Author Archives: Johnny Luu

Visit Vanuatu on Street View, and journey under the earth’s surface



More than a thousand miles off the coast of Australia is the remote country of Vanuatu, an archipelago of 80 tiny islands – brimming with lush green jungles, pristine black sand beaches, and nine erupting volcanoes.
Starting today in Google Maps, we invite you to join us on a journey to the edge of one of the largest boiling lava lakes in the world on the Vanuatuan island of Ambrym. To get inside the active volcano, we partnered with explorers Geoff Mackley and Chris Horsly, who repelled 400 meters into the Marum crater with a Street View Trekker collecting 360-degree imagery of the journey down to the molten lava lake, which is roughly the size of two football fields. “You only realize how insignificant humans are when you’re standing next to a giant lake of fiery boiling rock. It’s like looking into the surface of the sun,” said Mackley.




“Standing at the edge and feeling the heat lick your skin is phenomenal,” said Chris Horsly after returning from his descent into the crater. “I hope that by putting this place on the map people will realize what a beautiful world we live in.”



Ambrym is defined by the desolate 39 square mile volcanic caldera hosting two active volcanic cones called Benbow and Marum. But the tropical island is also home to more than 7,000 people who live in the rainforest down the mountain.While the volcano has played a significant role in defining their history due to unpredictable eruptions and influence on agriculture and environment, they’ve learned to live in harmony with this beautiful yet deadly natural phenomena.

Chief Moses in the local village of Endu explains, “We believe that the volcanoes Marum and Benbow are devils. If you go up to a volcano you have to be very careful because the two volcanoes could get angry at any time. We believe that Benbo is the husband and Marum is the wife. Sometimes when they don’t agree there’s an eruption which means the spirit is angry so we sacrifice a pig or fawel to the volcano.” As part of the Google Maps journey, Chief Moses of Endu invites you to take a walk through his village and hopes you’ll be inspired to visit this sacred place he calls home. Following Cyclone Pam a few years ago, the country has been rebuilding its infrastructure. Now Chief Moses and his  village are ready to welcome travelers rs back to Vanuatu to experience  its stunning beauty and learn about its cultural traditions. He believes making Vanuatu more accessible to the world is a key step in the island’s recovery and ability to  establish a sustainable economy and preserve its  culture.

In Street View you can wander the streets of 81 countries and visit incredible historical and natural sites around the world like the Samburu National Park in Kenya, The Grand Canyon, or New Zealand’s walking tracks. Today, for the first time, Street View is going beneath the surface and into the heart of the earth—enjoy exploring Vanuatu’s Marum Crater and Endu village at Ambrym.


Posted by Alex Starns, Street View Program Manager

Visit Vanuatu on Street View, and journey under the earth’s surface




More than a thousand miles off the coast of Australia is the remote country of Vanuatu, an archipelago of 80 tiny islands – brimming with lush green jungles, pristine black sand beaches, and nine erupting volcanoes.
Starting today in Google Maps, we invite you to join us on a journey to the edge of one of the largest boiling lava lakes in the world on the Vanuatuan island of Ambrym. To get inside the active volcano, we partnered with explorers Geoff Mackley and Chris Horsly, who repelled 400 meters into the Marum crater with a Street View Trekker collecting 360-degree imagery of the journey down to the molten lava lake, which is roughly the size of two football fields. “You only realize how insignificant humans are when you’re standing next to a giant lake of fiery boiling rock. It’s like looking into the surface of the sun,” said Mackley.




“Standing at the edge and feeling the heat lick your skin is phenomenal,” said Chris Horsly after returning from his descent into the crater. “I hope that by putting this place on the map people will realize what a beautiful world we live in.”



Ambrym is defined by the desolate 39 square mile volcanic caldera hosting two active volcanic cones called Benbow and Marum. But the tropical island is also home to more than 7,000 people who live in the rainforest down the mountain.While the volcano has played a significant role in defining their history due to unpredictable eruptions and influence on agriculture and environment, they’ve learned to live in harmony with this beautiful yet deadly natural phenomena.

