Far North Queenslanders had the opportunity to learn new digital skills today, as Grow with Google came to the region for the first time.
More than 300 small businesses, students, community organisations and individuals attended workshops at the Cairns Convention Centre today.
Queensland Member for Cairns, Michael Healy MP formally opened the event and spoke about the importance of digital skills to the jobs of the future in regional communities.
Businesses and individuals learned how to grow their presence online and find new customers, and individuals at all stages of the digital journey picked up new skills.
Grow with Google aims to give all Australians access to digital skills training, both online and in-person, to help them make the most of the web. It includes a new online learning hub accessible from anywhere, on any device, with hundreds of handy training modules.
Front row: Hannah Frank (Google Australia), Michael Healy MP, Richard Flanagan (Google Australia), Anna Fredericks (James Cook University), Debbie-Anne Bender (CEO, Cairns Chamber of Commerce), Nick Loukas (President, Cairns Chamber of Commerce) Thanks to the Tourism and Investment Queensland (TIQ) and the Cairns Chamber of Commerce for working with us to help deliver these important skills for regional communities.
Grow with Google aims to create opportunity for all Australians to grow their skills, careers, and businesses with free tools, training, and events. Find events near you at: g.co/GrowAustralia.
Posted by Richard Flanagan, Head of Grow with Google, Google Australia
In Australia’s Top End, you will find the country’s largest national park: Kakadu National Park. Covering almost 20,000 square kilometers (about half the size of Switzerland) and with terrain encompassing wetlands, rivers and sandstone escarpments, it’s home to the world’s oldest living culture with more than a dozen Indigenous groups. One-third of Australia’s bird species, an estimated 10,000 crocodiles and approximately 2,000 plant species can also be found in the Park. Today, on its 40th anniversary, we're inviting people across the world to visit Kakadu National Park on Google Street View--to walk through ancient “stone country”, stare at spectacular waterfalls and discover ancient rock art.
Considered a living cultural landscape, Kakadu National Park’s geological history spans more than two billion years. The Park is a place that boasts extraordinary archaeological sites that record the skills and ways of life of the region’s Aboriginal people, whose culture stretches back more than 65,000 years. The Street View journey captures a glimpse of this world, uncovering rock art galleries and stunning vistas across eight sites. Viewers can journey to Ubirr for incredible 360-degree views, or to take a look at rock art galleries that record animal life in the region going back thousands of years. This includes a painting of a thylacine—or Tasmanian Tiger—depicted before they became extinct on the mainland around 2,000 years ago. You can also meander through towering sandstone pillars at Bardedjilidji, travel to Nawurlandja for world-class panoramas across Anbangbang Billabong and the Arnhem Land escarpment, and toward Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) where you can view rock art galleries, before cooling off in the pristine plunge pools at Maguk or Gunlom (one of the most popular sites for travellers looking to take a refreshing dip), then diving into Kakadu’s big waterfalls: Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls.
This journey through Kakadu National Park is a continuation of our work with Traditional Owners, Tourism Northern Territory and Parks Australia to record and share sacred sites, and instill greater value and respect for the land—which began in 2017 with Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Visit Kakadu National Park, dual-listed by UNESCO World Heritage for both its natural and cultural significance, on Google Street View to learn more about the world’s oldest living culture and their connection with the land. Posted by Cynthia Wei, Program Manager, Google Street Viewhttps://4.bp.blogspot.com/-29zxGYJxYsI/XM_UN-L79JI/AAAAAAAACCY/ZIdjeDYM318BODCopAVijh3cCynPIVI3ACLcBGAs/s400/Kakadu%2BStreet%2BView%2B43.jpgCynthia WeiProgram ManagerGoogle Street View
Queenslanders had the chance to learn new digital skills today, as Grow with Google workshops kicked off in Brisbane.
More than 400 small businesses, students, job-seekers, non-profits and individuals looking to grow their skills attended the workshops today at Brisbane City Hall and more are expected to join the second day of trainings tomorrow.
Grow with Google gives Australians access to digital skills training, both online and in person, to help them make the most of the web. It includes a new online learning hub accessible by anyone, from anywhere, on any device with hundreds of handy training modules to choose from.
Queensland Innovation Minister, Kate Jones opened the event and spoke about the importance of businesses getting online.
