Official Google Australia Blog

Pixel Buds A-Series: Rich sound, iconic design, just $159

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

When we first introduced our truly wireless Pixel Buds, we were most excited about how such a small product could pack so much functionality. Now, we’re making that same premium sound quality, along with hands-free help from Google Assistant and real-time translation, available at an even more affordable price.

Introducing Pixel Buds A-Series: rich sound, clear calls and Google helpfulness, all in a low-profile design – for just $159.

A premium audio experience

Our research shows that most people describe great sound as full, clear and natural. This is what guides our audio tuning process and shows up in other devices, like Nest Audio. And Pixel Buds A-Series are no exception. Custom-designed 12mm dynamic speaker drivers deliver full, clear and natural sound, with the option for even more power in those low tones with Bass Boost.

To experience the full range of the speaker’s capabilities, especially in the low frequencies, a good seal is essential. We’ve scanned thousands of ears to make Pixel Buds A-Series fit securely with a gentle seal. In order to keep the fit comfortable over time, a spatial vent reduces in-ear pressure.

Each earbud also connects to the main device playing audio, and has strong individual transmission power, to keep your sound clear and uninterrupted.

Sound quality can also be affected by your environment. The new Pixel Buds A-Series come with Adaptive Sound, which increases or decreases the volume based on your surroundings. This comes in handy when you're moving from the quiet of your home to somewhere noisy like a city street, or while jogging past a loud construction site.

And your calls will have great sound too. To make sure your calls are as clear as they can be, Pixel Buds A-Series use beamforming mics to focus on your voice and reduce outside noise, making your calls crystal clear (though of course, overall call quality depends on signal strength, environment, network, and other factors). Once your call is over, quickly get back to your music with a simple “Hey Google, Play my music.”

Stylish and hardworking

For Pixel Buds A-Series, we wanted to bring back the iconic Clearly White, but added a twist with new grey undertones.

Pixel Buds’ design is inspired by the idea that great things can come in small packages: Pixel Buds A-Series include up to five hours of listening time on a single charge or up to 24 hours using the charging case. And with the ability to get a quick charge — about 15 minutes in the case gives you up to three hours of listening time — you can keep listening anywhere.1

They’re comfortable enough for those long listening sessions, and don’t worry if some of that time is devoted to a sweaty workout or a run in the rain: The earbuds are also sweat and water-resistant.2

Hands-free access to the best of Google

Google Assistant is built right into the Pixel Buds A-Series. You can get quick hands-free help to check the weather, get an answer, change the volume, or have notifications read to you with a simple “Hey Google.”

Added accessories

To help protect your new Pixel Buds A-Series, there is now the Tech21 EvoSlim — a lightweight case to shield your smallest tech from drops and scratches. It is made with a built-in microbe-reducing formula and has an easy-to-attach carabiner to help keep your Pixel Buds A-Series safe and close to hand. Available on the Google Store soon.

Pixel Buds A-Series are now available for pre-order in Australia from the Google Store, arriving to customers from August 25. Pixel Buds A-Series will be available online from August 25 at JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, and Officeworks, and available at Optus and Vodafones later this year. Pixel Buds A-Series will also be available online at Telstra from August 27. For more country availability and waitlist options, visit g.co/pixelbudsaseries.

1 All listening times are approximate and were measured using music playback with pre-production hardware and software, with fully charged Pixel Buds A-Series and case, and other features disabled. Case is used to recharge Pixel Buds A-Series when their batteries are depleted. Charging times are approximate. Use of other features will decrease battery life. Battery life depends on device, features enabled, usage, environment and many other factors. Actual battery life may be lower.

2 Pixel Buds A-Series (earbuds only) have a water protection rating of IPx4 under IEC standard 60529. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and may be compromised by normal wear and tear, repair, disassembly, or damage.

