Computer science education provides students with lifelong skills that enable them to solve problems and develop critical analysis skills.
Computer science (CS) is more available in classrooms across New Zealand than ever, thanks to the Digital Technologies curriculum, and so equipping teachers with the everything they need to teach CS and computational thinking has never been more important.
“A lot of students come out of school able to push the right buttons, but don’t know how to approach real-world problem solving. We need to teach students how to tackle problems that seem unsolvable,” says Leanne Cameron, CS4HS grant recipient.
It also helps them prepare for the careers of the future that will certainly involve digital skills and combining computer science with other disciplines like health, science, agriculture, art and more to solve complex challenges and design innovation solutions for the world.
Other CS4HS recipients have delivered hands on practical workshops to teachers all around New Zealand to equip them with both the knowledge and the skills to engage and excite students in the opportunities that computer science can lead to. CORE Education, a 2016 CS4HS recipient, developed an online introductory series of webinars to give teachers the resources and confidence to teach the foundation concepts of CS with year 7-10 students.
Applications are now open for our 2016 CS4HS program in Australia and New Zealand, and will remain open until 19 March 2016.
If you want to know where computer science can take today’s students, check out Careers with Code. In the future, young Australians will use computer science to do great things, and it will all start with a great teacher with a passion for the topic.
Posted by Sally-Ann Williams, Engineering Community & Outreach manager
At Google we often talk about trying to solve the really big problems - connectivity, communication, organising the world’s information. Sometimes we take on ideas so large it could almost seem preposterous - like organising all the information on the internet, or using artificial intelligence to translate languages. Google has engineers in Australia working on all kinds of global problems. We have the largest Google Maps team in the world - no surprise given that Google Maps was born in Sydney; we are working to transform the way businesses operate in a digital world; we’re helping people in emerging economies make the most out of the internet in spite of poor bandwidth. We are also in a unique position to help others solve big problems using technology, and through our philanthropic arm Google.org we donate more than US$100 million and a further US$1 billion in products and resources every year to non-profit partners tackling some of the biggest social issues we face.
Google Australia & New Zealand managing director Jason Pellegrino, Infoxchange chief executive David Spriggs and Google.org director Jacquelline Fuller.
One of those partners is Infoxchange, which is transforming the way society tackles homelessness. It’s hard to believe, but one in 200 people is homeless. You may also be surprised to know that roughly eight out of ten of those homeless people has a smartphone. For many homeless people their smartphone can play a decisive role in determining their outcome. Infoxchange saw the opportunity to provide people in need with location-based information via their mobile, helping connect them with essential things such as food, counselling, employment services, legal support and a safe place to sleep. Earlier this year it launched Ask Izzy, the world’s first, nationwide mobile website connecting people who are at risk with essential services. Ask Izzy was developed with support from Google, News Corp and REA Group. It is exactly the kind of problem-solving that motivates people at Google; not only did we fund the development, but a number of Google staff helped develop the technology and assist with user testing. The mobile site was co-designed by those who have experienced homelessness. It’s also free, anonymous, and the data usage costs nothing if you access it via Telstra’s network. The people at Infoxchange have been amazing partners because of their passion for the issue of homelessness, for the partners they’ve been able to bring together to make this project happen, and for their belief in the power of technology to make a real difference in people’s lives. Ask Izzy was launched in January by Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, and has now been used more 250,000 times - many more times than Infoxchange expected.
Launching Ask Izzy in January, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Lucy Turnbull spoke with people who consulted on the design of Ask Izzy.
