The Official google.org blog

Responding to the Oklahoma tornado

2013-05-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

On Monday, the Oklahoma City region was struck by a devastating 2-mile wide tornado. Entire neighborhoods and schools have been destroyed, people have lost their lives and thousands remain displaced. Our hearts go out to all those who were affected by this terrible tragedy.

In response, Google’s Crisis Response team launched a crisis map for the event, which includes Red Cross shelters, traffic alerts, storm reports and other information.

Googlers from our Mayes County Data Center, which is located approximately 2.5 hours from Moore, Oklahoma, are also volunteering in the community. We are currently working with Verizon Wireless and Acer to set up Chromebook stations with free Internet. Residents can go to St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church and the Moore Community Center, which are acting as Red Cross shelters. Chromebooks are also set up at Walmart store #277, 501 19th St. Moore, Oklahoma. We hope people find this useful.

To aid in both immediate and long-term recovery efforts in the region, we’re also making a $250,000 donation to relief work in the area. We’ll also continue to work with the many nonprofits and responders who are providing lifesaving resources on the ground.

Posted by: Mike Wooten, operations manager of Mayes County Data Center

Public Alerts for Google Now, Google Search and Google Maps available in Canada

2013-04-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

(Cross-posted on the Google Canada blog: English, French)

With floods and spring showers in the forecast, Canadians can now receive warnings of drastic weather changes directly to their mobile device or desktop.

Today we’re launching official severe weather notifications for Canada in English and French on Google Public Alerts. Relevant severe weather alerts will now appear on the Google Public Alerts page, in Google Search and Google Maps on both desktop and mobile, and in Google Now.

Providing people with warnings and information before severe weather hits is critical to helping ensure safety. Google Public Alerts is a platform designed to provide accurate and relevant emergency alerts when and where you need them. An alert will appear on your desktop or mobile screens when you search for relevant keywords such as flood or with location-based queries like Toronto. On Android devices running Google Now, alerts will appear automatically on Cards.

We couldn’t have launched Public Alerts in Canada without Public Safety Canada and Environment Canada. Their meteorological data will ensure our users are notified of severe weather when relevant. We also appreciate their commitment to open data standards such as the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).

Here are example alerts in Canada surfaced on Search from a mobile device and Google Maps Mobile

For more information, or to see all active public alerts, visit our homepage at www.google.org/publicalerts. If you are a data provider, we also provide instructions here that will help you get your emergency data ready for Google Public Alerts.

We’re always working to improve Public Alerts, so please send us your feedback using the link at the far right of our Google Public Alerts homepage.

Posted by Steve Hakusa, Public Alerts Engineer

TV White Spaces trial launches in South Africa

2013-03-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

White spaces are unused channels in the broadcast TV spectrum. They offer the potential to improve Internet connectivity where they are most needed - in the developing world. Today we’re announcing the launch of a trial with ten schools in the Cape Town area, which will receive wireless broadband over a white space network.

White space has the advantage that low frequency signals can travel longer distances. The technology is well suited to provide low cost connectivity to rural communities with poor telecommunications infrastructure, and for expanding coverage of wireless broadband in densely populated urban areas.

Google supported its first white space trial in the US in 2010, and Google.org recently launched its spectrum database for 45 day public comment period with the FCC. In October 2011, we hosted a workshop in Johannesburg, along with partners, at which the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) lent support for an industry-led white spaces trial in South Africa. We then worked together with the CSIR Meraka Institute, Tertiary Education and Research Network of South Africa, e-Schools Network, the Wireless Access Providers’ Association, Comsol Wireless Solutions, Carlson Wireless, and Neul to take up the challenge.

The service will be broadcast from three base stations located at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences in Tygerberg, Cape Town. Ten schools in the Cape Town area will receive wireless broadband to test the technology. During the trial, we will attempt to show that broadband can be offered over white spaces without interfering with licensed spectrum holders. To prevent interference with other channels, the network uses Google’s spectrum database to determine white space availability. To confirm results, the CSIR Meraka Institute will take spectrum measurements and frequently report back to ICASA and the local broadcasters.

White Space technology is gaining momentum around the world. In the US, it is already available for licensed exempt uses. In the UK, regulator Ofcom is working on a model regulatory framework based on a licence-exempt or ‘managed access’ use of television white spaces spectrum. We hope the results of the trial will drive similar regulatory developments in South Africa and other African countries.

To read more about the trial background, visit TENET’s website.

Posted by Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, Public Policy Manager, Google South Africa

Public Alerts for Google Search, Google Now and Google Maps available in Japan

2013-03-06T22:50:00.000-08:00

With nearly 5,000 earthquakes a year, it’s important for people in Japan to have crisis preparedness and response information available at their fingertips. And from our own research, we know that when a disaster strikes, people turn to the Internet for more information about what is happening.

With this in mind, we’re launching Google Public Alerts today in Japan—the first international expansion of a service we debuted last year in the United States. Google Public Alerts is a platform designed to provide accurate and relevant emergency alerts when and where you’re searching for them online.

