Author Archives: Aaron Brindle

This Small Business Week, we’re helping local businesses forge a way forward together

Over the past six months, retailers and entrepreneurs have had to quickly pivot their business models or transform their operations to continue serving their communities and reach customers. As of mid-September, an estimated 30% of all Canadian small businesses remained closed, and with the current pace of recovery, it could take almost a year and a half for most small businesses to return to normal sales.


The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has led the celebration of Small Business Week for 40 years, in support of Canadian entrepreneurs and their contribution to Canada's culture and economy. To help kick off this year’s event, we’re sharing how Canadian small businesses have used Google tools to get started online and grow their presence, for free. 




Step 1: Get started online for free 


Teatro Verde is a florist in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood. Over the past 24 years, they’ve established a loyal customer base but the pandemic had an immediate impact on the company’s staff and supply chain, and they needed new ways to serve customers fast. Through the ShopHERE powered by Google program, owners Shawn Gibson and Michael Pellegrino were able to quickly set up an online store for free and promote new services for shopping in-person or online via delivery and curbside pickup. 


“We are a very high-touch business and have a distinct in-store environment, and we wanted to bring that online. The images on our website have really helped people visualize our products,” Gibson said. “ShopHERE is an amazing way to help develop your business for free especially if you don’t have a lot of time.” 


For small businesses looking to get set up online, apply here. 

Step 2: Build your customer base 


While the pandemic has brought many challenges, it has also opened up opportunities for businesses to find new audiences online. To make local businesses more discoverable, we have launched the Local Opportunity Finder tool. Enter the name of your business and we will provide customized suggestions on how to improve your presence on Google Search and Maps in under five minutes. 


New Google My Business features are also helping businesses organize appointments and keep track of customer flow. Saint Lou’s Barbershop has fostered casual, community connections in Halifax, N.S. for years. But when the pandemic hit, they quickly needed to shift their walk-in-only business model to a more organized, appointment-based system for physical distancing and customer safety. Owner Rob Oxner quickly implemented the “book online” feature on Saint Lou’s Google My Business profile, and says most customers now book appointments online. 



We’ve also made it free to list your products on the Google Shopping tab, so businesses can connect with millions of online shoppers actively searching for their products. Carmen and Jordan West from Abbotsford, B.C., are the duo behind family and baby clothing line Little & Lively. This year, they’ve seen sales increase as more people shop online and turn to “retail therapy.” The couple call Google Shopping their “magic bullet” for eCommerce, allowing them to reach people actively searching for their products. 


Step 3: Stay connected and organized 



With the rise of remote working in March, many companies turned to digital tools and cloud technology to stay organized and connected or to meet new demands. Burnaby, B.C., business One Arrow Meats is one of those companies. Cree-Métis chef and entrepreneur Heat Laliberte’s hand-cured artisan bacon is a staple at Vancouver-area restaurants, farmers markets and grocery stores. Orders have quadrupled during the pandemic and Laliberte quickly needed to find ways to delegate some of his day-to-day responsibilities across the team. They turned to Google Workspace (formerly G-Suite), with collaborative tools like Google Calendar, Drive and Meet to help team members stay connected. 


Say it with a review: A simple way to support Canadian businesses 



Reviews on Google provide valuable information about your business to customers, and can help your business stand out on Google. This year, we’re challenging all Canadians to help small businesses near them by rating their favourite businesses and writing a Google review. These reviews help people research and understand businesses around them, and learn from other people’s customer experiences. This is especially important during the pandemic, as consumers consolidate shopping trips and seek more information around safety protocols. Research has found that positive reviews make 91% of consumers more likely to choose a business. 



Learn more about how you can give help this Small Business Week here. 

Posted by Karen Godwin, Director of Customer Solutions, Google Canada

The new Nest Thermostat: more energy savings for more people

Nest launched its first smart thermostat almost ten years ago, bringing energy savings to people’s homes in a sleek, beautiful design. Today we’re continuing that tradition with the Nest Thermostat, an easy to use, energy-saving thermostat that you can control from anywhere with the Google Home app. It can even monitor your heating and cooling system and help detect potential issues early, all for just $179.99.

We built this thermostat because people want to use less energy at home, whether to save money or help the environment. But most people are still using the decades-old thermostat that came with their house. To many, smart thermostats still seem too expensive—something that would be nice to have, but not something for their home. So we set out to change that—here’s what you can expect from the new Nest Thermostat.

More ways to help you save energy
Saving energy is the biggest reason people consider upgrading from a programmable thermostat, and the new Nest Thermostat can help find ways to save that aren’t possible with your traditional one.

Quick Schedule (found in the Home app) lets you set a custom temperature at different times and on different days, and it even offers suggested pre-set temperatures that balance comfort and energy saving. You can adjust your settings anytime from the app.

With Savings Finder, Nest Thermostat is constantly looking for small optimizations that will help you save energy in your home. It proactively suggests small tweaks to your schedule that you can accept using the Home app. For example, it might suggest a small change to your sleep temperature to help aid sleep while saving you more on energy.

