The challenge at this year’s EUhackathon was to shine a light on government surveillance during a 24-hour coding marathon - a particularly pertinent subject given recent headlines. European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding saluted the coders at the Awards Ceremony, saying “you’re hacking for your rights.”
A total of 29 coders from 13 countries participated. Team Frontwise from the Netherlands won the first prize with its BIGSIS – Privacy Ranking app. Reding gave them a EUR 5,000 award. BIGSIS is a Chrome plugin which “visualises your exposure to web services while you’re browsing the internet. It displays with which governments this data can be shared.”
All the competing projects can be found at the Visualizing.org website. Take a look at the coders in action.
[Youtube link to official movie
As well as from these technical achievements, the EUhackathon hosted a series of discussions on government surveillance, bringing together academics represented by Professors Milton Mueller and Pompeu Casanovas, civil society leaders including Trevor Timm from the Freedom of the Press Foundation and Joe McNamee from the European Digital Rights initiative (EDRi), and international officials such as UNICRI’s Francesca Bosco.
Google’s been at the forefront of calls for transparency about government surveillance for many years. Every six months, we publish detailed statistics on the number of requests we get from governments to access user data – and we’ve done that since 2009. We’ve supported the EUhackathon for the last three years because data visualisation is a great way of making statistics more meaningful, and of raising awareness of an issue that has serious implications for democratic societies.
Senin, 30 September 2013
Kamis, 26 September 2013
Street View arrives at CERN
At CERN, the European particle physics laboratory based in the suburbs of Geneva, some of the world’s best physicists and engineers are using advanced particle accelerators to help solve age old questions about the universe — What is it made of? How did it start?
We’re delighted that CERN opened its doors to Google Maps Street View allowing anyone, anywhere in the world to take a peek into its laboratories, control centers and its myriad underground tunnels housing cutting-edge experiments. Street View also lets scientists working on the experiments, who may be on the other side of the world, explore the equipment they're using.
For two full weeks back in 2011, members of our Street View team from Google’s Zurich office worked with our CERN partners to capture this incredible imagery. You can check out the above experiments, like ATLAS, ALICE, CMS, LHCb and the Large Hadron Collider tunnel in Google Maps, as well as collections of other Street View imagery from amazing sites around the world, on our Views site.
You can also learn more about CERN by following its Google+ page.
We’re delighted that CERN opened its doors to Google Maps Street View allowing anyone, anywhere in the world to take a peek into its laboratories, control centers and its myriad underground tunnels housing cutting-edge experiments. Street View also lets scientists working on the experiments, who may be on the other side of the world, explore the equipment they're using.
You can also learn more about CERN by following its Google+ page.
Rabu, 25 September 2013
Troll-proofing Europe’s patent system
As the European Union moves towards a unified patent system, we’re excited about the prospects for a harmonised patent regime that promotes efficiency and long-term competitiveness.
After all, the whole point of a patent system is to promote innovation. Patents encourage inventors to publicly disclose their inventions, sharing knowledge and spurring further progress while recouping their investment.
But in the United States, the abuse of dubious patents is having the opposite effect, impeding innovation and harming consumers. Patent trolls - litigation shops that use questionable patents to extort money from productive companies—are placing a huge drag on innovation. Trolls use the threat of expensive and extended litigation to extract settlements, regardless of the merits of their claims.
The economic impact of patent troll litigation has been enormous, draining an estimated $29 billion in direct costs from productive enterprises in 2011 alone. Over the years Google has faced down hundreds of patent claims, mostly from patent trolls, but only after paying millions of dollars in legal fees.
Europe now has a clear opportunity to adopt rules that limit the risk of fostering patent trolling in Europe. Patent trolls have no real business interests to defend. So, at the very least, trolls should have to prove their patents are actually valid and consumer harms should be considered before giving trolls blocking orders that would impact 500 million Europeans.
Today, we’ve joined 16 European and U.S. companies, including Adidas, Deutsche Telekom, Apple and Microsoft in an open letter, suggesting improvements to the Unified Patent Court’s proposed rules. These fixes will help the EU system avoid the issues that have plagued the U.S. and will ensure companies are investing in innovation and growth—not patent litigation.
After all, the whole point of a patent system is to promote innovation. Patents encourage inventors to publicly disclose their inventions, sharing knowledge and spurring further progress while recouping their investment.
But in the United States, the abuse of dubious patents is having the opposite effect, impeding innovation and harming consumers. Patent trolls - litigation shops that use questionable patents to extort money from productive companies—are placing a huge drag on innovation. Trolls use the threat of expensive and extended litigation to extract settlements, regardless of the merits of their claims.
