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YouTube creators interview President Obama following his final State of the Union
January 11, 2016
"We're going to have 21st century fireside chats where I'll speak directly to the American people in a way that I think will enhance democracy and strengthen our government."
-
Senator Barack Obama
, November 15, 2007
Tomorrow evening, President Obama will deliver his final State of the Union address to Congress, which will broadcast
live on YouTube
. Then, as he has every year after the speech, he’ll turn to YouTube and Google to take questions from Americans about the issues that matter to them.
This Friday, January 15,
Destin Sandlin
,
Ingrid Nilsen
, and
Adande Thorne
—three popular YouTube creators—will travel to Washington, D.C. to host a live YouTube Interview with President Obama. They’ll join the President in the East Room of the White House, asking a selection of questions that are top of mind for them and their fans. You can watch the whole thing on the
White House YouTube channel
—and if you have a question for the President, suggest it by using the hashtag #YouTubeAsksObama on social media.
The interview will stream live on the
White House YouTube channel
on Friday, January 15 at 2:15 p.m. EST. And don’t forget to tune in on January 12 at 9 p.m. EST to watch the
State of the Union address live
, as well as the
Republican response
, live on YouTube.
Throughout his time in office, President Obama has used technology to open up the doors (
all 412 of them
) to the White House—from posting behind-the-scenes
photos
of life in the West Wing to uploading a
weekly address
on the most pressing topics facing the nation. We’re excited to have played a role in this process with our seven YouTube Interviews, tackling issues
big
and
small
,
poignant
and
personal
. We look forward to helping future presidents connect with Americans in compelling ways.
Posted by Ramya Raghavan, Google Politics
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Ramya Raghavan
Google Politics
‘Tis the season for Santa Tracker
December 24, 2015
‘Tis the night before Christmas, at our northernmost pole
And all through Santa’s
Village
it’s almost time to roll.
The elves have been working hard for this night
Santa’s village is abuzz—
tonight’s the big flight
!
Google’s
Santa Tracker
launches today—
And it’s time to follow the jolly man's sleigh.
He’s off on his trip ‘round the world
Delivering toys to all good boys and girls.
You’ve got a front-row seat to the show
Just fire up Google Maps to see where he goes.
Thanks to the elves’ precisely
coded route
Santa and his reindeer will fly swiftly—look out!
Now the sleigh tuning’s done,
Tales of global
traditions
spun,
Every gift in the sleigh
gently placed
,
Wrapped with care, without haste.
The reindeer are prancing and eager to fly,
Ready for Santa’s trip through the sky.
With so little time to get their job done—
They may need your help on this gift-giving run.
So keep the
translation tool
handy;
Geography trivia would also be dandy.
There’s no telling what Santa might need
Traveling from Brisbane to Lima to Leeds.
Now Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen!
Join in on the fun—find out what you’re missin’!
On
Maps
! On
Android
, Chromecast and Google.com!
There’s something for everyone, from kids to mom.
So watch that sleigh as it takes to the air,
And wherever you are, St. Nick will soon be there.
To borrow a phrase, as Santa takes flight—
"Happy holidays to all, and to all a good-night!"
Posted by Luke Mahé, Chief Excitement Officer
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-nCS-J-76A/Vo8GNVQysoI/AAAAAAAARro/tl49aHijxhY/s1600/SantaTracker2015_2.jpg
Luke Mahé
Chief Excitement Officer
We read the news today, oh boy: It’s The Beatles, on Google Play Music
December 23, 2015
No need for fussing or fighting, my friend. Now you can live on a Yellow Submarine, march in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Band or go to Strawberry Fields Forever. Starting on December 24, all 13 of The Beatles’ iconic original albums, plus four essential Beatles collections, will be available to stream on Google Play Music—enough music to fill up eight days a week.
The best-selling band in history, with 20 number one Billboard Hot 100 hits, The Beatles continue to be one of the world’s most beloved bands decades after their last original album. So, what lyrics take a sad song and make it better? What albums get you through a hard day’s night? Come together, right now, to take a look at some of the top Beatles searches, according to Google Trends.
Bonus: If you open up the Google app on your Android phone and say “Ok Google, play the Beatles,” There will be an answer. Let it stream.
In the words of Ed Sullivan: “Ladies and Gentlemen, The Beatles!”
