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An inbox that works for you
October 22, 2014
Today, we’re introducing something new. It’s called
Inbox
. Years in the making, Inbox is by the same people who brought you Gmail, but it’s not Gmail: it’s a completely different type of inbox, designed to focus on what really matters.
Email started simply as a way to send digital notes around the office. But fast-forward 30 years and with just the phone in your pocket, you can use email to contact virtually anyone in the world…from your best friend to the owner of that bagel shop you discovered last week.
With this evolution comes new challenges: we get more email now than ever, important information is buried inside messages, and our most important tasks can slip through the cracks—especially when we’re working on our phones. For many of us, dealing with email has become a daily chore that distracts from what we really need to do—rather than helping us get those things done.
If this all sounds familiar, then Inbox is for you. Or more accurately, Inbox works for you. Here are some of the ways Inbox is at your service:
Bundles: stay organized automatically
Inbox expands upon the categories we introduced in Gmail last year, making it easy to deal with similar types of mail all at once. For example, all your purchase receipts or bank statements are neatly grouped together so that you can quickly review and then swipe them out of the way. You can even teach Inbox to adapt to the way you work by choosing which emails you’d like to see grouped together.
Highlights: the important info at a glance
Inbox highlights the key information from important messages, such as flight itineraries, event information, and photos and documents emailed to you by friends and family. Inbox will even display useful information from the web that wasn’t in the original email, such as the real-time status of your flights and package deliveries. Highlights and Bundles work together to give you just the information you need at a glance.
Reminders, Assists, and Snooze: your to-do’s on your own terms
Inbox makes it easy to focus on your priorities by letting you add your own Reminders, from picking up the dry cleaning to giving your parents a call. No matter what you need to remember, your inbox becomes a centralized place to keep track of the things you need to get back to.
A sampling of Assists
And speaking of to-do’s, Inbox helps you cross those off your list by providing Assists—handy pieces of information you may need to get the job done. For example, if you write a Reminder to call the hardware store, Inbox will supply the store’s phone number and tell you if it's open. Assists work for your email, too. If you make a restaurant reservation online, Inbox adds a map to your confirmation email. Book a flight online, and Inbox gives a link to check-in.
Of course, not everything needs to be done right now. Whether you’re in an inconvenient place or simply need to focus on something else first, Inbox lets you Snooze away emails and Reminders. You can set them to come back at another time or when you get to a specific location, like your home or your office.
Get started with Inbox
Starting today, we’re sending out the first round of invitations to give Inbox a try, and each new user will be able to invite their friends. If Inbox can’t arrive soon enough for you, you can email us at
inbox@google.com
to get an invitation as soon as more become available.
When you start using Inbox, you’ll quickly see that it doesn’t feel the same as Gmail—and that’s the point. Gmail’s still there for you, but
Inbox is something new
. It’s a better way to get back to what matters, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Posted by Sundar Pichai, SVP, Android, Chrome & Apps
Cross-posted from the
Official Gmail Blog
DISTRICT VOICES: Inside Panem with our finest citizens
October 20, 2014
Meet District Voices, the latest campaign in our
Art, Copy & Code
project—where we explore new ways for brands to connect with consumers through experiences that people love, remember and share. District Voices was created in partnership with Lionsgate to promote the upcoming release of
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1. -Ed.
Greetings, Citizens of Panem!
The Capitol has joined forces with Google and YouTube to celebrate the proud achievements of our strong, lively districts. Premiering today on YouTube, a new miniseries called DISTRICT VOICES will take you behind the scenes to meet some of Panem’s most creative—and loyal—citizens.
At 4 p.m. EDT/ 1 p.m. PDT every day this week, one of your favorite Citizen creators from YouTube will give you a never-before-seen tour of their districts. First, the
Threadbanger
textile experts
of District 8 will show how utility meets beauty in this season’s fashion—plus, you’ll get a look at a new way to wear your Capitol pride. Tomorrow,
District 2's Shane Fazen
will provide a riveting demonstration of how we keep our noble peacekeepers in tip-top shape. On Wednesday,
Derek Muller
from District 5—Panem’s center of power generation—will give you a peek at a revolutionary new way to generate electricity. Thursday
The Grain District
’s own
Feast of Fiction
will show you how to bake one of beloved victor Peeta Mellark’s most special treats. And finally, iJustine,
District 6’s liaison
to the Capitol, will give you an exclusive glimpse at the majestic and powerful peacekeeper vehicles in action.