Brisbane cafe, Nodo provided their famous gluten free, ‘baked not fried’ donuts to guests at the event and presented a box to the Minister.
Nodo owner Kate Williams presenting donuts to Minister for Innovation, Kate Jones
We know that some Australians don’t feel they have the skills to make the most of the digital opportunity, that’s why we’re rolling out skills training right across the country, just like this week’s events in Queensland.
Everyone - from business owners, to students, teachers, workers, retirees, job seekers and non-profits - can use Grow with Google to build their skills with training for people at all stages of the digital journey.
Google's John Ball with Minister, Kate Jones
Since 2014, Google has trained nearly half a million people across Australia through online and in-person training sessions, as well as curriculum integrated through school and partner programs.
Today, we’re introducing new student plans for YouTube Music and YouTube Premium, giving eligible higher education students discounted access to a world of music, original series and movies — all ad-free and at a wallet-friendly price. Looking for some lo-fi to help you concentrate while studying for exams - check out our Chill Beats Bliss - or a crowd-pleaser playlist for that end-of-semester party? Need a great binge-worthy series for Easter break like Cobra Kai, Impulse or Wayne? Could you use a physics boost from undergraduate and maths enthusiast Toby? We’ve got you covered! Last year, we introduced the new YouTube Music and YouTube Premium subscription plans to help users get more from their YouTube experience. YouTube Music is a music streaming service with official albums, playlists and singles, as well as a vast catalogue of music videos, remixes, live performances, covers and more — all with ad-free, background and offline access. YouTube Premium extends that ad-free experience across all of YouTube, and includes access to YouTube Originals. Student plans are available for YouTube Music Premium for $5.99 and YouTube Premium for $8.99.
How to Watch, Listen and Stream Student plans are currently available to all full-time higher education students at a government registered Australian or New Zealand education provider in Australia or New Zealand. Click here to learn more about eligibility requirements.
Last year, we launched the Google News Initiative (GNI) Asia Pacific Innovation Challenge, aimed at strengthening our support of digital innovation and new business models in news organisations.
Through our work and partnership with publishers, it’s clear that reader revenue is key to their financial stability. We want to support innovators in this space—those who are pioneering approaches that involve everything from granting digital currency to subscription-based membership models.
Today, I’m delighted to announce that five Australian projects will be supported as part of the Innovation Challenge. The projects include:
Crikey (Private Media) - Crikey's business model is already geared towards reader revenue, with over 90% of its revenue coming from individual subscribers. It aims to expand and diversify its pool of reader revenue by developing an innovative, user-friendly group subscription offering.
Women's Agenda (Agenda Media Pty Ltd) - The Women's Agenda Extra platform is offering loyal readers a little 'extra' through a simple membership platform, featuring core components including regular deep dives on key news events; opportunities for members to discuss stories with journalists and editors; a database of female expert sources.
Guardian News and Media Australia (GNM Australia Pty Ltd) - Guardian Australia will develop, prototype and user test a technology solution that will allow the timed surfacing of rich media during audio playback on mobile. This will enhance the user experience when listening to audio content and make it easier for listeners to make financial contributions to publishers.
Mamamia (Mamamia.com.au Pty Ltd) - Mamamia is developing a membership proposition that caters for different audiences’ content preferences. Building on existing high audience engagement, it aims to diversify both revenue and traffic sources for the organisation.
Community Broadcasting Association of Australia - The association will pilot a fundraising platform for Australia’s community broadcasting sector. Donations are a key growth area for income generation in community broadcasting and this project will develop fundraising technology for the sector.
Within two months of opening up the Innovation Challenge, we received 215 applications from 18 countries. After a rigorous review, a round of interviews and a thorough jury selection process, we ended up providing support to 23 projects in 14 countries—amounting to a total of $3.2 million.
When we called for applications, we listed four criteria: impact, feasibility, innovation and inspiration. The winners demonstrated a combination of each.
Thank you to every organisation who applied. There will be a second round of the APAC GNI Innovation Challenge later this year, and we encourage you all to re-apply. Watch out for details on our website.
Posted by Kate Beddoe, Head of Google News Initiative, Asia Pacific
We know that standing in line at stations can completely derail your day—especially when you're standing in line to buy a ticket and the train whizzes by.
Starting today, If you’re a myki user in Melbourne or regional Victoria, you can now skip the line and get there faster with Google Pay.
