Google Asia Pacific Blog: 2015

Asia’s Year in Search: What we searched for in 2015

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

From dubsmashes to gemstones, here’s a look at the memes and trends that gripped Asia this year in Google's 2015 Year in Search lists.

Apps and Tech
Homegrown Asian apps are on the rise. One of the biggest hits this year was Indonesia’s [GoJek], on-demand scooters to help commuters get around in Indonesia’s notorious traffic jams. Meanwhile, the inexorable rise of e-commerce in India continues as [Flipkart], and [Snapdeal] make it to India’s top ten searches, showing that the online shopping craze is as strong as ever.

But what people really love to do is play games on their phones. While [Agar.io] was the big viral app of the year globally, [Dubsmash] was unquestionably Asia’s big meme generator. Searches for the lip-syncing video app trended in the Philippines and Indonesia—no surprise there when you look at how celebrities and influencers have been using it, including the popular Governor of Jakarta, known affectionately as Ahok (check out his Dubmash). In India, Bollywood stars like Sonam Kapoor invited fans to submit Dubsmash renditions of her hit song “Prem Ratan Dhan Payo.” Lip sync battles with pop stars on late night TV shows may be viral sensations in the West, but here in Asia, we prefer to do it ourselves.

Pop culture
Speaking of dubs, [Aldub] was the top term in the Philippines. The “dub” in this case actually stands for Yaya Dub, the lead female character on hit Filipino show Eat Bulaga played by “dubsmash queen” Maine Mendoza (check out her YouTube channel if you need any proof of her smashing talent). The “Al” is for Alden, her love interest. Their much-anticipated meeting and the accompanying hashtag #AlDubEBTamangPanahon (translation: AlDub, in the right time) drew more than 41 million tweets, smashing the previous Twitter record held by Brazil's defeat to Germany in last year’s world cup, according to the BBC. Watch out: when Pinoys catch on to a trend, it’s sure to become a social media phenomenon.

Local films normally rank high up in Asia’s lists, but this year we saw a surprising crossover: the British comedy caper Kingsman starring Colin Firth was the top trending film in Korea this year. As this BI article explains: “The film opened in South Korea in mid-February and has since earned $40 million, making it the film’s highest-grossing market abroad (behind the UK and Australia).” What could account for this success? The film’s storyline of the wealthy elite getting their comeuppance resonated after the “nutrage” incident embroiled the country. Korean Englishman, a British YouTube star who speaks fluent Korean, presents his own humorous take on the film here:

News and Events

Across the world, hostage crises and Paris emerged as top keywords. But Japan really stands out for this since it hadn't searched for those topics until two Japanese hostages were killed. [Islamic State] and the murdered journalist [Kenji Goto] were high up on Japan’s top searched terms of the year. Rugby gave the Japanese a reason to celebrate though, as the country’s underdog team defeated rugby giants New Zealand in the astonishing opener of the Rugby World Cup.

And in Korea, Japan, and Singapore, an epidemic that prompted recurring nightmares of 2003’s SARS scare, [MERS] or Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome was a top search term. This year’s record-settingly bad levels of haze meant that [PSI] was the top term in Singapore.

Economy
Speaking of recurring nightmares, [1 USD to MYR] trended in Malaysia when Malaysians were worried that a slide in the ringgit’s value against the dollar would trigger a 1998-style economic meltdown.

But Indonesians apparently started parking their money elsewhere: [batu akik], or precious gemstones was the top trending term in Indonesia this year. The soaring prices of these gemstones has led to online searches on Google as well as offline searches—people have been found to be digging for them in urban parks. A healthy trade in these stones, thought to possess supernatural qualities, even increased Bali’s forex earnings. Is this Indonesia’s modern day tulip mania?

Go to Google.com/2015 to explore the rest of the 2015 Year in Search stories and top trending charts from the rest of Asia and around the world.

Posted by Joyce Hau, Communications Manager, Google Asia Pacific

Google for India: Past, Present, and Future

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Cross-posted from the Google India Blog

In the eleven years since Google Search first came to in India, we’ve done everything we can to make our products more useful and relevant for all Indians. Search in 2003 started in English but we quickly added Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi and Tamil. We’ve made Voice Search work in Hindi and even recognize Indian accents in English. When we couldn’t get enough data to build a comprehensive map of India for Google Maps, two Indian engineers built Google Map Maker to get the world’s help in crowdsourcing one.

Google India started with five employees in 2004 and since then has grown to be amongst the largest Google employee bases outside of U.S. with close to 1700 employees. And as smartphones have brought millions more online, Indians have become some of the most enthusiastic Google users. Using products like Gmail, Translate and Android, India is second only to the U.S. in total number of mobile Search queries.

But this is just the beginning. Today at our “Google for India” press event, we announced that we plan to ramp up our engineering presence in India, including a major expansion to our Hyderabad campus. Our goal is to bring all Indians online — regardless of income, region, age, gender, or language — and as they come online, we want to make the Internet more relevant and useful for their needs. There are three areas we’re focusing on to help do that.

CEO Sundar Pichai onstage at "Google for India"

First, we are working to improve Indians’ access to the Internet. Today we announced that Mumbai Central will be the first station to come online in our program with Indian Railways and Railtel to offer free RailWire Wifi inside railway stations. By the end of 2016, 100 more stations will be operational, connecting more than 10 million people who pass through every day. We are also expanding our program with Tata Trusts to connect women in rural India through a fleet of Internet bikes. We’ve hit 1,000 villages so far, and now we are adding resources with the hope of reaching 300,000 villages nationwide within three years.

