Google Cloud Platform News

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  Shake up your routine with help from YouTube creators
  google assistant youtube • • sorangutan  

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  When I wake up, the first thing I do is say, “Hey Google, good morning,” and the Google Assistant gives me the weather report, tells me how long my commute will take, and turns on the news. This is something we call a Routine, which means one command will set a bunch of actions in motion. The Google Assistant has a bunch of ready-made Routines, or you can make a Custom Routine, as my teammate recently did when he threw a party. When he said, “Hey Google, it’s time to party,” the lights dimmed, the music played, and the disco ball started to spin.

  
  

  This got us thinking—what would other folks create if we challenged them to come up with their own Custom Routines? To figure it out, we partnered with six top YouTubers who put their own spin on Custom Routines:

  • Photo 1 - TodrickHall.jpg

    Todrick Hall created a Custom Routine to debut his new song, “Glitter.

  • LelePons_29.jpg

    Lele Pons showed us how to throw best quinceañera.

  • Photo 2 - JackieAina.jpg

    Jackie Aina created a beauty routine.

  • Photo 4 - TheSorryGirls.jpg

    The Sorry Girls developed DIY plant hacks.

  • Photo 5 - KarinaGarcia.jpg

    Karina Garcia made floam slime.

  • Photo 7 - ActionLab.jpg

    Action Lab finds out if you can predict chaos.

  To help you get started with creating your own Custom Routines at home, we developed a set of how-to videos. Here’s how-to get this party started:

  
  

  For more information, check out the Google Assistant Routine help page and check out all the videos on our playlist.

  
  

  Now, cue the disco ball.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/assistant/shake-your-routine-help-youtube-creators/
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  Disney and Google expand strategic relationship
  google ads google marketing platform google ad manager • • sorangutan  

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  People today exercise greater control over what they view and when—and on which screens—they view it. They watch sitcoms in taxis and on trains, and stream news and documentaries at the gym. All of which contribute to a striking new reality: TV is no longer a stationary box anchored to a corner in your living room.

  People also expect the same content they love in the living room on every screen, which can be the difference between a loyal fanbase and a lost audience. Advertisers want to deliver quality ad experiences that are relevant, seamless and measurable across screens, inspiring media companies to reimagine the commercial break.

  

  That’s why we’re excited to announce today a new global strategic relationship with The Walt Disney Company.
  

  Disney and Google share a passion for bringing quality content and information to everyone, everywhere. With this new relationship, Disney will bring its entire global digital video and display business onto Google Ad Manager, which will serve as its core ad technology platform. 

  

  That means that Google will now power advertising for Disney’s unmatched collection of brands and properties—including Disney, ABC, ESPN, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars—across multiple channels, including live streaming and direct-to-consumer content offerings. Disney will be able to serve video ads effortlessly on the web, in mobile apps, streaming through connected TVs and for live events.

  Together, we plan to build an advanced video experience for Disney that will transcend devices, platforms, and living rooms to bring the magic of premium video content into people’s hearts, minds, and screens—everywhere. 
  

  Related Article

  New research on the convergence of TV and digital video

  How are TV executives preparing for the convergence of TV and digital? Download our report to find out.

  Read Article

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/admanager/disney-and-google-strategic-relationship/
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  10 things to know about Pixel Slate and Pixel Slate Keyboard
  • sorangutan  

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  Earlier this fall, Pixel Slate became one of the newest members of the Made by Google family. Powered by Chrome OS, it’s just as handy for getting work done as it is for playing games or watching TV. Plus it has a long-lasting battery, so it can keep up while you’re on the go. Now that Pixel Slate is available for purchase, here are 10 things to know: :

  1. Comfortably handheld.Weighing in at 1.6 lbs and 7 mm thin, Pixel Slate has a slim profile and its curved glass makes it easy to hold.

  2. Just add popcorn.Our all-new Molecular DisplayTM delivers a sharp picture and pairs with dual front firing speakers to ensure you’ll always have the best seat in the house. Whether you’re leaning back with your favorites on YouTubeTV or playing Roblox, Pixel Slate gives you a viewing and gaming experience you’ll love.

  3. Work from anywhere.Pixel Slate helps you get more done with multitasking features like split screen and draggable tabs. And when you attach a keyboard, mouse and external monitor, you’ll have a familiar workstation experience with a fully capable desktop UI. We’ve even put our machine learning smarts to provide app suggestions based on your usage habits.

  4. Safety first.You’ll get automatic security updates with Chrome OS when you’re online, and Pixel Slate is built with multiple layers of security, including the Titan™ C security chip, to keep your information protected and hardware tamper-resistant.

  5. Party in the front, party in the back.Pixel Slate has a camera on both sides—one in the front for talking with family and friends on Google Duo or your favorite video chat app and one in the back to snap pictures of what’s around you (even in Portrait Mode!). 

  6. Need some help?There’s a Google Assistant key on Pixel Slate Keyboard so you can access the Assistant at any time. Or, just say “Hey Google” to send a quick email, create a new list, or get the details of your next calendar event. And with Pixelbook Pen, you can simply press and hold the button on the pen and circle text or images on your screen to get more information or take action.
  
  

  

  7. Even more app-ealing.Pixel Slate supports Google Play, so you can use all your favorite Android apps, both online and offline. Download Netflix to watch your favorite show during your commute or fill out a form with the newly optimized Adobe Acrobat and your Adobe subscription.

  8. Just your type.When you connect your Pixel Slate with Pixel Slate Keyboard (sold separately), you can get serious work done with a folio that doubles as a case. Pixel Slate Keyboard gives you a laptop setup with backlit Hush KeysTM that let you type extra quietly. You can even adjust the keyboard any way you want making Pixel Slate great to use on a desk or even in entertainment mode on your next flight. And if you prefer a Bluetooth connected, traditional notebook feel, the Brydge Keyboard is a great alternative.