Finally, the Nest Thermostat can help you avoid heating or cooling an empty house. It uses Soli technology for motion sensing and your phone’s location to check if you’ve left the house and automatically sets itself to an Eco temperature so you don’t waste energy when you’re not there.

Easy to install, set-up and use
You can install your own Nest Thermostat in 30 minutes or less. It works in the majority of houses, and you can check if it works in your home before purchasing with our online Compatibility Checker. And in addition to the Home app, you can also control the thermostat with your voice using Google Assistant on your Nest speaker or display, or with Alexa on other smart devices.



Clean, simple and sustainable design
The Nest Thermostat has a sleek design and comes in a variety of colours to complement any home: Snow, Charcoal, Sand and Fog. And while we know some people will want to do their own touch-up painting when they remove their old thermostat, we’re now offering a Nest Thermostat Trim Kit, designed to cover any imperfections on the wall in perfectly matched Nest Thermostat colours.



The Nest Thermostat is also designed with recycled materials, continuing our commitment to sustainability: Its plastic parts contain 49 percent recycled post-consumer plastic, and the Trim Kit is made from 75 percent recycled post-consumer plastic.

Helpful alerts to keep an eye on your heating and cooling system
Homeowners know how critical heating and cooling systems are, and if they break, they can be expensive to replace. With HVAC monitoring, your Nest Thermostat looks out for potential issues to help make sure everything’s running smoothly with your HVAC system.

If your Nest Thermostat notices that something’s not right, it sends an alert via the Home app or email. From there, it’s easy to schedule a visit from a qualified technician through our partner Handy with someone in your area with preferred pricing, flexible online scheduling and money-back guarantee. This feature will start rolling out to all eligible Nest thermostats in Canada later this month with pro booking support available in most markets.

Where and when
You can pre-order the Nest Thermostat starting today, and it will be available in the coming weeks for $179.99 in Canada on the Google Store and select retailers including Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Lowes, Rogers and Staples, with the Trim Kit sold separately at those same locations ($19.99 in Canada).

Posted by Ruchi Desai, Senior Product Manager




The new Nest Thermostat: more energy savings for more people

Nest launched its first smart thermostat almost ten years ago, bringing energy savings to people’s homes in a sleek, beautiful design. Today we’re continuing that tradition with the Nest Thermostat, an easy to use, energy-saving thermostat that you can control from anywhere with the Google Home app. It can even monitor your heating and cooling system and help detect potential issues early, all for just $179.99.

We built this thermostat because people want to use less energy at home, whether to save money or help the environment. But most people are still using the decades-old thermostat that came with their house. To many, smart thermostats still seem too expensive—something that would be nice to have, but not something for their home. So we set out to change that—here’s what you can expect from the new Nest Thermostat.

More ways to help you save energy
Saving energy is the biggest reason people consider upgrading from a programmable thermostat, and the new Nest Thermostat can help find ways to save that aren’t possible with your traditional one.

Quick Schedule (found in the Home app) lets you set a custom temperature at different times and on different days, and it even offers suggested pre-set temperatures that balance comfort and energy saving. You can adjust your settings anytime from the app.

With Savings Finder, Nest Thermostat is constantly looking for small optimizations that will help you save energy in your home. It proactively suggests small tweaks to your schedule that you can accept using the Home app. For example, it might suggest a small change to your sleep temperature to help aid sleep while saving you more on energy.

Finally, the Nest Thermostat can help you avoid heating or cooling an empty house. It uses Soli technology for motion sensing and your phone’s location to check if you’ve left the house and automatically sets itself to an Eco temperature so you don’t waste energy when you’re not there.

Easy to install, set-up and use
You can install your own Nest Thermostat in 30 minutes or less. It works in the majority of houses, and you can check if it works in your home before purchasing with our online Compatibility Checker. And in addition to the Home app, you can also control the thermostat with your voice using Google Assistant on your Nest speaker or display, or with Alexa on other smart devices.



Clean, simple and sustainable design
The Nest Thermostat has a sleek design and comes in a variety of colours to complement any home: Snow, Charcoal, Sand and Fog. And while we know some people will want to do their own touch-up painting when they remove their old thermostat, we’re now offering a Nest Thermostat Trim Kit, designed to cover any imperfections on the wall in perfectly matched Nest Thermostat colours.



The Nest Thermostat is also designed with recycled materials, continuing our commitment to sustainability: Its plastic parts contain 49 percent recycled post-consumer plastic, and the Trim Kit is made from 75 percent recycled post-consumer plastic.

Helpful alerts to keep an eye on your heating and cooling system
Homeowners know how critical heating and cooling systems are, and if they break, they can be expensive to replace. With HVAC monitoring, your Nest Thermostat looks out for potential issues to help make sure everything’s running smoothly with your HVAC system.

