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A browser that paints the sky
March 17, 2014
Today, residents of Vancouver, Canada, will notice a new addition to their scenic waterfront: an interactive artwork on one of the largest textile sculptures ever. The piece, entitled
Unnumbered Sparks
, is a collaboration between artist
Janet Echelman
and Google Creative Director Aaron Koblin, as part of
TED
’s 30th annual conference.
Echelman is known for building sculptures that respond to the forces of nature—wind, water and light—and this project is no exception. Made from ultralight fibers, the sculpture soars from the roof of a skyscraper over the water and walkways near the Vancouver Convention Center (
site map
). As visitors collaborate via mobile devices, they create colors and ripples that move over its surface.
Photo by Ema Peter
What's not obvious to the public is when you look at the sculpture, you're actually looking at a web browser. The interactive lighting is actually one giant Chrome window, stretched across the 300-foot long sculpture with the help of five high-definition projectors. To interact, visitors open a website using
Chrome
or other modern mobile browser on their smartphone or tablet. After selecting a color, they use their fingers to trace paths along the surface of their device, which are then projected onto the sculpture in real-time as colorful beams of light. The result is a crowd-controlled visual experiment on a giant, floating canvas.
Photo by Ema Peter
Watch this short documentary to get a quick look at the work involved in creating this project:
Art and technology are continuously evolving together, and we hope that this project showcases the opportunity for mobile devices and the web to play a part in that evolution. We all carry devices in our pockets that have the power to connect with people around the world, but rarely do we get a chance to use this incredible power to connect and create with the people standing next to us. With
Unnumbered Sparks
, we hope to turn strangers into collaborators, working together to create a single piece of art on this amazing canvas.
Posted by Jenny Ramaswamy, Google Creative Lab
Save more with Google Drive
March 13, 2014
Having launched Google Drive just two years ago, we’re excited that so many people are now using it as their go-to place for keeping all their files. Whether it's all the footage of your kids' baseball games, the novel you're working on, or even just your grocery list for the week, we all have files that are too important to lose. Today, thanks to a number of recent infrastructure improvements, we’re able to make it more affordable for you to keep everything safe and easy to reach on any device, from anywhere.
We've lowered the price of our monthly storage plans to $1.99 for 100GB (previously $4.99), $9.99 for 1TB (previously $49.99), and $99.99 for 10TB, with even more storage available if you need it. How big is a terabyte anyway? Well, that’s enough storage for you to take a selfie twice a day for the next 200 years and still have room left over for… shall we say… less important things. Like before, storage continues to work across Drive, Gmail and Google+ Photos. And, of course, the 15GB plan remains free.
You can sign up for one of these new Google Drive plans at
www.google.com/settings/storage
. If you already pay for storage, you’ll automatically move to a better plan at no additional cost. You can visit the
storage purchase page
to make a change or review your account, and see the
Help Center
for more information on these simpler storage options.
Posted by Scott Johnston, Director of Product Management
On the 25th anniversary of the web, let’s keep it free and open
March 11, 2014
On the 25th anniversary of the World Wide Web, we’re pleased to share this guest post from Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the web. In this post he reflects on the past, present and future of the web—and encourages the rest of us to fight to keep it free and open.
-Ed.
Today is the
web’s 25th birthday
. On March 12, 1989, I distributed
a proposal
to improve information flows: “a ‘web’ of notes with links between them.”
Though
CERN
, as a physics lab, couldn’t justify such a general software project, my boss Mike Sendall allowed me to work on it on the side. In 1990, I wrote the first browser and editor. In 1993, after much urging, CERN declared that WWW technology would be available to all, without paying royalties, forever.
The first web server, used by Tim Berners-Lee. Photo via
Wikipedia
This decision enabled tens of thousands to start working together to build the web. Now,
about 40 percent of us
are connected and creating online. The web has generated
trillions of dollars of economic value
, transformed
education
and
healthcare
and activated many new movements for democracy around the world. And we’re just getting started.
How has this happened? By design, the underlying Internet and the WWW are non-hierarchical, decentralized and radically open. The web can be made to work with any type of information, on any device, with any software, in any language. You can link to any piece of information. You don’t need to ask for permission. What you create is limited only by your imagination.
So today is a day to celebrate. But it’s also an occasion to think, discuss—and do. Key decisions on the governance and future of the Internet are looming, and it’s vital for all of us to speak up for the web’s future. How can we ensure that the other 60 percent around the world who are not connected get online fast? How can we make sure that the web supports all languages and cultures, not just the dominant ones? How do we build consensus around open standards to link the coming Internet of Things? Will we allow others to package and restrict our online experience, or will we protect the magic of the open web and the power it gives us to say, discover, and create anything? How can we build systems of checks and balances to hold the groups that can spy on the net accountable to the public? These are some of my questions—what are yours?
On the 25th birthday of the web, I ask you to join in—to help us imagine and build the future standards for the web, and to press for every country to develop a digital bill of rights to advance a free and open web for everyone. Learn more at
webat25.org
and speak up for the sort of web we really want with #web25.
