisco Bay Area to help people book restaurant reservations and will roll out to other U.S. cities in the future.

  As we develop new calling technologies, we believe it’s critical that we help people understand the context of the conversation. We’ll disclose to businesses receiving the call that they're speaking to an automated system, and we have developed controls to protect against spam and abuse, as well as the ability for a business to opt out of receiving calls. For Call Screen, we will also let the caller know that a screening service is being used.

  Digital Wellbeing

  Our phones, while probably the most important tech in our lives, shouldn’t control our lives. So Digital Wellbeing, a suite of tools to help you find your own balance with technology, is built into Pixel 3. It includes a dashboard to help you understand how you spend time on your phone, the ability to set time limits on specific apps, and a new Wind Down mode to help you get to sleep at night by gently transitioning your display to a grayscale screen. When you don’t want to be bothered by rings or notifications, just flip to Shhh—an easy gesture that turns on Do Not Disturb and minimizes distractions.

  Fast and wireless charging

  Pixel 3 comes with an 18 Watt fast charger in the box, which can give you seven hours of use in 15 minutes of charging. With our AI-powered Adaptive Battery technique, Pixel 3 prioritizes battery power for your most important apps to make your phone last all day.

  Alongside Pixel 3, we’re also introducing Pixel Stand, our new, Qi compliant wireless charger (sold separately). While charging in the Pixel Stand, your phone turns into a smart visual and audio experience powered by the Google Assistant, similar to Google Home Hub. It answers your questions, plays music, helps you control smart home devices, transitions into a photo frame when idle, and much more. If you set an alarm, your screen will gently brighten over 15 minutes before your alarm goes off, mimicking the sunrise and helping you wake up naturally. Pixel 3 also comes with dual front-firing speakers tuned by a GRAMMY®-winning music producer to turn your phone into a powerful speaker. Customers who activate a Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL by December 31, 2018 can get six months of free YouTube Music Premium.

  Pixel 3 is IP68 water- and dust-resistant and has a security chip custom-designed by Google called Titan M, making it the most secure phone we've built yet. Titan M enhances mobile security by protecting your unlock credentials, disk encryption, app data, and the integrity of the operating system code itself. Powered by Android 9 Pie, Pixel 3 comes with the latest Android operating system.
  

  

  Pixel 3 is available for pre-order now from Verizon, Project Fi, and the Google Store unlocked.

  ^{*Free, unlimited online original-quality storage for photos/videos uploaded from Pixel 3 to Google Photos through 1/31/2022, and those photos/videos will remain free at original quality. g.co/help/photostorage}
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/pixel/google-pixel-3/
• 

  Get help at a glance with Google Home Hub
  google assistant google home youtube • • sorangutan  

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  Google Home Hub is the newest member of the Google Home family, bringing you help at a glance. With the Google Assistant built-in, you can use your voice to get the best of Google—Search, YouTube, Google Photos, Calendar, Maps and more—right on Google Home Hub’s display. 

  Thoughtfully designed for any room

  The first thing you’ll notice about Google Home Hub is its beautiful design. We made this display to fit right into your home, and we hope you’ll consider it not just functional, but part of your decor. The 7” screen is like a floating display, the right size to fit on any surface and big enough to enjoy your photos from across the room. With its soft rounded corners, Google Home Hub fits naturally on any surface. My favorite places are my kitchen counter and nightstand. With four colors to choose from—Chalk, Charcoal, Aqua and Sand—it’s right for just about any room.

  We consciously decided to not include a camera on Google Home Hub, so you feel comfortable placing it in the private spaces of your home, like the bedroom. On the top of the device you’ll find the Ambient EQ light sensor. It allows the screen to automatically adjust to match the lighting in the room, so photos on Google Home Hub will blend in with the room, too. That means no glowing screen—it fits seamlessly into your home. When it's time for bed, Hub knows to dim the screen for a good night’s sleep.