Tune in at
CAPITOL TV
. And remember—Love your labor. Take pride in your task. Our future is in your hands.
Posted by Vikram Tank of The Capitol, devoted to excellence, progress & unity
Through the Google lens: search trends October 10-16
October 17, 2014
Diet secrets from Zach Galifianakis, and cord cutting from a cable company?! Here's a look at another topsy-turvy week in search.
A cast of characters
Search will always have its fair share of characters and this week was no different. First up, moviegoers learned who’s next in line for Hollywood’s superhero treatment when
Ezra Miller
, star of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, landed the title role in the 2018 film The Flash. And whispers are swirling in Tinseltown that
Gal Gadot's
already impressive resume—she’s set to play the world’s most famous Amazonian, Wonder Woman—will soon get another stellar addition, the lead female role in a remake of Ben-Hur.
But they weren’t the only celebrities to get the Internet buzzing. Comedian and fan favorite
Zach Galifianakis
caused a stir on the trends charts after he revealed a much thinner version of himself on the red carpet of the New York Film Festival. When a
reporter asked
Galifianakis if he had made any lifestyle changes to lose the weight, he responded with a straight face, “No, I'm just... I'm dying.” Clearly Galifianakis isn’t sharing his weight loss secrets.
Out with the old, in with the new
HBO has seen the light! This week the premium television network announced that they will launch a new stand-alone service for fans of its TV shows. Soon, homes without a cable subscription can sign up for HBO Go and get their fill of Game of Thrones and other HBO shows with just an Internet connection—leading people to wonder if this is the
beginning of the end
for cable providers.
Consumers also had a lot of new mobile devices to choose from this week, starting with our own line of Nexus gadgets like the
Nexus 6
running the latest version of Android, 5.0 Lollipop. Meanwhile,
Apple
announced an updated version of the iPad.
The show’s just getting started
Is it awards show season already? It’s not—but that’s not stopping searchers from looking ahead. The Internet rejoiced when How I Met Your Mother and Gone Girl star Neil Patrick Harris said “Hosting the 2015 Academy Awards? Challenge accepted!” But with the Oscars red carpet still months away, searchers had their sights set on another celebrity bash:
Paul Rudd's
keg party… at his
mom’s house
… in the suburbs of Kansas City. What else are you supposed to do when mom’s out of town and the KC Royals just punched a ticket to the World Series after a nearly 30-year hiatus?
Tip of the week
‘Tis the season for pumpkin spice beers? Next time you’re in a new town and looking to grab a cold one just say “Ok Google, show me pubs near my hotel” and find your new favorite haunt.
Posted by, Jenise Araujo, Communications Associate, who searched for [tv a la carte] and [yo yo diets]
Android: Be together. Not the same.
October 15, 2014
Good things happen when everybody’s invited. A few years ago, we had the thought that phones (and stuff that hadn’t even been invented yet like tablets and smart watches) would be way more interesting if everyone could build new things together. So we
created
Android as an open platform, and put it out there for everyone to imagine, invent, make, or buy whatever they wanted.
Since then, all kinds of people—from companies big and small to folks on Kickstarter, kids in schools, and crazy smart developers—have been innovating faster,
together
, more than we ever could alone. And the best part is that every time someone new joins in, things get more interesting, unexpected, and wonderful for all of us.
Getting everyone in on the party is the same spirit behind
Android One
—an effort recently launched in India (coming to other countries soon) to make great smartphones available to the billions of people around the world who aren’t yet online. It’s also why we’re excited about Lollipop, our newest software release, which is designed to meet the diverse needs of the billion-plus people who already use
Android
today.
Joining the party: Android 5.0 Lollipop
As
previewed
at Google I/O, Lollipop is our largest, most ambitious release on Android with over 5,000 new APIs for
developers
. Lollipop is designed to be flexible, to work on all your devices and to be customized for you the way you see fit. And just like Android has always been, it’s designed to be shared.
