Official Canada Blog
News and notes from Google Canada
The best hardware, software and AI—together
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Today, we
introduced
our second generation family of consumer hardware products that are coming to Canada, all made by Google: new Pixel phones, Google Home Mini and Max, an all new Pixelbook, Google Pixel Buds, and an updated Daydream View headset. We see tremendous potential for devices to be helpful, make your life easier, and even get better over time when they’re created at the intersection of hardware, software and advanced artificial intelligence (AI).
Why Google?
These days many devices—especially smartphones—look and act the same. That means in order to create a meaningful experience for users, we need a different approach. A year ago, Sundar
outlined
his vision of how AI would change how people would use computers. And in fact, AI is already transforming what Google’s products can do in the real world. For example, swipe typing has been around for a while, but AI lets people use
Gboard
to swipe-type in two languages at once. Google Maps uses AI to figure out what the parking is like at your destination and suggest alternative spots before you’ve even put your foot on the gas. But, for this wave of computing to reach new breakthroughs, we have to build software
and hardware
that can bring more of the potential of AI into reality—which is what we’ve set out to do with this year’s new family of products.
Hardware, built from the inside out
We’ve designed and built our latest hardware products around a few core tenets. First and foremost, we want them to be radically helpful. They’re fast, they’re there when you need them, and they’re simple to use. Second, everything is designed for you, so that the technology doesn’t get in the way and instead blends into your lifestyle. Lastly, by creating hardware with AI at the core, our products can improve over time. They’re constantly getting better and faster through automatic software updates. And they’re designed to learn from you, so you’ll notice features—like the Google Assistant—get smarter and more assistive the more you interact with them.
You’ll see this reflected in our 2017 lineup of new Made by Google products:
The
Pixel 2
has the best camera of any smartphone,
again
, along with a gorgeous display and augmented reality capabilities. Pixel owners get unlimited storage for their photos and videos, and an exclusive preview of Google Lens, which uses AI to give you helpful information about the things around you.
Google Home Mini
brings the Assistant to more places throughout your home, with a beautiful design that fits anywhere. And
Max
, which is coming later to Canada, is our biggest and best-sounding Google Home device, powered by the Assistant. And with AI-based Smart Sound, Max has the ability to adapt your audio experience to you—your environment, context, and preferences.
With
Pixelbook
, we’ve reimagined the laptop as a high-performance Chromebook, with a versatile form factor that works the way you do. It’s the first laptop with the Assistant built in, and the Pixelbook Pen makes the whole experience even smarter.
Our new
Pixel Buds
combine Google smarts and the best digital sound. You’ll get elegant touch controls that put the Assistant just a tap away, and they’ll even help you communicate in a different language.
The updated
Daydream View
is the best mobile virtual reality (VR) headset on the market, and the simplest, most comfortable VR experience.
Assistant, everywhere
Across all these devices, you can interact with
the Google Assistant
any way you want—talk to it with your Google Home or your Pixel Buds, squeeze your Pixel 2, or use your Pixelbook’s Assistant key or circle things on your screen with the Pixelbook Pen. Wherever you are, and on any device with the Assistant, you can connect to the information you need and get help with the tasks to get you through your day. No other assistive technology comes close, and it continues to get better every day.
Google’s hardware business is just getting started, and we’re committed to building and investing for the long run. We couldn’t be more excited to introduce you to our second-generation family of products that truly brings together the best of Google software, thoughtfully designed hardware with cutting-edge AI. We hope you enjoy using them as much as we do.
Availability
Here’s some more info on where and when you can get our new hardware in Canada. Visit
The Google Store
for more info.
Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
are available for pre-order today, starting at $899, on The Google Store, Bell, Best Buy Canada, Fido, Freedom Mobile, Koodo, Rogers, The Source, TELUS, Tbooth wireless, Walmart, WIRELESSWAVE, Videotron, and Virgin.
Pixel Buds
will be available later this year for $219 on The Google Store and Best Buy Canada.
Pixelbook
is available in three configurations starting at $1299, so you can choose the processing power, memory and storage you want. The
Pixelbook Pen
is $129. Both will be available for pre-order today in Canada, with the exception of Quebec, and on sale at The Google Store and select retailers, including Best Buy Canada. We’re working to bring Pixelbook to Quebec in the future.