  

  Jumpstart your morning routine

  I think I speak for most parents when I say mornings at home are hectic. From the time we wake up until we’re racing out the door, every minute counts. With Routines, Hub can provide you and your family with useful info about the day ahead. Just say “Hey Google, good morning” for a personalized, visual overview of your family’s activities from Google Calendar, your commute from Google Maps, your latest reminders, the weather forecast, and more. And with Voice Match, up to six people in the home can get their own personalized Routine. And I can also get easy how-to help from YouTube videos: “Hey Google, how do you make cold-brew coffee?”
  

  Simplify your connected home
  

  You can control 10,000+ types of smart home devices from 1,000+ popular brands. That means there are more than 200 million devices in the U.S. that are compatible with Google Home Hub, many of them already in your home. With Google Home Hub, everyone in the family can see and control your devices from a single dashboard—no more switching between apps. Just swipe down to reveal your home view: Dim your Phillps Hue lights, adjust the temperature on your Nest thermostat, turn up the volume on the TV with Vizio, lock the front door with August, monitor smart cameras, and see the front door with the Nest Hello video doorbell. 
  

  Relive the moment with Google Photos
  

  Google Home Hub is also a photo frame, but not your average one: it's easy to set up, automatically refreshes the photos that are displayed and features your best shots. With live albums, a new feature from Google Photos, I can relive recent memories with family and friends even while Google Home Hub is not in use. Google Photos will automatically add new photos of my son and our dog to my album, avoiding duplicates and blurry shots. I can also share our live album with my mom, so when she sets up her Google Home Hub, she’ll see photos of her grandson. Plus, you can say goodbye to endless scrolling on your phone to find photos you’re looking for. Google Home Hub makes it easy: “Hey Google, show my pictures from the Grand Canyon,” and just like that, I'm taken back to my vacation.  
  

  Get hands-free help in the kitchen

  My family spends a lot of time in our kitchen, and Google Home Hub helps us prepare recipes like a top chef. I can use my voice to browse millions of recipes and start cooking, all hands-free. We teamed up with Tasty to bring their fun, family-friendly recipe videos to Google Home Hub. Check out the pineapple upside-down pancakes recipe, it’s delicious!

  Meet Google Home Hub

  Google Home Hub helps you turn the music up, then wind down

  At my house, Fridays are family night, and sometimes that means a dance-off. YouTube Music gets lots of use on those nights. When you buy Hub, you’ll get six months of YouTube Premium on us, so you can enjoy not just YouTube Music, but all of YouTube ad-free. You can also enjoy music from Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio and other popular music services (you may need a subscription). Google Home Hub’s full-range speaker means crisp, clear sound every time.

  When you’re ready for bed, just say, “Hey Google, good night” to set an alarm, turn off compatible lights and TVs, lock the front door (as long as you have a supported lock) and fall asleep to soothing music. For busy working parents like me, every day is hectic—so these features are truly game-changing when I have my hands full or I’m strapped for time.  

  I know you’ll love getting help and enjoying family time with Google Home Hub, just like my family does. You can buy Hub for $149, and starting today, you can pre-order from the Google Store. You’ll find Google Home Hub on shelves on October 22 at Best Buy, Target, Walmart, and other retailers.

  Once you set up Google Home Hub, just say, “Hey Google, what can you do” to get started.

  
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/home/google-home-hub/
• 

  Google hardware. Designed to work better together.
  google assistant google home pixel pixel slate hardware • • sorangutan  

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  This year marks Google’s 20th anniversary—for two decades we’ve been working toward our mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful for everybody. Delivering information has always been in our DNA. It’s why we exist. From searching the world, to translating it, to getting a great photo of it, when we see an opportunity to help people, we’ll go the extra mile. We love working on really hard problems that make life easier for people, in big and small ways.

  There’s a clear line from the technology we were working on 20 years ago to the technology we’re developing today—and the big breakthroughs come at the intersection of AI, software and hardware, working together. This approach is what makes the Google hardware experience so unique, and it unlocks all kinds of helpful benefits. When we think about artificial intelligence in the context of consumer hardware, it isn’t artificial at all—it’s helping you get real things done, every day. A shorter route to work. A gorgeous vacation photo. A faster email response. 

