Google Cloud Platform News

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  July Updates from the Google News Initiative
  • sorangutan  

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  Last month, we explored mental health resources for journalists in the U.K., inclusive news coverage and innovation in Latin America, leadership training for reporters in Asia Pacific and more. Keep reading for July updates.

  Promoting mental health in the media industry 

  Many of the challenges that impacted the mental health of journalists in the months and years before the global pandemic have been exacerbated by COVID-19. We’re supporting the Headlines Network to test out a new form of training in the United Kingdom to strengthen and promote mental health in the media industry. Independent industry experts will offer a safe space for early career journalists, new managers, mid-career journalists and senior leadership.

  Reflecting on diversity in Latin American Journalism

  We partnered with The Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas to publish the ebook “Diversity in Latin American Journalism,” which was announced at the annual conference of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. In the book, 16 journalists from seven countries reflect on how to make newsrooms and news coverage more inclusive across gender, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic issues and disability. The ebook is available for free in Spanish.

  Celebrating Innovation Challenge recipients

  Building on the Digital News Innovation Fund in Europe, Google News Initiative Innovation Challenges have supported more than 180 projects that bring new ideas to the news industry. Around the world, we’re learning from former Innovation Challenge recipients who are using their funding to drive innovation in news.

  
  

  

  Latin America Innovation Challenge recipients from Editora del Mar S.A. in Colombia

  We recently supported 21 projects from nine countries in Spanish-speaking Latin America and Brazil. This year, we asked for new news projects and business models, with a strong focus on underrepresented publishers and diversity, equity and Inclusion as part of the selection criteria. Recipients included an analytics platform from La Gacetain Argentina, a transparency platform from Associação Fiquem Sabendo in Brazil, an open-source data platform fromEditora del Marin Colombia (pictured) and more.

  

  The membership team from the Daily Maverick

  Innovation Challenge recipients were awarded across six categories in the WAN-IFRA Digital Media Africa awards. South Africa’s Daily Maverick, whose Innovation Challenge project created a relevancy engine for data-driven customer insights, took both the Best Paid Content Strategy award and the newly introduced Best Trust Initiative award.

  

  Reporters in the U.K. are using an audio collection tool developed in the U.S.

  Audio tool Bytecast, created as part of the Innovation Challenge in North America, has crossed the Atlantic and is now rolling out to local news organizations in the United Kingdom. Newsquest, which has more than 120 news brands, is using the app to help reporters record, edit and upload audio clips from the field. The content supported by the tool is encouraging new and existing readers to pay for their local news.

  Advancing parents and caregivers in Asia Pacific newsrooms

  We launched the second iteration of our leadership training pilot in Korea in partnership with the Journalists Association of Korea and HeyJoyce — Korea’s largest community for women — to help equip reporters on parental leave for leadership roles when they return to work. Inspired by what we’ve learned in Korea, we’ve also launched a back-to-work program for the APAC region with WAN-IFRA, and a new program in Australia in partnership with Women in Media.

  That’s all for July. Stay in touch on social and the Keyword blog for more updates.

  
  

  
  
  https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/google-news-initiative/july-2021-updates-google-news-initiative/
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  Persistence paid off for intern James Frater
  • sorangutan  

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  Welcome to the latest edition of “My Path to Google,” where we talk to Googlers, interns and alumni about how they got to Google, what their roles are like and even some tips on how to prepare for interviews.

  Today we spoke with James Frater, a business intern working virtually in London. Learn how James’s passion for equitable solutions and love of learning brought him to Google.

  What do you do at Google?

  I am a Business Development Representative Intern for Google Cloud working in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. In the role, I help leaders within organizations to work through their specific pain points and match them up with the arsenal of specific solutions that Google has to meet their needs. 

  I am fortunate to be in one of the most supportive and encouraging teams I have ever had the pleasure of working in. It means that everyday when I wake up, I look forward to coming to work because I know that irrespective of the challenges that lie ahead, I have a team that will support me.

  What made you decide to apply to Google?

  My decision to apply to Google was simple. I wanted to be somewhere that allowed me to build sustainable and scalable tech solutions that measurably improved the lives of the people that needed the most help. In particular, a long term goal of mine is to make sure that everyone in the Caribbean has access to good healthcare, education and technology that makes their lives easier. Google is a positive and transformative vehicle that serves the needs of billions of people. I wanted to be a part of that.

  I had applied to Google before; this was the third year in a row, in fact! I was really determined to get in because I knew what a great opportunity this was and I really believe I had what it took to be a Googler. I was fortunate enough to attend a Google Black talent event in 2020 and I was able to get some really great advice about applications. For example, in the interview it’s less about arriving at the right answer and more about the thought process. Being able to ask clarifying questions, especially when you’re not sure, will impress your interviewer. It was definitely third time lucky for me!

  How would you describe your path to Google?

  My path to my current role was… unconventional to say the least. I am a medical student, who has completed a management degree and also dabbles in efforts to reduce inequitable access to opportunities. I have completed internships in insurance, professional services, education and technology.

  

  James Frater

  What’s something you’re working on outside your internship?

  I am very passionate about the structural challenges that a lot of underrepresented groups face, so I work to make access to institutions (primarily educational) more equitable. I co-founded The Ladder Project CIC which is a social enterprise that helps to holistically develop young people through a series of online and in-person workshops. Our mission is to ensure that all students leaving school are equipped with the skills required to succeed in the world of work and in higher education. Having projects and interests outside of my internship is something that has been encouraged, so it really gives me the confidence to bring my whole self to work.

  What’s one thing you wish you could go back and tell yourself before applying?

  "Relax!" is probably the main thing but some more practical things are:

  1. Qualify everything you say on your CV/resume. Put numbers and percentages, talk about the impact your work had and its significance in context.

  2. In interviews, it is okay — and encouraged — to talk through your thinking, especially when you are not sure.

  3. Enjoy the process.

  Any tips for aspiring Googlers?

  Start creating solutions that help people. You don't have to wait until you get into a role to start doing things you are passionate about. I started doing talks and workshops for young people. From that, I co-founded The Ladder Project to help even more young people. It will also make your application stand out if you are able to demonstrate that level of initiative.

  
  
  https://blog.google/inside-google/life-at-google/my-path-google/meet-business-intern-james-frater/
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  New from Google Nest: The latest Cams and Doorbells are here
  • sorangutan  

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  Google Nest’s mission is to build products that make a more helpful home. All of this starts with helping you understand what’s happening within the walls of your home and outside of it. 

  
  

  One of Nest’s first goals was to simplify home security, and it helped millions of people do this. So when we started dreaming up what our next generation of cameras and doorbells would be like, we wanted to  incorporate the way the connected home — and your expectations — were heading. That included smarter alerts, wire-free options for installation flexibility, greater value and beautiful designs, plus enhanced privacy and security. We wanted our new line to give you the most comprehensive set of intelligent alerts right out of the box, and easily work with your other Nest products, like displays.

  
  

  Today we’re introducing our next-generation Nest Cams and Doorbell: Google Nest Cam (battery) is our first outdoor/indoor battery-powered camera ($179.99); Google Nest Doorbell (battery) is our first battery-powered doorbell ($179.99). Then there’s Google Nest Cam with floodlight, our first connected floodlight camera ($279.99) and finally the second-generation Google Nest Cam (wired), a wired indoor camera and our most affordable Nest Cam ever ($99.99).

  
  

  The new battery-powered Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell are available for preorder today and will go on sale on Aug. 24. Nest Cam with floodlight and the new wired indoor Nest Cam are coming soon.

  • Nest Cam (battery), installed outdoors

    Nest Cam (battery), $179.99

  • Nest Doorbell (battery) in all colors

    Nest Doorbell (battery), $179.99

  • Nest Cam with Floodlight

    Nest Cam with floodlight ($279.99)

  • Nest Cam (wired, indoor)

    Nest Cam (wired, indoor), $99.99

  Security with smarts

  Because we’re all overloaded with notifications every day, our next-generation cameras and doorbell are made to send you the most helpful alerts. They detect important events that happen in and around the home, including alerts for people, animals and vehicles — and in Nest Doorbell’s case, also packages. Our new cameras and doorbell can do this because they process what they see on-device, which means more relevant notifications and added privacy and security. On-device processing means that all of this works right out of the box, no subscription required. 

  
  

  

  
  

  More versatility for your home

  Nest’s new camera and doorbell line are truly made for every home. Battery technology allows you to install Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell nearly anywhere in your home — not just where there’s a power outlet or existing doorbell wires. The wire-free design makes installation even easier, too. And for those who prefer the option to wire their devices, we’ve  added the ability to wire the battery-powered Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell. The Google Store is stocked with accessories for Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell so it’s easy to install them where you want.