Lollipop is made for a world where moving throughout the day means interacting with a bunch of different screens—from phones and tablets to TVs. With more devices connecting together, your expectation is that things just work. With Lollipop, it’s easier than ever to pick up where you left off, so the songs, photos, apps, and even recent searches from one of your Android devices can be immediately enjoyed across all the other ones.
As you switch from one screen to another, the experience should feel the same. So Lollipop has a consistent design across devices—an approach we call
Material Design
. Now content responds to your touch, or even your voice, in more intuitive ways, and transitions between tasks are more fluid.
Lollipop also gives you more control over your device. You can now adjust your settings so that only certain people and notifications can get through, for example, when you’re out to dinner or in the middle of an important meeting. And when an important notification does come through, you can see it directly from the lockscreen.
And because we’re using our devices a lot more, there’s a new battery saver feature that extends the life of your device by up to 90 minutes—helpful if you’re far from a power outlet. We’ve enabled multiple user accounts and guest user mode for keeping your personal stuff private. And you can now secure your device with a PIN, password, pattern, or even by pairing your phone to a trusted device like your watch or car with Smart Lock. But this is just a small taste of Lollipop. Learn more on
android.com
.
Meet the Nexus family, now running Lollipop
Advances in computing are driven at the intersection of hardware and software. That's why we’ve always introduced
Nexus devices
alongside our platform releases. Rather than creating software in the abstract, we work with hardware partners to build Nexus devices to help push the boundaries of what's possible. Nexus devices also serve as a reference for the ecosystem as they develop on our newest release. And for Lollipop, we have a few new
Nexus treats
to share with you.
First, with Motorola, we developed the
Nexus 6
. This new phone has a contoured aluminum frame, a 6-inch Quad HD display and a 13 megapixel camera. The large screen is complemented by dual front-facing stereo speakers that deliver high-fidelity sound, making it as great for movies and gaming as it is for doing work. It also comes with a Turbo Charger, so you can get up to six hours of use with only 15 minutes of charge.
Next, a new tablet built in partnership with HTC.
Nexus 9
, with brushed metal sides and 8.9-inch screen, is small enough to easily carry around in one hand, yet big enough to work on. And since more and more people want to have the same simple experience they have on their tablets when they have to do real work, we designed a keyboard folio that magnetically attaches to the Nexus 9, folds into two different angles and rests securely on your lap like a laptop.
Finally, we’re releasing the first device running Android TV:
Nexus Player
, a collaboration with Asus, is a streaming media player for movies, music and videos. It's also a first-of-its-kind Android gaming device. With Nexus Player you can play Android games on your HDTV with a gamepad, then keep playing on your phone while you're on the road. Nexus Player is Google Cast Ready so you can cast your favorite entertainment from almost any Chromebook or Android or iOS phone or tablet to your TV.
Nexus 9 and Nexus Player will be available for pre-order on October 17. Nexus 9 will be in stores starting November 3. Nexus 6 will be available for pre-order in late October and in stores in November—with options for an unlocked version through Play store, or a monthly contract or installment plan through carriers, including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular, and Verizon. Specific carrier rollout timing will vary. Check out
google.com/nexus
for more details on availability.
Android 5.0 Lollipop, which comes on Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Nexus Player, will also be available on Nexus 4, 5, 7, 10 and Google Play edition devices in the coming weeks.
The party’s just getting started
With this latest release of Android Lollipop, we're excited to continue working with our developer community, hardware partners, and all of you. More ideas and more creators is what gets us all to better ideas faster. And since everyone's invited to the party, we hope you'll join in the fun by
creating and sharing an Android character
that captures a little bit of who you are—one of a kind. Enjoy!
Posted by Sundar Pichai, SVP, Android, Chrome & Apps
OMG! Mobile voice survey reveals teens love to talk
October 14, 2014
“Ok Google, do I need an umbrella today?” “How tall do you need to be to ride the Cyclone?” “How long does a goat live?” People of all ages are starting to talk to their devices more regularly—in fact, our data also show mobile voice searches more than doubled in the past year. But how, why and where do people use voice search? To find out, we commissioned a study, conducted by Northstar Research, surveying 1,400 Americans across all age groups. Here are the results:
We weren’t surprised to find that teens—always ahead of the curve when it comes to new technology—talk to their phones more than the average adult. More than half of teens (13-18) use voice search daily—to them it’s as natural as checking social media or taking selfies. Adults are also getting the hang of it, with 41 percent talking to their phones every day and 56 percent admitting it makes them “feel tech savvy.”