If your Nest Thermostat notices that something’s not right, it sends an alert via the Home app or email. From there, it’s easy to schedule a visit from a qualified technician through our partner Handy with someone in your area with preferred pricing, flexible online scheduling and money-back guarantee. This feature will start rolling out to all eligible Nest thermostats in Canada later this month with pro booking support available in most markets.

Where and when
You can pre-order the Nest Thermostat starting today, and it will be available in the coming weeks for $179.99 in Canada on the Google Store and select retailers including Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Home Depot, Lowes, Rogers and Staples, with the Trim Kit sold separately at those same locations ($19.99 in Canada).

Posted by Ruchi Desai, Senior Product Manager




A new licensing program to support the Canadian news industry

In our biggest move yet to support the future of journalism, we are launching a news experience called Google News Showcase. In the first three years alone, we will pay more than USD$1 billion globally to publishers creating and curating high-quality content for this product, with plans to extend beyond that as part of our long-term commitment to supporting the news industry. News Showcase will first roll out to readers in Brazil and Germany and will expand to other countries in the coming months where local frameworks support these partnerships. We are thrilled to announce today that this program is coming to Canada. 


News Showcase builds on our existing news licensing program, which is already paying publishers for quality journalism and other news-related efforts like Subscribe with Google and Web Stories. Our new service will give readers in Canada more context and perspective on important stories in the news and drive high value traffic to a publisher’s site. 


We’ve already signed partnerships for News Showcase with nearly 200 leading publications across Germany, Brazil, Argentina, Canada, the U.K. and Australia with more countries to follow. 





Our Canadian publisher partners say this is a positive shift in direction. “We are always exploring new ways to attract readers to our network of local, community based media sites,” says Jeff Elgie, CEO of Village Media. “The new Google News Showcase program will allow us to drive meaningful new revenue for our business, help us further develop our audience, and provide trusted, in-depth news to our readers in partnership with Google.” 


Narcity Media sees the value of extending their reach and increasing revenue with the new Google program. “Finding new ways to reach our core audience and showcase our premium content in a curated environment, is a top priority,” comments Chuck Lapointe, CEO of Narcity Media. “Google’s partnership in news will give us access to new markets and provide additional commercial benefits.” 


Today’s launch of News Showcase is not only about our substantial financial commitment, but also about a different kind of online news experience—one that will benefit from the editorial curation by award-winning newsrooms to provide readers with more insight on the stories that matter, and let publishers develop deeper relationships with their audiences. 


More About Google News Showcase 


News Showcase is made up of story panels that will appear initially in Google News on Android. The product will launch soon on Google News on iOS, coming to Google Discover and Search in the future. These panels give participating publishers the ability to package the stories that appear in readers’ news feeds, providing deeper storytelling and more context through features like timelines, bullets and related articles. Other components like video, audio and daily briefings will come next. 




News Showcase is distinct from our other news products because it leans on the editorial choices individual publishers make about which stories to show readers and how to present them. Publishers can also bring more detail and context in their own voice—summarizing a complicated story, including an explainer, or adding an interview with a person at the center of a long-running story. The panels are designed to represent a publisher’s individual brand within Google’s products to help readers recognize the unique value and perspective these publishers bring to top stories. And a simple click will take you to the publisher’s site. 


These panels will appear in personalized feeds along with other ranked content. Readers will be able to browse content from participating publishers and follow specific publishers whose stories they want to see more prominently featured. News Showcase is also working with partners to pay for free access to select paywalled articles on a publisher’s site. 

Long term commitment 


The launch of News Showcase and our commitment to spend significant amounts for quality content will contribute towards the overall sustainability of our news partners and builds on our other efforts to help the industry. Those include not just the 24 billion visits we send to news websites globally every month, but also the many projects of the Google News Initiative, including emergency funding for over 5,600 local publishers globally, 150 of which were Canadian, to help with the impact of COVID-19. Over the course of the pandemic we also waived ad serving fees for news publishers globally and drove initiatives to support local news through partnerships and our own marketing efforts. And we recently announced the Digital Growth Program aimed at small and medium-sized publishers. 


As a company whose mission focuses on making information universally accessible, we share a common cause with publishers in creating a more informed world. Alongside other companies, governments and civic society groups, we want to play our part by helping journalism in the 21st Century not only survive, but thrive. 

Posted by Sabrina Geremia, Vice President, Google Canada

Our best Chromecast yet, now with Google TV




Chromecast changed the way we enjoy our favourite movies, TV shows and YouTube videos by making it easy and inexpensive to bring your online entertainment to your TV—a revolutionary idea in 2013. Today, we have more content choices than ever, sprinkled across an ever-expanding variety of apps...which can make it difficult to find what to watch. This inspired us to rethink what simple and easy content discovery on your TV should look like. So today, we're making our biggest leap yet to help you navigate your entertainment choices with the all-new Chromecast with Google TV. 


