Author Archives: Elisabeth Leoni

Tea time with a touch of technology

Some of the world’s best tea is grown in the Darjeeling district of India, seen here against the backdrop of the Himalayas.

Editor’s Note: As part of our series of interviews with entrepreneurs across Asia Pacific who use the internet to grow, we spoke with Parvez Gupta, the co-founder of Udyan Tea in Siliguri, India, to find out how he uses technology to bring the best teas to tea lovers in India and beyond. 


After working for a multinational firm in Singapore, you returned home to start a business in India. Tell us about your motivations. 

I grew up in Siliguri, which is part of the Darjeeling district of West Bengal—where the world’s finest tea is grown. I love tea and I enjoyed savoring it from a young age. Being in Siliguri, I’m at the source of tea production, and I’ve been able to use the internet to bring fresher and better teas to people everywhere.

My father was also a huge inspiration. Growing up, I saw him build multiple businesses from the ground up and he inspired me to become an entrepreneur.

Parvez Gupta Udyan Tea
Udyan tea co-founder Parvez Gupta is passionate about sharing his Darjeeling tea culture with the rest of the country and the world.

Why tea and why Udyan?

My friend, Punit Poddar, and I started Udyan Tea in 2012. Punit is also deeply passionate about tea. He has been a tea taster for the past ten years and his family have been in the tea business for more than five decades. During our travels in India, we realized there was a severe lack of good quality tea in other parts of the country. As natives of Siliguri, we expect every cup of tea to be a great one. But we discovered that most good quality tea is exported to foreign markets.

We worked together to address the gap in the domestic market — too many firms catered to demand for fine teas abroad, but not at home. So Udyan Tea was born. Udyan means “garden” and that’s what we aim to provide, the finest tea from the garden to your cup. We select the best tea based on freshness, authenticity and quality. 

Punit Poddar Udyan
Udyan co-founder and tea taster Punit Poddar hails from a family that's been in the tea business for more than 50 years.

How do you find that Google helps your business?

The internet has opened up an entire new base of consumers to businesses of every kind. Before the internet, you could only transact with local communities. Today, with e-commerce, the possibilities are limitless. We are primarily focused on the Indian market, and close to 80% of our revenue is driven from within the country.  We depend entirely on the internet for selling our products, and we rely heavily on Google search to generate traffic to our business.

AdWords has been indispensable for generating new leads for us. We also use Search, Analytics, and Google My Business. We’ve also used Translate tools to close deals with customers who do not speak English at all, which is quite amazing if you think about it. So far, we have shipped products to over 25 countries!


Can you tell us about how your business has helped your community? 

We purchase teas from a number of small growers on an ongoing basis. This helps them fetch the best prices for their teas by eliminating middlemen and contributes to their sustainability. We also serve as consultants to other tea businesses and cafes, meaning we help other companies succeed in the tea business as well!

Tea tasting Udyan
"Udyan [उद्यान] means garden in Hindi, and that’s what we represent," explains Parvez Gupta, "tea fresh from the gardens".

The She Word: going behind hardware design with Ivy Ross

Editor’s Note: The She Word is a Keyword series all about powerful, dynamic and creative women at Google. Intrigued by the unique aesthetic of Google’s new family of hardware devices released in October, we sat down with the woman who leads the design team: Ivy Ross. In the interview below, she shares with us how she approaches design at work, and life outside of work.

Ivy_Ross_128.jpg

How do you explain your job at a dinner party?

I lead a team that creates how a Google product—including Google Home, the Pixel laptop and wearables—looks, feels and acts when you hold it in your hands.

What advice would you give to women starting out in their careers?

Be fearless in using your heart and mind in what you do, and bring more beauty into the world.

Who has been a strong female influence in your life?

My daughter. Seeing the world through her eyes at various stages of her life has given me a “beginner’s mind” in much of what I do.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I’ve always wanted to be a designer/maker. My dad, who had a big influence on me, was an industrial designer and built the house I grew up in—the house was so ahead of its time that Andy Warhol used it to shoot a movie back in the late 70’s.

