Australia Blog
News and notes from Google Down Under
Spotlight on digital in the middle of Australia
Monday, October 22, 2018
More than 1,500 kilometres from Adelaide and almost the same distance from Darwin, Alice Springs is light on neighbours but big on community, with a thriving tourism and small business sector.
Over 50 business people from across the Northern Territory came together today to learn new digital skills and find out more about getting online at the Google
Digital Garage
, hosted with the
Chamber of Commerce Northern Territory
.
Deputy Speaker of the Northern Territory Parliament and Member for Namatjira, Chansey Paech MLA spoke about the importance of small business in Central Australia for the economy and jobs.
He also spoke about plans to deliver better internet connection to remote Aboriginal communities as part of the NT Government's new Digital Strategy.
Deputy Speaker of the NT Parliament and Member for Namatjira, Chansey Paech MLA
There was strong representation from the tourism sector, along with the arts community, retail, hospitality, trades and the community sector.
The training covered practical steps for businesses to be found on Google Maps and Search and connect with new customers.
At Google, we want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to learn the skills necessary to succeed online, that’s why we launched
The Digital Garage
to help close the gap in digital skills and help small businesses make the most of the web.
The Digital Garage has visited most states and territories this year and is continuing events in weeks to come - find events near you or learn more online at
The Digital Garage
!
Posted by Hannah Frank, Public Policy and Government Relations Manager, Google Australia
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/dYlum-8RSVtJH4Qx7BTapk-5V_q0p1Qr71cUOBGXzDnD_ksTwNkxtyojhU_G48mgQNQ5en5bNGyf-EsiQdNWvPJx9ygwvK8cjbRssHNuf4JRHvIWiXx020rQ594X-hu8mqgi7w6U
Take the ultimate Selfie by the Sea with Google Pixel 3
Monday, October 22, 2018
It’s that wonderful time of year again. Spring has sprung, daylight savings has started – and the Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk has been magically transformed with spectacular sculptures. To celebrate the extraordinary art featured at 'Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2018' we’re delighted to bring three installations to the exhibit, inviting Aussies to engage with the artworks in new ways.
Discover extraordinary art, from new angles
From three elevated lookouts in Marks Park, Mackenzies Bay and Tamarama beach, attendees will be able to enjoy new perspectives along the coastal path which were not previously accessible – and get everybody in for the ultimate group selfie.
Get everything and everyone in
By taking their ‘Selfies by the Sea’ to new levels, attendees can capture more installations, scenery and people in one frame. They will also be able to try out the new group selfie feature on the
Google Pixel 3
, which gives up to 184% more room for friends and scenery in the photo.* No selfie stick required.
Learn more about the installations
Come and visit the installations until November 5 to try out the new
Google Pixel 3
ahead of the public launch. Also, every 15 minutes between 9am-5pm on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the exhibition, you can enjoy a free 40 minute photo tour to learn more about the art exhibits and get tips on how to capture the ultimate photo, starting near the Pixel 3 lookout in Marks Park. Existing Pixel 1 & Pixel 2 users who show their phone can also enjoy expedited entry!
About
Sculpture by the Sea Bondi, 2018:
This year marks the 22nd year in which Sydney’s breathtaking Bondi to Tamarama coastal walk has been transformed by '
Sculpture by the Sea,
Bondi' with the installation of 107 sculptures from 21 countries. The exhibition is free to the public and runs from Thursday 18 October until Sunday 4 November 2018.
*Pixel 3 Group Selfie camera captures up to 184% more area of the scene than iPhone XS based on EXIF data from each camera. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc. registered in the US and other countries. Results may vary.
Posted by Zoe Hayes, Head of Hardware Marketing, Australia and New Zealand
Get charged up with Google Maps
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
We built Google Maps to help people get where they need to go no matter what mode of transportation they use. Our newest feature brings helpful information about electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to the Map, so you can be confident that your car will be charged and ready for your ride, wherever you’re headed. Here’s how it works:
A quick search for keywords like “ev charging” or “EV charging stations" will display the nearest supported stations. To help you make a quick decision about which station to use, we’ll show you information about the business where the station is located, the types of ports available, charging speeds, and how many ports there are. You’ll also see information about the station from drivers, including photos, ratings, reviews and questions.
In addition, businesses that have charging stations will now feature a link to information about the chargers.
