Google Cloud Platform News

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  Creating sustainable growth for Southeast Asia’s digital economy
  • sorangutan  

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  The past few years have shown Southeast Asia’s incredible resilience, as people and businesses have come online – often for the first time – to find new ways of accomplishing what would previously have to be done in person. In 2022, we’ve seen that resilience again, with global economic headwinds rising just as the region began to emerge from the pandemic.

  Despite the challenges, Southeast Asia’s digital economy continues to show its dynamism and strength. It’s expected to reach 20% growth in gross merchandise value (GMV) this year, heading towards US$200 billion in value. Encouragingly, as the lateste-Conomy SEA 2022 report confirms, the region is on track to hit that milestone three years earlier than we expected in our inaugural report in 2016.

  

  Over the past three years, 100 million new internet users have come online. The accelerated adoption of digital services we saw during the pandemic is now slowing down as technology becomes an integral part of people’s lives – particularly in urban areas. Many digital businesses are shifting priorities from winning new customers to engaging more deeply with existing ones.

  At the same time, there is plenty of room for the digital economy to grow, especially among suburban segments where digital services adoption is still relatively low.

  With that in mind, here are the main highlights from the 2022 report:

  Digital sectors are following different growth trajectories

  E-commerce spiked significantly during the pandemic and continues to thrive, with GMV growing 16% year-over-year. The growth continues despite people partially returning to shopping in person and businesses focusing on driving profitability— for example, by reducing discounts and monetizing value-added services. Food delivery is back to its trendline after tripling through the pandemic, and is expected to reach 14% growth. Transport is looking towards a robust recovery – 43% year-over-year growth – but continues to encounter obstacles such as inflated fuel costs and workforce shortages. Travel is back and looking at a significant 115% growth, boosted by the opening of international borders. However, full recovery for the transport and travel sectors is expected to be gradual, and it will take some more time before they regain 2019 levels.

  Digital Financial Services (DFS) continues to grow as a result of offline-to-online behavior shifts enduring post-pandemic, and we see winning business models emerge. Racing to capture different consumer segments, pureplay fintechs and consumer tech platforms are strengthening their position in the region, while established financial services accelerate digitalisation to compete with these newer players.

  Tech investments are still going strong

  Through the report, we also take a view into how investors in Southeast Asia's digital economy look at the growth and innovation coming from the region. Despite investors becoming more cautious in the current economic environment, tech funding maintained its strength during the first half of 2022, with a 13% growth in deal value from H1 2021 to H1 2022. Continuing the trend from the second half of 2021, DFS remained the top funded sector across Southeast Asia and overtook e-commerce as the region’s top investment sector. Emerging sectors hold promise in the digital decade, as over 80% of VCs expect that the focus in investments will increase in healthtech, SaaS and Web3.

  However, a closer look at the investments also reveal that while early-stagers are flourishing, late-stage investments are impacted by dim IPO prospects. Going into the second half of the year, investors are adopting a more cautious wait-and-watch approach.

  New enablers open the way towards a sustainable digital economy

  Historically, digital economy enablers in Southeast Asia have included payments, funding, logistics, internet access, and consumer trust. We’ve seen significant progress in many areas but as the digital economy continues to scale, we need to broaden our targets to ensure the growth is sustainable and no one is left behind.

  During the next two to three years, amidst the current macroeconomic climate, it’s clear that the path to profitability is an immediate priority for companies to maintain growth momentum. However, in the long run, digital inclusion and addressing growing environmental and social concerns will be key to success. It’s everyone’s shared responsibility to help achieve these goals – companies, customers, investors, and governments alike.

  

  Amidst the global economic headwinds, Southeast Asia is showing just how resilient and adaptable it can be. Its fundamentals remain strong and the digital decade holds great promise: the region’s digital economy is expected to grow twice as fast as GDP in most countries through 2030, and could reach up to $1T if it succeeds in scaling sustainably and unlocking its full potential.

  
  
  https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-asia/sea-economy-2022/
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  A new genome sequencing tool powered with our technology
  • sorangutan  

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  Genome sequencing provides a more complete description of cells and organisms, allowing scientists to uncover serious genetic conditions such as the elevated risk for breast cancer or pulmonary arterial hypertension. While researching genomics has the potential to save lives and preserve people’s quality of life, it's incredibly challenging work.

  Back in January, we announced a partnership with PacBio, a developer of genome sequencing instruments, to further advance genomic technologies. Today, PacBio is introducing the Revio sequencing system, an instrument that runs on our deep learning technology, DeepConsensus. With DeepConsensus built right into Revio, researchers can quickly and accurately identify genetic variants that cause diseases.

  How Google Health’s technology works

  Genome sequencing requires observing individual DNA molecules amidst a complex and noisy background. To address the problem, Google Health worked to adapt Transformer, one of our most influential existing deep learning methods that was developed in 2017 primarily to understand languages. We then applied it to PacBio’s data, which uses fluorescence light to encode DNA sequences. The result was DeepConsensus.

  Last year, we demonstrated that DeepConsensus was capable of reducing sequencing errors by 42%, resulting in better genome assemblies and more accurate identification of genetic variants. Although this was a promising research demonstration, we knew that DeepConsensus could have the greatest impact if it was running directly on PacBio’s sequencing instrument. Over the last year, we’ve worked closely with PacBio to speed up DeepConsensus by over 500x from its initial release. We’ve also further improved its accuracy to reduce errors by 59%.

  Combining our AI methods and genomics work with PacBio’s instruments and expertise, we were able to build better methods for the research community. Our partnership with PacBio doesn’t stop with Revio. There’s limitless potential to make an impact on the research community and improve healthcare and access for people around the world.

  
  
  https://blog.google/technology/health/a-new-genome-sequencing-tool-powered-with-our-technology/
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  Supporting HBCU students on the path to tech careers
  • sorangutan  

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  Last weekend I was welcomed back to my “home by the sea” — Hampton University, located on Chesapeake Bay — as the co-grand marshal for this year’s homecoming festivities along with fellow alumna Dr. Dietra Trent, White House Director of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) initiatives. As a proud Hampton alumna and Google’s Chief Diversity Officer, it gives me great pride to continue Google’s long-standing partnership with the HBCU community.

  I’ve seen firsthand the impact HBCU graduates are having on the next generation of leaders and thinkers across today’s industries, including tech. In a recent United Negro College Fund (UNCF) study, despite only making up 3% of the nation’s colleges and universities, HBCUs produce almost 20% of all African American graduates and 25% of African American graduates with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) degrees.

  

  Melonie Parker, Google’s Chief Diversity Officer at Hampton’s homecoming.

  At Google, we remain steadfast in our investment and support for HBCUs, and we’ve partnered closely with them to build pathways to tech. One way we’ve done that is by welcoming students from 15 HBCUs for full-time roles and internships in the last year alone, and we've expanded our recruiting efforts to more than 900 schools in the last decade. We’ve also invested in programming to further opportunities and pathways for HBCU and Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) students, including:

  • Tech Exchange, a semester-long immersive program for select HBCU and HSI students, has quadrupled in size and expanded to serve students from 16 HBCUs and Hispanic-Serving Institutions since launching in 2017.
  • Our Pathways to Tech initiative was designed to build equity for HBCU computing education, help job seekers find tech roles, and ensure that Black employees have growth opportunities and feel included at work.
  • The Grow with Google HBCU Career Readiness Program, a partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, brings digital skills training into the career centers of HBCUs. The program recently expanded to 20 HBCUs, and aims to help 20,000 students learn digital skills by the end of the current school year.
  • Finally, our Google in Residence (GIR) program gives experienced Google software engineers the chance to teach introductory computer science classes, which have reached more than 8,000 HBCU and HSI students since 2013. Two of our GIR students actually became instructors this year, and many have gone on to internships in our Student Training in Engineering Program and full-time software engineering roles at Google.

  We also recognize the unique needs of students, faculty and staff within each of these historic institutions. I meet regularly with the HBCU Presidents’ Council, which advises on creating and executing meaningful programming that meets the needs of HBCU students. In 2021, we provided a $50 million grant to 10 HBCUs to support scholarships, invest in technical infrastructure for in-class and remote learning, and develop curricula and career support programs.

  To build on this, Monday I was honored to announce a $5 million Google.org grant to Spelman College’s Center for Minority Women in STEM. A team of Google.org Fellows will partner with Spelman to build the first database that will conduct and publicize research on the experiences of women from historically underrepresented groups in STEM. The findings will be used to help empower and elevate women in STEM fields. This week we also announced $300,000 in funding for 18 HBCU and HSI partners to support faculty and students in tech majors. We plan to distribute this funding annually to enable growth and retention in computer science departments.

  Finally, supporting our HBCU and HSI partners means showing up and continuing to shine a light on these historic and critical institutions:

  • We were proud to sponsor the National HBCU Week Conference organized by the The White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The event brought together more than 1,500 HBCU students, faculty and community leaders from across the U.S. for the first time since 2019. We hosted panels and workshops on career opportunities, resume building and personal brands.
  • Just last month we were the halftime sponsor at the inaugural HBCU New York Football Classic. More than 35,000 fans gathered in the stands for the September 17 game between Morehouse College and Howard University as part of HBCU Week. Our sponsorship included scholarships to 105 HBCU students and a partnership with HBCU Tools for School, a nonprofit that provides access to tools, resources and networks critical for academic success.
  • Finally, we’re working with the NBA Foundation on an upcoming promotion where a portion of proceeds from Pixel sales on the Google Store will go to HBCUs.

  10:25

  For more than a century, HBCUs have been a driving force in the cultivation of academic excellence and professional achievement within the Black community. We will continue to do our part to support these institutions, and their students, as we work to make tech more inclusive and representative at all levels of the workforce.