Google Home Mini
is available for pre-order today for $79 on The Google Store, Best Buy Canada and select retailers.
The new
Google Daydream View
is available for pre-order today for $139 on The Google Store and select retailers.
Posted by Rick Osterloh, SVP, Hardware
YouTube Pops Up in Montreal!
Thursday, September 21, 2017
This week, YouTube opened the doors for our first-ever YouTube Pop-Up Space in Montreal - a temporary incubator that offers creators an opportunity to
learn
from industry experts,
connect
with fellow YouTube creators in a collaborative setting and use the latest film equipment to
create
more ambitious and innovative video content.
Over three days, we’ll host 100+ of the top and rising stars of the local Quebec YouTube community for educational workshops, business development training, networking events and hands-on video production in our fully-stocked studio.
Across Canada, we’re watching more YouTube than ever - in fact, watchtime in Canada has grown 30% over last year. And a recent survey from Ipsos
*
revealed just how much Quebec in particular loves YouTube, showing that 49% Of Quebec YouTube Users would rather give up alcohol than give up YouTube for a week and 45% of Quebec YouTube Users would rather give up chocolate than give up YouTube for a week!
Quebec is home to a thriving YouTube community, with creators like
Emma Verde
,
Chris Ramsay
,
PL Cloutier
and
Lysandre Nadeau
growing massive audiences both at home and around the world. Quebecois creators are part of a new generation of Canadian artists who are growing up online and reaching global audiences on YouTube.
YouTube’s open model and global scale dramatically reduce the cost of getting content to international markets. As a result, 90% of views on Canadian channels come from outside of Canada, higher than any other country on the platform. By radically lowering barriers to entry, YouTube has become a powerful platform for creators in Canada to share their voices and their ideas with the world.
YouTube builds interactive communities that allow fans and artists to share, comment and contribute, and our YouTube Spaces are a physical representation of that community phenomenon. We’re committed to helping our Quebec creators continue to grow and thrive as digital entrepreneurs, and we can’t wait to see what they’ll create at YouTube Pop-Up Space Montreal!
*Research conducted by Ipsos on behalf of Google Canada,
May 2017
NewsWise -- Democracy Demands News Literacy
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Editor's note: The below post is guest authored Natalie Turvey, Executive Director of The Canadian Journalism Foundation and Taylor Gunn
,
President and Chief Election Officer of CIVIX,
The rallying cry of
The Canadian Journalism Foundation
feels particularly relevant these days: ‘
as journalism goes so goes democracy’
.
More than ever, it’s critical that current and future generations understand the role journalism plays in our democracy. With social media and an abundance of information on numerous platforms, the ways we consume and share news have fundamentally changed. We need to help Canadians better understand how quality journalism is produced and how to determine which sources of information are reliable. News literacy skills are essential to this process.
With a $500,000 grant from Google Canada, the CJF is thrilled to be partnering with CIVIX on
NewsWise
- a program to provide school aged Canadians with the tools and skills to find and filter accurate information online. The program will reach 1.5 million Canadians (ages 9-19) and the goal is to increase students’ ability to analyze media messages and expand their knowledge about how news is produced.
Canadian students participating in Student Vote programming
NewsWise
will be developed by
CIVIX
, the organization behind
Student Vote
, and CJF’s network of news leaders, journalists and academics. The program will be a part of the Student Vote activities, rolling out to coincide with the Ontario provincial election in 2018, and other upcoming local and provincial elections, culminating nationally nationally with the 2019 federal election. Student Vote already has programs in 98% of Canadian school boards. CJF will engage Canada’s journalism community in supporting the delivery of the program.
The partnership between the CJF and CIVIX is built on the shared goal that that quality journalism in our country leads to a thriving democracy.
Guest authored by Natalie Turvey Executive Director of The Canadian Journalism Foundation and
Taylor Gunn
, President and Chief Election Officer of CIVIX
Students, get coding in Montreal!