  

  Nest devices that work together

  Customers have told us how much they appreciate that their Nest products all work well together. These new devices are no different. With the new Nest Cams and a display, you can keep an eye on the backyard from your kitchen and get alerts when the doorbell rings. Our new cameras are also fully integrated with the Google Home app, giving you access to all your compatible home devices in one place. With a Nest Aware subscription, you can unlock even more: Extend your event video history from three hours to 30 or 60 days, gain advanced features like familiar face detection (not available in Illinois) and get continuous 24/7 video history on wired Nest Cams with Nest Aware Plus. 

  

  Reliability when you need it

  In case of a power or Wi-Fi outage, Nest Doorbell,  both Nest Cam (battery) and Nest Cam with floodlight have local storage fallback, meaning they’ll record up to one hour of events on-device (about a week’s worth of events). Nest Cam (wired) also records on-device if your Wi-Fi is down. When service returns, the devices will upload your events to the cloud, so you can review what happened.

  
  

  

  Made with care 

  We believe that technology for the home should be welcoming, and complement your decor rather than distract from it. When designing our new products, we drew design inspiration from lighting and architecture to create products that look great together and in lots of different settings. In the U.S., the new indoor wired Nest Cam and battery-powered Nest Doorbell come in several colors inspired by nature, and all of the new devices are designed sustainably with recycled materials.

  Learn more about the new battery-powered Nest Doorbell and Nest Cam, available for preorder today and on sale Aug. 24.

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/google-nest/new-google-nest-latest-cams-and-doorbells-are-here/
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  11 things to love about the new Nest Cam and Doorbell
  • sorangutan  

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  Google Nest Cam (battery) and Google Nest Doorbell (battery) are the latest additions to the Nest family — and they’re Nest’s first battery-powered security devices, built for every home. Here are 11 things to know:
  

  • Smarter alerts, right out of the box:Your new Nest Cam and Doorbell can do more right out of the box because we moved object detection on-device, allowing us to include features that are usually behind a subscription (like Activity Zones and smart alerts, including package, animal, vehicle and person detection) for no additional cost, plus three hours of event video history. Thanks to on-device processing, they can also record up to a week’s worth of events if power or Wi-Fi is out.
  • Made with Machine Learning:Building a camera that uses ML to recognize objects requires showing the ML model millions of images first. Our new Nest Cameras and Doorbells have been trained on 40 million images to accommodate lots of different environments and lighting conditions. Thanks to a cutting edge TPU chip, our new cameras run an ML model up to 7.5 times per second, so reliability and accuracy are even better.
  • Works in any home:Nest Cam and Doorbell’s wire-free designs, built-in rechargeable batteries and optional power connectors allow you to install them where you want — not only where there’s a power outlet or pre-existing wiring. 
  • Set up your way: Make sure to check out Google Store’s accessories. In addition to weatherproof cables, a tabletop stand with a power cord allows you to place your Nest Cam on an indoor surface, like a mantle. There’s also an anti-theft mount that tethers your Nest Cam to the magnetic mount for extra security. For Nest Doorbell, there’s a horizontal wedge and an AC adapter.
  • Works better, together: Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell seamlessly work with your Nest displays. Just say “Hey Google, show me the backyard” to see your Nest Cam feed. And you can set up your speakers and displays to chime when someone rings your Nest Doorbell, while using your display to see who’s at the door and take action from the screen. 

  • Nest Cam (battery) on white background
  • Nest Doorbell (battery) on white background
  • Nest Cam (battery) in the rain
  • Nest Doorbell (battery) in Ivy
  • Nest Cam (battery) on blue wall

    
    

  • Nest Doorbell (battery) in Linen
  • Nest Cam (battery) with additional wire accessory

    Nest Cam (battery) can be wired to power for continuous charge using additional weatherproof cables, available on the Google Store.

  • Nest Doorbell (battery) in Ash

  • All on the Google Home app: It’s easy to see all of your events quickly, and your 24/7 live feed at any time in the Google Home app. If you have more than one Nest camera, you can view all of them in one place, alongside your other connected home devices. You can even filter by event type — for example, you can pull up every package delivery. 
  • See clearly in a variety of conditions:Both Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell have night vision, 6x zoom, and HDR so images are crisp in the dark or bright light. And we gave Nest Doorbell a taller field of view so you can see visitors from head to toe and packages as close as eight inches away from your door.
  • Extra secure with a Google account: Your devices are only as secure as your account. That’s why the new Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell require a Google account, which comes with added protections like suspicious activity detection, 2-step verification and password checkup. Read more about our commitment to privacy and security in Nest’s dedicated Safety Center.
  • Add a Nest Aware subscription:With a Nest Aware subscription ($6 monthly), you’ll get familiar face detection and the ability to call 911 from the Google Home app (U.S. only) as well as 30 days of event video history. With a Nest Aware Plus subscription ($12 monthly), you’ll get all of this with 60 days of event video history and the option for 10 days of continuous video recording when your Nest Cam is plugged into a power outlet.
  • Made with care: Nest Cam and Doorbell are made with recycled materials and rigorously tested through drops and extreme weather, like heavy rain and hurricane-strength winds.
  • Built for your life: Nest technology is designed to fit into your home, not distract from it. Nest Cam is sleek and white and fits in anywhere — indoors or outdoors. And Nest Doorbell’s design was inspired by clean, minimalist architecture. In the U.S., it comes in four different colors so your front door can make a great first impression.

  The new battery-powered Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell are available for pre-order today for $179.99 — you can visit the Google Store to find out more, including whether Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell will be available in your country.

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/google-nest/11-things-love-about-new-nest-cam-and-doorbell/
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  Stadia Savepoint: July updates
  • sorangutan  

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  It’s time for another update to our Stadia Savepoint series, recapping the new games, features and updates on Stadia.

  In July, Stadia Pro subscribers enjoyed new games like Moonlighter, Street Power Football, Terraria and The Darkside Detective. Claiming these titles within the growing Pro library of more than 20 games makes them easy to play instantly, for as long as you’re a Pro subscriber. Plus, Stadia Pro offered free play weekends for Dead by Daylight, The Crew 2, Marvel’s Avengers and Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The Official Video Game.

  In addition, fights broke out within the popular arcade-brawler Streets of Rage 4 when it launched on the Stadia store, while other players joined Luffy and his band of Straw Hat Pirates in the open world action-adventure ONE PIECE World Seeker. JRPG fans rejoiced with the arrivals of Ys IX: Monstrum Nox and Cris Tales. For players interested in RPGs of the side-scrolling variety, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night delivered an homage to the Metroidvania series.

  10:25

  While Olympic Games Tokyo 2020: The Official Video Game officially launched in June, the arcade sports title was at the top of the leaderboards in July with the start of the in-person events in Tokyo. YouTube Creators have the chance to compete with their viewers in-game across 18 different olympic events with Crowd Play, available in beta (apply through our form for feature access.)

  

  CAPTION: Use Crowd Play on Stadia to play games with YouTube livestream viewers.

  Game recommendations on Google TV

  Look for recommendations for recently played games within the “Top Picks for You” section on Google TV’s home screen.

  Smart suggestions for new friends on web, mobile

  The friends list on web and mobile devices now contains smart suggestions for new friends based on platform interactions and other player activity.

  Stadia Pro updates

  • Four new games were added to the Stadia Pro library in July: Moonlighter, Street Power Football, Terraria and The Darkside Detective.
    
  • An entire library of games are currently available to play instantly with Stadia Pro, including Crayta: Premium Edition, Gunsport, HITMAN, Human Fall Flat, République, Journey to the Savage Planet: Employee of the Month Edition, Little Nightmares II, PixelJunk Raiders, AVICII Invector, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA, Trine 4 - The Nightmare Prince, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III, MotoGP™20, Chronos: Before the Ashes, Blue Fire, Moonlighter, Street Power Football, Terraria, The Darkside Detective, It Came From Space And Ate Our Brains, Epistory - Typing Chronicles, Killer Queen Black, Valkyria Chronicles 4 Complete Edition and GRIME..
  • There are ongoing discounts for all players —- check out the web or mobile Stadia store for the latest.

  July content launches on Stadia:

  • :Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
    
  • Control Ultimate Edition
    
  • Cris Tales
    
  • Moonlighter
    
  • ONE PIECE World Seeker
    
  • Streets of Rage 4
    
  • Watch Dogs: Legion - Bloodline
    
  • Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
    

  New games coming to Stadia announced in July:

  • Darkwood
    
  • FIFA 22
    
  • Heist Simulator
    
  • Streets of Rage 4

  That’s all for now — we’ll be back next month to share more updates. As always, stay tuned to the Stadia Community Blog, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter for the latest news.