Google Pay is the first mobile wallet to launch with Mobile myki, thanks to a partnership with Victoria’s ticketing provider, NTT DATA, and Public Transport Victoria. Now you’ll be able to buy your myki Pass or top up with myki Money in the Google Pay app, and use your phone to ride – even without opening the app.
Once you’ve created your card, you’ll find real-time information about your myki balance and recent transactions and get low balance notifications. Passengers will be able to buy Full fare, Concession, Child and Senior Mobile mykis – and auto load will also be available. Soon, you’ll also be able to see your current balance in Google Maps when you’re planning your myki journey, and initiate your top-up from there.
Ready to give it a go? Make sure you have the latest version of Google Pay on a compatible device that runs on Android 5.0 or higher, and purchase your Mobile myki via the Google Pay app. Signing up for your Mobile myki card is at no cost, but you will need to top-up with a minimum of $10 to get started. This amount is turned into a credit to cover the cost of your future travel.
When you’re ready to go, wake up your phone and hold it at the myki reader to ride!
Posted by Prakash Hariramani, Director of Product Management, Google Pay
It’s no secret that digital technology is a part of everyday life for Australians - whether you are checking the bus timetable on your phone or building an online business - digital skills are essential.
While the digital opportunities for Australian businesses and individuals are huge, we know that some people do not feel they have the skills they need to make the most of this opportunity.
Australians want the chance to learn new skills - that’s why we’re launching Grow with Google - a new initiative to provide free skills training both online and in person to help people make the most of the web.
We launched Grow with Google today at an event in Fairfield with Chris Bowen, the Shadow Treasurer, Shadow Minister for Small Business and Federal Member for McMahon.
More than 500 people attended training sessions over two days at the Fairfield RSL in Western Sydney, which included workshops for business to learn how to be found on Google and use analytics, training for job seekers and students, and digital training for not-for-profit organisations. Grow with Google aims to help all Australians get the skills they need, whether you’re a student, a job-seeker or a business wanting to get online.
We’re excited to expand our skills offering to more people, building on our existing digital skills programs.
Since 2014, Google has trained nearly half a million people across Australia through online and in-person training sessions, as well as curriculum integrated through school and partner programs.
For Australians at all points on the digital journey, there are significant benefits to getting online - whether it’s finding new employment opportunities or expanding the reach of your business.
If you want to grow your skills, careers, and businesses check out the free tools, training, and events at: g.co/GrowAustralia.
Posted by Mel Silva, Managing Director, Google Australia
The world we live in today is very different from the one we lived in when Google started back in 1998. We’re no longer reliant on computers to perform simple searches and send basic email. With the phones in our pockets and a range of smart Home devices, we can accomplish things we couldn’t have dreamed of on desktop.
As technology becomes increasingly woven into our day-to-day, making sure it’s adding to your life – instead of distracting from it – is more important than ever. Technology is by no means the solution to total wellbeing, but it can be a powerful tool to inspire and manage healthy habits – whether you’re reclaiming time, working out, cooking up a storm, or getting things done efficiently around the home. Following our Wellbeing Breakfast media event in Sydney earlier today, here’s a recap of how Android, your Google Assistant and YouTube can help supercharge your wellbeing habits, and find the right balance:
Reclaim a sense of balance with digital wellbeing tools
Research by our Android teams shows that mobile devices can create a sense of habit and obligation that is hard to break, even as people look for ways to create a healthy relationship with technology. With this in mind, teams at Google have worked to build features across Android,YouTube and more to help you better understand how you use your devices and apps, disconnect when you want, and create a healthy relationship with technology. With Android 9, you can enjoy a range of features give you greater visibility and control over your smartphone:
You can now see a dashboard which gives you a complete picture of how you’re spending time on your device, including how many times you’ve unlocked your phone, and how many notifications you’ve received. The App Timer feature lets you limit the amount of time you spend using your favourite apps so you can set time limits on apps, like “30 minutes for Gmail.” When you’re close to the limit you set for yourself on the app timer, you’ll get a nudge reminding you, and when time is up it will actually grey out the app icon to prevent further use. You can also activate the Wind Down feature so that at night, as you get close to bedtime, your device goes into Do Not Disturb mode and your screen fades to grayscale to help you disconnect.
