Europe Blog
Our views on the Internet and society
Looking to the future at the UK’s Big Tent
Thursday, May 23, 2013
We spend a lot of time at
Big Tent events
discussing the opportunities and challenges of today’s Internet. At our third UK Big Tent this week we took a broader view, exploring how the innovation of today is poised to reshape the world in 10 years time.
The astonishing advances in robotics were one recurring theme.
Bertolt Meyer
, fitted with a bionic hand, introduced us to his even more
cutting edge counterpart
. But after the wow of the gadgets came a serious discussion of the practical challenges in embracing AI. For instance, when does assistance become augmentation, and how far is it ethical to go? If implants are connected and controllable remotely—
like Bertolt’s hand
—what are the security risks?
A similarly cautious note was struck in discussions around data. We heard stories of the great good that can arise from the clever application of data, from
advances in cancer research
to
making local government services more effective
; but there were also
those who warned
of potential dangers.
There were perspectives from Google too. Astro Teller shared his thoughts on moonshots—
what they are, why they matter
, and why companies and governments shouldn’t shy away from them. Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen spoke about how the next 5 billion people to come online will usher in a ‘
new digital age
’.
Of course, given recent controversy, the issue of corporate taxation also drew much comment throughout the day. Ed Miliband MP, Leader of the Opposition voiced strong opinions about the
importance of ‘responsible capitalism’
, rhetorically asking: “Do the responsibilities of a company simply lie in obeying the letter of the law? My answer to that is no”. In a later session, Eric Schmidt faced with
robust questioning on the same topic
, emphasised “I don’t think companies should decide what tax policy should be, I think governments should”.
A day of lively debate and diverse points of view—exactly what the Big Tent is for.
Posted by Jon Steinberg, External Relations
Vote in Britain’s Global Impact Challenge
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
A couple weeks ago, we launched our first
Global Impact Challenge in the UK
, inviting British non-profits to tell us how they would change the world using technology. Hundreds of non-profits submitted entries, and over the past few weeks we’ve narrowed the pool to 10 stellar finalists. Today we’re unveiling the list and asking for your help in determining which non-profits will receive the £500,000 Global Impact Award.
Drum roll, please! We’re lifting the curtain for the 10 finalists: Age UK, Amnesty International, CDI Apps for Good, Integrity Action, MAKLab, Pennies, SolarAid, vInspired, War Child, and The Zoological Society of London.
These organisations submitted innovative projects that use technology to make a big impact, from tackling unemployment to protecting freedom of speech to scaling solar energy and much more. Take a look for yourself and see the project list
here
.
Cast your vote
for the four projects that inspire you most. Four organisations will be awarded a £500,000 Global Impact Award to deliver their project, and one will be decided by you the public. The ballot box closes on Friday 31st May at 11:59 p.m. BST.
The three additional Global Impact Award recipients will be chosen by a panel featuring Sir Richard Branson, Sir Tim Berners-Lee and Jilly Forster, as well as Google’s Matt Brittin and Jacquelline Fuller on Monday 3rd June. We’ll also reveal the public’s fan favourite at that time.
Join us in congratulating these inspiring non-profits and don’t forget to vote.
Posted by Dan Cobley, Managing Director of Google UK
Mario Testino to "The Scream" via Mark Rothko
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Every day on the Art Project
Google+ page
we post a snippet of information about a painting, an artist or a talk—and every day, at least one of our 4 million followers has something to say in response. We’re constantly delighted by how the appetite for art online is growing and today we have a veritable feast in store with a swathe of fresh
artworks
,
gigapixel
paintings and museums on
Street View
.
New artworks from the famous to the unusual
Mario Testino
is a world-famous photographer, known for his work in the fashion industry. Fewer people are aware of his photographs focusing on the culture of his native Peru. A new body of photographs called “
Alta Moda
” (high fashion), featuring Andean people in traditional and festive dress, is currently on display in Testino’s cultural institution,
MATE
. And for those of you not lucky enough to visit Lima, you can now see this collection of 27 photos online on the
Google Art Project
.