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/stadia/savepoint-july-2021-updates/
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  The evolution of lifestyle and beauty blogger Keiko Lynn
  • sorangutan  

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  When Keiko Lynn moved to New York City, she had $700, a fledgling fashion line and the LiveJournal blog she had written since she was 15. “I was working from home and sewing every day,” she says. “I only knew two people in New York and I never left home unless I was walking my dog.” Her home is where the modern incarnation of keikolynn.com began.

  
  

  “I started documenting my outfits every day to hold myself accountable and make sure that I was getting up and getting dressed,” she says. It may have started as a simple idea, but it quickly took off. In the last 20 years, her blog has transformed from an online diary to a promotional tool to a full-time business. 

  

  Keiko often curates her blog with colorful dresses, handbags fit for the season.

  “I was so young when I started my blog,” Keiko shares. “It was before I had a camera of any kind, so it was all text and I treated it like a diary.” When Keiko moved away for college, the blog underwent its first major transformation. “I got a digital camera and used it to document my life and keep in touch with friends and family,” she says. In many ways, her blog has remained true to its original intent: It’s personal and conversational, and it reads like recommendations from a friend. She carefully considers product reviews she writes, keeps price in mind and has yet to recommend something you couldn’t re-wear. 

  
  

  “I think my blog is much more personal than a lot of people's blogs because that's how it started out,” Keiko says. “There's a certain level of expectation where people want to know what's going on in my life that I haven't ever really fully moved away from.”

  
  

  Keiko is the first person featured in the new Creator Insights series, hosted on the Google Web Creators YouTube channel. In her Creator Insights videos, Keiko weighs in on critical parts of her journey to becoming a full-time creator, discussing how to work smarter, determine your rates and generate more traffic. We recently caught up with Keiko to learn more.

  
  

  On the ins and outs of being your own brand

  When asked about her brand, she says, “I didn’t start with the intention of it becoming a business. I fell into it, but if I were coaching someone today, that’d be the first thing I would tell them to figure out.” She continues, “I am my own brand, which can be great, but it can also be tricky. If somebody associates your brand with a specific identity, any evolution can feel like a betrayal. Because I am the brand, I have to go with what feels right.” And what feels right, Keiko notes, often goes against typical fashion and style rules. 

  

  Keiko’s interest in vintage design and photography is on full display in her home office.

  On staying true to yourself despite expectations

  The blog “explores whatever I'm interested in at the moment,” Keiko says. “It never adheres to what people think I should be doing, wearing or what's popular. It's all about being yourself and having fun with fashion and beauty without adhering to any sort of standard rules, especially within this blogging world.”

  
  

  If you’re a fashion or beauty blogger and constant consumption doesn’t fit your lifestyle, Keiko says, “disregard it. Disregard the rule that you have to be a hyper-consumer. There's such a pressure to keep up with the Joneses, always to have something new and fresh to talk about. But for me, it just doesn't make sense for me because that's not the lifestyle that I live.”

  
  

  On sparking initial interest through her clothing line

  Keiko began sewing and selling clothes to support herself during college. “I was making my own clothes because I couldn't afford to buy clothes,” she told me. “I would go to thrift stores, buy stuff and rework it. I was like [the girl in] ‘Pretty in Pink,’” she said. She started selling her clothes through her LiveJournal blog. Then “magazines and brands started reaching out to me,” she says, “and I realized this was a great way to market my clothing line." 

  

  Keiko shares her favorite DIY projects, like making felt hats or custom hair clips.

  After running her fashion line for many years, Keiko decided to focus entirely on the blog. It transitioned from a tool for self-promotion to “a marketing platform for whatever I was interested in at the moment and brand partnerships,” Keiko says. “It evolved as a business.” 

  
  

  On making it work as an influencer

  Keiko says her primary sources of income are brand partnerships and affiliate links, but getting new blog readers is still a priority. Social media, Keiko advises, “is a valuable tool to remind people that you still have those long-form posts.” Newsletters are great, too. “They’re like the RSS feeds we used to have...a little ‘new-blog-is-up!’ reminder,” she says. The people who open them are likely some of your most engaged readers. It’s helpful to give them a nudge.

  
  

  It’s also essential to find the type of social media that best augments your strategy. “Pinterest is underutilized for bloggers,” she says. “Food bloggers and travel bloggers already know that Pinterest is highly valuable, but in the style and beauty space, a lot of people who still maintain blogs don't utilize it enough and are seeing the benefits of Pinterest from other people pinning their photos.”

  

  Keiko Lynn is her own brand and follows her interests wherever they take her.

  While Instagram posts may disappear or peak in 24 hours, Pinterest posts have the potential to remain evergreen. “I have posts that are over a decade old that still are top traffic earners,” Keiko says. 

  
  

  But the most crucial advice Keiko has for bloggers in any industry is to “carve out a space for yourself instead of trying to mirror what you view as successful,” she says. “You don’t want to be a carbon copy because you’re always competing with the already successful person. Separate and allow yourself to be as weird as you want to be.”

  
  

  "It's great to poll the audience to see what they want, but you also have to tell them and show them what they want because they came to you for a reason."

  
  

  Your interests and needs will change but if you invest in your own evolution and consider which platforms align with your content, your audience, too, will follow you anywhere. You can learn more about Keiko Lynn by watching Creator Insights on the Google Web Creators YouTube.

  
  
  https://blog.google/web-creators/evolution-lifestyle-and-beauty-blogger-keiko-lynn/
• 

  Think Retail on Air is Tuesday, August 31 at 10 a.m. PDT
  • sorangutan  

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  It’s time to get ready for the holiday season! This year, we expect shoppers to continue using the digital-first services they learned during the pandemic, like curbside pickup and grocery delivery, in combination with in-store shopping trips. We see this across Google, where searches for "now near me" have grown globally by more than 100% year over year and searches on Google Maps for “curbside pickup” have increased globally by 5,000% year over year.¹

  To help you capture the opportunity this holiday season, we’re hosting Think Retail on Air 2021 on Tuesday, August 31 at 10 a.m. PDT. During this virtual event, we’ll share the latest holiday shopping insights, category trends and Google solutions to help you prepare your business for the holidays. You’ll hear from product experts and industry leaders, including:
  

  

  After the live keynote, you’ll be able to tune in to our hands-on sessions. Be sure to join the right track for you, based on your business’ needs and level of readiness:

  • If you're looking for a holistic overview, be sure to watch the “Google Academy holiday best practices” sessions for growing online sales and growing in-store sales. 

  • If you’re looking to dive deeper into specific product solutions, or just want to learn more, be sure to watch the “Advanced strategies for growth” sessions in the other tab. 

  Register now to reserve your virtual front row seat!

  ---

  ^{1. Google Data, Global English, Jan 26, 2021 - Mar 26, 2021 vs Jan 26, 2020 - Mar 26, 2020}
  

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/ads-commerce/register-thinkretail2021/
• 

  New tools to manage publisher deals in Display & Video 360
  • sorangutan  

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  Marketers and agencies sign annual deals with top publishers to simplify purchasing and negotiating inventory across multiple brands and campaigns. This includes annual upfronts and newfronts deals. Increasingly, marketers rely on Programmatic Guaranteed and other non-guaranteed deals to fulfill these commitments with Display & Video 360, because its frequency management capabilities improve performance while delivering consistent user experiences across channels.
  

  To help media agency professionals more efficiently manage publisher deals, we’re introducing new tools to package, prioritize and monitor deals across partners and advertisers in Display & Video 360.

  Let’s say you’ve negotiated a deal with a publisher and you’d like to use it across different partner accounts. Instead of going into each of Display & Video 360’s partner accounts and creating separate deals, you can now create one deal and then distribute impressions across partners and advertisers. You can also easily edit the deal and the changes will propagate to all Display & Video 360’s accounts you shared the deal with.

  With the new tools to manage our private marketplace deals at the cross partner level, we are able to save up to 56% of time in our day to day operations and place strategic focus on inventory packaging to meet our client goals. Azriel Chan
  Head of Platform & Capabilities, Omnicom Media Gro

  

  Reach the new tools within your deal’s Access tab

  Package and prioritize deals across partner accounts

  In addition to saving time creating and editing deals, you can also package the inventory to fit the needs of the brands you work with. You can take inventory from different deals, bundle them together and give access across partners and advertisers. For example, you can create a package for a special time of year (like Black Friday or major sporting event), a marketing objective or for always-on campaigns and share it across multiple partners. This way you don’t have to recreate the same package in multiple accounts. In addition, for preferred deals, you can prioritize access to the deal across partners and advertisers, giving you additional control in how you distribute impressions from the deal among your various campaigns.

  Monitor publisher commitments in one place

  When you commit to buying a fixed amount of ad inventory through a Programmatic Guaranteed or a non-guaranteed deal, you have to closely monitor its delivery so that you don’t waste your budgets. The ability to keep track of your spend at the publisher level is particularly relevant for your upfront deals that span across various properties and cover different advertisers and campaigns. So if these deals are running behind, it’s important to quickly reallocate impressions across campaigns. Now, you can easily monitor pacing for each publisher and deal in one place, identify delivery issues and reallocate impressions across accounts and campaigns before the deal expires.

