Tag Archives: New Zealand

New Zealand’s Wildlife.ai Trust selected for Google.org-supported APAC Sustainability Fund



Wildlife.ai Trust, a grantee of the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0

Wildlife.ai Trust, a New Zealand conservation tech organisation, is one of 18 Asia-Pacific grantees selected as part of the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0.

Established by AVPN, the $5M Sustainability Seed Fund is supported by Google.org and the Asian Development Bank as the outreach partner. In its second iteration, this fund set out to support organisations using AI and Cloud tools to tackle pressing environmental challenges.

Wildlife.ai Trust will use the grant to create Wildlife Watcher, a smart camera trap using AI to improve wildlife conservation efforts. It promises more accurate animal identification, which will aid conservationists in preserving New Zealand’s natural heritage.

Dr Victor Anton, Founder of Wildlife.ai Trust

Dr Victor Anton, Founder and GM of Wildlife.ai Trust, says: "Imagine a wildlife camera that not only photographs animals but also uses cutting-edge AI to instantly identify them! That's the power of the Wildlife Watcher.”

He adds: “We're thrilled that the support of AVPN and Google.org will unlock a whole new level of animal monitoring. With their support, we'll create a user-friendly, affordable camera that empowers biologists and nature enthusiasts everywhere to track wildlife across vast areas and over time – something never before possible!”.

Founded in 2019, Wildlife.AI Trust has developed several projects to aid in conservation efforts. Pepeketua ID is a pattern recognition software that enables the individual identification of Archey's frogs, an archaic species of frog endemic to New Zealand’s North Island. Spyfish Aotearoa, a machine learning project, identifies fish in baited underwater videos, while Wētā Watcher is a smart camera that monitors ground-dwelling lizards and geckos.

Like the rest of the APAC region, New Zealand is susceptible to the impacts of climate change, making initiatives like the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund crucial. The 18 selected projects span a diverse range of environmental concerns, ranging from education and water resource management to circular economy and marine conservation. For more information about the program and its recipients, visit the APAC Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0 website.

Posted by Annie Lewin, Senior Director, Google.org

Google and Minister Judith Collins co-host “an evening of AI” at Parliament

Government officials, business leaders and Google reps discussed AI’s potential to build a brighter future for New Zealand

Aug 22 - Google has reaffirmed its passion to support the New Zealand government in harnessing the power of AI to build a brighter future for the country. This was expressed during high-level discussions held yesterday in Wellington with Honourable Judith Collins, Minister for Digitising Government, and other key government officials.

At the event co-hosted by Minister Collins and Google New Zealand, a delegation of Google representatives, led by Country Director Caroline Rainsford, and including Urs Hölzle, one of Google’s earliest employees, shared their insights on AI's potential to drive economic growth, innovation, and societal progress. In attendance were key government figures including Paul James (Government Chief Digital Officer). 

Google’s visit to Parliament aimed to showcase the exciting potential of AI to bring positive change to New Zealand. As a leader in AI innovation, Google also highlighted the company’s readiness to support this journey, while stressing the need for proactive engagement from government agencies to fully realise these opportunities.

Caroline Rainsford addresses the crowd at last night's Hui

Caroline Rainsford, Country Director of Google New Zealand, says: "The energy at Parliament House was palpable. There was definitely a shared excitement about AI's potential to transform New Zealand. From revolutionising healthcare to personalising education, the possibilities are immense.”

The discussions also highlighted the importance of smart regulations and collaborative efforts between the public and private sectors, to ensure the responsible and beneficial development of AI in New Zealand.

Rainsford adds: “Minister Collin’s optimistic approach to AI resonates with our vision. With our strong local presence, AI expertise, Cloud tools, and more, Google is ready to support the government’s vision for a digital New Zealand. We’re confident that we can help the country realise its AI aspirations with action and proactive engagement from government agencies."

Posted by Caroline Rainsford, Country Director of Google New Zealand

Celebrating Māori and Pasifika Innovation: A Virtual Internship Journey



When 24 of the brightest, most curious minds from the Māori and Pasifika communities step into Google New Zealand's halls, amazing things happen.

Even though it was through a virtual internship, these students and working professionals didn't let that stop them from dreaming up solutions to some of the Pacific's most pressing challenges, and picking up important career skills.