The next step for Infoxchange and Ask Izzy is to create a national database that understands how people are using essential services so that policymakers can ensure they are available where they are needed most. This Christmas if you wish to donate to Infoxchange go to http://info.westpac.com.au/askizzy so they can put pocket-sized mobile phone chargers into the hands of homeless people - for just $15 you can ensure that when they need that little bit of extra charge for their phone, it’s there for them. A single power card will charge their phone for four hours. An extra phone charge in the pockets of people in need can help them find a bed, a shower, a meal, a friend. Even when we’re seeking to make big changes to society, it’s the small things that often matter the most. Posted by Alan Noble, Director of Engineering, Google Australia
From Rio to Kaikoura, here's what Kiwis searched in 2016
It’s that time of year again, when we look back on all the things New Zealand searched for. It was the year you ‘caught ‘em all,’ navigated natural disasters – and made Harambe a hero. We said goodbye to some greats, made pancakes – and came together to celebrate. To rediscover the events, people and topics that defined 2016 around the world, watch our video.
So, in honour of all that made 2016 what it was, here’s a wrap-up of the topics that caught our attention and brought Kiwis together in Search.
A year of real (and political) earthquakes
Shaken by quakes and possible tsunamis, Kiwis visited Geonet in droves for information, making it the top trending search for 2016. ‘Kaikoura’ also made it into the top 10 News searches for the first time. With the US election ranked second and Brexit ranked fourth in News, Kiwis grappled with political shifts, and wondered about the way forward.
Punching above our weight
Joseph Parker led the list as the highest trending Kiwi, following his world champion title in Boxing earned this month. With New Zealand’s haul of 18 medals at the Rio Games, including four Golds, Kiwi’s Searches showed support and spirit for the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, with Olympians and Paralympians making up half our most searched Kiwis. And of course, we backed the All Blacks who went up against Ireland and Wales in their biggest matches of the year.
Searches for skills
Our ‘how to’ searches highlighted the everyday challenges we face, like tying a tie, taking a screenshot and dealing with pimples. Our foodie flair came through as we looked make the perfect pancake, and cook quinoa just right. We also asked how to play Pokemon Go, showing we boarded the bandwagon which swept the country (and the world) in July.
Saying goodbye to the greats
This year the world mourned three of music’s greatest with the passing of David Bowie, Prince and Leonard Cohen. They weren’t the only legends headed for the stars, with Alan Rickman and Muhammad Ali also passing away this year.
We’re a curious bunch
Global issues and and timeless existential questions featured in ‘what is’ and ‘why is’ searches this year. Kiwis looked to learn about TPPA, Brexit and currency exchange rates. In a year of extraordinary surprise and upheaval, it’s no surprise we came back to universal, esoteric questions – looking for meaning of life, for Matariki stars and wondering why the sky is blue.
And that’s just a preview. To dive into the top trending terms of the year, check out the full trending and most searched lists*:
* Trending Searches: What was hot in 2016? The "trending" queries are the searches that had the highest spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2016 as compared to 2015.
* Most Searched: What topped Google’s charts? The "most searched" queries are the most popular terms for 2016 — ranked in order by volume of searches.
Go to google.co.nz/2016 to explore the rest of the 2016 Year in Search stories and top trending charts from around the world.
Posted by Camilla Ibrahim, Communications Manager, Google Australia & New Zealand
This year, more than 200 YouTube stars from 18 countries accepted our Ultimate 2016 Rewind Challenge to pay homage to the biggest videos, memes, channels, songs, and pop culture moments of the year. Keep an eye out for some pretty epic surprise guests.
Feel like a YouTube expert? Take our Rewind quiz to see how many trends and creators you can spot.
As we look back at 2016, we replay and rejoice in the trending videos and music videos from 2016, according to time spent watching, sharing, commenting, liking and more. From celebrity moments to breakdancing stormtroopers and ukuleles, New Zealand’s top trending videos of 2016 are a quirky mix of song, dance and laughs – representing the amazing variety of creativity shared on YouTube every day.
New Zealand’s Top Trending Videos
Kiwis loved James Corden’s Carpool Karaoke series, which made up half of our most watched videos.
Adele’s installment proved our favourite video of 2016, with artists Sia, Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez and Gwen Stefani (featuring George Clooney and Julia Roberts) all featuring in the top 10 list.
