Category Archives: Google

Combination of Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google.

Reuters

The CEOs of several big tech companies will again testify before Congress next month, this time to discuss misinformation on their platforms.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will appear before members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on March 25.

In a statement announcing the new hearing, House E&C Committee leaders pointed to false claims about the Covid-19 vaccine and supposed election fraud that has proliferated on social media platforms.

"For far too long, big tech has failed to acknowledge the role they've played in fomenting and elevating blatantly false information to its online audiences.Industry self-regulation has failed," Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., said in a statement."We must begin the work of changing incentives driving social media companies to allow and even promote misinformation and disinformation."

Of the three, Zuckerberg has made the most appearances before Congress in just the past year. The March hearing will mark his fourth time testifying before Congress since July. For Pichai and Dorsey, it will be their third in that period.

Last year, Zuckerberg and Pichai both appeared before lawmakers for hearings probing their competitive behavior and questioning the liability shield that protects their industry. Dorsey also appeared at that latter hearing as well as alongside Zuckerberg in front of a different committee about allegations of censorship on their platforms, which they have denied.

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Facebook, Google and Twitter CEOs will make another appearance before Congress in March - CNBC

Google will restructure its responsible artificial intelligence efforts to centralize teams under a single executive, according to people familiar with the situation, as the internet giant tries to stabilize groups working on ethics research and products after months of chaos.

The Alphabet Inc. unit is expected to announce the changes as soon as Thursday, according to the people, who asked not to be identified discussing the private information. Google has sought to diffuse employee rancor stemming from the acrimonious departure of a prominent Black researcher, Timnit Gebru. The responsible AI teams will roll up to Marian Croak, a Black Google executive who currently serves as a vice president of engineering focused on site-reliability matters. Croak will report to Jeff Dean, the senior vice president of Google AI.

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Croak will oversee the Ethical AI team thats become the focus of intense scrutiny as well as employees on other fairness teams. These include people working on machine learning, computer-vision systems, natural language processing and those who engineer fairness products, one of the people said. Megan Kacholia, who attracted employee criticism after dismissing Gebru, will no longer oversee these researchers, the person said.

Google representatives didnt immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours.

The crisis began in early December when Gebru, whos best known for showing how facial recognition algorithms are better at identifying White people than Black people, said she was fired by email. Google claimed it accepted her resignation after a conflict over an AI research paper critical of its technology that Google executives demanded Gebru retract or remove Google authors from. Her dismissal upset the Ethical AI research team she co-led, with members of her group taking to Twitter to publicly support her and criticize Google.

Two weeks later, a group of Google artificial intelligence researchers sent a sweeping list of demands to management calling for new policies and leadership changes. Five weeks ago, Google also sidelined the other leader of its AI ethics research team, Margaret Mitchell, locking her out of its corporate network.

This isnt the first time Google has turned to Croak to handle the issue. A few days after Gebrus dismissal, Croak moderated a meeting of Dean and Kacholia on one side, and researchers and the Black Googlers Network on the other.

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Google to reorganize AI teams in wake of researchers departure - Mint

Googles John Mueller says theres no inherent SEO benefit to adding an audio version of a text-based web page.

This topic is discussed during the Google Search Central SEO hangout recorded on February 12.

The following question is submitted to Mueller:

Would adding an audio version of a pages content help with search in any way? Other than the obvious accessibility improvement.

Adding an accompanying audio recording to a written post is something more publishers have been doing as of late.

Is it helping those publishers in search rankings?

Heres what Mueller has to say.

Unlike photo and video, Google doesnt do anything special with audio content.

Audio content is not processed separately by Google. At most it might be seen as a piece of video content which could result in a video snippet.

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Mueller says, as far as what he knows, adding an audio recording to a text post does not help or hurt rankings.

As far as I know we dont do anything with audio versions of content. We also wouldnt see that as duplicate content, so its not that you have to avoid that.

I mean, duplicate content itself isnt something you really have to avoid, but even if you wanted to avoid the situation that youre suddenly ranking for the same things with different pieces of content, the audio version is something that we, as far as I know, would not even process separately.

At most we might see that as a piece of video content and show that also with a video snippet. But, essentially, it wouldnt help or detract from a pages overall ranking.

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Mueller is about to move on to another question when an SEO named Robb Young jumps in to ask for clarification.

He asks: Doesnt adding an audio recording do anything for SEO?

Is a page not seen as higher quality when it has text and audio as compared to just text?

Mueller stays firm on the answer he originally provided. Google does not view a page as higher quality because it has multiple types of content.

However, there could be indirect benefits such as the page getting shared around more.

I dont think we would look at that and say: oh there are different kinds of content here, its a better page because of that.

It might be that there are indirect effects, like if users find this page more useful and they recommend it more, thats something that could have an effect.

But its not the case that we look at the types of content on a page and say: oh theres two types versus five types, the one with five types is better.

Lastly, Mueller adds there are benefits associated with adding images and/or video to a web page because those content types can each rank independently.

