Official Google Canada Blog

Three holiday shopping trends to watch in 2015

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

If the idea of browsing gift ideas on your phone while waiting for your morning coffee sounds familiar, you’re not alone. This holiday season, shopping moments will replace shopping marathons. Rather than rely on day-long mall marathons, Canadian shoppers are now turning to their mobile phones at moments throughout the day, all season long.* In fact, in the past two days, 1 in 3 Canadian holiday shoppers used their smartphone to search for products and services.
But with holidays less than 2 weeks away, Canadians have completed less than half of their holiday shopping! We worked with Ipsos to survey Canadians on how they’ve used technology to shop so far this holiday season. And today we’re sharing the three trends that are impacting this year’s biggest shopping season.
Shopping marathons have become shopping moments. Shopping marathons have been replaced by small shopping moments that can happen any time of the day, as shoppers turn to the nearest device when trying to decide, find, or buy something. Thanks to growing digital shopping options, every day can be a shopping day. This year, sixty-seven percent of Canadian holiday shoppers have conducted an online search for a holiday product or service, and 72 per cent have made a website visit as part of their holiday shopping.

And this year, online shopping never sleeps! While in-store shopping peaks between 2pm and 5pm, desktop and smartphone searches peak later in the evening between 7 – 9pm. In fact, 36 percent of visits to retailer websites happen between 7pm and 6am.
Mobile search is influencing purchases more than ever. Smartphones have become the go-to for all steps in the path to purchase, from inspiration to research to purchasing. Globally, we’ve seen shopping-related searches on mobile have grown more than 120 per cent year over year.
Canadians aren’t just using smartphones to make purchases, they’re also using them as a personal shopper to locate products in nearby stores, look at reviews while in-store, and more. Sixty percent of shoppers who used their smartphone to search for products and services followed through on a purchase. Apps have become an additional toolkit for shoppers with 44 per cent of Canadians using mobile apps as part of their holiday shopping experience.
Anticipation for Boxing Day is higher than ever before Even with our holiday shopping lists less than halfway complete, we already have a strong appetite for Boxing Day. Despite the success of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Boxing Day remains a significant shopping day in Canada and interest has increased steadily over the last 10 years. We also expect to see more and more searches for Boxing Day happening from mobile devices, as Canadians search for the deals closest to them. Last year, forty per cent of Boxing Week searches in Canada happened on smartphones.**

No matter how you’re shopping, have a happy holiday!
Posted by Sarah Bradley and Naumi Haque, Research and Market Insights Managers, Google Canada.
*Google/Ipsos Shopping Moments: 2015 Holiday Edition, Nov 17-Dec 10, n=1,554 Canadian shoppers **Google Canada Data, 2014

Make your holidays a little easier with Now on Tap

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Between gift shopping, traveling, and party-going and party-hosting, there’s a lot to do this time of year. With Now on Tap on Android phones, everything is a little bit easier. Today we’re making some updates to Now on Tap to help you out during the holiday season and year round.
On airport pick-up duty? If your cousin sends you a text with his flight number, simply tap and hold your phone’s home button to get info on flight status without a separate search. Your text message is still right there, so you can respond easily after a quick peek.
If you need make sure all the last-minute gifts you ordered online will make it under the tree on time, tapping and holding on your confirmation email will display tracking info and the status of your package.
And just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean the news slows down (well, maybe a little). When reading a news article about Justin Trudeau or Ronda Rousey, tap and hold to get links to related articles so you can learn more. Plus, you’ll now see a share icon when you use Now on Tap to easily share what’s on your screen, without having to leave what you’re doing. You should start seeing all these features over the coming days.

Finally, for those of you French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian or Korean speakers—Now on Tap is now at your fingertips too. Of course, we’ll continue to add more languages and features soon.
Posted by Aneto Okonkwo, Product Manager

Even more to love about Chromecast Audio

Thursday, December 10, 2015

A couple of months ago we launched Chromecast Audio to provide an easy way to stream your favourite tunes from your phone, tablet, or laptop to your existing speakers. At $45, Chromecast Audio is an affordable way to connect your speakers via WiFi so you can stream tons of popular apps including Google Play Music and Spotify from anywhere in your home. Today we're adding two new features to the latest software update to elevate your listening experience.