Homegrown talent also features high up in the list. Christchurch born comic Sam Wills, best known as ‘Tape Face’ was New Zealand’s breakout contestant in America’s Got Talent Season 11. His audition was our second most popular video for 2016.
The channels who made the top trending videos have more than 30M subscribers who tune in regularly to watch the funny, insightful, entertaining things they create.
Whether you’re shopping for new summer threads or brunching at your local favourite, your Android phone will be all you need as you walk out the door. Starting today, Android Pay is available in New Zealand, helping you pay for things simply and securely with your Android smartphone.
You will be able to use Android Pay everywhere contactless payments are accepted, including your favourite shops like The Warehouse, Domino’s, BP, BurgerFuel,McDonalds and more. Just wake your phone and tap as you would with your card. It’s that simple. And businesses across the country with contactless terminals don't need to do anything else to be able to accept Android Pay in store.
Android Pay keeps your card information secure by not sharing your actual card number with stores when you pay - while allowing you to continue enjoying all the rewards and benefits of your cards.
Get started with Android Pay in New Zealand today: download the app on Google Play, add your card and start shopping. It’s as easy as Tap. Pay. Done.
Posted by Pali Bhat, Global Head of Payments Products
Chromecast Ultra is available in New Zealand starting today. Get ready to have stunning content served right to your living room. All that’s needed is one small addition to your current system: Chromecast Ultra. Stream content right from your phone, tablet or computer and enjoy videos and more on your big screen.
Chromecast Ultra has everything you love about Chromecast. Plus, it comes with advanced features like 4K and High Dynamic Range (HDR) support for a fuller, crisper picture as well as faster speed and Wi-Fi improvements. At first, you’ll be able to stream 4K content from Netflix and YouTube, and we’re working to make more 4K and HDR content available.
Chromecast Ultra loads videos 1.8 times faster than other Chromecast devices and includes major Wi-Fi improvements to support streams from full HD to Ultra HD without a hitch. For those tricky Wi-Fi environments, we’re also adding Ethernet support for a wired connection.
Just like the original Chromecast, you can cast all of your favorite content from thousands of apps using your phone, tablet or laptop. Mirror any content from your Android device or from a browser tab on your laptop (using Chrome) to the TV. And it comes in a small size that hides nicely behind your TV, without adding clutter to your living room.
At Google we’re always asking ourselves the question: What’s next?
In partnership with Refraction Media, we’re helping to provide inspiration to students across New Zealand through the Careers with Code guide to show them what’s next in the future world of work and study and how to get there.
We were thrilled to be joined by the Minister for Innovation, the Hon Steven Joyce, to launch the inaugural New Zealand edition of Careers with Code in front of an audience of students and educators at Kapiti College, Paraparaumu.
Computational thinking and computer science are necessary skills to prepare students for the jobs of today and tomorrow - from health to sustainability, agriculture to fashion.
At Google we talk about “Computer Science (CS) + X” as a driver of innovation and creativity, where X is the problem you are trying to solve, your passion or any other discipline.
You’ll find CS + X in every industry, creating breakthrough innovations like smart contact lenses to monitor blood glucose in real time alerts to your phone.
Throughout this guide you’ll find individuals from every walk of life combining CS + X to innovate and bring creative solutions to the world. People like our cover star Sara Schaare, combining CS + Maths to create products for emerging markets that are only just coming online, or Chris Dean combining CS + Design creating special effects for film, and Miranda Emery combining CS + Music creating apps that transform your humble playlist to DJ transitions on you deck.
Sofie Claridge, 14, and Crystal D'mello, 15, of Kapiti College's Girls' Coding Club with wearable tech at the launch of Careers with Code in New Zealand.
Careers with Code, a magazine, digital e-zine and website, shows high school students the wide variety of careers that computer science can lead to. We encourage you to share this resource with the widest possible audience of students, teachers and parents - it’s not just for the tech, science or maths classes!