  9. Now anyone can read your handwriting.Use a Pixelbook Pen to jot down notes on Pixel Slate’s screen, and it’ll use Google AI to automatically transcribe your handwriting into typed notes.

  10. Works well with others.Connect your Pixel phone to Pixel Slate to send and receive texts on either device or continue reading an article if you switch screens. You can even use instant tether to make sure that wherever your Pixel phone gets internet, your Pixel Slate will too. Both devices use industry standard USB-C for charging and if you need a bigger screen, you can play videos or extend your display to a TV using Chromecast.
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/pixel-slate/10-things-know-about-pixel-slate-and-pixel-slate-keyboard/
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  Supporting future computer scientists across Europe
  google in europe grow with google • • sorangutan  

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  Research shows that more than 65 percent of today’s students will work in jobs that don’t even exist yet—and those future roles will require a new set of digital skills. Over the past decade, the European Commission has made it a priority to increase access to learning programs that will help prepare people for these new jobs. Our Grow with Google initiative has been a part of that by helping 431,000 people across Europe learn new Computer Science (CS) skills.

  But developing these new skills doesn’t happen overnight. We’ve caught up with a few of the teachers and students who have participated in Grow with Google’s efforts in Ireland, Romania and Germany to hear more about how these programs have impacted their computer science journeys.
  

  Promoting learning in Ireland schools with Trinity Access 21 Program

  Equipping teachers with better educational tools goes a long way to improve students’ digital skills. Since 2014, we’ve worked with Trinity College Dublin to design and launch a new postgraduate certificate in 21st Century Teaching and Learning for in-service teachers. The Trinity Access 21 Program provides workshops and hands-on sessions to help teachers deliver courses in beginner, intermediate and advanced level computer programming and computer systems. To date, more than 250 teachers have completed or are currently completing the postgraduate certificate, with more than 30 teachers progressing to Master’s and Ph.D. level studies.
  

  Deirdre Brennan, a teacher who has been teaching science for over 17 years in Dublin, completed her 21st Century Teaching and Learning postgraduate certificate in 2017. She says: “The certificate gave me a framework and guidance for leading a tinkering-based coding club—which was teacher-facilitated and student-led—in my school at the time. This learning environment created an opportunity for my students to socialize and grow.”
  

  Creating opportunities with Romania’s “Infoeducatie" CS contest
  

  In Romania, we’ve worked with the Romanian Computer Science Teachers' Association (UPIR) for the past seven years to hold the annual Infoeducatie competition. Students across the country are invited to learn new skills and develop educational and utility software, web applications, multimedia projects and robots in order to win certificates and prizes. The final stage of the competition takes place every year at the Gălăciuc camp, where teams of contestants collaborate to design and build software applications.

  

  Students at the Infoeducatie competition in Romania.

  Competitions like Gălăciuc camp provide an opportunity for young people to receive feedback and recognition for their learning, and many participate more than once. Robert Dolca, now a software engineer working at Uber, competed in the event three times while in high school. He says, "For me, InfoEducatie has been an opportunity to challenge myself and learn. We met passionate and talented people, and we received constructive feedback on our projects.”

  Inspiring young people to learn computer science with BwInf in Germany

  Since 2010, we’ve worked with Bundeswettbewerb Informatik (BwInf), Germany's national CS competition, to introduce young people to the subject and inspire them to use digital technologies creatively. Jochen Eisinger, for example, competed in BwInf contests numerous times at school before deciding computer science was what he wanted to pursue at university. Today, he manages a number of teams working on Google Chrome. He credits the program with sparking his passion for computer science and confirming his choice to study it: "I learned about BwInf from a poster somebody put up in my school. Over the years, I learned more about computer science and finally won the finals of the 18th BwInf—after five years of trying!"

  

  BwInf participants, visiting the Google office in Munich.
  

  We're excited to see how these projects empower future generations of computer scientists. Interest in CS skills training continues to grow across the European continent, and by providing a combination of online and offline educational resources and supporting these long-term initiatives, Grow with Google is proud to work with partners to help students and teachers learn and grow.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/grow-with-google/supporting-future-computer-scientists-across-europe/
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  Supporting the European Union Parliamentary Elections
  • sorangutan  

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  In May 2019, up to 350 million voters across the European Union will take to the polls to elect 705 Members of European Parliament (MEPs). To support this democratic process, we’re rolling out products and programs to help people get the information they need to cast their votes. Here are three ways we’ll be providing support:

  
  

  Getting voters the information they need

  We know that in the build-up to elections, people need useful and relevant information to help them navigate the electoral process. You may have come across Google’s Search tools for past elections in countries like Germany and around the world, where we highlighted information that helped people understand and participate in those elections. For the EU Parliamentary elections in 2019, we’ll be working with data from Election Commissions across the member states to make authoritative electoral information available and help people find the info they need to get out and vote.

  
  

  Helping voters better understand the political advertising they see

  To bring people more information about the election ads they see across Google’s ad networks, we’ll require that ads that mention a political party, candidate or current officeholder make it clear to voters who’s paying for the advertising. We’ll also introduce a new process to verify EU election advertisers to make sure they are who they say they are. And there’s more to come: we’ll introduce an EU-specific Election Ads Transparency Report and searchable ad library to provide more information about who is purchasing election ads, whom they’re targeted to, and how much money is being spent. Our goal is to make this information as accessible and useful as possible to citizens, practitioners, and researchers.

  
  

  Protecting election information online

  In addition to new political advertising transparency tools, we’re continuing our critical investments in keeping our own platforms secure and are working with campaigns, elections officials, journalists, human rights organizations and others across the EU to ensure the security of the online platforms that they depend on.

  
  

  For the EU 2019 Parliamentary elections, we’re offering in-person security training to the most vulnerable groups, who face increased risks of phishing attacks. We’ll be walking them through Google’s Advanced Protection Program, our strongest level of account security and Project Shield, a free service that uses Google technology to protect news sites and free expression from DDoS attacks on the web.