  So today, we’re introducing our third-generation family of consumer hardware products, all made by Google:

  • For life on the go, we’re introducing the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL—designed from the inside out to be the smartest, most helpful device in your life. It’s a phone that can answer itself, a camera that won’t miss a shot, and a helpful Assistant even while it’s charging.

  • For life at work and at play, we’re bringing the power and productivity of a desktop to a gorgeous tablet called Pixel Slate. This Chrome OS device is both a powerful workstation at the office, and a home theater you can hold in your hands.

  • And for life at home we designed Google Home Hub, which lets you hear and see the info you need, and manage your connected home from a single screen. With its radically helpful smart display, Google Home Hub lays the foundation for a truly thoughtful home.

  The new Google devices fit perfectly with the rest of our family of products, including Nest, which joined the Google hardware family at the beginning of this year. Together with Nest, we’re pursuing our shared vision of a thoughtful home that isn’t just smart, it’s also helpful and simple enough for everyone to set up and use. It's technology designed for the way you live.
  

  

  Our goal with these new products, as always, is to create something that serves a purpose in people’s lives—products that are so useful they make people wonder how they ever lived without them. The simple yet beautiful design of these new devices continues to bring the smarts of the technology to the forefront, while providing people with a bold piece of hardware.

  Our guiding principle

  Google's guiding principle is the same as it’s been for 20 years—to respect our users and put them first. We feel a deep responsibility to provide you with a helpful, personal Google experience, and that guides the work we do in three very specific ways:

  • First, we want to provide you with an experience that is unique to you. Just like Google is organizing the world’s information, the combination of AI, software and hardware can organize your information—and help out with the things you want to get done. The Google Assistant is the best expression of this, and it’s always available when, where, and however you need it.

  • Second, we’re committed to the security of our users. We need to offer simple, powerful ways to safeguard your devices. We’ve integrated Titan™ Security, the system we built for Google, into our new mobile devices. Titan™ Security protects your most sensitive on-device data by securing your lock screen and strengthening disk encryption.

  • Third, we want to make sure you’re in control of your digital wellbeing. From our research, 72 percent of our users are concerned about the amount of time people spend using tech. We take this very seriously and have developed new tools that make people’s lives easier and cut back on distractions.

  With these Made by Google devices, our goal is to provide radically helpful solutions. While it’s early in the journey, we’re taking an end-to-end approach to consumer technology that merges our most innovative AI with intuitive software and powerful hardware. Ultimately, we want to help you do more with your days while doing less with your tech—so you can focus on what matters most.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/hardware/made-by-google-family-2018/
• 

  The culture that connects Europe
  google in europe arts and culture • • sorangutan  

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  Oktoberfest, stilettos or tea leaves—do Europeans have a common way to party, dress, or even look into the future? What hobbies, celebrations or beliefs do they share?
  

  
  

  Google Arts & Culture has always been focused on making culture from all over the world accessible to people everywhere. Over the last seven years we’ve partnered with hundreds of European cultural institutions to bring their heritage online. Now we’ve brought together collections from across the continent—from masterpieces to iconic monuments to traditional costumes—all to celebrate the European Year of Cultural Heritage. This year-long initiative from the European Commission highlights European heritage and celebrates cultures across the continent.

  
  

  Together we created “The culture that connects us,” a unique digital experience that lets everyone dive into centuries of European arts and culture, highlighting the stories, masterpieces and places that connect us beyond our national differences.

  
  

  Tibor Navracsics, EU Commissioner for Education, Youth and Sport, says of the exhibit: “The European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018 is a celebration that has already captured the imagination of more than 3.6 million people in 36 countries. I am delighted to see the support, interest and enthusiasm that the Year is generating. Its purpose is to encourage more people to come together to discover and experience Europe's rich cultural heritage. I hope that the launch of this video and project page today will inspire even more people—especially young people—to preserve our cultural heritage and use it as a basis to express their own creativity. After all, the future of our shared heritage is in the hands of the younger generations, as they are the guardians of this exceptional and irreplaceable wealth.”    