Chief Moses in the local village of Endu explains, “We believe that the volcanoes Marum and Benbow are devils. If you go up to a volcano you have to be very careful because the two volcanoes could get angry at any time. We believe that Benbo is the husband and Marum is the wife. Sometimes when they don’t agree there’s an eruption which means the spirit is angry so we sacrifice a pig or fawel to the volcano.” As part of the Google Maps journey, Chief Moses of Endu invites you to take a walk through his village and hopes you’ll be inspired to visit this sacred place he calls home. Following Cyclone Pam a few years ago, the country has been rebuilding its infrastructure. Now Chief Moses and his  village are ready to welcome travelers rs back to Vanuatu to experience  its stunning beauty and learn about its cultural traditions. He believes making Vanuatu more accessible to the world is a key step in the island’s recovery and ability to  establish a sustainable economy and preserve its  culture.

In Street View you can wander the streets of 81 countries and visit incredible historical and natural sites around the world like the Samburu National Park in Kenya, The Grand Canyon, or New Zealand’s walking tracks. Today, for the first time, Street View is going beneath the surface and into the heart of the earth—enjoy exploring Vanuatu’s Marum Crater and Endu village at Ambrym.


Posted by Alex Starns, Street View Program Manager

Helping communities shine at Mardi Gras

One of our favourite times of the year at Google is when we get together with our friends at the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras to help celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion.
At Google we believe that by creating an environment where everyone can feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to their work, they can be more innovative, creative, and inspired at work. We also want our employees to have the same inclusive experience outside of the office as they do at work, and for people to be safe and to be accepted wherever they are, so we look for impactful ways to help the LGBTQI community in Australia.
The Gay Tradies show that day-glo can be appropriate evening wear. Picture: Chris Meier
This year we wanted to take an authentic approach that would promote equality, make a big and lasting impact, and give people a stronger voice, so we helped to fund the Mardi Gras Community Parade Grants program.
This program is designed to provide grants to individuals, community groups and not-for-profit groups to help lift their parade entries to a completely new artistic level.
Salamat Datang, supporting LGBTQI Indonesians. Picture: Chris Meier
This year the organisers received a total of 37 grant applications, more than double the previous year's number, and we awarded grants to 17 non-profit and community organisations:
  • Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome Support Group - AISSG is a peer support and advocacy group for people affected by AIS and/or related intersex variations, and their families. Their float hopes to raise the visibility of people with an intersex variation, and that show they are not ashamed, but happily maintaining their identity, their bodies, families and communities, and one another in wholesome support. 
  • Selamat Datang - Supporting LGBTQI Indonesians - Selamat Datang was created to show support for LGBTQI people in Indonesia and their struggle for acceptance in Indonesian society. Selamat Datang helps to fundraise for LGBTQI organisations in Indonesia including safe houses for young GLBTIQ people and fundraising for people living with HIV/Aids in Indonesia.
    • Trans Sydney Pride is a social and support group for binary, non-binary and gender queer transpeople. Picture: Chris Meier 
  • People with Disability Australia - Founded in 1981, People with Disability Australia seeks to provide people with disability with a voice of our own. We have a cross-disability focus representing the interests of people with all kinds of disability. We are a non-profit, non-government organisation. With their float PWD want to highlight that Disability Pride and LGBTIAQ Pride are one in the same.
  • Lifesavers with Pride - Lifesavers with Pride are an advocacy group within surf lifesaving. Our role is to be the link between the LGBTQ community and the lifesaving community. They represent their LGBTQ members, by promoting lifesaving as a diverse, welcoming and progressive organisation that supports people of all sexualities.
  • Trans Sydney Pride - TSP is a Sydney based social and support group founded by binary transpeople for binary, non-binary and gender queer transpeople. Their vision for their Parade float is to provide visibility to the trans community and show that they are strong, diverse and beautiful.
  • Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council and Departure Lounge with special guests the Tiwi Island SistaGALS - The Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council (NTAHC) and Departure Lounge presented 'Territory Stars', a showcase of the unique LGBTQI Community in the Northern Territory and their supporters. Special guests on this float included the Tiwi Island SistaGALS, a group of Trans women who started a crowdfunding campaign last year to attend their first ever Mardi Gras.
  • Psychedelic Love - Is made up of a diverse group of friends, a mixture of LGBT and family and friends and supporters who wanted their float to celebrate their love for one another and for the community in which they live.
Sydney Women's AFL showing their true colours. Picture: Chris Meier
  • Sydney Women’s AFL - With women's teams from across all states and territories, Sydney Women’s AFL is made up of a mixture of straight, gay, trans, Muslim, Catholic, Christian participants who all support each other for who they are. The group took to the streets to show that their is no place for discrimination in sport. There is no place for discrimination in life.
  • The Gay and Lesbian Association of Doctors and Dentists - GLADD are an open LGBTQI friendly group of Doctors, Dentists, and allied healthcare workers - who organise a parade entry for Mardi Gras each year as well as other community events such as socials and wine tours throughout the year.
  • Wett Ones Sydney Swim Team - The LGBTQI Masters Swimming Club walked the Parade to celebrate their diverse membership of different sexualities, genders, ages. They hoped to demonstrate that although their members come in all shapes and sizes they are united as a team and that everyone is given an equal playing field (or swimming pool).
  • Inner City Legal Centre - ICLC has been providing free legal services for people in the inner city area for thirty-five years. The Centre provides a range of free legal services to people in the Sydney. Their float communicated the support of the community legal centre sector for LGBTQI justice and its continuing campaign for creating equality.
  • DAYENU – Sydney’s Jewish GLBTI Group - Dayenu has been running for 16 years and had their first Mardi Gras float in 2000. Their message this year went out to the gay community to promote diversity and religious tolerance.
  • Gay Tradies - This group is made up of gay trades and their friends and supporters. They hoped their float will highlight that there are LGBTQI people everywhere, including the trades and services industry.
Oceania Rainbow's mission is to create safe spaces and support for LGBTIQ Pacific Islanders. Picture: Chris Meier
  • Oceania Rainbow - This group’s mission is to create safe spaces and support networks for young Pacific Islander LGBTIQ in Sydney. With their float they hoped to increase their visibility in the community as Pacific People who are proud of identities.
  • Flourish Australia - Flourish Australia supports people on their mental health recovery journey and helps to reconnect with the community to live a contributing life. By participating in the Parade, they hoped to show their support to the community and deliver the message that everyone has the freedom to Flourish in their own way.
  • Different Strokes Dragon Boat Club - Different Strokes is a Sydney-based dragon boat club that was formed in 2008, with the aim of providing a social and fitness-focused sporting outlet for the LGBTQ community. With their float design they want to show a future where creating equality is not a question, but a reality. 
Words can't describe how breathtaking it is to witness the enormous diversity of groups that make Sydney Mardi Gras so special, and it was fabulous for everyone at Google to be able to make a difference to their participation this year.
Posted by Renee LaBriola, Gayglers Sydney lead, Google Australia

The She Word: Tea Uglow, a "pebble in the landslide"




Cross promoted from Google's global blog.
Photo credit: Tea’s friend Christopher Phillips.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating the powerful, dynamic and creative women of Google. Like generations before them, these women break down barriers and defy expectations at work and in their communities. Over the course of the month, we’ll help you get to know a few of these Google women, and share a bit about who they are and why they inspire us.  

In our second installment of the “She Word” series, we hear from Tea Uglow, a creative director in Sydney, Australia who is known for her love of coffee (but not tea), and for grabbing a “quick flat white and a chat.”

You’re at a dinner party and someone asks what you do. How do you explain your job to them?

Ha! I just do it really badly. I am part of Google’s Creative Lab, a team of designers, writers, developers and filmmakers who combine tech and art to tell interesting stories about Google. We’re the types of people who constantly think about how to push ourselves beyond the notion what is possible and practical. We create unconventional projects to connect technology to culture, and shape new perspectives of Google’s brand.