When I was 12 years old, I made a dress out of chain mail metal and wore it to a bar mitzvah. I linked together thousands of metal squares that made up the dress, designed a necklace that attached to the dress, and made a purse out of the chain mail to match. Even back then, I was designing for efficiency! Instead of bringing needle and thread in case the dress ripped, I carried a screwdriver.

ivy dress.jpg
Ivy in her homemade dress (screwdriver not pictured).

What is one habit that makes you successful?

Trusting my instincts on both people and ideas.

How is designing hardware different than designing software?

Unlike software, you can’t fix hardware through a new release or update. You need more time up front because once something is tooled, you can make very few adjustments.

What is the most important design principle for Google’s hardware?

Human. By that I mean friendly, emotionally-appealing and easy to fit into your life and your home. I believe more time we spend in front of flat screens, the more we’ll crave soft and tactile three-dimensional shapes. This is reflected in the fabric in Home Mini, Home Max and Daydream View, the texture of Pixel phones and Pixel Books, and the soft silicon pad where you rest your wrist while typing on the PixelBook.

  • Shot_4_0168_FPO1 (1).jpg
    Color swatches for Google Home Mini
  • DesignStory_Phone_Table_T_034_FPO1_retouched (1).jpg
    Iterations of Pixel 2
  • DesignStory_Phone_Cases_T_073_FPO1_SIMP_retouched (1).jpg
    Testing fabrics for Pixel cases
  • DesignStory_Eve_Table_T_030_FPO1_SIMP_retouched (1).jpg
    Iterations of Pixelbook and Pixelbook Pen
  • img7.jpg
    Designing the new Daydream View

Are there any design innovations you’re especially proud of in this year’s hardware lineup?

The way we used fabric for Home Mini was not an easy path. It required special construction to accomplish the simplicity of the form with great acoustics. Some of the things that look the simplest can actually be the hardest to construct! I’m proud that we created a beautiful group of products without sacrificing their function.

I’m proud that we created a beautiful group of products without sacrificing their function.

Where do you find inspiration for your work?

I don’t spend much time looking at other electronics beyond what I need to understand about the market. You can’t create anything new by only looking within your own category so I draw inspiration from art, materials, furniture, music, nature and people. My dad taught how to look at something and see more than what appears on the surface.

You're also a jewelry designer with big accomplishments at a young age. What did you learn from that?

Having gotten my work in museums around the world by age 25, I realized that life is not about the end goal, it’s about the journey and the adventure along the way with others.

The High Five: you get a search, you get a search, everybody gets a search!

Oprah’s speech had people buzzing, while Jimmy Ma spun to internet fame at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Here are some of the most-searched trends of the week (with data from the Google News Lab).

A brighter morning, even during our darkest nights

“Is Oprah going to run for president?” was a top searched question this week, after the icon’s rousing speech at the Golden Globes. Searches for “Oprah for President” were up more than 5,000 percent, and search interest in “Oprah 2020” was 1,200 percent higher than “Trump 2020.” And the region with the most searches for “Oprah 2020”? Home of the White House, Washington, D.C.

Making waves

The recent raw water trend has people wondering whether drinking untreated water is actually good for you, and search queries poured in: “How is well water different from raw water?” “Who endorses raw water?” and “How much does raw water cost?” This week, searches in “raw water” were 800 percent higher than “raw milk” and 300 percent higher than “raw food.”

Roll tide

Alabama Crimson Tide freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had his moment in the search spotlight this week. After leading his team to an overtime victory in the College Football Playoff National Championship, searches for his name increased nearly 7,000 percent, and searches are interested in his names, his stats, and his hands (which are reportedly quite large, and were searched 450 percent more than famously large-handed NFL quarterback Russell Wilson).

Ice skating turns up

Search interest in figure skater Jimmy Ma jumped 1,300 percent this week after he brought hip hop to the ice skating rink. His routine at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships featured Lil Jon’s hit song “Turn Down for What,” prompting these top searches: “Jimmy Ma freestyle,” “Jimmy Ma goes viral,” and “Jimmy Ma hiphop ice skating routine.”