Introducing Hi-Res audio support
Close your eyes and imagine the musician is playing in the room. Today we’re rolling out high-resolution audio support, which gives you even higher quality music playback using Chromecast Audio. With support of up to 96KHz/24bit lossless audio playback, you can enjoy higher-than-CD-quality audio on your existing high fidelity audio equipment.
Blast the same song in every room

Now you can easily fill every room in your home—bedroom, kitchen, living room, or wherever you have a Chromecast Audio connected—with synchronous music. Multi-room lets you group Chromecast Audio devices together so you can listen to the same song on multiple speakers.
Setup is simple. Connect and setup a Chromecast Audio device for each of your speakers, then use the latest Chromecast app to create a group. You can cast to the group the exact same way you would cast to a single Chromecast device. Anyone with a phone can easily cast without pairing too, so throw a party, sync your home speakers together, and invite your friends to be the DJ.
So grab your hairbrush microphone, dust off your tennis racket guitar, and jam out to your favourite tunes at amazing quality and in every room of your house.Posted by Tomer Shekel, Product Manager and a patron of loud music

Google Play Music: Now playing for your family

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

In a family of music lovers, there’s a soundtrack playing throughout our daily lives. My husband likes to listen to The Smiths radio while he works; I like Entering Beast Mode stations when I hit the gym; and we listen to Michael Bublé as a family while we are cooking dinner. What can I say, we’re a pretty fun bunch! But it means my family ends up paying for multiple subscription music accounts which can add up over time. For families like mine, we’re happy to start offering the Google Play Music family plan today.
With the family plan, you and up to five family members can subscribe to Google Play Music - together - for just $14.99 per month. You’ll unlock all of the same features you’d get from having individual subscriptions, including ad free, unlimited access to more than 35 million songs and the ability for each family member to stream simultaneously on any device, all for one low price. Now, you can keep your listening experiences separate from your partner and get music recommendations tailored to the music you like. So, my husband’s Depeche Mode singles will never show up in my account - only my true favorites will be front and center. And a family plan on Google play will also get your family access to YouTube Red in the U.S.
You and your family will be able to sign up for a Google Play Music family plan in the coming days on Android devices in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, France and Germany, with more countries coming soon. You and your family members can listen on Android, iOS and the web.
Posted by Eunice Kim, product manager for Google Play

#YouTubeRewind 2015: Canada’s top trending videos

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

The awakening of the Force after 10 long years, a much-anticipated Hello from an old musical friend, and the question on everyone’s mind -- these were some of the YouTube moments that captivated Canadians in 2015. We laughed, we cried and we did our best Whip/Nae Nae a bajillion times. Oh - and we celebrated a very important 10th birthday!
But before we call it a wrap on the year in YouTube, let’s take a look at the videos Canadians shared, liked, parodied and talked about in 2015.
Top Trending Videos in Canada
The Top Trending Videos shot to the top of the “must-watch” list as Canadians shared, liked and watched again and again. YouTube is the white hot centre of pop culture, where fans, pranksters, tiny tots and scientists can share their voice and talent no matter where they are from or what their age or point of view.

Silento- Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) #WatchMeDanceOn by beautee132

Crazy Plastic Ball PRANK!! by RomanAtwood

6ft Man in 6ft Giant Water Balloon - 4K by The Slow Mo Guys

Dover Police DashCam Confessional (Shake it Off) by The Dover Police

Golden boy Calum Scott hits the right note | Audition Week 1 | Britain's Got Talent 2015 by BritainsGotTalent09

Surprising Applications of the Magnus Effect by Veritasium

Twins Come Out To Dad by Rhodes Bros

What Colour Is This Dress? (SOLVED with SCIENCE) by AsapSCIENCE

EPIC CATCH!!! Dashing Thru the Snow - CN Train 406 West at Salisbury, NB (Feb 3, 2015) by containerman2

First Place - Blue Jays Pennant Race/Parody Song by Adam Jesin

Top Trending Music Videos in Canada for 2015
It's a fact that music videos are the one of, if not the, most viewed and searched for online video content. 2015 saw artists turn to music videos to tell stories with longer narratives, revive the classic ‘dance’ video, and to show off their star-studded squad. 2015’s top 10 music videos were collectively played over 6.8 billion times from channels with 73+ million subscribers.

See You Again ft. Charlie Puth [Official Video] Furious 7 Soundtrack by Wiz Khalifa

Sugar by Maroon 5

Lean On (feat. MØ) (Official Music Video) by Major Lazer

Love Me Like You Do (Official Video) by Ellie Goulding

Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar by Taylor Swift

Hello by Adele

Elastic Heart feat. Shia LaBeouf & Maddie Ziegler (Official Video) by Sia

Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) (Official) by Silentó

The Hills by The Weeknd

What Do You Mean by Justin Bieber

2015 Canadian Year-end YouTube Ads Leaderboard
Since YouTube launched skippable ads five years ago, ads have gone from something you fast forward to something you choose to watch. This year’s top trending ads demonstrate that brands are now developing ads that are meant to entertain and inspire, not just persuade.

