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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
Shared memories made easy with Google Photos
December 10, 2015
Sharing photos and videos between friends and family after your birthday bash or holiday gathering shouldn’t be difficult. But between the great shots your brother has buried on his iPhone and that friend who keeps forgetting to email you her pics, you're often left reliving the event through just the photos and videos you took yourself.
Today we’re introducing shared albums in Google Photos—a fast and simple way to pool your photos and videos that makes it easier to bring everyone’s memories together.
With the launch of Google Photos in May, we made it simpler to share images and albums by sending links over SMS, email, or messaging apps. With today’s launch, you can now make the albums you send collaborative. People receiving the shared album can join to add their own photos and videos, and also get notifications when new pics are added. You can even save photos and videos from a shared album to your Google Photos library, so that you can hold onto them even if you weren’t the one holding the camera.
Best of all, there’s no setup—select photos, make an album and then send the link off to whomever you’d like. And it works no matter what device your friends and family are using—tablet or laptop, Android or iPhone.
Shared albums is rolling out today on
Android
,
iOS
and the
web
. Time to create an album and revisit that holiday party from another angle!
Posted by James Gallagher, Engineering Lead, Google Photos
IMAGE URL
James Gallagher
Engineering Lead
Google Photos
Celebrating the year on YouTube: The top trending videos of 2015
December 9, 2015
2015 was kind of a big year for YouTube. Along with a year-long celebration of
YouTube’s 10th birthday
, YouTube creators and their fans introduced the planet to the latest
dance crazes
, opened up discussions about
diversity and inclusion
, and lip-synced in
cars
and
onstage
in front of the whole, wide world.
Now it's time to look at the videos it seems like the whole world has seen: the top trending videos of 2015. From late-night hosts to Slow Mo Guys, Super Bowl ads to cops doing covers, these are the videos and creators we collectively watched, danced, and sang along to for more than 25 million hours this year.
Silento- Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) #WatchMeDanceOn
by
Tianne King
Clash of Clans: Revenge (Official Super Bowl TV Commercial)
by
Clash of Clans
Crazy Plastic Ball PRANK!!
by
RomanAtwood
Love Has No Labels | Diversity & Inclusion | Ad Council
by
Ad Council
Lip Sync Battle with Will Ferrell, Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon
by
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Justin Bieber Carpool Karaoke
by
The Late Late Show with James Corden
6ft Man in 6ft Giant Water Balloon - 4K - The Slow Mo Guys
by
The Slow Mo Guys
Golden boy Calum Scott hits the right note | Audition Week 1 | Britain's Got Talent 2015
by
Britain's Got Talent
Dover Police DashCam Confessional (Shake it Off)
by Dover Police
Mean Tweets - President Obama Edition
by
Jimmy Kimmel Live
We got together 150+ YouTube creators from all over the world for the 2015 installment of YouTube’s annual Rewind video, featuring everything from dance prodigies, to TV personalities, to an epic plastic ball fight.
Like what you see? If trending videos and creators are your thing (and you want to see them before next year’s annual round-up), check out the new
YouTube Trending tab
. You’ll get the videos that are taking off delivered directly to your Android, iOS, and desktop device—the best way to catch the videos, creators, and trends the world is talking about.
Posted by Kevin Allocca, Head of Culture & Trends
IMAGE URL
Kevin Allocca
Head of Culture & Trends
YouTube
Google Demo Day: shining a light on female entrepreneurs
December 9, 2015
Women around the world are creating and building incredible technology companies. We see this every day through our Google for Entrepreneurs programs—like
#40Forward
, which works with organizations to increase the representation of female entrepreneurs in startup communities, and our baby-friendly startup school
Campus for Moms
. Supporting these startups is important because teams with diverse perspectives and experiences—particularly in leadership positions—make better products for users.
But the data still tells us that women-led startups often struggle to get access to top investors who can help them raise money. Despite women owning 29 percent of U.S. businesses, female-led companies receive
only 3 percent of venture capital
—a lifeline for many startups to fund new product development and hiring.
With this in mind, today we're hosting our first Google Demo Day specifically for startups with female founders. More than 450 companies from 40+ countries applied, and we chose 11 female-led startups to join us in San Francisco for the event. These startups come from all over the world and span a variety of industries—from Kichink, a B2B e-commerce company in Mexico, to ChattingCat, a real-time translation service in South Korea.
At today’s event, each startup will have four minutes to pitch their businesses, followed by Q&A with a panel of judges. At the end of the day, the judges will crown a Judges’ Favorite, based on the strength of their business model, their team, and their product. Demo Days aren’t just a time to pitch investors; founders also receive mentoring and feedback from Googlers and Silicon Valley veterans through a series of talks and workshops.
Companies from our past two Demo Days have raised $3.5 million from investors who are in attendance, and millions more afterwards. For example, Durham, North Carolina-based beverage entrepreneur Tatiana Birgisson, who won our Demo Day in April, has raised more than $1 million for her energy tea startup
MATI Energy
.
But it's not just the people in the room who can take part in the big day. You can tune in to the live stream on
YouTube
at 10am PT today to see Demo Day in action. You'll also have the chance to vote for the winner of the "Game Changer" Award, an audience favorite trophy. We hope this Demo Day will not only shine a light on the participating startups, but on the exciting companies being built and led by female entrepreneurs everywhere.