Posted by Matt Gaskell, Director, Devices & Services Business Organisation ANZ

New from Google Nest: The latest Cams and Doorbell are coming

Friday, August 6, 2021

Google Nest’s mission is to build products that make a more helpful home. All of this starts with helping you understand what’s happening within the walls of your home and outside of it.
One of Nest’s first goals was to simplify home security, and it helped millions of people across the globe do this. So when we started dreaming up our next generation of cameras and doorbells, we wanted to incorporate the way the connected home — and your expectations — were heading. That included smarter alerts, wire-free options for installation flexibility, greater value and beautiful designs, plus enhanced privacy and security. We wanted our newest line to give you the most comprehensive set of intelligent alerts right out of the box, and easily work with your other Nest products, like displays.
Today we’re introducing our next-generation Nest Cams and Doorbell: Google Nest Cam (battery) is our first outdoor/indoor battery-powered camera ($329); Google Nest Doorbell (battery) is our first battery-powered doorbell ($329). Learn more about 11 things to love about the new Nest Cam and Doorbell.

Meet the new Google Nest Cam and Google Nest DoorbellThen there’s Google Nest Cam with floodlight, our first connected floodlight camera ($549) and finally the second-generation Google Nest Cam (wired), a wired indoor camera and our most affordable Nest Cam ever ($169).
We’ve heard how much people appreciate it when their Nest products all work well together. These new devices are no different. With the new Nest Cams and a display, you can keep an eye on the backyard from your kitchen and get alerts when the doorbell rings. Our new cameras are also fully integrated with the Google Home app. The Google Home app works with any compatible Android or iOS device, giving you access to all your compatible home devices in one place, anywhere and anytime.
The new battery-powered Nest Cam and Nest Doorbell will go on sale on August 25, and are available for preorder today from the Google Store, JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Officeworks and The Good Guys. And for those who preorder, you can also secure an extra gift of a second-generation Nest Hub from selected retailers.
Nest Cam with floodlight and the new wired indoor Nest Cam are coming soon.
To learn more, visit the Google Store.
Posted by Matt Gaskell, Director, Devices & Services Business Organisation ANZ

Aussies can now save vaccination certificates on Android devices

Thursday, August 5, 2021

To support these efforts, we’ve been working with Services Australia to give you a convenient and secure way to view, save and show your vaccination status and information, straight from your smartphone.

So, we just expanded our COVID Card feature to Australia – providing a simple, private and secure way to save and access vaccination information on Android smartphones after you’ve had your second jab. Vaccine information is only stored on your device (it is not stored by Google).
To access your vaccination certificate, simply login to the Express Plus Medicare app or via the Medicare portal of the MyGov website and select the options to ‘View your COVID-19 digital certificate’ and ‘Save to Phone.’
For added convenience, you can access your vaccine information even when you’re offline, which means you do not need mobile or wifi connection. If you have the Google Pay app on your Android phone, you can also access the certificate from the same place where you access your other cards and other passes.
Every time you access your certificate, you will be asked for the password, pin or biometric method that you have set up for your Android device. If you do not have this set up on your phone, you’ll be prompted to do so to strengthen security.
The launch of the COVID Card feature in Australia builds on the many ways we’ve been working to help authorities, businesses and Australians stay safe and informed during the pandemic. This includes surfacing the latest updates, health and travel advice from authorities, and giving almost $5M AUD in ad grants to the Federal Government to support these public health initiatives. We’ve provided regular updates on Search trends and launched COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports to offer local insights on the impact of social distancing. And to help meet the cost of the virus, we’ve offered $20M in ad credits to businesses to support their pivot to online trading during these challenging times. To keep across the latest news, check out our local COVID microsite featuring the latest updates and health resources: google.com.au/covid19.
Posted by Samantha Yorke, Government Affairs and Public Policy, Google Australia

YouTube Shorts arrives in Australia

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

announcedWe’re excited to share that YouTube Shorts is going global. We’re now rolling out our beta across more than 100 countries around the world where YouTube is available — including Australia. We plan to introduce more features as we continue to build Shorts alongside creators and artists. Here’s an update on what to expect from YouTube Shorts as it rolls out.