Relevant earthquake and tsunami warnings for Japan will now appear on Google Search, Google Maps and Google Now when you search online during a time of crisis. If a major earthquake alert is issued in Kanagawa Prefecture, for example, the alert information will appear on your desktop and mobile screens when you search for relevant information on Google Search and Google Maps.

Example of a Google Search result on a tablet showing a tsunami warning

Example of a tsunami warning on Google Maps

If you click “詳細” (“More info”) right under the alert, you’ll see more details about the announcement, including the full description from the Japan Meteorological Agency, a link to their site, and other useful information like observed arrival times and wave heights for tsunamis.

Example of how a tsunami alert would work in Fukushima

And when you open Google Now on your Android device, recommended actions and information will be tailored to where you are. For example, if you happen to be in Tokyo at a time when a tsunami alert is issued, Google Now will show you a card containing information about the tsunami alert, as well as any available evacuation instructions:

Example of a tsunami warning card on Google Now

We’re able to provide Public Alerts in Japan thanks to the Japan Meteorological Agency, whose publication of data enables Google and others to make critical and life-saving information more widely available.

We hope our technology, including Public Alerts, will help people better prepare for future crises and create more far-reaching support for crisis recovery. This is why in Japan, Google has newly partnered with 14 Japanese prefectures and cities, including seven from the Tōhoku region, to make their government data available online and more easily accessible to users, both during a time of crisis and after. The devastating Tōhoku Earthquake struck Japan only two years ago, and the region is still slowly recovering from the tragedy.

We look forward to expanding Google Public Alerts to more countries and working with more warning providers soon. We also encourage potential partners to read our FAQ and to consider putting data in an open format, such as the Common Alerting Protocol. To learn more about Public Alerts, visit our Public Alerts homepage.

Posted by Yu Chen, Partner Technology Manager

(Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog)

Identifying available spectrum

2013-03-04T03:10:00.000-08:00

Today, there are billions of phones, tablets, laptops and other mobile devices connecting to the Web wirelessly. Meanwhile, people living in parts of the world without wired infrastructure rely on wireless broadband for their last mile connection. As more people go online and the number of wireless devices grows, so does the need for spectrum.

There is available spectrum out there -- but it can be hard to find if you don't know where to look. One way we're trying to help researchers and other stakeholders identify available spectrum is through dynamic spectrum sharing. Spectrum sharing allows devices to use spectrum when it is not in use by someone else simply by checking a data base. We're in the process (with several others) of becoming a certified database administrator for a band of spectrum called the TV white spaces.

Today, we’ve reached a milestone in the certification process: our database is beginning a public trial with the FCC. Our trial site allows industry stakeholders (broadcasters, cable, wireless microphone users, licensed spectrum holders) to test and provide feedback on the database. The trial site also allows anyone to find out how much TV white spaces spectrum is available at any location, such as your home or office.

Google Earth visualization of available TV whitespace spectrum.

The completion of the trial will bring us all one step closer to freeing up more spectrum, which in turn will help the industry bring new wireless technologies to market and enable people to get wireless Internet access when and where they need it.

Posted by Alan Norman, Principal, Access

Improving Internet access in emerging markets

2013-02-25T08:00:00.000-08:00

People are constantly finding new ways to use the Internet to address our biggest challenges: global education, health care, clean water, effective government. But we’ve only scratched the surface on the potential of the Web. Today, 5 billion people still don’t have access to the Internet and the opportunity it provides.

Google is doing work to get more people connected, especially in places where Internet access lags the most. In Sub-Saharan Africa, we’ve created programs such as Google Apps Supporting Programs for Education, offered technical assistance such as caches for Internet providers, and generated ideas to build Internet capacity.

To help bring the next billion people online, Google.org is announcing today our support of two organizations that share our mission to connect the world: the Network Startup Resource Center (NSRC) and the Internet Society (ISOC).

We are providing $3.1M to the NSRC to grow their work to bring local network engineering expertise to universities and national research & education networks (NRENs) across Sub-Saharan Africa. Through labs and a train-the-trainers program, NSRC will provide hands-on training on campus network planning, deployment, and management for over 600 university and NREN staff. Their work will bring the Internet to students and staff at over 50 institutions and increase network engineering know-how in Sub-Saharan Africa.

KENET-NSRC Campus Network Design Workshop, Photo: NSRC

Lesotho IXP setup. Photo Credit: ISOC/Michuki Mwangi

We are also supporting ISOC, providing $1.3M to improve and create Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in emerging markets. IXPs play a big role in core Internet infrastructure, allowing Internet Service Providers to peer locally (and cheaply), which can lower end user costs, promote competition, and improve user experience. ISOC will create a toolkit for those who want to create and improve IXPs and build an industry portal to share IXP information and data.

Some of the brightest minds are working to improve lives in new ways through the Internet. By supporting the work of NSRC and ISOC, we can make sure that those opportunities are available to more people in more parts of the world.