This virtual internship program, a first in Aotearoa, was part of our collaboration with TupuToa to foster Māori and Pasifika representation in the tech industry.

Over three weeks, the 24 interns, divided into four groups of six, immersed themselves in mentorship and innovation, guided by four Googler mentors based in New Zealand and the United States, including Rob Coyne, Jacob Chalkley, Justin Keown and Hautahi Kingi.

The internship threw down the gauntlet: "If you could develop and change a Google product, what would it be and why?". 

Fuelled by the challenge and their Googler mentors, the interns responded with four novel and innovative ideas, each with the potential to transform the lives of Māori and Pasifika communities. 


These include an AI-powered mental health product for Māori and Pasifika communities, earlier disaster alerts, enhanced ways to trace Māori and Pasifika ancestry using Google tools, and a more efficient Google Scholar indexing system for research related to these communities. 

As we delve into the feasibility of these four concepts, mentor Hautahi Kingi reflects on the profound impact of this internship program. His own journey, from growing up on a marae near Whanganui to becoming a Google Data Scientist in New York, resonates deeply with the aspirations of these interns. 

Hautahi Kingi says he’s proud to have become the representation he longed for as a young person - a symbol of success for Māori and Pasifika individuals in the tech industry.

“It was a privilege to have the opportunity to work with these impressive and talented rangatahi,” he says. “The future looks bright for tech in Aotearoa.”

For TupuToa Initiative’s chief executive, Anne Fitisemanu, this was a much-needed step in the right direction. “Programmes like this internship are the foundation for TupuToa, that really help support and grow curious minds and foster innovation. The talent pool in our communities is vast and deep, and we’re proud to work alongside our partners to provide a platform to seek and nurture it.”

Google New Zealand is proud and thrilled that this program has ignited a spark in these 24 youths. They leave with a deeper passion for tech, connections with the tech industry, and skills that will serve them well in any field they choose, among them problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking. 

We’re excited to see what the future holds for them and grateful to TupuToa for their partnership. We look forward to working together to build an even more inclusive tech landscape in and around New Zealand.

Give it up for these 24 interns! Amish Kumar, Anaya Cole, Asifa Hanif, Gloria Tawake, Hayden Richard-Marsters, Lachlan McCreanney, Lauryn Maxwell, Lenalei Chan Ting, Lomaloma Pepine, Lucas Bawden, Malia Carter, Maria Munsanda Analega Ioane, McKay Leehmann Rimbao, Michael Heavey, Miracle Faamalosi, Paulo Opetaia, Rahera Williams, Sakura Kawakami Potaka-Dewes, Tele Tamati, Tom Tamaira, Vensel Margraff, Zachariah Hunt.

And a big shout-out to the awesome foursome who clinched the Google challenge with their idea for a mental health virtual assistant, designed to bridge the gap between young people and mental health resources: Sakura Kawakami Potaka-Dewes, Zachariah Hunt, Lucas Bawden and Maria Munsanda Analega and Lachlan McCreanney (with mentor Justin Keown).

By Nathan Laing, Head of Scaled, Google Customer Solutions, Google New Zealand

New grants to empower New Zealand educators with important AI skills


We can see that new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are becoming part of everyday life and changing the way we work. 

Having the skills and opportunity to use these new technologies is crucial - which is why we recently launched a new AI Essentials course, helping people to learn AI skills. 

But we’re also keenly aware of the need to ensure New Zealand’s educators have the capabilities they need to teach the next generation of  technologists, scientists and engineers. How do we ensure we are preparing New Zealand students for a digital future where these technologies will be integral to daily life and work?

Announcing the 2024 Educator PD Grants 

By equipping educators with the knowledge and tools to integrate these technologies into their classrooms, we can prepare students to be not just consumers of technology but also creators, innovators, and critical thinkers who shape New Zealand’s digital future.

To effectively integrate AI and ML into education, we first need to ensure students have a solid foundation in computational thinking and computer science (CS). These foundations involve breaking down complex problems into smaller, more manageable steps, designing algorithms, and using data to make informed decisions. These skills are not only applicable to coding but also to everyday problem-solving.

Google’s Educator PD Grants program has been funding high quality professional development for educators throughout Australia and New Zealand since 2011. These PD opportunities have focused on these core computational skills and ensure that educators in regional and remote areas have access to relevant and engaging resources.