Second, we are adapting our products to work better for Indians on 2G connections. “Lighter” Search results and web pages automatically load faster when you’re on limited bandwidth—helping not just users on slow connections but publishers who see a 50% increase in traffic. Our Data Saver mode on the Chrome mobile browser removes images when we detect you’re using a slow connection. We’re also making our products work when there’s no connection at all. Google Maps now allows real-time navigation and searches without a data connection. YouTube’s offline mode—launched first in India—helps people watch videos without Internet access, and a new feature rolling out next year that will improve buffering when videos are paused.

Third, we want to empower Indians to build great things for India, whether it’s an app, service, business or even a video. We’re launching a program to train two million new Android developers over the next three years by working closely with more than 30 universities across the country in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation. This comes on top of a recent promise to give 1,000 of today’s best and brightest Indian startups $20,000 in credits to run their business on Google Cloud Platform. And the Chromebit, a small device that turns a monitor into a computer, will be available in India starting in January — a tool to boost computing in the education sector. We’re also teaching Indian content creators how to make even better videos at the YouTube Space Mumbai, which opened earlier this month.

Today’s announcements are just our latest steps in our journey to bring all Indians online and make the Internet more relevant and useful for their needs. There are still nearly a billion people in India who don’t have access to the Internet. So like we have from the first day we started providing Search in India, we will keep innovating and working hard to help people improve their lives through technology.

Posted by Caesar Sengupta, Vice President, Chrome and Android

#YouTubeRewind 2015: Asia’s top memes, spoofs, and songs

Thursday, December 10, 2015

As we wind up the year, we look back at what captured audiences across Asia Pacific in 2015. This year, local YouTube creators dominated the trending lists in each country, showing that local creativity and culturally relevant videos are still what prompt viewers to press play. From wacky musical numbers to heartwarming stories of homecoming, here’s a glimpse at what had Asia glued to their smartphones this year.

Kids

Korea: [Pororo Sing Along Collection S2] Pororo Songs for Children

Pororo the Little Penguin is one of Korea’s beloved animated characters — so much so that he’s even earned the nickname “Pororo the President.” This 40-minute compilation of songs features Pororo and his friends singing 14 tracks and has kept millions of kids entertained.

Australia: Peppa Pig - 9 Episode Compilation 2! by theofficialpeppa

Popular kids’ animation Peppa Pig took the top spot this year in Australia’s trending videos list, proving how popular kids’ content is Down Under, as we saw during the recent launch of the YouTube Kids app there.

Parody songs

Vietnam: [Mì Gõ Đặc Biệt] Parody MV Vợ Người Ta - Phan Mạnh Quỳnh by Ghiền Mì Gõ

Remade from a popular song depicting a young man crying over his ex-girlfriend’s wedding, this Vietnamese creator spiced up the story of Vợ Người Ta with creative twists on characters — less dramatic and a bit more hilarious. It’s more addictive than you think: as of writing, the video Vợ Người Ta racked up watch times equivalent to 128 years.

Indonesia: SYAHRINI STICKER PARODI (edhozell + ekagustiwana) #parodisyahrini

Local YouTuber and comedian Edho Zell collaborated with musician Eka Gustiwana to create a video that went viral, clocking over 3.2 million views. Edho and Eka tapped into the country’s unabashed love of celebrity parody, and combined it with Indonesians’ favorite activity: chatting online with friends to create a song inspired by stickers.

India: AIB : Every Bollywood Party Song feat. Irrfan

Comedy kings AIB team up with Bollywood legend Irrfan Khan to send up archetypical Bollywood party songs (that often lack context in the film itself) — and the result is oh so catchy.

Eye-catching ads

Malaysia: Home - #lundangtonewcastle

Boy meets girl, over long distance: Malaysian Airlines made a heartwarming love story about a U.K.-born Malaysian boy who falls in love with a girl in Malaysia, based on real interviews with real people.

Philippines: For Our #1 Lolas | NIDO FORTIGROW | Nestlé PH

Get ready for a tear-jerker as this Nestlé ad reminds us of where sassy women get their strength from: their #1 lolas, aka grandmas.

New Zealand: Men In Black Safety Defenders #AirNZSafetyVideo

Air New Zealand does it again: their safety videos are already the stuff of legends. This time their viral video had stars from the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby team, rapping in-flight safety tips to the “Men in Black” theme song.

Performances

Japan: Egusplosion - エグスプロージョンチャンネル

In this video, dance team Egusplosion comically explains a historical event called the “Honnoji Incident.” Their catchy rap tune and quirky dance moves have captured the hearts of Japanese students who’ve had to prepare for history exams. Check out the live version they did at the recent YouTube FanFest with Japanese YouTube star Hikakin. Egusplosion saw four more of their videos in this year’s top ten trending list for Japan.

Thailand: The Voice Thailand - หนอยแน่ - กลับไม่ได้ ไปไม่ถึง

Music-obsessed Thailand watched a lot of videos from hit talent-spotting show The Voice—this video “Noi Nae” alone was watched over 10 million times.

Unique tunes

Hong Kong: BOMBA - 音樂故事

Hong Kong creators and filmmaking collective BOMBA dominated Hong Kong’s trending video lists this year with six out of ten of the city’s most popular videos. Their modern musical, 音樂故事 or Music Story, strings together classic lines from Cantopop hits over the past few years to tell the story of an unrequited love. Real enthusiasts should try to take this on karaoke-style.

Taiwan: 驚喜合唱民歌四十 Flash Mob Chorus at Ban Qiao Rail Station

A musical horde descends upon one of Taiwan’s busiest rail stations to sing some of Taiwan’s iconic “Campus Ballads,” a genre of music popular among Taiwanese from the mid 1970s to the early 1990s. No doubt this video prompted many memories — and singalongs — for Taiwanese viewers everywhere.