  
  

  And because people rely on quality news content to navigate noisy election periods, Google News Lab will collaborate with news organizations across all 27 countries to support online fact checking. They’ll be offering a series of free verification workshops to point journalists to the latest tools and technology to tackle disinformation and support their coverage of the elections.  

  
  Like others, we’re thinking hard about elections and how we continue to support democratic processes around the world, including by bringing more transparency to political advertising online, by helping connect people to useful and relevant election-related information, and by working to protect election information online. Over the coming months you’ll hear more from us on each of these areas and our plans to inform, protect and support around the EU elections, building on our commitments made in the EU Code of Practice on Disinformation.
  
  https://www.blog.google/around-the-globe/google-europe/supporting-european-union-parliamentary-elections/
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  California fires: how we’re providing aid and ways you can help
  • sorangutan  

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  Over the last week, three wildfires have devastated communities in California, and there's been a tremendous effort—on the part of firefighters, first responders, local officials and NGOs—to contain the flames and help thousands of displaced families. Since the start of the fires, we've deployed resources to help those affected in our own backyard. Here's a bit more on that, and how you can help.

  Improving access to information

  When the fires broke out, Google’s Crisis Response team activated SOS Alerts , allowing people impacted by the disaster to access local emergency information, news and maps of the affected areas. With networks down, it soon it became evident that getting online was a top concern.

  In collaboration with the Information Technology Disaster Resource Center (ITDRC), Google volunteers have been on the ground helping communities get back online, allowing many to reconnect with families and friends, file insurance claims, and—when possible—get back to school or work. They set up WiFi and connected Chromebooks at shelters, distribution centers, churches and clinics, serving over 1,000 evacuees. In just a couple of days, these connections allowed over a dozen shelter guests to be matched to missing persons list entries.

  ITDRC and our volunteers are also working in Southern California to capture aerial and street-level imagery of the impacted areas. These images will be used to augment existing digital maps allowing emergency managers to evaluate the impact of the fires.

  Beyond information, there are many critical needs to be met during a crisis of this proportion, including food and shelter. Google.org and Googlers have donated over $1.5 million to support those impacted by the fires. This includes a $500,000 direct grant from Google.org to efforts like the NorCal Disaster Relief Fund and the Southern California Disaster Relief Fund.

  By leveraging existing partnerships with merchants and carriers, the Google Shopping team has also made a $100,000 in-kind donation of food and basic essentials to local food banks through Feeding America.

  Everyone can help

  SOS Alerts is a gateway for people to make donations, 100% of which goes to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, and will be directed to highly impactful organizations spearheading recovery efforts. To date, over 3,500 people have given money to support the victims of the fires through Google, making donations from five dollars, to as much as $500.

  Today, we want to invite others to donate as well, to the victims of the Camp Fire or to the victims of the Southern California fires. Anyone can also make donations directly to organizations like the American Red Cross, which is working shelter to those displaced, the Wildfire Relief Fund, which is supporting long-term recovery and preparedness, or the Latino Community Foundation as they support groups providing aid to families and farmworker communities in the affected areas.

  California is our home. It’s where we were founded and where over a third of all Google employees live. There is much more to be done and we’ll stay engaged in support of recovery efforts throughout the state during the days and months ahead.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/google-org/california-fires-how-were-providing-aid-and-ways-you-can-help/
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  AI brings “dreams” to life at the Walt Disney Concert Hall
  arts and culture • • sorangutan  

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  Walt Disney Concert Hall (WDCH) has been home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic since 2003. When architect Frank Gehry designed the Concert Hall, he hoped that the beauty of the music created within its walls would one day be reflected on the outside. So to mark the Philharmonic’s 100-year anniversary this fall, artist Refik Anadol collaborated with the Artists and Machine Intelligence Program at Google Arts and Culture and the Philharmonic to pay tribute to the past and to “dream” what’s to come in the future.

  Along with Google engineers, Refik used machine learning to interpret nearly 45 terabytes of data, comprised of audio recordings of past performances, and historic images from the LA Philharmonic’s archive, like photographs and printed programs. Using multiple machine learning algorithms, he identified patterns in the images and create narratives—“dreams”—from these compositions, with the vision of projecting them onto the music hall itself.

  

  To visualize 18,000 hours of audio recordings, computational artist and researcher Parag K. Metal developed an audio browser tool to explore the archive by 256 attributes such as pitch, timbre, amplitude, tempo, tonality and key. Using this tool, Refik and sound designers Kerim Karaoglu and Robert Thomas hand-picked specific “memories” and curated a unique soundtrack that accompanied the visual narrative, called WDCH Dreams.

  The 12-minute projection premiered this September, and illuminated downtown Los Angeles for eight days, every 30 minutes from 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Until October 2019, visitors can explore the LA Philharmonic’s archives in an interactive exhibition at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, in the Ira Gershwin Gallery. Discover more about the LA Philharmonic and WDCH Dreams onGoogle Arts and Culture —or download our free app for iOS or Android.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/arts-culture/ai-brings-dreams-life-walt-disney-concert-hall/
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  How evolving user patterns drive new ad experiences on YouTube
  google ads video ads • • sorangutan  

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  At YouTube, we’re on a constant quest to give people the perfect viewing experience. But over the years, what that looks like has changed significantly.

  The way we watch video is always changing. And we want to keep advertisers abreast of these trends, with new ad experiences molded to the new ways people watch. This was the spirit behind our introduction of six-second bumper ads more than two years ago–as a response to the increasingly mobile habits of our users.

  Today we’re highlighting how we're adapting to three new trends in the user experience.

  
  

  Longer viewing sessions
  

  Our recent user experience research suggests that in addition to factors such as the length of ads, viewers are quite sensitive to the frequency of ad breaks, especially during longer viewing sessions. Through this research, we also learned that fewer interruptions is correlated with better user metrics, including less abandonment of content and higher rates of ad viewing. To respond to this, we will begin testing ad pods–two ads stacked back to back, where viewers have the option to skip directly to the content if it’s not the right ad for them.