What happens in Vegas …

Will stay in tech news. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which showcases future tech products, took place in Las Vegas this week. Some technical difficulties meant that “CES power outage” was searched 150 percent more than “CES news.” Other top searches about the event were “When is CES 2018?” “What does CES stand for?” and “How to go to CES.”

The High Five: you get a search, you get a search, everybody gets a search!

Oprah’s speech had people buzzing, while Jimmy Ma spun to internet fame at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Here are some of the most-searched trends of the week (with data from the Google News Lab).

A brighter morning, even during our darkest nights

“Is Oprah going to run for president?” was a top searched question this week, after the icon’s rousing speech at the Golden Globes. Searches for “Oprah for President” were up more than 5,000 percent, and search interest in “Oprah 2020” was 1,200 percent higher than “Trump 2020.” And the region with the most searches for “Oprah 2020”? Home of the White House, Washington, D.C.

Making waves

The recent raw water trend has people wondering whether drinking untreated water is actually good for you, and search queries poured in: “How is well water different from raw water?” “Who endorses raw water?” and “How much does raw water cost?” This week, searches in “raw water” were 800 percent higher than “raw milk” and 300 percent higher than “raw food.”

Roll tide

Alabama Crimson Tide freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had his moment in the search spotlight this week. After leading his team to an overtime victory in the College Football Playoff National Championship, searches for his name increased nearly 7,000 percent, and searches are interested in his names, his stats, and his hands (which are reportedly quite large, and were searched 450 percent more than famously large-handed NFL quarterback Russell Wilson).

Ice skating turns up

Search interest in figure skater Jimmy Ma jumped 1,300 percent this week after he brought hip hop to the ice skating rink. His routine at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships featured Lil Jon’s hit song “Turn Down for What,” prompting these top searches: “Jimmy Ma freestyle,” “Jimmy Ma goes viral,” and “Jimmy Ma hiphop ice skating routine.”

What happens in Vegas …

Will stay in tech news. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which showcases future tech products, took place in Las Vegas this week. Some technical difficulties meant that “CES power outage” was searched 150 percent more than “CES news.” Other top searches about the event were “When is CES 2018?” “What does CES stand for?” and “How to go to CES.”

Source: Search


New year, new searches: resolutions, “bomb cyclone” and Coachella

It’s a new year, and some of this week’s trends (with data from Google News Lab) are about adjusting: to a new gym routine, unexpected weather, and a new law in California.

Treadmill time

New Year’s resolutions = more searches for “gyms near me.” In fact, search interest in the phrase hit an all-time high this month. Despite a heightened desire to hit the gym, interest in “new year diet” was 200 percent higher than “new year exercise” this week. Looking ahead to the new year, people are wondering: “What is a New Year’s resolution for kids?” “What is the history behind New Year’s resolutions?” and “Who made the first New Year’s resolution?”

Do you wanna build a snowman?

“What is a bomb cyclone?” was a top-searched question this week as a massive winter storm hits the east coast of the U.S. Snow is showing up in unexpected places around the country as well. When people search for “Snow in...” the post popular locations are Florida, Tallahassee and Orlando. And with cold weather taking over, search interest in “frozen pipes” has reached its highest point this week since 2004. Top “how to” searches include “how to thaw frozen pipes,” “how to keep pipes from freezing,” and “how to fix frozen pipes.”

Desert calling

Despite the cold weather, people have something warm to look forward to: The lineup for Coachella 2018 was announced this week, and search interest in “Coachella tickets” went up nearly 6,500 percent. Coachella-goers are already looking into lodging, with “Coachella airbnb” searched 100 percent more than “Coachella hotel.” The top-searched Coachella performers were Cardi B, Eminem, Beyoncé, Post Malone and Migos.

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Coachella isn’t even the biggest news in California …

Recreational marijuana was people’s minds (and on sale for the first time in California) this week. In California, top questions included “where to buy legal weed in Los Angeles,” “What is the tax on weed in California,” and “Where can I buy marijuana?” Meanwhile, following the announcement that the Justice Department is rescinding a policy that enabled legalized marijuana to flourish in many states, the top trending question nationwide was “Why are marijuana stocks down?”