Singapore: Unbelievable - I so stunned like vegetable (Spouse For House 2 MV)

So popular that “stunned like vegetable” became a new Singlish phrase, this song was created to promote Mediacorp Channel 5’s sitcom Spouse For House. Singaporeans grooved so much to the humorous — and dare we say it — unbelievable lyrics and dance moves that this video shot to the top of the trending charts. Walau-eh!

These are just some of the top YouTube hits from 2015 in Asia Pacific. Check out our YouTube Rewind channel for more of this year’s favorite videos from around the world, including a mashup of the top videos on YouTube — this time, featuring a look back at ten years’ worth of YouTube moments. You can also visit google.com/2015 next week for Google's annual look at the people, places and events that captured the world's attention.

Posted by Gautam Anand, Director of Operations and Content, YouTube Asia Pacific who recently watched “YouTube Rewind: Now Watch Me 2015”

Heading to Indonesia for the holidays?

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Say a stress-free “Selamat Datang” to your Indonesian holiday with the new Indoor Maps. Find your way around Bali’s new Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, the Lombok International Airport, or the National Museum of Indonesia without having to locate a directory or asking someone. Like a concierge in the palm of your hand, you’ll be able to find your way faster than you can say “I need a holiday!”

See how Indoor Maps can help you find your way through the 60 venues available across 13 cities in Indonesia here. Happy holidays!

Posted by Nikhil Vaishnavi, Google Maps Product Manager

#IfIHadSpace? India asked for it, and got it — YouTube Space Mumbai now open

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Musicians Aakash Gandhi and Ash King stumble upon
a magical doorway to YouTube Space Mumbai

Lights, camera—action!

Back in August we announced that we were partnering with renowned film school Whistling Woods International (WWI) to open YouTube Space Mumbai. We asked Indians: what would you do #IfIHadSpace? People responded overwhelmingly on social media with sci fi shorts, action films, and of course, many, many music videos. Now, we are finally ready to unveil the Space, opening the doors to India’s YouTube creators and nurturing the next wave of entertainment talent for Bollywood and beyond.

Check out this musical number by YouTube creator, pianist and composer 88 Keys to Euphoria’s Aakash Gandhi, together with his collaborators Ash King and Shashaa Tirupati which was released today on YouTube to coincide with the Space's opening. It was shot entirely on campus and is the first official production of the Space.

YouTube’s new home for creators in Mumbai is a 1400 square foot space within WWI’s sprawling production complex, which includes a 400 square foot studio, a lounge and workshop space for creators to relax and socialize in, and an edit bay with two machines that are capable of 4K editing. There will also be a small office for our staff on campus, to interact not only with YouTube creators, but with the students at Whistling Woods. In addition, YouTube creators will have access to Whistling Woods’ sound stages and post-production facilities, including two fully-equipped professional studios over 3000 square feet each.

The creators’ lounge at YouTube Space Mumbai

The doors are about to open...

With Subhash Ghai (center), founder and Chairman of Whistling Woods International, at today's opening of the Space

At the YouTube Space, creators can learn from industry experts and attend workshops to hone their YouTube know-how and production skills. They'll be able to book use of the YouTube Space after they have taken an initial orientation class called “Unlock the Space.” Stay informed about the latest goings on at YouTube Space Mumbai at www.youtube.com/space, by following us on Twitter @youtubespacemum, or sign up for our newsletter here.

Posted by David Macdonald, Head of YouTube Spaces, Asia Pacific, who recently watched TVF’s Rajasthani Cowboys.

A whole new world for silk carpets, (hand)made in China

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

As part of our series of interviews with people across Asia-Pacific who use the Internet to create, connect, and grow, we asked Jianli Han how online tools helped grow his handmade silk carpets business, the Henan Yilong Carpet Company, into China’s largest exporter of handmade silk carpets.

How did you get into the carpet business?
Fresh out of university in the eighties, I was assigned a job in a state-owned enterprise in Nanyang, Henan province. The wife of a fellow worker was Uyghur and she excelled at weaving woolen carpets. Henan province was short of wool but had a long tradition of silk-making, so she tried to weave carpets with silk for personal use.

One year, I took one of her silk carpets to the Canton Fair, where I’d been assigned to work. I had put it in the corner, but on the first day of the fair, a businessman from Kuwait immediately picked it up for quite a tidy sum of money. It was then that I realized that silk products from Henan might be a promising business opportunity, and so I launched into it with the help of my fellow workers.

30 years later, we’re producing over 60,000 square metres of hand-knotted carpets every year, which is enough to cover 8 soccer pitches. Smaller carpets take several months, but larger pieces can take up to a year to make.

Why did you decide to sell carpets online?
Participating in overseas trade fairs was expensive. On top of registration fees, I had to ship several carpets and then send a number of colleagues to staff A booth. So I started looking for other ways to promote my business. In 2007, a friend told me about Google’s tools and products and showed me how to use them. After that, I decided to switch my investment from trade fairs to Google. On Google, you can be open and sell 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can easily get 100 times the customers online than you can from a trade fair.

You have a mobile-optimized website, but do people actually buy carpets on their phones?
In fact 80% of our buyers come via mobile search and the vast majority of them come from outside China. A hand-knotted silk carpet is something special, so people searching for them generally know quite a bit about what they’re looking for. Our website includes a lot of information about our products, making it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for — even a high price tag doesn’t discourages them. Also, mobile payments have enabled transactions to take place anywhere and everywhere.

