tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38182313301494885452024-03-08T10:31:21.441+00:00U.K. news announcementsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-6196208422672305532011-12-15T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:36.575+01:00A Year in UK Search: Google’s Top Searches of 2011<h3>Royal Wedding, Adele and Groupon top this year’s Google Zeitgeist</h3><p><strong>UK, Thursday 15th December 2011</strong></p><ul><li>Royal Wedding is the fastest rising search of the year</li><li>Kim Kardashian is the top celebrity</li><li>Breaking Dawn is the fastest rising movie</li><li>X Factor is the fastest rising TV show of 2011</li><li>AV – the Alternative Vote system – tops the list of “what is…” queries</li></ul><p>Today, Google announced its annual Zeitgeist, offering a unique perspective on this year’s major events and hottest trends based on internet searches conducted in the UK in 2011. The Royal Wedding eclipsed everything as 2011’s fastest rising search query while the nation’s princess Kate Middleton featured in the top ten fastest rising people.</p><p><strong>Music/film/TV</strong></p><p>As pop princess Adele shot to superstardom on the music scene, she also topped the list of fastest rising people searches, second only to the late Jackass star Ryan Dunn. Teen flick Breaking Dawn topped the fastest rising movies list, leaving Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in its shadow. And, despite the departure of Simon Cowell, X Factor is in the top position as the fastest rising TV programme.</p><p><strong>Celebs</strong></p><p>Fresh from his notorious stint as MC of the Golden Globes, Ricky Gervais was the only male to break into the top ten celeb list. It wasn’t only the Royal Wedding that got people searching either; US reality star Kim Kardashian’s 72 day marriage to Kris Humphries made her the most searched celebrity of 2011 in the UK.</p><p><strong>…and more serious pursuits!</strong></p><p>Serious searches topped the “what is” and “how to” query lists, with British searchers keen to learn “what is AV” as they researched their choices in the alternative vote referendum, and “how to revise” to help them through the exam season.</p><p><strong>Fastest rising searches in 2011</strong></p><ol><li>Royal wedding </li><li>iPhone 5 </li><li>Fifa 12 </li><li>Groupon </li><li>iPad 2 </li><li>Ryan Dunn </li><li>Adele </li><li>Minecraft </li><li>Rebecca Black </li><li>Ed Sheeran </li></ol><p><strong>Fastest rising people in 2011</strong></p><ol><li>Ryan Dunn </li><li>Adele </li><li>Rebecca Black </li><li>Ed Sheeran </li><li>Amy Winehouse </li><li>Charlie Sheen </li><li>Steve Jobs </li><li>Kate Middleton </li><li>Nicki Minaj </li><li>Darren Criss </li></ol><p><strong>How to (top searches for ‘How to’ in 2011)</strong></p><ol><li>How to revise </li><li>How to snog </li><li>How to reference </li><li>How to wallpaper </li><li>How to draw </li><li>How to sleep </li><li>How to flirt </li><li>How to geek </li><li>How to pronounce </li><li>How to shuffle </li></ol><p><strong>What is (top searches for ‘What is’ in 2011)</strong></p><ol><li>What is AV </li><li>What is scampi </li><li>What are truffles </li><li>What are piles </li><li>What is 4d </li><li>What are cookies </li><li>What is copyright </li><li>What is zumba </li><li>What is icloud </li><li>What is probate </li></ol><p><strong>Fastest rising movies in 2011</strong></p><ol><li>Breaking Dawn </li><li>Final destination 5 </li><li>Mean girls 2 </li><li>True grit </li><li>Conan the barbarian </li><li>Scream 4 </li><li>The Inbetweeners </li><li>Little fockers </li><li>Transformers 3 </li><li>Unstoppable </li></ol><p><strong>Fastest rising sports terms in 2011</strong></p><ol><li>Haye vs Klitschko </li><li>Olympic tickets 2012 </li><li>Arsenal transfer </li><li>Six Nations 2011 </li><li>Wimbledon 2011 </li><li>Grand National 2011 </li><li>Wrestlemania 27 </li><li>Copa America 2011 </li><li>Randy Savage </li><li>Dan Wheldon </li></ol><p><strong>Top Food & Drink</strong></p><ol><li>Asda </li><li>Recipes </li><li>Tesco </li><li>Sainsburys </li><li>Pizza </li><li>Chicken </li><li>Chocolate </li><li>Dominos </li><li>Morrisons </li><li>Argos </li></ol><p><strong>Top Travel Destinations</strong></p><ol><li>Las Vegas </li><li>New York </li><li>Disneyland Paris </li><li>Jamaica </li><li>Orlando </li><li>Barbados </li><li>Hawaii </li><li>Caribbean </li><li>Florida </li><li>Cuba </li></ol><p><strong>Top UK searches in 2011</strong></p><ol><li>Facebook </li><li>YouTube </li><li>Hotmail </li><li>Ebay </li><li>Google </li><li>BBC </li><li>Amazon </li><li>Argos </li><li>Yahoo </li><li>Tesco </li></ol><p><strong>News Top 10 (top searches on <a href="http://news.google.co.uk/">news.google.co.uk</a>)</strong></p><ol><li>BBC News </li><li>Arsenal </li><li>Facebook </li><li>YouTube </li><li>Cheryl Cole </li><li>iPhone 5 </li><li>Liverpool </li><li>Kate Middleton </li><li>Manchester United </li><li>Justin Bieber </li></ol><p><strong>Fastest rising football searches in 2011</strong></p><ol><li>Anzhi Makhachkala </li><li>Arsenal transfer </li><li>Liverpool rumours </li><li>Joey Barton twitter </li><li>Sky Sports transfer </li><li>Fifa ultimate team </li><li>Eric Abidal </li><li>Copa america 2011 </li><li>Billy Sharp </li><li>Demba Ba </li></ol><p><strong>Top celebrities in 2011</strong></p><ol><li>Kim Kardashian </li><li>Victoria Beckham </li><li>Emma Watson </li><li>Scarlett Johansson </li><li>Jennifer Aniston </li><li>Britney Spears </li><li>Megan Fox </li><li>Ricky Gervais </li><li>Jessica Jane </li><li>Angelina Jolie </li></ol><p><strong>Fastest rising TV programme in 2011</strong></p><ol><li>X Factor 2011 </li><li>Apprentice 2011 </li><li>X Factor usa </li><li>NCIS season 9 </li><li>House season 8 </li><li>Glee season 3 </li><li>Thundercats 2011 </li><li>Big Brother 13 </li><li>Supernatural season 7 </li><li>Smallville season 10 </li></ol><p><strong>Top tickets</strong></p><ol><li>Train tickets </li><li>Cheap tickets </li><li>2012 tickets </li><li>Theatre tickets </li><li>Ticketmaster </li><li>BBC tickets </li><li>Concert tickets </li><li>O2 </li><li>Liverpool tickets </li><li>Leeds tickets </li></ol><p><strong>Bargain hunting (top cheap searches 2011)</strong></p><ol><li>Cheap flights </li><li>Cheap holidays </li><li>Cheap hotels </li><li>Cheap tickets </li><li>Cheap insurance </li><li>Cheap cars </li><li>Cheap breaks </li><li>Cheap shoes </li><li>Cheap dresses </li><li>Cheap clothes </li></ol></li><h3>About Google Inc.</h3><p>Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.google.com/">www.google.com</a>.</p><h3>Contact</h3><p>Name: Anoek Eckhardt<br />Telephone number: 0207 881 7688<br />Email address: <a href="mailto:anoek@google.com">anoek@google.com</a></p><h3>Zeitgeist Explained</h3><p>Google reveals the internet “Zeitgeist” (German for “the spirit of the times”) through an exploration of the billions of search queries we receive each year. In addition to the Year-end Zeitgeist, which highlights the top trends of 2011, we also have several tools that give insight into global, regional, past and present search trends. Google Zeitgeist tools can never be used to identify individual users because we rely on anonymized, aggregated counts of how often certain search queries occur over time.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-9349602523757417432011-11-07T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:39.016+01:00Google UK now has a Google+ Page<p><strong>7 November 2011 –</strong> Over on the <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/11/google-pages-connect-with-all-things.html">Official Google Blog</a> we just announced Google+ Pages, to help businesses and brands connect with customers.</p><p>Google UK already has its own page on Google+ – <a href="https://plus.google.com/103583604759580854844/posts">add us to your circles</a>!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-7767098872111075572011-09-30T08:00:00.000+01:002020-07-31T01:09:38.118+01:00Google News redesigned: publishers have new options to highlight stories, users have more personalised features<p><strong>London, 30 September 2011 –</strong> Google today launched its revamp of the Google News UK site. The new site includes Editors’ Picks, a feature enabling publishers to highlight special content within Google News; and several new features for users, enabling greater personalization of the site.</p><p>Editors’ Picks is a new section of the Google News homepage, displaying original content that publishers have selected as highlights from their publications. Publishers can select long-form investigative features, photo slideshows, interactive maps, charts or other content to engage readers of online news. The new section gives these publishers a place to call out journalism beyond the day’s top stories.</p><p>“We’ve been working with partners for some time now to create innovative new ways for them to engage readers of news online,” said Madhav Chinnappa, Google’s Head of News Partnerships in Europe. “Editors’ Picks gives publishers a place to bring together the best of traditional and digital journalism; promoting long-form stories and experimenting with new formats.”</p><p>Editors Picks is available on Google News UK immediately. Thus far, The Telegraph, The Guardian, BBC News, Channel 4 News, Metro, The Daily Mirror, and The Independent already have content available, and the product is available for publishers of all stripes to <a href="http://www.google.com/support/news_pub/bin/request.py?contact_type=site_update">sign up</a>.</p><p>Partner quotes:</p><p>Marcus Warren, Editor, Telegraph.co.uk, said: “Editor’s Picks is a great new outlet for the best of our journalism. We are pleased to showcase what we do in this exciting new way.”</p><p>Vicky Taylor, Commissioning Editor New Media, News and Current Affairs, Channel 4, said: “Promoting Channel 4 News on the Google News page opens up our varied content to a wider audience who may not have come across it otherwise.”</p><p>Jamie Walters, Executive Director of Digital at Metro said: “We are delighted to be working with Google on this project and are looking forward to making our most interesting content more discoverable for Google News users. Google News is currently a great place to find the latest trending stories and this new feature will enable publishers to highlight content that may not be breaking news, but is hugely engaging nonetheless. It will be good for Google News, good for Metro but most importantly good for the user.”</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-49696993419505380312011-09-28T08:00:00.000+01:002020-07-31T01:09:35.289+01:00Google takes seven-floor building in Tech City to support East London’s start-up community<p><strong>London, 28 Sept 2011 –</strong> Google has signed a lease for a seven-floor building in East London, the first step in its commitment to support the Tech City start-up community.</p><p>Google plans to open up the space to other organisations that support technology entrepreneurs, working together to provide a launchpad for new London-based start-ups and developers. This is the first initiative of its kind for Google anywhere in the world.</p><p>Securing a lease is the first stage in making Google’s commitment to Tech City a reality. The building, at <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=EC2A+4BX&gl=uk&t=m&z=16&vpsrc=0">4-5 Bonhill Street, London EC2A 4BX</a>, will now undergo a full refurbishment before being ready to open in 2012.</p><p>In addition to providing space for other organisations that work with start-ups, the building will host a range of activities, such as speaker series, hackathons, training workshops and product demonstrations for engineers who could benefit from Google’s knowledge of building large scale online services.</p><p>This is an entirely new initiative, and Google UK’s existing operations will remain in their current offices in central London.</p><p>The lease runs until at least 2022.</p><p>David Singleton, Engineering Director, Google UK said:</p><p>“We announced our involvement in the Tech City project last year, and we’ve been working hard to make this vision a reality. Finding a suitable building is the first major step, and we hope to announce more details about the organisations we’ll work with and how they will use the space in the coming months. East London is already home to hundreds of innovative British start-ups, and has huge potential for economic growth and new jobs over the coming years.”</p><p>Eric Van Der Kleij, CEO of the Tech City Investment Organisation, said:</p><p>“Google is a terrific example of a major technology business that understands the importance of nurturing as well as benefiting from the communities where they operate. This investment will pay dividends for them as well as contributing to the long-term success of the Tech City, and we are delighted to welcome them to the area.”</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-77942644432864169912011-06-20T08:00:00.000+01:002020-07-31T01:09:38.182+01:00The British Library and Google to make 250,000 books available to all<h3>Major project to digitise up to 40 million pages from 1700-1870, from the French Revolution to the end of slavery</h3><p><strong>London, 20 June 2011 –</strong> The British Library and Google today announced a partnership to digitise 250,000 out-of-copyright books from the Library’s collections. Opening up access to one of the greatest collections of books in the world, this demonstrates the Library’s commitment, as stated in its 2020 Vision, to increase access to anyone who wants to do research.</p><p>Selected by the British Library and digitised by Google, both organisations will work in partnership over the coming years to deliver this content free through Google Books (<a href="http://books.google.co.uk/">books.google.co.uk</a>) and the British Library’s website (<a href="http://www.bl.uk/" rel="nofollow">www.bl.uk</a>). Google will cover all digitisation costs.</p><p>This project will digitise a huge range of printed books, pamphlets and periodicals dated 1700 to 1870, the period that saw the French and Industrial Revolutions, The Battle of Trafalgar and the Crimean War, the invention of rail travel and of the telegraph, the beginning of UK income tax, and the end of slavery. It will include material in a variety of major European languages, and will focus on books that are not yet freely available in digital form online.</p><p>The first works to be digitised will range from feminist pamphlets about Queen Marie-Antoinette (1791), to the invention of the first combustion engine-driven submarine (1858), and an account of a stuffed Hippopotamus owned by the Prince of Orange (1775).</p><p>Once digitised, these unique items will be available for full text search, download and reading through Google Books, as well as being searchable through the Library’s website and stored in perpetuity within the Library’s digital archive.</p><p>Researchers, students and other users of the Library will be able to view historical items from anywhere in the world as well as copy, share and manipulate text for non-commercial purposes.</p><p>Dame Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library said: “In the nineteenth century it was an ambition of our predecessors to give everybody access to as much of the world’s information as possible, to ensure that knowledge was not restricted to those who could afford private libraries. The way of doing it then was to buy books from the entire world and to make them available in Reading Rooms.”</p><p>Dame Lynne continued: “We are delighted to be partnering with Google on this project and through this partnership believe that we are building on this proud tradition of giving access to anyone, anywhere and at any time. Our aim is to provide perpetual access to this historical material, and we hope that our collections coupled with Google’s know-how will enable us to achieve this aim.”</p><p>Peter Barron, Director of External Relations, Google, said: “What’s powerful about the technology available to us today isn’t just its ability to preserve history and culture for posterity, but also its ability to bring it to life in new ways. This public domain material is an important part of the world’s heritage and we’re proud to be working with the British Library to open it up to millions of people in the UK and abroad.”</p><p>Professor Colin Jones, President of the Royal Historical Society and Professor of History at Queen Mary, University of London commented: “There is no doubt that the digitisation of this unique material will greatly benefit the research process. Academics are increasingly using new technologies at their disposal to search for innovative ways of investigating historical material to enable us to probe new questions and find alternative patterns of investigation. Digitisation gives us the freedom to not only do this quickly and remotely, but also enhances the quality and depth of the original.”</p><p>Examples of the items that will be digitised include:</p><ul><li><em>An address to the people, on the present relative situations of England and France</em>, Robert Fellowes (1799) – pamphlet addressed to the British public commenting on the political situations in Britain and France</li><li><em>Les droits de la femme. A la reine,</em> [The Rights of Women. To the Queen] Olympe de Gouges (1791) – remarkable pamphlet that explores Queen Marie-Antoinette as both subject and object</li><li><em>Proyecto de navegacion submarina</em>, Narciso Monturiol [A Scheme for Underwater Seafaring: the Ichthyneus or Fish-Boat] (1858) – Monturiol was the inventor of the first combustion engine-driven submarine and this book describes his invention</li><li><em>De Natuurlyke Historie van den Hippopotamus of het Rivierpaard</em>, George Louis Leclerc (1775), [The Natural History of the Hippopotamus, or River Horse] – Translated from a French original but with additional material, including an account of the stuffed Hippopotamus in the Prince of Orange’s cabinet of curiosities.</li></ul><p>This partnership demonstrates the Library’s further commitment to working with the private sector to digitise parts of its collections. Recently, the Library announced a partnership with brightsolid to digitise up to 40 million pages of its newspaper collections and previously the Library partnered with Microsoft to digitise 65,000 19th century books, some of which are now available as an App on Apple’s iPad.</p><p>It is also planned to make the works available via Europeana (<a href="http://www.europeana.eu/" rel="nofollow">www.europeana.eu</a>), the European Digital Library.