  
  
  https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/diversity/supporting-hbcu-students-on-the-path-to-tech-careers/
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  7 Google Photos tips for perfecting your pics on Pixel 7
  • sorangutan  

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  Our new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro have incredible cameras for capturing your memories, but snapping a photo is just the beginning. We all want to get our photos looking just right to share them and reminisce. Thanks to advances in machine learning, Google Photos is packed with powerful editing features that are a breeze to use.

  Here are seven tips to get your photos — both new ones taken on a Pixel 7 and old ones from past years (and phones) — looking picture-perfect with Google Photos on Pixel 7.

  1. Fix blurry shots with Photo Unblur

  Bring your blurry photos back into focus with just a few taps using Photo Unblur, a brand-new feature only on Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro. Photo Unblur removes blur and visual noise so you can relive the moment as clearly as you remember it. Best of all, it even works on pictures in your library taken with a different phone or camera and scanned images.

  

  2. Get rid of distractions with Magic Eraser

  Magic Eraser, which was introduced last year, can detect distractions in your photos — like photobombers in the background, power lines and power poles. Just a few taps to remove them and, poof, gone. You can also circle or brush what you want to remove. No need to be precise — Magic Eraser will figure out what you’re trying to remove.

  

  Bonus Magic Eraser tip: Don’t want to remove a distraction entirely, but want it to blend in a bit more? Use Camouflage in Magic Eraser to change the color of distracting objects in your photo. In just a few taps, the object’s colors and shading blend in naturally with the rest of the photo.

  3. Make your subject stand out with Portrait blur

  Portrait mode in the Pixel Camera can really make your subject shine. But what if you forgot to use it when snapping a picture or you want to edit a picture from the past? With Portrait blur, Google Photos can intelligently blur the background on photos of people — plus pets, food, flowers and more — post-snap.

  

  4. Improve the lighting on faces with Portrait light

  A good portrait can be hard to capture, especially if the lighting isn’t quite right or you took the photo with an older phone or camera. Use Portrait light to easily improve the lighting on faces, and you can even adjust the light position and brightness to customize your look.

  

  5. Bring balance to your photos with the HDR effect

  If you’ve got older pictures with a dark foreground and bright background (or vice versa), it can be hard to make out all the details in the shot. Enter the HDR effect to help balance things out — enhancing the brightness and contrast across the image so you can soak in every detail.

  

  6. Change up the mood and tone of your sunset pics with sky suggestions

  Chances are you’ve got quite a few sunset photos in your library that didn’t quite capture the beauty of what you saw in the moment. How do you revive it and make it stand out from all the rest? Use sky suggestions to put your own creative twist on your golden hour images. Select from several palettes that adjust the color and contrast of the sky to change up the mood and tone of your pic to get it ready to share.

  

  7. Use the collage editor to make shareable creations

  Make creative, shareable collages with the new collage editor. Pick up to six photos and select from more than 50 designs available to Pixel users. You can easily rearrange the layout with simple drag-and-drop controls and even edit each photo in the collage individually to get just the right look.

  

  Get creative and mix and match all of these features to create a stunning image that’s ready to share. Remove a photobomber in the background, then combine Photo Unblur, Portrait light and Portrait blur to create a fresh image that gives your memory new life.

  

  With Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, all the tools you need to perfect your photos or put a creative spin on them are right in Google Photos. Get to editing and share your best creations on social with the hashtag #FixedOnPixel.

  Read Article

  Give it a shot: Check out these 10 new camera upgrades on Pixel 7 and 7 Pro

  Take a closer look at why this is our best photo and video experience we’ve ever had on a Pixel phone.

  Read Article

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/photos/7-photo-editing-tips-pixel7/
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  Kwentuhan: Sharing our stories this Filipino American History Month
  • sorangutan  

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  “Kwentuhan” roughly translates to “sharing stories” in English. For Filipino American History Month, or Kapamilya Month as our Filipino Googler Network refers to it, we sat down with Paolo Malabuyo, Director of User Experience in Google Maps and executive sponsor of the Filipino Googler Network, to learn about his story.

  As a child growing up in the Philippines, we heard you were somewhat of a Lego competition legend. How did this kickstart your interest in working in UX and design?

  I was the youngest of four and I always felt like I was in the shadow of my older, smarter, more athletic and more accomplished siblings. I don’t recall having many ideas about what I wanted to be when I grew up, until my grandmother immigrated to the United States in the 1960s and started sending small handfuls of Lego pieces through the mail.

  This started my fascination with Lego and culminated in my participation in Lego competitions across the Philippines. I still think that the greatest job in the world is designing Lego sets.

  • Paolo standing with two Lego boxes on either side of him. In front of him on the table is a fully constructed Lego set.

    Paolo with his winning build and prizes.

  • Paolo sitting at a table building a Lego set in a room full of others also focused on their Lego creations. To his right, a man stands over his shoulder watching him build the set

    A younger Paolo during a Lego competition with Larry Alcala, famous Filipino cartoonist, looking on as a judge.

  • Four people sit on a stage for a panel discussion

    Paolo (third from left) on a panel of designers at Adobo Design Week in Manila, Philippines

  I immigrated to the States right before my 12th birthday and picked up drawing, reading, and crafting. This developed into a real affinity for art. I ended up getting a BFA in art and minors in communication design, art history and Chinese studies. I also took basic programming classes and learned web design by emulating early websites.

  Like Lego pieces, my early days of creatively building, combined with my art education and CS study were what constructed my career today. I got my first role as a graphic designer which started my roundabout journey to become a UX designer, leader and educator.

  Can you talk about your role at Google?

  I lead the cross-disciplinary user experience teams for Geo Auto and Geo Sustainability. In Auto, we design and deliver the in-car, embedded Google Maps experiences for navigation, routing, and situational awareness so that drivers are safer and more confident, with a major focus on electric vehicles. In Sustainability, we provide platforms, insights, and solutions that help users and partners tackle climate change – the preeminent challenge for humanity today. It’s an incredibly interesting portfolio and it’s such a privilege to work with our teams and clients.

  As an executive sponsor for the FIlipino Googler Network, I get to work closely with other teams across Google on projects that impact the Filipino community. One example is the work happening on Maps to help business owners identify themselves, including the introduction of the Asian-owned attribute earlier this year. This attribute will help many Filipino businesses be recognized by current and future customers.

  What else is Google doing in support of Filipino culture?

  It’s great to see how Google’s products and services are celebrating Filipino culture and elevating our voices. This month, we ran a beautiful Google Doodle in the Philippines which celebrated the Regatta de Zamboanga, an annual sailing competition from the southern part of the country.

  

  Google TV is highlighting recent movies and TV shows that tell Filipino American stories and feature Filipino American lead actors in its “For you” tab.

  

  One of Google TV's highlighted shows for Filipino American History Month

  And Google Arts & Culture has teamed up with amazing organizations to celebrate the rich culture and history of the Philippines, including the Filipinas Heritage Library, Filipino Street Art Project, and the Ballet Philippines.

  Earlier, you talked about how you grew up in the Philippines. What role do you think Google has to play in supporting the local community?

  Google has amazing resources that can help the people in the Philippines. We’ve done a lot to support inclusive distance learning, from a Google.org grant to help teachers, to the national deployment of G Suite for Education to 22 million learners in partnership with the Department of Education. We’re collaborating with local telecommunications companies to bring mobile access to learning tools and started a virtual training camp for Filipino YouTubers to accelerate development of quality learning content on the platform. Just last month, we announced we will be giving away Google Career Certificate scholarships to 39,000 Filipino youths.

  Commitments like these are super valuable, and I’m grateful for the work to come.

  
  
  https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/diversity/kwentuhan-sharing-our-stories-this-filipino-american-history-month/
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  The Art of Survival: A Yazidi Cultural Archive
  • sorangutan  

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  The arts are integral tohow we make sense of the world. Traditional arts and cultural practices have long been used to elevate human experience and shift perspectives. However, in recent decades these benefits have increasingly been the subject of more formalstudy, highlighting the direct health benefits of participating in the arts such as increased physical activity, stress-reduction and connection. Such benefits are particularly vital for people who have experienced forced displacement.

  Currentevidence points to how the arts and arts therapies promote physical, mental and social well being for people who are working through the aftermath of violence and conflict. Dance and dance/movement therapy can help people release grief and recover a sense of joy. Theater and drama therapy can aid people in re-discovering a sense of playfulness, rehearse new ways of being, deepen empathy and communicate across differences. Music and music therapy can decrease stress, facilitate emotional regulation, and promote a shared sense of belonging for both displaced persons and host communities. Participation in visual art and art therapy can promote relaxation and enable greater expression.

  An example of this may be seen in the Yazidi Cultural Archives project. The project was developed over the course of 12 months through a partnership betweenYazda, a community-led organization that aids survivors of genocide in Iraq and around the world,Community Jameel,CULTURUNNERS, theOffice of the UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Technology and the World Health Organization, with support from the Iraq Cultural Health Fund, as part of the Healing Arts initiative. An evaluation of the impact of the archives on the psychological wellbeing of participants is being supported by theArts and Health initiative at New York University.

  Today, in colaboration with Google Arts & Culture, we present four unique digital stories commemorating the strength and vitality of the Yazidi people following the 2014 genocide in Iraq carried out by Da’esh. We honor these women who have shown extraordinary courage in the face of dehumanising acts which are, for most of us, unimaginable. The content was produced through a series of art and photography workshops, led by Yazda, to help women use art to express their experience, recover a sense of connection with themselves and each other, reimagine identity, and document examples of their intangible cultural heritage. What is particularly notable about this project is that rather than delegating the process of cultural preservation to “experts,” this group of women were given the tools to identify what was meaningful to them and encouraged to find ways of expressing that meaning in the manner that suited them best.