Ready for the coin toss in the South

For the first time, two SEC teams—University of Alabama and University of Georgia—will face off in the College Football National Championship on Monday. Though the game’s outcome is yet to be decided, search interest in “Alabama Crimson Tide football” is beating “Georgia Bulldogs football” by 190 percent. After Georgia’s overtime win in the semi-final, the top trending college football questions this week were about overtime: “How does overtime work in college football?” “How many overtimes are in college football?” and “How long is overtime in college football?”

New year, new searches: resolutions, “bomb cyclone” and Coachella

It’s a new year, and some of this week’s trends (with data from Google News Lab) are about adjusting: to a new gym routine, unexpected weather, and a new law in California.

Treadmill time

New Year’s resolutions = more searches for “gyms near me.” In fact, search interest in the phrase hit an all-time high this month. Despite a heightened desire to hit the gym, interest in “new year diet” was 200 percent higher than “new year exercise” this week. Looking ahead to the new year, people are wondering: “What is a New Year’s resolution for kids?” “What is the history behind New Year’s resolutions?” and “Who made the first New Year’s resolution?”

Do you wanna build a snowman?

“What is a bomb cyclone?” was a top-searched question this week as a massive winter storm hits the east coast of the U.S. Snow is showing up in unexpected places around the country as well. When people search for “Snow in...” the post popular locations are Florida, Tallahassee and Orlando. And with cold weather taking over, search interest in “frozen pipes” has reached its highest point this week since 2004. Top “how to” searches include “how to thaw frozen pipes,” “how to keep pipes from freezing,” and “how to fix frozen pipes.”

Desert calling

Despite the cold weather, people have something warm to look forward to: The lineup for Coachella 2018 was announced this week, and search interest in “Coachella tickets” went up nearly 6,500 percent. Coachella-goers are already looking into lodging, with “Coachella airbnb” searched 100 percent more than “Coachella hotel.” The top-searched Coachella performers were Cardi B, Eminem, Beyoncé, Post Malone and Migos.

bey

Coachella isn’t even the biggest news in California …

Recreational marijuana was people’s minds (and on sale for the first time in California) this week. In California, top questions included “where to buy legal weed in Los Angeles,” “What is the tax on weed in California,” and “Where can I buy marijuana?” Meanwhile, following the announcement that the Justice Department is rescinding a policy that enabled legalized marijuana to flourish in many states, the top trending question nationwide was “Why are marijuana stocks down?”

Ready for the coin toss in the South

For the first time, two SEC teams—University of Alabama and University of Georgia—will face off in the College Football National Championship on Monday. Though the game’s outcome is yet to be decided, search interest in “Alabama Crimson Tide football” is beating “Georgia Bulldogs football” by 190 percent. After Georgia’s overtime win in the semi-final, the top trending college football questions this week were about overtime: “How does overtime work in college football?” “How many overtimes are in college football?” and “How long is overtime in college football?”

Source: Search


New year, new searches: resolutions, “bomb cyclone” and Coachella

It’s a new year, and some of this week’s trends (with data from Google News Lab) are about adjusting: to a new gym routine, unexpected weather, and a new law in California.

Treadmill time

New Year’s resolutions = more searches for “gyms near me.” In fact, search interest in the phrase hit an all-time high this month. Despite a heightened desire to hit the gym, interest in “new year diet” was 200 percent higher than “new year exercise” this week. Looking ahead to the new year, people are wondering: “What is a New Year’s resolution for kids?” “What is the history behind New Year’s resolutions?” and “Who made the first New Year’s resolution?”

Do you wanna build a snowman?

“What is a bomb cyclone?” was a top-searched question this week as a massive winter storm hits the east coast of the U.S. Snow is showing up in unexpected places around the country as well. When people search for “Snow in...” the post popular locations are Florida, Tallahassee and Orlando. And with cold weather taking over, search interest in “frozen pipes” has reached its highest point this week since 2004. Top “how to” searches include “how to thaw frozen pipes,” “how to keep pipes from freezing,” and “how to fix frozen pipes.”