</p><p>Google has partnered with over 40 libraries around the world.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-36339914847041769422010-12-20T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:34.261+01:00Deletion of WiFi payload data from the UK<p>We are profoundly sorry for mistakenly collecting payload data in the UK from unencrypted wireless networks. Since we announced our mistake in May we have cooperated closely with the ICO and worked to improve our internal controls. As we have said before, we did not want this data, have never used any of it in our products or services, and have sought to delete it as quickly as possible.</p><p>We can confirm that the UK data has now been deleted, and that this has been independently certified.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-65276238083858696722010-12-13T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:36.962+01:00Stars of YouTube in 2010 Revealed<ul> <li>‘Gap Yah’ named Homegrown Comedy Hit of the Year</li> <li>Cher Lloyd audition most viewed X-Factor clip</li> <li>Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ most watched video of 2010</li></ul><p><strong>LONDON, 13 December 2010 –</strong> ‘Gap Yah’ – a satirical sketch which parodies the student gap year has been named as the biggest homegrown comedy hit of 2010 on YouTube in their annual rundown of the most popular videos of the year. Cher Lloyds X factor Audition was the most viewed talent show clip in Britain whilst Justin Beiber’s promotional video for the single ‘Baby’ was the single most viewed clip in the UK in 2010.</p><p>This year, more than 13 million hours of video – approximately 1,500 years worth of viewing – were uploaded to YouTube and more than 700 billion videos were viewed via the site. YouTube’s official Year-End 2010 Lists released today; highlight the YouTube videos that have proved most popular with UK viewers over the last twelve months.</p><p>“More than ever in 2010 YouTube was a hub of creativity, a hive of hilarity and the place for people to share their passions and entertain themselves online,” said Anna Bateson, Director of Marketing, YouTube UK. “This year’s top videos lists give us a glimpse at the tremendous growth YouTube has experienced as a company and as an online community in 2010.”</p><p>Britain’s top comedy videos of 2010 (based on UK views)</p><ol><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKFjWR7X5dU">Gap Yah</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6IeASZZf1c"> Annoying Orange Saw</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL_qGMfbtAk"> Annoying Orange Wazzup</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzocvh60xBU">Being a Dickhead’s Cool</a></li><li>Fascinating Aida – Cheap Flights</li></ol><p>Most Viewed X Factor/Britain’s Got Talent Videos of 2010 (UK views only)</p><ol><li>Cher Lloyd’s X Factor Audition (Full Version) – itv.com/xfactor</li><li>Gamu Nhengu’s X Factor Audition – itv.com/xfactor</li><li>Tobias Mead – Britain’s Got Talent 2010 – Auditions Week 1</li><li>Ablisa’s X Factor Audition (Full Version) – itv.com/xfactor</li><li>Cher Lloyd’s X Factor boot camp challenge (Full Version) – itv.com/xfactor</li><li>Cher Lloyd This Morning Interview! The X Factor 2010 Audition Keri Hilson Turn My Swag On Soulja Boy</li><li>Twist and Pulse – Britain’s Got Talent 2010 – Auditions Week 5</li><li>Matt Cardle sings Just The Way You Are – The X Factor Live show 2 – itv.com/xfactor</li><li>Cher LLoyd Liar, Fraud & Unoriginal</li><li>Spellbound – Britain’s Got Talent 2010 – Auditions Week 2</li></ol><p>Most Viewed Videos in the UK</p><ol><li>Justin Bieber’s “Baby” was the Most Viewed video in the UK in 2010. Is it his hair? Is it that babyface? Who cares: he’s huge on YouTube.</li><li>Eminem is officially rehabilitated, with “Love The Way You Lie”</li><li>Eminem, “<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5-yKhDd64s">Not Afraid</a>” was also huge on YouTube in the UK.</li><li>B.o.B gave Justin Bieber some competition for Rookie of The Year 2010, with “Airplanes” putting in a powerful show on the Most Viewed list.</li><li>Rihanna Rude Boy</li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-ICZlm5v6A">Katy Perry – ft snoop dogg</a></li><li>Cher Lloyd’s X Factor Audition (Full Version) – itv.com/xfactor</li><li>Travie McCoy: Billionaire ft. Bruno Mars</li><li>Jason Derulo – Ridin’ Solo (Official Video in HD)</li><li>Katy B led the local charge up the YouTube charts in 2010, with “Katy On A Mission”</li></ol><h3>Notes to Editors:</h3><p>All UK viewing figures based on YouTube UK internal data.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-18517769497651408072010-12-09T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:33.554+01:00UK Year End Zeitgeist lists<h3>A Year in Search – Google announces top UK searches of 2010</h3><ul><li>Live chat site Chatroulette is the fastest rising search of the year</li><li>Take That is the year’s hottest ticket</li><li>Election tops news searches, rail strikes also rank highly</li><li>Cheryl Cole is top divorce</li><li>Lists include “I love”, “I hate” and “I want”</li></ul><p><strong>London, Thursday 9th December –</strong> Today, Google announced its annual Zeitgeist top search lists for the UK, a look at 2010 through the collective eyes of the United Kingdom on the web. The 2010 Year-End Zeitgeist offers a unique perspective on the year’s major events and hottest trends based on searches conducted in the UK this year.</p><h3>Fastest rising searches of 2010</h3><ol><li>Chatroulette</li><li>Formspring</li><li>Hotmail Sign in</li><li>iPad</li><li>Justin Bieber</li><li>World Cup 2010</li><li>FB</li><li>Santander</li><li>Youtube</li><li>Metcheck</li></ol><h3>Top news and current events</h3><ol><li>Election 2010</li><li>Register to vote</li><li>David Cameron</li><li>Rail strike</li><li>Daily mail showbiz</li><li>Liberal democrat</li><li>Elections results</li><li>Labour party</li><li>Conservative party</li><li>Alex Jones</li></ol><h3>Fastest rising people</h3><ol><li>kristian digby</li><li>justin bieber</li><li>nicki minaj</li><li>ellie goulding</li><li>alexander mcqueen</li><li>kesha</li><li>miranda kerr</li><li>kim kardashian</li><li>katy perry</li><li>enrique iglesias</li></ol><h3>Top divorces</h3><ol><li>cheryl cole divorce</li><li>benny hinn divorce</li><li>tiger woods divorce</li><li>eva longoria divorce</li><li>susanna reid divorce</li><li>carol kirkwood divorce</li><li>bam margera divorce</li><li>claudia winkleman divorce</li><li>avril lavigne divorce</li><li>hulk hogan divorce</li></ol><h3>Top tickets</h3><ol><li>take that tickets</li><li>lion king tickets</li><li>wimbledon tickets</li><li>michael buble tickets</li><li>london eye tickets</li><li>lady gaga tickets</li><li>thorpe park tickets</li><li>glastonbury tickets</li><li>wicked tickets</li><li>olympics 2012 tickets</li></ol><h3>Bargain hunting (top cheap searches 2010)</h3><ol><li>cheap flights</li><li>cheap holidays</li><li>cheap train tickets</li><li>cheap car insurance</li><li>cheap smells</li><li>cheap hotels</li><li>cheap laptops</li><li>cheap holiday deals</li><li>cheap travel insurance</li><li>cheap rail tickets</li></ol><h3>Fastest rising lyrics</h3><ol><li>no love lyrics</li><li>carry out lyrics</li><li>airplane lyrics</li><li>starry eyed lyrics</li><li>unthinkable lyrics</li><li>california girls lyrics</li><li>crossfire lyrics</li><li>rude boy lyrics</li><li>mine lyrics</li><li>the cave lyrics</li></ol><h3>Top Sports searches</h3><ol><li>Football</li><li>World cup</li><li>BBC</li><li>Golf</li><li>Cricket</li><li>Arsenal</li><li>Fantasy Football</li><li>Fifa</li><li>Liverpool</li><li>Sky sports</li></ol><h3>“i love” searches (fastest rising)</h3><ol><li>i love dance</li><li>i love coco</li><li>i love bass</li><li>i love hoodies</li><li>i love football</li></ol><h3>“i hate” searches (fastest rising)</h3><ol><li>i hate mountains</li><li>i hate snow</li><li>i hate football</li><li>i hate mum</li><li>i hate love</li></ol><h3>“i want” searches (fastest rising)</h3><ol><li>i want popcorn</li><li>i want love</li><li>i want out</li><li>i want you</li><li>i want money</li></ol><h3>“who is” searches (fastest rising)</h3><ol><li>who is salt</li><li>who is shawty</li><li>who is fonejacker</li><li>who is technoviking</li><li>who is banksy</li></ol><h3>i feel (fastest rising)</h3><ol><li>i feel better</li><li>i feel free</li><li>i feel depressed</li><li>i feel lonely</li><li>i feel fat</li></ol><h3>2010 overall most searched</h3><ol><li>Facebook</li><li>BBC</li><li>Youtube</li><li>Hotmail</li><li>Ebay</li><li>Google</li><li>you</li><li>games</li><li>mail</li><li>news</li></ol><h3>Top food and drink</h3><ol><li>Tesco</li><li>Recipes</li><li>ASDA</li><li>Pizza</li><li>Wine</li><li>Sainsburys</li><li>Jamie Oliver</li><li>Morrisons</li><li>Cakes</li><li>Curry</li></ol><h3>High street most searched</h3><ol><li>argos</li><li>tesco</li><li>next</li><li>asda</li><li>john lewis</li><li>new look</li><li>asos</li><li>river island</li><li>debenhams</li><li>marks and spencer</li></ol><h3>Zeitgeist Explained</h3><p>Zeitgeist means “spirit of the times”. And because people use Google to search for what’s new and interesting, their queries, when seen in volume, tend to be a good reflection of what’s on people’s minds. Amazingly enough as many as 25% of the search queries we get an any given day are new – meaning we have not seen them before.</p><p>The Google Zeitgeist is calculated by looking at the aggregation of the most popular and fast-rising search queries being typed into the <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/">Google.co.uk</a> search box. Google Zeitgeist tools can never be used to identify individual users because we rely on anonymized, aggregated counts of how often certain search queries occur over time. These tools are available year-round for you to play with, explore, and learn from: <a href="http://www.google.com/zeitgeist">www.google.com/zeitgeist</a></p><h3>About Google Inc.</h3><p>Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit <a href="http://www.google.com/">www.google.com</a>.</p><h3>Media Contact</h3><p>Clara Armand-Delille<br /><a href="mailto:claraad@google.com">claraad@google.com</a></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-9042584295951397562010-12-06T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:38.952+01:00Google reveals ‘Nexus S’ Android mobile phone with Gingerbread<p><strong>6 December, London – </strong>Google™ today announced the latest release of the Android™ platform, Android 2.3 (known as Gingerbread) and unveiled the next Android device from the ‘Nexus’ line of mobile phone products – Nexus S™.</p><p>Nexus S was co-developed with Samsung, ensuring tight integration of hardware and software to highlight the latest advancements of the Android platform. Nexus S is the first smartphone to feature a 4” Contour Display designed to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand and along the side of your face. It also includes NFC (near field communication) hardware that lets you read information from NFC tags. NFC is a fast, versatile short-range wireless technology that can be embedded in all kinds of everyday objects like movie posters, stickers and t-shirts.</p><p>Nexus S is also the first device to ship with Android 2.3, the latest version of the software platform and the fastest version of Android yet. It delivers a number of improvements, including user interface refinements, NFC support, a new keyboard and text selection tool, Internet (VoIP/SIP) calling, improved copy/paste functionality and gyroscope sensor support, which is especially useful for games. For developers, the Gingerbread SDK/NDK is now available, and in the coming weeks Gingerbread will be open sourced.</p><p>Other features of the Nexus S include:</p><ul><li>1 GHz Hummingbird processor with dedicated Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) – the fast processor combined with GPU makes the Nexus S one of the fastest phones on the market, great for video games and playing back video and browsing the web</li><li>The Contour Display reflects up to four times less glare under direct sunlight and is up to 1.5 times brighter than traditional LCD displays</li><li>Front and rear facing cameras for video chats on the move</li><li>16GB of internal memory</li></ul><p>Andy Rubin, VP, Engineering, said, “As the lead device for Gingerbread, Nexus S combines great hardware with great software to provide users with a fast and powerful mobile experience. We believe Nexus S will drive innovation in the mobile space that will benefit our users, our partners and developers working on Android, and the entire mobile industry.”</p><p>Nexus S delivers a “pure Google” experience, meaning unlocked, unfiltered access to the best Google mobile services and the latest Android releases and updates. Nexus S will receive the latest Android software platform updates first, pushed out directly from Google.</p><p>The very first Android phone hit the market in November 2008. Just over two years later, Android’s vision of openness has spurred the development of hundreds of <a href="http://www.google.com/phone/">different Android devices</a>. Today, over 200,000 Android devices are activated daily worldwide.</p><p>Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy UK retailers will offer Nexus S for free from £35/month or SIM free from £549.95. Customers can pre-order at <a href="http://www.carphonewarehouse.com/" rel="nofollow">www.carphonewarehouse.com</a> and go to <a href="http://www.bestbuy.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">www.bestbuy.co.uk</a> to find out more from today.</p><p>For more information and to view videos of Nexus S in action, visit <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/nexus/">google.co.uk/nexus</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-50675500700126985372010-11-23T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:35.611+01:00Bletchley Park and Alan Turing’s papers<p><strong>LONDON, 23 November 2010 – </strong>As <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-11818182" rel="nofollow">you may have seen</a>, this afternoon some key papers from British computer scientist and wartime codebreaker <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing" rel="nofollow">Alan Turing</a> are up for auction at Christie’s in London. Dr Turing is a hero to many of us at Google for his pioneering work on algorithms and the development of computer science. He’s also an important figure for many across the world who face homophobic attacks and bullying, an issue that <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/working-to-stop-bullying-national-ally.html">we have spoken about elsewhere</a>.</p><p>Why are these papers so important? <a href="http://www.sueblack.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Dr Sue Black</a>, a computer scientist at University College London and a key campaigner for Bletchley Park, where Dr Turing worked, can explain better than anyone:</p><blockquote><p>“The lot includes the codebreaker <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Newman" rel="nofollow">Max Newman</a>’s copies of many of Turing’s papers. Some of the papers have on them comments from Newman, a friend of Turing, who testified in his defence at his trial. These papers belong at <a href="http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/" rel="nofollow">Bletchley Park</a>, home of the codebreakers, where these two codebreakers worked together side by side, helping to save millions of lives during World War Two.”</p></blockquote><p>Sue asked Google for our support in purchasing the papers for Bletchley Park, which we agree is clearly the right place to house them. As has been <a href="http://twitter.com/ruskin147/status/6946168726618113" rel="nofollow">reported</a> this morning, we are backing the bid with a contribution of $100,000 towards a successful purchase.</p><p>There’s still a long way to go to raise all the money required, and we hope that others will be able to come forward too. The deadline for contributions to the bid has been extended until 2:00 PM GMT today, and anyone who is interested in supporting it should <a href="http://twitter.com/dr_black" rel="nofollow">contact Sue</a> or go to: <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/turing-papers/" rel="nofollow">www.justgiving.com/turing-papers/</a></p><h3>Press contacts</h3><p><strong>Bletchley Park</strong><br>Kelsey Griffin<br><a href="mailto:kgriffin@bletchleypark.org.uk">kgriffin@bletchleypark.org.uk</a><br>01908 272655</p><p><strong>Google</strong><br>Clara Armand-Delille<br><a href="mailto:claraad@google.com">claraad@google.com</a><br>020 7881 4644</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-67266352596087342032010-11-11T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:37.155+01:00Help for those searching for information about suicide<p>Today Google is making available a new search feature in the UK which triggers Samaritans’ 24 hour helpline for certain relevant search queries relating to suicide. The feature, which has been tested successfully for the last 6 months in the US, helps connect people who are depressed, suicidal or in distress to the information they need so they can seek help and advice.</p><p>Samaritans provide confidential emotional support 24 hours a day for people who are suicidal or experiencing feelings of distress or despair. Their telephone support number and a highly visible telephone support icon will appear on Google Search results relating to suicide. In the US the implementation of this feature saw a 9% increase in calls to the American support group National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.</p><p>Google’s UK Managing Director Matt Brittin said: “People turn to the Internet for information and advice all the time. We hope that by adding a highly visible link on searches relating to suicide, Google can help guide those who are vulnerable, distressed or suicidal to the renowned expertise and support service offered by Samaritans.”</p><p>Samaritans’ Chief Executive Catherine Johnstone said: “We welcome this positive step by Google and we hope this new search tool that promotes Samaritans’ helpline details will encourage distressed or suicidal people to seek help from a safe source.</p><p>“The Internet is a rapidly expanding phenomenon that allows people to access huge amounts of information, much of which is helpful but some of which can occasionally be dangerous. It is therefore important that vulnerable and distressed people are steered towards safe places such as Samaritans.