In total, we have more than 1,500 new high-resolution artworks including masterpieces such as Monet’s “
Waterlilies
,” Rembrandt’s “
Portrait of a Man in a Broad-Brimmed Hat
” and Johannes Vermeer’s “
The Geographer
” (meaning Art Project now houses 15 of his 34 total works, all contributed by different museums). However, the diversity goes well beyond paintings; from
ancestral relics
used to worship the dead to an ancient Jinsha
gold mask
from China thought to have been worn by sorcerers. Often the old contrasts with the new, with inscribed Arabic gemstones existing alongside contemporary glass structures from Germany as you can see in this “Compare” image below.
Zoom in to “gigapixel” paintings
Gigapixel paintings—very high-resolution works which enable you to zoom in at brushstroke level—have long been at the heart of the Art Project. They’re a great example of the magic that can happen when technology meets art—and today we have 16 new ones to add, ranging from famous pieces like “
The Scream
” by Edvard Munch to those chosen by public vote such as “
Whitewashing the Old House
” by L.A. Ring.
The beauty of gigapixels is their ability to surprise. Look at the painting “
Fra Stalheim
” by Johan Christian Dahl, shown in full on the left below. You’ll see a beautiful landscape. Zoom in, however, and you discover scenes within a scene—a village with smoking chimneys, a woman tending to her child, and cows grazing on the hillside. Details that can’t always be fully appreciated by the naked eye are brought to life online.
Immerse yourself in Street View
Through Street View and the Google Art Project, many museums have opened their galleries to the world the past few years, and today we’re launching 20 more. For example,
Fondation Beyeler
Museum in Switzerland houses a collection of seven Mark Rothko paintings. Now anyone in the world can virtually explore the collection.
Of course art collections are not exclusively found in museums—we’re delighted to have our first monastery on Street View in the Art Project. The
Monastery of St. John the Theologian
on the Greek island of Patmos was founded in 1088 and is a World Heritage Site. In addition to their 116 contributed artworks, you can also explore the architectural splendors of this ancient building.
Jump inside a whole range of beautiful buildings and
corridors
here by clicking on the orange pegman
where it appears
.
In a week that celebrates International Museum Day, we’re glad to be able to showcase some of the great treasures held by museums and cultural institutions the world over. There are so many benefits to bringing more content online, be it discovering a new style of art or artist,
creating your own gallery
, stumbling across a hidden detail of a painting you thought you knew or simply being inspired by something beautiful. With more than 40,000 total works and 250+ cultural organisations around the globe, we hope the experience will be more enriching than ever.
Posted by Marzia Niccolai, Google Art Project
Something’s starting in the Copenhagen media industry
Monday, May 13, 2013
Put 100 talented and enthusiastic people in a room for a weekend, and you’ve got the perfect ingredients for innovation, according to
Startup Weekend
. This was the principle behind a recent gathering in Copenhagen, which sought to inject fresh thinking to the media industry in Denmark, with closer integration between content, technology and business models.
The
Copenhagen Media Startup Weekend
was staged by a dedicated group of Danish entrepreneurs and journalists, with backing from a wide range of Danish universities from Århus, Aalborg and the Danish School of Media and Journalism. Google also provided sponsorship and outreach support, including a
Google+ page
with a live-stream from the event, allowing anyone to follow the great ideas taking shape.
On the opening Friday evening more than 40 ideas were pitched and narrowed down to 13 cross functional teams of both journalists, media entrepreneurs, coders and business people.
Photos thanks to
Ernst Poulsen via Pinterest
Teams worked day and night until Sunday when a jury of established entrepreneurs selected the winning ideas. Among
the winners
were Edify which provides a student to student education, local platform GOKOKO re-connecting communities in hyperlocal contexts and Newsfix, a flat-rate subscription service for the news industry, like spotify for music or Netflix for movies. Read more about all 13 ideas
here
.
At Google we’re excited to see the outcomes of these amazing ideas. Well done to everyone who took part.
Posted by Christine Sørensen, Communications and Public Affairs Manager
Kenyan health project captures One Media digital award
Thursday, May 9, 2013
How can digital media communicate critical sexual health messages? That’s the challenge undertaken by this year’s winner of the Google-supported One World Media Awards Digital Media Award winner,
Jongo Love
.