The economic impact of patent troll litigation has been enormous, draining an estimated $29 billion in direct costs from productive enterprises in 2011 alone. Over the years Google has faced down hundreds of patent claims, mostly from patent trolls, but only after paying millions of dollars in legal fees.
Europe now has a clear opportunity to adopt rules that limit the risk of fostering patent trolling in Europe. Patent trolls have no real business interests to defend. So, at the very least, trolls should have to prove their patents are actually valid and consumer harms should be considered before giving trolls blocking orders that would impact 500 million Europeans.
Today, we’ve joined 16 European and U.S. companies, including Adidas, Deutsche Telekom, Apple and Microsoft in an open letter, suggesting improvements to the Unified Patent Court’s proposed rules. These fixes will help the EU system avoid the issues that have plagued the U.S. and will ensure companies are investing in innovation and growth—not patent litigation.
Senin, 23 September 2013
Bringing KENZO online during Paris Fashion Week
Fashion leaders from around the world are converging on Paris, birthplace of haute couture and home to some of the world’s greatest fashion houses, to celebrate Paris Fashion Week. For the first time, Google is participating, thanks to an exclusive collaboration with KENZO.
Together, we’re releasing a designer cover for our Nexus 7 device. Inspired by KENZO’s Autumn/Winter 2013 collection, the cover's colorful ribbons replicate the façades of old Asian temples in India, China and Nepal. Soft fabric on the inside protects the Nexus. This designer cover will be available in early October in a limited edition on KENZO’s online store.
Together, we’re releasing a designer cover for our Nexus 7 device. Inspired by KENZO’s Autumn/Winter 2013 collection, the cover's colorful ribbons replicate the façades of old Asian temples in India, China and Nepal. Soft fabric on the inside protects the Nexus. This designer cover will be available in early October in a limited edition on KENZO’s online store.
We’re also working with KENZO to connect fashion lovers online. On Sunday, September 29 from 1 to 3 p.m. Paris time, we’re hosting a Hangout on Air to bring everyone backstage at KENZO’s show. Reporters equipped with Nexus 7s will film the action and publish exclusive content. Kenzo's Creative Directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon will give their thoughts on the morning’s proceedings live, as soon as the last model leaves the runway.
Tune in on KENZO’s Google+ page or YouTube channel. The fashion-filled Hangout on Air promises to be as exciting as watching the models parade from the front row.
Hackers will shine a light on government surveillance
The EUhackathon returns to Brussels on Tuesday for its highly topical third edition. Thirty computer programmers from 13 countries will participate in the 24-hour coding marathon, entitled Hack4YourRights. Their goal is to create insightful visualisations that illustrate the extent of government access to citizens’ online private communications.
The coders will be based at the Brussels Googleplex as they work through the night to transform large data sets including network access analyses, corporate transparency reports and Freedom of Information Act requests. Their goal is to shine a light on the degree of government surveillance in various countries around the globe and empower citizens to stand up for their fundamental rights. Greater transparency and awareness are critical to ensuring government surveillance is only used when necessary and proportionate.
After a guaranteed sleepless night of coding, the programmers head to the European Parliament for an awards ceremony hosted by MEP Petru Luhan. It will include a debate between representatives from government academia and civil society. And the European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, Viviane Reding, will announce the winner of the EUR5,000 prize for best data visualisation.
Google and Facebook are sponsoring the event. NGOs lending their support include Access Now, the Center for Democracy & Technology , Digitale Gesellschaft, the European Digital Rights initiative, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Net Users’ Rights Protection Association, the Open Knowledge Foundation, quintessenz, Transparency International and visualizing.org.
We think it’s vitally important to shine a light on how government actions could affect our users. When we first launched our Transparency Report in early 2010, there wasn’t much data out there about how governments hamper the free flow of information on the web. But we’re heartened that in the past years and months, more companies have begun to share their statistics too. Our hope is that over time, more data and visualisations will bolster public debate about how we can keep the Internet free and open and protect our privacy and security online.
The coders will be based at the Brussels Googleplex as they work through the night to transform large data sets including network access analyses, corporate transparency reports and Freedom of Information Act requests. Their goal is to shine a light on the degree of government surveillance in various countries around the globe and empower citizens to stand up for their fundamental rights. Greater transparency and awareness are critical to ensuring government surveillance is only used when necessary and proportionate.
After a guaranteed sleepless night of coding, the programmers head to the European Parliament for an awards ceremony hosted by MEP Petru Luhan. It will include a debate between representatives from government academia and civil society. And the European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, Viviane Reding, will announce the winner of the EUR5,000 prize for best data visualisation.