  • Painting by Ivana Waleed, Yazidi Activist and Survivor, titled Unknown, faceless woman.

    Unknown, faceless woman. Painting by Ivana Waleed, Yazidi Activist and Survivor.

  • Painting by Suhalia Dakhil Talo, Yazidi Survivor, of person with their arm and mouth strangles by unknown arms. It is a metaphor representing every powerless and voiceless survivor.

    The work by Suhalia Dakhil Talo, Yazidi Survivor, is a metaphor, representing every powerless and voiceless survivor.

  • Painting by Malaeen LUQMAN called ‘Behind Every Darkness is Light’. Black background with orange circle in the middle, inside it a girl wearing a white dress carrying a lamp. It expresses the sadness experienced by the girl who was kidnapped by ISIS, and that she did not expect one day that she would return to her family.

    Behind Every Darkness is Light, painting by Malaeen LUQMAN, expresses the sadness experienced by the girl who was kidnapped by ISIS, and that she did not expect one day that she would return to her family.

  • Photo of different paintings in a courtyard as part of an artist-led workshop.

    Paintings by Yazidi Survivors. Healing Arts Project aimed to improve the wellbeing of participants through artist-led workshops which built upon the known psychological benefits of group support, artistic engagement, and cultural validation.

  • Photo of people taking part in a photography workshop in the IDP camp in Khanki.

    Photography Workshop in the IDPs Camp in Khanki.

  The Nobody’s Listening: Justice for the Yazidi People exhibition provides background to the historical and cultural situation of Yazidis, a unique ethno-religious group whose origins stretch back more than 6,000 years to ancient Mesopotamia. Between the description of the past and current events, people can discover artworks from Yazidi survivors and get to know their feelings and thoughts.

  Stories of Thread & Ink: Preserving Yazidi Cultural Heritage shows us Yazidi women of different generations who have come together to reclaim and revive at-risk cultural practices to preserve their heritage. Sustaining traditional cultural practices like Dazik — Yazidi traditional handmade bracelets and unique markings known as 'Deq' Tattoos — is important to survivors, and those who remain displaced and living in camps, as a pillar of their cultural identity and link to their lives before the genocide.

  • Photographic portrait of Malaeen LUQMAN, a Yazidi survivor.

    A picture of the survivor Malaeen LUQMAN.

  • Image of a drawing by Malaeen LUQMAN.

    Strong - drawing by Malaeen LUQMAN, expresses the power of pain experienced by women in society. It was drawn to encourage women to be strong, no matter what happens to them.

  • Photographic portrait of Elham, a Yazidi survivor.

    Portrait of Elham, a Yazidi survivor.

  • Photograph taken by Elham of jars storing oil.

    Oil stored in those jars is being used in religious ceremonies and rituals that are held in Lalish Temple throughout the whole year. Photograph taken by Elham.

  "I survived captivity and am passionate about my new life. After I was liberated from Da'esh, I joined this art workshop to advocate for myself and other survivors. I felt pride in what we created because it helped me remember who I am and who my people are." - Malaeen LUQMAN, Yazidi survivor.

  The Healing Lens: A Photographic Journey by Yazidi Survivors exhibition was created by eight women who were under Da'esh occupation, all currently living in refugee camps in Iraq. It is their response to the ongoing situation between Da’esh and the Yazidis. The story presents photographs they took to commemorate cultural motifs, such as a healing fountain, tombs, or the olive oil jars used in religious ceremonies and rituals that are held in Lalish temple. Through The Art of Survival: A Yazidi Cultural Archive exhibition people can explore inspiring paintings of resistance and healing by Yazidi women who have hope, belief in their dreams and are proud now to share their culture with a new generation.

  This project is a reflection of how the arts and culture are a valuable and available resource that can create healthier, stronger and more equitable communities. We encourage you to explore this affirmation of healing and remembrance on the United Nations page on Google Arts & Culture. In addition to preserving cultural practices, the celebration of our unique expression of identity allows us to regain control of our individual narratives and imagine for ourselves a joyful and thriving future.

  
  
  https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/arts-culture/the-art-of-survival-a-yazidi-cultural-archive/
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  TAG Bulletin: Q3 2022
  • sorangutan  

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  This bulletin includes coordinated influence operation campaigns terminated on our platforms in Q3 2022. It was last updated on October 26, 2022.

  July

  • We terminated 7 YouTube channels as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to Russia. The campaign was linked to a Russian consulting firm and was sharing content in Russian that was supportive of Russia and critical of Ukraine and the U.S.
  • We terminated 7 YouTube channels and 3 AdSense accounts as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to China. The campaign was sharing content in English and Chinese that was supportive of the Chinese semiconductor and tech industries and critical of the U.S. semiconductor industry and U.S. sanctions on Chinese tech companies.
  • We terminated 2,150 YouTube channels as part of our ongoing investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to China. These channels mostly uploaded spammy content in Chinese about music, entertainment, and lifestyle. A very small subset uploaded content in Chinese and English about China and U.S. foreign affairs. These findings are consistent with our previous reports.

  August

  • We terminated 10 YouTube channels and blocked 120 domains from eligibility to appear on Google News surfaces and Discover as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to China. The campaign was linked to a Chinese PR firm named Shanghai Haixun Technology Co., Ltd. and was sharing content in English, Chinese, Russian, Ukrainian, Thai, Hindi, French, Arabic, Italian, Vietnamese and Korean that was critical of international news coverage of Xinjiang, the United States and its relationship with Taiwan, and high profile critics of the Chinese government. We received leads from Mandiant that supported us in this investigation.
  • We terminated 12 YouTube channels, 4 Ads accounts, and 2 Blogger blogs and blocked 3 domains from eligibility to appear on Google News surfaces and Discover as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to the United States. The campaign was sharing content in English, Arabic, Persian, and Russian that was promoting U.S. foreign affairs. We received leads from Twitter that supported us in this investigation.
  • We terminated 15 YouTube channels as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to Sudan. The campaign was sharing content in Arabic that was supportive of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces and their leader Hemetti. We received leads from Twitter that supported us in this investigation.
  • We terminated 3 YouTube channels as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to Russia. The campaign was linked to the media outlet News Front and was sharing content in English and German that was supportive of Russia and critical of the United States. We received leads from Twitter that supported us in this investigation.
  • We terminated 1 AdSense account and blocked 1 domain from eligibility to appear on Google News surfaces and Discover as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to Turkey. The campaign was sharing content in Turkish that was supportive of Turkey’s AK Party. We received leads from Twitter that supported us in this investigation.
  • We terminated 12 YouTube channels as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to Russia. The campaign was linked to a Russian consulting firm and was sharing content in Russian that was supportive of Russia and the Russian military and critical of NATO, Ukraine, and the West. We received leads from Twitter that supported us in this investigation.
  • We terminated 15 YouTube channels, 2 AdSense accounts, and 1 Blogger blog as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to Vietnam. The campaign was sharing content in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and German that was supportive of Russia and critical of Ukraine and China. We believe this operation was financially motivated.
  • We terminated 1 YouTube channel and 1 Ads account and blocked 1 domain from eligibility to appear on Google News surfaces and Discover as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to Russia. The campaign was sharing content in Russian that was critical of the United States, the EU, Ukraine, and NATO.
  • We terminated 1104 YouTube channels as part of our ongoing investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to China. These channels mostly uploaded spammy content in Chinese about music, entertainment, and lifestyle. A very small subset uploaded content in Chinese and English about China and U.S. foreign affairs. These findings are consistent with our previous reports.

  September

  • We terminated 1 AdSense account and blocked 4 domains from eligibility to appear on Google News surfaces and Discover as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to North Macedonia. The campaign was sharing sensational content in English that was about a variety of topics including U.S. and European current events. We believe this operation was financially motivated.
  • We terminated 5 YouTube channels as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to Myanmar. The campaign was sharing content in Burmese that was critical of the People’s Defense Force of Myanmar.
  • We terminated 3 YouTube channels as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to Russia. The campaign was linked to the Internet Research Agency (IRA) and was sharing content in French that was supportive of Russian policy objectives in Libya. We received leads from the FBI that supported us in this investigation.
  • We blocked 1 domain from eligibility to appear on Google News surfaces and Discover as part of our investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to Iran. The campaign was sharing content in Arabic that was critical of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.
  • We terminated 6957 YouTube channels and 144 Blogger blogs as part of our ongoing investigation into coordinated influence operations linked to China. These channels and blogs mostly uploaded spammy content in Chinese about music, entertainment, and lifestyle. A very small subset uploaded content in Chinese and English about China and U.S. foreign affairs. These findings are consistent with our previous reports.

  
  
  https://blog.google/threat-analysis-group/tag-bulletin-q3-2022/
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  A brief history of our search interest in pumpkin spice lattes
  • sorangutan  

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  Pumpkin Spice Lattes are practically synonymous with autumn. It just isn’t fall until you sip a PSL while fiery orange leaves crunch under your boots. The Pumpkin Spice Latte is an undeniable staple of the season — look no further than Google Trends for proof. Here are 10 moments of PSL search trend history.

  1. “Pumpkin Spice Latte” began gaining popularity as a search term in the fall of 2010.

  

  2. It started out as a solidly autumnal treat — up until 2017, search interest in “Pumpkin Spice Latte” first peaked in September, and then again in October and November.

  

  3. These days, it’s becoming more of a late-summer, early-fall beverage: Since 2018, search interest in “Pumpkin Spice Latte” has peaked in August.