Best Chromecast yet
Chromecast with Google TV has your favourite Chromecast features and now comes with the all-new Google TV entertainment experience. Google TV brings together movies, shows and more from across your apps and subscriptions and organizes them just for you.* We're also bringing our most requested feature—a remote—to Chromecast.

A new look, inside and out
The new Chromecast with Google TV comes in a compact and thin design and is packed with the latest technology to give you the best viewing experience. It neatly plugs into your TV's HDMI port and tucks behind your screen. Power it on and you'll be streaming crystal-clear video in up to 4K HDR at up to 60 frames per second in no time.** With Dolby Vision, you’ll get extraordinary colour, contrast, brightness and detail on your TV. We also support HDMI pass-through of Dolby audio content.

More power in your hand
The new Chromecast voice remote is comfortable to hold, easy to use and full of new features. It has a dedicated Google Assistant button that can help you find something to watch, answer everyday questions like “how's the weather?” or play YouTube Music, all with just your voice. And when it's time to cozy up on the sofa for movie night, you can control your compatible smart home lights to set the mood and check your front door with Nest Camera to keep tabs on your pizza delivery. We also have dedicated buttons for today’s most popular streaming services, YouTube and Netflix, to give you instant access to the content you love. Best of all, you won't have to juggle multiple remotes thanks to our programmable TV controls for power, volume and input.

TV just For you
In need of some good movies or show recommendations? Google TV's For You tab gives you personalized watch suggestions from across your subscriptions organized based on what you like to watch—even your guilty pleasure reality dramas. Google TV’s Watchlist lets you bookmark movies and shows you want to save for later. You can add to your Watchlist from your phone or laptop, and it will be waiting on your TV when you get home.

Best of all, you'll also have access to more than 6,500 apps globally (including CBC Gem, Crave, Sportsnet and ICI Tou.TV), and the ability to browse hundreds of thousands of movies and TV shows sorted and optimized for what you like—just ask Google to see results from across your favourite apps. Plus, Stadia support is coming in the first half of 2021.

Starting today in Canada, Chromecast with Google TV is available for pre-order on the Google Store for $69.99 in three colours: Snow, Sunrise and Sky. Chromecast with Google TV will be available to customers on October 15 through the Google Store, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco, Home Depot (online only), Lowes, Rogers, Staples, Tbooth wireless, The Source, Walmart and WIRELESSWAVE.


Posted by: Gerardo Capiel, Director of Product Management, Entertainment




*Subscription(s) may be required to access certain content. Some apps, features and/or content may not be available in all countries. Subject to availability. 
**Chromecast with Google TV requires a TV with an HDMI port, a Wi-Fi network, a Google Account, a nearby electrical outlet and a compatible mobile device. Minimum OS requirements are available at g.co/cast/req. To view content in 4K, a 4K-capable TV and reliable broadband internet connection are also required.

Google TV: Entertainment you love, with help from Google

In today’s golden age of television, there are seemingly limitless options for you to enjoy at home—that binge-worthy show, the big game or the latest blockbuster movie. But with more choices than ever, it can take a long time just to find something to watch. That’s why we made Google TV—a new entertainment experience designed to help you easily browse and discover what to watch—available first on the new Chromecast with Google TV. 


An experience that’s tailored for you
The new Google TV experience brings together movies, shows and more from across your apps and organizes them just for you.¹ To build this, we studied the different ways people discover media—from searching for a specific title to browsing by genre—and created an experience that helps you find what to watch. We also made improvements to Google’s Knowledge Graph, which is part of how we better understand and organize your media into topics and genres, from movies about space travel to reality shows about cooking. You’ll also see titles that are trending on Google Search, so you can always find something timely and relevant. 


Searching is as easy as asking Google. Whether you're looking for comedies or documentaries about dolphins, just ask Google to see results from across your favourite apps.




With so much content to choose from, you might need help keeping track of what to watch. Google TV’s Watchlist gives you one easy place to bookmark movies and shows you want to save for later. You can even add to your Watchlist from Google Search on your phone or laptop, and it will be waiting on your TV when you get home.




A little help from Google
With Google TV, the biggest screen in your home is now more helpful. Ask Google about the weather, sports scores and more, and get answers right on your TV. You can even view and control your compatible connected home devices with just your voice. Simply press and hold the Google Assistant remote button and say "Show me the front door" to see your security camera feed.

When you aren’t watching TV, ambient mode lets you connect to Google Photos so you can showcase images of your favourite people and places on your home’s biggest screen. Google TV is also compatible with over 6,500 apps globally, built for Android TV OS so you can access your favourites across gaming, fitness, education, music like CBC Gem, Crave, Sportsnet, ICI Tou.TV, YouTube and more. Support for Stadia is coming in the first half of 2021.


Available on the new Chromecast with Google TV
The all-new Chromecast with Google TV comes with a remote and plugs right into your TV’s HDMI port, so you can watch your favourite content in 4K HDR.2 Chromecast with Google TV is available now for pre-order in Canada on the Google Store for $69.99 in three colours: Snow, Sunrise and Sky. Chromecast with Google TV will be available to customers on October 15 through the Google Store, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco, Home Depot (online only), Lowes, Rogers, Staples, Tbooth, The Source, Walmart and WIRELESSWAVE. 


