We know Cristiano Ronaldo can strut his stuff on the football pitch—and in the occasional Armani ad—but he’s taking it to new heights on the search charts. Topping longtime rival Lionel Messi and rising icon Neymar, Ronaldo proves all you need to win in search is serious dribbling skills, a chiseled jawline and a unique haircut (although the reason behind his hairstyle may be pretty heartwarming … if true).
Look ma—no hands!
A World Cup is only as good as its goals—and we’ve seen a couple of doozies this time around. Robin Van Persie’s leaping header made him an overnight Internet sensation, while people were excited to see that Messi got his groove back after scoring his first World Cup goal in eight years. And if you blinked, you might have missed Clint Dempsey’s goal in the U.S.A’s 2-1 victory over Ghana. Clocking in at 32 seconds after the start of the match, Dempsey scored the fastest American goal in World Cup history. That feat, however, couldn’t save the United States as they fell victim to the latest goal in World Cup history off the head of Silvestre Varela.
A pitched battle
Do you take your fish and chips with pasta? Searchers were eager to watch England and Italy’s clash for Group D dominance (spoiler alert: both teams got the boot) while the U.S.A.’s match against Ghana took second place in search. Rounding out the top three, we’re pretty sure Guillermo Ochoa’s stellar performance and totally convincing impression of a wall was what made the Brazil vs. Mexico match a hot one.
Time to bust a move
It was a dance-off on the trends charts as Daniel Sturridge's wave won over the crowd ahead of Neymar’s funky jig. But our personal favorite has to be the Ghanaian national team’s collaborative routine after star striker Asamoah Gyan scored a goal to take the lead in their match against Germany. We just love an ensemble!
Long hair, don’t care
It’s not really about football unless you mention WAGs (“wives and girlfriends” of players). Amongst leading ladies, Colombian singer Shakira steals the search show. And after her partner, Spanish defender Gerard Pique, and his team suffered a World Cup collapse, it just might be a good thing she’s the center of attention.
Posted by Jenise Araujo, Communications Associate, who searched for the [hulk] and [super mario] and still couldn’t escape [world cup] mania.
On the go: Android Wear and Android Auto
Most people check their phones more than 150 times a day. Often, it’s to read a text, look at a notification, or get some other simple piece of information. That’s a lot of time spent unlocking, swiping and entering passwords, when your hands could easily be free handling more important things.
Enter Android Wear, which extends Android, and its ecosystem of apps, to that most familiar spot for a “wearable,” your wrist. You get the information you need, quickly at a glance—just like you’re used to doing with your watch. Just say “Ok Google” to ask questions or to get stuff done. Get alerted when it's time to leave for dinner. Call a cab to take you there. See the traffic on the way. Text a friend once you're seated. It’s all right there, on your wrist, easy to see, right when you want it. Today we announced that two Android wearables, the LG G Watch and Samsung Gear Live, are available to order today on Google Play, and the Moto 360 from Motorola will be available in the coming months. Your thumbs will thank you.
It’s one thing to be able to simply check your wrist for what you need when you’re on the go. But what about when you’re in your car? Many of us want to stay connected even while driving. Getting directions, traffic updates, finding just the right music playlist. But using our phones while at the wheel is simply unsafe.
Android Auto, which we showed to developers today, takes care of that for you. Just connect your Android phone to a car with Android Auto, and you’ll have what you need at your fingertips such as turn-by-turn navigation from Google Maps, your curated playlists and radio stations through Play Music, simple-to-use voice search, and reminders from Google Now. This is accessible through your car’s controls, and more importantly, is far safer than fumbling around with your phone. You’ll start to see Android Auto in cars later this year.
In the living room: Chromecast and Android TV
So, you get out of your car, and now you’re home, after a long day, in front of the TV. Last summer, we launched Chromecast, a small, affordable device that lets you cast online video, music and anything from the web to your TV. It’s getting an update to make it even more powerful, and convenient to use, with new features like the ability to allow others to cast to your TV without needing to be on the same WiFi network, a customizable homescreen with personal photos or beautiful art, and casting exactly what is on your Android phone or tablet screen directly to the TV.
Now, in addition to Chromecast, Android TV brings all that you love about Android apps and games to your living room. Android is baked directly into your TV-watching experience, through a set-top box or as part of your TV. You can use voice search to find a live TV show, a good flick from Google Play, or a music video on YouTube. Plus, because it’s Android, you’ll be able to play your favorite Android games, reimagined for TV and with a gamepad. Android TV, which, like Chromecast, supports Google Cast technology, will ship with products from a range of consumer electronics companies later this year.