Posted by Jennifer Haroon, Principal, Google.org

RISE Awards 2013: A global effort

2013-02-14T08:37:00.001-08:00

“I am standing in a partial enclosure made of sticks and plant fronds. This is the school for roughly 35 students, ranging in age from three to about 20 years old. There are no desks. There is only a single shared chalkboard, and it has gaping holes.” — David Rathmann-Bloch from the 21st Century Chalkboard Project, writing from rural Haiti.

These are just some of the many challenges faced by education organizations who applied for this year’s Google RISE Awards. The RISE (Roots in Science and Engineering) Awards program funds and supports organizations around the world that provide science and technology education at a grassroots level.

This year we’re delighted to give awards to 30 new organizations from 18 different countries. Combined they will reach more than 90,000 children in 2013, helping inspire and teach the scientists and engineers of the future.

Some, such as Haiti’s 21st Century Chalkboard Project and the Uniristii Association (site in Romanian) in Romania, help those from underserved communities gain access to computing resources.
Others, like the U.K.’s Code Club and the U.S.’s CodeNow, offer extracurricular activities that help interested children, especially those from underrepresented minority backgrounds, to learn programming.
A few, such as the Middle East’s MEET and iLab Liberia, seek to use technology education as a platform to bridge wider social and cultural divides.
Some, like Girlstart in the U.S. and New Zealand’s Programming Challenge 4 Girls, aim to empower girls to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

In addition to receiving funding and support to continue their outreach, RISE Award recipients will be brought together for a global summit this June in London. To paraphrase an old saying, from small seeds, great things can grow. The recipients of the 2013 RISE Awards have already made a difference. Connecting with other like-minded organizations will help spread valuable and practical expertise, and spark opportunities for global collaboration and expansion.

Posted by Roxana Shirkhoda, Education Outreach Specialist

Responding to the severe flooding in Jakarta, Indonesia

2013-01-17T19:23:00.002-08:00

The Google Crisis Response team has assembled a resource page to help track affected areas and provide updated emergency information for the millions affected by flooding in Jakarta. We also have a mobile page with emergency contact numbers and lists of shelters, and enhanced search results on google.co.id to provide information directly when people search. We’ve also included this information in our FreeZone service to reach affected users on feature phones.

On both the page and map, which are available in English and Bahasa Indonesia, you'll see an update on flood locations and related data such as traffic conditions in areas affected by the flooding.

To share the page or embed these maps on your own site, click "Share" at the top of the page.

We’ll update the content as more information becomes available.

Posted by Alice Bonhomme-Biais, Software Engineer, Google Crisis Response

Promoting civic innovation through technology

2013-01-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

The Internet is redefining citizenship in the 21st century. Technology is helping people to connect, engage, and contribute to society and each other like never before.

We’ve seen developers use our Civic Information API to bring election data to citizens in new and exciting ways. Our live election results maps have been viewed by billions around the world, bringing real-time transparency to elections in Egypt, Mexico, Ghana, and more. Last week, we launched the Kenya Elections Hub for citizens to access the latest news and resources for the country’s presidential election.

Beyond elections, technology can improve everyday civic life: the way we connect, engage, access and act on critical government information. Worldwide, organizations are developing new ways to encourage more open and innovative societies. Google.org is supporting two of these leaders--the Sunlight Foundation and mySociety--and their work on tech solutions for civic innovation.

We are providing $2.1 million to the Sunlight Foundation to grow their programs for open government data, with a focus on making civic information for U.S. cities transparent, available, and useable. By opening up information at the city level for developers as well as citizens, Sunlight is creating opportunity for new ideas that can have an impact in local markets.

We are also supporting mySociety, providing $1.6 million to build a global platform to equip developers with tools and resources--such as open source code--to more easily and quickly launch new civic apps and services. This initiative can promote collaboration between civic-minded technologists, regardless of geography. For example, a civic app created in Finland might be easily replicated 9,000 miles away by a developer in Chile.

Both organizations are working to bring together a larger community--governments, developers, companies, nonprofits, and citizens--with an interest in improving societies. By creating these open platforms today, we can open doors to ambitious new solutions in the future.

Posted by Matthew Stepka, VP, Google.org

Paving a path to intelligent energy use

2013-01-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

(Cross-posted on the Google Green Blog)

One of the best parts about working at Google is the chance to use the Internet and digital technology to help us all manage energy better. We’ve seen big changes in recent years to the way we watch TV, use phones, read and listen to music, yet how we use electricity hasn’t changed much in decades.

What if instead of a monthly bill we had access to more real-time and actionable information about our electricity consumption? What if our appliances, air conditioners, and lights adjusted automatically to use energy more efficiently and save money? If we did this in every home it would help improve the reliability of the grid and save billions of dollars.

Technology like smart meters and programmable thermostats make it possible to do this today. The challenge is that the rules governing electricity distribution were written for last century’s grid. That’s why Google.org is giving a $2.65M grant to the Energy Foundation to support policy reforms that will lead to more intelligent energy use. The effort will focus on three fundamental areas:

Smarter electricity rates that encourage consumers to be more efficient, shift their electricity use to times when it’s cheaper and produce their own on-site energy;

Access to electricity markets for consumers and other businesses so they can be compensated for cutting energy use at key times; and

Open data policies that give customers access to their own energy data, which they can use or share with third parties they select, promoting better energy management tools and services.