Unlocking a new playground of creativity Creation is at the core of short-form video, and we want to make it easy and fun to create Shorts. Shorts already includes foundational creation tools like a multi-segment camera to string multiple video clips together, the ability to record with music, control speed settings, and more. As we continue to build Shorts alongside our creators and artists, we’ve added more features to try, like:

Add text to specific points in your video
Sample audio from other Shorts to remix into your own creation
Automatically add captions to your Short
Record up to 60 seconds with the Shorts camera
Add clips from your phone’s gallery to add to your recordings made with the Shorts camera
Add basic filters to colour correct your Shorts, with more effects to come in the future

We’ve also been starting to roll out the ability to sample audio from videos across YouTube - which includes billions of videos worldwide - unlocking a new playground of creativity like never before. This means you can give your own creative spin on the content you love to watch on YouTube and help find it a new audience — whether it’s reacting to your favourite jokes, trying your hand at a creator’s latest recipe, or re-enacting comedic skits. Creators will be in control and will be able to opt out if they don’t want their long form video remixed. We’ve also worked alongside our music partners to make sure artists and creators have a large library of songs to use in their Shorts. As we expand Shorts, the library and number of partners will continue to grow. Stay tuned for more creation tools rolling out in the future as we continue to build Shorts.

Delivering a seamless viewing experience across YouTube We know that creation is only one part of the Shorts experience. We also want to help people find Shorts to enjoy and help creators get discovered. We’ve introduced a row on the YouTube homepage especially for Shorts, have launched a new watch experience that lets you easily swipe vertically from one video to the next, and will soon add a Shorts tab on mobile that makes it easier for you to watch Shorts with a single tap. We’re also exploring how to deepen your connection with Shorts content, creators, and artists you’re most interested in by integrating it with the YouTube you already know and love. For instance, if you hear a snippet of a song on Shorts, you can easily find the full song, watch the music video, or learn more about the artist — all on YouTube. And it works both ways. Tap the create button right from a video to make your own Short with that audio, or check out how others are using it on Shorts. As more people create and watch Shorts, we expect that our systems will get even better, improving our ability to help you discover new content, trends, and creators you’ll love.
Supporting mobile creators YouTube has helped an entire generation of creators turn their creativity into businesses and become the next generation media companies. Over the last three years, we’ve paid more than US$30 billion to creators, artists, and media companies. Shorts is a new way to watch and create on YouTube, so we’ve been taking a fresh look at what it means to monetise Shorts and reward creators for their content. We are deeply committed to supporting the next generation of mobile creators with Shorts, and are actively working on what monetisation options will look like in the future. As our first step in this journey, we recently introduced the YouTube Shorts Fund, a US$100M fund distributed over the course of 2021-2022. The Shorts beta is rolling out globally and will be available to everybody soon. We know that it will take us time to get this right, but we can't wait for you to try Shorts and help us build a first-class short-form video experience right on YouTube.
Posted by YouTube Australia & New Zealand Team

Assessing the Economic, Societal, and Cultural Impact of YouTube in Australia

Wednesday, June 16, 2021

Every day, YouTube helps Australians learn new skills, start businesses, and enrich their lives. And this felt particularly true in 2020, when Australians turned to YouTube to learn, be entertainment or stay active with at-home fitness classes during the COVID-19 pandemic. I personally tuned into a lot of YBS Youngbloods to escape into the Aussie wilderness, I got tips from Self Sufficient Me to upgrade my veggie garden, and I followed Dr Matt & Dr Mike to learn more about COVID-19. Now, for the first time, we’re quantifying what happens on YouTube with the effects of the ecosystem in Australia comprehensively examined in a detailed study. The independent consulting firm, Oxford Economics, based in England, with a branch in Sydney, has compiled A Platform for Australian Opportunity: Assessing the Economic, Societal, and Cultural Impact of YouTube in Australia.
So, what was the key finding? The YouTube creative ecosystem contributed A$608 million to the Australian economy and supported 15,750 full time equivalent jobs in 2020.