</p><p>“For 24/7 confidential, non-judgemental support phone 08457 90 90 90, email <a href="mailto:jo@samaritans.org">jo@samaritans.org</a> or visit a Samaritans branch – see <a href="http://www.samaritans.org/" rel="nofollow">www.samaritans.org</a> for details.”</p><p>Google also provides advertising grants to UK charities, including Samaritans, via the <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/grants/">Google Grants</a> programme. On relevant search queries Google AdWords ads appear when users search on Google. When a person clicks on one of the ads, they are brought to the website of the charity organisation being advertised, helping connect them to information, advice and support right when they need it.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-76077574548382539092010-10-28T08:00:00.000+01:002020-07-31T01:09:37.925+01:00U.K. Internet Economy Worth £100 Billion a Year, Finds Landmark Report<ul> <li>The Internet economy now represents 7.2 percent of U.K. GDP, more than construction, transport, or utilities</li> <li>The United Kingdom ranks first in e-commerce and exports £2.8 in e-commerce goods and services for every £1 imported</li> <li>There are 250,000 U.K. jobs in Internet companies</li> <li>Small and medium businesses that are high-Web users experience higher growth and more international sales than those that do not use the Internet</li> <li><a href="http://www.connectedkingdom.co.uk/">Find the full report and more information here</a></li></ul><p><strong>LONDON, 28 October 2010 –</strong> A report by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has identified for the first time the value of the Internet economy in the United Kingdom. The report, titled <em>The Connected Kingdom: How the Internet Is Transforming the U.K. Economy</em>, reveals that the U.K. Internet economy contributed £100 billion in 2009, representing 7.2 percent of U.K. GDP—more than construction, transport, or utilities. The report finds that this share is likely to grow by about 10 percent annually, reaching 10 percent of GDP by 2015.</p><p>Around 60 percent of this total is driven by “consumption”—the amount that Internet users spend on online shopping and on the cost of their connections and devices to access the Internet. The remainder comes from investment in the United Kingdom’s Internet infrastructure, government IT spending, and net exports.</p><p>The report was commissioned by Google UK but was researched and written independently by BCG. The size of the United Kingdom’s Internet economy had not previously been widely studied, and the aim of this report is to address this knowledge gap regarding this growing sector of the U.K. economy.</p><p><strong>United Kingdom succeeding internationally</strong></p><p>The report finds that the United Kingdom is now the world’s leading country for e-commerce and that U.K. businesses are using the Internet to expand their sales overseas. The United Kingdom is now a net exporter of e-commerce goods and services, exporting £2.80 for every £1 imported. This is the opposite of the trend seen in the offline economy, which exports 90p for every £1 imported.</p><p>In order to measure the reach and depth of the Internet in the United Kingdom—and to make comparisons with other countries—BCG created an international “e-Intensity Index” covering the nations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Overall, the United Kingdom ranks sixth, scoring similarly to the Netherlands, Norway, and Finland and better than Germany, the United States, and France. The highest-ranked country is Denmark.</p><p>A regional e-Intensity Index showed similar variations within the United Kingdom. London emerged as the leading region, followed by the South East and the East of England. The rest of England finished in the middle, and Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland scored fairly poorly.</p><p><strong>250,000 Internet jobs</strong></p><p>The report also analyses the structure of the U.K. Internet economy, specifically the companies that enable e-commerce and other Internet activities. The report finds that these companies—the engine of the Internet economy—employ an estimated 250,000 people and have annual revenue of £50 billion. (This sum is not comparable to the GDP calculations, which only count final sales to consumers, as many of these companies sell to other businesses.)</p><p><strong>Small businesses growing faster, defying regional trends</strong></p><p>As part of its research, BCG surveyed over 900 small and medium enterprises. The companies that actively use the Internet reported overall sales growth more than four times greater than that of less active companies. The results also revealed that the most active online businesses are based in the East of England, London, and Scotland—despite the fact that Scotland has one of the lowest levels of consumer online engagement in the United Kingdom.</p><p><strong>Consumer usage of the Internet in the United Kingdom</strong></p><p>More than 19 million households have an Internet connection—a 73 percent share—and broadband penetration has more than doubled since 2005. U.K. users spent the equivalent of an entire 24-hour day on the Internet in April, an increase of 65 percent in just three years. Nearly one-third of Internet users, or 31 percent, have accessed the Internet on their mobile handset, up from 23 percent in 2009. That share rises to 44 percent among the users aged 16 to 24.</p><p>The number of adults who bought goods or services online in the past year totaled 31 million, or 62 percent of all adults. Collectively, they spent about £50 billion last year on goods and travel.</p><p><strong>Report methodology</strong></p><p>The value of the Internet economy (£100 billion) was estimated using the expenditure approach to GDP measurement. This approach measures total spending on finished goods and services. It covers four key elements: consumption (both goods sold online and the costs of getting online), investment, government spending, and net exports.</p><p>The expenditure approach exposes the contributions of consumers, businesses, and governments to the Internet economy. Of the three possible methods to calculate GDP, it provides for the best balance of analytical strength and data availability.</p><p>The £100 billion figure that represents the U.K. Internet economy is made up of slices from other traditional economic sectors, such as communications and retail. The comparison of the size of Internet economy with the size of traditional sectors is therefore meant only to give a sense of scale.</p><p>The forecasted 10 percent growth of the Internet economy is based on conservative assumptions about the four key elements of the Internet economy. Consumption, the largest component of growth, is driven by rising broadband penetration and increased consumer spending online. Investment and government spending are projected to be relatively flat and exports and imports are projected to grow in line with consumption.</p><p>Paul Zwillenberg, partner with BCG in London, said, “The Internet is pervasive in the U.K. economy today, more so than in most advanced countries. Whether they are driving international expansion, improving their interactions with customers or the efficiency of their supply chains, U.K. companies are increasingly embracing the Internet’s potential. Several industries—including media, travel, insurance, and fashion—are being transformed by it.”</p><p>Matt Brittin, managing director for Google in the UK and Ireland, said, “We all know how the Internet has changed the way people access information and communicate. Now for the first time we can see how its adoption by British business has become a major contributor to the U.K.’s GDP, and that the Internet is a central pillar of the U.K.’s economy. The sector has come of age, and with great prospects for further growth the U.K. internet economy, will be vital to the U.K.’s future prosperity.”</p><p>The full report will be available from Thursday 28th October at <a href="http://www.connectedkingdom.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">www.connectedkingdom.co.uk</a>.</p><p>To arrange an interview with one of the authors, please contact Eric Gregoire at +44 207 753 5353 or <a href="mailto:gregoire.eric@bcg.com">gregoire.eric@bcg.com</a>.</p><h3>About The Boston Consulting Group</h3><p>The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the world’s leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses. Our customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with 70 offices in 41 countries. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.bcg.com/" rel="nofollow">www.bcg.com</a>.</p><h3>Contact Google:</h3><p><a href="mailto:press-uk@google.com">press-uk@google.com</a></p><p>0207 031 3049</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-79986169654415213362010-08-24T08:00:00.000+01:002020-07-31T01:09:38.439+01:00YouTube Launches New Mobile Website Globally<h3>m.youtube.com Boasts Faster, Higher-Quality YouTube Video Experience Across Mobile Devices</h3><p><strong>Highlights:</strong></p><ul> <li>New YouTube Mobile site built in HTML5 launches globally and adds support for more devices.</li> <li>Mobile Website offers faster, higher quality than native mobile apps.</li> <li>Greater social sharing functionality (Twitter, Facebook and Buzz).</li> <li>YouTube Mobile gets over 100 million views a day and every minute an hour of video is uploaded to YouTube from a Mobile device.</li></ul><p><strong>London, United Kingdom, August 24, 2010 –</strong> The mobile Internet is huge and growing fast. According to a 2009 report, within five years more users will connect to the Internet via mobile devices than desktop PCs. YouTube consumption on mobile devices has also grown considerably: playbacks were up 160% in 2009 over the previous year and YouTube Mobile now receives more than 100 million video playbacks a day. This is roughly the number of daily playbacks that YouTube.com was streaming when YouTube joined forces with Google in 2006.</p><p>YouTube launched on mobile devices in 2007 with about 1,000 videos available on the mobile site (m.youtube.com). While this suddenly opened up the possibility to access videos on the go, our site, mobile browsers and the hardware had limitations that prevented the mobile experience from keeping up with YouTube on the desktop. Today, more than ever, YouTube knows that you want to be able to find and access your favorite videos wherever you are. That’s why YouTube’s rolling out an updated version of the mobile site. Here’s what’s new about it:</p><ul><li>It’s really fast.</li><li>The user interface incorporates larger, more touch-friendly elements, making it easier to access videos on the go.</li><li>It incorporates the features and functionality you’ve come to expect from the .com site, like search query suggestions, the options to create playlists, the ability to designate “favorite”, “like” or “unlike” videos directly from your device.</li><li>As YouTube makes improvements to Youtube.com, you’ll see them quickly follow on our mobile site, unlike native apps which are not updated as frequently. Some recent updates since the US launch are support across more platforms and more social sharing features from the YouTube Mobile site (Facebook, Twitter and Buzz).</li></ul><p>As the world continues to go mobile, YouTube thinks this new mobile Website offers a great improvement for anyone who wants a more consistent YouTube experience across devices, no matter where they are. You can access the latest YouTube mobile site from Android mobile devices among other smart phones. To learn more, visit m.youtube.com to check out the latest improvements and take a minute to watch this demo video: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGT8ZCTBoBA">www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGT8ZCTBoBA</a></p><p><strong>YouTube Mobile Timeline</strong></p><p>Since May of 2006, people who love YouTube have been finding ways to watch their favorite YouTube videos on mobile devices:</p><ul><li>May ’06 – YouTube video uploads enabled from mobile phones</li><li>December ’06 – YouTube signs first deal w/first mobile carrier</li><li>June ’07 – First YT mobile site launches</li><li>January ’08 – Mobile site launches with full catalogue and YouTube Java application</li><li>August ’09 – Smart phone mobile site launches</li><li>March ’10 – Mobile ads launch</li><li>July ’10 – New Mobile site (Blazer) launches in US</li><li>August ’10 – New mobile site launches worldwide</li></ul><h3>About YouTube</h3><p>YouTube is the world’s most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, CA and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-80830059732744911742010-06-16T08:00:00.000+01:002020-07-31T01:09:38.503+01:00New Google Maps feature helps home buyers and renters in UK<p><strong>16th June, London –</strong> Google today announced that UK Google Maps users will now be able to search for <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/realestate">listings from estate agents</a> and property websites directly on the map. Increasingly, people are starting their search for a new home online and this new feature will help connect them with the information they’re looking for, in an easy-to-navigate map format.</p><p>Companies across the property industry, have already taken the opportunity to put their listings on the map, so Google Maps users can find them and then visit the companies’ websites if they are interested in a particular property.</p><p>The new feature makes it easy to discover listings for sale or rent in a geographic area, across many agents and property companies. Potential home buyers can enter a city or location and see all the available listings represented by markers or small circles on the map by simply selecting “Properties…” from the More menu in Maps. They can then refine their search by price, type of property, bedrooms and bathrooms. The map will automatically update with relevant listings when panned or zoomed to another location, and when the search criteria is changed. Clicking on a marker or a small circle will provide more information about the listing, as well as the contact details of the listing agent and a link to help drive traffic to their website.</p><p>The following companies have already taken the opportunity to add listings to Google Maps: Zoopla, PropertyLive, Ezylet, SmartNewHomes, Vebra, Property Pal, Spicer Haart, Countrywide, Zoomf</p><p>“Given the importance of location to a home search, we’ve made it easy for home buyers and renters to see listings that match their criteria on Google Maps even as they pan and zoom the map to different areas,” says Andrew Foster, product manager, Google. “We know that many UK home buyers are already using Google Maps in their house-hunting, and by adding property listings to the map we’re putting everything together for them in one place.”</p><p>Alex Chesterman, Founder & CEO of <a href="http://www.zoopla.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Zoopla.co.uk</a> said, “Google is an important start point in the online journey for many consumers, helping them find relevant content which is very complementary with our business which combines property listings with market data and a variety of tools to help consumers make better property decisions.”</p><p>Grenville Turner, Group Chief Executive of Countrywide (the UK’s largest estate agency and property services group, whose portfolio includes Bairstow Eves, Bridgfords, Abbotts, John D Wood & Co and Sotheby’s International Realty): “We see partnering with Google Maps as an ideal way to further extend our online reach. This will help the growing number of buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants turning to the internet to help make their next move.”</p><p>David Bexon, Managing Director of SmartNewHomes.com, part of Trinity Mirror Digital Property Group: “TMDP is delighted to be teaming up with Google for the launch of the latest feature for their mapping service. By contributing to the listings for this new feature, SmartNewHomes.com, the UK’s leading new homes website, is building on its promise to make clients’ new homes as visible as possible online. Existing Google Maps features such as Street View already help inform thousands of UK house purchases so to have all of this information residing in one place, will certainly make it easier for househunters.”</p><p>Errol Maxwell, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.propertypal.com/" rel="nofollow">PropertyPal.com</a> commented, “Google’s mapping technology has already proved itself in the marketplace, and we have used embedded positional maps from them in our own PropertyPal.com website for some time. This announcement further underlines our commitment to providing users with a superior user experience and multiple innovative ways to search for property online”</p><p>Paul Foy, MD of Ezylet.com, a leading property rental portal, says, “Property search is a tremendous opportunity for Landlords and Agents to benefit from the open market created by this visually appealing addition to Google Maps. Ezylet as a rental-only portal can now feed property from both private landlords and agents directly to Google, giving more exposure for our clients and yet another rich search experience for potential tenants. Ezylet’s free and premium property advertising clients will both be included in this exciting and market-advancing service from day one.”</p><p>Mark Goddard, Group Managing Director of GMG Property Services (owners of market leading property software companies Vebra, Core and CFP), commented, “We are delighted to be working with Google on this new feature for Google Maps, which we believe will be extremely beneficial to our clients, helping them reach a wider audience. All our customers’ properties will automatically be available on Google Maps property search, unless they choose to opt out, for no additional cost or effort.”</p><p>Spicerhaart Chief Executive Paul Smith said, “Google are bringing an exciting new dimension to property marketing. Its advanced search engine and mapping facilities mean we can promote properties to an even wider audience, while buyers benefit from additional information about the local neighbourhoods where they are looking. It really is the best marketing tool in estate agency.”</p><p>Google Maps offers a number of other useful tools for home buyers and renters, including driving directions to help find properties to visit, Street View to let them virtually visit potential neighbourhoods and check out local amenities. Now they can also directly search for property on Google Maps.