Posted by Mary Grove, Director of Google for Entrepreneurs
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Mary Grove
Director
Google for Entrepreneurs
Meet the Pixel C, our take on the tablet
December 8, 2015
This holiday season, there's no shortage of electronics to choose from. When it comes to picking out what device to use, sometimes you want a laptop to hammer out a lengthy document. Other times you want a lightweight tablet to sit back and watch your favorite video. Starting today, you don't have to choose, because the Pixel C is available on the Google Store. As
we previewed
two months ago,
Pixel C
brings together the benefits of a full-size keyboard with the portability of a tablet so it can go wherever you go.
The Pixel C’s high-resolution, 10.2” display is crisp, colorful, and bright—in fact it’s one of the brightest tablets out there—perfect for sharing photos and videos with family over the holidays. Graphics horsepower and stereo speakers mean the Pixel C can keep up with you whether you’re watching a new episode of "Silicon Valley" or playing a new game.
But what really makes the Pixel C unique is the full-size keyboard, which is designed to fit perfectly with the tablet. It attaches seamlessly with magnets, and automatically connects via bluetooth. When the tablet and keyboard are closed together, the keyboard charges wirelessly and automatically—so you never have to worry about it running out of juice. And when you don’t need to type, the keyboard tucks securely behind the tablet with magnets—out of the way but close by for when you need it.
This is the first tablet designed with
Android 6.0, Marshmallow
in mind. You get added security benefits, smarter and longer battery life (10+ hours) and Now on Tap at your fingertips. To ensure the Pixel C gets even better over time, it will receive regular security and feature updates directly from Google. But what makes a tablet great is the amount of things you can do with it—and you’ve got plenty to choose from with s’more than 1 million apps on Google Play.
The Pixel C is available on the
Google Store
now starting at $499, and if you order today, you can get it in time for the holidays.
Posted by Andrew Bowers, Director, Product Management & Pixel Perfectionist
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MSxFo36Ms9s/VmcZS04uGoI/AAAAAAAARjk/XXLJgtvRz2M/s1600/NexusRYUKey_O_SILVER_TQF.png
Andrew Bowers
Director
Product Management
Make your home Internet look like your home with OnHub
December 8, 2015
Chances are, somewhere in your home, there‘s a tangled mess of wires and blinking lights that make your Wi-Fi work. Your router likely isn’t the most sightly thing, and you probably hide it behind a curtain or under a bookcase—out of sight.
Turns out, that’s a bit of a problem, since routers work better when they’re out in the open. So a few months ago,
we released the first OnHub router from TP-LINK
. It replaces the unruly cords, blinking lights, and bulky antennas of a typical router with subtle lighting and internal wiring, so you’re more likely to put OnHub out where it works best.
Today we’re introducing more ways to make your OnHub look great in your home with
three new, interchangeable shells
for the OnHub from TP-LINK, as well as
OnHub Makers
, a gallery of shells designed by artists, designers, and makers.
With OnHub Makers, we wanted to see what some of the world’s most creative minds would do to personalize their routers. We reached out to artists, makers and designers who poured resin, blew glass, and cut paper to make their own unique shells. You can see their creations and learn more in the
OnHub Makers gallery
.
Feeling inspired? Then it’s time to get crafty. We’ve put together all of the information you need to customize an OnHub shell. Whether you’re using a laser cutter or simple finger paints, download the
Maker Packet
for 3D files, 2D patterns, and useful guidelines. Once you’re done, be sure to share your designs online using the hashtag
#OnHubMakers
, and we may feature your design in
our gallery
.
If DIY isn’t really your thing you can still add some style to your Wi-Fi with one of the three new shells from the OnHub team, available later today in the U.S. for $29-39 on the
Google Store
.
Posted by Ben Brown, Product Manager, OnHub
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Ben Brown
Product Manager
OnHub
Hello. It’s the best of 2015 on Google Play.
December 7, 2015
Movie fans went to space in search of a new home in
Interstellar
. The citizens of Westeros battled not only white walkers, but also the zombies of
The Walking Dead
and the landed gentry of
Downton Abbey
to claim the Iron Throne of the TV kingdom. Adele no longer had to worry if “after all these years you'd like to meet” up with her music again, as
25
became the best-selling album of the year in just one week. And readers fell in love with Christian Grey… again!
As 2015 comes to a close, we crunched the numbers to find the most popular entertainment this year on Google Play. For complete lists, visit
Google Play
.
Movies of the Year
1.
Interstellar
2.
Lucy
3.
American Sniper
4.
The Interview
5.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
TV Shows of the Year
1.
Game of Thrones
2.
The Walking Dead
3.
Downton Abbey
4.
Fear the Walking Dead
5.
Vikings
Albums of the Year
1.
25
from Adele
2.
If You're Reading This It's Too Late
from Drake
3.
To Pimp A Butterfly
from Kendrick Lamar
4.
Fifty Shades Of Grey (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
from Various Artists
5.
Beauty Behind The Madness
from The Weeknd
Books of the Year
1.
Fifty Shades of Grey: Book One of the Fifty Shades Trilogy
by E L James
2.
Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian
by E L James
3.
Fifty Shades Darker: Book Two of the Fifty Shades Trilogy
by E L James
4.
Fifty Shades Freed: Book Three of the Fifty Shades Trilogy
by E L James
5.
American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History
by Chris Kyle, Scott McEwen and Jim DeFelice
Posted by Kara Bailey, Director of Merchandising, Google Play
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Kara Bailey
Director of Merchandising
Google Play
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