  To access these new tools, please contact your account team. In the future, we’re planning to add more controls and flexibility in how you manage your deals across partners.

  Related Article

  New reach and frequency metrics in Display & Video 360

  We’re releasing two new features to assess the reach benefits of your cross-channel frequency management strategy.

  Read Article

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/marketingplatform/360/new-tools-manage-publisher-deals-display-video-360/
• 

  Transit trends: the road ahead for commuters
  • sorangutan  

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  I’ve lived in major cities around the world, from Johannesburg to Shanghai to the San Francisco Bay Area. That means public transportation has played a big role in my daily life. 

  
  

  That changed last spring, when, like many people, I traded in my daily commute on the public bus for a much shorter trip to my dining room table. I wasn’t the only one transforming my kitchen into an office — transit ridership plummeted across the globe. 

  
  

  While we are still far from a return to normal, we wanted to understand how people feel about returning to public transit. So we surveyed 2,000 commuters across New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Chicago to find out. Here’s what we learned: 

  
  

  

  All aboard

  We’ve all missed a lot during the last 18 months— from concerts and big weddings to dinner parties with family and friends. But public transportation? Turns out, surprisingly, yes. According to a recent survey we commissioned, roughly 2 in 3 people want to get back to their pre-pandemic transit routine, with New Yorkers being the most keen to return.

  
  

  

  Parallel parking not required

  While I don’t miss delayed trains or crowded commutes, getting back on public transit means leaving parking behind. More than half of those we surveyed indicated that’s what they miss most about their commute. But people also value the ease public transit brings when it comes to getting around, the time it provides them to reflect on their day, the time they get for themselves for podcasts or reading and even the people-watching, with 1 in 4 people admitting they miss that part, too.

  
  

  

  Cashing out for contactless

  But it’s not all about going “back to the good old days.” With the increasing popularity of contactless payments across many facets of daily life, it’s no surprise riders want to modernize their commutes as well. Increasingly, people are turning to contactless payments as a touch-free way to pay their fare. In fact, mobile contactless payments are the only payment type that increased in popularity (up 11 percentage points) when we asked commuters how they plan to pay for transit fare now versus pre-pandemic. Cash took the biggest dive, from 42% to 32%. 

  
  

  What’s more, one in two people who didn’t use mobile contactless payments before the COVID-19 pandemic say they would be more comfortable riding if there were touch-free options such as mobile contactless payments or ticketing.

  
  

  Of course contactless payments yield far more than a touch-free way of paying. Three in four people said the convenience factor is what they like most about contactless transit payments. Ever ran to catch a train only to realize you left your wallet at home? 🙋 Every second counts when it comes to your commute, which is why 70% of people said what they like most is the speed of paying contactlessly. 

  
  

  Tapping to pay: from uptown to downtown to your town

  At Google Pay, we’ve been hard at work to help roll out mobile transit payment options in even more cities across the U.S. We’ve teamed up with transit agencies in major cities like New York, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area and Washington to give more commuters a way to quickly and easily tap for transit fare. And, by teaming up with Token Transit, we’re bringing mobile contactless payments to more than 100 cities across the country, in bigger and smaller towns like Savannah, Georgia, Kalamazoo, Michigan and Santa Monica, California.

  
  

  Everyone will navigate our new normal at a different pace. So, while some of us start to venture back out, consider ways that make your commute even a little easier. 

  
  

  _{Findings are based on results of an online survey conducted by Allison+Partners Research + Insights. The online survey was conducted among n=2000 U.S. consumers age 18 or older who use public transit in New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., or Chicago  - 500 respondents were captured per DMA. When referenced, the start of the COVID-19 pandemic was considered March 2020. The survey was fielded using Qualtrics and panel was sourced from Lucid. Fielding was executed May-June 2021.}

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/google-pay/transit-trends-road-ahead-commuters/
• 

  From widgets to dark mode: 3 updates to Google Maps on iOS
  • sorangutan  

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  Chocolate or vanilla. 🍦 Crunchy peanut butter or smooth. Androids or iPhones. No matter what your (device) preferences are, Google Maps is here to help you navigate, explore, and get things done as easily as possible. Today, we’re rolling out three new ways to more conveniently access Google Maps’ information about the world right from your iPhone. And while we’re at it, our Googlers are sharing handy tricks you might have forgotten you could do on iOS. 😉

  
  

  Share your live location right from iMessage

  If you’re meeting up with friends or family, you can now share your real-time location while you’re texting so you can stay safe and never miss a beat. Just tap on the Google Maps button in iMessage and —  voilà — your location will be shared for one hour by default, with the option to extend up to three days. To end your share, simply tap the “stop” button on the thumbnail.

  Share your live location right from iMessage

  The information you need, fast

  One of Google Maps’ most powerful features is the ability to see live traffic conditions in an area. With the new nearby traffic widget, you can now access this information for your current location right from your home screen. So if you're about to leave home, work, school, or any other place, you’ll know at a glance exactly what traffic is like, and can plan accordingly.

  Heading to one of your regular spots? With the new Google Maps search widget, you can search for your favorite places or navigate to frequent destinations with just a quick tap. 

  

  Access Google Maps’ helpful information right from your iPhone’s home screen.

  To install either widget, make sure you have the latest Google Maps app downloaded from the App store and follow these steps:

  1. From your home screen, touch and hold a widget or an empty area until your apps jiggle.

  2. In the upper-left corner, tap the Add button.

  3. Search for and tap the Google Maps app.

  4. Swipe to select a widget, then tap Add Widget.

  5. Tap Done.

  

  Hold down an app or empty space on your home screen to start installing your new widgets.

  Come to the dark side

  Experiencing screen fatigue or want to personalize your app? You’re in luck: dark mode on Google Maps for iOS starts rolling out in the coming weeks so you can give your eyes a break or save on battery life. To turn it on, head to your Settings, tap on dark mode, then select “On”.

  

  Rest your eyes and save your battery life with dark mode in Google Maps on iOS.

  But that’s not all. To help you get the most out of Google Maps on iOS, check out these tips — using features both new and old — from the people behind Google Maps.

  

  Stay safe 

  
  

  Google Maps has a ton of features that help me feel more safe when getting around. Whenever I head to a new place, I make sure to use the “Save my parking location” tool so I’m not wandering around looking for my car, especially if it’s dark out. And the offline maps feature is awesome. If I’m going on a hike or I know I’ll have a spotty connection, I download a map of the area to help me avoid getting lost. - Max Kaplan, Social Media 

  
  

  Make it YOUR map

  
  

  Whenever I’m on the hunt for a new restaurant, I use the “Your Match” score to figure out how likely I am to like a spot based on my unique tastes (please tell me they have almond milk) so I never waste time and money on a place I probably won’t enjoy. When I’m looking for things to do, I turn to my Community Feed to get an overview of what’s happening in an area, including helpful information from Local Guides, businesses and articles from some of my favorite publishers like The Infatuation. - Madison Gouveia, Communications

  
  

  Use your map to do good

  
  

  I’m passionate about supporting a diverse set of businesses, and Google Maps makes it easy to do so. With a quick search, I can find nearby businesses that are Women, Black-owned or LGBT-friendly, and quickly learn more about their products, services, and mission with just a few taps. Then, I use Live View, our AR-powered walking directions, to quickly navigate there.  - Bilawal Sidhu, Product 

  
  

  Make sure to check out all of today’s newest features, which will be available for everyone using Google Maps on iOS this month.

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/maps/widgets-dark-mode-3-updates-google-maps-ios/
• 

  New investment in Aotearoa New Zealand
  • sorangutan  

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  New Zealand is often described as an ‘island of innovation’, and when it comes to technology, it’s true that we Kiwis regularly punch above our weight. At the same time, there’s always more progress to be made, and greater opportunities ahead

  
  

  As we approach 15 years on the ground in New Zealand, Google is investing to put down stronger roots here — including by establishing an engineering presence in Auckland.

  
  

  This week, our teams move into the first purpose-built Google office in Auckland, a space that has been designed to bring the best of Aotearoa to Google — giving visitors a taste of the diverse landscapes that New Zealand is known for around the world. We have kayaks for a reception desk, the largest digital ceiling in New Zealand and a cafe that takes its likeness from a chilly bin (or a ‘cooler’, as some people call them 😉). Teams will use our new “Pāua” event space to host business leaders, technologists and the wider community. And the space as a whole has been designed to suit our new hybrid approach to work.