We’re excited to see many of the New Zealand 2024 grant awardees embracing AI education and upskilling in their PD workshops and look forward to the innovative uses of technology in the classroom.



Posted by Marie Efstathiou, AUNZ Lead, University Relations and CS Education
 

Better te reo Māori access for tamariki in the digital space


Image: Tamariki using the new te reo Māori keyboard


Tēnā koe me mōrena whānau. Typing this phrase is now easier than ever with the new te reo Māori keyboard on my Chromebook.



In collaboration with PB Tech and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori - Māori Language Commission - we’ve supported the development of a special localised Chromebook that offers a reo Māori keyboard. Reaching the milestone of 5000 laptops delivered to tamariki across the motu, this kaupapa was first launched during last year’s Wiki o te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week.



The goal of this mahi is to empower New Zealanders to more easily use te reo in the digital space. The Chromebooks offer both physical keys for tohutō (macrons), single keys for frequently used Māori terms and te reo naming of keys such as tomo (enter). Chromebook users can access the shortcuts through a simple Chrome extension, created by the ChromeOS languages team. This significantly reduces the current barriers to using macrons on a standard QWERTY keyboard.



Image: Te reo Māori keyboard


Caroline Rainsford, Country Director of Google New Zealand said “I’m so proud that we’re part of this kaupapa to provide greater accessibility and therefore utilisation of te reo Māori on Chromebooks, which are the number one laptop used by kura. It’s so important that our kids’ have greater opportunity to use te reo digitally and I know these laptops will continue to have a positive impact across the country.”



Stan Fosenbauer, PB Tech Head of Education said, “Aotearoa New Zealand is about inclusion and it’s important that we recognise our official languages and represent them in our devices, for our students. So far with the devices delivered to over 120 schools, the response has been overwhelming! The strength of our partnership with Google has shone throughout this project as we worked closely on timings and the development of new features. In the future we hope to include even more of our local IT industry in this kaupapa.” 



“This was an exciting initiative to be a part of, not only does the reo Māori keyboard support

normalising te reo Māori every day within Aotearoa, this particular initiative is focused around Rangatahi in kura, and integrating reo Māori into the IT sector. This is another valuable contribution to achieving one million speakers of te reo Māori by 2040.” said Ngahiwi Apanui, Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri I te Reo Māori.



Google also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Te Taura Whiri to identify mutual areas for collaboration towards advancing access to the Māori language features within Google products.



It’s important to Google that all Kiwis have access to technology and tools to thrive in a digital future, and Chromebooks are an important tool for learning for many of our youngest New Zealanders through education. The development of a unique keyboard for Kiwis is just another way we can make sure our devices work for all New Zealanders.



Posted by Steve Smith, Google for Education Lead, Google New Zealand

New partnerships and initiatives to strengthen fact-checking online

Fact checkers are on the front line in the fight against mis and disinformation. Everyday, they use their verification and investigation skills to determine what can and can’t be trusted so that online browsers can avoid false claims. 


Every year, reliable facts become more important but every year, we continue to see bad actors spread false and misleading claims. We want to support fact checkers to address these claims as soon as possible and reach as many people as possible when they do. 



Building on our important work with a new partnership with AAP 


We are excited to announce we will be supercharging our partnership with the Australian Associated Press, a partner we’ve worked with since they launched their fact checking unit in 2019.


This new phase of the partnership will increase AAP’s speed and quantity of fact checks and put them on the screens of users in Australia and New Zealand along with their hundreds of news publisher subscribers. 


For the first time, AAP FactCheck will also analyse global misinformation trends and produce video explainers so people can understand how each claim fits into a broader picture. They will also translate fact-checks into different languages (Arabic, Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese) for distribution to local news outlets and social media. The more people that see and read AAP’s FactChecks, the stronger our online environment will be.



Partnering with Squiz Kids to build important digital literacy skills in schools


Education is also key to stopping the business model of misinformation - false claims germinate when they find an audience. We’ve worked with Squiz Kids on Newshounds, a media literacy module to help children “stop, think and check” before they believe, and potentially share, what they see online. 


