Official Google Canada Blog: 2013

Happy Holidays from Google Canada!

Friday, December 20, 2013

veryveryHospital for Sick ChildrenSanta

Toys by the tree at Google Toronto

Delivering goodies to the Hospital for Sick Children

Posted by Eric Morris, Marisa Tam and the team at Google Canada

A Year in Canadian Search: Google Zeitgeist 2013

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Rob Ford, Nelson Mandela and Harlem Shake make Canada’s 2013 trending list

From controversy at Toronto’s City Hall to “sourtoe cocktails,” “twerking” and doing the Harlem Shake, Google Canada’s Year End Zeitgeist offers a uniquely Canuck perspective on the year's major events and hottest trends based on searches from Canada.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford made headlines around the world and topped this year’s trending searches here in Canada. The untimely passing of Glee star and Calgary-native Cory Monteith and the celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life captured Canadians’ attention, as did the news of the Royal Baby’s arrival across the pond. There were over 1.7 million videos about the Harlem Shake uploaded to YouTube this year, and this Internet meme had no trouble dancing its way into the Top 10 Trending Searches in Canada and around the world. Here’s the full list:

Canada’s Top Trending Searches for 2013

Rob Ford
Cory Monteith
Paul Walker
Tim Bosma
Boston Marathon
Nelson Mandela
Royal Baby
North Korea
Harlem Shake
Lac Mégantic

As we get ready to turn the page to 2014, we invite you to take a global journey through the biggest moments from the past 12 months in our Year in Review video:

Looking at the list of the Top 10 Trending Canadians, in 2013 we were star-struck by Commander Chris Hadfield and celebrated the amazing achievements of author and Nobel laureate, Alice Munro. Canada also lost two legends of Canadian music, Stompin’ Tom Connors and Rita MacNeil who clearly left their mark in Canadian culture.

Top Trending Canadians for 2013

Rob Ford
Cory Monteith
Tim Bosma
Chris Hadfield
Rehtaeh Parsons
Rita MacNeil
Jarome Iginla
Stompin’ Tom Connors
Alice Munro
Alan Thicke

“Twerk” got an entry in the Oxford English Dictionary this year, so it’s hardly surprising that “what is twerking” and “how to twerk” topped Canada’s What Is and How To lists in 2013. The raunchy dance set the internet on fire after Miley Cyrus performed it at the MTV Music Video Awards in August this year, but wasn’t quite enough to make Miley the top trending celebrity in Canada...

To find out who was Canada’s top trending celebrity of 2013 – along with the top trending movies, athletes, diets, and most searched federal politicians – check out the complete Canadian lists at google.ca/zeitgeist.

Canadian Zeitgeist Lists

Searches
Celebrities
Canadians
Federal Politicians
Canadian Sports Teams
Athletes
Technology
Musician
Movies
TV Shows
Recipes
Cocktails
Diet
How to…
What is…

To view these lists, head over to google.ca/zeitgeist. Aside from Canadian data, the site showcases over 1,000 top-ten lists across pop culture, sports, music, politics, news, and more. It’s global, spanning over 75 countries. You can check out global search trends, compare terms using interactive data visualizations, and watch the annual Zeitgeist video.

See you in 2014 and, in the meantime… search on!

Posted by Aaron Brindle, Google Canada

The Multi-screen Canadian

Monday, December 16, 2013

new studyIpsosThink Insights

key findings:

Multiscreen behavior among smartphone users is widespread and with the expected rapid growth of smartphones & tablets, 'multi-screening' – using more than one screen at once – is only going to grow.

Among Smartphone users, most time spent consuming media today is screen-based, on Computer, Smartphone, Tablet or TV

Canadians think using devices simultaneously can enhance the TV viewing experience, but can also be a distraction. TV itself is losing its ability to command our full attention.

Smartphones play a critical role in the path to purchase process. They are used for product reviews, store location information, inventory checks and purchases – especially during the holidays!

Portable screens allow us to move easily from one device to another to achieve a task. In some cases, smartphone users will begin researching on their smartphone and continue the shopping process or even make a purchase on a different device.