Google Maps now supports charging stations around the world, including:
Global:
Tesla, Chargepoint
AU and NZ:
Chargefox
US:
SemaConnect, EVgo, Blink
UK:
Chargemaster, Pod Point
The ability to search for electric vehicle charging stations starts rolling out today on Android and iOS, with desktop launching in the coming weeks. To get started on mobile, update your Google Maps app from the
App Store
or
Play Store
today.
Posted by Andrew Foster, Group Product Manager, Google Maps
Being smart and secure online
Friday, October 12, 2018
Most of us are connected digitally on a daily basis, and unfortunately the risk of cyberattacks is ever present. So it’s important to stay alert and vigilant to the potential threats that exist. That’s why Google supports
Stay Smart Online Week
, which is all about reversing the threat of cybercrime.
Today, there are more than 1400 partners of Stay Smart Online Week working to raise awareness about cybersecurity across Australia, sharing tips and resources to better protect individuals, families, communities, and businesses of all sizes.
Google services have built-in security infrastructure to detect and prevent online threats, helping to keep users' personal information secure. Gmail protects users from spam, phishing, and malware by analysing patterns in billions of messages to identify characteristics of emails that users marked as spam. These markers help to block 99.9 percent of suspicious or dangerous emails before they ever reach you. Google Play Protect is built in to Android devices and scans apps before, during, and after download to ensure users have the latest in mobile security and to keep devices and user data secure.
Google also provides tips and tools to help users learn about privacy and security and protect their personal information.
Google’s Privacy Checkup:
We build easy-to-use privacy tools into
Google Account
to give users control over their privacy settings. Google’s
Privacy Checkup
also makes it easy to choose and adjust privacy settings. In just a few minutes, you can manage what data is collected and update what you share publicly and with friends. You can change these settings as often as you want and even have regular reminders sent to help keep current settings in mind.
Google’s Security Checkup:
This step-by-step tool gives personalised and actionable security recommendations for Google Account settings. You can review and manage your Google account security settings, like verify that your account recovery information is up to date and review the websites, apps, and devices connected to your account. Like the Privacy Checkup, Google’s
Security Checkup
takes just a few minutes and can be taken as often as you like.
Strong password security:
Creating a strong, unique password is one of the most critical steps you can take to protect your online accounts. Consider taking a long sentence or phrase that you won’t forget and building a password with the first letters of each word.
Use unique passwords and keep track of them:
Using the same password across your accounts increases your security risk. Creating a unique password for each account eliminates this risk and keeps your accounts more secure. A password manager, like
Smart Lock
in Chrome, helps you safeguard and keep track of all the passwords for your different online accounts.
Lock down your phone if you lose it:
If your phone is ever lost or stolen, you can visit
your Google Account
and select “Find your phone” to protect your data. Whether you have an Android or iOS device, you can remotely locate and lock your phone so that no one else can use your phone and access your personal information.
Being aware of the controls available to you and taking steps to protect your devices and online accounts can help you stay secure online. If we all take action, we can help to boost Australia’s cyber resilience and reverse the threat of cybercrime.
Posted by Samantha Yorke, Google Public Policy and Government Affairs Counsel for Google Australia
Samantha Yorke,
Public Policy and Government Affairs Counsel
Google Australia
5 reasons why we love the new Chromecast
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
We launched
our first Chromecast in 2013
with the aim to make it easy to get your favorite content right from your phone to your TV. With thousands of compatible apps to cast from, people are tapping the Cast button more than ever. And since Chromecast, the Made by Google family of products has continued to grow, bringing the best of hardware, software, and AI together. So for this 5th year of Chromecast, we wanted to share the top 5 reasons we’re excited about our newest Chromecast:
Fits right in.
With a new design, Chromecast blends in with your decor and the rest of the Made by Google family.
Stream hands-free.
Chromecast and Google Home work seamlessly together. Just say what you want to watch from compatible services, like YouTube or Netflix, and control your TV just by asking. Try, “Hey Google, play Lost in Space from Netflix.” (You’ll need a Netflix subscription to get started).
Picture perfect at 60fps.
Our newest Chromecast supports streaming in 1080p at 60 frames per second, giving you a more lifelike image. So when you’re watching the game, it will feel even more like you’re there.
More than a screen, it’s a canvas.