More than 2000 classrooms in New Zealand and Australia use Newshounds to help teachers help their students decide what they should trust. Their work has shown to be invaluable in lifting teachers’ and parents’ confidence when discussing media literacy with children.



Our continued efforts in information literacy 


'About this image' gives people a quick way to check the background and context of images they see online. You can access it by clicking on the three dots on an image in Google Images results, or by clicking ‘more about this page’ in the About this result tool on search results. Launched last year in English globally, today the tool is live in 40 additional languages including Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese.


Image Alt Text: Animated image of the 'About this image' tool


When you click on the three dots next to a website in search results, you can learn more about a site before visiting it through the About this result feature. By tapping on the ‘more about this page’ tab in that menu, you will get more context about the website, such as how Wikipedia (when available) or others have described it in the news or reviews. Today, this feature is available in 40 additional languages, including Japanese, Korean, Indonesian, Hindi, Thai, Vietnamese and Tagalog. 


We are committed to building on these efforts and look forward to the seeing the impact of these important partnerships 


Reliable information is essential for every facet of life and if more people have access to it, they can make small and big, fun and serious, short term and long term decisions with clarity.


Post content Posted by Uma Patel, Google News Lab Lead Australia and New Zealand

Kotahitanga through kapa haka in today’s Waitangi Day Doodle

Image alt text: New Zealanders participating in kapa haka to show kotahitanga, unity, in celebration of Waitangi Day 2024.

Poi, pukana and kapa haka are a shared experience for many people all across New Zealand, whether participating or watching. 



Vincent Egan of Māui Studios has created an image of kotahitanga through kapa haka in today’s Waitangi Day Doodle. “The Doodle artwork delivers a message of kotahitanga - the importance of unity and a celebration of our collective cultures in Aotearoa New Zealand. This piece is a tohu, or symbol, of how awesome we are as a people when we come together and look out for each other.”



Displayed today on the Google New Zealand homepage, the 2024 Waitangi Day Doodle depicts a group of New Zealanders participating in or celebrating elements of the kapa haka festivals, mau rākau weaponry workshops, or annual tribal celebrations that Egan has experienced. 



The design captures a moment in time with whānau and friends: Taking centre stage are a diverse group of tamariki, each representing components of kapa haka - practising with poi and taiaha, and a cheeky Māori boy, Tamaiti haututū, performing a haka dance movement and doing a pukana. The scene is book ended by a proud Māori father who is holding a trophy which one of his tamariki has won in a manu korero speech competition; And an older Pacifica Aunty who is on kai (food) duty with some freshly made rēwana (sweet bread).



In the centre of the image is a girl gazing in interest and wonder at the collective wairua (spiritual essence) of everyone coming together and participating in events. It speaks to the numerous cultures participating and an embracing of each culture’s spirit.  



When explaining why the Waitangi Day is meaningful to him, Vincent shared, “It speaks of the people in Te Ika ā Māui and Te Waipounamu of New Zealand and the important series of historic moments in this country. This is a perfect opportunity to depict the different personalities of our collective home, in a style that resonates deeply with me and the communities we serve at Māui Studios.” Vincent collaborated with his colleagues and fellow designers and illustrators, Madison Henry and Royce Southerland. 



Aotearoa New Zealand today recognises Te Tiriti o Waitangi which was signed on 6 February 1840. Kiwis search interest in Waitangi Treaty Grounds is currently at a four-year high.



Post content Posted by Caroline Rainsford, Country Director Google New Zealand

2023 Google News Key Moments

Image: Te Rito journalism cadets learning at Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae marae in September 2023


For over twenty years the Google News Initiative has worked to help local news organisations adapt to digital transformation, and 2023 was no different. Our goal, globally and here in Aotearoa, is to help  news media companies as they build sustainable businesses, connect with readers and engage audiences in a digital environment. 


In the past year, as outlined below, our programmes in New Zealand have engaged dozens of publishers and more than 100 journalists, providing critical information on how newsrooms can use digital technology to find and tell stories in new ways, reach larger audiences and generate more revenues. 



Google News Showcase


Google News Showcase, our curated online news experience and licensing program, launched in Aotearoa in 2022, provides news publishers with more opportunities to create connections with their readers. Across a range of large, small, regional and ethnically diverse publishers, 48 individual mastheads are now on News Showcase, representing the vast majority of news publishers in New Zealand. 