Starting in 2021, Google TV will also be available on televisions from other Android TV OS partners.3


Posted by: Shalini Govilpai, Senior DIrector, Google TV



¹Subscription(s) may be required to access certain content. Some apps, features and/or content may not be available in all countries. Subject to availability.

2Chromecast with Google TV requires a TV with an HDMI port, a Wi-Fi network, a Google Account, a nearby electrical outlet and a compatible mobile device. Minimum OS requirements are available at g.co/cast/req. To view content in 4K, a 4K-capable TV and reliable broadband internet connection are also required.

3Some features and availability may vary by OEM and/or device manufacturer.

Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 pack 5G and so much more




Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 are here, packing more helpful Google features into phones backed by the power of 5G.* From Google’s latest AI and Assistant features, to the biggest batteries we’ve ever put in a Pixel, to industry-leading camera features, Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 join our much loved Pixel 4a in providing more help at a more helpful price.

5G at affordable prices
5G is the latest in mobile technology, bringing smooth download and streaming to users around the world. Whether you’re downloading the latest movie**, listening to your favourite music on YouTube Music, catching up on podcasts with Google Podcast or playing a game on Stadia, Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 will provide you with 5G speeds.

YouTube, YouTube Music and Google Podcasts on Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 also give you access to the content you want when you don't have connectivity by pre-downloading content via 5G when you don’t have WiFi connectivity*. For more information go to g.co/musicdownloads.

New camera, new lenses—same great photos
Ask any Pixel owner and they’ll tell you: Pixels take great photos. Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 are no exception. These phones bring Pixel’s industry-leading photography features to the next level.

  • Ultrawide lens for ultra awesome shots: With a new ultrawide lens alongside the standard rear camera, you’ll be able to capture the whole scene. And thanks to Google’s software magic, the latest Pixels still get our Super Res Zoom. So whether you’re zooming in or zooming out, you get sharp details and breathtaking images.
  • Better videos with Cinematic Pan: Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 come with Cinematic Pan, which gives your videos a professional look with ultrasmooth panning that’s inspired by the equipment Hollywood directors use. 
  • Night Sight in Portrait Mode: Night Sight currently gives you the ability to capture amazing low-light photos—and even the Milky Way with astrophotography***. Now, these phones bring the power of Night Sight into Portrait Mode to capture beautifully blurred backgrounds in Portraits even in extremely low light. 
  • Portrait Light: Portrait Mode on the Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 lets you capture beautiful portraits that focus on your subject as the background fades into an artful blur. If the lighting isn’t right, your Pixel can drop in extra light to illuminate your subjects.
  • New editor in Google Photos: Even after you’ve captured your portrait, Google Photos can help you add studio-quality light to your portraits of people with Portrait Light, in the new, more helpful Google Photos editor.



Save time with Helpful Features
Pixel has even more helpful features to save you time thanks to Google Assistant. Every month, Call Screen helps people with more than 25 million calls, saving users 2 million minutes, and Duplex helps users with a variety of phone tasks, including reservations and getting business information.

Stay connected and entertained with Duo
To make it easier and more enjoyable to stay connected to the most important people in your life, the new HD screen sharing in Duo video calls lets you and a friend watch the same video, cheer on your favourite teams together and even plan activities—all while being thousands of miles apart. And coming soon with Duo Family HD mode, you will be able to keep kids entertained and engaged with new interactive tools, like colouring over backgrounds, while you video chat. 



A smarter way to record and share audio
Last year, Recorder (English only) made audio recording smarter, with real-time transcriptions and the power of search. Now, Recorder makes it even easier to share your favourite audio moments. Since Recorder automatically transcribes every recording, now you can use those transcripts to edit the audio too. Just highlight a sentence to crop or remove its corresponding audio. 



Once you have something you want others to hear—say a quote from an interview or a new song idea—you can generate a video clip to make sharing your audio easier and more visual than ever. To improve searching through your transcripts, smart scrolling will automatically mark important words in longer transcripts so you can quickly jump to the sections you’re looking for as you scroll. But most helpful of all? Recorder still works without an internet connection, so you can transcribe, search and edit from anywhere, anytime.

The biggest Pixel batteries ever
Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 also have all-day batteries that can last up to 48 hours with Extreme Battery Saver****. This mode automatically limits active apps to just the essentials and lets you choose additional apps you want to keep on.

And now, the specs
Like all Pixel devices, security and safety are paramount in Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5. Both devices come with our TitanTM M security chip to help keep your on-device data safe and secure, and both phones will get three years of software and security updates.

Plus, Pixel 5 is designed with the environment in mind; we used 100% recycled aluminum in the back housing enclosure to reduce its carbon footprint

When you purchase a Pixel 4a (5G) or Pixel 5, you’ll also get Stadia and YouTube Premium trial for 3 months, 100 GB of storage with Google One for 3 months and Google Play Pass. See g.co/pixel/4a5Goffers or g.co/pixel/5offers, as applicable, for more details.