Desert calling

Despite the cold weather, people have something warm to look forward to: The lineup for Coachella 2018 was announced this week, and search interest in “Coachella tickets” went up nearly 6,500 percent. Coachella-goers are already looking into lodging, with “Coachella airbnb” searched 100 percent more than “Coachella hotel.” The top-searched Coachella performers were Cardi B, Eminem, Beyoncé, Post Malone and Migos.

bey

Coachella isn’t even the biggest news in California …

Recreational marijuana was people’s minds (and on sale for the first time in California) this week. In California, top questions included “where to buy legal weed in Los Angeles,” “What is the tax on weed in California,” and “Where can I buy marijuana?” Meanwhile, following the announcement that the Justice Department is rescinding a policy that enabled legalized marijuana to flourish in many states, the top trending question nationwide was “Why are marijuana stocks down?”

Ready for the coin toss in the South

For the first time, two SEC teams—University of Alabama and University of Georgia—will face off in the College Football National Championship on Monday. Though the game’s outcome is yet to be decided, search interest in “Alabama Crimson Tide football” is beating “Georgia Bulldogs football” by 190 percent. After Georgia’s overtime win in the semi-final, the top trending college football questions this week were about overtime: “How does overtime work in college football?” “How many overtimes are in college football?” and “How long is overtime in college football?”

Source: Search


The High Five: fighting fire, breaking silence, and other top searches this week

This week, search trends—with data from the Google News Lab—reflect nationwide concern about the Southern California wildfires, as well as end-of-year cultural milestones like TIME’s “Person of the Year” and “Spotify Wrapped.”

Southern California wildfires

As wildfires ravaged Southern California this week, people searched to find out “How do brush fires start?” and “Why are there so many wildfires in California?” People are also trying to prepare and do more to help: “How to become a wildfire fighter,” “How to protect your house from wildfires” and “How to how California fire victims” were among the top searches.

Silent, no longer

After TIME named its “Person of the Year” this week, search interest for “silence breaker” went up 31,000 percent. These are the women, both famous and unknown, who launched a movement against sexual harassment this year. Searchers were most curious about “how the TIME Person of the Year is chosen,” and the top searches for “Person of the Year” were Ashley Judd, Donald Trump, Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, Taylor Swift and Colin Kaepernick.

Coding craze

“Why do we need to learn coding?” was a top-searched question this week, and one that  Computer Science Education Week set out to answer. Searches about computer science ranged from basic questions like “What is coding” and “How to code,” to more advanced searches for programming languages (the most-searched languages were JavaScript, PHP and Python).

That’s a wrap

This week, Spotify released its “Wrapped” feature, which breaks down your music-listening habits over the past year. Spotify listeners wanted to know, “How to see Spotify 2017 Wrapped” and “How many songs have I listened to on Spotify?” The feature also tells you the number of minutes you spent listening to Spotify this year—and interestingly, search interest in “minutes to hours” went up 140 percent after Wrapped was released.


No more carbo-loading

Some people may already be thinking about New Year’s resolutions, with a recent uptick in searches for the Keto diet, which recommends fewer carbs and more fats. For some, carbs (or lack thereof) are top of mind: “How to make Keto bread” and “How many carbs can I have on Keto diet” were two of the top searches. Those who are ready to get cooking searched for “Keto chicken recipes” and “Keto dessert recipes.” And if Keto isn’t your thing, consider the other most-searched diets this week: Paleo diet, Military diet, and Mediterranean diet.

kd

Source: Search


The High Five: fighting fire, breaking silence, and other top searches this week

This week, search trends—with data from the Google News Lab—reflect nationwide concern about the Southern California wildfires, as well as end-of-year cultural milestones like TIME’s “Person of the Year” and “Spotify Wrapped.”