  • A photo of the carved wooden letter 'G' in the reception area of Google's new Auckland office
  • A photo of the colourful 'digital ceiling' in Google's new Auckland office, with a Googler working on a laptop at a table underneath the ceiling.
  • A photo of the Paua event space in Google's new office in Auckland, showing a group of visitors gathered around tables in a communal space
  • A photo of Google hardware in front of a window overlooking Auckland's harbour

  With space to grow, we'll also start recruiting Google’s first New Zealand-based engineers. We hope to attract local software talent, engage research institutions and contribute to the understanding and application of machine learning and artificial intelligence in Aotearoa.

  
  

  In addition to our new office and engineering presence, we’ve launched a new Google Cloud Dedicated Interconnect location in Auckland and our second Australia-New Zealand Google Cloud region, in Melbourne. This investment will help us better serve our local Cloud customers, connecting New Zealand to Google’s private secure network and ensuring customer data never traverses the public internet. 

  
  

  Kiwi organisations like Trade Me and ANZ are already using Google’s Cloud capabilities, and our expanded footprint means we can help more businesses take advantage of the cleanest cloud in the industry.   

  
  I’m so proud of the work our teams do to support New Zealand’s businesses, communities, nonprofits and governments. With these new commitments, we’re more focused than ever on building a better future for all Kiwis.
  
  https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-asia/new-investment-aotearoa-new-zealand/
• 

  Express yourself and connect with others on Chromebooks
  • sorangutan  

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  Many people this past year used Chromebooks to keep in touch with family and friends, stay entertained and work or learn from home. Today, we’re introducing a few new features that make connecting and communicating with others — on video chat or through text — even easier.

  Improved video calls on your Chromebook

  With more people now relying on video calls, we’ve improved the experience to help make sure you’ll have smooth conversations on any Chromebook and your favorite app. 

  With Chrome OS’s latest update, Google Meet will be pre-installed on all Chromebooks, so it’s easy to launch into the app and get on a video call right from the Launcher. Google Meet includes exciting features, like video backgrounds, that make meetings more inclusive and fun. We’ve also made performance improvements like adapting video calls to different network conditions and adjusting video performance during screen sharing.  

  

   The new Google Meet app on Chromebook

  Recently we partnered with Zoom to launch an improved version of the app for Chromebooks on the Google Play Store. This new version delivers faster performance, takes up less storage and includes latest features such as breakout rooms, live transcription and a new background masking feature for privacy. 

  Plus, you can find other apps for video calling to suit your specific needs. For example, you can connect with teams remotely on Jitsi-Meet or hang out with friends and family on Houseparty. And to make your video calls even better, you can add Works With Chromebook certified accessories to your setup, including web cameras and headsets from partners like Logitech, EPOS and Lenovo.

  Express yourself with emoji  👍  

  Earlier this month, Google celebrated World Emoji Day by announcing more shareable and inclusive emoji. Now we’ve made it even easier to express yourself with emoji on Chromebooks with a new shortcut and emoji picker.

  On your Chromebook, use the new keyboard shortcut (Search or Launcher key + Shift + Space) to bring up the compact emoji picker. From there, you can see your recently used emoji and scroll to discover others. With a click, the perfect emoji is inserted into a conversation, document, or any text field on your Chromebook. 

  We’ve also made it easier to search for an emoji (currently only available in English) and view related options. Setting up a calendar invitation for coffee? Open the picker, type “coffee,” then select the emoji you want. ☕️  🤯

  

  Search for emoji then add them to text fields with Chromebook’s new emoji picker.

  Keep in touch – from anywhere

  Chrome OS now supports eSIM for cellular connectivity. With eSIM, you can download and switch between carrier profiles without having to insert or remove a physical SIM card from your laptop. This will be particularly helpful if you need to connect to a cellular network but can’t run to the store for a SIM card, and for international travelers who frequently switch between networks.

  This feature is only available on eSIM-compatible Chromebooks, like the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 and Acer Chromebook 511. To get started on these devices, go to Settings, then "Mobile data" in the "Network" section, and add a connection.

  

  You can use a QR Code to help set up the new cellular network on your Chromebook.

  Celebrate togetherness

  This month we’re also introducing a new collection of wallpapers from three Black artists, Aurelia Durand, Sabrena Khadija and Meech Boakye. Each artist created wallpapers inspired by the concept of togetherness. Their lively designs reflect connections between family and friends, empowering and uplifting one’s community, and the experience of being in nature. 

  To try them out, just right-click your desktop and choose “Set wallpaper,” then select “Togetherness.”

  • Four animated people in bright clothing dancing on an orange background

    Aurelia Durand’s wallpaper “Joy”

  • Three animated people pose in colorful clothing on a lime green background

    Aurelia Durand’s wallpaper “Kindness”

  • An animated woman in a dark green hijab holds a white cat. A white flower is on either side of them.

     Meech Boakye’s wallpaper “Affection”

  • Four animated people with different skin tones embrace. One person is in a wheelchair, and another is making a peace sign.

     Meech Boakye’s wallpaper “Friendship”

  • An animated woman with brown skin is wearing big sunglasses and a hat. The background has many lush green leaves.

    Sabrena Khadija’s wallpaper “Greenhouse”

  • An animated woman in a pink dress stands on a blue and white striped hill. An orange sun peaks above the hill, and the sky is blue with pink clouds.

    Sabrena Khadija’s wallpaper “Sky”

  Discover new ways to create and play on your Chromebook

  For parents looking to keep their kids entertained and engaged, the Explore app on Chromebooks now includes a digital magazine curated for kids and families. Each issue will be packed with educational apps to help kids discover new ways to create and play on their Chromebooks.

   The first issue focuses on game design, and in addition to suggesting apps to help kids learn how to design and code their own games, it also features an interview with game creator Jesse Schell. Keep an eye out for future updates with more expert interviews and other themes to inspire kids’ creativity.

  This digital magazine is currently only available for Family Link users in the United States. Find it in the Explore app, under “Discover.”

  

  The digital magazine exclusive to Chromebook within the Explore app

  We’ll be back soon to share more new Chromebook features. 😎 

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/chromebooks/express-yourself-and-connect-with-others-on-chromebooks/
• 

  Cheer on the finalists of our Indie Games Festival
  • sorangutan  

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  On September 4, we’re celebrating some of the best indie talent on Google Play during the Indie Games Festival finals for Europe, Japan and South Korea. This year the three festivals are virtual, so you can join us to discover the games, meet the developers who created them, cheer them on and be the first to hear who the winners are. 

  
  

  In June we kicked off the Indie Games Festival – a competition to celebrate the innovation and creativity that indie developers bring to Google Play. We received thousands of submissions, showing our judges how unique and diverse our games developer community is. 

  
  

  The panel of judges have now selected 20 games in each region – listed below – to go forward to the finals on September 4. Each finalist receives exclusive promotions and prizes that give their games the recognition they deserve. 

  
  

  So, don’t miss out. Expect plenty of fun and some very special surprises. Sign up now to virtually attend the festivals for Europe, Japan and South Korea. The events are free to attend and will all take place in the same space, so sign up to one and you will be able to teleport to all events!  

  Related Article

  Grow your indie game with help from Google Play

  Grow your indie game with the help from Google Play. Apply by July 1st for the Indie Games Accelerator and the Indie Games Festival.

  Read Article

  

  Europe

  
  

  Beat Workers by NaturalPad Games, France

  Bird Alone by George Batchelor, United Kingdom

  Cats in Time by Pine Studio, Croatia

  Figment by Bedtime Digital Games, Denmark

  Froglike: The Frog Roguelike by Jimjum Studios, Israel

  Garson by Anastasiya Shabunia, Belarus

  Gumslinger by Itatake, Sweden

  Lyxo by Emoak, Austria

  Psychofunk by Tommy Søreide Kjær, Norway

  Railways by Infinity Games, Portugal

  Sticky Terms by kamibox, Germany

  Sweet Sins Superstars by Platonic Games, Spain

  Tiny Robots Recharged by Big Loop Studios, Bulgaria

  Tofu Drifter by Roach Games, Russia

  Towers by JOX Development, Ukraine

  Unholy Adventure by Dali Games, Poland

  Warplane Inc by Nuclear Games, Russia

  Watch Me Stream My Mental Breakdown by Ultaan Games, Poland

  Woof: The Good Boy Story by CHPV.GAMES, Russia

  Zen Symmetry by 8tbl, Russia

  
  Sign up to attend the European finals.

  Japan

  
  

  3D Chess: NOCCA NOCCA by Curiouspark, Inc.

  5colors in Nate by NekodoraSoft

  Amabie san by HARAPECORPORATION Inc.

  Archer Battle Online by Takuya Fujieda

  Cthulhu DreamStairs by Tenyu

  ElectriarCode by ELECTRIAR LABO / Blue

  Escape from the Closed Circle by Hanachiru

  Heart  of Sengoku by ZEN APP

  Leaving Two Tiles Dojo by ScreenPocket

  Living in the Ending World by illuCalab.