Do you have any tips for other businesses wanting to use the Internet to grow?
User experience is the top priority. Your site should be optimized for mobile to guarantee a favorable customer experience when they make a purchase online. Apart from that I’d say it’s important to keep an open mind and be prepared to try to new things.

Performing Arts take center stage on the Cultural Institute

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Have you ever wondered what it’s like backstage at the opera? Or how it might feel to dance under the glare of a concert hall’s spotlight? With a new virtual exhibition of performing arts on the Google Cultural Institute, you can experience all of this with the click of a mouse. And we’re also giving you front row seats to some of the world’s leading performances. So sit back and get comfortable as we dim the lights and take you through a world tour of performing arts…

You can browse performances and everything that goes on on- and off-stage at more than 60 institutions—including the world famous Carnegie Hall, to the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Berliner Philharmoniker. Moving east, I’ve selected some highlights from our partners in Asia-Pacific—the Queensland Performing Arts Center in Australia, the Dilli Gharana and Natural Streets For Performing Arts Foundation in India, Aomori Nebuta Matsuri in Japan, and the National Theatre of Korea, National Gugak Center and Kukkiwon in Korea.

Start with a tour of the Queensland Performing Arts Center and its lovely venues, indoor and out.

Left: QPAC’s Melbourne Street Green is a great place to enjoy free music outdoors on a Friday night; Right: The view of the stage from QPAC’s Concert Hall balcony.

Get lost in a sea of colored lights amidst the floats Aomori Nebuta Matsuri. The lantern floats at this annual Japanese summer festival in Aomori prefecture stand up to 10 meters tall and are made of fragile traditional paper wrapped around a bamboo frame. They depict Japanese gods, mythological and and historical figures.

In Korea, see how the demonstration team of Kukkiwon, the sport’s global headquarters, reinterprets the ancient martial art of taekwondo, presenting it alongside traditional music to create a special performance.

You can also learn about the Dilli Gharana, an ancient form of music from Hindustan in India.

Ustad Chand Khan Sahab giving a lesson to Ustad Iqbal Ahmed Khan. The portrait at the back is of Shams-e-Maousiqi Ustad Mamman Khan Sahab.

The Google Cultural Institute was founded in 2011 to bring the world’s treasures to anyone with an Internet connection. Starting in partnership with a handful of renowned museums, we’ve since joined forces with 900+ institutions to include historic archives, street art, and 200 wonders of the world. Now you can also visit dozens of the world’s stages together in one place—across mobile, tablet and desktop at g.co/performingarts and on the Google Cultural Institute website.

Posted by Kate Lauterbach, Program Manager, Google Cultural Institute

Feeling the heat Down Under

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

While many parts of the world are rugging up and settling in for the cold winter months, today marks the first day of summer Down Under. Escape the winter chill with us on Street View, where you’ll find Australia’s most loved and well-known beaches ready for you to explore. Sun yourself on Bondi Beach, catch a wave at Bronte, or go for a virtual dip over at Manly with this latest collection of beautiful beach imagery.

Tourist mecca and reality TV star, Bondi is the quintessential Aussie beach. It was quiet the morning we captured this imagery, but on hot days sunseekers from far and wide flock to this popular spot. Home to the world’s first surf life saving club, you might just catch a glimpse of some iconic red togs as you walk past the lifesaver’s tower.

Bondi Beach

Head south along the coastal walk and you’ll come to Bronte Beach. Although the surf can be a bit rough for swimming, Bronte’s grassy picnic area and ocean pool make it a very popular spot with families.

Bronte Beach

Once you’ve splashed around Sydney’s eastern beaches, why not head to the north side of the harbour city and check out Manly and Shelly beaches. Lined with Norfolk Island pines, Manly is a beach for all seasons, drawing swimmers, surfers and tourists alike with its great breaks and long golden stretch of sand.

Manly Beach

Tucked around the corner from the hustle and bustle of Manly is Shelly Beach. Surrounded by a bush walking track and sheltered from the swell by a reef, Shelly is an ideal place to take a quiet swim.

Shelly Beach

If that isn’t quiet enough for you, drive a few hours south to Hyam Beach at Jervis Bay. This popular weekend getaway is surrounded by national parks, and according to the Guinness Book of Records, has the whitest sand in the world!

Hyam Beach

We hope you enjoy your time in the sun as you discover some of the most beautiful spots Down Under on Street View!

Posted by Cynthia Wei, Program Manager Google Street View

Finding Asian treasures in The Museum of the World

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

The British Museum opened its doors in 1759, offering free access to its 70,000 objects to all “students and curious persons.” The Google Cultural Institute has now made 4,500 of the museum’s eight million objects available for students, curious persons or anyone else with an Internet connection to see. For many who live in Asia-Pacific, this is a chance to pore over treasures from their region in far greater detail than even those in the museum can. Here are some of my favorite artifacts from Asia and Oceania:

The Admonitions Scroll by Gu Kaizhi (China, 6th century)

This 6th century Chinese scroll has been captured in super high-resolution—what we call gigapixel imagery—to give you a closer and more intimate view than you could ever get with the naked eye. Due to its fragile nature, it is displayed at the museum for only a few months of of the year; on the Cultural Institute, it can be accessed all year round. It tells the story of an instructress of the imperial court, who guides the ladies of the imperial family about correct behavior.

Gigapixel imagery enables users to experience the Admonitions Scroll in a way they would never be able to offline. The complete work can be seen on the left, and zoomed in detail on the right.