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Today’s guest post is brought to you by Mathieu Perreault and Pierre-Antoine Manzagol, Google Canada software developers and Code MTL advisory board members
As kids, we both had an early interest in technology. Somehow though, neither of us really got into programming until university. Today, when we visit classrooms to talk about technology, we witness this same interest. Kids don’t simply want to use technology, but are curious about how it all comes together!
That’s why today, we are proud to help launch
Code MTL
, a program funded in part by Google Canada that aims to teach Quebec-based students ages 8-12 how to code. Initially, over 3,200 students from 65 schools in the Commission scolaire de Montréal will follow workshops to help them develop their mathematical and coding skills. From drawing blocks in Scratch to debugging computer code,
workshops and resources
will be available online for all students to access, no matter where they are.
While many kids today have access to all kinds of computers and connected devices, there remains a gap in opportunities for young Canadians to learn how to design and build the technology that is shaping our world. In fact, l
ess than 50 percent of Canadian youth graduate from high school with a senior STEM course
, even when 70 percent of today’s jobs require STEM education.
As software developers at Google Canada, we believe that learning these skills will open students’ minds and provide them with the right tools to create and innovate. And it’s not just students who want to work in tech who will benefit! Computer science is a language of creativity, of entrepreneurship, and of potential. Whether you want to be a doctor, an artist, a designer or work in finance, programming skills can help teach you how to think logically and creatively.
To bring this program to life, we worked with La Fondation de la Commission scolaire de Montréal, le Gouvernement du Québec, Ubisoft Montréal, Jeux WB Montréal et Kids Code Jeunesse. The content is available online for everyone today, and students will start the workshops this month.
With
Code MTL
, we’re invested in supporting future tech innovators grow and work in Quebec.
Code on, kids!
Posted by Mathieu Perreault and Pierre-Antoine Manzagol, software developers, Google Canada
Feed your need to know (now in Canada!)
Thursday, September 7, 2017
As the late, great Dr. Seuss once said, “there is no one alive who is you-er than you.” At Google, we know this statement is truer than true. Sure, we all have many things in common, but none of us has quite the same mix of passions, interests and goals as the next person. And, while we each keep up to date on the things that matter to us in different ways—social media, news apps, talking to friends—it’s hard to find one place to stay in the know about exactly what matters to you. Today that’s changing.
People have long turned to Google to get answers, learn about the world, and dig deeper on topics they’re passionate about. Today, we are announcing a new feed experience in the Google app, making it easier than ever to discover, explore and stay connected to what matters to you—even when you don’t have a query in mind.
A smart feed that changes with you
Since
introducing the feed
in December, we’ve advanced our machine learning algorithms to better anticipate what’s interesting and important to you. You’ll see cards with things like sports highlights, top news, engaging videos, new music, stories to read and more. And now, your feed will not only be based on your interactions with Google, but also factor in what’s trending in your area and around the world. The more you use Google, the better your feed will be.
As the world and your interests change, your feed will continue to grow and evolve along with you. You’ll notice that your feed will also reflect your interest level for various topics—for example, if you’re a photography enthusiast but just casually interested in fitness, your feed will show that. But if you see something that isn’t up your alley, unfollowing topics is easy too. Just tap on a given card in your feed or visit your Google app settings.
Follow your favou
rites
While we’ve been getting better at understanding your interests, it hasn’t always been easy for you to choose new topics for your feed. To help you keep up with exactly what you care about, you’ll now be able to follow topics, right from Search results. Look out for a new “Follow” button next to certain types of search results—including movies, sports teams, your favorite bands or music artists, famous people, and more. A quick tap of the the follow button and you’ll start getting updates and stories about that topic in your feed.
Broader context and deeper exploration
To provide information from diverse perspectives, news stories may have multiple viewpoints from a variety of sources, as well as other related information and articles. And when available, you’ll be able to fact check and see other relevant information to help get a more holistic understanding about the topics in your feed.
We’re also making it easier to dive deeper into any of the topics you see in your feed. At the top of every card, you’ll see a header that puts your interests front and center, letting you search that topic on Google with one tap.