YouTube creators (regardless of whether they are independent creative entrepreneurs*, media companies or the music industry) benefit from income that is generated directly via YouTube, for example, as advertising income or license fees. And we can see that the number of YouTube channels making five figures or more in revenue is up more than 30% year over year. In addition, YouTube helps many creators earn income from additional sources - whether that’s generating revenue by promoting a brand on video, or selling more of a product thanks to their YouTube profile. This off-platform income leads to further economic effects: for the creators themselves, across the corresponding Australian supply chains - as creators purchase goods for filming or pay for services like video editing - and, in turn, through expenses by employees.

What did we learn about YouTube Creators?

Australian creators are finding opportunities and audiences on YouTube, often leading to new doorways opening away from the platform. The report showed:

67% of creative entrepreneurs said YouTube has had a positive impact on their professional goals.
68% of creators agreeing YouTube gives them the opportunity to work in a way that suits their needs.
50% of creative entrepreneurs indicated YouTube had brought them additional opportunities away from the platform.

Chloe Ting is just one of our homegrown stars and now one of the biggest fitness YouTube creators in the world. Her channel gained more than 14 million subscribers in 2020 alone, as she inspired a global movement of people staying healthy, connected and uplifted, particularly during COVID-19. Her accessible virtual classes and challenges not only help people move their bodies, but support their mental health by giving them a sense of belonging and a place to feel supported.
How are businesses using YouTube? YouTube has become a significant tool for small and medium sized businesses (SMBs). Through their own channel, targeted adverts or simply from watching YouTube content, businesses use YouTube to grow sales, connect with customers, and become more competitive.

75% of SMBs who advertise on YouTube agreed that YouTube ads have helped them grow sales.
63% of SMBs with a YouTube channel agreed their YouTube presence helps customers to find them.
75% of SMBs agreed or strongly agreed that YouTube is a convenient and cost-effective way of providing staff training.
68% of users agree YouTube has helped them learn about new career paths.

When Sanjna Pathania’s morning routine video working for "The Big Four" went viral on YouTube, the former risk management consultant set out to help young Aussies kick start their career by sharing her corporate lifestyle and the lessons she had learned along the way. Now, Success by Sanjna is a one-stop shop for young people to get job-ready, and her strategies and insights are so in-demand, she’s left behind the corporate world and used her channel to launch a professional development consulting service. It’s all part of her mission to support a generation of confident and ambitious goal-chasers.

Who are our creators? What are they saying? Anyone can become a creator - all you need is an idea or a passion. YouTube offers people with different backgrounds, of any age and from all parts of Australia the opportunity to share their voice. Because of this open culture, YouTube has now become a kind of content library. This content not only has the potential to generate a social dialogue and build new communities, but also to drive social change.

76% of creators agreed that YouTube provides a platform for undiscovered talent that is not being surfaced by traditional media.
64% of creators who self-identified as a minority agreed that they feel like they have a place to belong as a YouTube creator.
77% of users agreed that YouTube is home to diverse content.

Each day, YouTube allows millions of new voices to be heard and stories to be told, and provides a place to belong for people around the world. Feeling alienated and alone when she was diagnosed with autism, Chloé Hayden channelled her emotions into building a YouTube channel that welcomes - and celebrates - diverse Australian voices in a safe and comforting space. Chloé’s channel is a place for people to find safety, share their experiences and offer support to each other. And her 33 thousand subscribers are more than her audience - they’re her inspiration and championing their stories helps the 23-year-old change the mindsets of the wider community and normalise discussions around disabilities.

Is local culture being exported? Australian creators and artists punch above their weight and are receiving local and global recognition. And we’re proud that, whether it’s amplifying local voices like Baker Boy or promoting uniquely Aussie content like Brinkley Davies, YouTube has enabled homegrown talent to access audiences around the world. In fact, the report has shown us: 97% of music and media companies with a YouTube channel agreed that the platform helps them reach new audiences across the world. Over 90% of watch time on content produced by Australian channels came from outside Australia in 2020.