Theres no separate set of search rankings for audio content.

I think its a bit different with video and images in that images and video themselves can rank independently. Like in image search and video search you can have the same piece of content be visible in those other surfaces. But for audio we dont really have a separate audio search where that page could also rank.

The closest that could come there is the podcast search that we have, or the podcast one box thing, but thats really tied to the podcast content type where you have a feed of podcast information and we can index it like that. But just having audio on a page by itself, I dont think that would change anything automatically in our systems.

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Google: No SEO Benefit to Audio Versions of Text Posts - Search Engine Journal

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) -- Google has announced plans to open its first Minnesota office in Rochester to further its partnership with Mayo Clinic.

According to a news release from Google and Mayo Clinic on Destination Medical Center's website, the new location will give both companies "the ability to work side-by-side to transform patient care." Google and Mayo Clinic announced their partnership back in 2019.

According to the news release, Google said the office will open later this year when it is deemed safe to do so with state and local COVID-19 guidelines.

The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the importance of coming together to come up with innovative ways of tackling health challenges, said Chris Mueller, Rochester Site Lead and Software Engineer, Google Cloud. We are excited to officially join the Rochester community and deepen our collaboration with Mayo Clinic as we work together to transform health through technology.

According to a news release from Collider Foundation on Thursday, the office will be located at the Collider Coworking space in the Conley-Maass-Downs building in downtown Rochester.

Mayo Clinic is a source of pride for our city, and were excited to welcome Google to our growing, vibrant business community, Rochester Mayor Kim Norton said in the news release. Google has long supported Minnesota businesses and nonprofits, and the fact that theyve chosen Rochester for their first physical space in the state is testament to our reputation as a first class city.

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Google to open office in Rochester to further partnership with Mayo Clinic - KTTC

(NEXSTAR) Google Maps has released a new feature that enables you to pay for parking and transit from within the app.

To access the feature, all you have to do is connect your Google Pay account to Google Maps.

Heres how it works: Once youre parked in metered parking, simply tap on the Pay for Parking button that appears and enter your meter number and the amount of time without ever touching the meter. You can extend your parking time from within the app, as well.

The feature also enables you to pay for transit through more than 80 transit agencies around the world, according to a press release.

When you get transit directions, youll see the option to pay with your phone with the credit or debit cards already linked to your Google Pay account, the release reads.

The pay-for-parking feature is available Wednesday for Android in 400-plus global cities. An iOS rollout is coming soon. The transit feature will be available in coming weeks.

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Google Maps adds new feature that allows you to pay for parking and transit in app - wreg.com

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) Google will be opening its first office in Minnesota in downtown Rochester in a partnership with Mayo Clinic.

On Thursday, Google announced that its new office will be located in the Collider Coworking space, located in the Conley-Maass-Downs building. It will serve Googles long-term partnership with Mayo Clinic.

The world renowned medical center is located just blocks from the planned office space for Google.

The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the importance of coming together to come up with innovative ways of tackling health challenges, Chris Mueller, Rochester Site Lead and Software Engineer, Google Cloud, said. We are excited to officially join the Rochester community and deepen our collaboration with Mayo Clinic as we work together to transform health through technology.

Gov. Tim Walz is also quoted in Googles release.

Google putting down roots in Minnesota will provide sustained economic opportunity not only for the Rochester area, but for our entire state, Walz said. This partnership with the Mayo Clinic reinforces Minnesotas reputation as a welcoming state for innovation and economic opportunity. We welcome Google to our community.

Last year, Mayo Clinic announced a 10-year partnership with Google, focused on accelerating health care innovation through digital technologies. Google says it has already helped the health organization move its data to the cloud, as well as kicking off projects exploring use AI to help physicians develop radiotherapy plans.

Were excited to have this physical space designed to deepen our bond and facilitate innovation, where Google engineers will work side by side with Mayo Clinic researchers, physicians, information technology staff and data scientists, to apply advanced computing techniques to health care problems, Cris Ross, chief information officer of Mayo Clinic, said.

Google plans to officially open the office later this year once it is deemed safe to do so and in line with local and state COVID-19 guidelines.

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Googles First Office In Minn. Will Be In Downtown Rochester Due To Mayo Clinic Partnership - CBS Minnesota

A North Dakota bill that an Apple executive had warned threatens to destroy iPhone as you know it died in a vote on Tuesday.

Three-quarters of North Dakotas 48 state senators voted against the bill, which sought to prohibit Apple and Google from forcing North Dakota companies to hand over a share of their app sales.

The bill targeted Apples and Googles practices of charging a commission of up to 30 percent on many app sales. The companies brought in a combined $33 billion from those commissions last year, according to estimates from Sensor Tower, an app data firm.

Companies like Epic Games, Spotify and Match Group, along with some smaller app developers, have protested the commissions as artificially high, arguing that Apple and Google can only charge them because they are a duopoly and that app makers have little choice but to deal with them to reach customers. The two tech giants make the software that underpin nearly all of the worlds smartphones.