Miniature of Mughal Prince (India, 1610)

This miniature painting shows an encounter between a member of the Mughal elite and a holy figure. Measuring just 10.5cm wide and 22cm high, the fine details of this artwork are best seen close up—or by zooming in to the image on the Cultural Institute. You’ll be able to appreciate the incredible detail both in the foreground and background, and rich and subtle colors with a close and accurate depiction of nature.

Zoom in on the Cultural Institute to admire the fine details of this miniature painting.

Kakiemon elephants (Japan, 1650-1699)

These colorful porcelain elephants, which stand about one foot high, were made on the island of Kyushu in southern Japan. How did the potters know what they were making, when real elephants would not have been seen in Japan at this time? It’s likely that these were ordered specially by merchants of the Dutch East India Company for export, commissioned by design as ornaments for European mantelpieces.

Zoom in to admire the overglaze coloured enamels decorating these elephants

Moon jar (Korea, 1600-1800)

White, minimalist forms are not a modern invention. These “moon” jars were prized during the Joseon dynasty in Korea, symbolizing the Neo-Confucian ideals of purity and integrity. Play the audio guide to find out the fascinating history behind how this particular moon jar found its way into the British Museum’s collection.

Bark etching of a kangaroo hunt (Australia, 1800-1899)

The British Museum is home to one of the oldest surviving Aboriginal bark etchings. The etching is made of bark from a eucalyptus tree which was blackened by smoke from a fire. Zooming into the artifact, you’ll see that the sooty surface was incised to depict figures armed with boomerangs, spears and clubs hunting a kangaroo.

Carved Wooden Figure Known as A’a (Rurutu, 1700-1850)

This wooden statue from the island of Rurutu in Polynesia was presented to English missionaries in the early 19th century as the local population converted to Christianity. It has inspired several artists of the twentieth century, including the poet William Empson whose Homage to the British Museum drew a contrast between the religious power of the figure and its secular surroundings.

There is a supreme God in the ethnological section;

A hollow toad shape, faced with a blank shield.

[...] At the navel, at the points formally stressed, at the organs of sense,

Lice glue themselves, dolls, local deities,

His smooth wood creeps with all the creeds of the world. [...]

Being everything, let us admit that is to be something,

Or give ourselves the benefit of the doubt;

Let us offer our pinch of dust all to this God,

And grant his reign over the entire building.

The British Museum is not only worth a visit for the objects in its collection—it has some impressive architecture too. You can experience the Great Court and a view of the reading room, which was used for research and writing by Sun Yat-Sen, Bram Stoker and Karl Marx.

Go on a private tour of the museum whenever you want! This is the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court. The famous architect Lord Norman Foster transformed the Museum’s inner courtyard into the largest covered public square in Europe.

Through a special microsite called The Museum of the World, visitors to this virtual gallery can explore and make connections between developments across the world’s cultures.

Clicking on an artifact from India in the 16th century shows connections between related developments across the world’s cultures around the same period in history

The Museum of the World gives visitors a new way to experience the British Museum’s collections, providing a wealth of knowledge about the exhibits with just a few clicks of the mouse. Each artifact on virtual display is accompanied not just by a caption, but also a map identifying where the object hails from, an audio guide, and links to related cultural objects online.

Posted by Piotr Adamczyk, Program Manager, Google Cultural Institute

A pitch-perfect end to Google’s first Launchpad Week in Jakarta

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

It takes a lot to get a business off the ground. Last week, two young entrepreneurs — Dika Maheswara and his business partner Indra Prastha — joined Google’s first Launchpad Week in Jakarta, an opportunity to work with mentors from around the world to help them kickstart their online shipping service, Paket ID.

Paket ID is one of 13 Indonesian startups that participated in workshops covering everything from marketing and technology, to UI/UX design and how to pitch a business idea. They — together with GoArchipelago and Rumah Bengkel — won over a panel of judges with their pitches, and emerged as the “Top 3 Startups” of Launchpad Week Jakarta.

The “Top 3 Startups” winners at Launchpad Week Jakarta (from left to right): Dika Maheswara and Indra Prastha from Paket ID; Bening Rara from GoArchipelago; Vierda Andriani and Dede Pradana from Rumah Bengkel.

The three winning startups are working on innovative ideas from an online solution for the pick-up, shipment and payment of goods, to socially-minded tourism, and a platform to connect vehicle owners with mechanics. While their approaches to monetization and customer retention vary, they share a vision to improve the way business is done in Indonesia.

Dr. Eunice Sari (left), a UI/UX expert from UXINDO.com, shares her experience with one of the 13 startups participating at Launchpad Week in Jakarta

By working with Kibar Kreasi Indonesia to build a local community around Launchpad, we hope we can give these entrepreneurs—any many more in the future—a little boost at the start of their projects. Check out this video to learn more about Launchpad, and if you'd like to take part in future programs, please register your interest here.

Posted by Erica Hanson, Developer Relations Program Manager, Google

Minimum purchase price for apps reduced on Google Play in Southeast Asia

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Google Play is available in more than 190 countries, making it a truly global platform for developers to build their high quality apps and turn them into successful businesses. A few months ago, we piloted a program in India to help developers make their content more accessible to more consumers by reducing the minimum price of paid apps, games, and in-app products on Google Play. Now this will be rolling out to 17 countries, including five in Southeast Asia.

Starting today, developers can offer their paid apps, games, and in-app products at these new minimum thresholds:

Indonesia: Rp 3,000.00 (was Rp 12,000.00)
Malaysia: RM 1.00 (was RM 3.50)
Philippines: ₱15.00 (was ₱43.00)
Thailand: ฿10.00 (was ฿32.00)
Vietnam: ₫6,000 (was ₫21,000.00)

Developers can go to the Google Play Developer Console and click on “Pricing & Distribution” or “In-app Products” to lower the price of your apps and games right away.