  
  

  Online exhibits from more than 800 cultural institutions, 2,700+ pieces of ultra-high resolution artwork, and 1,000 iconic locations captured in Street View offer a window into the diversity and richness of European culture. These exhibits reveal unexpected stories about street art festivals, fortune-telling and food in art history. Discover more Greek gods, the world's most famous kiss from Austria, and the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles.

  
  The exhibit is not only a visual experience. We challenged seven European YouTube creators to hunt for sounds that expressed their culture and their heritage. While Polish Krzysztof Gonciarz went for the typical “beep” of public transport, Jonna Jinton from Sweden performed a mesmerizing traditional herding call. The pop of a wine bottle and the crackle of bread came from French Revues du Monde, while Cane Secco collected the sound of buzzing Italian Piazza di Trevi. We combined this collection of sounds to form a single music track that encapsulates the sound of Europe.

  We’re proud to have worked with the European Commission and our partners to highlight European heritage and celebrate the many cultures that thrive in Europe today.  Find your connections during the European Year of Cultural Heritage at g.co/europeforculture.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/around-the-globe/google-europe/culture-connects-europe/
• 

  A breath of fresh air: Measuring air quality in Copenhagen
  google in europe sustainability • • sorangutan  

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  Healthy cities are important to everyone. And from a mother of an asthmatic child looking for the best way to get to the playground, to bike commuters and outdoor athletes finding the healthiest route for their trip, to city planners working to reduce unhealthy emissions, air quality information is crucial to making decisions in our daily lives. More detailed air quality insights are the goal of Project Air View, which kicked off today in Copenhagen, Denmark, in a partnership between the City of Copenhagen and Google.

  Denmark’s National Center for Environment and Energy has estimated that around 550 Copenhageners die prematurely every year from pollution, and an even larger number suffer from related diseases; the yearly societal cost is estimated around 600 million euros.

  Project Air View can help Copenhagen tackle this problem. It uses Google Street View vehicles equipped with scientific instruments that measure air quality at the street level. This creates a dataset which can map hyperlocal, block-by-block emissions and particle pollution. These measurements will be shared with scientists, the City Council, and ultimately, the public via interactive maps, all in an effort to tackle this well-known—and harmful—problem in big cities.

  Today, Copenhagen has three stationary measuring points for air quality. We hope to complement the measurements from these fixed locations with our mobile Street View cars, enabling the City to measure air pollution in the City in significantly more detail. The air quality sensors measure nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, and ultrafine particulate matter.

  We’ve enlisted the help of scientists from the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands to equip the car with the air quality equipment. They will also play an integral part in data validation and analysis. Aarhus University in Denmark will also contribute.

  

  Equipping Street View cars with sensors to measure air quality

  This is the next phase of our efforts to map air quality, after first mapping the City of Oakland and other California cities since 2015. We’ve also mapped high-resolution air quality data in London, and recently announced that we’re expanding to more places around the globe.

  Project Air View is an example of how we can extend Google’s mission to air quality information, helping to reduce pollution and meaningfully impact people’s quality of life. And it’s one of several efforts aimed at applying technology to the world’s most pressing problems. We’re thrilled that Copenhagen is one of the first cities in Europe with a Street View car on the road measuring air quality. It speaks to Copenhagen’s forward-thinking approach to climate and environment, and we’re happy to contribute to that effort.
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/around-the-globe/google-europe/breath-fresh-air-measuring-air-quality-copenhagen/
• 

  Google for Hong Kong: Fostering a smarter digital city
  • sorangutan  

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  Hong Kong has long been an international hub for finance and business. But now new kinds of entrepreneurs who don’t wear power suits or cut deals in boardrooms have emerged in the city. Thirteen-year-old CEO Hillary Yip struggled with learning Mandarin, so she designed a language learning app for children that’s used in more than 20 countries today. Mama Cheung, a home-maker found a second career as a YouTube creator by sharing her family recipes, attracting millions of views. Edward Li started Twitchy Finger four years ago because of his passion for mobile games. Today, games that he made are played by millions of people across the world.
  