Why are you proud to be a woman at Google?

Mainly because Google is proud of its women. Our commitment to equality and diversity has been persistent and committed. Most of all I feel proud to be a woman at Google because of the respect and understanding I've received since I came out as transgender, and during my transition.

What’s your favorite thing to do outside of work?

I quite like doing nothing. I think it is a massively underrated pastime. I also like to potter and/or pootle.

What do you hope to accomplish on behalf of women everywhere?

To be a pebble in the landslide. (A pebble with demonstrable impact and effectiveness).

If you could take a selfie with anyone, who would it be?

I would totally selfie with Hilary Mantel or Neal Stephenson, two of my favorite writers.

What advice would you give to women starting out in their careers?

My advice, that I give again and again, is that working hard and doing brilliant work are essential to win credits, but to turn credits into points you will have to have difficult conversations and negotiate. And don’t think that you are being pushy or demanding when you do.


Measuring Australia’s love, by numbers


Almost half of Australia is in love right now, although if you’re a dog owner who likes Vegemite the chances that you’re in love are far higher than if you’re into cats and wear budgie smugglers.
To celebrate the 2017 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival, we partnered with Australian Marriage Equality to ask people from all over Australia about love - from what’s an acceptable public display of affection, to who we love and how deeply we feel it, to whether we believe in marriage equality.
Using Google Surveys and YouTube Poll Everywhere, we gathered insights from thousands of people in all states and territories with the goal of showing how love can take different shapes yet have many common threads. We called our survey Love by Numbers - check it out (it looks best on a smartphone).
The Love by Numbers survey was launched at Mardi Gras Fair day. Picture: Chris Meier
 We asked people if they were in love, how strongly they’re in love, we even showed people photos of other people in love and asked if they could spot love when it was right in front of them
The team worked with Professor Lev Manovich from City University of New York’s Culture Analytics Lab - a world leader in the field of culture analytics - as well as local experts to design the survey and ensure the questions asked were not leading or biased.
Among our findings were:
  • 45% of Australians say they are in love right now
  • 67% of South Australians claim to have fallen in love at some point in their lives, whereas just 48% of Western Australians claim to have ever been in love, while Tasmanians are the most in love right now, at 67%
  • Australia has slightly more big spoons (or spooners) than little spoons: 51 to 49%
  • When it comes to PDA, holding hands is fine (84%), but pashing is a little too much (-63%)
  • People in their 20s feel love five times more intensely than everyone else
  • There are significantly more dog lovers in love than cat lovers - some 74% to 36%
  • If you prefer Vegemite to Marmite, you're five times more likely to be in love right now
  • Despite being in love, we're not willing to tolerate budgie smugglers over board shorts: 87% of those who are loved-up right now think there's no excuse to smuggle budgies on the beach
  • Eight out of ten Australians recognise love when they see it, in all its diverse forms 63% of Australians think it’s fair to make same-sex marriage legal in Australia
The Love By Numbers data is hosted online by Australian Marriage Equality, which campaigns for equal marriage rights for all Australians.
We're proud supporters of marriage equality as well as the LGBTI community through our sponsorship of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Community Parade Grants.
Meet the team of awesome Googlers who contributed to Love by Numbers. Picture: Chris Meier
At Google, we encourage people to bring their whole selves to work. In all of our 60 offices around the world, we are committed to cultivating a work environment where Googlers can be themselves and thrive.
We also want our employees to have the same inclusive experience outside of the office, and for LGBTQI communities to be safe and to be accepted wherever they are.”
Posted by Tara McKenty, Creative Director at Google Australia, who is a little spoon and Marmite fan

Full house at the Mardi Gras Digital Garage

Digital skills training might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Mardi Gras, but it was top of mind for more than 100 LGBT and LGBT-friendly businesses who attended the Accelerate Digital Garage skills training event at the Google office in Sydney today.

The workshop, timed to coincide with this weekend’s Sydney Mardi Gras celebrations, brought together small business owners and operators to help them gain the digital skills they need to make the most of the web.