  

  4. On that note: Searches for “Pumpkin Spice Latte” were highest in 2022 during the week of August 28 - September 3.

  

  5. Search interest in “pumpkin spice latte” hit new heights in August of this year.

  

  6. …Which isn’t terribly surprising, given that it’s been on a steady increase every year — until 2018! Search interest dropped significantly in 2018, and only began rising again in 2021.

  7. Speaking of PSLs, search interest in the pumpkin spice acronym grew annually alongside the full drink name. (Quick note that not all “PSL” searches are about the drink — PSL is also an acronym for other things, like Port St. Lucie, a city in Florida. But PSL spikes do seem to coincide with “pumpkin spice latte” spikes each fall, so clearly some of the interest overlaps.)

  

  8. Looking at related search terms, searches for “pumpkin spice” have actually always been higher than search interest for “pumpkin spice latte.” But they’ve also experienced a rise in popularity parallel to search interest in the coffee drink.

  

  This begs the question: Is it the chicken or the egg? Or rather, the pumpkin spice or the latte? Has a penchant for pumpkin spice driven interest in the drink, or is it the other way around?

  9. Search interest in “pumpkin spice” (hold the latte) is also happening earlier each year. Initially the spike happened in November and then October…but that peak moved to September and has stayed there since 2014.

  

  10. And finally: Not all pumpkin spice products are edible. Earlier this month in the U.S., the most-searched “pumpkin spice scented” items (in order of popularity) were cat litter, soap, pouches, candles and hand lotion.

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/search/search-interest-trends-history-psl/
• 

  The future of fighting misinformation in Asia-Pacific
  • sorangutan  

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  The global Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2022 shows that trust in news has declined in almost half the countries surveyed, and more people are actively avoiding the news. Meanwhile, a majority of those surveyed said they worry about identifying the difference between real news and misinformation on the internet.

  The Asia Pacific region is no stranger to these trends, and ahead of elections in Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, India and Indonesia, the fifth annual APAC Trusted Media Summit, organized by the Google News Initiative (GNI), brought together journalists, fact-checkers, educators, researchers, activists, and policymakers to share best practices for fact-checking and media literacy.

  Here are our key takeaways from the event.

  Pre-bunk rather than debunk.

  Researchers at the University of Cambridge found that short "prebunking" videos, rolled out as ads on social media, are effective at improving people's ability to spot fake information.

  Debunks, on the other hand, typically don’t reach as many people as misinformation, and they don’t spread nearly as quickly— which is why pre-bunking is crucial. Research shows the power of the continued influence effect: once someone is exposed to misinformation, it’s significantly more difficult to return their beliefs to a baseline similar to that of someone who was never exposed to it in the first place.

  Remember that people react emotion-first.

  Dr. Michelle Wong, Content Creator at Lab Muffin Beauty Science, has been debunking misinformation around online beauty products for 11 years. She says that with people’s short attention spans, garnering the same level of interest in true stories as misinformation means that social media content has to have two things: a compelling hook, and an easy-to-understand explanation.

  Dr. Wong reminded us that misinformation spreads faster online because most of the content taps into powerful emotions like fear— which affect viewers more than complex science does. Using the same tactic for debunking can help reach (and inform!) a much broader audience.

  Coalition building and empowering individuals.

  Addressing misinformation requires more resources and skills beyond those of any single organization, industry, sector, or government.

  As shared by Maria Ressa, Filipino-American journalist, author, co-founder and CEO of Rappler, #FactsFirstPH created a movement ahead of the recent Philippines elections. A coalition of 16 news organizations and 116 civil society groups and businesses came together and built a collective network that pushed the real facts through the algorithm in an enormous ripple effect.

  Most importantly, collaboration needs to come from all sectors— from tech companies like Google, to media, governments, fact-checkers and research. Working together, we can build a sustainable, large-scale approach to fighting misinformation.

  The way forward for Asia-Pacific.

  This year, in its 5th edition, the Trusted Media Summit gathered 1,960 registrants across the globe from 24 countries, representing over 350 organizations in seven languages Attendees and speakers shared ideas and it was truly impressive how this community continues their work year after year to fight misinformation.

  Attendees at this year’s event learned how the community can collaborate, work on pre-bunking and adopt influencers’ successful social media strategies. I’m proud of our work that helps bring people together, and I believe that Asia-Pacific can lead the way in building a better, more informed future for all.

  If you missed the APAC Trusted Media Summit 2022, we’ve put together on-demand videos from the event here.

  
  
  https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/google-news-initiative/the-future-of-fighting-misinformation-in-asia-pacific/
• 

  In Madrid, a pitch for “open security”
  • sorangutan  

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  The following is adapted from remarks delivered by Kent Walker, President of Global Affairs, at the “Google Cybersecurity Summit: Protecting Europe's Digital Space” in Madrid on October 26, 2022.

  Today’s cybersecurity discussion couldn’t be more timely.

  Against a backdrop of rising geo-political tensions, we are seeing more and more efforts to undercut our shared security.

  Cyber and information wars have become tools of the trade in attempts to exploit our vulnerabilities and destabilize our economies and our democracies.

  It is no wonder that when the European Commission unveiled its plan for Europe’s digital transformation by 2030, it called security a fundamental right central to its vision.

  So where do we begin the task of securing the digital world?

  On the one hand, some would embrace data localization requirements, limits on market access, and even restrictions to accessing some cross-border services.

  Essentially walled gardens and high fortresses. But we would suggest a different tack.

  Though it sounds like a paradox, the best modern digital security actually comes through embracing openness.

  Though it sounds like a paradox, the best modern digital security actually comes through embracing openness. Kent Walker
  

  That’s because in today’s mobile, hybrid environment, cybersecurity is a team sport. We are each only as strong as our weakest link. But when we work together, we spur innovation and advance best practices that benefit all.

  I speak from some experience here, as Google’s services are attacked every day. And yet we keep more people safe than anyone else in the world. We do that by looking at security through a collective lens, leveraging open frameworks, and relying heavily on secure open-source software.

  We hope to use what we have learned to help secure Europe’s “digital decade.”

  To that end, we recently published a white paper with recommendations like investing in technology that’s secure by default; working with private and international partners on new areas of cooperation, and building security based on openness and interoperability.

  These recommendations are based on first-hand experience. In 2009, Google was the victim of a major cybersecurity attack, code named Operation Aurora. We learned that transparency, coupled with security by design, was the best way to secure the digital ecosystem.

  As we detail in our recently released docuseries, HACKING GOOGLE, Aurora changed everything. It spurred us to shift away from the old “perimeter defense” model of crunchy on the outside, chewy in the middle (with high outside walls but no interior defenses) to a zero-trust model in which all users, all devices, and all applications are continuously checked for security risks, and yet security comes easily and naturally for users.

  After Aurora, we launched our Threat Analysis Group, or TAG, to spot, disclose, and attribute threats, whether they were coming from nation-state actors or commercial spyware and surveillance vendors. We also launched our Project Zero team to find and promptly disclose previously unknown zero-day vulnerabilities in our own and other companies’ software, raising the security bar for everyone.

  It hasn’t always been comfortable work–but that kind of transparency is key to security. As the computer engineering saying goes, “with enough eyes, all bugs are shallow.”

  Today, by adopting advanced security innovation and threat intelligence, we ensure vulnerabilities are fixed fast, before they can be widely exploited.

  You can see our approach in action whenever TAG discloses a new threat. For example, in 2017, our Android operating system was the first mobile platform to warn users about NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware–“zero-click” malware designed to allow an attacker to compromise a smartphone without a user taking any action.

  By sharing information early and widely, we raised awareness of this threat, helped victims understand if they were compromised, and promoted a greater focus on mitigations. Since then, TAG has continued to report on Pegasus and other commercial spyware tools, shining a light on this murky industry.

  So when the war came in Ukraine, open security principles kept us one step ahead. Since the war began, we’ve sent thousands of warnings to users targeted by nation-state actors–another practice we pioneered after Aurora. We’ve succeeded in blocking the vast majority of the attacks. And we launched Project Shield, bringing not just journalists, but human rights organizations and even government websites in Ukraine under Google’s security umbrella against distributed denial of service attacks.

  Because while it can be easy to DDOS small sites, it turns out that it’s pretty tough to DDOS Google.

  We are all in on this collaborative approach to security. Currently, we are working with our team at VirusTotal to launch a new Google Safety Engineering Center in Málaga, Spain, which we hope will become a European hub for joint research on advanced threats.

  

  Our newest safety engineering center, like GCEC Munich (pictured above), is launching in Malaga.

  Since we acquired VirusTotal in 2012, they have grown from a scrappy startup to become the world’s leading malware scanner and repository, what many call “the Google of cybersecurity tools.” VirusTotal enables people to search for malware against the millions of new samples submitted daily.

  On top of that, when Google combined our existing security solutions with Mandiant’s cyber threat intelligence, we laid the groundwork to help public and private sector organizations in Europe anticipate, warn about, and mitigate threats.

  What are the larger lessons for all of us as we work toward open security?

  First, partnerships and agreements among democratic and rule-of-law societies are key. We need to set aside siloed approaches and embrace an ecosystem of innovation where security experts can share threats, evolve best practices, and adopt new technologies.

  In support of that ecosystem, I’m pleased to announce that in 2023, we will be hosting a new Google for Startups Growth Academy for EU Cybersecurity, a growth program to help cybersecurity startups across Europe grow into success stories.

  Second, interoperability and aligned security standards between technologies and among countries makes compliance easier for businesses, innovators, and manufacturers of all sizes–which makes for more secure hardware and better software.