</p><p>-Ends-</p><h3>About</h3><p><strong>Zoopla</strong><br><a href="http://www.zoopla.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Zoopla.co.uk</a> is the UK’s most comprehensive property website, focused on empowering consumers with the resources they need to make better-informed property decisions. We help our users make sense of the residential property market by combining property listings with market value data, local information and community tools.</p><p><strong>Countrywide</strong><br>Countrywide is the UK’s largest and most successful estate agency and property services Group, operating more than 1,200 associated branches across England, Scotland and Wales which include Bairstow Eves, Bridgfords, Mann & Co, Abbotts, Dixons, Entwistle Green, Fulfords, Frank Innes, Slater Hogg & Howison, Taylors, Gascoigne Pees, John D Wood & Co and Sotheby’s International Realty.</p><p>Countrywide’s network of expertise helps more people move than any other business in the UK and is a leading provider of estate agency, lettings, mortgage services, land and new homes, franchising, auctions, surveying, conveyancing and corporate property management services.</p><p><strong>SmartNewHomes.com</strong><br>Is the UK’s leading new homes website, representing 85% of all new homes for sale in England, Wales and Scotland. <a href="http://www.smartnewhomes.com/" rel="nofollow">SmartNewHomes.com</a> is part of Trinity Mirror Digital Property, which manages several leading digital property brands including <a href="http://www.email4property.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">email4property.co.uk</a>, the largest network of local estate agent websites and <a href="http://www.homesoverseas.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">homesoverseas.co.uk</a>.</p><p><strong>Ezylet</strong><br>With one address for many properties, <a href="http://www.ezylet.com/" rel="nofollow">Ezylet.com</a>, a rising star among property portals, is unique in that it operates solely in the lettings sphere. Ezylet was set up by a landlord for the letting community with services ranging from “Free to Use” property advertising for both landlords and Agents, to micro-sites for larger Agents. Tenants can use the Ezylet website free of charge. Linked with Google Real Estate, the visibility and accessibility of Ezylet properties has never been greater.</p><p><strong>Vebra</strong><br>Vebra, owned by MG Property Services, is the UK’s leading supplier of software for estate agents. Their estate agency software has been designed to support estate agents and their business whatever challenges they face.</p><p><strong>PropertyPal.com</strong><br><a href="http://www.propertypal.com/" rel="nofollow">PropertyPal.com</a> is Northern Ireland’s number 1 property website, displaying details of more homes for sale and rent than any other website. It has around 95% of all properties for sale and rent, and at any time stocks over 40,000 properties to buy or rent. PropertyPal.com receives hundreds of thousands of visitors per month and serves millions of property pages to end users. It is independently owned and has had more properties for sale and rent than any other Northern Ireland website since January 2010.</p><h3>For more information please contact:</h3><p><strong>Google:</strong><br>Laura Scott<br><a href="mailto:laurascott@google.com">laurascott@google.com</a><br>0207 031 3049</p><p><strong>Zoopla:</strong><br>Lawrence Hall<br><a href="mailto:lawrence.hall@zoopla.co.uk">lawrence.hall@zoopla.co.uk</a><br>07890 078 945</p><p><strong>Countrywide:</strong><br>Matt Hewitt<br><a href="mailto:Matt.Hewitt@cwideonline.com">Matt.Hewitt@cwideonline.com</a><br>Gemma Stacey<br><a href="mailto:Gemma.Stacey@countrywide.co.uk">Gemma.Stacey@countrywide.co.uk</a>:<br>07515753344</p><p><strong>smartnewhomes.com:</strong><br>Iona Brandhorst<br><a href="mailto:F.Brandhorst@wriglesworth.com">F.Brandhorst@wriglesworth.com</a><br>Rob Bartlett<br><a href="mailto:R.Bartlett@wriglesworth.com">R.Bartlett@wriglesworth.com</a><br>0207 427 1400</p><p><strong>Spicer Haart:</strong><br>Lucian Pollington<br><a href="mailto:lucian.pollington@spicerhaart.co.uk">lucian.pollington@spicerhaart.co.uk</a><br>Leanne Moore<br><a href="mailto:leanne.moore@spicerhaart.co.uk">leanne.moore@spicerhaart.co.uk</a></p><p><strong>Ezylet:</strong><br>Paul Foy<br><a href="mailto:paulfoy@ezylet.com">paulfoy@ezylet.com</a><br>07776434887</p><p><strong>Vebra/GMG Property Services:</strong><br>Suzanne Deakins<br><a href="mailto:suzanne.deakins@gmgpsg.com">suzanne.deakins@gmgpsg.com</a><br>0845 223 5350, 07989 349173<br>Julie Allen<br>0845 230 5333</p><p><strong>Property Pal:</strong><br>Errol Maxwell, Managing Director<br><a href="mailto:errol.maxwell@propertypal.com">errol.maxwell@propertypal.com</a><br>028 9447 8783, 07789 888111<br>Paul Anthony, Internet Marketing Manager<br><a href="mailto:paul.anthony@propertypal.com">paul.anthony@propertypal.com</a><br>028 9447 8783, 07925 918305</p><p><strong>PropertyLive:</strong><br>Press office<br>0203 128 8181</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-64615291550855158942010-04-21T08:00:00.000+01:002020-07-31T01:09:36.833+01:00Google announces Google Maps Navigation (Beta) for Android mobile phone users in UK and Ireland<p><strong>LONDON, 21st April.</strong> Today Google announced the next step for Google Maps for mobile in UK and Ireland – the availability of Google Maps Navigation (Beta) for phones running Android 1.6 and above.</p><p>Google Maps Navigation (Beta) is an Internet-connected GPS navigation or ‘satnav’ system that provides turn-by-turn voice guidance as a free feature of Google Maps for phones running Android 1.6 and above. Key features include Search by voice to find your destination, the most recent maps, businesses and live traffic from Google Maps, and street-level and satellite views.</p><p>Google Maps Navigation (Beta) uses your phone’s Internet connection to give you the latest maps and business data. You never need to buy map upgrades or manually update your device because you’re always using the most recent data from Google Maps.</p><p>Google Maps Navigation (Beta) was built from the ground up as an Internet-connected GPS system, making the following features possible:</p><ul><li><strong>Search in plain English.</strong> No need to know the address. You can type a business name (e.g. “starbucks”) or even a kind of a business (e.g. “thai restaurant”), just like you would on Google.</li><li><strong>Search by voice.</strong> Speak your destination instead of typing (English only): “Navigate to Trafalgar Square in London”.</li><li><strong>Traffic view.</strong> An on-screen indicator glows green, yellow, or red based on the current traffic conditions along your route, where available. A single touch on the indicator toggles a traffic view that shows the traffic ahead.</li><li><strong>Search along route.</strong> Search for any kind of business along your route, or turn on popular layers such as petrol stations, restaurants, or parking.</li><li><strong>Satellite view.</strong> View your route overlaid on 3D satellite views with Google’s high-resolution aerial imagery.</li><li><strong>Street View.</strong> Visualise turns overlaid on Google’s Street View imagery. Navigation automatically switches to Street View as you approach your destination.</li><li><strong>Car dock mode.</strong> For certain devices, placing your phone in a car dock activates a special mode that makes it easy to use your device at arm’s length.</li></ul><p>To get Google Maps with Navigation (Beta), search for and download the newest release of ‘Google Maps’ in Android Market from your Android 1.6+ phone.</p><p><strong>Useful resources:</strong></h3><p>More more info on features and video of how this feature works: <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en/mobile/navigation/">www.google.co.uk/intl/en/mobile/navigation/</a></p><p>For images please contact Laura Scott, <a href="mailto:laurascott@google.com">laurascott@google.com</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-10650498244682053302010-03-10T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:33.235+01:00Google Street View imagery set to go nationwide<p><strong>On Thursday, 11th March</strong> Google will increase availability of its Street View service in Google Maps, by adding new imagery covering almost all of the UK’s roads, both rural and urban.</p><p>People will be able to view and explore 360 degree street-level imagery of places as far North as Shetland and as far South as Penzance; from Pembrokeshire in the West of Wales to Ipswich in the East of England or over the sea to Northern Ireland and many places in between. With this imagery update around 238,000 miles of public road are now available in Street View in the UK. Visit <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/">maps.google.co.uk</a>.</p><p>Google first launched imagery for 25 cities in the UK in March 2009 and since doing so has been working hard to process and stitch together more imagery collected by its cars. By increasing availability to cover almost all of the country, the UK joins countries like Spain, France, Italy and the US, which already enjoy nationwide coverage in Street View.</p><p>People can check out a restaurant before arriving, make travel plans, arrange meeting points, get a helping hand with geography homework, or just get to know their town better.</p><p>Businesses of any size can make the most of this technology for free by embedding Google Maps into their websites. An owner of a local B&B can promote it to visitors for example, or a local library or restaurant could ensure people can find them on a street level map. Many UK businesses have already benefitted from having Street View technology on their sites, enabling their customers to easily find the information they need.</p><p>Street View has already proved both popular and useful across the UK, with more than a <strong>30% sustained increase in Google Maps usage</strong> since launch <em>[source: Google Inc.]</em>.</p><p>Today, new findings from YouGov reveal how people use it in their daily lives. It shows almost <strong>two thirds (60%) of people</strong> who have used Street View have done so to find out where they’re going and get directions; <strong>one third (33%)</strong> have used it to look at places in other countries and <strong>one in five (21%)</strong> have already used it for house-hunting, despite up until now only being available in 25 UK cities <em>[source: YouGov plc, February 2010]</em>.</p><p><strong><em>Ed Parsons, Google’s Geospatial Technologist said,</em></strong> “Street View takes mapping to a level not possible before. And with so many practical applications it’s no wonder that over two thirds of people who had tried the service said they would use Street View again. This new imagery of so many stunning British places means it’s the ideal time to start planning a trip, kick start a house-hunt or simply ensure you never arrive late to a meeting again.”</p><p>“We are proud to continue our partnership with Google Street View,” <strong><em>says Nigel Lewis, Property Expert at <a href="http://www.findaproperty.com/" rel="nofollow">FindaProperty.com</a>.</em></strong> “We have provided the tool to our users since its launch in the UK, and to see it grow into one of the most indispensable tools available to house hunters is fantastic. Giving our users the best tools to assist with their search is fundamental to our site objectives, and Street View enables a more in-depth search experience. To prove its appeal, over 80% of polled FindaProperty.com users said Street View was an important tool in their property buying process.”</p><p><strong><em>Alex Chesterman, CEO of property website <a href="http://www.zoopla.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Zoopla.co.uk</a>, commented,</em></strong> “Google Street View is a great tool that has been integrated into our website since it first launched. Being able to offer street level imagery for the whole of the UK is an invaluable feature for our users as they search for homes to buy or rent and do their research on current home values and recent sold prices. Zoopla.co.uk is all about providing useful tools to our users help them make better informed property decisions and Google Street View is an important part of that mission.”</p><p><strong><em>Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive, VisitBritain said,</em></strong> “We’re pleased that Google has increased its coverage of places in Britain. <a href="http://www.visitbritain.com/" rel="nofollow">Visitbritain.com</a> and Google Street View are increasingly becoming the first places people turn to when planning a visit to one of Britain’s many world-class attractions. Whether it’s shopping or museums; coastal towns or countryside; ancient history or ultra modern architecture, our potential visitors can dip in and find something to inspire them to visit our shores.”</p><p><strong><em>Gordon Butler, founder of <a href="http://www.fancyapint.com/" rel="nofollow">FancyaPint.com</a> said,</em></strong> “We provide our site visitors with the best possible information about where they are going to go before they visit and Street View takes this to a new level – it’s practically the next best thing to being there. With our guide and Street View’s imagery, visitors are instantly familiar with their destination the moment they step from the plane, train, bus or taxi. And, now with imagery for so many new places in UK enriching our site even more, we’ve given people yet another reason to use Fancyapint.com.”</p><p>Google has gone to great lengths to safeguard privacy while allowing all British users to benefit from this feature. Street View only contains imagery that is already visible from public roads and features technology that blurs both faces and car number plates. Google provides the easily accessible ‘report a problem’ tool for flagging inappropriate or sensitive imagery for review and removal – that includes giving users the choice to remove themselves, their car or their house completely from Street View if they like. Where our blurring tools have missed the odd face or car number plate anybody can report these to us and we’ll apply extra blurring. Google UK has consulted extensively with many privacy and community groups in developing the feature and privacy safeguards.</p><p>On Monday 8th March Google revealed the winners of its ‘Britain’s Best Streets Award’ whose aim was to celebrate the country’s best foodie, fashion and most picturesque street. The initial nominations were drawn up by a panel of experts including VisitBritain, TV personalities Julia Bradbury (Countryfile), Jeff Banks (The Clothes Show) and Brix Smith Start (Gok’s Fashion Fix), leading journalists Jo Elvin (Editor, Glamour) and Nicholas Lander (Restaurant Correspondent, Financial Times) and authors David Else (Editor of The Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain). In all 11,000 people in the UK voted, eventually bestowing the award on <strong>Milsom Street, Bath [Best Shopping Street], Stockbridge High St, Hampshire [Best Foodie Street], and the Shambles, York [Most Picturesque Street].</strong></p><h3>Media contact</h3><p>Laura Scott, Google Communications: <a href="mailto:laurascott@google.com">laurascott@google.com</a>, <a href="mailto:press-uk@google.com">press-uk@google.com</a> 0207 031 3130 / 0207 031 3049</p><h3>Editor’s notes</h3><ul><li>All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov plc. Total sample size was 2166 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24th – 26th February 2010. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).</li><li>Street View was first launched in May 2007 and is hugely popular worldwide with imagery available in nearly 20 countries. The most up to date list of countries can be found <a href="http://gmaps-samples.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/streetview_landing/streetview-map.html">here</a>.</li><li>Approximately 210,000 additional miles have been added to Street View with this imagery update, bringing the total now available to around 238,000 miles.</li><li>While we have attempted to collect imagery from almost all roads the occasional one may be missing from Street View and we hope to re-visit those places to get them on the map at a later date. This could be because they were inaccessible at the time of imagery collection, were pedestrianised areas like some city centres or were missed out the first time round.</li><li>Pedestrianised areas and other attractions and landmarks around the UK can apply for the Street View car or trike to come and map their location via the <a href="http://maps.google.com/help/maps/streetview/partners/">Google Street View Partner Programme</a>.</li><li>Users can find out where our cars are currently driving <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/help/maps/streetview/where-is-street-view.html">here</a>.</li><li>In addition to public roads, Google has worked with partners around the UK in the last year to bring top tourist spots to Street View:<ul><li>In 2009 over 30,000 British people voted for where to send the Google Trike – the three-wheeled photo-collecting bike. The 6 winners were: Stonehenge, The Millennium Stadium, Angel of the North, Loch Ness, Eden Project, Warwick Castle. The ‘wildcard’, chosen by VisitBritain, was Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland and was selected because it represents a hidden gem, off the beaten track. All were made available in late 2009. More info can be found <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/press/pressrel/20091202_streetview.html">here</a>.</li><li>In December 2009 Google and UNESCO teamed up to put imagery of World Heritage sites into Street View. Imagery for 19 UNESCO sites has already been made available, from sites in Czech Republic, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. See <a href="http://www.google.com/unesco">www.google.com/unesco</a>. Google will work with UNESCO to select additional World Heritage landmarks, in countries where Street View imagery is being collected, which will be photographed for the project in the future. With permission from site managers such places look set to one day be available to millions of people around the world who may never have the chance to visit them in person.