Google Product Helping Blog

Editor's note: Today�s post comes from our first-ever Google Science Fair Grand Prize winner in 2011, Shree Bose. Back for the annual Science Fair five years later, here she shares her own story as a glimpse of what�s in store for this year�s winners. Thanks to our partners at Lego Education, National Geographic, Scientific American and Virgin Galactic for another great year of Google Science Fair. In case you missed it, you can still catch the livestream ! Five years ago to the day, I was a finalist in the first-ever Google Science Fair � a program where any student 13-18 is invited to solve the world�s biggest challenges through science and technology. I was fascinated by the peculiar ways cancer cells process energy and wondered if we might be able to target those processes. So, the idea behind my project was to study AMP kinase, an energy protein, to understand its importance in the way ovarian cancer cells develop resistance to drugs. I was 17 when I won the Grand Prize, and...

�Hola! Desplazarse hacia abajo para leer este mensaje en espa�ol -Ed. On the eve of National Voter Registration Day, we�re doing our part to encourage American voters to get registered for the 2016 election. We've already added in-depth information in Search for registration and how to vote , and now we're adding this same information in Spanish . Now both Spanish and English speakers will be able to get custom, state-by-state information on key registration deadlines, when to get to the polls, and even steps on how to vote early or by mail. We hope this feature helps simplify the registration process for more American voters. By helping more people get registered, we're also helping ensure more people get to the polls and vote. The majority of Americans who register to vote end up voting � according to the US Census Bureau , in 2012, 86 percent of those who registered also voted in the November election. Today's Google Doodle encourages people to get registered in tim...

What would the world look like if only 20 percent of women knew how to write? How many fewer great books would there be? How many important stories would go unreported? How many innovations would we lose? How many brilliant women would be unable to fulfill their potential? That�s not just a theoretical question. Today, only a small minority of women know how to write code. That limits their ability to participate in a growing part of our global economy. It limits their ability to affect change as entire industries are transformed by technology. And it limits their potential to impact millions of lives through the power of code. To change this trajectory, we need to do all we can to inspire women and girls that learning to code is critical to creating a brighter future for everyone. That�s why I�m excited to share that, today, Google�s Made with Code, together with YouTube, is teaming up with the Global Citizen Festival and millions of teen girls to ignite a movement for young women to...

Whether it�s planning a night out or just catching up, we all rely on messaging to stay in touch with friends and loved ones. But too often we have to hit pause on our conversations � whether it�s to check the status of a flight or look up that new restaurant. So we created a messaging app that helps you keep your conversation going, by providing assistance when you need it. Today, we�re releasing Google Allo , a new smart messaging app for Android and iOS that helps you say more and do more right in your chats. Google Allo can help you make plans, find information, and express yourself more easily in chat. And the more you use it, the more it improves over time. Respond quickly with Smart Reply Google Allo makes it easier for you to respond quickly and keep the conversation going, even when you�re on the go. With Smart Reply, you can respond to messages with just a tap, so you can send a quick �yup� in response to a friend asking �Are you on your way?� Smart Reply will also suggest re...

The world is facing the largest refugee crisis since World War II. Last September, we invited people around the world to help us in supporting organizations on the ground � with Google.org matching every dollar. Since that time, Google.org has committed more than $16.5 million to refugee relief efforts, focused on immediate humanitarian assistance, information and connectivity, and education. Clooney Foundation for Justice Grant Today, we�re supporting the Clooney Foundation for Justice with a $1 million grant focused on education for refugee children in Lebanon. More than half of global refugees are under the age of eighteen, and in Lebanon, which is hosting the largest number of Syrian refugees per capita in the world, nearly half of those are Syrian refugee children who are currently out of school . The Clooney Foundation for Justice is teaming up with SABIS , a global education network that has already taught many refugee children in Lebanon. SABIS is taking its accredited teac...

Sharing all the photos from your weekend with friends can be hard: Not everyone uses the same apps, texting can be slow, and email has attachment limits. Now, with Google Photos, you pick the photos, tap �share� and select the people you want to share with, instead of the apps � and we take care of the rest. If your friends are on Google Photos, they�ll get a notification. If you share via phone number, they�ll get a link to the photos and videos via SMS. And email addresses will get an email with a link from Google Photos. So you can spend less time toggling from app to app to share photos � dealing with failed texts or email attachment limits along the way � and more time enjoying life�s photo-worthy moments. We�re also upping our game when it comes to automatic creations. Google Photos has always made movies for you using your recently uploaded photos. Now we�re going further, with new movies that are based on creative concepts � the kinds of movies you might make yourself, if you j...

Whether you�re juggling work, school, family, or just the demands of daily life, everyone needs a little break and a new adventure sometimes. But knowing what to do once your vacation starts can turn what�s supposed to be fun into a lot of work. You might get recommendations from friends, professional travel guides, or online reviews � but figuring out how to squeeze everything you want to do into a finite window of time can be stressful, especially when you�re in a new place, often with limited access to the web. In fact, a GoodThink study showed that 74% of travelers feel the most stressful aspect of travel is figuring out the details. We wanted to reduce the hassle and help travelers enjoy their hard-earned vacations. So today, we�re introducing a new mobile app to help you instantly plan each day of your trip with just a few taps of your finger: Google Trips . Google Trips is a personalized tour guide in your pocket. Each trip contains key categories of information, including day...