  
  

  Hillary, Edward and Mama Cheung are part of a wave of Hong Kong entrepreneurs embracing technological opportunities. In the second annual edition of our Smarter Digital City Whitepaper, 90 percent of business leaders surveyed said they plan to increase investments in digital technology in the next two years. To benefit from digital technology, businesses also need digital talent. However, 70 percent of those leaders said they face difficulties finding the right talent.

  
  

  At our Google for Hong Kong event today, we announced initiatives for Hong Kong businesses, young people and job-seekers to develop digital talent and connect it with businesses looking to hire them.

  
  First, with new Cantonese language courses in Digital Garage, we’re on track to train 10,000 Hong Kongers with digital skills by the end of 2018. For younger tech talent, we’re expanding the reach of CS First in Hong Kong, a free online curriculum of lesson plans, projects and learning tools for kids just getting into computer science. More than 1,000 students in Hong Kong have already benefited from CS First classes, and we’re continuing to train teachers and volunteers, so that they teach students in communities that lack access to coding education. As we make more CS First learning modules available in Cantonese, we hope that more young Hong Kongers get to experience the fun of coding.

  Some young coders graduating from a CS First class.

  To help connect Hong Kongers to jobs in the digital economy, we’re launching a new search experience making it easier for job seekers in Hong Kong to find employment opportunities from popular job listing websites, online classifieds and companies. The new feature is built directly into Google Search to provide a comprehensive listing of jobs across the web, so Hong Kongers can now explore and research thousands of job listings, save promising opportunities and get alerts whenever a new job matching their search comes online.
  

  

  The key to Hong Kong’s success has always been its driven and talented people. We’re excited to partner Hong Kongers in building a smarter digital city.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/around-the-globe/google-asia/googleforhk/
• 

  Berlin and Babylon meet on an Island of Museums
  google in europe arts and culture germany • • sorangutan  

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  Nearly 120 years ago, the excavation of Babylon led to the discovery of the 2,600-year-old Ishtar Gate. Today, visitors to Berlin can marvel at a reconstruction of the gate using its original blue bricks, on display in the Pergamon Museum.

  Google Arts & Culture and the Staatliche Museen Berlin, in collaboration with CyArk and World Monuments Fund, have used modern technology to build a virtual bridge between Babylon and Berlin, virtually integrating Ishtar Gate into its original location in Iraq. Now anyone, anywhere can explore the story of its discovery and reconstruction in VR with Google Cardboard.

  The Pergamon Museum is one of several institutions that makes up the unique ensemble of the Berlin Museum Island, and we’ve also worked with four other museums to add their collections to Google Arts & Culture. Their combined online exhibits contain more than 4,000 objects covering more than 6,000 years of art and cultural history—including such masterpieces as the Monk by the Sea by Caspar David Friedrich, the Golden hat and the bust of Nefertiti.

  • 03_Bode-Museum_Nacht_Maximilian_Meisse (1).jpg

    The Bode Museum, one of several museums that makes up Berlin’s “Museum Island”

  • Screen Shot 2018-10-01 at 17.07.52.png

    "Monk by the Sea" by Caspar David Friedrich, from the Alte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

  • Screen Shot 2018-10-01 at 17.07.45.png

    The Golden hat (1000-800 BCE), on display in the Neues Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

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    The bust of Nefertiti, Neues Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin

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    The reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate, at the Pergamon Museum

  You can also explore Museum Island’s treasures through the lens of themes like wanderlust, vanity and body image, YOLO, modern romance, female empowerment, and rebellion.

  Start your tour of Museum Island with Arts & Culture on the web, or with our free Arts & Culture app on your Android phone or iOS.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/arts-culture/berlin-and-babylon-meet-island-museums/
• 

  Project Strobe: Protecting your data, improving our third-party APIs, and sunsetting consumer Google+
  • sorangutan  

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  Many third-party apps, services and websites build on top of our various services to improve everyone’s phones, working life, and online experience. We strongly support this active ecosystem. But increasingly, its success depends on users knowing that their data is secure, and on developers having clear rules of the road.