With Ambient Mode, you can personalize your TV with a constantly updating stream of the best and latest photos taken by you, your friends and your family from Google Photos. With new Live Albums from Google Photos, you can enjoy photos of people and pets you care about and skip blurry photos and duplicates- all without lifting a finger. New photos will show up automatically on your TV - no uploading hassles.
And still has an RRP of just $59.
So it’s the perfect gift this upcoming holiday season for the streamer in your life.
The new Chromecast is available in Charcoal in Australia from the
Google Store
,
JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Officeworks, The Good Guys, and other major retailers.
Keep on streaming!
PS - if you’re looking for the perfect companion for your 4K TV, check out
Chromecast Ultra
to stream in up to 4K UHD, HDR, and Dolby Vision.
Posted by Jess Bonner, Chromecast PM
Introducing Google Home Hub, Made by Google’s first display device
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Welcome to Google Home Hub—the newest member of the Google Home family, bringing you help at a glance. With the Google Assistant built in, you can use your voice to get the best of Google—Search, Calendar, Maps, YouTube, Google Photos and more–right on Hub’s display.
Thoughtfully designed for any room
The first thing you’ll notice about Hub is its beautiful design. We made this display to fit right into your home, and we hope you’ll consider it not just functional, but part of your decor. Its 7” screen is like a floating display, just the right size to fit on any surface and big enough to enjoy your photos from across the room. With soft rounded corners, Hub fits naturally on any surface. My favourite places are my kitchen counter and nightstand. Available in Chalk and Charcoal across partner retailers, and also in Aqua and Sand on the Google Store.
We consciously decided to not include a camera on Google Home Hub, so you feel comfortable placing it in the private spaces of your home, like the bedroom. On the top of the device you’ll find the powerful Google Home Hub’s Ambient EQ light sensor. It allows the screen to automatically adjust to match the lighting in the room, so photos on Google Home Hub will blend in with the room, too. That means no glowing screen—it fits seamlessly into your home. When it's time for bed, Hub knows to dim the screen for a good night’s sleep.
J
umpstart your morning routine
I think I speak for most parents when I say mornings at home are hectic. From the time we wake up until we’re racing out the door, every minute counts. With Routines, Hub can provide you and your family with useful info about the day ahead. Just say “Hey Google, good morning” for a personalised, visual overview of family activities from Google Calendar, your commute from Google Maps, your latest reminders, the weather forecast, local news updates and more. And with Voice Match, up to six people can get their own personalised Routine. And I can get easy how-to help from YouTube videos: “Hey Google, how do you make cold-brew coffee?”
Simplify your connected home
The Google Assistant works with more than 5,000 devices worldwide, and 100+ home automation devices from more than 50 brands here in Australia—including Nest, TP-Link, Philips Hue and more. With Hub, everyone in the family can see and control your compatible devices from a single dashboard—no more switching between apps. Just swipe down to reveal your home view: dim your lights, turn up the volume on the TV, and see who is outside with your Nest Cam Outdoor. You can also broadcast messages through all connected speakers in your home, just say “Hey Google, broadcast dinner’s ready!” to round up the family.
Relive the moment with Google Photos
Google Home Hub is also a photo frame, but not your average one: It's easy to set up, automatically refreshes the photos that are displayed, and features your best shots. With Live Albums, a new feature from Google Photos, I can relive recent memories with family and friends even while Hub is not in use. Google Photos will automatically add new photos of my son and our dog to my album, avoiding duplicates and blurry shots. I can even share our Live Album with my mum, so when she sets up her Google Home Hub, the photos of her grandson will be added to the live album automatically. Plus, you can say goodbye to endless scrolling on your phone to find the photo you’re looking for. Google Home Hub makes it easy: “Hey Google, show my pictures from the Grand Canyon,” and just like that, I'm taken back to my vacation.
Get hands-free help in the kitchen
My family spends a lot of time in our kitchen, and Google Home Hub helps us prepare recipes like top chefs. I can use my voice to browse millions of recipes and start cooking, all hands-free. We’ve teamed up with Woolworths, Genius Kitchen, Food Network and others to bring their fun, family-friendly recipe videos to Google Home Hub. Check out the Woolworths lamington recipe for a fun how-to recipe, it’s delicious!