  MAKOTO WAKAIDO’s Case Files “Executioner’s Wedge” by HafHaf-Oden (Sukashiuma-LAB）

  Mini Mini Farm by CoffeeBreak

  MonohakobiPro by CGO

  Mousebusters by Odencat

  Numpurr Card Wars by Nukenin

  Parasite Days by Zxima

  Quantum Transport by ruccho

  Super Glitter Rush by tiny cactus studio

  Survivor's guilt by aso

  Wolf Chess by baton inc.
  

  
  

  Sign up to attend the Japanese finals.

  South Korea

  
  

  Angel Saga by Alchemist Games Inc.

  Animal Card Royale by Banjihagames

  Animal Doll Shop by Funnyeve

  BattleLive: Zombie&Human by PLOTRICK

  Box It Up! Inc. by team TAPE

  CATS & SOUP by HIDEA

  Cats are Cute: Pop Time by kkiruk studio

  Detective Mio by 1N1

  Dicast: Rules of Chaos by BSS COMPANY

  Forest Island by Nanali Studios

  Frontier of Fortune by Dotomchi Games Inc.

  FUNKYGUNNER by FUNKY5

  Group Project Simulator! by Studio806

  Gun Tactics by Gimle Games

  Hybrid Warrior: Dungeon of the Overlord by Cat Lab

  Metro Blossom by The Sane Studio

  Portal Dungeon by Oblique Line

  Rush Hour Rally by Soen Games

  The Way Home by CONCODE

  Titan Slayer by Touchholic
  

  
  

  Sign up to attend the South Korean finals. 

  
  PS: Curious to hear who was selected for the Indie Games Accelerator? Attend the European Festival to find out!
  
  https://blog.google/products/google-play/cheer-finalists-our-indie-games-festival/
• 

  Google Tensor debuts on the new Pixel 6 this fall
  • sorangutan  

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  In 2016, we launched the first Pixel. Our goal was to give people a more helpful, smarter phone. Over the years, we introduced features like HDR+ andNight Sight, which used artificial intelligence (AI) to create beautiful images with computational photography. In later years, we applied powerful speech recognition models to build Recorder, which can record, transcribe and search for audio clips, all on device.

  AI is the future of our innovation work, but the problem is we’ve run into computing limitations that prevented us from fully pursuing our mission. So we set about building a technology platform built for mobile that enabled us to bring our most innovative AI and machine learning (ML) to our Pixel users. We set out to make our own System on a Chip (SoC) to power Pixel 6. And now, years later, it’s almost here. 

  Tensor is our first custom-built SoC specifically for Pixel phones, and it will power the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro later this fall.

  

  Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro

  Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro debut this fall, and that’s when we'll share all the details we normally release at launch like new features, technical specs and pricing and availability. But today, we’re giving you a preview of what’s to come. 

  Industrial design

  These new phones redefine what it means to be a Pixel. From the new design that combines the same beautiful aesthetic across software and hardware with Android 12, to the new Tensor SoC, everything about using the Pixel is better.

  We also upgraded the rear camera system. The improved sensors and lenses are now too big to fit into the traditional square — so the new design gives the whole camera system a new home with the camera bar. 

  

  The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro have new materials and finishes, too — like the Pro’s light polished aluminum frame, and the 6’s matte aluminum finish. And they both feel great in your hand. 

  Material You

  Google announced Android 12 and the new Material You design language at Google I/O. With Material You, we’re mixing color science with years of work in interaction design and engineering. These UI updates are grounded in the new animation and design framework — to make using your Pixel feel incredibly natural because everything runs smoothly on the Tensor chip. 

  Tensor 

  Tensor was built for how people use their phones today and how people will use them in the future. As more and more features are powered by AI and ML it’s not simply about adding more computing resources, it’s about using that ML to unlock specific experiences for our Pixel users.

  
  

  The team that designed our silicon wanted to make Pixel even more capable. For example, with Tensor we thought about every piece of the chip and customized it to run Google's computational photography models. For users, this means entirely new features, plus improvements to existing ones. 

  
  

  Tensor enables us to make the Google phones we’ve always envisioned —  phones that keep getting better, while tapping the most powerful parts of Google, all in a highly personalized experience. And with Tensor’s new security core and Titan M2, Pixel 6 will have the most layers of hardware security in any phone^**.

  
  

  You’ll see this in everything from the completely revamped camera system to speech recognition and much more. So whether you're trying to capture that family photo when your kids won’t stand still, or communicate with a relative in another language, Pixel will be there — and it will be more helpful than ever. We look forward to sharing more about Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro later this year. 

  
  

  ^{* These devices have not been authorized as required by the rules of the Federal Communications Commission or other regulators. These devices may not be sold or otherwise distributed until required legal authorizations have been obtained}

  ^{**Based on a count of independent hardware security subsystems and components.}

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/pixel/google-tensor-debuts-new-pixel-6-fall/
• 

  New program helps regional journalists develop digital skills
  • sorangutan  

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  Today, we’re pleased to announce an initiative that helps support regional news publishers by providing vital digital skills training and new opportunities for young journalists.

  
  

  Introducing the Digital News Academy

  The Digital News Academy is a new program created by Google and News Corp Australia that will provide training in the latest digital skills to 750 local and regional news professionals from a range of outlets across the country, including Australian Community Media and several others.

  The program, run over three years, will provide comprehensive tuition in skills including digital journalism, video and audio production, data journalism, audience measurement, reader revenue, digital business models and marketing. 

  In addition to enabling crucial digital capabilities, the Digital News Academy will also create opportunities for young journalists, funding 60 new 12-month journalism traineeships in regional Australia over the next three years. 

  This is a significant investment in training and skills for local news in Australia, and builds on the work we’ve been doing for years in support of regional publishers. We’ve long partnered with the news industry in Australia, and this new initiative will benefit and support hundreds of journalists from across the Australian news industry.

  
  

  What our partners are saying

  News Corp Australasia’s executive chairman Michael Miller said the academy would provide essential skills at a crucial time for news media professionals.“The future of commercial news organisations rests on their ability to create and publish journalism that serves audiences in tangible, valuable ways and is consumed how and where those audiences choose,” Mr Miller said. “This task is the foundation mission as news organisations large and small develop business models built on high value journalism. I thank Google for working with News Corp Australia in establishing the academy and it’s further acknowledgment of journalism’s value and importance.”

  Australian Community Media, Australia’s largest rural and regional publisher, will be a major participant in the program, receiving both training and trainees. “ACM is delighted to be involved in this initiative. The ongoing training and upskilling of our editorial teams to meet the ever changing demands on our consumers is a key priority for our business. This is evidenced by the recent appointment of Saffron Howden in the role of Editorial Training Manager. With Saffron's experience, and the global expertise brought together in this program, this bi-partisan initiative will be fantastic for ACM editorial staff and the strength of regional journalism more broadly,” says Tony Kendall, CEO of Australian Community Media.  

  The Digital News Academy will launch in early 2022. 

  
  
  
  https://blog.google/around-the-globe/google-asia/australia/new-program-helps-regional-journalists-develop-digital-skills/
• 

  Quicksave: The latest from Google Play Pass
  • sorangutan  

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  Google Play Pass helps you connect with awesome digital content: It’s your pass to hundreds of apps and games without ads and in-app purchases. We wanted to take another moment to spotlight a few of the games and developers we think you’ll enjoy.
  
  

  Dive into the newest games

  

  Tesla vs Lovecraft

  An epic showdown between man vs monsters.

  
  

  PRICE:$9.99Free with Google Play Pass subscription

  
  

  Play as enigmatic inventor Nikola Tesla as you mow down nightmarish monsters from the mind of famed horror author H.P. Lovecraft.

  

  Delight Games (Premium Library)

  70+ interactive volumes to immerse you in new worlds.

  
  

  PRICE:$29.99Free with Google Play Pass subscription

  
  

  Enjoy a massive new trove of choose your own adventure stories that span every possible world from fantasy to mystery, horror, adventure and even some romance.

  

  WHO IS AWESOME

  Fall, chase and flip your way to victory in this two-directional platformer!

  
  

  PRICE:$0.99Free with Google Play Pass subscription

  
  

  Chase and run your way through different lands in a single-player mini-game collection that challenges you to outthink characters from four popular games.

  

  Starman

  Recover the light, and bring life back!

  
  

  PRICE:$4.49Free with Google Play Pass subscription

  
  

  Guide Starman through a breathtaking series of atmospheric architectural scenes and elaborate puzzles that are challenging, relaxing and immersive.

  
  

  Explore the titles we ❤️   

  

  Super Glitch Dash

  The ultimate twitch runner has arrived.