For the next billion: Android One
All these amazing multi-screen experiences are built around a smartphone and basic internet connectivity. However, there are many people—billions of people, in fact—who still don’t have access to a smartphone. We want to change that; so today we announced an important initiative called Android One.
We’re working with partners on a comprehensive solution—which includes hardware reference platforms—to address the mobile computing needs of those in emerging markets. Android One will provide smartphones that are high quality, affordable and come with reasonable data plans. Our partners will launch an initial range of sub-$100 Android One smartphones starting in India this Fall, with more countries to follow. We’ve long wondered what potential could be unleashed if people everywhere had access to the latest technology and the world's information. It's time to find out.
Design, Develop, Distribute
All in all, Android and Chrome are the platforms that make these experiences possible, but the products developers build upon them are what make it all come alive. Google I/O allows us to show them what we’re up to—whether it’s a new approach to design, new developer tools, or new ways to reach the next billion people who come online.
For all you developers out there, thanks for everything you do. We can’t wait to see what you build next.
Posted by Sundar Pichai, SVP, Android, Chrome & Apps
In February, Gayglers (LGBT Googlers and Allies) marched for the fourth year in Sydney’s Mardi Gras Celebration to show our support for marriage equality.
In April, we participated in the Tokyo Rainbow Week Pride Parade.
In May, we danced through the streets of Sao Paulo.
Off the heels of our Google Doodle on the opening day of the Winter Olympics, we continued to show our support of a world where every athlete can be Proud to Play through #ProudToPlay on YouTube.
3. We’re celebrating throughout June … and the rest of 2014
We’ve got 10 more Pride celebrations after June and are looking forward to thousands of Proud Googlers walking in the San Francisco and New York Pride parades on Sunday, June 29th.
2. Pride “firsts”
Google’s Pride is spreading: We are now the first-ever corporate sponsor and contingent in the Seoul Pride Parade, and a Gaygler contingent is marching for the first time in Mexico City. And, thanks to the valiant planning efforts of a Gaygler ally, Google will be represented at WorldPride in Toronto this year - we’ll be the ones with a double decker bus handing out Google Pride stickers, wearing Google Pride t-shirts!
1. #Pridecast on Google+ and YouTube
This year, you can enjoy Pride from anywhere - whether your town has a march or not. On June 29, The NYC Pride March will be home base for #Pridecast, a live, online Pride celebration on Google+ and YouTube. Along with NYC Pride, we’ll be streaming the best moments from the march, and bringing in well-known LGBT advocates -- like Laverne Cox of Orange is the New Black, Jonathan Groff of Glee and Frozen, activist Rea Carey, and Scandal’s Dan Bucatinsky -- in person and from around the world via Hangouts On Air.
Celebrate with us - and tune in on Google+ and YouTube at 12:30pm ET on Sunday, June 29.
These are just a few ways Google is celebrating Pride Month. We encourage everyone to continue to celebrate well beyond this month--to keep marching, to keep speaking up--until gay rights are fully recognized for what they are: basic human rights.
Happy Pride, everybody! Posted by Randy Reyes, Gaygler and Global Diversity Team
Lifestyles of the rich and famous
When he’s 72 … Paul McCartney found himself on the trending list as he celebrated his 72nd birthday in style and surrounded by music royalty. Speaking of royalty, little Prince George walked his way to the trends charts, as people were eager to find photos and videos of his first steps, making Prince William a proud papa during his first Father’s Day.
Searching my way way back to you ...
Clint Eastwood’s latest movie, the film adaptation of the acclaimed musical Jersey Boys, is hitting a theater near you this week, and searchers are looking for showtimes and reviews before they head to the theater. We’ll have to wait and see if the movie proves to be as successful as 22 Jump Street, which is still trending from last week. While films battle it out for box office supremacy, rumors are swirling that Khal Drogo (sometimes known as Jason Momoa) could be playing Aquaman in the upcoming Batman vs. Superman flick … we won’t hold our breath on that one.
Tip of the week
Have you noticed our World Cup doodles? Throughout the tournament we’re drawing them in real time to reflect amazing moments that happen on the pitch. Got an idea for a doodle? Give us a shout with #GoogleDoodles, we’re always looking for inspiration.
Posted by Jenise Araujo, who searched this week for [golazos] and ended up finding a video of an elderly gentleman [persieing], and is filling in this week for Emily, who is in Alaska searching for [herself].