Southern California wildfires

As wildfires ravaged Southern California this week, people searched to find out “How do brush fires start?” and “Why are there so many wildfires in California?” People are also trying to prepare and do more to help: “How to become a wildfire fighter,” “How to protect your house from wildfires” and “How to how California fire victims” were among the top searches.

Silent, no longer

After TIME named its “Person of the Year” this week, search interest for “silence breaker” went up 31,000 percent. These are the women, both famous and unknown, who launched a movement against sexual harassment this year. Searchers were most curious about “how the TIME Person of the Year is chosen,” and the top searches for “Person of the Year” were Ashley Judd, Donald Trump, Mohammad Bin Salman Al Saud, Taylor Swift and Colin Kaepernick.

Coding craze

“Why do we need to learn coding?” was a top-searched question this week, and one that  Computer Science Education Week set out to answer. Searches about computer science ranged from basic questions like “What is coding” and “How to code,” to more advanced searches for programming languages (the most-searched languages were JavaScript, PHP and Python).

That’s a wrap

This week, Spotify released its “Wrapped” feature, which breaks down your music-listening habits over the past year. Spotify listeners wanted to know, “How to see Spotify 2017 Wrapped” and “How many songs have I listened to on Spotify?” The feature also tells you the number of minutes you spent listening to Spotify this year—and interestingly, search interest in “minutes to hours” went up 140 percent after Wrapped was released.


No more carbo-loading

Some people may already be thinking about New Year’s resolutions, with a recent uptick in searches for the Keto diet, which recommends fewer carbs and more fats. For some, carbs (or lack thereof) are top of mind: “How to make Keto bread” and “How many carbs can I have on Keto diet” were two of the top searches. Those who are ready to get cooking searched for “Keto chicken recipes” and “Keto dessert recipes.” And if Keto isn’t your thing, consider the other most-searched diets this week: Paleo diet, Military diet, and Mediterranean diet.

kd

The High Five: what people searched for this week

Amidst allegations against prominent men in media, people were abuzz about a royal engagement and feeling generous on Giving Tuesday. Here are a few of the top search trends this week:

Matt Lauer and Garrison Keillor

People are searching for media personalities Matt Lauer and Garrison Keillor this week, following their firings due to allegations of sexual harassment and assault in the workplace. People searched to find out more about Lauer and Keillor’s accusers, and details about the complaints. Following the news, search interest in Lauer’s former “Today Show” co-host Katie Couric went up 1,700 percent and interest in current co-host Savannah Guthrie went up nearly 500 percent.

I now pronounce you prince and princess

Prince Harry is officially off the market, now engaged to American actress Meghan Markle. In the U.S., people are wondering how it all started—the top searched question about the engagement was “Who introduced Prince Harry to Meghan?” But people in the U.K. are looking ahead to wedding day, searching to find out “Will we get a day off when Prince Harry gets married?” And everyone wants to know how much Markle’s ring will sparkle—this week’s “engagement ring” searches were all related to to Harry’s bride-to-be.

Give a little bit

Last week was all about eating, and this week was all about giving. People searched for organizations to donate to this Giving Tuesday—the top searched philanthropic organizations were Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill and Salvation Army. Other top questions about charity and philanthropy were “where to donate clothes,” “how to start a nonprofit” and “how to start a GoFundMe page.”

Sneeze season

Early estimates show that Australia's flu vaccine was only 10 percent effective at preventing the this year’s strain of the virus, leading to searches in the U.S. like “How effective is the 2017 flu vaccine?” and “What are the ingredients in a flu shot?” Earlier this week, “flu shot” was searched 220 percent more than “flu symptoms,” as some people are still looking to get a shot—another top search was “How much is the flu shot at CVS?” Top regions searching for influenza vaccine were Connecticut, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Heads or tails?

Search interest in “bitcoin” reached an all-time high in the U.S. this week, as prices peaked. But questions remain about this cryptic cryptocurrency—top searches were “What is bitcoin?” “How to buy Bitcoin” and “How to invest in Bitcoin.” Other than bitcoin, top searched cryptocurrencies were Ethereum, Ripple and Litecoin.

Source: Search