Hub helps you turn the music up, then wind down
At my house, Fridays are family night—and sometimes that means a dance-off. Hub’s full-range speaker means a crisp, clear sound every time. With Hub, you can enjoy music from YouTube, Spotify, TuneIn Radio and other popular music services (you may need a subscription). Eligible customers activating Hub before December 31, 2018 can also get a six month trial of YouTube Premium on us, to enjoy not just YouTube Music, but all of YouTube ad-free (
restrictions and terms apply
).
When you’re ready for bed, just say, “Hey Google, good night” to set an alarm, turn off compatible lights and TVs and fall asleep to soothing music. You can use ready-made or custom Routines to create your own Routine with any of the Google Assistant’s one million actions, starting your routine with a phrase that feels best for you. For busy working parents like me, every day is hectic—so these features are truly game-changing when I have my hands full or I’m strapped for time.
I know you’ll love getting help and enjoying family time with Hub, just like my family. Google Home Hub’s RRP is $219. You can pre-order it today and buy it from October 23 at JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, Officeworks, The Good Guys, Optus, Vodafone and Google Store (colour availability will vary).
Once you set up Hub, just say “Hey Google, what can you do” to get started.
Posted by Diya Jolly, VP, Product Management, Google Home
1
Compatible smart devices required.
Google Pixel 3. Make every day more extraordinary.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Today we’re introducing
Pixel 3 and Pixel 3XL
, the new smartphones from Google. Pixel brings you the best of Google in a phone and is powered by AI to deliver more helpful, thoughtful, and enjoyable experiences. This means you can now enjoy a camera that uses AI to make sure you never miss the shot – and a more helpful visual and audio experience while charging, powered by the Google Assistant.
Here’s how the camera gets even better with Pixel 3:
Brilliant photos every time and super-charged selfies
We’re taking more photos on our phones than ever before, but we still often miss the perfect moment. Pixel 3 helps you get that perfect shot on the first try.
No selfie stick required
: Get everyone in the picture with Group Selfie, which gives you up to 184% more room in your photo for friends and scenery.*
Capture smiles, not blinks:
A feature we call Top Shot uses AI to help you capture the perfect photo every time. When you take a motion photo, it captures alternate shots in HDR+, then recommends the best one—even if it’s not exactly when you hit the shutter, looking for those where everyone is smiling, with eyes open, and facing the camera.
Get better zoom
: When you zoom in on a phone camera, the image looks grainy. Super Res Zoom is a computational photography technique, traditionally used for astronomy and scientific imaging, that produces sharp details when you zoom.
No light; no problem:
Pixel 3 lets you take natural-looking photos in dark surroundings, all without a flash. With Night Sight, you can take bright, detailed, colorful shots around the campfire, in a moonlit forest, or a selfie after you close out the bar (coming soon).
Look … no hands!
Photobooth mode uses AI to recognise that when you’re smiling or making a funny expression, you’re ready for a selfie. It snaps the photo on its own so that you don’t need to reach for the shutter button—a good option for candids.
Even more stunning portraits, front and back:
When you take photos in Portrait Mode, you can change the blurriness of the background, or change the part of the picture in focus, after the fact. Google Photos can also make the subject of your photo pop by leaving them in colour, while changing the background to black and white.
Create and play:
In Playground, you can make photos, selfies, and videos come to life by adding your favourite superheroes, animated stickers, and fun captions. In celebration of Marvel Studios’ 10 Year Anniversary, you’ll enjoy seeing the characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (exclusively on Pixel) react to each other and to you. New packs for Weather, Pets, Sports and Signs let you have everyday fun, and coming later this year, you'll be able to sharpen your dance skills with moves from Childish Gambino.
Super smooth video:
When you want to capture something that won’t stop moving—think an adorable toddler or your new puppy—Motion Auto Focus will make sure your Pixel 3 camera stays in sharp focus automatically, as you record. And if you happen to be taking a selfie video while walking or moving around, Pixel 3 brings you front-facing video stabilisation.
Unlimited online storage for all of your photos and videos
With Pixel 3, you can save all your favourite moments with unlimited online photo and video storage.** It’s hassle-free, you don’t have to think about back-ups. Come back to Google Photos later and search for the beach photos you took on your Pixel 3, and they’ll pop right up.