</li><li>In January 2010 Google announced a partnership with the National Trust which saw them making available 19 National Trust properties from around the UK. More info can be found <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/press/pressrel/20100121_streetview.html">here</a>.</li></ul></li><li>Our drivers told us the biggest challenge to driving in the UK was… the British weather!</li><li>The optimum weather conditions for capturing Street View imagery are dry and slightly overcast skies – rain, snow, fog and hail are the worst.</li><li>The blurring technology is continually improving but sometimes this means we get some false positives – in some cases you can find we’ve blurred the face on a poster or the face of Colonel Sanders on the KFC signs.</li><li>The Street View mascot is called Pegman. He’s called Pegman because he looks like a clothes peg. He sometimes gets dressed up for holidays and other special occasions. In the past he’s been a snowman, a hippie, a witch, Uncle Sam and riding a bike in the Tour de France.</li><li>Street View has been used for some imaginative purposes including one Google employee who <a href="http://www.marrymeleslie.com/" rel="nofollow">proposed to his girlfriend via Street View</a>. Police in US used Street View to find the location of a kidnapped child. It’s also been used to create <a href="http://www.streetwithaview.com/index.html" rel="nofollow">artworks</a>.</li></ul><h3>What others are saying about Street View</h3><p><strong><em>Nicole Vanderbilt, CEO of mydeco.com (whose Street View shopping guide will be available on Thursday)</em></strong></p><blockquote>“We know that Brits love discovering hidden gems when designing and shopping for their home. That’s why excited to have created a special Street View guide so avid shoppers can discover what we, at mydeco.com, think are the best places to do this in the UK. You can check it out here: <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/streetview">maps.google.co.uk/streetview</a>”</blockquote><p><strong><em>Leeds University Student Union</em></strong></p><blockquote>“Google Street View is an invaluable tool for students. Whether it is used for scouting out potential accommodation, to checking the route home before a night out – I know thousands of students like myself use Street View on a daily basis to make life that little bit easier.”</blockquote><p><strong><em>Councillor Kate Dean, responsible for Enterprise at Aberdeen City Council:</em></strong></p><blockquote>“Google Street View has enabled tourists to walk down an Aberdeen street on their computers galvanizing them to visit in person. Street View has been a useful tool in promoting Aberdeen and opening up our heritage to a wider audience. We look forward to the surrounding towns and villages appearing on Street View encouraging more people to visit and enjoy the history and architecture, lochs and mountains on our door step.”</blockquote><p><strong><em>Councillor James Alexander, City of York Council:</em></strong></p><blockquote>“After some initial concerns were put to rest, Google Street View has been an invaluable tool used by professionals in York. It is often used by people either moving or thinking of moving home as well as Council staff who look for the physical realities of city strategy concerns received from residents. It has helped me represent residents in a better way by being able to see their physical concerns first hand while talking over the phone and without the need for a site visit. The tool has been invaluable.”</blockquote><h3>What others have said about the Best Streets Awards</h3><p><strong><em>Councillor for Hillhead, Glasgow, Bailie Hanzala Malik</em></strong></p><blockquote>“It’s great news for Glasgow to have so many nominations for these awards because over recent years the city has flourished with a speed and vision that hasn’t been witnessed elsewhere in Britain. The West End in particular is diverse and exuberant, with plenty to offer a very mixed community. If it is judged fairly then I think it will be impossible for Bryers Road or Ruthven Lane to lose.”</blockquote><p><strong><em>Councillor Steve Morphew, Norwich</em></strong></p><blockquote>“I am proud and delighted that Gentleman’s Walk has been recognised by Google as one of the premier fashion streets in the UK. I would like to encourage people not just to enjoy it virtually but come and take a look at it personally as well. It is wide and tree-lined, featuring three department stores, the largest Monday to Saturday market in England, and premier high street fashion names – as well as artwork, coffee shops, an historic arcade and lively street trading.”</blockquote><p><strong><em>Southwold Deputy Mayor, Teresa Baggott</em></strong></p><blockquote>“We do have a fabulous selection of pubs, restaurants and shops. They are all different and this is the appeal. We have thousands of people flock to the town year after year with different budgets. You can get anything in Southwold from a sandwich to a three-course haute cuisine meal. All of our food, beers and wine are of extremely high quality.”</blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-44916506092063226552010-03-08T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:34.776+01:00Announcing Winners of Google Street View Awards<h3>The Shambles in York – Britain’s Most Picturesque Street Stockbridge High Street, Hampshire – Britain’s Best Foodie Street Milsom Street in Bath – Britain’s Best Fashion Street</h3><p><strong>8th March, 2010 –</strong> Google have today announced the winners of the <strong>Google Street View Awards</strong>, a celebration of Britain’s best-loved streets as voted for by the public in a nationwide poll supported by VisitBritain, Lonely Planet, Harden’s Guide and a host of celebrity experts.</p><p>Over 11,000 people voted within a three week period from Monday 8th – Sunday 28th February, and competition was fierce. The three winning streets faced tough competition from 48 other streets from across the UK, shortlisted by a panel of experts from the worlds of food, fashion and travel.</p><p>Proving it is streets ahead than its competition, <strong>The Shambles</strong> in York takes the crown for Britain’s Most Picturesque Street. Best Foodie Street goes to <strong>Stockbridge High Street</strong> in Hampshire who stormed to the top in its category and <strong>Milsom Street</strong> in Bath takes the title of Best Fashion Street.</p><p><strong>Top 5 “Most Picturesque”:</strong></p><ol><li>The Shambles, York</li><li>Royal Crescent, Bath</li><li>Grey Street, Newcastle</li><li>New College Lane, Oxford</li><li>Pen Cei, Aberaeron</li></ol><p><strong>Top 5 “Best Fashion”:</strong></p><ol><li>Milsom Street, Bath</li><li>Stonegate, York</li><li>Kings Road, London</li><li>Mathew Street, Liverpool</li><li>Buchanon Street, Glasgow</li></ol><p><strong>Top 5 “Best Foodie”:</strong></p><ol><li>Stockbridge High Street, Hampshire</li><li>The Shore, Edinburgh</li><li>Fossgate, York</li><li>Osbourne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle</li><li>Hope Street, Liverpool</li></ol><p>The awards were created ahead of further imagery being added to Google’s revolutionary Street View tool, which currently allows users to view and navigate 360 degree street-level imagery in 25 British towns, including many of those nominated for the Street View Awards. This week, Street View will be rolled out to cover additional streets from around the UK and Google will work with the winning streets to offer a special guide of the streets, allowing the world to find out more about the nations winning choices and highlighting the key retailers and points of interest.</p><p>Shortlisted nominations for each of the award categories were compiled by a panel of experts from the worlds of food, fashion and travel including VisitBritain, TV personalities Julia Bradbury (Countryfile), Jeff Banks (The Clothes Show) and Brix Smith Start (Gok’s Fashion Fix), leading journalists Jo Elvin (Editor, Glamour) and Nicholas Lander (Restaurant Correspondent, Financial Times) and authors David Else (Editor of The Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain) and Richard Harden (Co-Editor, Harden’s Restaurant Guide).</p><p>The experts were asked to nominate streets that fulfilled a pre-set criteria for each category; <strong>Britain’s Best Foodie Street</strong> needed to offer a unique mix of mouth-watering options which could include fine dining, cafés, market stalls and delicatessens, all covering a diverse mix of food types and price points. <strong>Britain’s Best Fashion Street</strong> should have an eclectic mix of boutique and high street clothing for all tastes, price ranges and ages, whilst <strong>Britain’s Most Picturesque Street</strong> should be uniquely British, visually charming, full of character and diverse.</p><p>Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist for Google said: <em>“The Google Street View Awards are aimed to celebrate the many fantastic streets that Britain has to offer, and the results reveal a diverse cultural landscape of food, fashion and beauty that puts the winning towns firmly on the map.”</em></p><p><strong>The Winners:</strong></p><p><strong>The Shambles, York</strong><br>The Shambles is a bustling centre piece of historic York. The street today is one of the UK’s most visited and has become a wealth of shopping, tourist attractions, restaurants and many other things to see and do, including tours, ghost walks and historic talks. The 15th century buildings lean into the middle of the cobbled street means & the roofs almost touch in the middle. The street is mentioned in the Doomesday book (making it date over 900 years), which makes it one of Europe’s best preserved Medieval street.</p><p>Frank Barrett, Travel Editor of The Mail on Sunday said The Shambles is: <em>“Perfect picture postcard olde Englande.”</em></p><p>Ian Addyman, Owner of Past Images photography shop on The Shambles said: <em>“The Shambles is a timeless street full of historic charm and whatever time of year you come here, there is something different to see. There is a real feeling of community amongst shop owners and I think we all feel privileged to work in such a beautiful place. The shops here are all strikingly different and unique. Most people say that if you visit York, then at some point you will walk down The Shambles. It has been the backdrop for many a jigsaw, chocolate box and railway poster and once you visit you will see why.”</em></p><p><strong>Milsom Street, Bath</strong><br>Milsom Street in Bath, was built in 1762. The buildings were originally grand town houses, but most are now used as shops, offices and banks. Milsom Street has many smart shops and unique boutiques including Jolly Department Store, Cath Kidston, Austen Reed and Duo Shoes. Many of the buildings and shops are listed and just off Milsom Street is an upmarket shopping arcade called Milsom Place.</p><p>Hannah Sandling, Stylist and TV Personality said of Milsom Street: <em>“It’s a style conscious treasure trove packed with amazing range of beautiful boutiques and designer clobber. I love to shop in Bath!”</em></p><p>Nikki, sales assistant at Duo shoe shop on Milsom Street: <em>“It’s fantastic news that Milsom Street has been shortlisted as ‘Best Fashion Street’. Bath is DUO’s spiritual home and our Milsom Street store still remains our flagship store thirty years on. The mix of independent boutique labels, high street brands and lifestyle shops makes Milsom Street a vibrant, exciting shopping destination.”</em></p><p><strong>Stockbridge High Street, Hampshire</strong><br>Sitting on the River Test, there is an abundance of independent specialist shops on Stockbridge High Street, including tea rooms, pubs and restaurants, many serving local produce, as well as a familiar high street grocery shop. The High Street is also home to the town’s famous Butchers, John Robinson & Sons – regarded by many as one of the best in the UK – and the award-winning, The Restaurant at The Greyhound, which has received critical praise and is often booked up weeks in advance.</p><p>Chloe Scott, Food Editor at Metro newspaper said: <em>“Robinsons (is) one of the best butchers in the UK… plus, the River Test behind it is the best in the country for fly fishing.”</em></p><p>Suzie Fiducia, General Manager of The Restaurant at The Greyhound said: <em>“Stockbridge, in the very heart of the Test Valley, is an old market town and now a great destination for foodies; providing something for every palette and pocket. The Greyhound building is at least 500 years old, but for the past 6 years we have been lucky enough to build up a fantastic local customer base. Not only does Stockbridge boast a famous butchers, independent wine shop and a host of pubs, but some of the best fishing in the country – with a fishmonger and deli soon to open in the High Street the Greyhound finds itself smoking and cooking local fishermen’s wares.”</em></p><p>For further information please contact: Laura Scott, <a href="mailto:laurascott@google.com">laurascott@google.com</a> 0207 031 3130</p><h3>Notes to Editors:</h3><p>About the Poll: Voting ran from Monday 8th February, and closed on Sunday 28th February.</p><p>About the nominations: The panelists were asked to nominate streets in their relevant categories across 10 different regions in the UK. From these nominations, Google worked with VisitBritain to compile a shortlist of streets consisting of 21 nominations in the Best Fashion category, 20 nominations in the Best Foodie category, and 10 in Most Picturesque. These nominations reflect a broad and diverse offering from across the UK.</p><p>About Google Street View: Street View is a hugely popular feature of Google Maps which is already available in more than 100 metropolitan areas around the world. It is also available in Google Earth and on Google Maps for Mobile. Google launched Street View imagery in UK in April 2009 allowing people to view and navigate 360 degree street-level imagery in 25 British towns.</p><p>In areas where Street View is available, you can access street-level imagery by zooming into the lowest level on Google Maps, or by dragging the orange “Pegman” icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a blue highlighted street. You can check out a restaurant before arriving, make travel plans, arrange meeting points, get a helping hand with geography homework, or just explore and get to know your town better.</p><h4>Panel of Experts</h4><p><strong>VisitBritain</strong><br>VisitBritain has contributed to every category. VisitBritain is Britain’s national tourism agency, responsible for marketing Britain overseas. They work in partnership with thousands of organisations in the UK and overseas and seek to ensure that Britain is marketed in an appropriate way in 35 markets around the world. They also work to promote the tourism industry within the UK itself.</p><h4>Best Foodie Street</h4><p><strong>Roopa Gulati, Deputy Channel Head of Good Food, Chef and Author</strong><br>A Cordon Bleu trained chef, Roopa blends western and Asian styles of cooking and has previously worked as a consultant chef with the Taj group of hotels. She is currently Deputy Channel Editor for Good Food Channel. She is a regular broadcaster for BBC Radio 4, and a restaurant critic for Time Out magazine and guides. Her features have been published in many magazines, including BBC Good Food and New York-based food and travel magazine, Gourmet.</p><p><strong>Henrietta Green, founder of FoodLoversBritain.com</strong><br>Henrietta is a leading expert on British local and regional quality food. She has won several awards including a Guild of Food Writers Award for the greatest contribution to British food and The Good Housekeeping Award 2006 for Outstanding Contribution to Food.</p><p><strong>Nicholas Lander, Restaurant Correspondent at the Financial Times</strong><br>Nick opened London’s L’Escargot restaurant and became the Food Critic at the Financial Times in 1989 writing under the byline of ‘The Restaurant Insider.’ He has written a number of books and works as a consultant for a wide range of clients including Fortnum & Mason’s and The British Museum.</p><p><strong>Richard Harden, Co-Editor of Harden’s Restaurant Guides</strong><br>Richard founded Harden’s Guides with his brother Peter in 1991. Initially just for London, Harden’s Guides launched their UK guide in 1998. Prior to founding Harden’s Guides Richard was a Barrister.</p><p><strong>Chloe Scott-Moncrieff, Food & Drink Editor of Metro</strong><br>Chloe has worked for Metro since 2003, initially as a freelancer, becoming the Food and Drink Editor 3 years ago. She writes Metro’s popular Gastro Girl blog and sits on the panel of the Great Taste Awards and World Cheese Awards. She has also written about food for the Saturday Telegraph Magazine, Country Life and Waitrose Food Illustrated.</p><h4>Best Fashion Street</h4><p><strong>Jeff Banks, Fashion Designer</strong><br>Jeff has been a pioneer within the UK fashion industry since he founded Clobber in 1966. He’s been a regular on TV since launching The Clothes Show on BBC in 1987, presenting over 320 episodes. His clothing is sold in leading department stores and he’s opened a range of Jeff Banks stores around the world. He designs a range of corporate clothing for companies such as BAA and Barclays.</p><p><strong>Jo Elvin, Editor of Glamour</strong><br>Jo has worked on a number of British magazines including TV Hits, Sugar, B Magazine and New Woman before launching Glamour in 2001. She is a regular guest on GMTV and LK Today and has written for The Observer, Evening Standard and The Independent.</p><p><strong>Brix Smith-Start, fashion retailer and TV personality</strong><br>Brix began her career within the British band, The Fall in 1983. In 2002 she launched the clothing store, Start, with her husband Philip Start. Brix is now a regular face of fashion on TV appearing on Gok’s Fashion Fix, The Culture Show and LK Today.</p><p><strong>Hannah Sandling, Stylist and TV personality</strong><br>Hannah can regularly be seen on TV commenting on fashion, style and celebrity on BBC Breakfast, Five News and GMTV. As a celebrity stylist Hannah has worked with Sienna Miller, Dita Von Teese and Emma Bunton. She has a column within Fabulous Magazine and has written two books.</p><p><strong>Scott Henshall, Fashion Designer</strong><br>In 1998 Scott became the youngest designer to show during London fashion week and since then he’s grown famous for dressing celebrities in show-stopping red carpet designs. The Scott Henshall Mainline Collection is stocked around the world and he’s developed a successful label specifically for Japan.