allreadingPosted by Vinay Chandra, Media Solutions Lead, Google Canada

YouTube Rewind: What you watched in 2013

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Editor's Note - This post was originally posted on YouTube Official Blogtop searched Halloween costumechildren’s bookrecord-setting numberslittle videoTop Trending Videos in Canada for 2013Ylvis - the Fox (What does the Fox Say)tvnorgeDove Real Beuaty SketchesDoveunitedstatesHow Animals Eat Their FoodMisterEpicMannBaby&me / the new evian filmEvianbabiesYolo (Feat Adam Levine & Kendrick Lamar)thelonelyislandHarlem Shake (original army edition)kennethaakonsenThe NFL A Bad Lip ReadingBadLipReadingDrive Thru Invisible Driver PrankMagicofRahatSpace OddityChris HadfieldTelekinetic Coffee Shop SurpriseCarrieNYCTop Music Videos in Canada for 2013Miley Cyrus - Wrecking BallMileyCyrusVEVOPsy - Gentleman M/VofficialpsyMiley Cyrus - We Can't StopMileyCyrusVEVORobin Thicke - Blurred Lines ft. T.I. PharrellRobinThickeVEVORihanna - Stay ft. Mikky EkkoRihannaVEVOP!nk - Just Give Me A Reason ft. Nate RuessPinkVEVOKaty Perry - Roar (Official)KatyPerryVEVOMaclemore & Ryan Lewis - Can't Hold us Feat. Ray DaltonRyanLewisDrake - Started from the Bottom (Explicit)DrakeVEVOSelena Gomez - Come & Get ItSelenaGomezVEVOYouTube Rewind 2013 ChannelGoogle.com/zeitgeistKevin Allocca, Head of Culture and Trends, recently watched “"Making of YouTube Rewind: What Does 2013 Say?".”

Online exhibitions made easy with Google Open Gallery

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

[Editor's note: This post first appeared on the Google Europe Blog]hidden depths of your artworksWondereurGoogle Open GalleryGoogle Cultural Institute

Joanna Ferraro, Maybe, 2011, (Wondereur Gallery)

Google Open GalleryStreet View imageryPosted by Robert Tansley, Google Open Gallery Product Manager & Laurent Gaveau, Head of The Lab at the Cultural Institute

Google Maps goes behind the scenes on Parliament Hill

Monday, December 2, 2013

Which Canadian politician keeps a Beatles mug on his desk? Which party leader’s office features a fresco of an angel modeled on William Lyon Mackenzie King’s mother? And where can you find the best view of Canada’s capital? The answers to all these questions are now in Google Maps!

Through the unique panoramic lens of Google Street View, for the first time you can explore the Prime Minister’s Office, find the secret door in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, and marvel at the ornate Memorial Chamber or the views from the Peace Tower observation deck.

In July we launched Street View imagery of Canada’s Parliament Hill, giving Canadians a chance to go online and experience the places that serve as the iconic backdrop of Canadian politics, including the House of Commons, the Red Chamber of the Senate and the Library of Parliament. Today we are thrilled to announce the addition of several historic sites within Parliament Hill’s Centre Block, including a few spots that take you behind the scenes, where even a public tour won’t go.

Prime Minister’s Office

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Prime Minister’s Office

Office of the Leader of the Opposition

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Office of the Leader of the Opposition

Memorial Chamber

The Memorial Chamber is dedicated to the memory of Canadians who have died in military service. The Peace Tower was constructed by a nation grateful for peace, while the Memorial Chamber is a permanent reminder of conflict’s precious cost.

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Memorial Chamber

Peace Tower Observation Deck

Take a trip up the Peace Tower to the Observation Deck. The Peace Tower is a living memorial to the Peace of 1918 and to the sixty-six thousand Canadians who died in the First World War. The Observation Deck provides a spectacular view of Canada’s capital city.

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Peace Tower Observation Deck

Opposition Meeting Room

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Opposition Meeting Room

We hope that these landmarks of Canadian politics, culture and history offer people from around the world a few more reasons to virtually visit the heart of Canada’s democracy.

Posted by Aaron Brindle, Google Canada

PS - Any luck finding that mug? Here’s a hint.

Making a List and Checking it Twice – Canada’s Top Toys this Holiday Season

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Sesame Street Big Hugs Elmo

And for kids who love crafts or parents looking for a little nostalgia, here are some of the additional most-searched toys popping up on Canadian wish lists:
Top Crafty Toys

Nostalgic Toys

Posted by Wendy Bairos, Google Canada Communications Team

Bringing hobbits, dwarves and dragons to screens everywhere

Friday, November 22, 2013

Editor's note: This post first appeared on the Official Google Blog

You don’t need to be besties with a Wizard to share an adventure in Middle-earth—just point your favorite browser togoo.gl/TheHobbit on your laptop, phone or tablet to check out “Journey through Middle-earth,” the latest Chrome Experiment.

Inspired by the upcoming motion picture "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” “Journey through Middle-earth” brings the locations and characters from the movie trilogy to life with a mix of modern web technologies. It was developed by North Kingdom in collaboration with Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures.

Your adventure starts on a beautiful, interactive map of Middle-earth. Zoom in to explore Trollshaw Forest, Rivendell and Dol Guldur (with more locations to come in the next few weeks). Click on each one to learn its history and meet the characters who inhabit it, or dive further to test your wits on a unique survival challenge.