Help us start the conversation about the careers of the future with your community, and inspire the next generation to change the world. Posted by Sally-Ann Williams, Engineering Community and Outreach Manager, Google
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 responses for photos. If your friend sends you a photo of their pet, you might see Smart Reply suggestions like “aww cute!” And whether you’re a “haha” or “?” kind of person, Smart Reply will improve over time and adjust to your style.
Express yourself with photos, emojis and stickers Chat is more than just text, so we’ve created a rich canvas for you to express yourself in Google Allo. You can make emojis and text larger or smaller in size by simply dragging the “send” button up or down. Make photos your own by scribbling on them before you send. And we’ve worked with independent artists and studios around the world to create more than 25 custom sticker packs, because sometimes a “sloth riding a pizza” says it all.
Meet your personal Google Assistant In Google Allo you’ll also be introduced to a preview edition of the Google Assistant. With your Assistant in Allo, you can have a conversation with Google — ask it questions and let it help you get things done directly in your chats. You no longer need to leave a conversation with friends just to grab an address, share your favorite YouTube video, or pick a dinner spot. Just type @google to bring your Assistant into any group chat. And of course, you can also chat one-one-one with your Assistant in Allo.
Here are just a few ways your Google Assistant can help in Google Allo:
Make plans with friends. You can easily move from discussing dinner with friends to making plans for the night, right in your chat. Just add the Assistant to your group chat and ask for movie times, local restaurants and more. You can also research travel destinations, flights and hotels together with friends.
Get answers. Get the latest info on everything from news, weather, traffic, sports, or your upcoming flights status. Ask the Assistant to send you daily updates on the information you care about.
Have some fun. Ask your Assistant to share that funny YouTube video or play games with friends right in your group chat -- for instance you can compete to guess a movie title based on a series of emojis.
The Google Assistant is the next chapter in a journey Google has been on for many years to assist people in their everyday lives. We’re starting with a preview edition to show you just one way that your Assistant will work for you in chat. Over the coming months, your Assistant will be available in more Google products, working seamlessly throughout your day at home or on the go. The Assistant will initially be available in English, with more languages coming soon.
Chat in Incognito mode We take privacy and security seriously in Google Allo. All chats in Google Allo are encrypted using industry standard technologies like Transport Layer Security (TLS). But we went a step beyond this and we created a mode within Google Allo called Incognito (h/t Chrome). When you chat in Incognito mode, messages have end-to-end encryption and additional privacy features like discreet notifications and message expiration.
You can also message friends who aren’t yet using Google Allo through SMS or, for those using Android, app preview messages.
We can’t wait for you to say hello to Google Allo! We’re beginning to roll out Google Allo for Android and iOS, and the app will be available worldwide in the next few days.
Posted by Amit Fulay, Group Product Manager, Google
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 responses for photos. If your friend sends you a photo of their pet, you might see Smart Reply suggestions like “aww cute!” And whether you’re a “haha” or “?” kind of person, Smart Reply will improve over time and adjust to your style.
Express yourself with photos, emojis and stickers Chat is more than just text, so we’ve created a rich canvas for you to express yourself in Google Allo. You can make emojis and text larger or smaller in size by simply dragging the “send” button up or down. Make photos your own by scribbling on them before you send. And we’ve worked with independent artists and studios around the world to create more than 25 custom sticker packs, because sometimes a “sloth riding a pizza” says it all.
Meet your personal Google Assistant In Google Allo you’ll also be introduced to a preview edition of the Google Assistant. With your Assistant in Allo, you can have a conversation with Google — ask it questions and let it help you get things done directly in your chats. You no longer need to leave a conversation with friends just to grab an address, share your favorite YouTube video, or pick a dinner spot. Just type @google to bring your Assistant into any group chat. And of course, you can also chat one-one-one with your Assistant in Allo.