  Why does this solution make sense? Because when users see two ads in a break, they’re less likely to be interrupted by ads later. In fact, those users will experience up to 40 percent fewer interruptions by ads in the session.¹ Early experiment results also show an 8-11 percent increase in unique reach and a 5-10 percent increase in frequency for advertisers, with no impact to Brand Lift metrics.² This new experience, launching on desktop this year then followed by mobile and TV screens, aims to accommodate viewer preferences while continuing to help advertisers connect with their most important audiences.

  

  Example of an ad pod experience on mobile.

  More self-directed discovery
  

  The way users prefer to find videos to watch is also changing. Remember back when the only YouTube videos you’d watch came in the form of a shared URL from a friend? Over the years, video viewing on YouTube has become more self-directed, as more viewers than ever before hop into their home or trending feeds and scroll to find a recommended video. In fact, over the last three years, watch time from content users discover on the YouTube homepage has grown 10X.³ That’s why we brought TrueView video discovery ads to the YouTube home feed, along with the Masthead and Universal App campaign ads. The YouTube home feed continues to be a great place for users to discover their next favorite creator, and now it can be a great place for them to discover your brand.

  
  

  Watching on TV screens
  

  We’re seeing incredible watchtime growth on TV screens: on average, users watch over 180 million hours of YouTube on TV screens every day.⁴  Last month, we introduced the TV screen device type in Google Ads and Display & Video 360, allowing you to tailor your campaigns for connected TVs – for example, by using a different creative or setting a specific device bid adjustment – and see reporting for ads that run on TV screens.

  In the face of these burgeoning user trends—as well as the next wave, and the next—we’ll continue working to build the ideal video viewing experience, and keep thinking up ways to deliver value for our advertiser partners.

  ---

  1. YouTube Internal Data, Global, October 2018

  2. YouTube Internal Data, Global, October 2018

  3. YouTube Internal Data, Global, Jan 2015 vs. Jan 2018

  4. Google Internal Data, Global, June 2018. Based on 7 day average for TV watchtime

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/ads/how-evolving-user-patterns-drive-new-ad-experiences-youtube/
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  A turkey feast with a side of laughs—aka Thanksgiving hosted by Amy Poehler
  google assistant google home • • sorangutan  

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  There’s a lot going on this time of year—traveling, planning for the holidays and prepping the house for guests—so we partnered with NBC to enlist some of our favorite comedians to lighten the mood. Here’s how Amy Poehler is folding her festive turkey napkins for the occasion with some of her funny friends—Maya Rudolph, Tiffany Haddish, Chelsea Peretti and Amy Sedaris (you might have heard of them):
  

  Amy Poehler prepares for Friendsgiving with help from Google Home Hub.

  As you might imagine, this was a particularly funny Friendsgiving, filmed with lots of outtakes.
  

  

  After you’re done laughing, you probably need to start getting ready for your guests—and Hub is here to help with that. Whether you’re stuffing the bird or dicing onions, Google Home Hub can be the sous chef you need for the holidays. You can:

  • Set multiple timers, one for the turkey, another for the green beans, and another for the mac and cheese—for example, “Hey Google, set a cookie timer for 10 minutes.”
    
  • Figure out how to chop an onion using how-to videos from YouTube—even if you’re already in the middle of a recipe, you can say, “Hey Google, show me how to knead dough on YouTube.”
    
  • Try “Hey Google, talk with Tasty” to get access to the entire catalog of 3,000+ recipes for all your holiday cooking needs.
    
  • Rally the family and friends around the dinner table with our Broadcast feature. A simple “Hey Google, broadcast dinner is ready” and all the Google Home smart devices in your home will alert everyone that it’s time to eat.
    
  • And when it’s all over, just say, “Hey Google, clean out my fridge” to get recipe ideas for the ingredients left in the refrigerator… perfect for leftovers.
    

  If you need a break or a little help, Google Home Hub is here with the answers. Let Amy and her friends keep you laughing, while Hub helps you with cooking.
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/home/turkey-feast-side-laughsaka-thanksgiving-hosted-amy-poehler/
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  Can’t compete with this: Google’s coding competitions unite on one website
  • sorangutan  

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  Google’s coding competitions—Code Jam, Hash Code and Kick Start—have challenged and enthralled coders around the world for years. Now, they’re coming together under one website—g.co/codingcompetitions—for a better-than-ever competition experience. Here are four things you can expect from this new update:

  

  1. All competitions are now global.

  We’re officially bringing Code Jam, Hash Code and Kick Start to everyone around the world! It’s important that our competitions are as accessible as possible and expanding our programs means more coding, more learning and a bigger community around the world.

  
  

  2. There’s a competition for everyone.

  Every competition offers something different to meet you wherever you are in your coding journey. Want to code alongside friends or other programmers? Give Hash Code a try. Dipping your toes in coding or competitive programming for the first time? Kick Start is a great option. Looking for algorithmic puzzles that challenge even the most skilled coders? Code Jam has got you covered. Find your fit, and go ahead and try them all to flex different coding muscles throughout the year.

  
  

  3. A smoother experience with one user profile.

  With a unified user experience and fresh look to the website, you’ll be able to easily navigate through resources and discover opportunities for practice. Plus, for each competition you participate in, we’ll provide you with a personalized certificate of completion that commemorates your feats!

  
  

  4. New features to get you involved, faster.

  From notifications within your user profile to receiving information about competitions you’re registered for, the new home for Google’s coding competitions is a one-stop-shop to grow, challenge and celebrate your programming skills.