Pixel 4a (5G) is available now for pre-order on the Google Store and will be available in Canada starting November 19. Pixel 5 is available now for pre-order on the Google Store and will be available to customers on October 29 in Canada through the Google Store, Bell, Best Buy, Freedom, Tbooth,TELUS, Videotron and WIRELESSWAVE.




Posted by Brian Rakowski, VP Product Management

*Requires a 5G data plan (sold separately). 5G service and roaming not available on all carrier networks or in all areas. Contact carrier for details about current 5G network performance, compatibility and availability. Phone connects to 5G networks but, 5G service, speed and performance depend on many factors including, but not limited to, carrier network capabilities, device configuration and capabilities, network traffic, location, signal strength and signal obstruction. Actual results may vary. Some features not available in all areas. Data rates may apply. See g.co/pixel/networkinfo for info. 
**Download speed depends upon many factors, such as file size, content provider and network connection. 
***See g.co/pixel/astrophotography to learn more about astrophotography. 
****For “all day”: Maximum battery life based on testing using a mix of talk, data, standby and use of other features. Testing conducted on two major carrier networks using Sub-6 GHz non-standalone 5G (ENDC) connectivity. For “up to 48 hours”: Maximum battery life based on testing using a mix of talk, data, standby, and use of limited other features that are default in Extreme Battery Saver mode (which disables various features including 5G connectivity). Testing conducted on two major carrier networks. For both claims: Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 battery testing conducted by a third party in California in mid 2020 on pre-production hardware and software using default settings, except that, for the “up to 48 hour claim” only, Extreme Battery Saver mode was enabled. Battery life depends upon many factors and usage of certain features will decrease battery life. Actual battery life may be lower.

Made for music, the new Nest Audio is here

This year, we’ve all spent a lot of time exploring things to do at home. Some of us gardened, and others baked. We tried at-home workouts, or took up art projects. But one thing that many—maybe all of us—did? Enjoy a lot of music at home. I’ve spent so much more time listening to music during quarantine—bossa nova is my go-to soundtrack for doing the dishes and Lil Baby has become one of my favourite artists.

So, given we’re all listening to more music than ever, we’re especially excited to introduce Nest Audio, our latest smart speaker that is made for music lovers.



A music machine
Nest Audio is 75 percent louder and has 50 percent stronger bass than the original Google Home —measurements of both devices were taken in an anechoic chamber at maximum volume, on-axis. With a 19mm tweeter for consistent high frequency coverage and clear vocals and a 75mm mid-woofer that really brings the bass, this smart speaker can get any party started.

Nest Audio’s sound is full, clear and natural. We completed more than 500 hours of tuning to ensure balanced lows, mids and highs so that nothing is lacking or overbearing. The bass is significant and the vocals have depth, which makes Nest Audio sound great across genres: classical, R&B, pop and more. The custom-designed tweeter allows each musical detail to come through, and we optimized the grill, fabric and materials so that you can enjoy the audio without distortion.

Our goal was to ensure that Nest Audio stayed faithful to what the artist intended when they were in the recording studio. We minimized the use of compressors to preserve dynamic range, so that the auditory contrast in the original production is preserved — the quiet parts are delicate and subtle, and the loud parts are more dramatic and powerful.

Nest Audio also adapts to your home. Our Media EQ feature enables Nest Audio to automatically tune itself to whatever you’re listening to: music, podcasts, audiobooks or hearing a response from Google Assistant. And Ambient IQ lets Nest Audio also adjust the volume of Assistant, news, podcasts, and audiobooks based on the background noise in the home, so you can hear the weather forecast over a noisy dishwasher. 




Whole home audio
If you have a Google Home, Nest Mini or even a Nest Hub, you can easily make Nest Audio the center of your whole home sound system. In my living room, I’ve connected two Nest Audio speakers as a stereo pair for left and right channel separation. I also have a Nest Hub Max in my kitchen, a Nest Mini in my bedroom and a Nest Hub in the entryway. These devices are grouped so that I can blast the same song on all of them when I have my daily dance party.

With our stream transfer feature, I can move music from one device to the other with just my voice. I can even transfer music or podcasts from my phone when I walk in the door. Just last month, we launched multi-room control, which allows you to dynamically group multiple cast-enabled Nest devices in real-time.

An even faster Assistant
When we launched Nest Mini last year, we embedded a dedicated machine learning chip with up to one TeraOPS of processing power, which let us move some Google Assistant experiences from our data centers directly onto the device. We’ve leveraged the same ML chip in Nest Audio.

Google Assistant helps you tackle your day, enjoy your entertainment and control over a thousand of compatible smart devices, like TVs, lights, thermostats and locks, from brands that you love. Plus, if you’re a YouTube Music or Spotify Premium subscriber, you can say, “Hey Google, recommend some music” and Google Assistant will offer a variety of choices from artists and genres that you like as well as others that are similar.

