Google Product Helping Blog

A year ago, we introduced OnHub � a router that�s easy to use, and built to be placed front and center in homes (where Wi-Fi works best). Since then, we've been busy delivering on our promise that OnHub keeps getting better. Today, we�re celebrating OnHub�s first birthday and announcing a new partnership with Philips Lighting, the first connected home device you can control directly with OnHub. We know people don�t like having too many apps on their phones, so we made it possible to control your home�s Philips Hue lights without downloading an app. Now anyone connected to your OnHub can type �On.Here� in a computer, tablet, or mobile browser and control the most popular features of your Philips Hue lights from there. Crank up the party lights! Apart from Philips Hue, here are 10 awesome things OnHub lets you do: 1. Be the host with the most (Wi-Fi). The OnHub guest network is a place just for guests. And since you may not want to make all of the devices on your primary network ava...

Over the past three months, Durita Andreassen and a few friendly sheep equipped with solar-powered cameras strapped to their woolly backs set out to collect imagery of the Faroe Islands for Street View. The 18 Faroe Islands are home to just 50,000 people, but � fittingly for a country whose name means �Sheep Island� � there are 70,000 sheep roaming the green hills and volcanic cliffs of the archipelago. So when Durita decided to document the country for Street View, sheep weren�t a baaad place to start. Sheep View 360 When we herd about the Sheep View project, we thought it was shear brilliance. So we decided to help the Faroese by supplying them with a Street View trekker and 360 cameras via our Street View camera loan program . Last week, the Google Maps team arrived in the Faroe Islands to help train and equip the local community to capture even more (but slightly less woolly) Street View imagery. Now that the Faroe Islands is supplied with a Trekker and 360 cameras, residents and ...

Today we�re dealing two new hands from the Google Search deck: solitaire and tic-tac-toe. Now you can play two of the oldest and most popular games for all ages, on desktop and in the Google app. It�s been said solitaire�s roots are in fortune telling. If that�s true, today your fate rests on your quick wit and the luck of the draw. When you search for � solitaire � on Google, the familiar patience game may test yours! If you�re looking for something a bit simpler, tic-tac-toe is your best bet. In this game of naughts and crosses, you can select your level of difficulty or even go head to head against a friend. Xs and Os to the winner (hugs and kisses, that is!). For some other fun tips, try asking Google, � what sound does a pig make ?� Or if you�re looking to settle a bet and feeling lucky, � flip a coin � may come in handy. These are just a sample of the delightful surprises that await you on Google. After all, Search is for so much more than research and practical matters -- it�s ...

In the Kenai Fjords, the ice is so dense it forms blues brighter than the clear Alaskan sky above. The molten rock around the (very) active Kilauea Volcano appears to swirl and move � and sometimes it really does! At Bryce Canyon, one of the darkest places in North America, you can see the massive Milky Way glittering across the night sky. The U.S. National Parks are full of wonders, but most people don�t get the chance to visit in person. While nothing beats the real thing, for this month�s 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service, we wanted to see if we could use Google�s technology to help share the parks with everyone. Starting today anyone can take a virtual tour of some of our most breathtaking National Parks, no matter where you are, with Google�s The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks . This Google Arts & Culture exhibit and interactive documentary in honor of this month�s NPS Centennial is available on the web and in the Google Arts & Culture App on iOS / Andro...

Video calling is the next best thing to being with someone in person, but too often it can be a frustrating or complicated experience. You shouldn�t have to worry about whether your call will connect, or if your friend is using the same type of device as you are. It�s no wonder that nearly half of us never make video calls on mobile*. Today, we�re releasing Google Duo � a simple 1-to-1 video calling app available for Android and iOS. Duo takes the complexity out of video calling, so that you can be together in the moment wherever you are. Google Duo works across Android and iOS � all you need is a phone number Simple interface Duo is simple from start to finish. To get started, all you need is your phone number and you�ll be able to reach people in your phone�s contacts list. No separate account is required, so you can sign up in just a few steps. From there, you can instantly begin a video call with a single tap. Fast and reliable We all know how it feels when a call fails to connec...

This year's Olympics in Rio brings together 10,500 athletes from 200+ countries to participate in 306 events, from archery to wrestling. To help you get even more out of the Games, we've created a Google Trends Olympic Hub where you can find fun facts, data insights, feature pages on sports and athletes, and more. Olympics Trends Hub Throughout the next few weeks, Google Trends will give you a unique view into the games with a new Trends Hub just for the Olympics . There, you�ll be able to see which athletes, events and moments are captivating audiences�and searches�worldwide. For example, which country is searching for beach volleyball the most? Landlocked Switzerland. And the title of most searched grandmother in the world goes to British swimmer Adam Peaty's nan. Here�s some of what you can expect from Trends over the next few weeks: Search insights revealing what the world is wondering about the events�from fencing to synchronized swimming (and every moment in between!)...

The summer just got sweeter. Today marks the season opener of the 2016 Doodle Fruit Games . For the next couple of weeks in the latest Google app for Android and iOS , journey to an otherwise unassuming fruit stand in Rio, where produce from all over the market are ripe to compete for the title of freshest fruit. The name of today�s featured game is to see who�s the fastest fruit on the track in this berry special race. Don�t be MELONcholy if your sprint turns into more of a smoothie. If you like the taste of that, be sure to weave your way through t he ice cooler to see if you�re the chillest lemon around. Remember: No one likes sour losers! We hope you find these fruits as apPEELing as we do. And don�t forget to share your cherry impressive results with friends to see who claims the top seed. These two games are just a taste of what's in store, so come back to the Google app throughout the week to catch the featured game of the day.     Posted by Matt Cruickshank, Goog...

The modern Olympic Games have been a defining moment for athletes and fans alike dating back to 1896. Next week, the 2016 cauldron will be lit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where thousands of athletes will come together to represent the strength and pride of their home countries with the world as their audience. In celebration of the next chapter in Olympics history, we�re bringing the best our products have to offer to help people around the world stay up-to-date with the Olympic Games Rio 2016: Discover the event schedule, medal counts, and athlete information in Search Get results and view TV schedules in 30+ countries Watch official broadcasters� event highlights on YouTube in 60+ countries Explore Rio and venues in Google Maps Keep up to date with the latest search Trends from around the world On Google, searching for information about your favorite athletes and sports, the medal race, or your country�s schedule has never been easier. Pro tip: if you search on the Google app on And...