</p><p><strong>Amber Morales, Fashion Editor of the Daily Mirror</strong></p><h4>Most Picturesque Street</h4><p><strong>Julia Bradbury</strong><br>Credited with revamping Sunday night primetime television and dubbed “The Lady of the Lake District”, Julia is one of the small screen’s most popular and versatile presenters. Having taken the helm on BBC One’s rural affairs show Countryfile alongside Matt Baker in 2009, the show’s ratings have since soared to over six million viewers.</p><p><strong>David Else, Lead Author of The Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain</strong><br>David wrote his first travel guide book in 1983 and since then he has written or co-written over 25 Lonely Planet guides covering the UK and many other parts of the world. David also writes and broadcasts about travel and outdoor activities for newspapers, magazines and websites.</p><p><strong>Frank Barrett, Travel Editor at the Mail on Sunday</strong><br>Frank joined the Travel Trade Gazette as a graduate trainee and has worked in travel journalism his entire career. He has written for The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Times before becoming the Travel Editor of the Mail on Sunday in 1994. He has written several travel books and has won multiple awards, including the prestigious British Press Award for travel feature writing.</p><p><strong>Lisa Minot, Travel Editor of The Sun</strong><br>Lisa started her career in journalism at just 15 and by 19 was Editor of her local newspaper. She has worked at The Sun newspaper for 20 years, 10 of which as their Travel Editor.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-46898816112901155022010-02-09T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:34.967+01:00Exploring Vancouver & Whistler: Google unveils Street View, up-to-date medal & event info, website for users<h3>Tools include slope-level imagery of Whistler Mountain using new Street View snowmobile</h3><div><img src="//www.google.com/googleblogs/press/uk/sv-whistler-inukshuk.jpg" alt=""></div><p>To help make information about the Games accessible and useful, Google released a new website and tools for sport fans around the world. The tools include a <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/intl/en/landing/games10/">new website</a>, available in 40 languages and combining up-to-date information and rich visuals—from Street View imagery of the competition venues to medal counts and news.</p><p>Google also introduced mountaintop Street View imagery from parts of Whistler Mountain. These images were the first collected by the newest experimental Street View system, a snowmobile equipped with state-of-the-art photographic and GPS technology. Games fans, skiers and snowboarders around the world can now pan across several Whistler runs as if they were there, and wind through Whistler Village and Whistler Creekside at the bases of Whistler Blackcomb Mountains. Google collected this imagery in partnership with Whistler Resort Municipality and Whistler Blackcomb Mountains.</p><p>Google’s website with information about the Games in Vancouver and Whistler also features:</p><ul><li><p>A gadget with up-to-date event, medal-count and athlete information, visuals of each venue and Google News updates, which people can <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/ig">add to iGoogle</a> or embed in a website</p></li><li><p>Competition venues in Street View and modeled in 3D in Google Earth (also featured on <a href="http://www.vancouver2010.com/" rel="nofollow">Vancouver2010.com</a>)</p></li><li><p>Real-Time Search results for the Games, combining tweets, news stories and blog posts</p></li><li><p>Links to Twitter and Facebook so people can easily share the website with their friends</p></li><li><p>A regularly updated <a href="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/">Picasa gallery</a> with photos from the Games, both from people attending the Games (simply use the tag “wintergames2010” when uploading photos) and from Google News</p></li><li><p><a href="http://www.google.com/help/maps/favoriteplaces/index.html">Favourite Places in Google Maps</a>, with “best of Vancouver” maps from 10 local experts including past Olympians</p></li></ul><p>Up-to-date <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=olympics+medal+count">medal counts</a>, <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=alpine+skiing+schedule">schedules</a> and <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=alpineskiing">event results</a> in 30 languages are available simply by searching on Google throughout the Games for specific sports, countries or the Games generally. Users around the world can also look forward to a special doodle each day from February 12 to 28, in celebration of the Games.</p><p>For those in Vancouver during the Games, Google has created a special transit trip-planner in Google Maps using updated routes and schedules for Vancouver, Whistler and the Olympic bus network. These transit directions are available at <a href="http://maps.google.com/">maps.google.com</a> under “Get Directions”, or at <a href="http://www.google.com/transit">www.google.com/transit</a>. Riders should be sure to check the official Vancouver 2010 website, <a href="http://www.vancouver2010.com/" rel="nofollow">Vancouver2010.com</a>, for any scheduling or route changes before starting their trips.</p><p>More details are on the <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/vancouver-forecast-light-winds.html">Official Google Blog</a>. Enjoy the Games!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-11100516734113924722010-02-08T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:33.299+01:00UK streets battle it out to be crowned Britain’s Best Street in the Google Street View Awards<h3>The Google Street View Awards are a celebration of Britain’s best streets, to be voted for in a nationwide poll supported by VisitBritain, Lonely Planet, TV presenter Julia Bradbury, Fashion Designer Jeff Banks and Editor of Glamour, Jo Elvin</h3><p>Google have today announced the launch of the Google Street View Awards, a celebration of Britain’s best-loved streets as voted for by the public in a nationwide poll.</p><p>The awards, for Britain’s Most Picturesque Street, Best Foodie Street and Best Fashion Street, have been created in anticipation of further imagery being added to Google’s revolutionary Street View tool, which currently allows users to view and navigate 360 degree street-level imagery in 25 British towns, including many of those nominated for the Street View Awards. Later this year, Street View will be rolled out to cover additional streets from around the UK.</p><p>Shortlisted nominations for each of the award categories have been compiled by a panel of experts from the worlds of food, fashion and travel including VisitBritain, TV personalities Julia Bradbury (Countryfile), Jeff Banks (The Clothes Show) and Brix Smith Start (Gok’s Fashion Fix), leading journalists Jo Elvin (Editor, Glamour) and Nicholas Lander (Restaurant Correspondent, Financial Times) and authors David Else (Editor of The Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain) and Richard Harden (Co-Editor, Harden’s Restaurant Guide). The experts were asked to nominate streets that fulfilled a pre-set criteria for each category. Their nominated streets highlight a series of British treasures ranging from famous tourist attractions such as London’s King’s Road, Royal Crescent in Bath and The Shambles in York to hidden avenues and courtyards such as Gold Hill in Shaftesbury and Pen Cei in Aberaeron, Wales.</p><p>Voting opens from today, and closes on Sunday 28th February. The winners will be announced in March. To vote, go to <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/beststreets">maps.google.co.uk/beststreets</a>.</p><h3>Britain’s Best Foodie Street</h3><p>The winning street should offer a unique mix of mouth-watering options which could include fine dining, cafés, market stalls and delicatessens, all covering a diverse mix of food types and price points.</p><ol><li>Wilmslow Road, Manchester</li><li>Hope Street, Liverpool</li><li>South Embankment, Dartmouth</li><li>Whiteladies Road, Bristol</li><li>Charlotte Street, London</li><li>Stockbridge High Street, Hampshire</li><li>Call Lane, Leeds</li><li>Fossgate, York</li><li>High Street, Southwold, Suffolk</li><li>High Street, Cley next the Sea, Norfolk</li><li>Broad Street, Birmingham</li><li>Belgrave Road, Leicester</li><li>Byres Road, Glasgow</li><li>The Shore, Edinburgh</li><li>Osborne Road, Jesmond, Newcastle</li><li>Haven Hill, Craster</li><li>Cross Street, Abergavenny</li><li>High Street, Conwy</li><li>Botanic Avenue, Belfast</li><li>Howard Street, Belfast</li></ol><p>Richard Harden, Co-Editor of Harden’s Restaurant Guides said: “It’s great to have an award that stresses the variety of attractions you can find on the foodie front, across the UK. The nominations are so multi-various though, that the final verdict is certainly going to be a tricky one.”</p><h3>Britain’s Best Fashion Street</h3><p>The winning street should offer an eclectic mix of boutique and high street, designer and high street for all clothing tastes and ages. The winning street should satisfy both bargain-hunters and label-lovers.</p><ol><li>Mathew Street, Liverpool</li><li>New Cathedral Street, Manchester</li><li>King Street, Manchester</li><li>Milsom Street, Bath</li><li>Regent Street, Clifton Village, Bristol</li><li>Kings Road, London</li><li>Westbourne Grove, London</li><li>Stonegate, York</li><li>Briggate, Leeds</li><li>Rose Crescent, Cambridge</li><li>Gentleman’s Walk, Norwich</li><li>Corporation Street, Birmingham</li><li>Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham</li><li>Ruthven Lane, Glasgow</li><li>Buchanan Street, Glasgow</li><li>Northumberland Street, Newcastle</li><li>High Bridge Street, Newcastle</li><li>Queen’s Street, Cardiff</li><li>St Mary’s Street, Cardiff</li><li>Victoria Street, Belfast</li><li>Lisburn Road, Belfast</li></ol><p>Fashion designer Jeff Banks commented: “The final shortlist for Britain’s Best Fashion Street is a testament to the strength and diversity of the UK’s high streets. From the exclusive stores across London to the hip independent boutiques in Bristol’s Clifton Village Britain boasts an outstanding range of shops to suit all tastes and budgets.”</p><h3>Britain’s Most Picturesque Street</h3><p>The winning street should be uniquely British and visually charming. It could be vibrant, full of character, diverse, walker-friendly or architecturally interesting.</p><ol><li>Gold Hill, Shaftesbury, Dorset</li><li>Royal Crescent, Bath</li><li>Chipping Campden High Street, Gloucestershire</li><li>Brunswick Square, Brighton and Hove</li><li>The Shambles, York</li><li>Grey Street, Newcastle</li><li>Pen Cei, Aberaeron</li><li>Main Street, Tobermory, Isle of Mull</li><li>New College Lane, Oxford</li><li>Broad Street, Ludlow</li></ol><p>David Else, Lead Author of The Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain, said: “As the lead author of the Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain, I’ve travelled the length and breadth of the country, and seen many of these streets firsthand. The final shortlist reflects the wonderful variety of architecture in Britain, and I hope people have as much fun voting for their favourites as I had visiting them.”</p><p>The winning three streets will be crowned “Britain’s Best Street 2010” in each relevant category. Google will work with the winning streets to create a bespoke Google Street View tour, created to highlight the key retailers and points of interest, allowing the world to find out more about the nation’s final choices.</p><p>Competition is expected to be fierce as streets from all over Britain battle it out for the coveted awards. Is London’s Kings Road the undisputed home of fashion or will it be upstaged by Manchester’s trendy New Cathedral Street? Will Leeds’ food emporium, Call Lane, be crowned the most mouth-watering, with its diverse range of eateries, or will the nation’s love of curry challenge it with Birmingham’s Broad Street?</p><p>Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive, VisitBritain said: “We are really pleased to be involved in this exciting project which will honour streets across the UK and help raise the profile of Britain internationally in an innovative way. The campaign received high levels of participation from overseas which raises the level of engagement with Britain.”</p><p>Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist for Google said: “We want to celebrate the beauty and culture of Britain and are really excited about the first ever Google Street View Awards. The awards will showcase some of Britain’s Best Streets across the UK and we hope people will get involved and vote online for their favourite.”</p><p>For further information please contact: <a href="mailto:press-uk@google.com">press-uk@google.com</a> 0207 031 3130</p><h3>Notes to Editors:</h3><p>About the Poll: The voting will be open on Monday 8th February, and will close on Sunday 28th February. The winners will be announced in March.</p><p>About the nominations: The panelists were asked to nominate streets in their relevant categories across 10 different regions in the UK. From these nominations, Google worked with VisitBritain to compile a shortlist of streets consisting of 21 nominations in the Best Fashion category, 20 nominations in the Best Foodie category, and 10 in Most Picturesque. These nominations reflect a broad and diverse offering from across the UK.</p><p>About Google Street View: Street View is a hugely popular feature of Google Maps which is already available in more than 100 metropolitan areas around the world. It is also available in Google Earth and on Google Maps for Mobile. Google launched Street View imagery in UK in April 2009 allowing people to view and navigate 360 degree street-level imagery in 25 British towns.</p><p>In areas where Street View is available, you can access street-level imagery by zooming into the lowest level on Google Maps, or by dragging the orange “Pegman” icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a blue highlighted street. You can check out a restaurant before arriving, make travel plans, arrange meeting points, get a helping hand with geography homework, or just explore and get to know your town better.</p><h4>Panel of Experts</h4><p><strong>VisitBritain</strong><br>VisitBritain has contributed to every category. VisitBritain is Britain’s national tourism agency, responsible for marketing Britain overseas. They work in partnership with thousands of organisations in the UK and overseas and seek to ensure that Britain is marketed in an appropriate way in 35 markets around the world. They also work to promote the tourism industry within the UK itself.</p><h4>Best Foodie Street</h4><p><strong>Roopa Gulati, Deputy Channel Head of Good Food, Chef and Author</strong><br>A Cordon Bleu trained chef, Roopa blends western and Asian styles of cooking and has previously worked as a consultant chef with the Taj group of hotels. She is currently Deputy Channel Editor for Good Food Channel. She is a regular broadcaster for BBC Radio 4, and a restaurant critic for Time Out magazine and guides. Her features have been published in many magazines, including BBC Good Food and New York-based food and travel magazine, Gourmet.</p><p><strong>Henrietta Green, founder of FoodLoversBritain.com</strong><br>Henrietta is a leading expert on British local and regional quality food. She has won several awards including a Guild of Food Writers Award for the greatest contribution to British food and The Good Housekeeping Award 2006 for Outstanding Contribution to Food.</p><p><strong>Nicholas Lander, Restaurant Correspondent at the Financial Times</strong><br>Nick opened London’s L’Escargot restaurant and became the Food Critic at the Financial Times in 1989 writing under the byline of ‘The Restaurant Insider.’ He has written a number of books and works as a consultant for a wide range of clients including Fortnum & Mason’s and The British Museum.</p><p><strong>Richard Harden, Co-Editor of Harden’s Restaurant Guides</strong><br>Richard founded Harden’s Guides with his brother Peter in 1991. Initially just for London, Harden’s Guides launched their UK guide in 1998. Prior to founding Harden’s Guides Richard was a Barrister.</p><p><strong>Chloe Scott-Moncrieff, Food & Drink Editor of Metro</strong><br>Chloe has worked for Metro since 2003, initially as a freelancer, becoming the Food and Drink Editor 3 years ago. She writes Metro’s popular Gastro Girl blog and sits on the panel of the Great Taste Awards and World Cheese Awards. She has also written about food for the Saturday Telegraph Magazine, Country Life and Waitrose Food Illustrated.</p><h4>Best Fashion Street</h4><p><strong>Jeff Banks, Fashion Designer</strong><br>Jeff has been a pioneer within the UK fashion industry since he founded Clobber in 1966. He’s been a regular on TV since launching The Clothes Show on BBC in 1987, presenting over 320 episodes. His clothing is sold in leading department stores and he’s opened a range of Jeff Banks stores around the world. He designs a range of corporate clothing for companies such as BAA and Barclays.</p><p><strong>Jo Elvin, Editor of Glamour</strong><br>Jo has worked on a number of British magazines including TV Hits, Sugar, B Magazine and New Woman before launching Glamour in 2001. She is a regular guest on GMTV and LK Today and has written for The Observer, Evening Standard and The Independent.</p><p><strong>Brix Smith-Start, fashion retailer and TV personality</strong><br>Brix began her career within the British band, The Fall in 1983. In 2002 she launched the clothing store, Start, with her husband Philip Start. Brix is now a regular face of fashion on TV appearing on Gok’s Fashion Fix, The Culture Show and LK Today.</p><p><strong>Hannah Sandling, Stylist and TV personality</strong><br>Hannah can regularly be seen on TV commenting on fashion, style and celebrity on BBC Breakfast, Five News and GMTV. As a celebrity stylist Hannah has worked with Sienna Miller, Dita Von Teese and Emma Bunton. She has a column within Fabulous Magazine and has written two books.</p><p><strong>Scott Henshall, Fashion Designer</strong><br>In 1998 Scott became the youngest designer to show during London fashion week and since then he’s grown famous for dressing celebrities in show-stopping red carpet designs. The Scott Henshall Mainline Collection is stocked around the world and he’s developed a successful label specifically for Japan.