Differentiated by design
Typically, a bigger speaker equals bigger sound, but Nest Audio has a really slim profile — so it fits anywhere in the home. In order to maximize audio output, we custom-designed quality drivers and housed them in an enclosure that helps it squeeze out every bit of sound possible.

Nest Audio comes in five colours: Chalk, Charcoal, Sand, Sky and the all-new Sage, an earth tone inspired by our ongoing responsibility to protect the environment. Its soft, rounded edges blend in with your home’s decor, and its minimal footprint doesn't take up too much space on your shelf or countertop.

We’re continuing our commitment to sustainability with Nest Audio. It’s covered in the same sustainable fabric that we first introduced with Nest Mini last year, and the enclosure (meaning the fabric, housing, foot, and a few smaller parts) is made from 70 percent recycled plastic.

Nest Audio is available now for pre-order on the Google Store. Starting October 5, Nest Audio will be available to customers in Canada for $129.99 online at the Google Store and other retailers including Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond, Costco (online only), Home Depot, London Drugs, Lowes, Staples, The Source and Walmart.



Posted by Mark Spates, Product Manager, Google Nest 


It’s now free for retailers to list their products on Google in Canada

The sudden and temporary, or permanent closure of brick and mortar stores during the pandemic has led to tough decisions around reopening, fluctuating supply chains, and how best to protect employees. But it has also led to the digital advancement of one of Canada’s most important sectors, as retailers quickly sought to build out their online presence and advance their digital offerings. Canadian retailers may have entered this eCommerce moment unexpectedly, but Canada’s eCommerce moment is now, and retailers are adapting quickly. 

Plentea, a Toronto-based tea shop was forced to close their store permanently once COVID-19 hit, as they could no longer justify rent prices. They are now staying afloat thanks to their Shopify store, which was built through our ShopHERE powered by Google program. 

For large retailers like lululemon, they’re embracing eCommerce as an experience, with the launch of a digital concierge and at-home workout offerings on YouTube. 

These are just some of the many stories of resilience we’ve been hearing from businesses large and small as they look for ways to sustain themselves and help their communities. We know that consumers are shopping online now more than ever. And as we head into the holiday season, shoppers will be thinking — and buying — with a digital-first mindset. In fact, 61% of Canadian holiday shoppers say they will shop more online this year.1 We’ve been focused on supporting retailers as they accelerate their business recovery and build out their digital offerings to respond to the opportunities and challenges ahead. 

In time for the holiday, we’re making it free for merchants to list their products on Google in Canada. By mid-October, search results on the Google Shopping tab will consist primarily of free listings, helping merchants better connect with consumers, regardless of whether they advertise on Google. With hundreds of millions of shopping searches on Google each day, we know that many retailers have the items people need in stock and ready to ship, but are less discoverable online. 




In Canada, Google is the first place shoppers say they go to discover or find a new brand, item or product.2 For retailers, this change means free exposure to millions of people who come to Google every day for their shopping needs. For shoppers, it means more products from more stores, discoverable through the Google Shopping tab. For advertisers, this means paid campaigns can now be augmented with free listings. 

This follows the launch in the US in April, where free listings drove a more than 50% increase in clicks and more than doubled impressions for advertisers - with small to medium sized businesses seeing the largest share of increases.3 

We’re continuing to work closely with many of our existing partners that help merchants manage their products and inventory, including Shopify, to make digital commerce more accessible for businesses of all sizes. “It’s vital that our merchants can reach their customers, wherever they are,” said Ian Black, Director of Retail, Shopify. “If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s that retailers are resilient. When the pandemic hit, our brick-and-mortar merchants began to pivot, and were able to make up 94% of their lost in-person sales online. The ability to list products for free on Google will help Shopify merchants reach new and existing customers. We’re excited to extend our partnership with Google and bring this offering to our Canadian merchants.” 

If you’re an existing user of Merchant Center and Shopping ads, you don't have to do anything to take advantage of the free listings, and for new users of Merchant Center, we'll continue working to streamline the onboarding process and partnering with the ecosystem to make it easier for merchants to get on Google. Our help centre has more details on how to participate in free product listings and Shopping ads.

1. Google commissioned Ipsos COVID-19 tracker, CA n= ~660 18 +online consumers who plan to shop for the holidays. Aug 27-30

2. Google / Ipsos, Shopping Tracker, Canada, July 2020. Base: Total sample (n=1051) Canadians online 18+ who shopped in the last 2 days. 

3. Google Internal Data, July 2020, based on an A/B test comparing performance for users seeing the updated layout on the Shopping property vs a control group not seeing the new experience


 
Posted by Eric Morris, Managing Director of Retail, Google Canada

How we connect Canadians to quality content and support the news ecosystem

Posted by Sabrina Geremia, Vice President, Google Canada


Every day millions of Canadians come to Google to find answers to help make informed choices. At a time when access to reliable information is more critical than ever—from COVID-19 to changing political headwinds to taking a knee in support of diversity, equality and inclusion—our longstanding commitment to providing quality search results remains at the core of our mission to make the world’s information accessible and useful.