Posted by Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the World Wide Web
Get with the program: open source coding with Google Summer of Code
March 10, 2014
Tobi Mueller
started coding when his grandfather, who works in IT, gave him access to a spare PC. It was a sweet
286 machine
which Tobi learned to program with the then-popular teaching language
Pascal
. He eventually became interested in free and open source software, but it was
Google Summer of Code
(GSoC) that helped transform Tobi into the free software contributor he is today.
Tobi was a GSoC student in 2007 for
GNOME
, a free software desktop environment. He’s been a regular contributor to the GNOME community ever since—and in 2012, Tobi was elected to the GNOME Foundation
board of directors
.
Tobi is one of more than 7,500 students who have participated in Google Summer of Code program over the past nine years. Every summer, GSoC participants work with various organizations in the open source community, building important technical skills and gaining workplace experience. Students aren’t the only ones who benefit; their projects also give back to the open source community.
Karen Sandler
, GNOME’s executive director, told us how Google Summer of Code “encourages and empowers” new contributors and helps “invigorate projects.”
So if you’re a university student looking to earn real-world experience this summer, we hope you’ll consider coding for a cool open source project with
Google Summer of Code
. We’re celebrating the
10th year
of the program in 2014, and we’d love to see more student applicants than ever before. In 2013 we accepted almost 1,200 students and we’re planning to accept 10 percent more this year.
You can submit proposals on our
website
starting now through Friday, March 21 at 12:00pm PDT. Get started by reviewing the ideas pages of the
190 open source projects
in this year’s program, and decide which projects you’re interested in. There are a limited number of spots, and writing a great project proposal is essential to being selected to the program—so be sure to check out the
Student Manual
for advice. For ongoing information throughout the application period and beyond, see the
Google Open Source blog
.
Good luck to all the open source coders out there, and remember to submit your proposals early—you only have until March 21 to apply!
Posted by Carol Smith, Google Open Source team
Celebrating inspiring women around the world
March 8, 2014
Picture the women in your life—the women you admire. Your grandma. Your daughter.
Toni Morrison
.
Maria Klawe
.
Temple Grandin
.
Malala
.
Somaly Mam
. International Women's Day is an opportunity to celebrate these phenomenal women and all the others around the world—to recognize their impact on society, and to focus on what still needs to be done to achieve gender equality. Today, Google is joining in and showcasing inspiring women of the past and present through a series of events, new content on the Cultural Institute and—of course—a doodle. Join us in celebrating women worldwide!
Celebrating technical women on stage at global Women Techmakers events
To help increase visibility, community and resources for technical women, we’re launching a series of 100+
Women Techmakers
events in 52 countries to celebrate and support passionate techmakers around the world. Starting today and throughout March, the event series will feature panel discussions with talented female technology leaders, hands-on career planning workshops, networking opportunities and more. To learn more about the program and find an event near you, visit
g.co/womentechmakers
.
Shining a light on women in history and their collective impact
The
Google Cultural Institute
is launching
Women in Culture
,
a new channel featuring exhibits that tell stories of women—some familiar and some lesser-known—and their impact on the world. Starting today, you can browse
18 new exhibits
, from both new and existing Cultural Institute partners, including:
Showcasing Great Women
by The National Women’s Hall of Fame
Makers
by WETA (Makers.com: the largest video collection of women’s stories ever)
Frida Kahlo: ¡Viva la vida!
by Museo Dolores Olmedo
Pioneering Musicians: Women Superstars of the Early Gramophone Era
by Archive of Indian Music
Pathways to Equality
by the National Women’s History Museum
The Struggle for Suffrage
by English Heritage
Profiles for Peace
by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
This Mad, Wicked Folly: Victorian American Women
by the Meserve-Kunhardt Foundation
World Changing Women
by Vital Voices
The painting
Black Mesa Landscape, New Mexico / Out Back of Marie’s II
contributed by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum
Since history has so often been biased, leaving out or sidelining contributions from women, the channel is also integrated with the rest of the Cultural Institute collections, making it easier for people to discover even more amazing stories about women throughout history.
A homepage homage
Women have been underrepresented in the history-telling of almost all fields: science, school curricula, business, politics—and, sadly, doodles. In addition to our
continued effort
for doodle diversity and inclusion, today’s truly International Women’s Day doodle features a host of more than 100 inspiring women from around the world, including the
President of Lithuania
,
a brave Pakistani education activist
,
the most recorded artist in music history
,
an ever-curious explorer
and
dozens more
.
Happy International Women’s Day!
Posted by Kyle Ewing, People Operations
#40Forward: 40 startup communities rethinking the gender gap
March 5, 2014
At age 40, my mom quit her job to start an employment agency for people with disabilities. Over the next few years and without a college degree or any formal funding, she grew her business to employ more than 30 people and serve thousands of clients.