Posted by Gwen Shen, Music Partnerships, Google Play
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lAaDf35rKZo/Vo8GMQnf3-I/AAAAAAAARrk/KDMg871KKHc/s1600/Beatles_2.png
Gwen Shen
Music Partnerships
Google Play
#SpecialDelivery: Google Spotlight Stories come to YouTube with interactive 360-degree storytelling
December 21, 2015
A humble caretaker is surprised when a mysterious stranger causes mischief on the roof. He investigates, but can’t seem to catch even a glimpse of the troublemaker. And so the chase goes... room to room… up and down… The stranger remains just out of sight, leaving behind only a trail of gifts…
Meanwhile, you’re following the action at your own pace, from whatever angle you please—behind you, to your left, to your right, or in front of you. All on your mobile phone.
Today we’re bringing
Google Spotlight Stories
to YouTube with “
Special Delivery
,” an original short film made by Academy Award-winning animation studio
Aardman Animations
(Wallace and Gromit fans, take note), viewable on the YouTube app on
many Android devices
.
“Special Delivery” is the latest of several Spotlight Stories to come out of
Google ATAP
(our Advanced Technology and Projects group). With Google Spotlight Stories, your phone becomes a window to a story happening all around you. The sensors on your phone allow the story to be interactive, so when you move your phone to various scenes, you unlock mini-stories within the story.
We didn’t want anyone to miss Aardman’s “Pink Panther”-style holiday caper! So we also made a YouTube 360 version for other Android devices, iOS devices, and the web. You can find both versions of “Special Delivery” on the
Spotlight Stories YouTube channel
, and you can also watch with
Google Cardboard
. Next year, we’ll bring Google Spotlight Stories to more Android devices and the YouTube iOS app.
You’ll want to watch “Special Delivery” a few times to find all the surprises within the story. In the full interactive experience, you’ll encounter 10 subplots, three potential ways to view the ending, and 60+ moments where you can decide to follow the story in different ways. Each viewing is unique. We don’t want to spoil the ending, so that’s all we’ll say for now…
Posted by Rachid El Guerrab, Technical Project Lead, Spotlight Stories, Google ATAP
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mbUAzRH7Bao/VnjmzqSrsjI/AAAAAAAARm8/Sj0CZl2NS3g/s1600/SLS_SpecialDelivery_Twitter_1.gif
Rachid El Guerrab
Technical Project Lead, Spotlight Stories
Google ATAP
ICYMI: A few stocking stuffers from around Google
December 17, 2015
Between last-minute gift shopping, airport pickups, cookie baking, and ugly-sweater parties, there’s a lot to do this season. So you may have missed a few updates from around Google that can actually make your holiday season a little brighter (or at least make your to-do list go a little faster. Won’t make your sweater any less ugly, though). Here’s a look at what we’ve unwrapped recently:
Add this one to your to-do list: Reminders in Google Calendar
Whether it’s “send holiday cards” or “use up FSA,” you can now add
Reminders to Google Calendar
to help you complete your to-do list. These aren’t like those calendar entries you create yourself that you plain-old ignore completely and that then disappear. With Reminders, if you don’t complete the task and dismiss the Reminder, it’ll pop up on your calendar again the next day. And the next. And the … until you can’t take it anymore and just send those holiday cards already. You’ll thank us when your list is checked off. Twice.
Now on Tap gets handier for the holidays
Now on Tap helps you get quick information without leaving the app you're using by tapping and holding the home button on Android phones—and
new updates
make it even handier for the holidays. So if you get a text with your cousin’s flight number, you can tap and hold to see the flight’s status, then respond without having to juggle between searching and texting. If you ordered a gift online and want to know if it will make it down the chimney and under the tree on time, tap and hold your confirmation email to get tracking info. Consider it your own personal Santa’s Little Helper.
Tell the family when to expect you with trip bundles
There’s probably a lot going on in your email right now if you’ve got an upcoming trip home or holiday getaway planned. From your flight confirmation to rental car details, Inbox by Gmail already groups these emails into trip bundles so you can find everything you need for your trip quickly. Those bundles just got
even more useful
—you can now access them offline (good for on the plane), share the trip summary with friends or family, and add other pertinent emails (like that message with your aunt’s new address) to the bundle.
Templates in Google Docs go mobile
If you’re collecting family recipes or planning a trip, templates in
Docs
,
Sheets
and
Slides
help you get started faster, so you can spend more time concentrating on the words you’re writing and less time worrying about how it looks. These pre-made templates are
now available
on Android and iOS so you can do more while on the go. Ho, ho, ho!
Posted by Abbi Tatton, Google Editorial Elf
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mX0dxJxp8dg/Vo8MSdxypWI/AAAAAAAARsI/EjaFhvgAEgc/s1600/Beutler_Google_Giftwrap_-v2TW.png
Abbi Tatton
Editorial Elf
Google
YouTube and NBC News present Democratic primary debate in South Carolina
December 16, 2015
From presidential candidates
launching their campaigns
, to YouTube creators
discussing issues that matter to their communities
, to
light-hearted moments
along the campaign trail, you’ve already been following the 2016 U.S. election from multiple angles on YouTube.