Most recently Newshub, New Zealand's independent broadcast and digital news service joined the program, with Sarah Bristow, Senior Director News, Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ noting: “This partnership is a significant step for Newshub, ensuring our brilliant reporting continues to reach audiences where they are, and helping to create a sustainable future for local journalism. We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with Google.”




Advancing quality journalism 


Training Kiwi journalists

We partnered with Telum Media to deliver eight open training sessions around the country, free of charge, to share the latest tools and processes to support digital reporting. In the last year more than 100 Kiwi journalists joined workshops run by local experts including training on Google’s research tool, Pinpoint, to support journalists’ reporting and creative data visualisation techniques. Journalists interested in future training sessions in 2024 can sign up here.

Supporting misinformation tracking & media literacy

It’s critical we can all differentiate quality information from misinformation in the moments that matter. New Zealand headed to the polls in October 2023, and with a wide range of political information sources readily available online, we partnered with CrossCheck at RMIT FactLab to launch immersive and interactive training events that help newsrooms and community media learn skills to analyse online information during the election period. More than 200 journalists, media executives, media community leaders and students took part in 12 sessions in New Zealand, with two of these facilitated in te reo Māori and one in Mandarin.


For the second consecutive year, Squiz Kids rolled out its media literacy module to give children of 8 to12 years the skills to decide which information sources are trustworthy, and which are not. The eight-part teaching resource, Newshounds, created in partnership with Google was aligned with the New Zealand curriculum and used by 72 Kiwi classrooms in 2023.


Supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion 

At Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae marae, 12 Te Rito journalism cadets from diverse backgrounds participated in the second annual Te Rito Training Camp, a digital journalism camp founded on the Google News Initiative training curriculum. Cadets met with some of the leading journalists from New Zealand and Australia to learn investigative techniques, cultural history, digital skills and resilience training. For the first time, 8 Australian Indigenous journalists and three journalists from the Pacific joined the New Zealand based Pasifika and Māori cadets at the camp.


In July, Google hosted the inaugural Tagata Moana Media Fono at our offices in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, organised by Pacific Media Network, bringing together all parts of the Pasifika media community.




Strengthening and evolving publisher business models 


The GNI Advertising Lab Series 

The Google News Initiative's major training program for 2023- 2024 is the nine-month Advertising Lab. The Lab's aims to equip small and mid-sized news organisations with the latest information and support to improve their understanding, strategy, and infrastructure as it relates to digital advertising with a view to maximise their site performance and advertising revenue. Facilitated by Google and delivered by A&A Digital Services, a Google Certified Publishing Partner and Google Ad Manager 360 Platform Partner,  the lab supported more than 25 participants from 10 New Zealand news organisations, who will receive additional individual implementation support in 2024 to assist in their digital advertising performance.


The GNI Fundamentals Lab

The Fundamentals Lab is a collaborative three-month lab in which Google reviews news publishers’ sites and shares practical, easy-to-follow steps to grow their audience, expand their ad revenues and increase reader revenues. The Lab delivers learning sessions and working group sessions, as well as bespoke audits. In 2023, 13 participants from ten local news organisations participated in the Fundamentals Lab.


FT Strategies Program: Exec North Star & Digital Business Models Workshops

Kiwi news publishers participated in our Google News Initiative programmes facilitated by FT Strategies including:

  • The Exec North Star Workshop Series, a two-month intensive programme aimed at publishers with a strong online presence, with participation from senior executives, aiming to define and accelerate progress towards a single ambitious organisation goal, using the FT’s proprietary North Star methodology to accelerate digital growth and strengthen commercial sustainability. 

  • The Digital Business Models Workshop Series, a two-month program designed to help publishers at the beginning of their digital reader revenue journey understand and identify reader revenue models in evolving their digital businesses.




Empowering news organisations through technological innovation


Google is focused on partnering with news organisations on initiatives that further their digital transformation. One such partnership is with NZME and we’re pleased to share these examples of how we’ve supported their effort to promote original, trusted journalism across NZME’s digital titles. 

NZME launched a new enriched content subscription product, upgraded its core publishing content management system (CMS) to streamline workflows and improve performance, and enhances data maturity & audience targeting for new story formats. We also supported Stuff to realise the redesign of their stuff.co.nz platform which will enable an innovative approach to dynamic storytelling and exciting new advertising opportunities.