Google and Facebook are sponsoring the event. NGOs lending their support include Access Now, the Center for Democracy & Technology , Digitale Gesellschaft, the European Digital Rights initiative, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Net Users’ Rights Protection Association, the Open Knowledge Foundation, quintessenz, Transparency International and visualizing.org.
We think it’s vitally important to shine a light on how government actions could affect our users. When we first launched our Transparency Report in early 2010, there wasn’t much data out there about how governments hamper the free flow of information on the web. But we’re heartened that in the past years and months, more companies have begun to share their statistics too. Our hope is that over time, more data and visualisations will bolster public debate about how we can keep the Internet free and open and protect our privacy and security online.
Kamis, 19 September 2013
Bringing “Moonshot Thinking” to Germany
Germany is famous for its entrepreneurial spirit and innovative capacity, which is why it is suprising that Germans have been more reluctant than others to grasp new opportunities offered by the Internet. In an attempt to jumpstart moonshot thinking, Google and its partners Deutsche Bank, Shell, and start-up hub Factory recently launched initiative called ConSensus.
Since June, ConSensus collected from all over Germany some 280 audacious Internet ideas, ranging from energy & finance to education. This month, business executives, researchers, entrepreneurs and artists came together at the Factory campus close to Berlin’s former wall. Based on the suggestions, steering committee created a 10-point charter to trigger a new kind of “moonshot innovation” in Germany which was handed over to the Ministry of Economics State Secretary Anne Ruth Herkes.
The experts also chose 10 “lighthouse” projects for innovation ranging from an online education platform, a cloud computing platform, to an Aupair exchange programme for seniors. Hopefully, ConSensus can help show that Germany is still the country of bold innovators that are willing to take their idea up to the moon - and further.
Posted by Max Senges, Internet Policy and Innovation Manager
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| Technology & Society: this logo captures the innovative spirit of ConSensus |
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| From left to right: Wolfgang Warnecke (Shell), Philipp Justus (Google), State Secretary Anne Ruth Herkes, Simon Schaefer (Factory) and Harald Eisenach (Deutsche Bank); Foto: Jürgen Stüber |
The experts also chose 10 “lighthouse” projects for innovation ranging from an online education platform, a cloud computing platform, to an Aupair exchange programme for seniors. Hopefully, ConSensus can help show that Germany is still the country of bold innovators that are willing to take their idea up to the moon - and further.
Posted by Max Senges, Internet Policy and Innovation Manager
Rabu, 18 September 2013
Debating the German General Election
The Internet allows new and fascinating exchanges between citizens and politics. For Germany’s upcoming September 22 general election, we launched this weeka map to help German voters find information about the the country's 299 voting districts and learn about the candidates in all of Germany's electoral district. On election night, the map will display official results.
This new feature adds to our recently launched Election Page which aims to allow voters to make informed choices. Our motto is "2013+you. It's your election. Take part in the discussion.” The page tracks the campaign’s hottest topics with news, video and other links. It includes a new debating tool on Google+ that allows anybody, with just a few clicks, to participate in discussions and join the German language Google+ Community, "Politics & Elections."
A new series of "Hangouts" with politicians are being held on blogger Tilo Jung’s "Jung & Naiv" site. In these video chats, he addresses young, often first-time voters. Tilo already has hosted Pirate party politician Marina Weisband and Social Democrat Chancellor Candidate, Peer Steinbrück.
Another election partner politik-digital.de, provides for the selection of editorial content on google.de/wahlen. Much more is planned: we will continue to provide interesting Google search trends. And on election night we will provide fresh election results as they come. Keep coming to our election page and participate!
This new feature adds to our recently launched Election Page which aims to allow voters to make informed choices. Our motto is "2013+you. It's your election. Take part in the discussion.” The page tracks the campaign’s hottest topics with news, video and other links. It includes a new debating tool on Google+ that allows anybody, with just a few clicks, to participate in discussions and join the German language Google+ Community, "Politics & Elections."
A new series of "Hangouts" with politicians are being held on blogger Tilo Jung’s "Jung & Naiv" site. In these video chats, he addresses young, often first-time voters. Tilo already has hosted Pirate party politician Marina Weisband and Social Democrat Chancellor Candidate, Peer Steinbrück.
Another election partner politik-digital.de, provides for the selection of editorial content on google.de/wahlen. Much more is planned: we will continue to provide interesting Google search trends. And on election night we will provide fresh election results as they come. Keep coming to our election page and participate!
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