TAG Bulletin: Q4 2023
This bulletin includes coordinated influence operation campaigns terminated on our platforms in Q4 2023. It was last updated on December 15, 2023.OctoberWe terminated 8 …
Caritas of Austin: Alleviating Homelessness and Creating a Connected Community
In each of our cities, Google Fiber works with incredible community partners and organizations on digital inclusion and equity issues. In Texas, we’re working with Caritas of Austin to help bring fast, reliable internet to the residents of Espero at Rutland, an affordable and supportive housing community and our newest Gigabit Community. GFiber is providing access to high speed internet and digital literacy classes at no cost to residents. In today’s guest post, Rachel Hanover, Deputy Director of Espero Rutland Housing Services shares what this represents for this community.
At Caritas of Austin, we believe all people deserve to have their basic needs met and a stable place to call home. We use a multi-layered approach to make homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring in Central Texas by helping the unhoused population attain proper housing, employment, education, food and a supportive community.
As technology advances and society transitions to “paperless,” an internet connection is vital for finding permanent housing, applying for jobs and accessing other supplemental benefits like unemployment, food assistance and health insurance. But for tens of millions of Americans, a high-speed internet connection is a luxury they can’t afford. This barrier makes life considerably more challenging to navigate, which is especially true for people experiencing homelessness.
Espero Rutland
In a joint venture to help unhoused individuals find permanent housing, we partnered with The Vecino Group and Austin Housing Finance Corporation to develop Espero Rutland, an affordable and intensely supportive housing community that is scheduled to open early next year.
Espero Rutland consists of 171 studio apartments and features many amenities, including an indoor community room, business center, gym and yoga studio, community dining room, and an outdoor courtyard area with lawn games, gazebo, BBQ stations and community garden.
We employ onsite case managers who work closely with residents to curate a personalized plan to help them manage personal finances, develop vocational skills and apply for supplemental benefit programs. To offer these services, it is imperative that residents have a stable internet connection.
Creating a connected community with Google Fiber
Caritas of Austin is excited to partner with Google Fiber to provide access to a free, high-speed internet connection to every residential unit and property amenity at Espero Rutland. This partnership, which is part of GFiber’s Gigabit Communities program, will support broadband internet free of charge to very low income households.
In addition to providing internet services at no cost to residents of Caritas Espero Rutland, GFiber will help to provide laptops and digital literacy classes to our residents. The virtual and onsite classes will help residents learn how to use their new laptops to access job applications, healthcare and supplemental benefits.
At Caritas of Austin, we are committed to ending homelessness by creating a connected, supported community. Homelessness is a complex issue with no “one size fits all” solution. Through partnerships with local organizations like GFiber, we can help our clients build a solid foundation for their future.
Empowering those experiencing homelessness,transforms individual lives, which contributes to the overall well-being of society–building a stronger, more connected community for everyone.
Posted by Rachel Hanover, Deputy Director of Espero Rutland Housing Services
Source: Google Fiber Blog
Chrome Dev for Desktop Update
The Dev channel has been updated to 122.0.6182.0 for Windows, Mac and Linux.
A partial list of changes is available in the Git log. Interested in switching release channels? Find out how. If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug. The community help forum is also a great place to reach out for help or learn about common issues.
Prudhvi Bommana
Google Chrome
Source: Google Chrome Releases
How AI helps make public health truly public
YouTube uses AI to transform and scale how high-quality, relevant and engaging health information is produced and delivered globally.
Source: The Official Google Blog
Google Open Source Peer Bonus program announces second group of 2023 winners
We are excited to announce the second group of winners for the 2023 Google Open Source Peer Bonus Program! This program recognizes external open source contributors who have been nominated by Googlers for their exceptional contributions to open source projects.
The Google Open Source Peer Bonus Program is a key part of Google's ongoing commitment to open source software. By supporting the development and growth of open source projects, Google is fostering a more collaborative and innovative software ecosystem that benefits everyone.
This cycle's Open Source Peer Bonus Program received 163 nominations and winners come from 35 different countries around the world, reflecting the program's global reach and the immense impact of open source software. Community collaboration is a key driver of innovation and progress, and we are honored to be able to support and celebrate the contributions of these talented individuals from around the world through this program.
We would like to extend our congratulations to the winners! Included below are those who have agreed to be named publicly.
We are incredibly proud of all of the nominees for their outstanding contributions to open source, and we look forward to seeing even more amazing contributions in the years to come. An additional thanks to Maria Tabak who has helped to lay the groundwork and management of this program for the past 5 years!
By Mike Bufano, Google Open Source Peer Bonus Program Lead
Source: Google Open Source Blog
More ways to repair your Pixel phones
We’re improving the repair process with more ways to protect your privacy, easy-to-use manuals and easier to find parts and repairs.
Source: The Official Google Blog
Chrome Dev for Android Update
Hi everyone! We've just released Chrome Dev 122 (122.0.6181.0) for Android. It's now available on Google Play.
You can see a partial list of the changes in the Git log. For details on new features, check out the Chromium blog, and for details on web platform updates, check here.
If you find a new issue, please let us know by filing a bug.
Erhu Akpobaro
Google Chrome
Source: Google Chrome Releases
Wi-Fi Focus: How to Get the Best Wi-Fi On Your Devices
Understanding your Wi-Fi technology and how it was built to support your devices is the key to getting the most out of them. Why? Because many of the Wi-Fi enabled devices in your home were built on a Wi-Fi standard, which impacts the Wi-Fi speeds you'll get.
What’s a Wi-Fi standard?
A Wi-Fi standard is a set of rules created by the The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). The IEEE is the world's largest technical professional organization that defines how Wi-Fi devices communicate with each other. In short, it’s the system your devices use when connecting wirelessly. There are many different Wi-Fi standards, also called Wi-Fi technologies. Some standards you may be familiar with are Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E and the soon-to-launch, Wi-Fi 7. Each new Wi-Fi standard is faster and more efficient than the previous one. (That’s why older devices may not go as fast as newer ones.)
Want to see what we’re doing with Wi-Fi 7? Check out our demo
How do Wi-Fi standards impact devices?
Some devices only support certain standards of Wi-Fi technology. So when you're shopping for a new Wi-Fi router, it's really important to make sure that it supports the Wi-Fi standard your devices or future devices are enabled for. For example, if you have a phone that supports Wi-Fi 6 or 7, you'll want to get a router that also supports those standards so you can take advantage of faster speeds and better performance. Making sure that your devices’ technology is compatible with your router technology will help you utilize the fastest Wi-Fi speeds available and avoid lag times.
Want to know how fast your devices can go?
Wi-Fi speeds depend on the technology your devices are able to support. To make things easier, we’ve put together a list of common phones, laptops and gaming consoles along with their Wi-Fi capabilities. Use this chart to check which Wi-Fi technology your devices are built with so you can make the most out of them. Check out the comprehensive list here.
Posted By Sydney Lauer, Product Strategy Analyst
Source: Google Fiber Blog
The next step toward phasing out third-party cookies in Chrome
Chrome is restricting website access to third-party cookies for 1% of users, part of our work to limit cross-site tracking on the web.
Source: The Official Google Blog
3 Google features to help you get last-minute holiday gifts
Easily find last-minute gifts with these Search and Gmail features.