Though to me she's one-of-a-kind, it turns out there are other women like my mom out there. According to the National Association of Women Business Owners, women make up 30 percent of U.S. business owners and employ nearly 7.8 million workers. Even though women-owned enterprises operate with far less capital, in the venture-backed tech industry, they produce 12 percent higher returns. That means that not only is supporting women in business the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing to do.
In an effort to find new ways to advance female entrepreneurs, this week
Google for Entrepreneurs
is committing $1 million in aggregate to 40 startup-focused organizations, challenging them to increase the representation of women in their respective tech communities. From simply changing the times of events to accommodate busy moms to teaching young girls to see themselves as entrepreneurs, 40 of our partner communities will soon launch new programs and outreach initiatives to encourage women founders. We’re calling this collective effort
#40Forward
. Here are a few highlights from our global community:
1871
in Chicago is launching a new accelerator program for women founded or co-founded companies that’s more flexible and family-friendly, with a customized plan for each startup.
Gaza Sky Geeks
in Gaza is providing rewards for women attending startup events to demonstrate the economic value of them getting involved in tech to their families.
Startup Grind
chapters all over the world are hosting
Women Take the Stage
fireside chats featuring successful women business leaders in their communities.
Outbox
in Uganda is launching a year-long training to teach young women programming and entrepreneurial skills.
Astia
is increasing female entrepreneurs’ access to capital by creating monthly opportunities for women-led companies to pitch to world-class investors.
Along with our 40 partners, we hope to create more inclusive networks and to move the needle for entrepreneurs like my mom—and young women like me who aspire to be like her. Follow and participate in the conversation throughout the month of March using #40Forward on
Google+
and
Twitter
.
Posted by Bridgette Sexton Beam, Global Entrepreneurship Manager
Wandering in the footsteps of the polar bear with Google Maps
February 27, 2014
This guest post is from Krista Wright, the executive director of
Polar Bears International
. We’ve partnered with PBI to share a fascinating look at polar bears in the wild using Google Maps.
-Ed.
In Inuit poetry, the polar bear is known as
Pihoqahiak
, the ever-wandering one. Some of the most majestic and elusive creatures in the world, polar bears travel hundreds of miles every year, wandering the tundra and Arctic sea ice in search of food and mates. Today, with the help of Street View, we’re celebrating
International Polar Bear Day
by sharing an
intimate look at polar bears
in their natural habitat.
The Street View Trekker, mounted on a Tundra Buggy, captures images of Churchill’s polar bears
We’ve joined forces with Google Maps to collect Street View imagery from a remote corner of Canada’s tundra:
Churchill, Manitoba
, home to one of the largest polar bear populations on the planet. With the help of outfitters
Frontiers North
, the Google Maps team mounted the Street View Trekker onto a specially designed “
Tundra Buggy
,” allowing us to travel across this fragile landscape without interfering with the polar bears or other native species. Through October and November we collected Street View imagery from the shores of Hudson’s Bay as the polar bears waited for the sea ice to freeze over.
View Larger Map
One of Churchill, Manitoba’s Polar Bears on Street View
Modern cartography and polar bear conservation
There’s more to this effort than images of cuddly bears, though. PBI has been working in this region for more than 20 years, and we’ve witnessed firsthand the profound impact of warmer temperatures and
melting sea ice
on the polar bear’s environment. Understanding global warming, and its impact on polar bear populations, requires both global and regional benchmarks. Bringing Street View to Canada's tundra establishes a baseline record of imagery associated with specific geospatial data—information that’s critical if we’re to understand and communicate the impact of climate change on their sensitive ecosystem. As we work to safeguard their habitat, PBI can add Street View imagery to the essential tools we use to assess and respond to the biggest threat facing polar bears today.
Polar Bear International’s
Bear Tracker
We also use the Google Maps API to support our
Bear Tracker
, which illustrates the frozen odyssey these bears embark on every year. As winter approaches and the sea ice freezes over, polar bears head out onto Hudson Bay to hunt for seals. Bear Tracker uses of satellite monitors and an interactive Google Map to display their migration for a global audience.
Mapping the communities of Canada’s Arctic
Google’s trip north builds on work they’ve done in the Arctic communities of
Cambridge Bay
and
Iqaluit
. In the town of Churchill, the Google Maps team conducted a community
MapUp
, which let participants use
Map Maker
to edit and add to the Google Map. From the
Town Centre Complex
, which includes the local school, rink and movie theatre, to the
bear holding facility
used to keep polar bears who have wandered into town until their release can be planned, the citizens of the Churchill made sure Google Maps reflects the community that they know.
But building an accurate and comprehensive map of Canada’s north also means heading out of town to explore this country’s expansive tundra. And thanks to this collaboration with Google Maps, people around the world now have the opportunity to virtually experience Canada’s spectacular landscape—and maybe take a few moments to wander in the footsteps of the polar bear.
Posted by Krista Wright, Executive Director of Polar Bears International
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