  Over the years we’ve continually strengthened our controls and policies in response to regular internal reviews, user feedback and evolving expectations about data privacy and security.

  At the beginning of this year, we started an effort called Project Strobe—a root-and-branch review of third-party developer access to Google account and Android device data and of our philosophy around apps’ data access. This project looked at the operation of our privacy controls, platforms where users were not engaging with our APIs because of concerns around data privacy, areas where developers may have been granted overly broad access, and other areas in which our policies should be tightened.  

  We’re announcing the first four findings and actions from this review today.

  Finding 1: There are significant challenges in creating and maintaining a successful Google+ product that meets consumers’ expectations.
  

  Action 1: We are shutting down Google+ for consumers.
  

  Over the years we’ve received feedback that people want to better understand how to control the data they choose to share with apps on Google+. So as part of Project Strobe, one of our first priorities was to closely review all the APIs associated with Google+.  

  This review crystallized what we’ve known for a while: that while our engineering teams have put a lot of effort and dedication into building Google+ over the years, it has not achieved broad consumer or developer adoption, and has seen limited user interaction with apps. The consumer version of Google+ currently has low usage and engagement: 90 percent of Google+ user sessions are less than five seconds.

  Our review showed that our Google+ APIs, and the associated controls for consumers, are challenging to develop and maintain. Underlining this, as part of our Project Strobe audit, we discovered a bug in one of the Google+ People APIs:
  
  

  • Users can grant access to their Profile data, and the public Profile information of their friends, to Google+ apps, via the API.

  • The bug meant that apps also had access to Profile fields that were shared with the user, but not marked as public.  

  • This data is limited to static, optional Google+ Profile fields including name, email address, occupation, gender and age. (See the full list on our developer site.) It does not include any other data you may have posted or connected to Google+ or any other service, like Google+ posts, messages, Google account data, phone numbers or G Suite content.

  • We discovered and immediately patched this bug in March 2018. We believe it occurred after launch as a result of the API’s interaction with a subsequent Google+ code change.

  • We made Google+ with privacy in mind and therefore keep this API’s log data for only two weeks. That means we cannot confirm which users were impacted by this bug. However, we ran a detailed analysis over the two weeks prior to patching the bug, and from that analysis, the Profiles of up to 500,000 Google+ accounts were potentially affected. Our analysis showed that up to 438 applications may have used this API.

  • We found no evidence that any developer was aware of this bug, or abusing the API, and we found no evidence that any Profile data was misused.

  Every year, we send millions of notifications to users about privacy and security bugs and issues. Whenever user data may have been affected, we go beyond our legal requirements and apply several criteria focused on our users in determining whether to provide notice.

  Our Privacy & Data Protection Office reviewed this issue, looking at the type of data involved, whether we could accurately identify the users to inform, whether there was any evidence of misuse, and whether there were any actions a developer or user could take in response. None of these thresholds were met in this instance.

  The review did highlight the significant challenges in creating and maintaining a successful Google+ that meets consumers’ expectations. Given these challenges and the very low usage of the consumer version of Google+, we decided to sunset the consumer version of Google+.

  To give people a full opportunity to transition, we will implement this wind-down over a 10-month period, slated for completion by the end of next August. Over the coming months, we will provide consumers with additional information, including ways they can download and migrate their data.

  At the same time, we have many enterprise customers who are finding great value in using Google+ within their companies. Our review showed that Google+ is better suited as an enterprise product where co-workers can engage in internal discussions on a secure corporate social network. Enterprise customers can set common access rules, and use central controls, for their entire organization. We’ve decided to focus on our enterprise efforts and will be launching new features purpose-built for businesses. We will share more information in the coming days.  

  Finding 2: People want fine-grained controls over the data they share with apps.
  