  The third and final thing to keep in mind is that when we shift away from buggy legacy technology and perimeter defense models and toward modern infrastructure, we can accommodate today’s increasingly global, hybrid workforces, without sacrificing security.

  Collective security requires not just walls, but bridges.

  By adopting an approach built on open principles like security-by-default, zero-trust architecture, transparency, and principled partnerships, we can advance the frontiers of information security, letting all of us sleep better at night.

  
  
  https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/public-policy/in-madrid-a-pitch-for-open-security/
• 

  Helpful Search tools for evaluating information online
  • sorangutan  

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  People turn to Google every day for information in important moments. Sometimes that’s to look for the best recipe for dinner, other times it’s to check the facts about a claim they heard from a friend.

  No matter what you’re searching for, we aim to connect you with high-quality information, and help you understand and evaluate that information. That’s why we design our ranking systems to prioritize the most useful, highest-quality content and provide direct access to reliable information for important topics.

  We’re also investing in new ways to give you more context about the information you find online and introducing more information literacy features, based on research and best practices from experts. This week marks UNESCO Global Media and Information Literacy Week, and we’re sharing some new announcements about this important work.

  Get context with About this result

  When you’re searching for information on Google, it can be helpful to have quick access to more context about the sources and topics you’re finding in Search – so you can make a more informed decision about the sites you may want to visit and what results will be most useful for you.

  Starting today, we’re rolling out our About this result feature to people searching in Portuguese, French, Italian, Dutch, German and Spanish in Europe. Next to most results on Google, you’ll begin to see the option to tap the three dots to learn more about the result or feature and where the information is coming from.

  You can:

  • See more information about the source: In addition to seeing a source description from Wikipedia, you’ll also be able to read what a site says about itself in its own words, and when it was first indexed.
  • Find what others on the web have said about a site: Reading what others have written about a site -- news, reviews and other helpful background context -- can help you better evaluate sources.
  • Learn more about the topic: In the “About the topic” section, you can find information, such as top news coverage or results about the same topic from other sources.

  We’ve also launched About this page in the Google app, so you can get helpful context about websites as you’re browsing the web. Just swipe up from the navigation bar on any page to get more information about the source – helping you explore with confidence, no matter where you are online.

  Empowering you with context

  There are a range of other Google tools that help people evaluate the credibility of information online. For instance, we make it easy to spot fact checks published by independent, authoritative sources on the web. We highlight relevant fact checks on results in Search, News and Google Images.

  One of the most important pieces of context we can provide is letting you know when helpful or relevant information isn’t available on the web just yet. This could be true in a rapidly evolving event, where interest in a topic can often travel faster than the facts. Or when relevant information simply doesn’t exist for your search. In these moments, we alert you with a notice recommending that you check back later or try another search.

  Supporting Super Searchers

  Information literacy is a key skill for people who are trying to navigate an increasingly complex information landscape. To help empower people to understand the tools and tactics that they can use to make sense of information online, Google is partnering with Public Libraries 2030 to launch the Super Searcher training program in Europe.

  Under this partnership, librarians and library staff across Europe will be trained on best practices from information literacy experts, including how to use tools like About this result on Search to help evaluate information online. In turn, trained librarians and library staff will be able to help educate library patrons to strengthen their information literacy skills. This program will be offered in 12 countries in the coming months.

  We know that Search is a powerful tool for getting high quality information, and we’ll keep investing in ways to empower people to critically evaluate the information they find.

  
  
  https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-europe/helpful-search-tools-for-evaluating-information-online/
• 

  The 5 best ways to stay secure online with Chrome
  • sorangutan  

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  We designed Chrome to be secure by default, protecting you from dangerous and deceptive sites that might steal your passwords or infect your device. Chrome pioneered many of the techniques that are now foundational to browser security (such as sandboxing and site isolation), and with recent advances like predictive phishing protection, you can be confident that we’re using the latest technology to keep your data safe.

  But what can you do yourself to make sure you stay safe online? To mark Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we talked to a few Chrome security engineers to share a few pieces of advice:

  Keep Chrome up to date

  Hundreds of security engineers across Google work to keep Chrome safe against the latest threats, and those improvements come out at least every two weeks. “We try to shorten the time between when a security bug has been discovered or reported and when a fix is released,” says Amy Ressler, a security technical program manager. “No matter how fast we work, we know motivated adversaries are looking for opportunities to exploit the ‘patch gap’ between when we release the fix and when some users update to the newest version.” Chrome checks for updates regularly, and when one is available, Chrome downloads it immediately and then applies it when you close and reopen the browser. But if you haven’t closed your browser in a while, you may have a pending update visible in the upper right corner of the browser window. To apply the update, click “Update” or simply close and reopen Chrome. Don’t worry: You won’t lose your tabs, and it will only take a few seconds.

  

  Store strong, unique passwords with Google Password Manager

  Using a password manager (even if it’s not Google’s) will help you store and use a strong, unique password for each site you log into. “If your password is compromised through a phishing attack or a security breach,” security software engineer Nwokedi Idika says, “using a unique password on every site reduces its value to an attacker because it only provides access to a single site — not multiple ones.” If you’re using a password manager to store “fido1234” as your password for every site, you're not making the most of the tool. Google Password Manager can suggest and save a strong, unique password of gobbledygook (like KZamPPzj43T9mQM). Then, Chrome will autofill the password next time you need it — on any device. Chrome should suggest a new strong password when creating a new account, or you can always right click in the password field and click “Suggest Password.”

  

  Don’t ignore Chrome's download warnings

  Chrome and Safe Browsing work to ensure that we warn you about dangerous downloads when possible. When you see a download warning, you can still download the file, but we strongly recommend against it. Computers are often compromised by malware because people misunderstand or ignore warnings. "We hear feedback from people that think Google disapproves of that download or software, so they ignore the warning,” says software engineer Daniel Rubery. “But the file is actually malicious!" We are constantly working to remove warnings that aren't useful; for example, we recently reevaluated our list of dangerous file types which reduced low risk warnings by more than 90%. This means you can trust that a download warning really means danger.

  

  Browse the web with Enhanced security protection

  To be even more secure while browsing the web in Chrome, turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing protection in your Chrome settings. It substantially increases protection from dangerous websites and downloads by sharing real-time data with Safe Browsing. “This is how you can get the most out of Chrome's security features,” recommends security software engineer Javier Castro. “By enabling enhanced protection, you are letting Chrome use the latest threat intelligence and the most advanced user protections to keep you safe while you browse.” If you’re signed in, Chrome and other Google apps you use (Gmail, Drive, etc) will be able to provide improved protection based on a holistic view of threats you encounter on the web and attacks against your Google Account. As a result, people using Enhanced Safe Browsing are successfully phished 20-35% less.

  

  Protect your Google Account with 2-step verification

  Two-factor authentication can use your phone ​​to add an extra step to verify that it's you when you sign in. Signing in with both a password and a second step on your phone protects against password-stealing scams. Software engineer Diana Smetters says, “It's simple to turn on, and you only have to use your phone the first time you sign in on each of your devices. If an attacker gets your password online and tries to sign in, they'll be blocked because they don't have your phone.” If you sign into Chrome with a Google Account, be sure that you’re enrolled in 2-step verification to protect your account.

  To stay even safer online, take a few minutes this month to update Chrome, start using Google Password Manager, turn on Enhanced Safe Browsing and enroll in 2-step verification. One last tip–you can always confirm your use of security features by running Safety Check in Chrome settings.

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/chrome/the-5-best-ways-to-stay-secure-online-with-chrome/
• 

  Watch With Me on Google TV: Leslie Odom Jr.’s watchlist
  • sorangutan  

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  Movies and TV can make us laugh, cry and even shape who we are. Our watchlists can be surprisingly revealing. We’re teaming up with entertainers, artists and cultural icons on ourWatch With Me series on Google TV to share their top picks and give you a behind-the-scenes look at the TV and movies that inspired them.

  Musician and Tony Award-winning actor Leslie Odom Jr. believes the best storytelling makes you truly feel something — both as the performer and as the viewer. Leslie explains, “If you’re lucky as an artist, you work on something that you’re inspired to work on.” And he’s inspired most by film and TV that incorporate music in new ways.

  Leslie also loves the challenge of a spooky story. “It’s great fun to look in the face of something that scares you and survive it,” he says.

  

  We sat down with Leslie to dig in more on his favorite film and TV show picks.

  What did you learn from making your watchlist?

  Leslie Odom Jr.:Making this watchlist reaffirmed for me that I like well-made things. I like miracles. I like when something special is made that took tremendous planning, preparation and craftsmanship.

  Which genre do you go back to over and over again?

  Odom: Horror is my favorite genre and contains so much. There’s funny horror movies, thrillers and suspense. Those were some of the biggest movies of the ‘80s and of my childhood that set me on this horror fan path.

  How did you persuade your parents to let you watch horror as a kid?

  Odom: My parents knew that those movies brought me such joy, and they didn’t want to keep me from that joy.

  Who do you nerd out with when it comes to film and TV?

  Odom: My father-in-law is in the [entertainment] business and is probably the person that I connect with most about movies. We talk about everything from performances and directors to hopes and dreams. He loves movies, too.

  Do you experience movies differently when you’re by yourself?

  Odom: I was in my twenties the first time I went to the movies by myself. I didn’t know you could do that. I would stay all day and see back-to-back movies.

  What are your must-haves for the best viewing experience at home?

  Odom: The best sound system you can afford, frozen yogurt and a comfy couch.

  Check out Leslie’s watchlist to see the incredible movies and shows that inspired this powerhouse actor, musician, and horror fan on Google TV, rolling out over the next few days. Share your favorites as well using #WatchWithMe.