  
  

  PRICE:Free(No in-app purchases with Google Play Pass subscription)

  
  

  Get ready to immerse yourself in this jaw-dropping, rhythm-driven runner that takes everything you love about the acclaimed original Glitch Dash to the next level.

  

  Cytus II

  From the makers of Cytus, experience a whole new chapter.

  
  

  PRICE:$1.99Free with Google Play Pass subscription

  
  

  Step into the future, where a mysterious DJ legend is at the center of this music rhythm game that puts 100+ songs from all over the world at your fingertips.

  

  Summer Catchers

  
  

  Embark on an epic road trip adventure of a lifetime.

  
  

  PRICE:$3.99Free with Google Play Pass subscription

  
  

  Travel to distant uncharted lands full of mystery, strange creatures and exciting races as you pursue a quest to finally experience summer.

  

  Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition

  The world of Salt is on the brink of collapse. Its only hope is Dandara.

  
  

  PRICE:$5.99Free with Google Play Pass subscription

  
  

  Defy gravity and discover secret mysteries in this 2D metroidvania platformer that puts you in a battle for survival against enemies bent on oppression.

  No need for FOMO: Check out everything that’s been added since June 1, 2021.

  Action

  Lovecraft's Untold Stories

  Space Marshals 3

  Tesla vs Lovecraft

  
  

  Adventure

  Angelo and Deemon: One Hell of a Quest (Full)

  Death Road to Canada

  DISTRAINT 2

  Heal: Pocket Edition

  Pango Kumo - weather game for kids 3-6

  Pango Pirate - Adventure Game for kids

  Timo - Adventure Puzzle Game

  
  

  Arcade

  Aftermath

  Bermuda Triangle

  Color Ball Blast

  Daggerhood

  DRAW CHILLY

  Super Drop Land

  Whale Trail Classic

  WHO IS AWESOME

  
  

  Art and Design

  Pango Paper Color - colouring book game for kids

  
  

  Board

  Draughts

  
  

  Books and Reference

  Dictionary.com Premium

  
  

  Card

  21 Smash - Best mix of Solitaire and BlackJack

  Brave Hand

  Castle Solitaire: Card Game

  
  

  Casual

  Pango Sheep: get all the sheep

  Snail Bob 3

  
  

  Education

  The Bugs 2: What Are They Like?

  Extraordinary Women

  How do Animals Work?

  Make It - Create Educational Games & Quizzes

  May the Forces Be With You

  Monopoly Junior

  My Green City

  My Little Pony: Story Creator

  
  

  Educational

  Car City: Kindergarden Toddler Learning Games

  Car City Puzzle Games - Brain Teaser for Kids 2+

  Car Patrol Hide & Seek: Preschool Animals Safari

  Carl the Super Truck Roadworks: Dig, Drill & Build

  Kiddopia

  Logic Club

  Pango Fox Factory - Coding Games For Kids

  Pango Build City: create train tracks for children

  
  

  Entertainment

  Tonka: Trucks Around Town

  
  

  Health and Fitness

  Hydro Coach PRO - drink water

  
  

  Lifestyle

  Time Until | Beautiful Countdown App + Widget

  
  

  Music

  Pango Musical March : music game of marching band

  Percuss — Rhythm Sequencer

  
  

  Music and Audio

  AudioLab 🎵 Audio Editor Recorder & Ringtone Maker

  Strobe Tuner Pro: Guitar Tuner, Violin, Ukulele, …

  
  

  Photography

  PicLab - Photo Editor

  TouchRetouch

  
  

  Puzzle

  Amigo Pancho

  Azkend 2: The World Beneath

  Dream Detective

  The Eyes of Ara

  Grids of Thermometers

  Hashi Puzzle

  hocus 2

  I Love Hue Too

  Oculux

  Pango Blocks : puzzle game for kids 4 - 8 years

  Pango One Road : logical labyrinth for children

  Pettson's Inventions 2

  Puzzle Retreat

  Rip Them Off

  Starman

  Twinfold

  YANKAI'S DIAMOND

  
  

  Racing

  Dead Paradise: Car Shooter & Action Game

  Dirt Trackin Sprint Cars

  
  

  Roleplaying

  Cyberlords - Arcology

  Delight Games (Premium Library)

  RPG Aeon Avenger - KEMCO

  RPG Grinsia

  RPG Alphadia2

  Space Raiders RPG

  Undead Horde

  Yōdanji: The Roguelike

  
  

  Simulation

  Casino Crime

  The Little Crane That Could

  Pango Build Safari : animal park for kids 3 - 8

  Pig io - Pig Evolution io games

  Shiny Ski Resort

  
  

  Sports

  Super Soccer Champs 2021

  
  

  Strategy

  Maze Machina

  Pocket Harvest

  Tactic Master - Strategy Battle & Tower Defense

  Wanna Survive

  
  

  Weather

  Weather Forecast 14 days Pro - Meteored News

  Weather XS PRO

  
  

  Word

  String of Words

  
  
  https://blog.google/products/google-play/quicksave-latest-google-play-pass/
• 

  We’re here, we’re loud, we’re disabled and proud
  • sorangutan  

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  I discovered Disability pride only after going to a youth Disability conference where I learned —  for the first time — how it felt to be a part of the majority in the room. Now I try to create that experience for more disabled people.

  
  

  In addition to my marketing role where I work on naming our products, I’m also a lead on Google’s Disability Alliance employee resource group that is made up of thousands of Googlers. As part of this community, we advocate, build awareness, and share advice around Disability topics with the goal of creating innovative and inclusive products, programs, and practices. We help people understand the larger Disability community’s principle of “Nothing about us without us”, and for any new product or program at Google, we encourage everyone to think about “Nothing without us at all.”

  
  

  Through building community and sharing our stories, we show that we can live full lives not despite our disabilities, but because we have accepted those disabilities with love. For Disability Pride Month, Googlers are celebrating their disabilities as part of their identities. I’m honored to have Parinita Das and Lio Benz share their stories with us.

  

  Parinita in her home in Hyderabad, India.

  Parinita Das

  (she/her)

  You’ve been at Google for over 14 years. What’s been your favorite experience? 

  Parinita: The open and inclusive culture is the most valuable experience I’ve cherished at Google over the years. It has taught me to be accepting of myself and others, which in turn has helped me grow into a better person.

  What is your perspective on Disability pride and culture?

  Parinita: I’m an upper limb amputee and I’m able to go about my day independently with most activities using a bionic arm. Only about 3% of total amputations are upper limb amputations, and a functional prosthetic arm costs twice as much of a lower limb prosthesis.

  While technology focuses on making life limitless for amputees, I’m disheartened to see the lack of sensitization in people. In my view, the biggest barrier for people with disabilities (PwD) is the lack of a psychologically safe world. I dream of a world where there’s more inclusion in our hearts so that we don’t perceive PwDs as broken. Once we provide PwDs with the psychological safety that they not only need but deserve, the sky can be the limit to what we can achieve.

  In India, where I live, we first need to develop psychological safety for PwDs so more people will self-identify themselves as having disabilities. Once the community grows, there’ll be more opportunities to build allyship, support each other and show the world what we’re really capable of. On a personal level, I’m a relatively new amputee who’s still learning to navigate this world that’s not built for PwDs. I take pride in the fact of how far I’ve come on this journey, and I feel confident that life is limitless for me!

  

  Lio in their home in London, United Kingdom.

  Lio Benz

  (they/them)

  Tell us about your role at Google.

  Lio: I’m an interaction designer on the Google Play team in London. What I enjoy most about my work is transforming complex data sets into easy-to-understand interactions and data visualizations that developers use to improve their apps and games for millions of people around the world.

  What is your perspective on Disability pride and culture?

  Lio: My autistic neurotype defines my experience of the world, and what I can and can’t do. In my community, we call this being ActuallyAutistic. In our society that doesn’t meet autistic needs, I am disabled and I take pride in my disability.

  When I claimed the word “disabled”, people reacted with skepticism because I don’t “look” autistic to them. Being autistic is still stereotyped as white and cis-male, so people outside that stereotype have more difficulty receiving a diagnosis. For children who are diagnosed, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy can be traumatising, especially when it involves electric shocks. As adults, many of us are detained in mental health hospitals, and only 22% of us are in ANY kind of employment. Yet a lot of research still focuses on finding causes and “cures” instead of how we can lead fulfilling lives. We need allies to listen to Actually Autistic voices and bring intersectional perspectives to the places where decisions are being made.