Partnering with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Business Association, we delivered training on getting started with digital marketing and showcased a range of digital tools, including our free online skills training platform The Digital Garage.

Google Australia Managing Director, Jason Pellegrino spoke at the event about the benefits of seeking diverse perspectives and building inclusive teams, for businesses both big and small.

Above: Google’s Yash Godbole; Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy, Hon Ed Husic MP; Google Australia Managing Director, Jason Pellegrino; Google’s Cecelia Herbert; Google's VP Asia Pacific Operations, Karim Temsamani; and Google’s Renee La Briola. 

We were also joined by Shadow Minister for the Digital Economy, Hon Ed Husic MP, a strong advocate for businesses getting online. He spoke about the importance of inclusion to create thriving communities and economies and said it’s important all businesses have access to the skills and tools they need to grow.

Getting online can have huge benefits for Australian businesses. Research by Deloitte shows highly digitally engaged small businesses are more likely to be growing revenue, creating jobs and exporting, yet more than 90 per cent of small businesses are not taking full advantage of today’s digital tools.

Above: Small business owners and operators taking part in the digital skills training at Google Offices in Sydney.  

At Google, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to succeed online, that’s why we developed The Digital Garage and why we are hosting events for small businesses, just like today’s, all around Australia.

And don’t worry, it wasn’t all work at today’s event. There were also plenty of opportunities for businesses to meet and share ideas - no doubt those conversations will continue well into the weekend!

Posted by Richard Flanagan, Head of SMB Marketing, Google Australia

Explore new dimensions of film at Adelaide Fringe Festival, with a wave of your smartphone

Falling in love is often described as a temporary madness. We feel time stop, lose our words, and find our head over our heels. Through a new interactive film, Love at Fifth Site, audiences are invited to explore the joy and the jungle of love, with the wave of a smartphone.

Our Creative Lab team and Grumpy Sailor Creative are presenting Love at Fifth Site, premiering at the Adelaide Fringe Festival from 17 February to 19 March 19, with a cast of young Australian talent, including Susie Youssef, Shannon Murphy and Rarriwuy Hick. Love at Fifth Site allows the audience to ‘shine a light’ onto the inner monologue of the film’s protagonists across a series of serendipitous and sometimes awkward encounters.

 

Through an installation of ‘mini-sets’ across Adelaide Fringe’s Digital Arcade space, the audience watch Sam and Tina over 20 years as they almost get together, and are exposed to their fears and insecurities and sometimes the bad luck that comes between them.

Using the mobile browser’s device orientation API and Chromebooks, the technology transforms any smartphone into a remote control for a nearby display. The smartphone’s gyroscope then responds to interaction and movement, allowing audiences to delve into different dimensions of the story.



Love at Fifth Site builds on previous work by the Creative Lab to explore how technology can help artists create new and engaging experiences for their audiences. The work forms part of an ongoing exploration of how technology can help artists push the boundaries of traditional storytelling. Check it out if you are heading to Adelaide Fringe!

Posted by Jonathan Richards, Team Lead, Creative Lab, Sydney

Keep track of your favorite places and share them with friends

Is your bucket list etched in your memory, or scribbled on a dozen post-it notes scattered around your home? Have you ever promised out-of-town guests an email full of your favorite spots, only to never get around to clicking send? Starting today, you can create lists of places, share your lists with others, and follow the lists your friends and family share with you—without ever leaving the Google Maps app (Android, iOS).

Getting started is easy. Simply open the Google Maps app and find that Dim Sum spot you’ve been wanting to try. Tapping on the place name and then the “Save” icon adds the place to one of several pre-set lists like “Want to Go” or “Favorites.” You can also add the restaurant to a new list that you name yourself, like “Finger Lickin’ Dumplings.” To recall the lists you’ve created, go to Your Places (in the side menu) and then open the saved tab. Icons for the places you’ve saved to lists will appear on the map itself, so you’ll always know whether one of your must-try spots is nearby.