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/google-tv/watchwithme-leslieodomjr/
• 

  Workspace Individual adds storage, mail merge and global regions
  • sorangutan  

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  Since launching Google Workspace Individual last year, we’ve seen customers from around the world grow their businesses, connect with their customers in more meaningful ways, collaborate with partners, get organized and look more professional. Business owners have told us the familiarity of our tools helps them get more done. And today, we’re offering even more features for Workspace Individual users. We’re announcing an increase to storage capacity and advances in email personalization for all customers. We’re also expanding our regional availability to bring Google Workspace Individual to even more business owners around the world.

  Grow your business — and the number of files you can store
  

  Soon every Google Workspace Individual account will come with 1 TB of secure cloud storage. You don’t have to lift a finger to get the upgraded storage: Every account will be automatically upgraded from their existing 15 GB of storage to 1 TB as we roll this out.

  As you grow your business, it’s only natural that you’ll have more docs, data and digital assets to manage and store, and Google Drive allows you to do so securely from any device. You can store over 100 file types in Drive, including PDFs, CAD files and images, and you can easily collaborate on and edit Microsoft Office files without converting them. Plus, Drive comes with built-in protections against malware, spam and ransomware so you don’t need to worry about accidentally opening the door to malware just by opening a doc.

  

  Store over 100 file types in Google Drive

  Personalize emails with built-in mail merge

  We previously launched multi-send mode, which allows you to easily email many recipients while maintaining their privacy, making it great for sending newsletters and announcements. Now you can add mail merge tags like @firstname to multi-send emails, so each recipient receives a unique email that feels individually crafted just for them. By default, multi-send emails also include an unsubscribe link so recipients can opt out of future messages.

  Try mail merge in web Gmail with other premium Workspace features like customizable email layouts to better engage your audience.

  

  Mail merge tags makes it easy to personalize multi-send emails

  Expanding the reach and helpfulness of Workspace Individual

  We're also launching Google Workspace Individual in a number of new countries and regions: the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium, Finland, Greece and Argentina. These new countries join a growing list of places business owners can sign up for Workspace Individual, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Australia and six countries across Europe.

  As we expand the footprint for Workspace Individual, we’re also deepening the functionality, building on Premium Meet, eSignature in Google Docs, appointment scheduling, and flexible layouts and multi-send in Gmail. See thefull list of new and coming-soon features.

  Sign up today with a 14-day trial

  Sign up for Google Workspace Individual today with a 14-day trial, or learn more about Google Workspace Individual on our website. If you’re not a business owner but still want premium productivity capabilities and more storage for personal use, check out our Google One plans.

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/workspace/workspace-individual-storage/
• 

  Expanding accessible learning with Google for Education
  • sorangutan  

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  The need for accessible tools and equitable learning environments has become more critical than ever, as the number of students with disabilities is on the rise, including those with specific learning disabilities.

  Google for Education uses built-in accessibility features to help support the needs of all students, to help foster inclusive environments so that students can learn individually and as a group. Our accessibility features provide individualized support while giving students the resources they need to learn in a collaborative way.

  Captions as a tool across Google products

  We aim to build helpful features across all our products. One of those features is captions, which are useful not only for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, but also if a room is loud, or a student just needs additional support focusing, or if someone needs support in a different language. Captions are available in Google Meet in six languages, and you can change the font size and placement on the screen. You can also access and add captions to videos in YouTube, Google Drive and Chrome. For Android users, captions are also available through Live Transcribe.

  

  Building accessibility tools into Chromebooks

  Our accessibility features are easy to use and built directly into Chromebooks, like Select-to-Speak, the ChromeVox screen reader and magnification, that enable every individual to do their best work. Now we’ve added more dictation improvements, like the ability to speak into any text field on the Chromebook simply by clicking on the mic icon in the status area. You can also press Search + d to dictate, and you can now edit using just your voice.

  More customization options in Google Workspace for Education

  We recently announced more customization for accessibility settings in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides and Drawings, so users can set accessibility settings for each product individually. And soon, we’ll build upon that by consolidating the Docs settings for screen reader and braille support into a single setting, with a single checkbox. We’ll also soon be adding improvements to voice typing in Google Docs, voice typing for speaker notes in Google Slides, and captions in Google Slides, including adding automatic punctuation and the ability to access from all browsers.

  For people who are blind or low vision and use screen readers, you can nowtype a keyboard shortcut (ALT + number, 1-7) that verbalizes the content of a Calendar event. This way, Calendar details can be heard on demand, instead of through time-consuming navigation.

  Working with partners to expand accessible tools

  We’re supporting teachers through our own tools and partnerships with organizations that share our mission. Many of these apps and extensions integrate with Google tools like Classroom, Google Workspace for Education, and Chromebooks.

  This includes Texthelp, a company which makes extensions and tools that help people learn, understand and communicate through the use of digital learning and accessibility tools. Students can use tools like Read&Write to help with reading support, and Equatio to help with creating math equations digitally. Created by an occupational therapist, SnapType breaks down the barriers to education by helping students feel more confident and independent. Students challenged by handwriting or visual impairments can keep up in class with their peers by using SnapType to easily take a picture of their assignment and then type or dictate their schoolwork.

  We’re also continually working to update our Help Center articles for screen reader users, including how to use a screen reader with Google Calendar, how to use a screen reader with Google Drive, and how to make your document or presentation more accessible. Stay up to date on the latest accessibility features from Google for Education.

  
  
  https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/education/ndeam-2022/
• 

  Celebrating the success of 30 Latin American news innovators
  • sorangutan  

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  In working with journalists and publishers around the world for many years, the question that I’m continually asked is why Google works with the media? The answer is found in our mission: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

  Our mission is inextricably linked with the essence of journalism, aiming to provide citizens around the world with access to the information they need to make the best possible decisions about their lives. We all need and want a sustainable and diverse news industry that provides us, and our communities, with high-quality news.

  In 2018 we created the Google News Initiative Innovation Challenges, with the goal of empowering news organizations to pioneer new thinking in online journalism, develop new business models and better understand their communities. Since then, we’ve worked with and funded 338 projects in 75 countries. And today, I’m thrilled to share that 30 more media organizations from 12 countries in Latin America are the new recipients in our third iteration of the Challenge in the region.

  The third edition in Latin America

  This Innovation Challenge in Latin America was open to the entire ecosystem from news publishers to digital-only outlets, news startups, associations or NGOs, academics and independent journalists. Applications ranged from projects focused on increasing reader engagement and/or revenue from readers, developing and diversifying business models, combating misinformation, increasing trust in journalism, reaching new audiences, improving workflow efficiency and exploring new technologies.

  We received 353 applicants from 21 countries in the region. All projects were evaluated by a team of experts and a final jury that were impressed by the diversity and the quality of the proposed projects. We saw creative solutions by regional media focusing on the development of inclusive membership models and content distribution for younger people. Others seek to generate resources through technology and collaboration with readers by developing new subscription platforms, capitalizing on the power of blockchain technology, and betting on artificial intelligence to help fight misinformation or increase engagement.

  Of the applications we received, more than 31% percent were from regional and local publishers, while 23% were from online-only publishers.

  Some highlights include:

  • Abril Editorial Match: This project from Brazil seeks to use artificial intelligence to better understand their readers’ behavior across Abril's brands, engaging them through a predictive experience of relevant articles.
  • El Colombiano: This Colombian project, “Loyalty Wall,” seeks to implement a platform for digital subscriptions, which includes a dynamic paywall and loyalty rewards for audiences.
  • Promoting information access in Latin America (PIALA): This Mexican platform will enable journalists and researchers to make the most of the freedom of information acts (FOIAs) across the region. Users will be able to create, submit, manage, organize and follow up on all their FOIA requests at the same time in a quick and easy way.

  

  This photo collage shows images of some of the 2022 recipients of the Innovation Challenge in Latin America.

  Congratulations to the 2022 Latin America recipients!

  • TeleNueve (Argentina)
  • Editorial Jornada (Argentina)
  • La Gaceta (Argentina)
  • El Litoral (Argentina)
  • Agencia de Noticias Fides (Bolivia)
  • Plural (Brazil)
  • Lupa (Brazil)
  • A Gazeta (Brazil)
  • Poder360 (Brazil)
  • Sumaúma (Brazil)
  • Mídia Ninja (Brazil)
  • Carla Beraldo (Brazil - freelance journalist and researcher)
  • Grupo Matinal Jornalismo and Headline News (Brazil)
  • Abril (Brazil)
  • Ambiental Media (Brazil)
  • Diário do Nordeste (Brazil)
  • Grupo Copesa (La Tercera) (Chile)
  • BioBioChile (Chile)
  • Súbela Radio (Chile)
  • El Colombiano (Colombia)
  • Baudó Agencia Pública (Colombia)
  • Confidencial (Costa Rica)
  • Fundación El Churo - Wambra Medio Digital Comunitario (Ecuador)
  • PIALA (México)
  • Grupo Milenio (México)
  • Empresa Editora Milenio (Peru)
  • Asociación de Periodismo de Investigación Ojo Público (Peru)
  • El Faro (El Salvador)
  • La Diaria (Uruguay)
  • A.C. Contenidos para la información y formación (Cofein) (Venezuela)
    

  Thanks to all who applied and congratulations to all of the selected projects. We hope media initiatives in the region continue their efforts to maintain a sustainable and diverse news ecosystem in Latin America. Only through collaboration is it possible to build new business models that will benefit us all. Our commitment to the news industry stems from our founding mission to build a better-informed world, and quality journalism is as essential today as it’s ever been to democracies around the world.

  More information about all the selected projects can be found on our website.