The bill attracted intense lobbying on both sides. Apple in particular feared it would set a dangerous precedent for its business, enabling app developers to avoid fees that have been crucial to its recent growth. Apple and its lobbyists warned that the bill could put North Dakota at risk of expensive lawsuits.

We dont want to put the state in a position where we need to spend our taxpayer dollars in litigation, because these are some very big companies, Jerry Klein, a Republican state senator, said on Tuesday on the floor of the North Dakota Senate. Lets stay out of the courts.

After the vote, Kyle Davison, the Republican state senator who introduced the bill, blamed its failure on the issues complexity and the opposition from Apple. When banging heads with Apple you need to be able to match their intensity with resources, including lobbyists, he said.

Critics and rivals of Apple and Google now turn their attention to other states. Arizona, Georgia and Massachusetts are considering similar legislation, and lobbyists are pushing for nearly identical bills in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Coalition for App Fairness, a group of companies that oppose the app-store commissions, including Epic and Spotify, is leading the push for the bills.

Apple declined to comment and Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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North Dakota lawmakers vote down a bill that threatened Apples and Googles revenues. - The New York Times

FILE PHOTO: Letters spell the word "Alphabet" as they are seen on a computer screen with a Google search page in this photo illustration taken in Paris, France, August 11, 2015. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Google is teaming up with the European Investment Fund (EIF) and two other organisations in Latin America and Asia to provide $75 million in funding to small- and medium-sized companies suffering from the impact of COVID-19.

The funds are part of an $800 million initiative announced in March last year in response to the pandemic.

Google, a unit of Alphabet, said on Wednesday that it would invest in two EIF funds, giving $15 million in loan capital to 1,000 European small businesses and $10 million in EIFs venture capital fund backing 200 life sciences companies.

The EIF is part of the European Investment Bank group, the lending arm of the European Union.

In Latin America, Google will work with the Inter-American Development Bank to allocate $8 million to small companies.

It has also set up a $26 million loan fund with Kiva, an organisation that crowdfunds loans, to help businesses in Africa, the Middle East and Indonesia. Indian companies will get $15 million.

Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; editing by Barbara Lewis

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Google to invest $75 million in coronavirus-hit small businesses - Reuters

Any doodlers out there?

Even if youre just a casual artist, Doodle For Google is a pretty cool contest that you should most certainly consider entering.

Yes, the annual art contest is back again, and its running now through Feb. 26. So you still have just more than a week to get those entries in!

So if youre a student, or you know a student, in grades K-12, youre invited to create a doodle.

One winners artwork will be displayed on Google.com for a day. He or she will also receive:

A $30,000 college scholarship

A $50,000 technology package for their school/nonprofit organization

Google hardware

Fun Googley swag

Four finalists will be featured in a Doodle for Google gallery and receive a $5,000 college scholarship, among some other prizes.

Doodles will be grouped and judged by the following five grade groups:

Grades K-3

Grades 4-5

Grades 6-7

Grades 8-9

Grades 10-12

This years theme is: I am strong because...

Heres the prompt: Strength isnt only about how fast you can run or how many pushups you can do its also about the strength inside of you.

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How do you rise above troubles and keep moving forward in tough times? When you make mistakes or get scared, what helps you clear the clouds above your head? When people around you are feeling down, how do you use your inner strength to lift them up?

Our theme this year invites you to tell us what makes you uniquely strong.

So, ready to enter?

Well hit you with some links:

A few final notes: The details above pertain to the U.S. contest only. Doodle for Google does take place in other countries throughout the year, but this is for the United States, specifically.

Want to see the top design from 2020? Check it out, along with a gallery of past winners. This marks the 13th year of the contest, Google said online.

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Teachers (along with nonprofit leaders and after-school programs!), by the way, are welcome to enter Doodles on behalf of their K-12 students, as long as the entry form is signed by each students parent or guardian.

Good luck out there!

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Calling all aspiring artists: This is your chance to be featured on Google - KSAT San Antonio

The House committee's Democratic leaders singled out bogus claims of election fraud in their statement announcing next months hearing, but also pointed to broader concerns about misinformation.

Whether it be falsehoods about the COVID-19 vaccine or debunked claims of election fraud, these online platforms have allowed misinformation to spread, intensifying national crises with real-life, grim consequences for public health and safety, Energy and Commerce Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said in a joint statement with Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), who lead the tech and consumer protection subcommittees jointly holding the hearing.

For far too long, big tech has failed to acknowledge the role theyve played in fomenting and elevating blatantly false information to its online audiences, they added. Industry self-regulation has failed. We must begin the work of changing incentives driving social media companies to allow and even promote misinformation and disinformation.

POLITICO reported last week that negotiations to obtain this testimony were underway.

Top tech executives including Zuckerberg have testified before Capitol Hill on several occasions over the past year as part of lawmakers' wide-ranging scrutiny, from antitrust concerns to conservatives' claims about biased platform moderation.

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Facebook, Google and Twitter CEOs testifying again before Congress next month - POLITICO