Clash of Clans: Revenge (Official Super Bowl TV Commercial) by OfficialClashOfClans

Great Plan (Official TV Commercial) by OfficialBoomBeach

Always #LikeAGirl - Unstoppable by AlwaysBrand

#BestBuds | 2015 Budweiser Super Bowl Commercial “Lost Dog” by Budweiser

Dove Men+Care shares your first fatherhood moments this Father’s Day by dovemencareus

Reebok - Freak Show - Be More Human by Reebok

Duracell Star Wars Commercial: Battle for Christmas Morning by OfficialDuracell

“The Recital” by Quaker Canada

#WhoWillYouHelp by ONgov

Tim Hortons Drive Thru Rookies with Sid & Nate by TimHortons

Top Trending Trailer Videos in Canada for 2015
Before millions of people go to the movies, they turn to YouTube. When it comes to highly anticipated films, like the new Star Wars or latest Avengers installment, trailers have become more than just a fun way to hook audiences on the story, they have become an essential tool to engage a loyal fan base.

The Force Awakens Trailer (Official) by Star Wars

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Comic-Con Trailer by Warner Bros. Pictures

Disney's Frozen Fever Trailer by Walt Disney Animation Studios

New Avengers Trailer Arrives - Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer 2 by Marvel Entertainment

Ted 2 - Official Trailer by Universal Pictures

Minions Official Trailer #2 (2015) - Despicable Me Prequel by Movieclips Trailers

Star Wars Battlefront Reveal Trailer by EAStarWars

Fallout 4 - Official Trailer by Bethesda Softworks

Way Too Wonderland Official Trailer by Ever After High

Narcos - MyName - 15Sec - 1920x1080 - EN - POST by NewonNetflix

And that’s just what made it to the top of Canada’s list - you can check out which videos made the global list of top trending videos at www.youtube.ca/rewind. Posted by Jenn Kaiser, Communications Manager, YouTube Canada.

Take a snowmobile with Google Maps to the sea ice habitats of the Arctic Eider duck

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Editor’s note: Today’s post is guest authored by Joel Heath, Executive Director of the Arctic Eider Society

The Arctic Eider isn’t just any duck. The feather of this sea-ice dweller is the warmest in the world—a marvel of nature that allows the Eider duck to spend its winters in one of the most remote and frozen habitats on the planet. And now—thanks to Google Maps, the Inuit community of Sanikiluaq and our small environmental charity the Arctic Eider Society—people from around the world can explore this extraordinary and fragile part of Canadian geography that the Arctic Eider calls home.

The Trekker collects Street View imagery of a Polynya

Last winter, in -50 degree celsius winds, the Google Maps team traveled to the Belcher Islands in Hudson’s Bay and helped the Arctic Eider Society mount the Trekker on a snowmobile to collect stunning Street View imagery from nearby “polynyas”—bodies of open water that form in the sea ice. The polynyas act as an oasis of sorts, providing a habitat for wildlife like eiders who dive under the ice to feed on shellfish and sea urchins.

You’ll see from the images that it’s not just ducks up here in the cold. The Inuit of the Belcher Islands have also lived here for centuries. This community, a hamlet of just 850 people, has an important relationship with the eider duck—aside from providing them a traditional source of warmth and food, the bird’s feathers are ingrained in their history, used to create traditional parkas unique to the Inuit of this region.

Screen Shot 2015-12-07 at 10.29.23 AM.png

The Arctic Eider duck takes flight in Street View

But this is an ecosystem under threat. The region has suffered from a lack of environmental stewardship, and the sensitive sea-ice—critical to the eiders and Inuit– is suffering as a result of hydroelectric development around Hudson Bay. Large die-off events of eiders and beluga whales have been occurring as changing ice conditions trap the animals until they starve or run out of air.

Our partnership with Google Maps is helping to support research programs designed to preserve these winter sea ice habitats. We’re combining imagery captured by the Trekker with data and knowledge from the local Inuit and Cree communities and mapping by the Arctic Eider Society to create a platform where we can all track and report on the local wildlife, together. This mix of new and old, combining indigenous knowledge with Google Street View and the Arctic Eider Society’s mapping, may be just what’s needed to address the impacts hydroelectricity heating is having on the bird that produces winter’s warmest feather.

Take a moment to visit Google Maps to better understand this amazing bird and the community who relies on it. Take an icy walk down the streets of Sanikiluaq, climb onto a snowmobile and explore the amazing sea-ice the Arctic Eider calls home. Eider down parka not required.

Posted by Joel Heath, Arctic Eider Society

To learn more about the unique relationship between the community of Sanikiluaq and the Arctic Eider, be sure to watch the critically acclaimed award winning film People of a Feather that started it all.

Official Canada Blog

Three holiday shopping trends to watch in 2015

Make your holidays a little easier with Now on Tap

Even more to love about Chromecast Audio

Google Play Music: Now playing for your family

#YouTubeRewind 2015: Canada’s top trending videos

Take a snowmobile with Google Maps to the sea ice habitats of the Arctic Eider duck

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