  Action 2: We are launching more granular Google Account permissions that will show in individual dialog boxes.

  When an app prompts you for access to your Google account data, we always require that you see what data it has asked for, and you must grant it explicit permission.

  Going forward, consumers will get more fine-grained control over what account data they choose to share with each app. Instead of seeing all requested permissions in a single screen, apps will have to show you each requested permission, one at a time, within its own dialog box.  For example, if a developer requests access to both calendar entries and Drive documents, you will be able to choose to share one but not the other. Developers can read more on the Google Developer Blog.

  This is what the process looks like today when an app requests access to any data in your consumer Google account (you've always been able to choose whether to grant that permission request):

  

  This is what it will look like:

  

  Finding 3: When users grant apps access to their Gmail, they do so with certain use cases in mind.   
  

  Action 3: We are limiting the types of use cases that are permitted.

  We are updating our User Data Policy for the consumer Gmail API to limit the apps that may seek permission to access your consumer Gmail data. Only apps directly enhancing email functionality—such as email clients, email backup services and productivity services (e.g., CRM and mail merge services)—will be authorized to access this data. Moreover, these apps will need to agree to new rules on handling Gmail data and will be subject to security assessments. Developers can read more details on the Gmail Developer Blog. (As always, G Suite administrators are in control of their users’ apps.)

  You can always review and control which apps have access to your Google account data (including Gmail) within our Security Checkup tool.

  Finding 4: When users grant SMS, Contacts and Phone permissions to Android apps, they do so with certain use cases in mind.   
  

  Action 4: We are limiting apps’ ability to receive Call Log and SMS permissions on Android devices, and are no longer making contact interaction data available via the Android Contacts API.

  Some Android apps ask for permission to access a user’s phone (including call logs) and SMS data. Going forward, Google Play will limit which apps are allowed to ask for these permissions.  Only an app that you’ve selected as your default app for making calls or text messages will be able to make these requests. (There are some exceptions—e.g., voicemail and backup apps.) Developers can find more details in the Google Play Developer Policy Center and in the Help Center.

  Additionally, as part of the Android Contacts permission, we had provided basic interaction data  so, for example, a messaging app could show you your most recent contacts. We will remove access to contact interaction data from the Android Contacts API within the next few months.

  ---

  In the coming months, we’ll roll out additional controls and updating policies across more of our APIs. As we do so, we’ll work with our developer partners to give them appropriate time to adjust and update their apps and services.

  Our goal is to support a wide range of useful apps, while ensuring that everyone is confident that their data is secure. By giving developers more explicit rules of the road, and helping users control your data, we can ensure that we keep doing just that.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/technology/safety-security/project-strobe/
• 

  Teaching students about geography, one Google Hangout at a time
  • sorangutan  

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  I'm always looking for creative ways to get my fifth-grade students excited about social studies and geography. Thanks to technology, they're able to see the lessons come to life and visit every state in the country without ever leaving their classroom. One way I’ve done this with my students is through “Mystery Hangouts,” a game a teaching partner introduced to me a few years ago. Last year, I put a fun spin on it and challenged my fifth-grade class to complete what I called the “Race to 50 States.”

  I used Google Hangouts Meet to connect my class with another one in an unknown state. To solve the mystery of where the other class was located, students shared fun facts about their state and asked yes or no questions like, “Are you west of the Mississippi River?”

  Not only is the game engaging and fun, but it’s also educational. In addition to using their geography knowledge, my students also learned skills in critical thinking, mapping, listening, collaboration, technology and communication. After a few Hangouts Meet sessions, I received so much positive feedback from students and parents alike that I set an ambitious goal for this year’s class: reach all 50 states by the end of the school year.

  If this sounds like something your class might be interested in, visit the “Resource” section of the Teacher Center, where I share how to play the game. It’s only a guide, so feel free to tweak the rules for your class. All you need is internet access and maps to get started. Before you know it, your students will be learning more about their country, one mystery location at a time.

  
  
  
  https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/teaching-students-about-geography-one-google-hangout-time/