  
  With these updates to our coding competitions programs, you don’t want to miss the 2019 season. Head to our g.co/CodingCompetitions site now and sign up to be notified when registration for our competitions kick off in 2019. In the meantime, we invite you to connect with Code Jam, Hash Code, and Kick Start online, and try past problems so you can be ready for all kinds of coding fun when registration opens. We’re excited to see new faces on the scoreboards next year—will you join us?
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/technology/developers/googles-new-home-for-coding-competitions/
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  Ring in the holiday season with deals on Google Play
  • sorangutan  

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  The holiday season is nearing
  Awaiting their school break, kids are cheering
  And we’re pretty excited over here, too
  We’ve got deals for kids, gamers, bookworms and you
  So check ‘em out below, find your fave
  Head to the Google Play Store—and dollars you’ll save

  For the gamer: Up to 80 percent off top titles and special in-app deals like:
  

  • The Amazing Spider-Man 2
    
  • Star Wars™: KOTOR
    
  • Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle
    
  • Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery
    

  For the movie and TV buff: Available on Turkey Day only, rent any move for 99¢. And if you want to catch up on some of this year’s most popular TV shows and movies, check out discounts on titles like:
  

  • Game of Thrones
    
  • American Horror Story
    
  • Mamma Mia 2
    
  • Teen Titans Go! to the Movies
    
  • And if that wasn’t enough, Google Play is also offering Starz for $5 per month for your first three months (terms apply).
    

  For the bookworm: Serious discounts on this year’s best-selling audiobooks and ebooks, such as:

  • Never, Never by James Patterson
    
  • You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
  • Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks 
  • The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro and Daniel Kraus

  For the gift-giver: Once your shopping checklist is complete, it's your turn to unwind. And here are some details that can help:

  • 50 percent off a yearly subscription to Calm, Fabulous, Run with Map My Run, and Freeletics
    
  • And 40 percent off the popular meditation app, Headspace (see each offer for terms and conditions)
    

  Excited to get into the holiday spirit? Here's more information on all of our Cyber Week deals.
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/google-play/ring-holiday-season-deals-google-play/
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  Drive more holiday sales with promotions on Shopping Actions
  google ads shopping ads • • sorangutan  

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  People crave deals and promotions when shopping for their loved ones over the holidays. In fact, according to the National Retail Federation, one-third of shoppers said that all of their holiday weekend purchases were driven specifically by promotions (+11.4 percent YoY). Google's recent study with Ipsos shows that 57 percent of holiday shoppers say promotions/coupons are an important part of their holiday shopping. That’s why we’re excited to bring the Merchant Promotions program to Shopping Actions.

  Merchant Promotions allows you to run online promotions for the products you sell on Google. When you add promotions to your Shopping Actions inventory, shoppers see the promotion (like 10% off) wherever your product shows up on Google Express. This can increase the appeal of your offer and encourage shoppers to buy. In fact, one of our pilot merchants saw an average of 9.4% increase in conversions (add to cart) and 9.5% increase in GMV per session when they added promotions to their offers.

  

  Get started

  First, join the promotions program by filling out this form. Once approved, there are two ways Shopping Actions merchants can link inventory to promotions:

  1. Manually in Merchant Center by selecting Shopping Actions in the promotions tool in the promotions section of your account. If you’re already running eligible promotions for your Shopping Ads, it’s as simple as checking the Shopping Actions button.

  

  2. By creating a Promotions feed and setting the promotions destination attribute to “Shopping Actions”. If you already run promotions for Shopping Ads, simply update the promotions destination attribute in the promotions feed to include Shopping Actions.

  Interested in joining or leaning more about Shopping Actions? Fill out our interest form. We look forward to helping you reach more shoppers throughout the holidays and beyond!
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/ads/drive-more-holiday-sales-promotions-shopping-actions/
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  Help your business stand out this holiday season with visuals from Small Thanks
  • sorangutan  

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  Thanksgiving is Thursday, and you know what that means: once the turkey and pumpkin pie are gone, the holiday shopping season officially begins. Businesses of all sizes will be trying to get the attention of shoppers. Lucky for you, research shows that 61% of shoppers are open to buying from new retailers during the holiday season. Help your business get noticed  by checking out the newly launched social post styles from Small Thanks, our hub for free marketing materials featuring information about your business and reviews from your customers.  

  When it comes to discovering new stores, online reviews have become today’s word of mouth. You can turn your customers into advocates by showcasing your business’s real Google reviews with new seasonal posts from Small Thanks. Share these on your social media channels and as posts on your Business Profile on Google, so they’ll be seen by potential customers in Google Search and Maps.

  • Small Thanks Holiday 2
  • Small Thanks Holiday 1
  • Small Thanks Holiday 3

  It’s important to grab the attention of shoppers online, even if you’re a local business. Last holiday season, 78% of shoppers who visited a store turned to online search first. Show those potential customers that you meet their needs by sharing a social post from Small Thanks that highlights your business's unique attributes—such as gift wrapping services or a kid-friendly environment. That way, you'll be on their radar when they're ready to shop.

  • Small Thanks attribute 2
  • Small Thanks attribute 1
  • Small Thanks attribute 3

  And if you’re looking for even more ways to add some flair to your social media, check out the new #SmallThanks GIPHY stickers. However your business chooses to get the word out this season, we hope these new visuals give you a few more options to reach holiday shoppers.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/small-business/help-your-business-stand-out-holiday-season-visuals-small-thanks/
• 

  Google News Initiative kicks off Asia-Pacific Innovation Challenge
  google in asia google news initiative • • sorangutan  

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  In Asia-Pacific,  journalists and publishers are increasingly grappling with questions over how quality journalism can thrive in the digital age. From Yangon to Manila, Sydney to New Delhi, they are experimenting with fresh approaches to reporting and new business models.

  We’ve been working hand in hand with publishers to understand those challenges, and over the past year we’ve supported Asian newsrooms and publishers through the Google News Initiative (GNI).

  To help build a stronger future for journalism in Asia-Pacific, we created the Asia-Pacific GNI Innovation Challenge, which will fund projects that inject new ideas into the news industry. 

  How does the challenge work?

  We are inviting proposals for projects aimed at increasing revenue from readers, including subscriptions, membership programs, contributions and/or new digital products and services.  A panel of Googlers and other tech industry executives will review the submissions and fund selected projects up to $300,000 and finance up to 70 percent of the total project cost.