We hope this change allows developers from around the world reach more people in Southeast Asia.

Posted by Alistair Pott, Product Manager, Google Play

Three numbers that tell you where Asia’s mobile Internet is going

Monday, November 16, 2015

Is Asia developing towards mobile, or away from it? Three numbers from the Google-TNS Asia Pacific Mobile App Usage Study suggest an answer: as it expands, it will move towards mobile, not away from it.

The study asked people from across Asia about how they used their apps, revealing how central mobile has become to Asia’s daily life. And in markets where smartphones are only just becoming mainstream, we can expect that trend to strengthen.

We can sum this up in three numbers and two colors in the following chart:
Screen Shot 2015-11-16 at 14.08.08.png

As is common in these kinds of surveys, Korea emerges as the smartphone paradise: they have the second highest smartphone penetration in Asia, the third-highest proportion of people who consider the smartphone their main device, and they install the most apps on their phone.

What’s interesting is India (IN) and Indonesia (ID). They have the lowest smartphone penetration in the survey and also the fewest number of apps installed on their phones (probably a consequence of having devices with far less memory). And yet, for them, the smartphone is more important to their daily life, not less: more smartphone owners in India and Indonesia consider their smartphone to be their primary device than in Singapore and Korea, even though they have fewer apps installed. Even when and if they do buy second devices like PCs and tablets, all their lessons about how the Internet works will come from that small touchscreen.

The mobile-first world of Asia doesn’t seem likely to be losing its center of gravity any time soon. Of course, each Asian country approaches the mobile Internet differently, and to get a more comprehensive outlook on what’s going on across the region, please read this article as we go through the study’s numbers at Think With Google APAC.

Posted by Masao Kakihara, Senior Research Manager, Market Insights, Google Asia-Pacific

The view from the future

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

On one of my first international trips since joining Google, it was great to come to Singapore to spend time with colleagues from across the region. It is clear that one of our big possibilities as a company is to help bring the next billion users online. Already, this region has half of the world’s mobile Internet users, and it is estimated that the majority of people who will come online in the next two years will come from Asia.

At Marina Bay, overlooking the Esplanade

In many ways, millions of people in Asia live in the future. They are mobile first, and generally mobile-only, with a completely different way of using the Internet and technology than we're used to in the West. Being here and seeing how people and businesses use mobile and the ways they are innovating is inspiring. There is so much the West can learn -- from rapid mobile adoption, to the extraordinary app development, and the proliferation of messaging apps across Asia-Pacific.

While we have plenty more to do, I am impressed by the progress we have already made. In just the last few weeks, the local teams began collaborating to bring the full Internet to many more people in India and in Indonesia. And everyday, they’re helping small businesses reach customers outside their villages, or encouraging app developers can to find new global audiences.

With all that we are doing across Google, we have the potential to improve the lives of billions, bringing connectivity, communication, and improved content to people who have never -- and may never -- have a traditional computer.

Posted by Ruth Porat, SVP and CFO of Google Inc and Alphabet Inc

Take a walk on the wild side with Street View in New Zealand

Thursday, November 5, 2015

From the lush waterfalls of the Milford Track to the alpine peaks of the Kepler Track, you can now explore some of the most stunning parts of New Zealand’s wilderness with the launch of seven of the world-renowned ‘Great Walks’ on Google Street View. Known for the beauty of their remote multi-day treks, the Great Walks are a favourite destination for hikers around the world, and are now available in 360-degree panoramic imagery right from your smartphone or computer, with Google Maps.

Collected with help from our friends at New Zealand’s Department of Conservation using the Google Trekker, this new imagery shows off New Zealand’s natural beauty while inspiring hikers around the world to plan a trip.

Our intrepid trekker collector Matt checks the lenses of the Google Trekker at Lake Te Anau on the Kepler Track

Take in the view of Lake Waikaremoana from Panekire Bluff, look down at the Hollyford Valley from Conical Hill, or check out the tallest waterfall in New Zealand — all without breaking a sweat.

Panekire Bluff looks over Lake Waikaremoana which translates to ‘sea of rippling waters’ in te reo.

Conical Hill on the Routeburn Track is quite a hike at 1,515 meters. (It’s easier to get to from your phone).

Dropping 580 meters from Lake Quill, the Sutherland Falls on the Milford Track are bigger than Eiffel Tower.

Emerging from the Enchanted Forest on the Heaphy Track you might not see hobbits, but if you’re very lucky you can sometimes spot baby seals. They’re even more common at Separation Point which is a fur seal breeding ground.

Wander through an Enchanted Forest on the Heaphy Track. (Eat your heart out, Peter Jackson).

Say hi to baby seals on the Heaphy Track

Even without seals, Separation Point knows how to put on a good show.

If you’re enjoying the coast, why not head south to the Golden Beaches on Stewart Island? Once you’ve explored that, you can head north again to the Abel Tasman Track and cross The Falls River suspension bridge or the Swing Bridge over the Kohaihai River.

An impressive 47-meter long suspension bridge takes you over Falls River

It’s just a hop, step and a swing bridge over the Kohaihai River on the Abel Tasman Track

New Zealand’s Great Walks have long been on the bucket list of keen outdoors people from all around the world. We hope by bringing the Milford, Kepler, Abel Tasman, Lake Waikaremoana, Heaphy, Routeburn and Rakiura / Stewart Island tracks to Street View, these images will not only help people who are about to trek them prepare, but give anyone who wants to virtually roam the beauty of the Great Walks an opportunity to do so. And you can view more Street View collections from around New Zealand here.