Here are just a few ways your Google Assistant can help in Google Allo:
Make plans with friends. You can easily move from discussing dinner with friends to making plans for the night, right in your chat. Just add the Assistant to your group chat and ask for movie times, local restaurants and more. You can also research travel destinations, flights and hotels together with friends.
Get answers. Get the latest info on everything from news, weather, traffic, sports, or your upcoming flights status. Ask the Assistant to send you daily updates on the information you care about.
Have some fun. Ask your Assistant to share that funny YouTube video or play games with friends right in your group chat -- for instance you can compete to guess a movie title based on a series of emojis.
The Google Assistant is the next chapter in a journey Google has been on for many years to assist people in their everyday lives. We’re starting with a preview edition to show you just one way that your Assistant will work for you in chat. Over the coming months, your Assistant will be available in more Google products, working seamlessly throughout your day at home or on the go. The Assistant will initially be available in English, with more languages coming soon.
Chat in Incognito mode We take privacy and security seriously in Google Allo. All chats in Google Allo are encrypted using industry standard technologies like Transport Layer Security (TLS). But we went a step beyond this and we created a mode within Google Allo called Incognito (h/t Chrome). When you chat in Incognito mode, messages have end-to-end encryption and additional privacy features like discreet notifications and message expiration.
You can also message friends who aren’t yet using Google Allo through SMS or, for those using Android, app preview messages.
We can’t wait for you to say hello to Google Allo! We’re beginning to roll out Google Allo for Android and iOS, and the app will be available worldwide in the next few days.
Posted by Amit Fulay, Group Product Manager, Google
Whether you’re juggling work, school, family, or just the demands of daily life, everyone needs a little break and a new adventure once in a while.
But knowing what to do when your holiday starts can turn what’s supposed to be fun into a lot of work. You might get recommendations from friends, 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 travellers feel the most stressful aspect of travel is figuring out the details.
We wanted to reduce the hassle and help travellers enjoy their hard-earned holidays. 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 personalised tour guide in your pocket. Each trip contains key categories of information, including day plans, reservations, things to do, food and drink, and more. The entire app is available offline — simply tap the “Download” button under each trip to save it to your phone.
Choose your own adventure For the top 200 cities in the world, Google Trips shows you a variety of day plans featuring the most popular daily itineraries. We’ve automatically assembled the most popular sights, attractions, and local gems into a full day’s tour — all based on historic visits by other travellers. Say you’re visiting Barcelona. You can choose from multiple day plans, like “Eixample District,” which maps out the can’t-miss buildings by Antoni Gaudi, the famous Spanish architect.
Plan each day of your trip like magic Everyone has different interests and time constraints. No matter how popular an itinerary is, there’s no one solution for the perfect day or the perfect trip. Google Trips can help you build your day around places you already know you want to visit.
Say your friends told you that you have to see the Sagrada Familia — and you’re looking for suggestions on things to do around that spot. Press the “+” button in the day plans tile to jump into a map view containing all the top attractions in your destination. If you’re time constrained, you can specify above the map whether you have just the morning or afternoon, versus a full day. Then simply tap and pin the Sagrada Familia to build your itinerary around it. Google Trips automatically fills in the day for you. If you want more options, tap the “magic wand” button for more nearby sights. You can pin new spots, and if you want even more, each tap of the “magic wand” instantly gives you a new itinerary with updated nearby attractions like Palau Macaya or Parc del Guinardo, so you can build your own custom itinerary in minutes while munching on your morning churro.
All your travel info, all in one place Keeping track of all your flight, hotel, car and restaurant reservations when you travel can be tough. With Google Trips, all your reservations are automatically gathered from Gmail and organised into individual trips, so you don’t have to search and dig up those emails. They’re waiting for you within the reservations tile, even without WiFi.
Holidays are a chance to recharge and experience new places and cultures. For your next trip, let us help you see the sights, without all the hassle. Google Trips, available now on Android and iOS, has you covered from departure to return.
Posted by Stefan Frank, Product Manager, Google Trips