The storied halls of 10 Downing Street aren�t often open to the public. Those who want to see inside the Prime Minister�s residence and office usually have to wait for a rare open house... ...until today. Visitors from anywhere in the world are now invited to experience one of the UK�s most important political buildings on Google Arts and Culture. Walk through historic rooms and hallways and get up-close looks at more than 50 photographs and works of art. Take a peek into the cabinet room, where the Prime Minister has held weekly cabinet meetings since 1735, or look around Margaret Thatcher�s office. Stroll down the grand main staircase, stopping to study the carefully ordered portraits of the house�s previous residents. Once you�re ready for some fresh air, you can wander through the gardens , where Winston Churchill liked to nap. There are also two brand new online exhibits. The first introduces two of Britain�s most iconic leaders , Winston Churchill and Harold Wilson. The second h...

If it ain�t Baroque , don�t fix it: your favorite art contest is back! Today we�re kicking off the 2016 Doodle 4 Google contest, where art-loving K-12 students from across the U.S., Guam and Puerto Rico are invited to bring their imagination to life in a doodle of the Google logo, using any medium they choose. The winning masterpiece will hang on the Google homepage for a day, where millions will enjoy it. We like to think about what�s next. So we�re asking kids to imagine what awaits them in the years to come and represent that vision of this year�s theme: �What I see for the future�� Yes, that means anything they see � even if it includes flying dogs, living on a shooting star, the trip of their dreams, or for the true Futurists out there � perhaps a distant world filled with dazzling new technology of all shapes and sizes. This year�s contest is going to be one for the record books; the future and the ways to depict it are limitless. That�s why we�ll have an all-star group of ju...

Next week marks the grand opening of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) . A museum 100 years in the making, the NMAAHC is much more than just a collection of artifacts. Within its walls, visitors will take part in an immersive journey into the important contributions of African Americans in the United States. It�s a mosaic of stories � stories from our history that are core to who we are as a nation. And we�re proud to help bring these stories to life with a first-of-its-kind 3D interactive exhibit and a $1 million grant from Google.org, part of our ongoing work on racial and social justice issues . A new way to explore artifacts A few years ago, Dr. Lonnie Bunch, the NMAAHC�s director , came to Google�s headquarters and shared his vision to make the museum the most technologically advanced in the world. I immediately knew I wanted to be involved, and pulled together people from across the company: designers who focus on user interact...

Many millions of years ago, dinosaurs ruled the Earth and sea dragons were not just Hollywood creations, but fearsome predators that stalked the oceans. It�s a world that vanished long ago, but one that continues to fascinate those seeking to understand the origins of life on our planet. Starting today, anyone, anywhere can explore this world on Google Arts & Culture . We�ve partnered with 50+ of the world�s leading natural history institutions to bring this lost world to life again online. More than 150 interactive stories from experts, 300,000 new photos and videos, and more than 30 virtual tours await you... With just a few clicks, you can come face to face with a 180 million year old giant, as virtual reality raises the colossal sea dragon from extinction. Discovered in Dorset in the U.K. and residing at London�s Natural History Museum. The Rhomaleosaurus � to give it its formal name � can now be explored in 360 degrees. We also used VR to bring the Giraffatitan back to life ...

Whether you�re hiking on the Olympic Peninsula or attending your cousin�s wedding, go beyond the flat photo or selfie. With Cardboard Camera�now available on iOS as well as Android �you can capture 3D 360-degree virtual reality photos. Just like Google Cardboard, it works with the phone you already have with you. VR photos taken with Cardboard Camera are three-dimensional panoramas that can transport you right back to the moment. Near things look near and far things look far. You can look around to explore the image in all directions, and even hear sound recorded while you took the photo to hear the moment exactly as it happened. To capture a VR photo, hold your phone vertically, tap record, then turn around as though you�re taking a panorama. Bugaboo Spire in B.C., Canada captured by Googler Adam Dickinson Starting today, you can also share your VR photos with friends and family on both iPhone and Android devices. Select multiple photos to create a virtual photo album, tap the share ...

Back in 2012, as a part of our continuing effort to increase transparency around the flow of information online, we began disclosing the number of requests we get from copyright owners (and the organizations that represent them) to remove Google Search results because they allegedly link to infringing content. The report hasn�t changed much since 2012 and was getting a little rusty. So today, we�re releasing a new version of the report that makes it easier for you to understand the data: Examples of removal requests, similar to the annotations we added to government requests to remove content last year. These illustrate the range of things we�re asked to remove and the decisions we make in response. A new Explore the Data page, which lets you search the database of removal requests and see a more detailed list of reporting organizations, domains, and copyright owners. An explanation of how copyright notice and takedown is applied to Google Search, which we hope leads to a better over...