  
  
  https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/google-news-initiative/celebrating-30-latin-american-news-innovators/
• 

  How we’re restoring native habitats in Silicon Valley
  • sorangutan  

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  Vast oak woodlands punctuated with lush willow groves once stretched from Palo Alto to San Jose and beyond, long before the rise of Silicon Valley.

  “Centuries of agricultural intensification and urbanization have transformed these landscapes,” says Erin Beller, Google’s ecology program lead who studied Silicon Valley’s ecological history and restoration potential for her PhD. “We’ve lost over 99% of these valuable native habitats.”

  Now, Google’s real estate and ecology teams are working to bring nature back into the built environment — in part, by restoring critical habitats like oak woodlands and willow groves across our Bay Area campuses. The goal is to revive the area’s ecological heritage and bolster the human experience while creating thriving, functional landscapes for a biodiverse constellation of species.

  Already, the team has restored over 15 acres on Google’s campuses and in the surrounding urban landscape, in partnership with local NGOs, ecology experts and government agencies. This work includes everything from creating welcoming habitat patches for pollinators like native bees and monarch butterflies to partnering on larger projects like restoring the Charleston Retention Basin.

  • An orange and black monarch butterfly rests on milkweed.

    A monarch butterfly on narrow-leaf milkweed on Google’s Sunnyvale campus. We’ve committed $1 million to help California’s monarch butterfly conservation efforts, adding more habitat on our campuses and supporting the creation of 600 acres of habitat across the state.

  • A white great egret bird stands in its nest at the Shorebird Way rookery.

    A great egret standing in its nest at the Shorebird Way rookery, the largest in the South Bay area. Google protects the rookery by closing the road to vehicles during nesting season each year. Hundreds of snowy egrets, great egrets and black-crowned night herons return annually to nest and raise their young.

  • Two people wearing backpacks and baseball caps walk along a path between native plants.

    Two members of the ecology team walk along a path between native plants in the South Bay campus. Google’s real estate and ecology teams are working to bring nature back into the built environment.

  Together these efforts drive landscape-scale restoration of historical ecosystems like oak woodlands, willow groves, meadows and grasslands, and creek and wetland habitats. Oaks and willows are especially important to Beller’s team because they play a defining role in sustaining ecosystems. Both support a dizzying array of wildlife and have great potential to adapt to California’s changing climate. “Oaks and willows have superpowers,” says Beller.

  Oak canopies: host to a community of creatures

  Iconic trees of the California landscape, oaks once dominated Silicon Valley. Oaks are drought-tolerant, fire-resistant, and efficient at removing air pollution and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.

  Oak woodland ecosystems sustain some of the highest plant and animal diversity in California, supporting 2,000 additional plant species and around 5,000 insect species. Hundreds more birds, mammals and other wildlife rely on the richness of oak woodlands for food, shade and shelter.

  • A brown juvenile bushtit bird rests on a tree branch.

    A juvenile bushtit pictured at the Charleston Retention Basin. Insectivorous birds, like the bushtit and oak titmouse, feed on insects they find in oaks. These smaller birds are prey for predators like raptors and northern pygmy owls.

  • A Western bluebird looks left while sitting in front of oak tree leaves.

    A Western bluebird perched beside an oak tree at Google’s Bay View campus.

  • A round yellow wasp gall grows on the branches of an oak tree.

    A cynipid wasp gall on an oak by the Charleston Retention Basin. More than 130 species of cynipid wasps depend on Silicon Valley’s oaks to build their galls. Galls are an overgrowth of plant tissue produced in response to chemicals secreted by wasp larvae. Most wasp galls cause little or no lasting damage to oaks, and the insects that cause them help form complex food webs that are partially responsible for the amazing biodiversity found in oak habitats.

  • Three ecology team members in neon orange vests study trees in front of a building.

    Young oaks and native understory planting at Charleston East. In the next decade, Google estimates that the diverse network of oak species at Charleston East will provide 80,000 square feet of connected tree canopy.

  • A gray squirrel sits at the base of an oak tree, looking right.

    Oak leaves and acorns are consumed by herbivores like red and eastern gray squirrels (pictured) and birds like the California scrub jay, which consumes and disperses acorns, helping the trees to propagate.

  Oaks can bring powerful benefits to urban areas, like creating wildlife corridors and mitigating the urban heat island effect. Already, Google has planted hundreds of oak trees across our Mountain View and Sunnyvale campuses, with plans to plant hundreds more. These efforts follow guidelines for tree density and spacing laid out in "Re-Oaking Silicon Valley," a study Beller co-authored with her extended team that also serves as a resource for other businesses and organizations.

  Wetland willows: a stop for migratory birds

  Whereas oaks thrive on well-drained valley soils, willows flourish in low-lying areas where groundwater is close to the surface. Because willows tap this groundwater, they stay lush and green well into the dry season, reducing the need for irrigation.

  Like oaks, willows sequester carbon once mature. They’re also critical for insect biodiversity and can provide high-quality food for insectivorous birds and other wildlife. Silicon Valley has lost nearly all of its willow groves, which once served as essential stopovers for migratory birds heading south.

  • A water basin reflects the sun in front of two low round buildings at the Bay View campus.

    The Google Bay View campus incorporates stormwater retention basins designed to support willows, so the trees can provide habitat for migratory bird species and longer-term residents like pollinators, lizards, songbirds and other small animals. (Iwan Baan for Google)

  • A willow flycatcher bird rests on a tree branch, looking right.

    Songbirds like willow flycatchers (pictured) and Wilson’s warblers rest and refuel among the valley’s willows. They spend several days gorging on huge quantities of insects before continuing on their long journey to Central America.

  • Two field researchers write in notebooks while sitting in a fenced-in area surrounded by greenery and trees.

    Google’s field researchers in the shade of a willow grove at the Charleston Retention Basin, a partnership between Google, the City of Mountain View, HCP Life Science and LinkedIn. Google removed more than 100 parking spaces to help create more extensive willow floodplains, cottonwood groves and other habitats here.

  Thanks to Google’s willow grove restoration initiatives like those around the Charleston Retention Basin and on our Bayview and Charleston East campuses, there are more places for migratory songbirds to rest and find food to replenish their energy en route.

  At the Charleston Retention Basin — home to one of the largest willow groves in the region — there are new trails, seats and lookout points so people can immerse themselves in the outdoors and appreciate the biodiversity around them.

  Bringing nature back beyond the Bay

  In addition to projects in the Bay Area, Google’s ecology team has urban greening projects in the works across several of our campuses, including in the heart of London, Munich and New York.

  “Nature and people should be able to flourish together in the campuses and communities that Google calls home,” says Beller.

  This work is part of a bigger global movement. The idea that nature in cities is crucial for both people and wildlife is taking root, and high-profile projects like London’s National Park City to The High Line of New York have brought it into the public consciousness.

  “We know that access to nature has profound benefits for human health and wellbeing,” says Kate Turpin, director of design performance for Google’s real estate development team. “It can be a place of refuge, from a hot day or the busy pace of working life.”

  

  A field researcher measures the height of native narrow-leaf milkweed on the Google campus, as part of biodiversity monitoring efforts.

  To help scale their ideas, Beller’s team supports open-source scientific research, from local guidelines for native planting in Silicon Valley for institutions and residents to academic research about the value of urban nature. “From backyards to businesses, we hope everyone will pitch in to bring nature back into cities,” says Beller. They have also partnered with local scientists to monitor these new habitats on campus, using data to measure the impact of native landscaping on bird and insect biodiversity and inform future campus restoration efforts.

  The early signs in the Bay Area are promising. “I can step out of the office and lose myself among the willow groves around the Charleston Retention Basin — enjoy a walk in the shade, spot birds and butterflies, and hear the hum of a functioning ecosystem all around me,” says Beller. “I’ve spent a large part of my career as an ecologist reflecting on what was. It’s awe-inspiring to think about what could be.”

  Read Article

  Doing our part for California’s monarch butterflies

  We’re taking steps to help address the threat facing California’s monarch butterflies by providing grants and habitat on our campuses.

  Read Article

  
  
  https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/sustainability/restoring-native-habitats-silicon-valley/
• 

  Creating new artistic territories through advanced technologies
  • sorangutan  

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  Art and technology have a complex but substantial history of influencing one another. Today, technology is increasingly impacting how art is made, displayed and sold — playing a fundamental part in its development and evolution. It’s also giving rise to questions like “How can machine learning algorithms, ambient sensors and new forms of human machine interaction transcend creativity and enable new perceptions?” and “What dialogues will those new tools for expression create?”

  Focusing on the intersection of art and technology, we invited four cutting edge creatives from various disciplines — Christelle Koché, Refik Anadol, Mathieu Peyroulet Ghilini and Cyril Lancelin — to experiment with Soli, a miniature radar that captures human motions of varying scales, from your heartbeat to body movement.

  “Do hoodies dream of beautiful sunrises?” is the name of the collaboration we undertook with KOCHE, a nod to Philip K. Dick and his dystopian universe. It is a way to ask — as a thought experiment — can clothes be sensitive to the beautiful environment that surrounds them? What is the future of clothes and can we redefine the interaction between clothes, humans and machines?

  Driven by those questions, KOCHE created four hybrid pieces combining artisanship, couture and technology, which can transform by reacting to sensors or touch. KOCHE’s vision was to seamlessly blend technology with craftsmanship. In a way, most of the electronics had to be hidden, leaving only the luminous interactive elements, almost as if the elements themselves were part of the textile. For our team at ATAP, this meant making the driving electronics invisible, flexible and robust enough to withstand body movements, and supporting KOCHE’s application of craftsmanship techniques regarding the integration of luminous components.