What did we find in terms of “learning”? More and more people are coming to YouTube to access information and learn something new, and with over 500 hours of video uploaded every minute, there are constantly new learning opportunities at people’s fingertips. In both private and professional life, YouTube enables Australians to acquire a wide range of skills and knowledge - to save money, gain qualifications or even make a career jump. Dr Matt & Dr Mike are one example of creators helping audiences expand their minds. The lecturers unpack the mysteries of science in front of hundreds of thousands of people and democratise education through their fun and easy-to-understand YouTube tutorials. They first created their short videos as extra student resources, but their simple and relatable style soon triggered a world-wide reaction, and the pair are now on a mission to give everyone free access to world-class science and medical education. From teachers to parents, to small businesses and students, YouTube is enabling Australian users to acquire a wide range of skills and knowledge.

70% of teachers who use YouTube agreed that the platform gives students the flexibility to learn at their own pace.
71% of parents who use YouTube agreed that YouTube (or YouTube Kids for children under 13) makes learning more fun for their children.
77% of users agree YouTube has helped them supplement their formal education.
92% of users said they use YouTube to gather information and knowledge.

These acquired skills and knowledge don’t go to waste. Leo Bailey turned to YouTube tutorials to teach himself how to make a range of different products after buying his first 3D printer. But when he saw a call-out for health-care supplies during COVID-19, the 13-year-old focused his attention towards making essential PPE supplies for hospitals across the state. During the pandemic, Leo made more than 100 masks for health staff and touchless ‘button pushers’ for local residents to use in public spaces to avoid directly touching surfaces.
To read more about Australian creators and the report findings at yt.be/howyoutubeworks.
*The term creative entrepreneur here stands for YouTube creators, regardless of their gender identity, with at least 10,000 subscribers on their largest channel and for creators with fewer subscribers who receive funds directly from YouTube, generate funds from other sources with their YouTube videos and / or permanently employ other people to support their YouTube activities.
About Oxford Economics: Oxford Economics was founded in 1981 as a joint venture of Oxford University's Business College to provide economic forecasting and models for UK companies and financial institutions planning to expand abroad. Since its inception, the organisation has grown into one of the leading global and independent consulting firms in the world, providing reports, forecasting and analysis tools in over 200 countries, 250 industries and 7,000 cities and regions. With headquarters in Oxford, England and regional centers in Frankfurt, London, New York and Singapore, Oxford Economics employs 400 full-time employees, including 250 economists, industry experts and business writers. The highly qualified team offers a wide range of research techniques and has groundbreaking expertise, including in areas such as econometric modeling, scenario framing and impact analyses, but also market surveys, case studies, expert panels and web analyses.
Posted by Ed Miles, Director, YouTube Partnerships, Australia and New Zealand

The best of Australian photojournalism is now on Google Arts & Culture

Monday, May 3, 2021

Discover 12 highlights from “Paper Tigers” Starting today, World Press Freedom Day, people around the world can discover 60 images from 60 of Australia’s best photojournalists online on Google Arts & Culture, thanks to a new partnership with Head On Foundation.
To celebrate this new collection, we sat down with Moshe Rosenzveig OAM, Founder and Artistic Director of the Head On Photo Festival, to learn more about the important moments these photographs capture and the incredible stories behind them.
“The 60 images selected represent a small snippet of what Australia was like over the past four decades. Images that defined modern Australia, images that reflect the culture we live in, images that make political statements and images of diverse aspects of our world,” said Head On Foundation Director, Moshe Rosenzveig OAM.
With so many moments to explore, here are Moshe’s 12 picks to get you started:

Mervyn Bishop's historic 1975 image captures then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam pouring a handful of earth back into the hand of Gurindji elder and traditional landowner Vincent Lingiari. This image represented the Australian government’s recognition of Aboriginal land rights and became an icon of the land rights movement and Australian photography.