How to fix a toilet (and other things you couldn't do without Search)
Friday, September 1, 2017
Every year, millions come to Google to search for news and information that helps illuminate the world around them. While people often search for breaking news, the latest sports scores, or what's playing at a local movie theater, they also often look for answers on how to fix the more mundane items around them.
Recently, we noticed that “how to…” searches have increased by more than 140% since 2004, and much of that search interest is directed towards how to “fix” things—whether it’s a lightbulb, window, washing machine, or even the toilet. In fact, “How to fix…” is consistently near the top of the list of most common queries, year after year, around the world. That’s why the Google Trends team teamed up with award-winning designer
Xaquín González Veira
—formerly of “The Guardian”,
“National Geographic” and “the
New York Times”—to create our latest visual:
How to fix a toilet...and other things you couldn’t do without Search
.
The first data visualization shows household items people ask Google how to fix, and how those searches vary by country. For instance, in the United States, the top “how to fix" items are doors, followed by windows, toilets, washing machines and refrigerators. While in Japan, the order is: windows, doors, washing machines, and toilets.
Check out the map of the world below, to see how it shifts:
Xaquin noticed some neat (and weird) patterns in the data. Searches for “how to fix a toilet” and “how to use chopsticks” follow a very similar pattern. Wonder why that is? Just check out the site. You’ll be surprised what tops the list in each country and which places need to fix the same things (washing machines in Russia and Columbia and windows in Brazil and Eritrea).
The visual also showcases data for the top searched “how to’s” around the world. The top ten are:
how to tie a tie
how to kiss
how to get pregnant
how to lose weight
how to draw
how to make money
how to make pancakes
how to write a cover letter
how to make french toast
how to lose belly fat
Check out the
interactive guide here
, to explore more of this fascinating data.
This data visualization is the latest in the
Google News Lab
’s series of collaborations with designers, working alongside the University of Miami’s
Alberto Cairo
to re-examine how news designers can tell stories using new types of data (including new sources of Google data) and by experimenting with new kinds of data visualizations. You can see some more of the projects we’ve
launched so far here
.
We’ve loaded the top how-to’s data on our
GitHub page
for you to download and explore. And if you do, tell us more about you’re using the data at newslabtrends@google.com.
The 90s are back...With a Twist! Google Canada’s Back To School Trends
Thursday, August 24, 2017
I won’t tell you my age, but I will tell you that I was
very
aware of what was happening in the 90s.
And it was awesome.
Now I’m a mom, with a young daughter heading back to school and my focus is: How can we, as a family, make this as painless as possible. Like many Canadians, I’m turning to my phone and to
Google Search
to get a head start on shopping. With all those searches underway, we now have a good idea of what’s trending for parents and students.
The list of what’s hot for Back to School 2017 fashion looks a lot like my wish list back in the 90s -
overalls
,
hoodies
,
crop tops
and
flannel shirts
are all rising in search interest.
Gucci
has set the tone for multiple fashion trends over the past few seasons, and that influence continues, with rising search interest for
Gucci belts, sunglasses and slides
.
Two ultimate 90s accessories are also back in a big way - the much-maligned
fanny pack
is cool again, and searches for
Birkenstocks
are at an all-time high. Interestingly, we see a big uptick in searches for
“vegan” and “plastic” Birkenstocks
.
And when it comes to back-to-school searches...
Top searched backpack color in the past week, Canada:
Black
Pink
Blue
White
Red
Top searched school supplies in the past week, Canada:
Backpack
Calculator
Pencil
Glue
Pens
Trending questions on school in the past week, Canada:
Where can I buy school workbooks?
How to do cute hairstyles for middle school?
What day does school start?
When do the kids go back to school?
What school will my child attend?
Trending questions on back to school in the past week, Canada:
When do back to school sales start in Canada?
When is back to school?
When does school start?
Why do school supplies cost so much?
How to decorate your locker?
Trending questions on “where to buy” and school in the past week, Canada:
Where to buy school uniforms near me?
Where to buy cute school supplies?
Where to buy uniforms for Catholic school?
Where to buy school bags?
Where to buy school backpacks?
Wishing you and yours a scrunchy-filled stress-free back-to-school shop!
Nicole Bell is a Canadian Googler, Mom and member of the Communications & Public Affairs team
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