And with the Family Link app, parents can set boundaries and manage their kids on Android devices. Family Link lets parents set screen time limits, approve or block certain apps, remote lock devices, and view activity reports so they can stay in the loop on how their kids are exploring.
Get inspired and stay motivated with your Google Assistant and YouTube
We know your home plays a pivotal role in inspiring and maintaining your wellbeing. It’s where you whip up healthy meals, sleep and perhaps do your first salutes to the sun. The Google Assistant has a raft of features designed to help you learn about wellbeing factors and inspire healthy routines – available on Home devices, and via mobile when you are on the go. You can enjoy hands-free help in the kitchen to check nutritional information, conversions and substitutes – and step-by-step recipe instructions from Woolworths, Genius Kitchen and more. When you’re winding down, you can improve your meditation practice and sleep quality with Headspace - just say “Hey Google, ask Headspace to play today’s meditation” or “Ask Headspace to help me fall asleep.”
You can also transform your home into a workout or yoga studio in the morning. Say “Hey Google, show me how to do yoga on YouTube” to get guided through your practice with Hub or your TV.
Video content has an enormous capacity to help us learn, visualise, memorise and validate information - packed full of actionable information. It also has the ability to inspire us, offering an aspirational future state to work towards. Keeping this in mind, we can then understand how videos can help us instil healthy behaviours into our lives, because at its core, habit formation is governed by three things - the trigger, the habit itself and the reward. What we’re seeing in wellbeing content on YouTube is a type of interaction that’s more involved and rooted in the lived experience of the audience - participatory consumption. In the wellbeing space, Aussies are tuning into YouTube to induce an action in the real world. Pressing play and starting the video is a trigger for healthy behaviour.
Check out this video by Jason Stephenson, which is currently the most watched guided meditation piece of content on YouTube by Australian audiences. To easily find more wellbeing content on YouTube, we’ve teamed up with nonprofit organisations - like Hello Sunday Morning and Project Rockit - to provide viewers with video playlists that explore a variety of health and wellness topics.
Discover accessible technologies with the Google Assistant
We know that wellbeing means different things to everyone. We all have different goals – whether you’re trying to break a world record or need help with everyday tasks.
Around the world, we are working to discover new applications of technology to help people with disabilities. People with vision impairments can now learn more about around their surroundings and enjoy VR. And those with restricted mobility – such as 19-year-old Robbie Ivey from Michigan – are exploring new ways to manage their routines and conditions through voice-enabled technology.
On a local level, Gold Coast based non-profit Feros Care is breaking new ground in Australia by developing new applications to help seniors and people living with a disability with their everyday care. Feros Care has been delivering services to seniors for thirty years, and smart home services over the past ten years. These services include in-home care, residential aged care, veteran’s services and getting seniors back on their feet after a hospital stay.
Feros Care client, Pamela Hanley
After building MyFeros, a self-service tool allowing seniors to manage their care via desktop, mobile or tablet, Feros Care’s CIO Glenn Payne realised his team could do more to bring this experience to seniors experiencing a loss of vision, mobility and dexterity. With a new Google Assistant Action, seniors can now check and manage a range of services via voice command – without having to move to the computer, read screens or type on a keyboard. Leaning on Feros’ broader expertise and services, seniors can also schedule smart home consultations to automate devices that integrate with the Google Assistant, to help them with tasks that would otherwise be a challenge to control manually.
Feros Care client, Pamela Hanley, shares a snapshot of her experience with a little help from Feros Care with The Google Assistant:
Since Google launched Search in 1998, we’ve always aimed to build products that help you get things done efficiently and free you up to focus on the other things that matter to you – whether you are looking for inspiration or help around the home. That’s more important now than ever, and we’ll keep building with that principle in mind.
Posted by Camilla Ibrahim, Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Google Australia
Partnering with Business Chicks, the Digital Garage workshop championed female entrepreneurs and provided guests with the chance to learn new skills.
Federal Member for Chisholm, Julia Banks MP opened the event and spoke about the importance of supporting women in business.
"I think what Google is providing here today can only be a positive thing in terms of growing and developing your businesses. Growth is about embracing change, and I want nothing more than to see more and more successful women-led businesses in this country,” Ms Banks said.