Tim Page’s world-renowned photograph of the Vietnam War. Defining him as the war photographer of a generation, it was taken just weeks after arriving in Vietnam in 1965 and shows a grieving widow as her husband’s body is carried off a chopper.

Louise Kennerley’s intimate portrait of a couple was taken just a few days before Parliament passed the same-sex marriage act. Ian and Neville sit hand in hand, excited and nervous at the prospect of being married after 39 years together.

Alex Coppel’s image of Paralympian Ahmed Kelly underwater and in motion, his prosthetics on the sideline, as he trains at the Victorian Institute of Sport in Melbourne, ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Justin McManus’ portrait of Yindjibarndi man, Landon Punch, holding a joey he will hand-raise makes a poignant comment on the effects of police violence and neglect in custody for First Nations Australians.

Martine Perret’s beautiful image ‘Levi and Keneisha’, taken as a part of her project Ngala Wongga (come and talk): Cultural Significance of Languages in the Western Australian Goldfields it captures local woman, Glenys Williams grandchildren floating in the clay pan around the Wiluna Mission.

Nic Walker’s captures the elation and freedom of young Australians celebrating schoolies in Bali.

Craig Greenhill’s confronting image of the Cronulla Riots, as Brent Lohman and other rioters attack Ali Hashimi on a suburban train in December 2005.

Edwina Pickles’ inspiring photograph of Stephanie Kurlow, 14, shows her leaping in her backyard and the hard work she is putting in as she aspires to be the first professional hijabi ballerina in the world.

Rick Stevens’ photograph of Princess Diana reacting to a hot breeze, and the priceless facial expression, as she travels by train in South Australia, during a royal visit to Australia in 1988.

David Dare Parker’s heartbreaking image of Rohingya refugees crossing into Bangladesh on makeshift rafts constructed of bamboo and plastic palm oil containers.

John French’s climbed into the rafters to get this image of Serena Williams, mid-air, celebrating her win against Maria Sharapova in the 2005 Australian Open semi-final.

“I am thrilled for Head On to partner with Google Arts & Culture - this is such an important platform that ensures arts and culture can continue to thrive and fulfil their vital role in our society. Anyone, anywhere, can see excellent photography in a COVID-19 safe way at a time and place that suits them,” said Head On Foundation Director, Moshe Rosenzveig OAM.
Keep exploring the eight virtual exhibits, or in the Head On Foundation collection audiences can also explore 100 incredible images from the Head On Photo Award 2020 finalists.

Posted by Lucy Schwartz, Program Manager, Google Arts & Culture

Make your home a little more helpful: new Nest features

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Nest devices are changing the way we get things done at home - and the best part is that they keep getting more and more helpful over time with regular updates. You may have already noticed and started using new features like:

The Apple TV app now on Chromecast with Google TV* Get access to award-winning original shows, movies and documentaries with the Apple TV app now on Chromecast with Google TV. You’ll now see Apple Originals in your recommendations on Google TV, and you can add them to your Watchlist.

New to Chromecast with Google TV? Set up is quick and easy. Now you're on the way to discover even more content from many of your favourite apps, including 400,000+ movies and TV episodes, plus millions of songs.

Guest Mode We introduced Guest Mode on Nest devices, an easy way to control your privacy on your speakers and displays, like Nest Audio and Nest Hub Max. You can enjoy all your favourite features, like asking questions, controlling smart home devices, setting timers or playing music and your Google Assistant interactions will not be saved to your account. Just say, “Hey Google, turn on Guest Mode,” to turn it on.

These are just some of the ways we are helping you to get more out of your Nest devices. Keep an eye out for more helpful features.
*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. **Subscription required for Apple TV+.

Australia Blog

Pixel Buds A-Series: Rich sound, iconic design, just $159

New from Google Nest: The latest Cams and Doorbell are coming

Aussies can now save vaccination certificates on Android devices

YouTube Shorts arrives in Australia

Assessing the Economic, Societal, and Cultural Impact of YouTube in Australia

The best of Australian photojournalism is now on Google Arts & Culture

Make your home a little more helpful: new Nest features

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