These policy reforms, coupled with the new technologies now being deployed on a large scale, can empower consumers to make smarter energy choices, improve real-time management of the electricity grid, and help facilitate more renewable energy all while lowering overall costs.

We hope this grant will help catalyze change and look forward to seeing progress in the years to come.

Posted by Michael Terrell, Senior Policy Counsel, Energy & Sustainability

An energetic welcome to Arun Majumdar

2012-12-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

One of the world’s biggest challenges is bringing reliable, sustainable and affordable energy to everyone. We need a new energy blueprint for the future—the latest advances in technology have the potential to bring us closer to that goal than ever before.

That’s why I’m pleased to welcome Dr. Arun Majumdar to Google, where he will drive Google.org’s energy initiatives and advise the company on our broader energy strategy. Arun is widely recognized as one of the foremost leaders in energy innovation. He joins us from the Department of Energy, where he served as Acting Undersecretary of Energy and was founding Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (better known as ARPA-E), identifying and providing essential support for the development of transformational new energy technologies. In his roles at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California at Berkeley, he made great contributions in the areas of energy conversion, transport, and storage, and in 2005 was elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering.

We’re looking forward to great things in the coming year with Arun’s leadership and experience on the team.

Posted by Matthew Stepka, VP, Google.org

After nearly a decade at Google, moving on to next steps

2012-12-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

Posted by Shona Brown, SVP, Google.org

When I met Larry and Sergey in July 2003, I had left my role at McKinsey in search of an opportunity to work directly on making the world a better place. I thought I might run a foundation. After our meeting, I realized that this was an entrepreneurial company that could really change with world with technology.

Nearly ten years later, I am retiring from Google to advise startups and social innovators. I will also informally counsel on Google.org efforts. While sad to leave, it has been a terrific ride. Building our Business Operations and People Operations groups, I had the opportunity to develop business strategy, organizational process, and the most important ingredient—the people—to help fuel a rapidly growing Google.

In my decade as a Googler, the Internet has transformed the way we respond to critical human challenges. From our early days, Google has pledged to use technology to tackle big problems, and we continue to deliver on that promise today—whether it’s preparing communities for Superstorm Sandy, publishing live election results in the U.S., Mexico, and Egypt, or investing nearly $1 billion in renewable energy projects that can become major power sources for the future.

It has been incredibly rewarding to end my time at Google leading social impact efforts such as Google.org, Google Green, Crisis Response, Google Giving, and Elections. These teams are improving the world with great leaders at the helm. VP Matthew Stepka will step into my role of day-to-day leadership, while CFO Patrick Pichette will take on a more engaged role from our executive team.

A lot has changed in ten years. But one thing has stayed the same. Google and others are finding new ways to tackle our biggest problems with technology. I’m proud to be a part of that work.

Women Techmakers Give Back

2012-12-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

(Cross-posted from the Google Developers Blog)

Google supports diversity in all our communities, including users, employees, and developers. In that spirit, Google Developers Live launched Women Techmakers (WTM) in November, an initiative to bring visibility to women in technology who are fearlessly innovating, honing technical expertise, and testing the boundaries of the web.

Now, the Women Techmakers series is back for round two! In the spirit of the holidays, hosts Megan Smith of Google[x], Lacy Caruthers (Google.org), Angela Lin (YouTube EDU), and Pavni Diwanji (Google+), sit down with women who are using their technical backgrounds to effect social change and make an impact. Join us in-studio Tuesday through Friday of this week at 2:30 pm PST to learn how Women Techmakers are giving back in big ways.

Tuesday, 12/11: WTM & Julie Hanna - Board of Directors, Kiva.org | 2:30 pm PST | 22:30 UTC | Watch live | Add to calendar

As a repeat entrepreneur, board director of Kiva, startup and venture advisor, and angel investor, Julie Hanna knows about giving back. Her work at Kiva, a crowdfunding pioneer leading the micro-lending marketplace, has been integral in touching over 800,000 low-income entrepreneurs in over 60 countries, adding up to more than $350M loans delivered. Radhika Malpani, Bridgette Sexton of Google Ventures, and Anita Yuen of Google.org dive into Julie’s experience using her technical skills to make social change.

Wednesday, 12/12: WTM & Jennifer Pahlka - Code for America | 2:30 pm PST | 22:30 UTC | Watch live | Add to calendar

Code for America is a new kind of public service. Join hosts Chris DiBona and Lacy Caruthers in the GDL studio, as they sit down with Code for America founder and executive director Jennifer Pahlka to discuss how she is working on the technical side with web professionals and cities nationwide to promote public service and reboot government.

