Official Canada Blog
News and notes from Google Canada
Stadia: a new way to play
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
For 20 years, Google has worked to put the world’s information at your fingertips. Instant delivery of that information is made possible through our data centre and network capabilities, and now we're using that technology to change how you access and enjoy video games.
Stadia is a new video game platform, delivering instant access to your favourite games on any type of screen—whether it’s a TV, laptop, desktop, tablet or mobile phone. Our goal is to make those games available in resolutions up to 4K and 60 frames per second with HDR and surround sound. We’ll be launching later this year in select countries including the U.S., Canada, U.K. and much of Europe.
To build Stadia, we’ve thought deeply about what it means to be a gamer and worked to converge two distinct worlds: people who play video games and people who love watching them. Stadia will lift restrictions on the games we create and play—and the communities who enjoy them.
Advanced game streaming
Using our globally connected network of Google data centres, Stadia will free players from the limitations of traditional consoles and PCs.
When players use Stadia, they'll be able to access their games at all times, and on virtually any screen. And developers will have access to nearly unlimited resources to create the games they’ve always dreamed of. It’s a powerful hardware stack combining server class GPU, CPU, memory and storage, and with the power of Google’s data center infrastructure, Stadia can evolve as quickly as the imagination of game creators.
Data centres make Stadia possible, but what sets the system apart is how it works with other Google services. In a world where there are more than 200 million people watching game-related content daily on YouTube, Stadia makes many of those games playable with the press of a button. If you watch one of your favourite creators playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey, simply click the “play now” button. Seconds later, you’ll be running around ancient Greece in your own game/on your own adventure—no downloads, no updates, no patches and no installs.
But what’s a gaming platform without its own dedicated controller? Enter the Stadia controller*.
When we designed the Stadia controller, we listened to gamers about what they wanted in a controller. First, we made sure to develop a direct connection from the Stadia controller to our data centre through Wi-Fi for the best possible gaming performance. The controller also includes a button for instant capture, saving and sharing gameplay in up to 4k of stunning resolution. And it comes equipped with a Google Assistant button and built-in microphone.
Using Google’s vast experience, reach and decades of investment we’re making Stadia a powerful gaming platform for players, developers and YouTube content creators— of all sizes. We’re building a playground for every imagination.
*This device is a prototype unit and cannot be marketed, sold, leased, or distributed until it complies with applicable essential requirements and obtains required legal authorizations.
Posted by Phil Harrison, Vice President and GM, Google Stadia
Call Screen beta comes to Pixel phones in Canada
Thursday, March 14, 2019
You may have been in a situation where you see an incoming call but you don’t recognize the number. If you’re like me, I pretty much don’t answer these any more as I worry they will be spam. However, that also means you can miss legitimate callers like your kid’s daycare, realtor, or your bank.
Starting today, Canadians with a Pixel can now opt in to the Call Screen beta, a new feature that gives you help from the Google Assistant to find out who's calling and why.
To use Call Screen, when you get an incoming call, just hit the “Screen call” button and the Google Assistant will help you get answers to specific questions like who's calling, why and more. You'll see a transcript of the caller's responses in real-time, and then you can decide whether to pick up, respond by tapping quick replies like “I’ll call you back later,” hang up, or mark the call as spam.
Call Screen is a feature on Pixel devices powered by the Google Assistant to make life easier and simpler. Like many AI-powered features on Pixel, including camera features and our music feature Now Playing which helps your discover new music playing around you, Call Screen processes call details on-device, which means these experiences are fast, private to you, and use up less battery.
Select Canadian Pixel 2 and Pixel 3 owners will receive an email today with instructions on how to opt in to the Call Screen beta. All Pixel users can opt in to the beta
here
. Call Screen is currently available in English only.
Posted by Paul Dunlop, Product Manager, Call Screen
Plan your March Break with events in Search
Friday, March 8, 2019
If you’re on the hunt for activities to fill your winter - or March Break - calendar, we’re making it even easier to find events in Search.
Starting today, when you search on your phone for things like “events near me” or “concerts” in Canada, you’ll not only find a list of events from a variety of sites, but also key information about the event, right on Search!
Tap on any event you’re interested in and you’ll get an overview of things like time, location, ticketing providers, and other information that will help you decide whether to attend. If you’re ready to take the plunge, you can follow the links to buy tickets from the provider of your choice. If you’re still deciding, you can head to the event webpages for more information. Save events or share them with others and plan as you go.
To discover events based on your interests, you can tap the “For You” tab to get personalized ideas for things to do near you. You’ll see trending and popular events in your area to keep you in the loop on the hottest happenings. And you’ll find events from across the web--from meetup and concert sites to individual event listings from organizations and brands you love.
If you’re an event provider, follow
these guidelines to mark up
your event listings to appear in this experience and ensure your events are discoverable.
Try it out today to find the perfect dog meetup, local festival or must-see event to keep the kids busy over March Break!
Posted by Emily Fifer, Product Manager
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