As we embark on 2024, we’re proud of the continued work to partner with the New Zealand news industry, to contribute to a thriving news ecosystem that seeks to benefit all New Zealanders.



Post content Posted by Caroline Rainsford, Country Director Google New Zealand

Year in Search: Here’s what Kiwis searched for in 2023

A census and a cyclone. An austere Coronation and the humble cookie. And defining ‘culvert’. Here are the top trending queries that captivated Kiwis this year.


Image: Year in Search 2023 illustration by local artist Sarah May Little


As 2023 draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on the moments, milestones and mysteries that captured Kiwi’s attention this year. 



We tried to make sense of historic events, both on our shores and further afield. We grappled with cyclones and flooding, elected a new Government and hosted the world’s women’s soccer teams. We mourned the loss of the universally funny Matthew Perry, asked questions about the resignation of Jacinda Ardern and marvelled at the spectacle of Posie Parker. And we continue to try to make sense of the war in Israel and Gaza. 



Yet among all of this there were moments of levity. Barbie hit our screens, we found a new daily challenge in Connections and yorkshire puddings graced our dinner plates. 



Google’s Year in Search also allows us to reflect on the year through the lens of the questions we asked. Why is there an egg shortage? How do you say Happy Matariki? How exactly do you cook frankfurters? 



Let’s take a look at some key themes from our searches in Aotearoa this year:


Sports Above All Else

We’ve proven time and again that we’re a nation of sports-mad people and this year is no exception. We were so spoiled with sports games, events and tournaments that it's a wonder we got anything else done. We hosted the FIFA Women’s World Cup, made it all the way to the finals of the men’s Rugby World Cup and created a cultural movement around “Up the Wahs!”. The list of sporting heroes reflects the breadth of our sporting prowess, with golf, UFC, motorsports, cricket, soccer, rugby and league all represented in our top trending Kiwis.



How’s the weather?

As we wait patiently for the summer we deserve to begin, it is clear that the weather has occupied more than just the thoughts of many Kiwis this year. With unprecedented becoming the most common way to describe weather events, we bore the brunt of flooding, atmospheric rivers and cyclones unlike anything we’ve seen before. Tools like Geonet, Windy and Rain Radar helped us to understand these weather patterns, while Skyscanner assisted in planning our escape. The DIY-minded looked to make the most of the sunshine with solar panels, while star gazers wondered how to find matariki.



Civic Duty

We close out this year with a new Government and a new Monarch. The latter had us whipping up Coronation quiche and chicken. We started this year wondering why Jacinda Ardern decided to resign, and we put our mettle to the census and elections of both the human and avian kind. Congratulations again to the Pūtekeke! With politicians from across the political spectrum in our trending searches, as well as questions on how to register and vote, we clearly took our civic duties seriously this year.



Culinary Creativity and Home Comforts

Our top trending culinary delights show we like to branch out creatively, but are also creatures of comfort. Yorkshire pudding took the top savoury spot, while teriyaki sauce, crayfish and frankfurters all featured on menus around the country. Dishes like fry bread, steak and lamb chops show we’re still keen to get the basics right. Our sweet tooth cravings had us baking cookies, afghans and, perhaps curiously, orange cake. 



Check out the full trending Search data for New Zealand in 2023:


News

  1. Cyclone Gabrielle

  2. Matthew Perry

  3. Election Results

  4. Census 2023

  5. Auckland Airport

  6. Auckland Flooding

  7. Jacinda Ardern

  8. War in Israel and Gaza

  9. Auckland Shooting

  10. Submarine Missing



Sporting Events

  1. Rugby World Cup

  2. FIFA World Cup

  3. NRL Ladder

  4. Cricket World Cup

  5. Warriors vs Broncos

  6. All Blacks vs Ireland

  7. ASB Classic

  8. Ashes

  9. All Blacks vs France

  10. Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury



Sports Teams

  1. Warriors

  2. All Blacks

  3. Black Caps

  4. Inter Miami

  5. Lakers

  6. Football Ferns

  7. Wrexham

  8. Chiefs

  9. Breakers

  10. Manchester City



Loss

  1. Matthew Perry

  2. Sinead O'Conner

  3. Jock Zonfrillo

  4. Ken Block

  5. Tina Turner

  6. Nicola Bulley

  7. Yanfei Bao

  8. Cal Wilson

  9. Angus Cloud

  10. Lance Reddick



Global Figures

  1. Posie Parker

  2. Andrew Tate

  3. Taylor Swift

  4. David Beckham

  5. Harry Styles

  6. Prince Harry

  7. Margot Robbie

  8. Jeremy Renner

  9. Elton John

  10. Ed Sheeran



Notable New Zealanders

  1. Ryan Fox

  2. Israel Adesanya

  3. Liam Lawson

  4. Lydia Ko

  5. Dai Henwood

  6. Shaun Johnson

  7. Rachin Ravindra

  8. Simon Barnett

  9. Sam Whitelock

  10. Michael Boxall



New Zealand Politicians

  1. Jacinda Ardern

  2. Chris Hipkins

  3. Kiri Allen

  4. Christopher Luxon

  5. Winston Peters

  6. David Seymour

  7. Carmel Sepuloni

  8. Wayne Browne

  9. Chloe Swarbrick

  10. Marama Davidson



Movies

  1. Oppenheimer

  2. Barbie

  3. Avatar

  4. Everything Everywhere All At Once

  5. Guardians of the Galaxy

  6. John Wick 4

  7. The Menu

  8. Sound of Freedom

  9. Puss in Boots

  10. Glass Onion



Series

  1. The Last of Us

  2. Ginny & Georgia

  3. The Night Agent

  4. Daisy Jones & The Six

  5. Wednesday

  6. Queen Charlotte

  7. Succession

  8. Beef

  9. White Lotus

  10. The Idol



Definitions

  1. Culvert

  2. Cis White Male

  3. Wan

  4. Woman

  5. Proclaim

  6. Staid

  7. Credo

  8. Snafu

  9. Contempt

  10. Misogyny



Sweet Recipes

  1. Cookie

  2. Scone

  3. Afghan

  4. Icing

  5. Mug Cake

  6. Red Velvet Cake

  7. Pancakes

  8. Muffin

  9. Orange Cake

  10. Pikelets



Savoury Recipes

  1. Yorkshire Pudding

  2. Focaccia

  3. Coronation Quiche

  4. Coronation Chicken

  5. Teriyaki Sauce

  6. Fry Bread

  7. Pulled Pork

  8. Bagel

  9. Big Mac Sauce

  10. Chicken Nibbles



How To

  1. How to vote

  2. How to lock facebook profile

  3. How to watch rugby world cup

  4. How to deactivate facebook

  5. How to solve a rubik's cube

  6. How to get rid of my ai on snapchat

  7. How to say happy Matariki

  8. How to register to vote

  9. How to watch women's world cup

  10. How to find Matariki



What is...?

  1. What is Threads?

  2. What is happening in Israel?

  3. What is Hamas?

  4. What is a blue moon?

  5. What is ALS?

  6. What is the willow project?

  7. What is Oppenheimer about?

  8. What is ChatGPT?

  9. What is a culvert?

  10. What is Matariki day?



Why

  1. Why is Israel and Gaza fighting?

  2. Why is Book Depository closing?

  3. Why were chainsaws invented?

  4. Why is there an egg shortage

  5. Why did hamas invade israel

  6. Why was the interislander ferry Kaitaki in the news last week?

  7. Why did Jacinda Ardern retire

  8. Why is China upset with Japan?

  9. Why were some roads closed and the public asked to avoid an area in central auckland last week?

  10. Why is it called a blue moon



D.I.Y

  1. Headboard

  2. Chicken Coop

  3. Lash Extensions

  4. Easy Halloween Costumes

  5. Chocolate Gift Box Ideas

  6. Mother's Day Gifts

  7. Solar Panels

  8. Dog Wash

  9. Fly Screen

  10. Advent Calendar



How to Cook

  1. How to cook pasta

  2. How to cook steak

  3. How to cook lamb chops

  4. How to cook brown rice

  5. How to cook tofu

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Post content Posted by Carrie Jones, Communications and Public Affairs Manager Google New Zealand

Get a faster connection with Wi-Fi 6E on Nest Wifi Pro

Alt text: A white Nest WiFi Pro sits on a stack of white books on a white dresser. A piece of artwork, a lamp and a bowl also sit on top of the dresser.