Today, we’re attempting to solve this issue on a much larger scale. Along with Chelsea Clinton, Girls Inc., Girl Scouts of the USA, Mindy Kaling, MIT Media Lab, National Center for Women & Information Technology, SevenTeen, TechCrunch and more, Google is launching Made with Code, an initiative to inspire girls to code. The program includes:
Cool introductory Blockly-based coding projects, like designing a bracelet 3D-printed by Shapeways, learning to create animated GIFs and building beats for a music track.
Collaborations with organizations like Girl Scouts of the USA and Girls, Inc. to introduce Made with Code to girls in their networks, encouraging them to complete their first coding experience.
A commitment of $50 million to support programs that can help get more females into computer science, like rewarding teachers who support girls who take CS courses on Codecademy or Khan Academy.
We’ve also posted videos about women who are using code in their dream jobs, like Miral, Danielle, Erica and other inspirational girl coders — like Brittany Wenger, who is using code to fight cancer. And, we’ve developed a few steps parents can take at home to get their daughters excited about computer science. Read more about the initiative here.
Nowadays, coding isn’t just a skill useful for working at a tech company; engineering isn’t just for engineers. Interior design. Medicine. Architecture. Music. No matter what a girl dreams of doing, learning how to code will help her get there. Their future — our future — is made with code. Let’s do what we can to make sure that future is as bright as possible.
New cinema classics?
This week in entertainment, it seems to be all about the sequels. Harry, Lloyd and the Mutt Cutts van are back in Dumb and Dumber To, which premiered its trailer on the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this week. As Harry says in the original movie, “Just when I thought you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and do something like this... and totally redeem yourself!” (Well, we’ll see, at least.) Meanwhile, cop comedy 22 Jump Street debuts in theaters today and searches are spiking for the film as well as for one of its (newer) stars—actress Amber Stevens.
Surprises at the polls
Americans got a major surprise this week in Virginia when U.S. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor lost the primary election to the relatively unknown David Brat. People turned to the web to learn more about the upset, though searches for Cantor still dominate over those for Brat overall.
Celebrity causes… of a kind Mila Kunis, who is pregnant with her first child, went on Jimmy Kimmel this week to make an important public service announcement to men who say “we are pregnant”: Just. don’t. do it. And Blue Ivy, the daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z, has landed on the trending search list after an online petition was created urging Blue Ivy’s parents to “comb her hair.” The petition ignited a debate about natural hair and standards of beauty.
Tip of the week
If you’re in the U.S. and can’t skip work to watch soccer all day, you can still catch all the highlights from Brazil with a simple search. We've teamed up with ESPN to bring you closer to all the stunning goals, beautiful passes, iffy red cards, tense penalty kicks and much more. Try a search for [brazil world cup] or [mexico vs. cameroon] during or after a match to get video highlights from ESPNFC.com.
Posted by Emily Wood, Google Blog Editor, who searched this week for [friskies commercial 2014] and who did not give in to the temptation to write about Pretty Little Liars in this post, even though it was totAlly a trending topic.
You can also stay updated on your favorite teams with Google Now—you don’t even have to search. Learn more on Inside Search.
What does the world want to know during the tournament? Google Trends is your real-time guide to the players, teams and moments that are capturing the world’s attention. At google.com/worldcup you can explore these moments throughout the tournament, whether it’s insight on how a country is feeling ahead of a big match, or where fans stand on a controversial game-winning call.
Take in the stadiums and streets with Street View
With Street View in Google Maps, you can explore the sights and culture of this year’s tournament, from the 12 stadiums to the iconic painted streets, one of Brazil’s tournament traditions.
As the world unites under a common love for a single sport, there's sure to be a lot of action. From dramatic tumbles to magisterial strikes, and from contested headers to flops and flags, we'll be there to help you discover and connect with the moments that matter most.
Using Street View, you can also explore buildings with street art that are closed to the public, or that have already been demolished—such as the famed Paris 13 tower:
Explore all nine floors and 450 square meters of painted ceilings and walls of the now-demolished Tour Paris 13 building with Street View.
In a series of fascinating exhibitions by our partners, you can also learn about origins of the street art movement or see how Street Art is being used in Poland to revitalize its cities. Take a tour through the origins of New York’s original graffiti movement of the 90’s, or see top highlights from the city’s 5 Pointz project. Compare the global nature of the Street Art produced in Mexico, which has a long and vibrant history of muralism, to the scene in the Philippines, which is just developing.
Street art may be temporary on our walls and sidewalks, but its beauty and vibrancy live on, on the web. Take a look— you’re sure to be bowled over by the variety of the urban canvas.