</p><p><strong>Amber Morales, Fashion Editor of the Daily Mirror</strong></p><h4>Most Picturesque Street</h4><p><strong>Julia Bradbury</strong><br>Credited with revamping Sunday night primetime television and dubbed “The Lady of the Lake District”, Julia is one of the small screen’s most popular and versatile presenters. Having taken the helm on BBC One’s rural affairs show Countryfile alongside Matt Baker in 2009, the show’s ratings have since soared to over six million viewers.</p><p><strong>David Else, Lead Author of The Lonely Planet Guide to Great Britain</strong><br>David wrote his first travel guide book in 1983 and since then he has written or co-written over 25 Lonely Planet guides covering the UK and many other parts of the world. David also writes and broadcasts about travel and outdoor activities for newspapers, magazines and websites.</p><p><strong>Frank Barrett, Travel Editor at the Mail on Sunday</strong><br>Frank joined the Travel Trade Gazette as a graduate trainee and has worked in travel journalism his entire career. He has written for The Independent, The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Times before becoming the Travel Editor of the Mail on Sunday in 1994. He has written several travel books and has won multiple awards, including the prestigious British Press Award for travel feature writing.</p><p><strong>Lisa Minot, Travel Editor of The Sun</strong><br>Lisa started her career in journalism at just 15 and by 19 was Editor of her local newspaper. She has worked at The Sun newspaper for 20 years, 10 of which as their Travel Editor.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-63371061859739105192010-02-04T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:36.640+01:00Historical WWII imagery now available in Google Earth<p>Google has announced a new set of historical aerial images, taken over European cities during World War II, which have been made available via Google Earth. They can now be compared directly to images from the present day.</p><p>Images taken in 1943, show the effect of wartime bombing on more than 35 European towns and cities. Imagery for Warsaw, which was heavily destroyed at the time, is available from both years 1935 and 1945.</p><p>The Historical Imagery feature gives people a unique perspective on the events of the past using today’s mapping technology. It’s hoped that this World War II imagery will enable all of us to understand our shared history in a new way and to learn more about the impact of the war on the development of our cities.</p><p>Imagery from 1935 and 1945 for Warsaw in Poland is particularly compelling. The city was amongst those most badly damaged in the war and comparisons with today are striking.</p><p>Contrast can be seen for example by comparing the imagery of the Historic Centre of Warsaw, a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/30" rel="nofollow">UNESCO World Heritage site</a>, described as an ‘outstanding example of a near-total reconstruction of a span of history covering the 13th to the 20th century’. The Royal Castle of Warsaw for example was completely burned to the ground and subsequently reconstructed, between 1971-1988.</p><p>Dramatic too is the imagery of the location of the Warsaw Ghetto, supposedly the largest ghetto in Europe between 1940 and 1943.</p><p>To access this imagery, and compare to the present day cityscape, download Google Earth and click the clock icon in the status bar (the top-level toolbar) to activate a time-line in the Google Earth display. Move back in forth in time by dragging the time slider from left to right or by clicking the back/forwards arrows.</p><p><strong>Jan Ołdakowski, Director of Warsaw Rising Museum</strong> (<a href="http://www.1944.pl/" rel="nofollow">www.1944.pl</a>) commented, “This is a brilliant tool which lets everyone compare what Warsaw looked like then and now. It allows us to observe the complex processes which took place throughout the whole of Europe and to realise how far we have come since those days. In my opinion, tools like Google Earth should be used during lessons in primary and secondary schools to increase students’ interest in history.”</p><p><strong>Ed Parsons, Google’s Geospatial Technologist said,</strong> “Many of us have heard stories, read books and watched films which show the many impacts of WWII across the world. By enabling people to compare then with now, in such a simple way, it reminds us all of the devastating impact of war on the people in those cities and also the remarkable way in which urban environments are reconstructed and regenerated over time.”</p><p>The 1935 and 1945 imagery was obtained from the City of Warsaw, prepared by Warszawskie Przedsiębiorstwo Geodezyjne (Warsaw Geodetic Company). The images from 1935 were originally taken by Fotolot, part of LOT Polish Airlines at the time. The images from 1945 were taken by the Soviet air force in order to estimate the areas and level of damages in Poland after WWI.</p><p>Images of the 39 other cities, obtained from The GeoInformation Group, were taken by both the Royal Air Force (RAF) and United States Air Force (USAF) during WWII. A large number of the original photographs were taken and then stitched together by hand by the photo teams for the respective air forces. Many of the original photos have been destroyed and these hand-stitched mosaics are some of the only remaining images of these cities from this period. They were used primarily for photo reconnaissance but also for post-bombing damage assessment.</p><h3>Full list of cities where imagery is available:</h3><ol><li>Aachen</li><li>Augsburg</li><li>Bamberg</li><li>Berlin</li><li>Bologna</li><li>Bonn</li><li>Bordeaux</li><li>Breslau/ Wroclaw</li><li>Brest</li><li>Cologne</li><li>Danzig/Gdańsk</li><li>Dessau</li><li>Dortmund</li><li>Dresden</li><li>Dusseldorf</li><li>Florence</li><li>Frankfurt</li><li>Freiburg</li><li>Genoa,</li><li>Gottingen</li><li>Hamburg</li><li>Hannover</li><li>Kiel</li><li>Koblenz</li><li>Leipzig</li><li>Lyon</li><li>Magdeburg</li><li>Mainz</li><li>Naples</li><li>Nurnberg</li><li>Regensburg</li><li>Rome</li><li>Split</li><li>Strasburg</li><li>Stuttgart</li><li>Trieste</li><li>Turin</li><li>Venice</li><li>Weisbaden</li><li>Warsaw</li></ol>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-55958417966304949462010-01-21T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:35.868+01:00Iconic National Trust castles and landscapes now available on Google Street View<p>A collection of iconic castles, country houses and outstanding landscapes from the UK have been added to Google Street View, available through Google Maps.</p><p>Twenty National Trust properties and landscapes can now be explored online, giving people around the world the chance to plan a visit or catch a glimpse of places they might otherwise never see.</p><p>The images give a 360 degree ground level tour of the outside of the National Trust sites on Google Maps with a specially created online guide also available at <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/streetview">maps.google.co.uk/streetview</a>.</p><p>Locations include iconic sites such as Corfe Castle in Dorset, Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, Plas Newydd in Wales and Downhill Demesne in Northern Ireland.</p><p>The images were taken late last summer using the Google Trike – a three wheeled bike with a Street View camera mounted on it, perfectly suited to collecting images in places not easily accessible by car.</p><p>Since then the images have been processed and carefully stitched together by Google to give a seamless 360 degree view of the various buildings and parts of their grounds and landscapes where accessible. The routes at each location were designed in conjunction with the Trust.</p><p>It’s estimated that the cyclists covered 125 miles on the 18 stone (114.3kg) Trike, moving at an average speed of two miles per hour, whilst collecting the National Trust images.</p><p>Lawrence Roots visitor services manager at Corfe Castle said: “Google Street View will enable even more people to take a peek and get a sense of what Corfe, has to offer.</p><p>“It’s fantastic to think that people around the world, who might never be able to travel to the UK, will be able to see the castle and enjoy a virtual visit.”</p><p>Other locations include Lyme Park (where Pride & Prejudice starring Colin Firth as Mr Darcy was filmed) and Castle Drogo, the last castle built in England.</p><p>Ed Parsons, Geospatial Technologist from Google said: “National Trust locations offer all of us a glimpse of history, nature and architecture up and down the country.</p><p>“We were delighted to be able to open up some of the UK’s most famous landmarks to the rest of the world via the web.</p><p>“It’s a fun way to preview what to see and do on a day out or whet your appetite for where to go next.”</p><p>The Google Trike will collect images at several other National Trust places in 2010, including the Giant’s Causeway world heritage site, currently the focus of a major £2.25million fundraising campaign. These locations will be available as special guides later in the year.</p><p>To take a virtual tour visit <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/streetview">maps.google.co.uk/streetview</a> and click on the National Trust logo towards the bottom of the page. Images from each location are available <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/streetviewemea/NationalTrustStreetView?authkey=Gv1sRgCKOXi4jZjc-wQA">here</a>.</p><h3>About Google Street View</h3><ul><li>Street View launched on 19 March 2009 in the UK with 25 towns and cities.</li><li>Other ‘special collections’ available to explore via Street View include Bamburgh Castle, The Eden Project, The Angel of the North and the set of Coronation Street – all places voted for by the British public.</li><li>The Trike used to film the locations weighs nearly 18 stone! Google used specially trained super fit Google employees and contractors to ride the Trikes.</li><li>Google has worked closely with the National Trust to collect images and to design an appropriate route in each location.</li><li>As with all Street View imagery in the UK, Google automatically blurs faces and license plates where recognisible and allows individuals to have images of themselves removed. To report an image for removal or increased blurring click ‘report a problem’ on the bottom left hand corner of the image. Complete a short form to indicate the precise image to be removed/blurred.</li><li>Street View is a hugely popular feature of Google Maps which is already available in hundreds of areas around the world. It is also available in Google Earth and on Google Maps for Mobile.</li><li>In areas where Street View is available, users can access ground-level imagery by zooming into the lowest level on Google Maps, or by dragging the orange “Pegman” icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a blue highlighted property, and enjoy a virtual tour.</li></ul><p>For further information, please contact Jeannette Heard, press officer, National Trust on 01793 817706 or email <a href="mailto:jeannette.heard@nationaltrust.org.uk">jeannette.heard@nationaltrust.org.uk</a> or Laura Scott, communications and public affairs manager, Google on 0207 031 3049, 07782 303 719 or email <a href="mailto:laurascott@google.com">laurascott@google.com</a></p><h3>Editors notes</h3><p>The full list of National Trust properties available to view via Google Street View are:</p><p><strong>South West</strong></p><p>Avebury Stones, nr Marlborough, Wiltshire<br>Castle Drogo, nr Exeter, Devon Corfe Castle, Wareham, Dorset<br>Glendurgan Garden, nr Falmouth, Cornwall<br>Stonehenge landscape, Amesbury, Wiltshire</p><p><strong>South East</strong></p><p>Ham House, Richmond-upon-Thames<br>Nymans Gardens, nr Haywards Heath, West Sussex<br>Stowe Landscape Gardens, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire</p><p><strong>West Midlands</strong></p><p>Baddesley Clinton, Warwickshire<br>Berrington Hall, nr Leominster, Herefordshire</p><p><strong>East Midlands</strong></p><p>Clumber Park, Worksop, Nottinghamshire</p><p><strong>East of England</strong></p><p>Wicken Fen, Wicken, Ely, Cambridgeshire</p><p><strong>North East</strong></p><p>Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, Ripon, North Yorkshire<br>Lindisfarne Castle, Berwick-upon-Tweed, Northumberland<br>Malham Tarn Estate, Waterhouses, Settle, North Yorkshire</p><p><strong>North West</strong></p><p>Lyme Park, Disley, Stockport, Cheshire<br>Quarry Bank Mill, Styal, Wilmslow, Cheshire</p><p><strong>Wales</strong></p><p>Plas Newydd, Llanfairpwll, Anglesey</p><p><strong>Northern Ireland</strong></p><p>Mount Stewart House, Gardens and Temple of the Winds, Newtownards, County Down</p><p>Downhill Demesne and Hezlett House, Castlerock, County Londonderry</p><p><strong>About the National Trust</strong></p><p>The National Trust cares for over 300 of England, Wales and Northern Ireland’s greatest historic houses and gardens, 1,100 km of coastline and vast swathes of beautiful countryside. From former workers’ cottages to the most iconic stately homes, and from mines and mills to theatres and inns, the stories of people and their heritage are at the heart of everything it does. People of all ages – individuals, schools and communities – get involved each year with projects, events and working holidays and over 56,000 volunteers help to bring the properties alive for the Trust’s 3.7 million members and many more million visitors.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-49742744134268013472009-12-03T07:00:00.001+00:002020-07-31T01:09:35.354+01:00Long-form content deal between YouTube and Five to expand reach of broadcaster’s programmes<p><strong>December 3 2009:</strong> YouTube and Five have signed a major content deal which will make the broadcaster’s original full-length programmes available on-demand and free-of-charge via YouTube in the UK from today. Programming from Five can be found within YouTube’s recently announced UK Shows section, which brings together more than 3,000 hours of full-length programming and clips from its professional content partners at <a href="http://www.youtube.com/shows">youtube.com/shows</a>.</p><p>Under the terms of the deal, Five will make its Demand Five video-on-demand catch-up service of new programmes available via YouTube shortly after television transmission, including popular series such as Neighbours, Home And Away, The Hotel Inspector and The Gadget Show. YouTube users will also be able to access around 250 hours of Five’s archive content.</p><p>The strategic partnership marks the second time a broadcaster anywhere in the world has made a comprehensive catch-up schedule available on YouTube. The first such deal, with Britain’s Channel 4, was announced in October.</p><p>The deal will expand the availability of Five’s content to YouTube’s 20 million UK users and provide the broadcaster with additional advertising inventory and reach, tapping into growing consumer demand to watch Five’s programming online. For example, in 2009 searches on Google for “neighbours on demand” were up 600 per cent.</p><p>All programmes will be available only in the UK, free-of-charge and supported by advertising. Five will have a branded presence on YouTube and its sales team will be able to sell both display and video advertising (typically pre-roll and mid-roll advertisements and sponsorship bumpers) around the content available on the site.</p><p>As well as making its content available, Five will use YouTube as a platform to engage with fans of some of its biggest shows. For instance, in the New Year UK residents will be able to audition via YouTube for a guest role on the popular soap opera Neighbours.</p><p>Five will also use YouTube’s industry-leading Content ID copyright system, allowing the broadcaster to automatically detect unauthorised user uploads that contain Five content and block or monetise these as it chooses.</p><p>The deal is non-exclusive, allowing Five to continue to distribute Demand Five content via its own websites including <a href="http://demand.five.tv/" rel="nofollow">demand.five.tv</a> and other third party sites and services.</p><p>YouTube this week launched its first ever offline advertising campaign to promote its new UK Shows section of the site. The campaign is centred on the message “YouTube’s got TV” and includes bus sides, tube panels and full-page print ads, as well as online video pre-roll and display ads. In mid-December, YouTube will have an interactive installation in a shop front near Carnaby Street where passers-by will be able to choose content to watch.</p><p>Nikesh Arora, President, Global Sales Operations and Business Development for Google, YouTube’s owner, said:</p><p>“The past few weeks have been exciting for all of us who love British TV, and we’re delighted that our users can now find even more of their favourite programmes in YouTube’s new Shows section. This landmark partnership with Five places them at the forefront of the new opportunities around full-length content online, and their shows will see increased reach and revenues. This kind of agreement is great for consumers, who now have new safe and legal ways to watch the shows they love whenever they want.”</p><p>Dawn Airey, Chairman and Chief Executive of Five, said:</p><p>“This is a tremendously important deal for Five because in one fell swoop it extends the reach of our content beyond linear TV and our own existing websites to a new audience of younger, upwardly mobile and web-savvy individuals – an audience that advertisers are equally desirous of attracting. Importantly it extends the availability of legally available long-form content online thereby dealing a blow to web piracy.</p><p>“The partnership we are announcing today with YouTube is also a great example of how broadcasters can leverage the expertise of companies outside the field of TV in order to work together to take advantage of exciting new markets. Legitimate internet video operators are far from the ‘parasites’ that some have sought to portray them as in the past; on the contrary, they can be an important partner in helping modern day broadcasters reach new audiences and continue to fund high quality original content.”</p><h3>About Demand Five</h3><ul><li>Five launched its catch-up TV service, Demand Five (<a href="http://demand.five.tv/" rel="nofollow">demand.five.tv</a>), in June 2008. It is available online as well as on TV via BT Vision, the UK IPTV service.