There are days when our home’s Wi-Fi feels a bit crowded. One family member might be using it to take virtual meetings, while another streams their favourite show, and another downloads the latest game. And they all rely on a fast and reliable connection.

Our latest Wi-Fi system, Nest Wifi Pro, with Wi-Fi 6E technology is a new advanced mesh Wi-Fi system that helps make all those home connections faster, more reliable and simpler to manage.



Faster speeds for your entire home

So what exactly is Wi-Fi 6E? As its name — 6 “Extended” — suggests, it's a big upgrade from Wi-Fi 6. While Wi-Fi 6 was built on the same heavily congested radio bands used by Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6E uses an entirely new (and less crowded) 6 GHz radio band. Much like driving in the fast lane on the highway, the 6 GHz band provides a faster and more direct path to the most reliable internet connection.


As a result, 6E offers speeds up to two times faster than Wi-Fi 6. The first of our Wi-Fi routers to enable 6E, Nest Wifi Pro is set up to support the next generation of phones, laptops and other devices operating on more advanced technology. 


Nest Wifi Pro is built to constantly analyse your network performance and optimise your connection to keep it fast and avoid congestion. And it knows how to prioritise high-bandwidth activities like video calls and streaming.



Simple to use

It’s simple to set up your router using the Google Home app, which will show you easy step-by-step instructions to get your network up and running in minutes. The app is also the best place to monitor your network, whether you want to run speed tests, share your password or set up a guest network. 


To avoid those frustrating connectivity disruptions, Nest Wifi Pro proactively scans for and diagnoses connection issues and notifies you in the app with any steps you need to take. Using Google intelligence, it can even automatically fix common problems, like recovering a lost connection. 


And at no additional cost, you can better manage your kids’ connections. In the app’s Family Wi-Fi settings, you’ll find parental controls like Wi-Fi scheduling, which allows you to restrict Wi-Fi access during moments like bedtime or dinnertime, and simple ways to block unsafe content. 



Safe and secure out of the box

With so many connected devices, home networks can be susceptible to unauthorised downloads and router hacks. We built safety and security measures directly into Nest Wifi Pro, at no additional cost, to help protect your connection. For example, in the Google Home app, you can see every device that’s connected to your network to help you easily identify and pause any that might look suspicious. 


Automatic software updates also keep your Nest Wifi Pro running smoothly, helping protect your router and network from security threats. 



Foundation of your smart home

Designed with our many Wi-Fi needs in mind, each Nest Wifi Pro can accommodate nearly every connected device in a typical home. And it has the speed and capacity to handle several high-bandwidth activities at the same time, like taking video calls while watching 4K videos and streaming your security cameras. One router has the power to cover up to 2,200 square feet alone. 


Nest Wifi Pro also includes a built-in Thread border router so you can connect all your Thread smart devices to your home network — and save energy, thanks to Thread’s low power mesh. 


With Matter, the new smart home protocol, you'll be able to use your Nest Wifi Pro router as a Matter hub, too. It will control and connect to all your Matter-enabled devices, making it that much easier to manage and add devices to your smart home in the future.



Beautiful and sustainable design

Let’s face it, many Wi-Fi routers aren’t that attractive with their long antennae and blinking lights. Because of this, they’re often tucked away into a cabinet or closet, stifling their signal and performance. Nest Wifi Pro was built to fit in with your home, offering a beautiful high gloss finish inspired by ceramics. 


Colour was an important consideration when designing the Nest Wifi Pro. These devices are available in Snow, a soft cotton white that easily fits in with your other Nest products. 


We've also considered sustainability at many levels, from how the product is made to the materials we used to build it. It’s a sustainable home networking choice, built with over 60% recycled materials based on product weight.


Nest Wifi Pro retails at NZD$799.99 for a three pack, covering up to 600 metres squared. It’s also available at NZD$399.99 for a one pack to accommodate homes of all sizes. It will be available from October 12 online and in major retailers, JB Hifi, Harvey Norman, Noel Leeming, PB Tech. 


Post content Posted by Krishan Gupta, Product Manager, Google Nest Wifi Team