Thursday, 12/13: WTM & Sasha Laundy - Codecademy | 2:30 pm PST | 22:30 UTC | Watch live | Add to calendar

Codecademy makes learning code easy and collaborative. From Women Who Code and Codecademy, Sasha Laundy joins Amanda Surya and Angela Lin for a discussion of how Codecademy makes learning code interactive, iterative, and fun. More minds are better than one!

Friday, 12/14: WTM & Kim Polese - ClearStreet Inc., Sun Microsystems | 2:30 pm PST | 22:30 UTC | Watch live | Add to calendar

ClearStreet Inc., a social finance startup, is focused on helping people eliminate debt and achieve long-term financial health. Chairwoman and original Java Project Manager at Sun, Kim Polese, speaks with Megan Smith and Pavni Diwanji about her experience as a leading Silicon Valley entrepreneur and technology executive, and how her work with ClearStreet is impacting users’ daily lives.

Catch up on the first WTM series while you're getting ready for this week's lineup. Visit the Google+ events to RSVP, add the episodes to your Google calendar, tune in live on GDL, and ask questions of our on-air guests. And, most importantly, become part of the conversation by hashtagging #WTM posts on Google+.

Posted by Phoebe Peronto, Developer Marketing

Connect with GDL at developers.google.com/live. Tune in to live programming, check out the latest in Google tools and technologies, and learn how to make great apps.

New Crisis Response map features storm information for Typhoon Pablo (Bopha)

2012-12-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

The Google Crisis Response team has assembled a Typhoon Pablo crisis map to help you track the storm’s progress and provide updated emergency information. On the map, you’ll find storm warnings, shelter locations, the latest weather information, and more. The map is available in English, as well as Filipino.

You can easily share and embed these maps on your website — just hit the “Share” button at the top of the map to get the HTML code. We’ll continue to update the maps as more information becomes available.

Posted by Steve Hakusa, Software Engineer, Google Crisis Response

Something to smile about: A 5,000-mile walk across Asia, guided by Google Maps

2012-11-19T14:53:00.000-08:00

(Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog.)

Inspiration comes in many shapes and forms. For U.S. Marine Sgt. Winston Fiore, it was a news article about the International Children’s Surgical Foundation (ICSF) and Dr. Geoff Williams, who provides free facial-reconstructive surgeries for children with cleft lips/palates in developing countries. Although cleft palates are quite correctable, if left untreated the deformity can cause serious health issues. Many children don’t have the surgery because the cost of each procedure ($250 USD) is out of reach for their families.

Inspired to do something to help, Winston set out on a 5,000-mile trek across Southeast Asia to raise money and awareness for the ICSF—a mission he dubbed Smile Trek. Armed with sturdy boots, a 20-pound vest carrying essentials and an Android phone with Google Maps, Winston set off on his mission in October 2011. In the last year, he has walked (yes, walked!) through Brunei, China, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Along the way he’s met countless individuals who have contributed to his cause, whether it was a place to stay, a hot meal or a monetary donation on his website.

Trekking along: Winston, standing in front of a durian fruit stand near Sematan, the westernmost town of Malaysian Borneo

Out on the road, Winston’s Android phone and Google Maps became “the hub” of his entire operation. He used Google Maps to find accurate and easy-to-use walking directions everywhere he went, whether it was through remote villages and farms, down tiny dirt roads, or across rice paddies and desolate sugar cane fields. “Walking directions in Google Maps were critical to my trek. The directions were accurate and efficient—it’s essential to take the shortest route when you’re walking 20-25 miles each day,” said Winston. “But the best part was being routed onto roads and trails through areas I otherwise never would have discovered with, say, driving directions, or even a physical map.”

View the complete map of Winston's journey on his site.

In addition to using Google Maps, Winston relied on many other Google products during his trek. He used Google Latitude to keep his family, friends and supporters informed of his whereabouts, and MyTracks to record his speed, distance and the places he visited. He also used Google Translate to communicate with locals, and in one case found it essential: when bit by a stray dog outside of Bangkok, he typed "I got bit by a dog, can someone take me to a hospital?" into his app. A taxi driver took him to the hospital, where he got 11 shots!

Today, after walking 5,000 miles in 408 days, Sgt. Fiore completes his journey, with more than $65,000 raised for ICSF. The money will help to fund more than 200 life-saving surgeries for children in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world. If you’d like to contribute to the International Children’s Surgery Fund and Winston Fiore’s effort, we encourage you to visit: http://smiletrek.org

Posted by Jennifer J. Chen, Product Manager, Google Maps

Making it easier to find polling places after Superstorm Sandy

2012-11-05T14:16:00.000-08:00

While Americans prepare to go to the polls on Tuesday, election officials are completing last-minute moves of dozens of polling places in areas affected by Superstorm Sandy.

Google is making this updated polling place information available through our own tools, such as the Voting Information Tool and search onebox, and also making it available to other developers and technology partners through the Google Civic Information API.

One of our API users, Mobile Commons, built a custom instance of an SMS-based polling place locator to allow voters to send a text for the latest information. New Jersey voters can text "WHERE" to 877-877, while New York voters can text "NYCVOTES” to 877-877 for updated locations. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg have referenced the tool at recent news conferences.