</li><li> In September 2009 Demand Five had more than 3 million views of long-form content and the service has grown in popularity throughout the year with a 110% increase in visitors since January.</li><li>It forms part of Five’s Digital Media Group platform alongside websites such as Holy Soap (<a href="http://holysoap.five.tv/" rel="nofollow">holysoap.five.tv</a>), FiveFwd (<a href="http://fwd.five.tv/" rel="nofollow">fwd.five.tv</a>) and Five Casino (<a href="http://www.fivecasino.tv/" rel="nofollow">www.fivecasino.tv</a>), vertical portals aimed at soap opera aficionados, young male fans of cars and gadgets and gaming enthusiasts respectively. Combined, they form the fastest growing group of websites among all major UK broadcasters: up 85% in September year-on-year (Source: Nielsen Online Research).</li><li>Five (Channel 5 Broadcasting Ltd.) is a commercially-funded UK public service television broadcaster. It began operating in 1997. It is owned by RTL Group, the leading European entertainment network with 46 television stations, 30 radio stations in 11 countries and worldwide production.</li></ul><h3>About YouTube</h3><p>YouTube is the world’s most popular online video community allowing millions of people to discover, watch and share originally-created videos. YouTube provides a forum for people to connect, inform and inspire others across the globe and acts as a distribution platform for original content creators and advertisers large and small. YouTube, LLC is based in San Bruno, CA and is a subsidiary of Google Inc.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-75931575952511752462009-12-03T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:37.861+01:00Google and UNESCO team up to put World Heritage sites in Street View, Google Earth and Google Maps<p><strong>Paris, 3rd December:</strong> Today, Google and UNESCO they will team up to put imagery of World Heritage sites into Street View. New imagery for 19 UNESCO sites has been made available, from sites in Czech Republic, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. The 360 degree images are now online for people around the world to explore via Google Maps.</p><p>Google and UNESCO also announced <a href="http://www.google.com/unesco">layers for Google Earth</a> and <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/mpl?moduleurl=http://www.svmapplets.com/sv/unesco/">Google Maps</a> with customised icons and information bubbles, allowing web users to locate and zoom to hundreds of sites with World heritage status around the globe, all linking back to UNESCO’s detailed webpage.</p><p>In the coming months Google will work with UNESCO to select additional World Heritage landmarks, in countries where Street View imagery is being collected, which will be photographed for the project. The aim is to collect imagery from diverse regions throughout the world including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, US and many countries throughout Europe. With permission from site managers such places look set to one day be available to millions of people around the world who may never have the chance to visit them in person.</p><p>It’s hoped that putting UNESCO’s world heritage sites on Street View will help increase awareness and encourage participation by people around the world in the preservation of our cultural and natural heritage</p><p>Google uses state of the art camera technology attached to the roof of a car in order to collect these images. They are then processed, stitched together and put into Google Maps, a process which can take several months. Where access by car is not possible, or locations are off the beaten track, Google uses its custom made ‘trike’ – a three wheeled bike mounted with a camera, to take the images. For example, the trike was used to collect imagery at Stonehenge and Pompei.</p><p>“World Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. It reminds us of the extraordinary world we live in, and humanity’s creative genius and cultural diversity,” said Francesco Bandarin, Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre. “The alliance between UNESCO and, Google Maps and Street View will provide access for people the world over to these remarkable places.”</p><p>Carlo D’Asaro Biondo, Google’s VP of Southern Europe, Middle East & Africa said, “Cultural and natural heritage sites are a source of inspiration and fascination for all of us, teaching us about our global history. This is an exciting project and we’re thrilled to be working together with UNESCO, to make more World Heritage sites universally accessible and useful to all.”</p><p>From today people can virtually walk along the banks of the Seine. From the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, from the Place de la Concorde to the Grand and Petit Palais, the evolution of Paris and its history can be seen from its banks. The Cathedral of Notre-Dame and the Sainte Chapelle are architectural masterpieces while Haussmann’s wide squares and boulevards influenced late 19th- and 20th-century town planning the world over.</p><p>They can also swoop over to Italy to explore the two flourishing Roman towns of Pompei and Herculaneum, as well as the many wealthy villas in the area that have been engulfed by Vesuvius eruption on 24 August AD 79. These have been progressively excavated and made accessible to the public since the mid-18th century and are now available for all with a simple click of a mouse.</p><p>Stonehenge, in Wiltshire, one of the most famous groups of megaliths in the world is another locations that can be discovered today. The circles of menhirs are arranged in a pattern whose astronomical significance is still being explored. These holy places and the nearby Neolithic sites are an incomparable testimony to prehistoric times.</p><p>Other unique and diverse places visible in Street View include the Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout in Nederland, the old town of Cáceres in Spain and the historic Center of Prague in Czech Republic and many more.</p><p>Google works in partnership with landmarks and attractions in several countries to put them on the map. The Street View partnership programme is available for sign up here: <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/streetviewpartners/">maps.google.co.uk/streetviewpartners</a></p><p>The UNESCO heritage sites in Street View:</p><ul><li><strong>Czech Republic:</strong> Historic Centre of Prague, Historic Centre of Český Krumlov, Holy Trinity Column in Olomouc</li><li><strong>Spain:</strong> Santiago de Compostela (Old Town), Old Town of Cáceres, Historic Walled Town of Cuenca, Old City of Salamanca, Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches, Old Town of Segovia and its Aqueduct, Historic City of Toledo</li><li><strong>France:</strong> Palace and Park of Versailles, Paris, Banks of the Seine</li><li><strong>Italy:</strong> Archaeological Areas of Pompei, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata, Historic Centre of Siena, Historic Centre of Urbino, Historic Centre of San Gimignano</li><li><strong>Netherlands:</strong> Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout</li><li><strong>UK:</strong> Stonehenge, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew</li></ul><h3>About UNESCO</h3><p>The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded in 1945 and it has 193 Member States. One of its main mandates is to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is the goal of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, an international treaty adopted by UNESCO in 1972.</p><h3>About Google Inc.</h3><p>Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.google.com/">www.google.com</a>.</p><h3>Media contact and requests for images and video footage:</h3><p>Laura Scott,<br><a href="mailto:laurascott@google.com">laurascott@google.com</a>,<br>0207 031 3049 / 0207 031 3130</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-50604284397759164842009-12-02T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:35.546+01:00Top UK landmarks now available on Google Street View<p>Specially collected imagery of iconic British locations has been made available for people to explore in Google Street View, for the first time. Now you can check out the set of Britain’s best loved TV soap, discover top British landmarks or take a virtual spin around Lotus’ test track, with just a click of your mouse.</p><p>The imagery includes the top tourist treasures voted for by the British public in Google and VisitBritain’s online poll this summer, all of which were photographed using the Google Trike. The winners that can be seen online today are: Stonehenge, Millennium Stadium, Angel of the North, Eden Project, Warwick Castle and ‘wildcard’ Bamburgh Castle. Other popular winner Loch Ness, has taken the Street View time a little longer to collect, due to its size, but Google is processing the imagery and is excited about making it available for Nessie spotting as soon as possible next year.</p><p>You might never be able to visit it in person, but now that the set of Coronation Street is on the virtual map its millions of fans can explore it as if they were the characters in the programme</p><p>Sian Jones, Brand Manager, Platforms and Online, ITV, said, “We know that it’s important to Corrie fans to be in the know about their favourite soap and we’re really proud to be the first UK soap to open their doors to the Google Street View cameras. Allowing fans to explore the iconic Coronation Street cobbles gets them closer to the action and the drama that goes on in the nation’s favourite soap.”</p><p>Nature fans and gardening fanatics can now find inspiration by navigating the paths of Kew Gardens’ 326 acre site. Take in the largest collection of plants in the world – 30,000 different species, including 14,000 trees – and iconic structures such as the Palm House and Pagoda. Eagle-eyed searchers might also spot some hidden objects concealed within the imagery and earn themselves a special prize. Learn more about this at <a href="http://www.kew.org/" rel="nofollow">www.kew.org</a></p><p>Professor Stephen Hopper, Director, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew says:</p><p>“Streetview will provide a fascinating view of Kew Gardens, both for those planning a visit and for those who just want see how beautiful it looks! It’s also a great example of how we’re using digital technologies to not only increase the accessibility of Kew’s wonderful landscape but also provide access to the wealth of 250 years worth of plant knowledge and scientific information we hold to help conservation programmes around the world.”</p><p>Also accessible in the 360 degrees is the UK’s first virtual race track in Street View. Lotus invited Google to take to the track alongside their cars and capture them in action.</p><p>“Nigel Marshall, Head of Facilities Management for Lotus said, “We decided to give Street View users an opportunity to look around part of the Lotus HQ and to virtually drive the Hethel Test Track. Only a select number of drivers have driven the Lotus circuit over the years, but now anyone can get a closer look at where some of the most iconic British sports and racing cars have been tested and developed. To see some dynamic track-driving of the Lotus 2-Eleven just check out the North Hairpin!”</p><p>Google’s Geospatial Technologist, Ed Parsons said, “Whether planning a visit, reminiscing about a recent trip or simply learning about the history of Britain, we hope these locations will be given a boost by being the first special collections to be made available on Street View in the UK.”</p><p>Stuart Maughan, Head of Visitor Operations at Stonehenge added, “We’re delighted that Stonehenge won the public’s vote to appear on Google Street View. The virtual tour offers a great look at this awe-inspiring site, one of the world’s most recognisable historic monuments. We’re hoping this new technology will help make Stonehenge even more accessible and widen its appeal as a visitor attraction. Nothing beats the feeling of having 5,000 years of history right in front of you.”</p><p>Rebecca Hamilton, Marketing and Media Manager, Historic Scotland said, “It’s not long before the mysteries of the region are made available on Street View and we can’t wait for tourists to be able to plan their trip to the area in a new way. Scotland has so much to offer which is why we’ve also asked Google to come and take images around iconic Scottish castles; Edinburgh and Urquhart.”</p><p>Alex Luff venue sales manager: “It’s been a great ten years at the Millennium Stadium and what better way to share this with our worldwide fans than a spot on the popular Google Map on our tenth anniversary. We are delighted with the enormous support from the British public and proud of our reputation as a must-visit tourist attraction.”</p><p>Chris Calvert, Bamburgh Castle commented, “We’re really excited about seeing the castle on Street View. That one of the country’s longest permanently occupied sites should be part of this state of the art technology is brilliant.”</p><p>Justin Reid, Head of Online, VisitBritain said, “It’s fantastic that Google users from all over the world will be able to use Street View to virtually visit some of Britain’s superb visitor attractions, it’s a great way to inspire people to explore Britain.”</p><p>Google works in partnership with landmarks and attractions all over the world to put them on the map. The Street View partnership programme enables other landmarks and attractions to sign up to be photographed by Google and is accessible <a href="https://services.google.com/fb/forms/streetviewinterestedpartner/">here</a>.</p><p>In areas where Street View is available, you can access street-level imagery by zooming into the lowest level on <a href="http://maps.google.co.uk/">Google Maps</a>, or by dragging the orange “Pegman” icon on the left-hand side of the map onto a blue highlighted street.</p><p>Google protects people’s privacy by applying automatic face-blurring and licence plate blurring to Street View images. In addition, people can easily flag images for additional blurring or removal by clicking on “Report a problem” on the bottom left of the image.</p><h3>Notes to editors:</h3><ul><li>The Google Trike is a custom-designed 3-wheeled bike equipped with a Street View camera. It’s designed to make special imagery collections in places less accessible by cars, such as historic landmarks.</li><li>Google & VisitBritain started the online poll in summer by asking the British public to name their top tourist treasures within 5 categories; Castles, Coastal Paths, Natural Wonders, Historic Buildings & Monuments and (Sports) Stadiums.</li><li>10,000+ suggestions were received and whittled down to 16 which went to the final public vote,</li><li>Over 35 thousand votes were received in the final vote to decide which the Google trike should visit first, resulting in 6 winners and 1 wildcard: Stonehenge, Millennium Stadium, Angel of the North, Loch Ness, Eden Project, Warwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle.</li><li>Street View was first launched in UK for 25 cities in March 2009 and is hugely popular worldwide with imagery available in the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, France, Spain, Italy, UK, Mexico, Netherlands and more. It is also available in Google Earth and on Google Maps for Mobile.</li></ul>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3818231330149488545.post-77194171371689247722009-11-30T07:00:00.000+00:002020-07-31T01:09:37.989+01:00Google reveals hottest trends of 2009<p><strong>London, 30 Nov 2009 –</strong> Google today released its annual “Zeitgeist” lists, which reveal the UK’s most searched terms of 2009, along with a look back at the hottest topics of the “noughties”, as seen through Google searches across the country.</p><p>The 2009 lists show that Britons were particularly interested in celebrities, bargains, and swine flu this year. Facebook, eBay and Spotify all featured in the year’s fastest rising searches. Meanwhile, the recession ensured that bargain hunting was alive and well in the UK, with people searching for cheap holiday options in particular.</p><p>“Britons had mixed feelings as they headed online this year to search for their favourite online tools, to learn about celebrities new and old, and to find a good bargain,” said Google spokesperson Anthony House. “People searched about new sensations like Lady Gaga and Susan Boyle, but they also turned to the web to learn about the deaths of Stephen Gately, Jade Goody, and Michael Jackson.”</p><p>Anyone can explore search patterns in more detail at <a href="http://www.google.com/insights/search">www.google.com/insights/search</a></p><p>A look back at the noughties (the hottest topic for each year):</p><ul><li>2001: nostradamus</li><li>2002: spiderman</li><li>2003: prince charles</li><li>2004: big brother</li><li>2005: james blunt</li><li>2006: steve irwin</li><li>2007: iphone</li><li>2008: iplayer</li><li>2009: stephen gately</li></ul><p>Top searches 2009</p><ol><li>facebook</li><li>bbc</li><li>youtube</li><li>hotmail</li><li>games</li><li>ebay</li><li>news</li><li>google</li><li>yahoo</li><li>bebo</li></ol><p>What was hot this year (fastest rising search queries in 2009)</p><ol><li>facebook login</li><li>jogos</li><li>ebay uk</li><li>yahoo mail</li><li>hotmail</li><li>bbc iplayer</li><li>hi5</li><li>stephen gately</li><li>bing</li><li>spotify</li></ol><p>The biggest stories (fastest rising news searches in 2009)</p><ol><li>swine flu</li><li>susan boyle</li><li>jade goody</li><li>robert pattison</li><li>rihanna</li><li>michael jackson</li><li>google maps</li><li>twitter</li><li>stephen gately</li><li>iran</li></ol><p>Bargain hunting (top cheap searches in 2009)</p><ol><li>flights</li><li>holiday</li><li>train tickets</li><li>car insurance</li><li>hotels</li><li>laptops</li><li>travel insurance</li><li>car hire</li><li>tyres</li><li>tickets</li></ol><p>How is Britain feeling? (top searches for “i feel…” in 2009)</p><ol><li>i feel love</li><li>i feel alone</li><li>i feel fine</li><li>i feel good</li><li>i feel sick</li><li>i feel fat</li><li>i feel ill</li><li>i feel pretty</li><li>i feel ugly</li><li>i feel free</li></ol><p>The hottest tickets (fastest rising ticket searches in 2009)</p><ol><li>lady gaga</li><li>michael jackson</li><li>taylor swift</li><li>whitney houston</li><li>pixies</li><li>jls</li><li>beyonce</li><li>green day</li><li>tinchy stryder</li><li>u2</li></ol><p>Contact: <a href="mailto:press-uk@google.com">press-uk@google.com</a> or 0207 031 3130</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com