  
  
  https://blog.google/outreach-initiatives/accessibility/here-loud-disabled-and-proud/
• 

  Partnering with the NSF on a research institute for AI to improve elderly care
  • sorangutan  

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  From the early days of the internet to the development of the Human Genome Project, U.S. government-funded R&D has yielded remarkable progress for society, and today it is an important engine for AI research. That’s why, last year, we were proud to announce our partnership with the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide $5M to support the establishment of national research institutes working in the area of Human-AI Interaction and Collaboration (HAIC). This partnership—which is part of a more than $300M NSF investment in AI Research Institutes—will create vibrant research centers across the U.S. to advance how people and AI collaborate through speech, text, gestures, and more. It also builds on our partnership with the NSF  on next generation networks, and our AI research collaborations with U.S. federal agencies on weather modeling, robust AI systems, whale population monitoring, and more. 

  Today, we are delighted to share that NSF has selected the AI Institute for Collaborative Assistance and Responsive Interaction for Networked Groups (AI-CARING) led by Georgia Tech, along with Carnegie Mellon University, Oregon State University, and University of Massachusetts Lowell to receive the $20M AI Institute for HAIC grant. AI-CARING will improve collaboration and communication in elderly caregiving environments by developing AI systems that adjust to the evolving personal needs and behaviors of those requiring care. With our growing research presence in Atlanta, we’re excited to build on our rich history of collaboration with Georgia Tech and its partners in this effort—most recently supporting some of these universities' work to help vulnerable populations find important information on COVID-19 and monitoring and forecasting disease spread.

  With a growing population of older adults in need of caregiving, AI systems can be useful in a variety of contexts, like conversational assistants, health sensing, and improving coordination across the care network. For example, AI can help existing voice assistants better understand people with speech impairments, and can be integrated in home bathrooms to make them more accessible. The AI-CARING Institute will develop assistive AI agents across these types of contexts to help those requiring caregiving to sustain their independence and  improve their quality of life. Additionally, this research will be the product of interdisciplinary teams—with expertise across AI, geriatrics, behavioral sciences, and design—working to ensure that AI is deployed responsibly in this context, with human-centered principles in mind.

  Congratulations to the recipient universities of the AI Institute awards and the faculty, listed below. We look forward to learning from the team’s research, sharing our resources and expertise, and building a collaboration to help older adults lead more independent lives and improve the quality of their care.

  Recipient university institutions:

  • Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Carnegie Mellon University
  • Oregon State University
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell

  Faculty:

  • Sonia Chernova (Georgia Tech) - PI
  • Elizabeth Mynatt (Georgia Tech) - Co-PI
  • Reid Simmons (Carnegie Mellon University) - Co-PI
  • Kagan Tumer (Oregon State University) - Co-PI
  • Holly Yanco (University of Massachusetts Lowell) - Co-PI

  
  
  https://blog.google/technology/ai/partnering-nsf-research-institute-ai-improve-elderly-care/
• 

  Helping site owners manage consent in AdSense
  • sorangutan  

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  Privacy regulations like the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are an important part of privacy-first advertising. But navigating privacy regulations can be complex if you can’t dedicate resources to meet the varying regulatory requirements across the globe.  

  
  

  The process of consent management often entails:

  • Notifying site visitors on how their data is being used

  • Enabling site visitors to provide consent or manage their data preferences

  • Communicating those preferences to advertising partners, so that they’re respected

  To help you gather and manage user consent for GDPR and opt-out requests for CCPA, we’ve launched new consent management features directly in AdSense Auto ads. These features offer an easy way for you to communicate with your site visitors, providing them an opportunity to manage their data and privacy preferences. This also gives you the ability to gather consent for advertising purposes, so you can continue to grow advertising revenue and fund your content. 

  
  

  Gather and manage consent for GDPR

  AdSense’s consent management solution is integrated with the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) Europe’s Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) v2.1, which standardizes the process and offers common language for gathering consent under the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive. When an EEA or U.K. user visits your site from those regions, your GDPR consent message will display to give them options to manage their data, and their choices will be automatically respected by AdSense and communicated to your advertising partners. 

  
  

  Gather opt out requests for CCPA

  AdSense also supports the IAB's CCPA Compliance Framework, which provides you with a standardized approach to manage opt-outs from users in this state. AdSense Auto ads detects when a user from California visits your site, shows them a CCPA opt out message, ensures their choice will be automatically respected by AdSense and makes the user’s choices available to other advertising partners you’ve integrated on the page. 

  
  

  Grow revenue in a privacy-focused way

  AdSense makes the process of gathering and managing consent easy. It allows you to communicate with your users and give them more transparency and control over how their data is being used. This makes it possible for you to continue to fund your content with advertising in a privacy-first way. 

  
  

  The consent management solutions in AdSense are simple for publishers to use. As they’re already integrated into AdSense Auto ads, simply edit your site’s Auto ads settings, click “More features” and then turn on your consent messages. Of course, this feature is optional to use and you can work with any consent management platform of your choice. 

  
  

  As new privacy regulations arise, we’ll continue to evolve our consent management solutions to help partners navigate user privacy decisions in a transparent way. We remain committed to helping site owners earn money through their content and grow their digital businesses for the future in a privacy-first ecosystem. Watch this space for further updates in the coming months.

  
  

  Please visit the AdSense help center to learn more.

  
  
  
  https://blog.google/products/adsense/helping-site-owners-manage-consent-adsense/
• 

  Google interns take on 2021
  • sorangutan  

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  When I applied to be an intern at Google, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. But I knew what I was hoping for: a collaborative culture, to work on interesting new technology, and, of course, one of those colorful propeller hats. 

  Still, I had no idea what part of the company I should work in, and I was worried about completing an entire internship remotely from my bedroom. I eventually was placed on the Global Communications and Public Affairs team — a specialty that was new to me. All my anxieties disintegrated when I met the Googlers who guided me through the internship process. I was welcomed onto a team that didn’t expect me to have everything figured out. They just wanted to support me.

  During my internship, I’ve been encouraged to ask questions and given the resources to explore what interests me. Google is focused on continuous learning, and its internships are no exception. I may spend my morning interviewing a team lead about a product launch, followed by a coffee chat to learn about new Search features, and finish my day strategizing for this blog post. 

  But my favorite part of my internship has been connecting with Googlers from all over the world and helping share their stories. This year, Google’s 3,500+ interns (who come from more than 400 universities and more than 40 countries) have been collaborating on and leading all kinds of meaningful projects. As we celebrate International Intern Day today, I spoke with a few members of my intern class about the work they’re doing at Google and what they’ve learned so far.

  Making a real impact

  

  Meet Sarah

  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  As a PhD candidate studying human-computer interaction, Sarah is used to designing new ways for people to utilize technology. She has spent her internship researching how a device could be helpful to people with hearing loss who might lipread. As part of her work on the Hearing Accessibility team, she tested a bracelet that can translate audio into tactile vibrations, which can provide an added layer of communication in addition to lipreading. 

  New to the area of hearing accessibility, Sarah quickly dove into the existing research, studying sound processing, phonetics and what makes lipreading both difficult and useful. 

  “At the start of the internship I built a tool to help people practice with the devices,” Sarah says. “It also lets us run experiments with the devices remotely, and I’ve been really excited by what we’ve been able to learn with this tool over the last few weeks. It’s great to work on something that my teammates as well as our pilot users get value from.”

  Work that’s never been done

  
  

  

  Meet Lino

  Berlin, Germany

  Lino has spent his internship creating a central hub that helps direct Sales teams to relevant support resources and services. When he started, Lino wasn’t told to build a specific product. Instead, Lino’s team explained their problem and supported him while he worked on a solution. Through his project, he’s learned how to thrive in ambiguity.  

  “Many of the things we do at Google haven’t been done before,” Lino says. “There’s no manual. It can be challenging to not have a step-by-step guide to follow, but really creating something from the ground up has been a very exciting experience.”

  Learning with others

  

  Meet Dana

  Los Angeles, California

  Throughout her internship, Dana has been working with Google Video Partners to grow a new format for audio ads. She’s partnered with various Google engineers to explore ideas like expanding to new inventory and making ad content more engaging. Did I mention she’s only a little more than half way through her 12-week internship? While working, Dana’s also built relationships with her peers. 

  “Working virtually is nudging me to be more intentional about reaching out,” she says. “A highlight for me was when a team member organized a waffle-making event. Imagine 12 people on video call flipping waffles! It just made me so happy.”

  Creating new opportunities

  
  

  

  Meet João

  São Paulo, Brazil

  Balancing two projects, João worked as the technical point of contact for customers at Google Cloud Brazil, and analyzed team productivity at Google using AI. During his internship, he took advantage of Google’s career resources, earning two engineering certificates. The best part is that his time at Google isn’t over: Since João’s internship ended a few weeks ago, he accepted a full-time role.

  “I'm very glad that my relationship with Google is only beginning,” João says. “It feels like every single contribution I made as an intern had an impact and it’s great to know there’s even more to come.”

  
  

  
  
  https://blog.google/inside-google/life-at-google/google-interns-take-2021/