The League of Women Voters, the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights, AT&T, and Foursquare are working quickly to help affected voters find their polling place. Whether you’re in New York City or Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we’re all doing our best to ensure you can access the information you need to vote.

Posted by Eric Hysen, Google Politics & Elections Team

AMBER Alerts for missing children now in Google Search and Maps

2012-10-31T10:08:00.000-07:00

Today we are launching AMBER Alerts coordinated by National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in the Google Public Alerts platform. Public Alerts are designed to bring you emergency alerts when and where they’re relevant to you, and AMBER Alerts aim to help bring abducted children home safely.

If you’re using Google Search on desktop and mobile or Maps you’ll see an AMBER Alert if you search for related information in a particular location where a child has recently been abducted and an alert was issued. You’ll also see an alert if you conduct a targeted search for the situation. By increasing the availability of these alerts through our services, we hope that more people will assist in the search for children featured in AMBER Alerts and that the rates of safe recovery will rise.

AMBER Alerts will provide information about the abducted child and any other details about the case as they become available. Additional details could include the make and model of the vehicle he/she was abducted in or information about the alleged abductor.

Here is a screenshot for a test version of an AMBER alert:

The US Department of Justice’s AMBER Alert™ Program is a voluntary partnership between law enforcement agencies, broadcasters, transportation agencies and others to engage the entire community in the most serious child-abduction cases. We are working with National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), who will provide the AMBER Alert data to Google and make it possible to display information in Public Alerts.

We’re working closely with Missing Children Europe and the Canadian Centre for Child Protection to try and scale this service to more countries. We’ll keep exploring different ways to improve child protection through innovative technology, like those used to reduce exploitation and improve reporting to NCMEC.

Posted by Phil Coakley, software engineer, Google Public Alerts team

Public Alerts on Google Search and Maps for Android for Hurricane Sandy preparedness information

2012-10-29T19:15:00.000-07:00

Earlier today we posted about efforts to provide information to those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

We also want to let you know that as of today Public Alerts are available on Google Search & Maps in your browser, on Google Maps for Android, and also on Google Now for Android devices running Jellybean.

Public Alerts provide warnings for natural disasters and emergency situations. They appear based on targeted Google searches, such as “Hurricane Sandy”, or with location-based search queries like “New York." In addition to the alert, you’ll also see relevant response information, such as evacuation routes, crisis maps or shelter locations.

We were planning on announcing the new features in a few days, but wanted to get them out as soon as possible, so that they can be helpful to people during this time.

This is part of our continuing mission to bring emergency information to people when and where it is relevant. Public Alerts are primarily available in English for the U.S., but we are working with data providers across the world to expand their reach.

If you are searching for Hurricane Sandy, you’ll see content at the top of the Search page specific to this crisis. For other searches, you’ll see public alerts where and when they are live.

Sample screenshots:

We’re able to gather relevant emergency safety information thanks to a strong network of partners, including NOAA and USGS. Their commitment to open standards like the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) is what makes this all possible. We’ve also developed partnerships to bring you even more relevant alerts in the future, including local emergency data from Nixle.

To learn more about Public Alerts, visit our Public Alerts homepage. If you’re a data provider, and would like to contribute to our efforts, please see our FAQ.

We hope that this information makes it easier for you to stay safe.

Posted by: Nigel Snoad, product manager, Google Crisis Response

New Crisis Response maps feature preparedness information for Hurricane Sandy

2012-10-28T13:47:00.000-07:00

Already responsible for a reported 41 deaths across the Caribbean, late-season Hurricane Sandy is expected to make landfall again early this week on the East Coast of the United States.

Some are calling the hurricane “Frankenstorm” due to its potential mix of both winter and tropical cyclone weather. Regardless of what you call it, we hope that you get the information you need to make preparations and stay safe if you are in the area. It has the potential to be one of the worst storms the area has seen in decades.

The Google Crisis Response team has assembled a Hurricane Sandy map to help you track the storm’s progress and provide updated emergency information.

View larger map.

On the map, you’ll find the following emergency preparedness information:

Location tracking, including the hurricane’s current and forecasted paths, courtesy of the NOAA-National Hurricane Center
Public alerts, including evacuation notices, storm warnings, and more, via weather.gov and earthquake.usgs.gov
Radar and cloud imagery from weather.com and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Evacuation information and routes
Shelters and recovery centers will appear as they become operational
Storm footage and storm-related YouTube videos, curated by Storyful

We’ve also launched a map specific to New York City, featuring evacuation zone information from NYC Open Data, open shelters, weather information and live webcams.

View larger map.

You can easily share and embed these maps on your website — just hit the “Share” button at the top of the map to get the HTML code. We’ll continue to update these maps as more information becomes available.

Posted by Ka-Ping Yee, Software Engineer, Google Crisis Response

Update (Nov. 7, 2012): We recently donated $500,000 to the American Red Cross for relief and recovery efforts related to superstorm Sandy. The tri-state area is home to over 3,000 Googlers and we’re making this gift to support the many people in our communities impacted by the storm.