Because sharing is caring, we made it easy to share lists like “Best Views in Auckland” via text, email, social networks and popular messaging apps. Whenever friends and family come to town, tap the share button to get a link and start flexing your local knowledge muscles. Once you send a link to your out-of-towners, they can tap “Follow” to pull up the list from Your Places whenever they need it. Here’s how it all works in real life:



The lists you follow are with you wherever you take Google Maps and are viewable on mobile and desktop—and even offline. Next time you're on a trip, download offline maps of the area in advance and you'll be able to see all the places you’ve added to lists on the map itself.

With the millions of landmarks, businesses and other points of interest in Google Maps, there’s no shortage of places to try. Now that we’ve got the world mapped, it’s your turn to map your world with Lists—from local hotspots to bucket list destinations worlds away.

Zach Maier, Product Manager, Google Maps

Keep track of your favorite places and share them with friends

Is your bucket list etched in your memory, or scribbled on a dozen post-it notes scattered around your home? Have you ever promised out-of-town guests an email full of your favorite spots, only to never get around to clicking send? Starting today, you can create lists of places, share your lists with others, and follow the lists your friends and family share with you—without ever leaving the Google Maps app (Android, iOS).


Getting started is easy. Simply open the Google Maps app and find that Dim Sum spot you’ve been wanting to try. Tapping on the place name and then the “Save” icon adds the place to one of several pre-set lists like “Want to Go” or “Favorites.” You can also add the restaurant to a new list that you name yourself, like “Finger Lickin’ Dumplings.” To recall the lists you’ve created, go to Your Places (in the side menu) and then open the saved tab. Icons for the places you’ve saved to lists will appear on the map itself, so you’ll always know whether one of your must-try spots is nearby.


Because sharing is caring, we made it easy to share lists like “Best Views in Sydney” via text, email, social networks and popular messaging apps. Whenever friends and family come to town, tap the share button to get a link and start flexing your local knowledge muscles. Once you send a link to your out-of-towners, they can tap “Follow” to pull up the list from Your Places whenever they need it. Here’s how it all works in real life:





The lists you follow are with you wherever you take Google Maps and are viewable on mobile and desktop—and even offline. Next time you're on a trip, download offline maps of the area in advance and you'll be able to see all the places you’ve added to lists on the map itself.


With the millions of landmarks, businesses and other points of interest in Google Maps, there’s no shortage of places to try. Now that we’ve got the world mapped, it’s your turn to map your world with Lists—from local hotspots to bucket list destinations worlds away.

Zach Maier, Product Manager, Google Maps










Bringing Shopping Ads to New Zealand – connecting shoppers and retailers online

As thousands of New Zealand students returned to school this month, here’s a stat that might not surprise some mums and dads out there: New Zealand searches for “backpack” have grown by 21% since this time last year. But it’s not just backpacks, searches for the latest fashion, tech and school supplies are surging. Maybe you are searching online today for the perfect Valentine’s Day gift? More than half (56%) of Kiwis use the Internet to compare products, prices or features to help make purchase decisions.

We know that this type of research can take time, so we want to help streamline the process for Kiwi shoppers. Today we’re rolling out Shopping Ads - image based ads that help shoppers find the products they're searching for and quickly connect with the merchants who sell those products - in New Zealand. You'll now see them alongside your Google Search results.

So if you’re searching for lunch-boxes or laptops, you can find exactly the one you’re looking for — and easily connect with a retailer who sells it.

Screen Shot 2017-01-25 at 12.51.54 PM.png

Retailers, reach people when they want to buy what you sell
If you're a business, you can use Google Shopping campaigns to promote the products you sell, boost traffic to your website or local store, and find better qualified leads by putting product images, price, and business name in front of people searching on Google. Like search ads, you only pay when people click through to your website. Instead of targeting based on keywords, however, these ads are targeted based on the product data you provide. Learn more here.

Whether it’s back to school supplies or maybe you’re looking for a Valentine's Day gift, shopping ads can help you find what you’re looking for every time. Top marks for that!


Posted by Aaron Berger, Product Manager for Google Shopping