  

  A model walking in front of Soli radars with data visualization on an LED wall.

  We used Soli within the scenography of KOCHE’s Paris Fashion Week show to give it a deeply interactive dimension. We imagined different levels of interaction between the models, the clothes, the audience and the show space; each influencing the others with its presence alone or movement. In this way, the garment becomes connected to its environment; the garment transforms, and is transformed by, its environment. Together with KOCHE, we created visuals that illustrate Soli’s unique and abstract perception of its environment — a digital shadow, as perceived by Soli.

  Upcoming collaborations with Refik Anadol, Mathieu Peyroulet Ghilini and Cyril Lancelin will be revealed in 2023. Stay tuned for more magic!

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/atap/creating-new-artistic-territories-through-advanced-technologies/
• 

  How Googlers helped Afghan newcomers seek asylum
  • sorangutan  

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  Abdul[b874a5]has spent the past two hours filling out paperwork. “Today, I woke up at 7 a.m. because I was so excited,” he says. (He didn’t have to be here for six and half more hours.) “It’s been going really well. The process has been very organized, and everyone is very nice.”

  We’re at a legal clinic, which was held at Google’s Pier 57 office in New York on September 20. Staffed by volunteers from Google and Accenture, the goal is to help Afghan newcomers like Abdul fill out Form I-589, a key document in the application for asylum in the United States.

  The clinic is being hosted by the CEO Council for Welcome.US, an organization that supports people seeking refuge in the U.S. Earlier this year, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Accenture CEO Julie Sweet took on the roles of co-chairs, and they’ve stopped by to meet Afghan newcomers and thank the volunteers for their efforts.

  Form I-589 is a dozen pages long and includes questions about whether an applicant has experienced threats or mistreatment and fears being harmed if they return to their home country.

  So, at a table surrounded by people he’s only just met — including Sundar — 20-year-old Abdul shares his story. He speaks English well, but opts to have a translator present to ensure the details are communicated as accurately as possible.

  Together, they explain that in 2021, Abdul, a student and dental assistant in Afghanistan, was approached by members of the Taliban who tried to force him to work for them. They knew he had relatives working for the U.S. government, which made him a target. They threatened to kill him if he didn’t do as they asked. Still, Abdul refused. He searched for safe haven outside of Afghanistan, and arrived in the U.S. when the country airlifted thousands of Afghans out in August last year. Since then, the Taliban has repeatedly interrogated Abdul’s parents about his whereabouts, which has forced his family to move to another district in Afghanistan.

  “It was incredibly moving to hear his story,” says Ariel Devine, the Google attorney volunteer helping Abdul capture this information in his application. “Applying for asylum is an overwhelming process to navigate, and lending my legal skills is one way I can provide support. We’re part of welcoming these Afghan newcomers into our country, and showing Abdul there are people invested in his application was a tremendous honor and responsibility.”

  

  Volunteers helping Afghan newcomers fill out Form I-589 at Google’s Pier 57 office.

  More than 80 people from Google and Accenture volunteered for the legal clinic and participated in a comprehensive training created by partner organization Human Rights First, to familiarize them with the situation in Afghanistan, the asylum application process and special considerations for this community.

  “Attorneys are paired with non-attorney volunteers, who can help provide administrative and logistical support, as well as an interpreter,” explains Googler Mistral Myers, one of the lead organizers of the event. “We have newcomers joining in person and virtually on Meet. When the application is completed, it’s dropped off to additional volunteer attorneys in a separate room for an extra review. This allows them to remain unbiased, having never met the applicant, and ensure the information is filled out correctly.”

  

  Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai speaks with Welcome.US leaders, including CEO Nazanin Ash (left) and President and COO Anya McMurray (right).

  Then, applicants have their picture taken. On the other side of the room, Googler Thani Chettiyar is snapping passport photos of newcomers, a necessary component for each person on an asylum application.

  He shares what brought him here today. “I found out about it on the internal volunteering opportunities site,” he says. “Though I didn’t have to do anything like this, the immigration process was extremely complicated. I wanted to do what I could to help.”

  He takes the passport photos on his Pixel and prints them on a compact photo printer. Next to it is a list of typed instructions — and another page full of handwritten ones. “The person who did this in the morning session wrote these out to make the process easier,” Thani says. “It’s complicated — you have to download two different apps — but I figured it out eventually. Did you see the one I took of the baby?”

  He points to an adorable photo paperclipped to the top of an application form. A few feet away, the baby is still there — sound asleep in her stroller beside her mom in an area surrounded by children’s toys. The Pier 57 events team had set up the area for kids to play while their parents participated in the legal clinic, getting toys, books and games donated — and even donating some toys from their own children.

  

  The play area at the legal clinic.

  By the end of the clinic, volunteers had helped 22 Afghan applicants and their families with their asylum applications. “We're hopeful that Welcome.US and Human Rights First can use this clinic partnership as a model to help future newcomers, including those from Ukraine when they arrive on our shores,” Mistral says.

  Google.org is continuing to provide support to Welcome.US with funds, volunteers and digital tools. “We’re contributing an additional $250,000 and technical assistance to help Welcome.US build a legal platform to scale much-needed asylum application support to vulnerable new arrivals,” says Google.org Senior Manager Kelsey Ford. “And, we’re already planning to host more virtual legal clinics and hiring fairs where Googlers can volunteer.” Google.org has also contributed 30,000 Pixel devices and 10,000 laptops that are being distributed to resettlement agencies to be given to newcomers.

  It’s something that makes you a better Googler, a better team player and better at the work that you do every day.

  As Googler Rana Ibrahem reflects on the day at the clinic, she’s proud to have been able to make an impact, especially as a non-attorney: “My parents are Egyptian immigrants, and when they came to New York, they were aided entirely by other regular people just doing their bit.”

  Rana’s “bit” was assisting a newcomer with their asylum application virtually. “I knew the Afghan people were resilient, but what I saw so clearly was people who have suffered so much and still have so much hope and courage to fight for their right to live a life of self-determination and freedom,” she says.

  The experience has taught her a lot about Google, too. “I recently hit my one-year mark here, and the thing that impressed me the most is that this company really values taking opportunities to give back,” Rana says. “It’s something that makes you a better Googler, a better team player and better at the work that you do every day.”

  
  
  https://blog.google/inside-google/googlers/googlers-help-afghan-newcomers/
• 

  7 ways to help make better sense of your health information
  • sorangutan  

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  When I’m sick or someone I care about is sick, one of the first things I do — even as a doctor myself — is seek out more information, whether it’s searching for answers to questions online, making an appointment with a doctor or connecting with others in similar situations. At Google, we’re committed to connecting people in those moments to reliable, easy-to-understand information so they can make more informed health decisions for themselves and others.

  For Health Literacy Month in the U.S., here are 7 ways our products and services can help you better find and understand health information.

  1. Quickly access easy-to-understand health information.

  Many of us come to the internet first to look for information about different health conditions and symptoms. When you’re looking for this information on Google Search, you’ll find helpful information panels. These information panels are available in a number of countries and provide details on dozens of conditions — from the common cold to headaches and more.

  2. Learn more about your source.

  When you’re searching for a topic or condition you’re unfamiliar with, you can use Search tools to learn more about the information you see online. Through the About this result tool — accessed by clicking on the three dots next to most results on Search — you can find information like, descriptions of the source, and what others on the web say about a source or topic. With this added context, you can make more informed decisions about the sites you visit and the health information you rely on.

  3. Find an appointment with a care provider — and check your in-network options.

  Booking a doctor’s appointment can be an overwhelming and complex process because of the different types of appointments available to you. On Google Search, we have updated our experience to make it easier for tens of millions of people who use Search everyday to find local health information. This includes showing appointment availability for some local providers and facilities and giving you search filters and information to help you identify providers who might take your insurance, including Medicare and Medicaid.

  

  4. Find answers from authoritative health sources.

  YouTube has made it easier for people to find reliable information to help answer their health questions. We’ve added health source information panels on videos to help viewers identify videos from authoritative sources, and health content shelves that more effectively highlight videos from these sources when you search for specific health topics. These context cues are aimed at helping people more easily navigate and evaluate authoritative health information.

  

  5. Connect with a community that understands your health journey.

  If you’re looking for support, empathy or shared experiences related to certain health conditions, YouTube’s new Personal Stories feature makes it easier to connect with others who have similar experiences. This feature elevates stories from those who are sharing their lived experiences relevant to common health conditions like anxiety, depression and cancer.

  

  6. Understand your health and wellness health information.

  Fitbit is designed to give you better and more actionable insights about health and wellness. For example, among its most popular features is Daily Readiness Score that takes multiple inputs — such as sleep patterns, activity levels and heart rate variability — and combines them into one singular number that you can refer to when deciding whether to workout or recover.

  

  7. Get to know (and improve) your ZZZs...

  Track your sleep habits to understand patterns that might impact your health and wellbeing. With Fitbit, you can track your sleep each night right from the wrist so you can better understand your patterns, track over time, and make changes to improve your sleep. With Fitbit Premium, you can see an even more in-depth analysis of your sleep with the Sleep Profile feature that offers monthly sleep analyses and an associated Sleep Animal that makes your sleep data even easier to interpret. If you use Nest, Sleep Sensing gives you a daily personalized sleep summary along with tailored bedtime schedules and other suggestions that can help you improve your sleep.

  • Sleep Profile landing page
  • Sleep Profile Hedgehog
  • Sleep Profile metrics

  We’re committed to connecting people with the tools, voices, and experiences they need to act for themselves and others on their health journey. After all,organizations have an important role to play in helping people understand and use health information.

  
  
  https://blog.google/technology/health/health-literacy-2022/