  The funding will be reviewed against several criteria, including a “sharing component” -  for example by publishing any findings or holding a seminar - so grantees can pass their knowledge on to others in the industry. For more information on eligibility, rules and criteria, sample projects and funding details, head over to our website.

  How to apply?

  Given the pace of change in the news industry, innovation has never been more important.  We want to make sure that all organizations, large and small, in the Asia-Pacific news ecosystem have the opportunity to suggest new ideas around this critically important topic.

  Applications open on November 28, and the deadline to submit is January 9.  If you have any questions, tune into our APAC town hall on Monday, December 11 at 3.00 pm Singapore time. We are ready to help put your ideas into action and look forward to seeing what you submit!

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/outreach-initiatives/google-news-initiative/asia-pacific-challenge/
• 

  Breaking ground for Google’s first data center in Denmark
  • sorangutan  

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  Whenever Google looks for a new place to build a data center, it's important that the location has high-quality digital infrastructure and supports renewable energy production. Denmark has both of these things and much more—which is why we’re investing 600 million euro to build a new data center just outside Fredericia, in western Denmark.

  
  

  You might be wondering: What exactly is a data center? Data centers are the heart of Google—they’re the home for a large group of servers that power our products like Search, Gmail and YouTube. When you use search or watch videos, servers in data centers around the world are working in the background, doing the heavy lifting. They keep data and information like your emails and photos safe; when you hear about “the cloud,” the data stored in the cloud is actually stored inside a data center.

  
  

  To make sure that we're continuing to make space for the infrastructure that powers our products, new data centers like the one in Fredericia are crucial. In Fredericia, we’ve found a great business community and a location with existing infrastructure that fits what we’re looking for when we set out to build an efficient, modern data center.

  In Fredericia, Google is committed to matching its energy use with 100 percent carbon-free energy. This commitment includes the electricity use of our data centers, too. We’re pursuing new investment opportunities (called Power Purchase Agreements, or PPAs) in Danish renewable energy projects like onshore wind, offshore wind and solar energy. In Europe, Google data centers typically use one third less energy than a typical data center, yet we’re still striving to use even less. The Fredericia data center will be among the most energy efficient data centers in Denmark to date, taking advantage of advanced machine learning to make sure every watt of electricity counts.

  
  

  A new data center also leads to new job creation. Consultancy firm Copenhagen Economics (CE) has forecasted the impact the Fredericia data center will have on the local economy: according to CE, the construction will support 1,450 jobs per year in 2018-2021. Once operational, around 150-250 people are expected to be employed at the site in a range of roles—including computer technicians, electrical and mechanical engineers, catering and security staff. And, given increased economic activity expected in the area, there’s also an effect on job sectors like retail trade, hotels and transportation.

  
  

  At Google, we aim to support the communities that surround our facilities, and in the last few years we’ve invested almost 3.4 million euro in grants to initiatives that build the local skills base—like curriculum and coding programs, as well as educational support through teaching collaborations at area colleges. We’ll also introduce initiatives like these in Fredericia.

  
  

  With construction work expected to run through 2021, Fredericia will be Google’s fifth data center in Europe, joining our other sites in Ireland, Finland, the Netherlands and Belgium. We'll look to continue investing in Europe, leading the way with green projects and building ties with the local community.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/inside-google/infrastructure/breaking-ground-googles-first-data-center-denmark/
• 

  Between brush strokes: A Q&A with artist Heather Day
  • sorangutan  

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  These days San Francisco-based artist Heather Day is painting more than just canvas. In fact, she recently brought her unique perspective and energetic composition to the walls of our New York City pop-up store where she painted the town red … and blue … and Not Pink.

  The same bright lines, playful scribbles and washes of color that make up her fresh mural in SoHo can also be found in our latest artist collection of My Cases—Google Pixel cases that are available in more than one hundred designs.

  In between brush strokes, we caught up with Heather Day to find out what inspires her work, how technology helps bring her abstract paintings to life and who her dream dinner guest is.

  

  Artist Heather Day's painting comes to life on the walls of our pop-up store. Photo credit: Minü Han. 

  What was your inspiration for this mural?

  I wanted this mural to be playful, easily palatable and encourage visitors to stay for a while. While I was making this piece, I thought about the energy constantly pulsing through New York City and the patterns therein. The city itself feels like a collage of complex shapes, hemmed in by the borders of wandering lines. The mural mirrors this concept.

  How does technology play a role in your creative process?

  I primarily work with traditional mediums, as in physical mediums. To take an idea from draft to reality, I use the Pixel Slate and digital pen to draw renderings of my plans for a mural. I can make marks fast and do all of this in a minimal amount of time, from anywhere. I don’t have to be in my studio to experiment.  
  
  Using a digital drawing pad gives me a more true-to-form picture of what my work will look like at scale. It’s hard to get that perspective working on paper. Now, I can zoom in and out of a space while I’m painting, albeit digitally. 

  Your artwork also appears on Pixel My Cases. How did you come up with the designs for your My Case collection?
  

  My process was playful. I approached this piece the same way I would a painting on canvas, but my medium was different this time. I worked on about 70 different paintings, experimenting with the Not Pink color on paper. In my studio, I played with spills of lush acrylic paint, pairing those markings against energetic streaks of pastel.

  

  One of Heather Day's designs on the latest collection of My Cases for Pixel. 

  You’re also a recent Pixel convert—welcome to #teampixel! What is your favorite feature so far?

  So far, it’s the camera. I love how it takes such beautiful photos in low light with Night Sight.

  You host a dinner series in San Francisco. Who is your dream dinner guest and where would you take them to grab a bite to eat?

  Yes! We started the dinner series as a small experiment to bring a diverse group of strangers around my table for dinner. Now, it’s evolved into what we call Studio Table.

  My dream dinner guest would be abstract painter Katharina Grosse. I’d imagine we’d keep it simple and pick up sandwiches from a bodega and take a walk around Central Park and talk art.