We also heard from Nellie Kerrison, owner of Relish Mama; Jill Tucker, owner of Erilan and Lucinda Hartley, co-founder and CIO of Neighbourlytics who shared their inspiring stories of building a business online and spoke about how digital marketing can help.
The training included an introduction to digital marketing and tools to help businesses be found online by new customers.
Women in STEM Breakfast We also held a Women in STEM Breakfast, co-hosted with Science and Technology Australia (STA), featuring Victoria’s Lead Scientist, Dr Amanda Caples who laid out her vision for the future of women in science, technology, engineering and maths.
At the breakfast we announced a new partnership to support Superstars of STEM. This program, run by STA, aims to shift gender assumptions and empower leading female scientists, technologists, researchers and educators to become public role models.
We will partner with STA to support program participants with mentoring, training and collaboration on education outreach with a goal of inspiring women and girls across Australia to engage in STEM education and careers.
If you couldn’t make today’s events or you want to learn more, you can always check out the Digital Garage training online or find more events near you here.
Wishing everyone a great International Women’s Day as we work to #BalanceforBetter!
Posted by Elizabeth Fox, Director of Google Customer Solutions, Google Australia
Last night in Sydney we hosted the world premiere of the latest YouTube Originals series, SHERWOOD - a 10 part animated series set in the dystopian future of 2270. It’s based on the mythology of Robin Hood and follows 14 year-old Robin and her friends’ as they battle with the wealthy Upper City in their efforts to overcome inequality and fight for justice. You can watch it now too, on YouTube Premium.
SHERWOOD World Premiere, hosted in Sydney
Audiences attend the World Premier of Sherwood in Sydney
Nadine Zylstra with Nanette Miles, Bruce Carter, Diana Manson and Megan Laughton
A panel discussion with Bruce Carter, Diana Manson and Rachel House, moderated by Nadine Zylstra
It is a truly global production, created by an ensemble of talented cast and crew from far flung parts of the world. Produced by Baby Octopus (Australia/US), Toybox (New Zealand) and Giant (Ireland) - Diana Manson and Megan Laughton serve as executive producers, Jan Stebbins and Nanette Miles as producers, Bruce Carter is the director and Jonathan Clarke the animation producer - while head writer Justin Trefgarne worked with writers Craig Martin and Shea Fontana to shift the legend of Robin Hood into the future and bring it to life for a new generation. The all-star voice cast also transcends countries, featuring Anya Chalotra (The Witcher, The ABC Murders, Much Ado About Nothing), Tyler Posey (Teen Wolf, Truth Or Dare), Aneurin Barnard (The Goldfinch, Radioactive, Dunkirk), Jamie Chung (The Gifted, Big Hero, Gotham), Neneh Conteh, Rachel House (Whalerider, Thor, Moana), Ade M'Cormack (Lost, Heroes, NCIS), and Darrill Rosen (The Misogynists, Richard’s Wedding, First Person Singular) with guest star Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale, Elizabeth, Shakespeare In Love). To help imagine this future world and what it meant for design, travel, technology and society, we convened an advisory council with Google’s Computer Science in Media team as well as thought leaders from organisations across Google. This collaboration and their insights helped shape SHERWOOD and let us test theories and ideas - like what a key in 2270 might look like… biological, of course. Beyond the brilliant team behind this stunning animation, it’s a thrill to finally share this series (which has been four years in the making!), as it addresses some topics close to my heart. In this modern telling of Robin Hood, Robin is a girl who uses technology and code to battle the sheriff of SHERWOOD. We hope it can inspire people - young women in particular - to be excited by code and technology and the ways in which it can play a part in their own lives. We’ve seen this before - a Thicket Labs research report on young girls who watched season one of the YouTube Originals series Hyperlinked, revealed that they were 11 percent more likely to consider a career in Computer Science after watching the series. This week the work YouTube is doing to inspire the next generation of STEM innovators was acknowledged at the IF/THEN Conference where both Hyperlinked and SHERWOOD were showcased as examples of positive portrayals of women and girls in Computer Science and Technology. As Geena Davis says ‘If she can see it, she can be it’ and with Robin I believe we are giving girls all over the world a leader who they would want to be. I am excited for my 12 year old daughter to binge the series this weekend! SHERWOOD is available on YouTube Premium now. Check out the trailer or watch the first episode. Posted by Nadine Zylstra, Head of Family Entertainment and Learning, YouTube Originals