Both teens and adults are asking their phones for directions and using it to help skip the hassle of typing in phone numbers. And it’s pretty clear a lot of people are relying on voice search for multitasking: they talk to their phones while watching TV (38 percent) and 23 percent of adults use voice search while cooking. Apparently, it’s becoming common kitchen etiquette to ask your mobile device: “Ok Google, how many ounces are in a gallon?”—all while making sure your screen stays crumb-free.
While people of all ages ask practical questions, it’s teens who are exploring all angles, with nearly one-third talking to their phones to get help with homework. I see my kids asking my phone questions like: “Ok Google, who was the sixth president of the U.S.?” or “what’s the tallest mountain in Europe?” On the bright side, teens are ditching voice search in the classroom: 74 percent of them think using voice search at school is unacceptable. In fact, most admit to using voice search “just for fun”—I know my daughter finds it pretty amusing to tell her phone: “Ok Google, play Olivia Holt’s ‘Fearless’” to start a dance party.
And teens don’t seem to associate any stigma with using voice search while hanging out with friends, whereas only one-quarter of adults speak to their phones when in the company of others. Teens don’t mind talking to devices in private as well, with more than one in five admitting to using voice search while in the bathroom! Maybe they’re merely setting reminders like “Ok Google, remind mom to buy toilet paper next time we’re at Safeway.”
Though it’s already helping a lot of people save time and simplify their days, there’s also potential for voice search to do a lot more in the future. So we asked people what they wished voice search could one day deliver. And I have to say, I agree with the results! it would be great to rely on my voice to easily find my car keys or TV remote, both of which somehow always end up under the couch cushions.
And I’m not alone in wishing a simple voice command could save me from having to cook dinner. Forty-five percent of teens—and 36 percent of adults!—wish they could place a pizza delivery order using voice search on their mobile device. We’re not quite there yet, but next time you don’t feel like cooking, just pull out your phone, tap the Google app, and say: “Ok Google, call Round Table Pizza.” You’ll still have to place your order over the phone, but we’re getting closer!
The small print: The study was commissioned by Google and executed by Northstar Research, a global consulting firm. It examined the smartphone voice search habits of 1,400 Americans, 13 years of age and older (400 ages 13-17 and 1,000 adults ages 18+). Voice search is part of the Google app (available on iOS and Android) and is the best way to access Google for helpful assistance throughout your day.
Learn more about the Google app
.
Posted by Scott Huffman, VP, Conversational Search
Google Express: more cities, more stores and a new name
October 13, 2014
One year ago, the first Google Shopping Express order was delivered—a box of granola. Our idea was to make shopping your favorite local stores as easy and fast as shopping online, and to help you get what you need delivered the same day. Since then, you’ve told us how we helped you restock diapers in the nick of time, made sure you had Bananagrams for family game night, and even made you feel connected to the outside world when you were home sick. Along the way, we've expanded to new locations, brought on more merchants, and offered more products. And now, we’re adding to the program you love.
More cities, more stores and more products
Starting today, we’re expanding to three new cities: Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Across all our cities, more than 7 million people can now access our same-day delivery service, and in Northern California almost 12 million can use our next-day service.
We’re also adding more merchants: 16 in total over the last couple of months. We’ve added national brands including 1-800-Flowers, Barnes & Noble, Nine West, PetSmart, Vitamin Shoppe and Sports Authority, and regional merchants such as Paragon Sports in New York and Vicente Foods in Los Angeles. In our new markets, we’ve added regional brands including Stop & Shop in Boston; Giant Food in D.C.; and Lux Roses, TigerDirect, Treasure Island Foods and Wrigleyville Sports in Chicago.
Additionally, customers in the Bay Area who are 21 and over can now order alcohol. Cheers (and please drink responsibly)!