  

  Heather Day's mural set the mood for a brunch we event we hosted at the Google pop-up store.

  You can find Heather’s work on her website and on Instagram.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/pixel/heather-day/
• 

  Celebrating Mickey Mouse’s 90th anniversary with Google Home
  • sorangutan  

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  Everyone’s favorite pal is celebrating his 90th anniversary and Google Home is getting in on the fun. Here are a few ways you can wish Disney’s Mickey Mouse a happy birthday:

  Revisit 90 years of Mickey in NYC

  Mickey: The True Original Exhibition celebrates Mickey Mouse’s influence on art and pop culture throughout history. Running now through February 10, the exhibition takes visitors on a journey through Mickey’s impact on arts and creativity in all its forms. The last room in the exhibition features a special, interactive experience with Google Home Mini.

  Challenge your family in Mickey’s Game Show

  If you can’t make it to the exhibition, you can still join Mickey and his friends for a birthday celebration at home. You’ll team up with Daisy, Donald, Goofy or Minnie to answer Mickey’s trivia questions. Just say, “Hey Google, play Mickey’s Game Show” to give it a try.

  Bring a little Mickey magic to your Mini

  Otterbox created a custom base accessory to make your Google Home Mini look like Mickey. Just clip your device into the base to showcase his iconic ears in any room. And if you’d like to play a game with Mickey himself, just say, “Hey Google, play Mickey Mouse Adventure.”

  

  And remember—the Disney fun doesn’t stop there. You can also make storytime more magical with our new Read Along feature. As you read select Little Golden Books aloud, Google Home will play sound effects and music to bring the story to life. If your family loves Mickey Mouse, you can read favorites like Mickey’s Christmas Carol and Mickey Mouse and His Spaceship. To get started, just say “Hey Google, let’s read along with Disney.”

  Parents, you can create an account for kids under 13 through Family Link, and then link their Google Account and voice to Google Home.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/home/celebrating-mickey-mouses-90th-anniversary-google-home/
• 

  Southeast Asia’s accelerating internet economy
  • sorangutan  

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  It’s hard to keep up with Southeast Asia’s internet economy because it keeps blowing expectations out of the water. Our 2016 and 2017 e-Conomy SEA reports foresaw a $200 billion internet economy in the region by 2025. The region is taking much less time to get there than earlier expected.  With eight years still left to go, Southeast Asia is already more than a third of the way to the target. And Southeast Asian tech companies have already raised half of the $40-$50 billion in funds we expected them to attract. So the latest e-Conomy Southeast Asia 2018 report by Google and Temasek projects a $240 billion Southeast Asian internet economy by 2025.

  
  

  The record-breaking pace of the region’s internet economy in 2018 wasn’t a freak occurrence. Southeast Asian countries are on a solid foundation for accelerated digital growth. Here are some promising findings:

  
  

  • $72 billion is the value that the region’s internet economy will reach in 2018, more than doubling since 2015. Southeast Asia’s internet sector has generated value surpassing the gross domestic product (GDP) of more than 100 countries in the world in just three years.

  
  

  • 350 million internet users are living in the region. Since 2015, more than three million Southeast Asians, a population bigger than Chicago’s or Madrid’s, have gone online for the first time every month.

  
  

  • $102 billionis the expected size of Southeast Asia’s e-commerce market in 2025. 2018 was  the year of e-commerce in Southeast Asia, which doubled in value from the previous year. And the top three e-commerce businesses, Lazada, Shopee and Tokopedia, are homegrown players founded in and serving the region.

  
  

  • 35 millionSoutheast Asians use ride hailing services every month. Eight million rides are taken every day across 500 cities. Local unicorns like GO-JEK and Grab are spurring rapid growth in new services like food delivery, which made up a $2 billion industry in 2018.

  
  

  • $24 billionhas been raised by Southeast Asian tech companies since 2015 and investor confidence is growing. The $9.1 billion raised in the first half of 2018 is on par with the $9.4 billion in the whole of 2017. Investor confidence extends to smaller startups, with investments in non-unicorns growing four times in the first half of 2018 year on year.

  
  

  • 1.7 million full-time jobs will be created in the internet economy by 2025 for highly-skilled professionals as well as flexible work opportunities in sectors like ride-hailing.

  
  

  Keep up with Southeast Asia’s internet economy and learn more in the e-Conomy Southeast Asia 2018 report.

  
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/around-the-globe/google-asia/economysea-2018/
• 

  Friendsgiving? More like #trendsgiving
  • sorangutan  

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  Across America, people celebrate next week’s day of thanks with their own unique traditions, and many come to Search for help to pull off Turkey Day like a pro. (In fact, you can simply search “Thanksgiving” and find video tips from expert chefs on how to master mashed potatoes or ideas to elevate a pumpkin pie!)

  But there’s a cornucopia of searches you can do, and we took a look at some of the top and trending ideas that people are gobbling up to hone their side dish skills and perfect their pie game.

  Pardon me, but how do you plan to prep your turkey?

  There are many ways to toast a turkey, but here are the preferred cooking methods across the U.S. this year. While the Eastern Seaboard and some of the Southwest is fond of frying, smoked birds are booming in nearly half the country. Hawaii joins New England in sticking to the classic roasted turkey.

  

  Top turkey cooking methods in each state
  

  Party fowl

  As people gear up for one of the year’s biggest get-togethers for family and friends, questions arise about how to make sure that their fowl doesn’t flop and, this year, how to ensure that the bird they select is safe to eat. Here are some top turkey searches trending right now:

  • Turkey salmonella outbreak (breakout trend)

  • Turkey recall (+3950% YoY)

  • How to thaw a frozen turkey (+550% YoY)

  • Turkey size chart (+400% YoY)

  Let’s dish on sides

  For many, Thanksgiving meals are more about the sweet and salty sides and the gravy train that goes along with them. But making a dinner that satisfies the dietary needs of all of your guests can be a challenge—and many of you are coming to search for ideas to tailor your menus accordingly. Here are a few insights around these diet-specific dish trends:

  • “Keto Thanksgiving” searches are hitting an all time high in 2018, with “keto Thanksgiving sides” up 70% YoY.