Posted by Lucy Schwartz, Programme Manager, Google Cultural Institute
In addition to seeing her finished work on our homepage today, Audrey received a $30,000 college scholarship and $50,000 Google for Education technology grant for her school. And to help make Audrey’s vision of water purification a reality, we donated $20,000 in her name to charity:water, a charity that brings clean water to developing nations, to provide clean water to schools in Bangladesh.
"To make the world a better place, I invented a transformative water purifier. It takes in dirty and polluted water from rivers, lakes, and even oceans, then massively transforms the water into clean, safe and sanitary water, when humans and animals drink this water, they will live a healthier life." - Audrey Zhang, 11
Audrey’s doodle was one of many amazing contributions to Doodle 4 Google this year. We encourage you to take a look at the outstanding national grade group winners, who we announced at an event with all 50 state winners at the Googleplex back in May.
Every year we do this, and every year we’re amazed. The thousands of young Doodlers who enter the contest are annual reminders of that special combination of curiosity and imagination that seems to come only from young people. Their ideas—like Audrey's—inspire us to do more and be better. Congratulations to all our Doodle 4 Google winners!
Posted by Liat Ben-Rafael, Doodle 4 Google Program Manager
People searched for [gwendoline christie], the Game of Thrones actress, after it was confirmed she’d be a cast member in the upcoming Star Wars 7 film. The Lady of Tarth had some company in search this week from [oberyn martell]—but we won’t get too into that in case anyone still has last week’s episode awaiting them on DVR.
And finally, on a sad note, Ann B. Davis—best known as housekeeper Alice on The Brady Bunch—passed away this week at the age of 88. Many were searching for information on her life and famous Alice moments.
Marking a moment in history
Today marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day, and veterans and world leaders gathered to commemorate the storming of the beaches of Normandy that turned the tides in World War II. [D-Day] was a top topic on Google, as people searched for [d-day anniversary] and [d-day facts] to learn more about this moment in history. If you’re interested in a more in-depth look at the Normandy Landings, this week we also added a new collection of 470 documents and images showing different perspectives on D-Day to the Google Cultural Institute.
Searching for knowledge
After 40 years on the throne, this week it was announced that King Juan Carlos I would step down in favor of his son Crown Prince Felipe. People turned to Google to understand the term [abdicate]. And as the summer break approaches, math games like [brainpop], [mymathlab] and [scratch] are trending in search—a good sign that parents and students are looking to stay sharp over vacation!
Tip of the week
Ready to cry? Just ask Google Search (on iOS and Android) to “show me movie times for The Fault In Our Stars.” You’ll see nearby theaters and showtimes, and can click on the time you like to buy a ticket online. “Ok Google, remind me to bring tissues!”
Posted by Emily Wood, Google Blog Editor, who searched this week for [darren aronofsky atwood] and [first city festival]
Hack the Hood celebrates their win with community advisor Reverend Cecil Williams
But everyone wins in this competition: The six remaining finalists will each receive $250,000, and we also gave an additional 15 nonprofits around the Bay Area $100,000 each.
Finally, all 25 Google Impact Challenge nonprofits will receive one year of accelerator support at our first-ever impact lab, a co-working space launched in partnership with Impact Hub SF, a shared workspace for entrepreneurs committed to positive social and environmental change.
Nonprofits will have access to networking events, meeting space, and development workshops in the Impact Hub SF, as well as membership to all U.S. Hub locations. We also plan to host community events for the Bay Area nonprofit community throughout the year—so check out our website or follow us on Google+ to stay in the loop.
Now the work really begins, and we’re excited to continue to build on our ongoing efforts to give back to the community.
Posted by Jacquelline Fuller, Director of Google.org
Gmail has always supported encryption in transit by using Transport Layer Security (TLS), and will automatically encrypt your incoming and outgoing emails if it can. The important thing is that both sides of an email exchange need to support encryption for it to work; Gmail can't do it alone.
Our data show that approximately 40 to 50 percent of emails sent between Gmail and other email providers aren’t encrypted. Many providers have turned on encryption, and others have said they’re going to, which is great news. As they do, more and more emails will be shielded from snooping.
For people looking for even stronger email security, end-to-end encryption is a good option—but it’s been hard to use. So today we’re making available the source code for End-to-End, a Chrome extension. It's currently in testing, and once it's ready for general use it will make this technology easier for those who choose to use it.
We encourage you to find tips about choosing strong passwords and adding another layer of protection to your account in our Safety Center. And check out Reset the Net, a broad coalition of organizations, companies and individuals coming together this week to promote stronger security practices on the web; we’re happy to be a participant in that effort.
Posted by Brandon Long, Tech Lead, Gmail Delivery Team
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