Express membership
Starting today, shoppers who decide to become Google Express members will enjoy:
Free same-day or overnight delivery on eligible orders over $15.*
First dibs on delivery windows
Shared membership with a household member
Membership costs $95/year or $10/month. Or you can choose to pay as you go, at $4.99 per eligible order.
Learn more on our Help Center
. Either way, we don’t add any hidden markups, so you pay the same price for your stuff on Google Express as you would in-store.
New shoppers can try the
first three months of membership for free
. You can cancel it at any time, so it’s easy to test it out and decide if you like it.
A shorter name
We've also noticed people referring to us as "Google Express"—and we love it. So as of today, we've simplified our name. Plus, we've added a punch of color to our parachute:
With more cities, more merchants, and more of your favorite items, Google Express is on its way toward making your life easier by helping you get even more errands out of the way. We hope to give you more free time—and we can’t wait to hear about all the things you do with it.
Posted by Brian Elliott, Head of Partnerships, Google Shopping
*Free delivery means no
shipping & service fees
. Same day or overnight depends on availability of delivery windows. Eligible orders are $15+ before taxes/fees in select
delivery areas
and exclude
restricted
items. Service fees apply to ineligible orders. Pricing may change. Requires active membership subject to
terms & conditions
.
Through the Google lens: search trends October 3-9
October 10, 2014
The Royals are in the playoffs, Carlton’s doing the Carlton and a
Cosby Show
star is in the news… what decade is this anyway? Here’s a look at a week of search trends so weird, it’s almost a
Twin Peaks
experience:
Play ball
The National League and American League division series thrilled fans of October baseball this week. KC fans gave their brooms a workout as the
Royals
swept the Angels. They’re in the playoffs for the first time in almost 30 years and at an
all-time high in search
as a result. And after the Cardinals beat the
Dodgers
to make it to their fourth straight NLCS, the only Midwest team that’s not happy is the Tigers, who lost to the
Orioles
(also a sweep). Meanwhile, the
Giants
beat the
Nationals
in a four-game series that was really almost like five games, since Game 2 went an epic 18 innings. The next round starts today.
Flashbacks
Fans of 90s TV shows were breaking out some celebratory dance moves this week, starting, of course, with The Carlton. This week
Alfonso Ribeiro
—former
Fresh Prince of Bel Air
actor and current Dancing with the Stars contestant—did what we’ve all been hoping for and broke out his famous Carlton dance moves on the show. Not only was Ribeiro wearing a Carltonesque sweater and bowtie, the show’s set was decorated to look like the sitcom.
News also broke that cult classic
Twin Peaks
is coming back to the screen. Creators David Lynch and Mark Frost will write nine episodes of the murder mystery for a limited run on Showtime. If you’re one of those people who’s like, “Laura Palmer, who?” don’t fret—the new episodes won’t be on the air until 2016, so you have plenty of time to catch up with Agent Dale Cooper between now and then.
Finally, former
Cosby Show
and Disney channel star
Raven Symone
was top of mind this week after an interview with Oprah in which she discussed personal identity and labels. Oprah told the actress not to “set up the Twitter on fire,” but it didn’t do much good as people took to the web to read more about the actress’ declaration that she is “not African-American.”
Wings, shmings
For nearly two decades, “Red Bull gives you wings” has been the energy drink company’s slogan. This week,
Red Bull
agreed to pay more than $13 million after settling a U.S. lawsuit accusing the drink maker of false advertising claims. The plaintiffs argued that Red Bull’s ad campaigns claim the drink gives people special energy benefits. Scientific reports, however, show it offers about the same benefits as a cup of coffee and does not, in fact, give you any wings at all. Searchers looked to find out more about the settlement, which may entitle them to $10, or alternatively, $15 worth of free Red Bull.
Tip of the week
Next time you’re on vacation and looking for a nice place for dinner,
let Google be your concierge
. Open the Google app and say “Ok Google, show me restaurants near my hotel” to see a variety of options. When you find the one you like, you can say “Ok Google, make a reservation there for 7 p.m.” If the restaurant is on OpenTable, you’ll see a reservations screen pop up with the details already filled out—no need to waste time on the phone when you could be enjoying your time off!
Posted by Emily Wood, Managing Editor, who searched this week for [attendance hardly strictly bluegrass] and [matilda musical]
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