Posted by Cynthia Wei, Program Manager, Google Street View

A new kids’ makerspace in Korea – helping turn play into innovation

Friday, October 30, 2015

Today we opened the doors to the Kids Maker Studio, which we announced earlier this year, in Korea’s largest science museum, the Gwacheon National Science Museum.

It is our aspiration that this space and the accompanying outdoor Science Playground opening in the spring – both made possible through a partnership wih the Gwacheon National Science Museum and a grant from Google.org – will encourage more kids in Korea to ask audacious questions, seek out new challenges and set out to come up with previously unthought of solutions.

Our Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, was on hand to open the space…and help a few kids with their creative projects

The Kids Maker Studio will offer kids — and their parents – a wide range of workshops throughout the year. Upcoming sessions include everything from creating a stethoscope that can measure and convert electric resistance of various objects to sound, to making a model of a friend’s face using black strip resistor and LED lights.

Here are some pictures of the kids experimenting in the studio:

Over the past year, we have had an incredible opportunity to be involved in major initiatives that support Korea’s insatiable spirit for creativity and innovation. Through our partnership with the National Hangeul Museum, we opened an interactive space for kids to learn about the Korean alphabet. Earlier this year, we opened Campus Seoul, our first community space for startups in Asia. And next Spring, as mentioned, we will open the 2,000 square meter outdoor Science Playground at the Gwacheon National Science Museum.

We are so excited to see what the kids who come through these spaces create.

Posted by John Lee, Country Director, Google Korea

Catch your breath and take in the best views of Sabah on Street View

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Malaysia’s most eastern state of Sabah sits just south of a typhoon belt. Seafarers used to call it the "Land Below The Wind," as it provided refuge from the raging storms of the north. From today you too can catch your breath, in awe, at the beauty of Sabah with the launch of new Street View imagery from 23 islands and nature reserves from the area.

Sabah is home to the highest mountain in Malaysia, so you can now scale the Mount Kinabalu peak from the couch. A UNESCO world heritage site, Mount Kinabalu sits in Kinabalu Park which teems with unique flora and fauna — including the gigantic Rafflesia plant and orangutans.

It’s quite a view from Mount Kinabalu peak!

Scaling the Mount Kinabalu peak is even tougher with an 18kg Trekker on your back

Or take a quiet cruise down the Kinabatangan River. The longest river in Sabah, Kinabatangan winds through a forest-covered floodplain which is home to Proboscis monkeys, Sumatran rhinos and Asian elephants. If you like wildlife, try and catch a glimpse of the orangutans at Sepilok Orang Utan Reserve:

Two orangutans having a tête-à-tête at the Sepilok Orang Utan Reserve

Once you’ve explored the jungle, why not go island hopping and visit Mabul or Mataking? The clear turquoise waters of the Celebes Sea are teeming with sea life and gentle sloping reefs which makes them diving hotspots.

Take a virtual dip at Mabul Island

The tiny Mataking Island can be walked around in an hour. We bet you could go even faster with Street View.

Sabah is home to incredibly unique natural diversity. We hope you enjoy scaling the peaks of Kinabalu, going deep into the jungle, or lazing around on the many island beaches with this new Street View collection.

Posted by Nhazlisham Hamdan, Street View Operations Lead Malaysia, Indonesia & Thailand

Bringing the Internet within reach of 100 million Indonesians from 20 kms above Earth

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Baca turun ke bawah agar dapat melihat postingan ini dalam Bahasa Indonesia

In Indonesia today, only about 1 out of every 3 people are connected to the Internet. And even though most of their connections are painfully slow, they’re doing some pretty incredible things. Startups like motorcycle delivery service Go-Jek are building impressive adaptations to Indonesia’s unique challenges, while small businesses like fashionable hijab shop HiJup are using the web to redefine marketplaces.

Still, a majority of Indonesians don’t have access to the educational, cultural, and economic opportunities of the Internet. That’s why we’re pleased to announce that Indonesia’s top three mobile network operators—Indosat, Telkomsel, and XL Axiata—have agreed to begin testing Project Loon balloon-powered Internet over Indonesia in 2016. These tests represent an important step toward bringing all of Indonesia online.

From left to right: Ririek Adriansyah, CEO of Telkomsel; Dian Siswarini, CEO of XL Axiata; Alexander Rusli, CEO of Indosat; Mike Cassidy, VP of Project Loon; Sergey Brin, President, Alphabet Inc

Loon balloons act like floating mobile phone towers; flying on the stratospheric winds at altitudes twice as high as commercial planes, each balloon beams an Internet connection down to the ground, and as one drifts out of range, another moves in to take its place. Loon can help telecommunications companies extend their networks; high in the sky, we can help overcome the difficulties of spreading equipment across an archipelago of 17,000 islands of jungles and mountains, providing connectivity to even the most remote islands.

Project Loon balloons travel approximately 20 km above the Earth’s surface in the stratosphere. Winds in the stratosphere are stratified, and each layer of wind varies in speed and direction. By moving with the wind, the balloons can be arranged to form one large communications network.

Over the next few years, we’re hoping Loon can partner with local providers to put high-speed LTE Internet connections within reach of more than 100 million currently unconnected people—that’s enough speed to read websites, watch videos, or make purchases. From Sabang all the way to Merauke, many of these people live in areas without any existing Internet infrastructure, so we hope balloon-powered Internet could someday help give them access to the information and opportunity of the web.

But it’s not the only step Google is taking toward making the Internet both accessible and useful for people in Indonesia. Android One phones are helping to make high-quality smartphones more accessible in a country where most people first access the Internet on a mobile device. And along with that, we’re working to ease the use of data with features sure as Search Lite, which streamlines search so pages load more quickly, or by optimizing web pages so that they require less data to load. Indonesia is also one of the first countries where YouTube users can take videos offline to watch later during periods of low or no Internet connectivity.