Jongo Love tells the stories of residents of Jongo, a fictional Nairobi slum, the complex relationships that they form and the family planning choices they make. Created by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Communication Programs’
Tupange Project
, and produced by Well Told Story, a Tupange partner and previous
International Digital Emmy Award winner
, Jongo Love has fast won fans among urban Kenyan radio listeners.
In addition to a radio show, the project includes a Facebook campaign,
YouTube videos
, comic books and a
Twitter feed
. The characters host online live chats to give listeners and viewers the chance to ask their own questions about sexual health and safety. As the show’s makers put it, “Ni hot, ni sexy, ni idialala...ni radio show ita-blow mind Yako!! Every week on Ghetto Radio, Pwani.FM, Radio Lake Victoria, Radio Umoja na many more!”
The award citation praises the show because it “entertains but also passes on crucial information to inspire people to think about the decisions they make around relationships, sex and their future.”
Google is an ongoing supporter of the One World Media Awards, which recognize and showcase the best media content from the developing world.
Posted by Jon Steinberg, External Relations Manager, EMEA
Fostering online child safety in Germany
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Children love the web. Parents want to make sure their children surf safely. Enter a new online platform launched yesterday -
juki
.
Juki combines a video community, interactive lessons, an encyclopedia, and an animation studio, all designed with child safety in mind. It invites children from eight to 12-years-old to explore and participate. They can watch videos contributed by other kids and create and upload their own videos. The animation studio allows children to create their own animated short films. Children learn how to safely navigate the web, how to be creative while still taking care of copyright, and enjoy interactive lessons with quiz and games.
Juki is the latest initiative supported by Google in Germany to promote child safety and positive content for kids on the web. We helped the child-friendly search-engine
fragFINN
since its 2007 launch.
The juki project is part of the German government’s initiative
Ein Netz für Kinder
(A Net for Children) and is supported by the Federal Ministry for Families and Youth and the Federal Ministry Culture and Media. Other partners include the German child welfare association
DKHW
, and voluntary self-regulation organisation`s
FSF
and
FSM
.
The new platform builds in strong safety controls. Parents get involved in the registration process and are required to activate the accounts for their kids. We hope this will encourage both parents and kids to discuss and share online activities, while exploring, creating and learning on the web.
Posted by Sabine Frank, Policy Counsel, Germany
Calling for entries to the EU Hackathon
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
The European Union Hackathon is back. For the third straight year, Google is supporting two days of serious fun in September for programmers to code an application that shines a light on an important policy issue. This year’s theme is privacy - and contestants are being asked to work on products that visualize government government access to citizens’ private communications online.
Entries are now being accepted via this
online application
unti June 15, 2013 at noon CET. Complete information about the event is available on this
website
. Help us spread the word to attract talented applicants, or apply yourself!
The hackathon will take place on September 24th-25th, with programming sessions held in the Google Brussels office.
MEP Petru Luhan
is hosting the event’s awards ceremony on WednesdaySeptember 25th from 16.15 to 18.00 at the European Parliament.
European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding
is scheduled to join the ceremonies.
In addition to Google’s support, a broad network of civil society groups are working on the event. They include
Access Now
, the
Center for Democracy & Technology
,
Digitale Gesellschaft
, the
European Digital Rights initiative
, the
Electronic Frontier Foundation
, Google, the
Net Users’ Rights Protection Association
, the
Open Knowledge Foundation
,
quintessenz
,
Transparency International
, and
visualizing.org
.
EUHackathon participants will build data visualizations using data sets from network analysis, corporate transparency reports and Freedom of Information Act requests. Greater transparency and awareness are critical to ensuring government surveillance is only used when necessary and proportionate.
Selected applicants will have their travel and accommodation costs covered and the winner or winning team will be awarded EUR5,000, courtesy of our sponsors. Not to forget, there will also be free food and WiFi.
We look forward to seeing you in September.
Posted by Marco Pancini, Senior Policy Manager, Brussels
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