The immersive 3D graphics in “Journey through Middle-earth” were built with CSS3 and WebGL, which you might recognize from previous Chrome Experiments. But “Journey through Middle-earth” is the first Chrome Experiment designed to bring this beautiful, 3D experience to mobile, thanks to support for WebGL in Chrome for Android on devices with high-end graphics cards.

The rich audio effects and sound manipulation are delivered through the Web Audio API, which is now supported on both Chrome for Android and Chrome for iPhone and iPad. Although WebGL isn’t supported on iOS, Chrome users can still experience most of “Journey through Middle-earth” on their iPhones and iPads. We can’t wait to see what sort of rich experiences developers will build as modern web technologies become available on more types of devices.

Circle +Google Chrome to stay updated as more Middle-earth locations get released in the coming weeks. You can also check out the Chromium Blog and read the team’s technical case study if you feel like geeking out a bit more.

Adventure is a click away. Just watch out for the trolls!

Posted by Posted by Christos Apartoglou, Product Marketing Manager & Part-time Dragon-slayer

Introducing Google Play Newsstand – one place for all your news

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Cross-posted from the Official Android Blog. In Canada, you can find terrific news content from sources including The National Post, Toronto Star, CBC News & Sports, Canada.com, Huffington Post Canada, Maclean's, Chatelaine, Reader's Digest Canada, Canadian Living, House & Home, iVillage Canada, Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, among many more.Google Play Newsstand

Newspaper Subscriptions: Full-length content from some of the world’s top newspapers including The Australian, The Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, The National Post, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Magazines: Hundreds of HD magazines like Better Homes & Gardens, The Economist, Esquire, Fast Company, Forbes, Game Informer, The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Shape, TIME, Vanity Fair and WIRED, from publishers like American Media Inc., Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, TIME Inc., and more.

Blogs: Your favorite blogs like Apartment Therapy, Colossal, Cool Hunting, Flavorpill, Saveur Daily, TMZ and The Verge.

News sites: Leading news sites like ABC News, The Atlantic, CBS Sports, CNET, The Daily Beast, Huffington Post, The Guardian, NPR, Reuters, The Telegraph, and more.

Google Play Magazines appPosted by Mussie Shore, Product Manager for Google Play Newsstand

Explore Canada’s natural and historic treasures with Street View

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Editor’s Note: Today’s guest blog post is from Michael White who works in the External Relations Branch at Parks Canada and leads the Agency’s collaboration with Google Maps.

One the best things about working at Parks Canada is the opportunity to share our fantastic national parks and national historic sites with Canadians and people around the world. And that’s what makes the collaboration between Parks Canada and Google Maps so exciting. Today, we’re inviting you to explore Canada’s cultural and natural heritage through the unique panoramic lens of Google Street View. From the dramatic mountain ranges of Banff National Park to the fortifications of the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, it’s now possible to enjoy a virtual visit to some of Canada’s most iconic places.

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Take a virtual hike through scenic Banff National Park

Throughout the spring and summer of 2013, the Google Maps team traveled to over 70 Parks Canada locations across the country. Using Street View cars and the newly introduced Trekker backpack, the Google team was able to drive the roads and hike the trails that take you deep into Canada’s majestic national parks. Plus, they were able to go inside the rooms and corridors of many national historic sites.

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Explore the streets and fortifications of the Fortress of Louisbourg

The first place the Google Maps team visited was the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site in Nova Scotia. The fortress marks the 300th anniversary of its founding this year, and we’re thrilled to celebrate its birthday by opening up its historic gates and letting the world virtually explore this compelling place through Street View and Google Maps. Walk up and down the village streets, hike along trails inside and outside of the fortress walls and check out the huge battlements.

The Google Trekker collects imagery of the historic Fortress of Louisbourg

Explore Canada’s National Parks and Historic Sites

From planning a summer vacation to augmenting classroom lesson plans, the partnership between Parks Canada and Google will better connect Canadians to the amazing places and geography that defines this country. To take a Street View tour of a Parks Canada location, simply drag the “Pegman” over the map to reveal the blue-coloured Street View trajectories now ready for you to explore.

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A Street View stroll through in L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site

Next year Google and Parks Canada will continue to work together to document additional national heritage places across Canada. In the meantime, it is my pleasure to welcome you to Canada’s national parks and national historic sites now ready for you to explore and enjoy on Google Maps.

Posted by Michael White, Parks Canada

Official Canada Blog

Happy Holidays from Google Canada!

A Year in Canadian Search: Google Zeitgeist 2013

The Multi-screen Canadian

YouTube Rewind: What you watched in 2013

Online exhibitions made easy with Google Open Gallery

Google Maps goes behind the scenes on Parliament Hill

Making a List and Checking it Twice – Canada’s Top Toys this Holiday Season

Bringing hobbits, dwarves and dragons to screens everywhere

Introducing Google Play Newsstand – one place for all your news

Explore Canada’s natural and historic treasures with Street View

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