We’re also doing what we can to ensure that language isn’t a barrier to the opportunities of the web. Google Translate was introduced for Bahasa in 2008, and more recently we’ve expanded it to Sundanese, a language that’s spoken by nearly 40 million people living on the island of Java.

Soon we hope many more millions of people in Indonesia will be able to use the full Internet to bring their culture and businesses online and explore the world even without leaving home. And for those of you who’ve never been to this country of rich culture and natural beauty, we invite you to head over to Google Street View to explore the famous temples at Borobudur and Prambanan.

Posted by Mike Cassidy, Vice President, Project Loon

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Menghadirkan akses internet ke 100 juta penduduk Indonesia dari ketinggian 20 km di atas Bumi

Saat ini, perbandingan jumlah penduduk Indonesia yang bisa mengakses internet adalah satu banding tiga. Dan sebagian besar koneksi Internetnya pun sangat lambat, namun, mereka tetap dapat melakukan berbagai hal mengagumkan. Perusahaan startup seperti Go-Jek berhasil menyesuaikan diri dengan tantangan unik yang ada di Indonesia, dan perusahaan kecil yang bergerak pada bidang busana hijab seperti HiJup juga menggunakan Internet untuk mendefinisikan kembali pangsa pasarnya.

Bagaimana pun, mayoritas penduduk Indonesia masih belum memiliki akses Internet terutama kesempatan di bidang pendidikan, budaya, dan ekonomi. Itulah mengapa kami bangga mengumumkan bahwa tiga operator seluler di Indonesia—Indosat, Telkomsel, and XL Axiata—telah menyepakati memulai pengujian Project Loon - Internet bertenaga balon di Indonesia pada tahun 2016. Pelaksanaan pengujian ini adalah sebuah langkah penting membawa seluruh Indonesia menjadi online.

From left to right: Ririek Adriansyah, CEO of Telkomsel; Dian Siswarini, CEO of XL Axiata; Alexander Rusli, CEO of Indosat;
Mike Cassidy, VP of Project Loon; Sergey Brin, President, Alphabet Inc

Balon Loon berfungsi sebagai menara telepon seluler terbang, mengangkasa dengan angin stratosferik di ketinggian dua kali daripada pesawat komersial, masing-masing balon ini memancarkan koneksi Internet turun ke permukaan, dan bila salah satu balon ini keluar jalur, yang baru akan menggantikannya. Project Loon dapat membantu perusahaan telekomunikasi melebarkan jaringannya, jauh tinggi di angkasa, dengan mengatasi tantangan dalam hal penyebaran peralatan dalam menyediakan konektivitas ke penjuru paling ujung sekalipun ke seluruh Nusantara, yang merupakan kepulauan sebanyak 17.000, yang terdiri dari hutan dan pegunungan.

Dalam waktu beberapa tahun ke depan, kami berharap Project Loon dapat bermitra dengan penyedia lokal untuk membangun koneksi Internet berkecepatan tinggi berbasis LTE agar dapat menghubungkan lebih dari 100 juta penduduk yang belum terhubungi—kecepatan ini baik untuk situs-web, menonton video, dan melakukan pembelian online. Dari Sabang sampai Merauke, banyak dari masyarakat ini tinggal di wilayah tanpa infrastruktur Internet yang sudah ada saat ini, jadi kami berharap Internet bertenaga-balon ini dapat suatu saat nanti membantu mereka agar memiliki akses informasi dan kesempatan yang ada di Internet.

Namun, ini bukanlah satu-satunya langkah yang dilakukan Google untuk menjadikan Internet dapat diakses dan berguna bagi masyarakat di Indonesia. Perangkat telepon Android One membantu ponsel pintar bermutu tinggi agar lebih mudah diakses di negara yang kebanyakan masyarakatnya memiliki akses pertama Internetnya di perangkat seluler. Bersamaan dengan ini, kami juga sedang bekerja untuk memudahkan penggunaan data dengan fitur seperti Search Lite, yang mempersingkat penelusuran sehingga memuat laman lebih cepat, atau dengan pengoptimalan laman Internet agar data lebih sedikit ketika ada pemuatan laman. Indonesia juga merupakan salah satu negara pertama terkait para pengguna YouTube yang dapat memutar video dalam keadaan offline agar dapat ditonton di waktu kemudian saat konektivitas Internet sedang rendah atau tidak ada koneksi sama sekali.

Kami juga melakukan segala sesuatu yang dapat dilakukan untuk memastikan bahwa bahasa bukanlah rintangan yang menghalangi kesempatan yang ada di Internet. Google Translate diperkenalkan untuk Bahasa Indonesia pada tahun 2008, dan belum lama kami melebarkannya ke Bahasa Sunda, sebuah bahasa yang dipakai oleh lebih dari 40 juta orang yang tinggal di pulau Jawa.

Tidak lama lagi, kami berharap jutaan masyarakat Indonesia akan dapat menggunakan Internet secara utuh sehingga dapat membawa budaya dan bisnis mereka secara online dan mengeksplorasi dunia tanpa meninggalkan kediamannya. Dan, bagi mereka yang belum menginjakkan kakinya di negeri yang kaya budaya dan keindahan alam ini, kami mengundang Anda menggunakan Google Street View agar dapat mengeksplorasi candi-candi seperti Borobudur dan Prambanan yang sangat terkenal.

Diposting oleh Mike Cassidy, Vice President, Project Loon

Asia Pacific Blog