  • “Vegan Thanksgiving” has the highest interest among diet-specific searches, more than double the search interest of “keto Thanksgiving” and “vegetarian Thanksgiving” searches.

  • “Gluten free Thanksgiving” is also on the rise, with searches for “gluten free thanksgiving sides” (+300% YoY), desserts (+100% YoY) and stuffing (+90% YoY) all trending up since last year.

  Pie, in charts

  Everyone has their own festive favorite when it comes to Thanksgiving Day dessert. Here’s a slice of the top pies people are searching for:

  
  

  

  Many of these pie preferences can be regional, too. Here are the places where the top pies are poppin’ on Search.

  

  No matter how you celebrate and give thanks, you can find all the ideas you need on Search, get to your friends and family quickly and safely with help from Google Maps, and get to gobbling up that grub.

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/search/google-search-trends-thanksgiving-2018/
• 

  Get actionable measurement with Display & Video 360’s Insights module
  • sorangutan  

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  This is the sixth and final post in a series about Display & Video 360 innovations.

  Display & Video 360 is organized around five integrated modules that work together to simplify the end-to-end campaign process: Campaigns, Audiences, Creatives, Inventory and Insights. Today you’ll learn more about the Insights module, where you can get all the campaign metrics you need to understand how your marketing is performing so you can take action to improve results.
  

  A single source of truth with holistic measurement

  In Display & Video 360, the Insights module is where you go to audit your media spend, measure impact, and access the information you need to optimize media investment decisions. By consolidating your media buying in one place, you get reporting across all touchpoints for web, apps, TV and more, so you can accurately determine what’s driving performance and quickly act on insights.

  The Insights module in Display & Video 360 includes:

  • Fraud-prevention reporting: Invalid traffic reporting enables you to see the amount of invalid traffic detected in your campaigns to date, both pre-bid and post-serve, including breakdowns by categories like data center traffic, automated browsers and falsely represented inventory.
    
  • Viewability and verification: Active View, Google’s viewability measurement technology, measures in real time whether or not an ad was viewable to a user on an impression-by-impression basis. Verification protects your brand and advertising budget with insights that help you understand where your ads are shown, along with details like video player size and page position.
    
  • Reach and frequency measurement: Unique Reach measures the number of unique users and average impressions-per-user you get from video and display ads. Metrics are de-duplicated across devices, campaigns, inventory and formats, so you know how many people you reached and how often you reached them.
    
  • Third-party accreditations: MRC-accredited measurement across display and video ads for clicks, served impressions, viewability metrics, and invalid traffic detection and filtration gives you confidence that the metrics you’re seeing are objective and accurate.  
    

  Coming soon, data-driven attribution reports created in Campaign Manager will also be available in the Insights module in Display & Video 360. Using machine learning, data-driven attribution analyzes the actual converting and non-converting paths to automatically assign values to your marketing touchpoints. You’ll see a more complete and actionable view of which digital channels are performing best, so you can achieve a better return on your marketing investments.
  

  To bring together measurement for your digital and TV ads, we've added a new dedicated "connected TV" device type for targeting and reporting across Display & Video 360. This means that connected TV can be segmented out alongside mobile, computer and tablet. For example, you can now see how many people viewed your ads on connected TV in Unique Reach reporting, and it will soon be added to our reach forecasting tools.

  Actionable insights and experiments for brand and performance

  Once a campaign is live, Display & Video 360 offers analytics and reporting capabilities that will help you to measure each impression in real time, understand whether the campaign is achieving its goals, and take steps to improve future results.

  Instant Reporting in the Insights module helps uncover new insights quickly with a visual report builder. You can build tables and charts directly in the product without having to export data and analyze it in spreadsheets. Instant Reporting shows the last 30 days of report data, lets you quickly toggle between data tables and charts, and supports the most common types of spreadsheet analyses, like pivot tables for summarizing data. You can even combine multiple Instant Reports into a single dashboard that loads in seconds, right inside of Display & Video 360.

  

   See data immediately with Instant Reporting

  Brand Lift and experiments use best-in-class test and control methodology to help you understand the impact your campaigns are having and optimize in mid-flight.

  • Brand Lift: Brand Lift allows you to easily measure the impact of your video ads on metrics like brand awareness, ad recall and consideration. You can also see how your video ads impact the number of searches for your brand on Google Search and YouTube, so you can assess their effect on brand interest. You can even segment reporting by audiences, creatives and publishers to better understand what’s working.

  • Experiments: A/B experiments enables you to compare the performance of different advertising setups, including targeting, settings and creatives — and shows you whether or not there was significant performance uplift. The findings can be used to improve performance of campaign mid-flight, or influence the planning and decision-making for future campaigns. 
    

  Integrations to connect data and deliver better results

  In addition to the reporting available in the Insights module, Display & Video 360 natively integrates with other Google Marketing Platform solutions, allowing you to connect data and workflows — increasing efficiency and delivering better results. And, to help expand coverage and enable choice, Display & Video 360 has integrations with leading measurement providers to help you assess and understand marketing performance, covering areas such as viewability, brand safety, audience measurement and more.

  With an ever-changing consumer journey, it is essential to respond quickly based on accurate insights to drive better campaign performance. The Insights module offers all the analytics and reporting capabilities necessary to measure each impression in real time, understand whether the campaign is achieving its goals and take steps to improve future results.
  

  Missed the other posts in this series? Catch up now and read about the other modules in Display & Video 360:

  • Campaigns

  • Audiences

  • Creatives

  • Inventory

  And, download our guide on the benefits of end-to-end campaign management. 
  

  
  
  https://www.blog.google/products/marketingplatform/360/get-actionable-measurement-display-video-360s-insights-module/