Your AI-powered sidekick
The AI in Pixel 3 enables new features that make your day-to-day actions simpler and easier.
If you want to know more about something you’re looking at, use Google Lens, built right into the Pixel 3 camera. You can now long press in the Pixel 3 camera to easily invoke Lens to scan and translate text, find similar styles of clothing, or identify popular plants and animals. When you point your camera at information you want to remember or don’t feel like typing in—like a URL or QR code on a flyer or an email address on a business card—Google Lens suggests what to do next, like calling a number, going to the website, or creating a new contact.
You can count on even more help across other apps too, including Gmail’s Smart Compose, now available for mobile on Pixel 3. Smart Compose suggests phrases in your emails so that you can draft them faster, on the go. Gboard, the keyboard built into your Pixel 3, will recommend GIFs, stickers, and more, to make your conversations fun and engaging. Available first in English.
The Google Assistant is also baked into Pixel 3 to help you find answers and control your phone and compatible smart home devices—all with a simple squeeze or just by using your voice.***
Digital Wellbeing
Our phones, while probably the most important tech in our lives, shouldn’t control our lives. So
Digital Wellbeing
, a suite of tools to help you find your own balance with technology, is built into Pixel 3. It includes a dashboard to help you understand how you spend time on your phone, the ability to set time limits on specific apps, and a new Wind Down mode to help you get to sleep at night by gently transitioning your display to a grayscale screen. When you don’t want to be bothered by rings or notifications, just flip to Shhh— an easy gesture that turns on Do Not Disturb and minimises distractions.
Fast and wireless charging
Pixel 3 comes with an 18 Watt fast charger in the box, which can give you up to 7 hours of use in 15 minutes of
charging
.**** With our AI-powered Adaptive Battery technique, Pixel 3 prioritises battery power for your most important apps to help make your phone last all day.
Alongside Pixel 3, we’re also introducing
Pixel Stand
, our new, Qi compliant wireless charger (sold separately). While charging in the Pixel Stand, your phone turns into a smart visual and audio experience powered by the Google Assistant, similar to Google Home Hub. It answers your questions, plays music, helps you control smart home devices, transitions into a photo frame when idle, and much more. If you set an alarm, your screen will gently brighten over 15 minutes before your alarm goes off, mimicking the sunrise and helping you wake up naturally.
Pixel 3 is IP68 water and dust resistant and has a security chip custom-designed by Google called Titan M, making it the most secure phone we've built yet. Titan M enhances mobile security by protecting your unlock credentials, disk encryption, app data, and the integrity of the operating system code itself. Powered by Android 9 Pie, Pixel 3 comes with the latest Android operating system.
You can choose from two sizes - the 5.5” Pixel 3 and the 6.3” Pixel 3 XL - and three colours - Just Black, Clearly White, and Not Pink. Both have the exact same feature set and include a high quality Pixel USB-C earbuds and a USB-C Digital to 3.5 mm headphone adapter in the box. Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL come with dual front-firing speakers tuned by a GRAMMY®-winning music producer to turn your phone into a powerful speaker. Eligible customers who activate a Pixel 3 or Pixel 3 XL by December 31, 2018 can get a 6-month trial of
YouTube Music Premium
on us (
restrictions and terms apply
).
Pixel 3 will be available for pre-order today and on-shelf from November 1 at Optus, Telstra and Vodafone – as well as JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman and the
Google Store
. Pixel 3 RRP starts at $1199, Pixel 3 XL RRP starts at $1349 and Pixel Stand RRP is $119.
Posted by Mario Queiroz, GM & VP, Pixel
*
Pixel 3 Group Selfie camera captures
up to
184% more area of the scene than iPhone XS based on EXIF data from each camera. iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc. registered in the US and other countries.
Results may vary.
**Free unlimited online original-quality storage for all photos and videos uploaded to Google Photos from Pixel 3 through 31/1/2022. Photos and videos uploaded before 31/1/2022 will remain free at original-quality. Requires Google Account. Data rates may apply.
g.co/help/photostorage
***G
oogle Assistant and Google Lens require internet connection to use certain features.
****
Approximate battery life based on a mix of talk, data, standby and use of other features with always on display off and mobile hotspot off. An active display or data usage will decrease battery life.
Charging rates are based on use of the
included charger. Charging time performance statistics are approximate.
Actual results may vary.
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