Now you can watch the candidates debate on YouTube, too.
Next month, we’ll join together with NBC News to present the final DNC sanctioned Democratic presidential debate before the first caucus and primary votes are cast—with the action live streamed on YouTube. The NBC News-YouTube Democratic Candidates Debate, hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus Institute and moderated by Lester Holt, will take place on Sunday, January 17, 2016, in Charleston, S.C., airing on NBC from 9-11 p.m. ET and streamed live on the
NBC News YouTube channel
.
With so many YouTube fans following this election closely, of course there will be an opportunity for you to get involved. Along with Google Trends data, the debate will feature questions from the YouTube community. Look out for more information on how you can engage in the coming weeks.
Since 2005 you’ve made YouTube a home for global politics, and today you watch more than 5 million hours of news on YouTube every day. Over the course of 2016, you’ll be able to find all of the major election moments unfold on YouTube—tune in to the
NBC News YouTube channel
January 17 to kick off the election year.
Posted by Brandon Feldman, YouTube News, and Steve Grove, Google News Lab
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AUTHOR NAME
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AUTHOR TEAM
Search on: 2015 in Google Search
December 16, 2015
From devastation to empowerment and tragedy to hope, our
15th annual Year in Search
uncovers the moments that captured the world’s hearts—and questions that revealed who we are. From “How can I help Nepal” to “How can the world find peace?” here’s a look back at 2015, through the lens of Google search.
Searching for ways to help
Within two minutes of the deadly attack on Paris in November, the French capital was
searching for information
on the assault underway in their city. Less than 10 minutes later, the rest of the world started searching. As of today, we’ve seen more than 897 million searches about the city as the world came together to “Pray for Paris.”
Global showings of support and offerings of help were a key topic in search this year. Following the
Nepal earthquake
, “how can I help Nepal?” was a top global search. From Somerville, Mass. to Ludwigsberg, Germany, people asked how to volunteer and what to donate.
Searching for perspective
While questions around Nepal were similar around the world, the
migrant crisis in Europe
spiked a wider variety of queries. From Italy asking “How to adopt a Syrian orphan child?” to Germany wondering “Where are the refugees coming from?” the world turned to Google to understand the situation and what it meant for them.
In the U.S., the topic of
guns
brought varying questions. From Portland, Ore. to Austin, Texas, people across the country searched for “what is gun control,” “why do we need gun control,” “why won’t gun control work” and more to understand the issue. With more than 160 million searches, interest in gun control spiked higher than interest for gun shops—typically a more popular search—at multiple points in 2015.
Searching for acceptance
In June, we met
Caitlyn Jenner
, someone we’d both always known and were meeting for the first time. Across the globe, she was searched more than 344 million times, and her story helped give a new voice to the transgender community.
People cheered “#lovewins” when the U.S. Supreme Court made a
monumental ruling
that gay marriages should be recognized at both the State and Federal level. The reaction was instant, with search interest in both same-sex marriage and the Supreme Court reaching higher than at any time in Google's history.
Searching for… the dress, the Force and the singer
Turning to the Search watercooler, the year began with the world divided over an
important question
: is it white and gold? or blue and black? Days of debate and 73 million searches later, “black and blue dress” topped searches of “white and gold dress,” and the matter was settled forever (right?).
And though “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is just hitting theaters this week, it’s already
taken the Internet by storm
(trooper). The trailer alone garnered more than 155 million searches! But the all-time high for Google searches around “Star Wars” was in 2005 after “The Revenge of the Sith” came out in theaters—can we beat it this week?
Finally, what better way to close out the year than by saying “
Hello
”? With the debut of “25,” Adele broke records by the week, putting her album at the top of the charts and skyrocketing to the top of Google Search faster than any other musician this year.
Hundreds of stories in depth
The 2015 Year in Search goes deeper than we've ever gone before. This year, we’re covering hundreds of news stories, sharing interactive guides and charts, and diving into the numbers by sharing things like how many times people searched for Adele (439 million, if you want to know!).
See how all of the biggest stories of the year compared:
<br />
Go to
Google.com/2015
to explore the rest of the 2015 Year in Search stories and top trending charts from around the world.
Posted by Amit Singhal, Senior Vice President, Search
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-szT0CpTrHss/VnEWdApFBxI/AAAAAAAARlU/L-tT2ireW74/s1600/YIS-Mars-Blog.jpg
Amit Singhal
Senior Vice President
Search
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