Helping journalism survive and thrive is of the utmost importance to us. Alongside other companies, publishers, governments and civic society groups, we play a significant part in building a better future for news. We also recognize that the news industry has faced challenges to their business model for decades -- first from radio, then television, and more recently from the internet which has dramatically transformed how and where each of us gets timely, relevant information.

With all of this in mind, we'd like to share how Google supports the news industry, which we believe is a fundamental pillar of every democratic society.

Value exchange:
In the pre-internet era, publishers paid to display their content at a newsstand or with a newsagent so that they could be discovered and attract an audience. Today Google Search sends Canadians to news sites millions of times a day for free -- providing news companies the opportunity to make money and grow their business and audience by showing people the publisher’s own ads, directing readers to other articles and to offers that convert people into new paying subscribers. Globally, on average, we send users to news sites 24 billion times a month.

We recognise the role news plays in educating and informing Canadians, but it may surprise some that it represents a very small proportion of the websites that people choose to visit from Google’s search results. Canadians come to Google for many things, whether it’s for home decorating videos, weather, fashion tips, or hiking trails. News is a very small part of this content, and represents a tiny number of queries - in the last year news-related queries accounted for just 1.5% of total queries on Google Search in Canada.

Further, we don’t run ads on Google News or the news results tab on Google Search. And looking at our overall business, Google last year generated around CAD$9 million in revenue—not profit—from clicks on ads against possible news-related queries in Canada. That is because the bulk of our revenue comes not from news queries, but from searches with commercial intent, such as when you want to buy “home gym equipment” and you type in the query and then click on an ad.

The value of news to Google is about informing and educating, not economics.

Investment in technology:
In addition to driving traffic, over the years we have invested in creating ad technologies and services that publishers can use to make money from their news content in a more efficient way. In addition to third-party tools, publishers can use our advertising platforms, including Ad Manager, AdSense and AdMob.

When you read a news piece online and click on a Google ad that you liked, most of the money paid by the advertiser goes to the publisher. In analyzing the revenue data of the top 100 news organizations globally, we found that on average, news publishers keep over 95 percent of the digital advertising revenue they generate when they use Google Ad Manager to show ads on their websites.

Paying for content:
People trust Google to help them find useful and authoritative information, from a diverse range of sources. To uphold that trust, search results must be determined by relevance—not by commercial partnerships. That’s why we don’t accept payment from anyone to be included in search results. We sell ads, not search results, and every ad on Google is clearly marked. That’s also why we don’t pay publishers when people click on their links in a search result. To operate in any other way would reduce the choice and relevance to our users—and would ultimately result in the loss of their trust in our services.

All websites can opt out of appearing in Search results, including news media sites, but we find not many news businesses take that step because they value the free referral traffic they get which they can then monetise through ads and new subscribers.

Just as we contribute to the Canadian economy with our pledge to help get 50,000 Canadian small businesses online by 2021 through a one million dollar commitment to expand Digital Main Street’s ShopHERE program nationally, we are willing to pay to help news businesses too. And there already are instances where we do pay for content, where there is a product need -- like sports scores and more. So as part of our broader efforts to support a strong future for journalism, we recently launched a new licensing program to pay publishers for high-quality content for a new news experience. We hope to bring this program to Canada soon as part of our overall efforts to help build a better future for the news industry in this country.

We‌ have ‌also‌ ‌committed‌ millions of dollars to‌ ‌support‌ ‌journalism‌ ‌and‌ ‌news‌ ‌publishers‌ ‌in‌ Canada through‌ the ‌‌Google‌ ‌News‌ ‌Initiative‌‌ ‌(GNI) with‌ ‌training,‌ ‌tools,‌ ‌and‌ ‌programs‌ ‌to‌ ‌help‌ ‌news‌ ‌outlets‌ ‌innovate‌ ‌and‌ ‌thrive‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌digital‌ ‌world.‌ ‌This‌ ‌year‌ ‌alone,‌ ‌during‌ ‌the‌ ‌pandemic,‌ ‌we‌ ‌injected‌ ‌millions of dollars globally ‌in‌ ‌‌emergency‌ ‌funding,‌ ‌helping‌ ‌maintain‌ ‌the‌ ‌operation‌ ‌of‌ ‌more‌ ‌than‌ ‌5,600 publishers in 115 countries, including 150 news organizations in Canada.‌ We'll share more about the impact of GNI in Canada in the coming weeks.

Our efforts to support Canadian businesses and the economic recovery efforts along with the work we are doing with publishers demonstrate we are deeply committed to Canada and the success of all our industries. We will continue to collaborate with all industry partners for a sustainable business model in the news industry, while protecting an open web directing users to diverse, high-quality and authoritative content.