Tsunami data now in Google Public Alerts

2012-10-18T15:32:00.000-07:00

Today the Google Crisis Response team launched tsunami alerts for Public Alerts. Public Alerts are designed to bring you emergency alerts when and where they’re relevant to you. We’re starting with tsunami alert data from the U.S. and Canada and rolling out with additional areas in the coming months.

For this launch, we’re grateful for the collaboration of US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We’ve integrated their West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WCATWC) data and are in the process of integrating Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) data as well. We’re only able to provide Public Alerts due to our strong network of partners, and their commitment to open data standards, in particular the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP).

With today’s launch of tsunami data in Public Alerts, relevant tsunami alerts will be accessible to you on the Google Public Alerts page and on Google Maps (see Public Alerts FAQ for details).

Here’s what the alert details page would have looked like for a tsunami warning issued earlier this year.

The new alert details page for tsunamis will typically include the following information:

A map of the affected area, and any locations affected.
The date and time that the alert was issued.
The estimated arrival times and the estimated height of the waves.
Any action that authoritative sources recommend you take.

To see all active public alerts, visit our homepage at www.google.org/publicalerts. If you have useful data, we also provide instructions for how to make your emergency data available through this tool.

We’re always working to improve Public Alerts, so please send us your feedback using the link at the far right of our Google Public Alerts homepage.

Posted by Ezra Resnick, Public Alerts Engineer

Winners of the I/O ‘Develop for Good’ global hackathon

2012-09-07T09:15:00.000-07:00

This year during Google I/O more than 30,000 developers gathered at 350+ I/O Extended events in 172 countries around the world. While they came together to see the Nexus 7 unveiled and a death-defying Project Glass demo, we invited them to participate in the Develop for Good hackathon. Over the past couple of months we’ve been reviewing submissions and today are proud to share the winning team in each category:

Google Green - Help us all be a little bit greener!
A team from the GDG Karachi Extended event in Pakistan developed a concept for ‘Green It’ — a Google+ based app that would allow users to report local environmental concerns, gain validation of the issue via nearby smartphone users and aggregate reports in a public online interface. Users would be encouraged to participate through a rewards system.

Google Ideas - Conflict reporting for blackout situations in repressive regimes
A team from the San Francisco Extended event developed a product concept for Silent Lens; an Android application which would allow citizens to safely send encrypted image-based messages over multi-modal ad-hoc mesh networks. The app would allow citizens to anonymously report issues or violence in repressive regimes when other phone or Internet connections may be temporarily limited, or intermittently severed.

Google Politics & Elections - Citizen Engagement for Politics & Elections
A team from the Lagos GDG I/O Extended event at the Co Creation Hub in Nigeria built a prototype for Assembly Bills — a web based platform that can help Nigerian citizens provide input on legislative bills and policy remotely, without having to fly across the country to the capital of Lagos to provide input in person, as is currently necessary. Keep an eye out for their new site!

Winning teams received tickets to attend I/O 2013, along with the honorary title of "Google Developer for Good, 2012". Congratulations to the winners, and a huge thanks to all participants for their hard work. We look forward to seeing the winning teams build out their ideas!

Posted by Anna de Paula Hanika, Google.org

Tropical Storm Isaac: Crisis Response map for projected path and preparedness information

2012-08-27T16:21:00.000-07:00

Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to make landfall as early as Tuesday or Wednesday of this week, and the path of the storm continues to update — with current projections toward the U.S. Gulf Coast. The Google Crisis Response team, working with the Red Cross, the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and various government and NGO partners, have assembled a Tropical Storm Isaac map to track the storm’s progress and provide updated emergency information to those in need:

View a larger size

On the map you can find emergency preparedness information, including:

Isaac’s current location and projected path, courtesy of the NOAA-National Hurricane Center
Weather updates and data, including radar and cloud imagery from weather.com and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory
Evacuation information and routes
Shelter and recovery centers locations
Storm-related YouTube videos, including many curated by Storyful

We’ll be updating this map with more information as it becomes available. We hope you find the tools and information useful.

Posted by Raquel Romano, Software Engineer, Google Crisis Response

Floods in the Philippines: Google Person Finder, landing page with emergency information

2012-08-07T19:09:00.000-07:00

A devastating Southwest Monsoon hit the Island of Luzon, Philippines, yesterday, triggering major flooding. The Crisis Response team has collected resources on to a new page to help in the aftermath of the floods, with information in both Filipino and English. The site features emergency contact information and links, a new instance of Google Person Finder, a map of shelter locations and flood information, and the latest news, powered by Google News and YouTube.

Person Finder helps people submit or search for information about loved ones who may have been affected. The tool’s been translated into Filipino and can easily be embedded on any site:

We’re also able to share a map showing the locations of shelters and the extent of the flood, with real-time information from Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards):

View in a larger size. This map will continue to be updated with additional information.

We hope that those affected find the tools and information useful. Check back, as we’ll be updating the landing page and maps with more information as it becomes available.

Posted by Aileen Apolo, on behalf of Google APAC and the Google Crisis Response team

2011 grant recipients changing the world

2012-08-03T10:42:00.000-07:00

As the Olympic games continue in London, we’re reminded of the thrill that comes with cheering uncontrollably when a favorite athlete grabs the gold, shatters a record and brings tears of joy to a nation’s collective eye. Around here, our 2011 Google.org grantees give us that same feeling of exhilaration and pride. They’re hurdling over challenges in education for girls and minorities, empowering people through technology and fighting modern day slavery. Along the way they’ve also been grabbing awards, receiving recognition and inspiring individuals.

We recently checked up on the stats from last year’s grantees and the records are undeniable. Here’s a quick rundown of some of their top highlights from over the past year:

9,000 health workers connected in the developing world
Switchboard uses mobile phones to connect isolated health workers with urban practitioners and government support. They’ve already connected health practitioners in Ghana and Liberia, and this year over 9,000 workers in Tanzania will join Switchboard’s partner Vodacom to form the largest mobile network of health workers in the developing world.

30 new scholarships and 30 after school programs for underserved kids
In 2012, African leadership incubator Akili Dada will award 30 new scholarships to high-achieving young African women from underprivileged backgrounds to join their development program — nearly doubling the number of women receiving funding. U.S.-based Citizen Schools also has a spirit of 30, partnering with 30 schools this year to provide a longer and strong learning day for over 5,000 low-income kids across eight states.

2,200 new people with dignified digital work
Thanks to Samasource’s mission to provide digital work in marginalized areas, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and the Caribbean, over 2,200 new workers have escaped poverty through computer-based microwork since 2011. Samasource recently made product updates to its microwork platform, increasing capacity for work types and improving quality management tools. CEO and founder was noted in Fast Company’s round-up of extraordinary women changing the world.

1,124 girls getting excited about Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
Girlstart empowers girls to excel in science, math, engineering and technology through its After School and Summer Camp programs. Its After School offering was found by SEDL researchers to be the most robust STEM program for girls in the U.S. and this year’s programs will reach a record number of girls.

3 Olympians bringing attention to slave labor
Slavery Footprint works to fight human trafficking and forced labor via increased awareness of its role in today’s society. Its website, which calculates the number of slaves working for you, received a Cannes Lions Bronze Cyber Lion award and has been visited by millions around the world. They also recently announced that three Olympic athletes will be advocating against forced labor in this year’s games — as it’s important to remember that almost every part of society is touched by this issue.

230 geeks signed up to get governments tech-savvy
How many tech geeks does it take to change the world? When Code for America launched a first-of-its kind accelerator to support new civic startups, they received applications from over 230 entrepreneurs with ideas for how to upgrade government via tech. Its fellowship program, “peace corps for geeks,” similarly inspires a new tech-centric type of public service and will announce its newest fellows this fall.

100 new African student leaders
The African Leadership Academy identifies young students from across the continent with leadership potential, an entrepreneurial spirit, a passion for Africa and a track record of community service. This year 100 new scholars will arrive on campus to begin their studies and 10 young African women with a passion for technology and science will work to address some of Africa’s most pressing challenges.

4,000 lives changed through student loans
A year ago, Vittana celebrated its first 1,000 loans to support 1,000 marginalized students as they work to build a better future. Now, Vittana loans have changed the lives of over 4,000 students and they’re on track to help 4,000 more by the end of 2012. As Jessa Arzaga, a 19 year student studying in the Philippines, remarked, "The best treasure in life is education — no one can take it away from you."

Here’s three cheers for all of our 2011 grantees. They all deserve gold in our book.

Posted by Kate Parker, communications manager, Google.org

Our roots go global: Apply for a RISE Award today

2012-08-02T11:08:00.000-07:00

(Cross-posted from the Official Google Blog.)

The application for the 2013 Google RISE (Roots in Science and Engineering) Awards is now open. Given once a year, Google RISE Awards are designed to promote and support education initiatives in two key areas: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM) and Computer Science (CS). Google grants awards of $5,000 - $25,000 USD to organizations around the world working with K-12 and university students in these fields.

This year, our community welcomed more than two dozen organizations from around the world, from Denmark to Uganda and California to Romania. The RISE grants have helped these groups to scale their reach by allowing for more scholarship recipients, to deepen their impact by providing hands on robotics kits, and to ultimately inspire their students by creating a community for CS outreach.

Now, the RISE Awards have expanded to include applicants from Latin America and the Asia Pacific region, bringing our total to six continents and 243 countries. All eligible nations are listed on our website.

The growth of technology is undoubtable, and the impact technology will have on our future is equally undeniable. We believe it’s our duty to support students who have the uncanny ability not only to consume technology, but also to create it. We believe that inspiring the next generation of computer scientists will enrich the lives of not only individual students, but also the communities and countries they live in.

Show us what you can do to get students excited about STEM and CS! Submit your application by September 30, 2012. Awardees will be announced by January 2013.

Posted by Roxana Shirkhoda, K-12 Education Outreach Specialist