Google in China

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Andrew McLaughlin, senior policy counsel</span><br /><br />Google users in China today struggle with a service that, to be blunt, isn't very good. <a href="http://www.google.com/">Google.com</a> appears to be down around 10% of the time. Even when users can reach it, the website is slow, and sometimes produces results that when clicked on, stall out the user's browser. Our <a href="http://news.google.com/">Google News</a> service is never available; <a href="http://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi&q=">Google Images</a> is accessible only half the time. At Google we work hard to create a great experience for our users, and the level of service we've been able to provide in China is not something we're proud of.<br /><br />This problem could only be resolved by creating a local presence, and this week we did so, by launching <a href="http://google.cn/">Google.cn</a>, our website for the People's Republic of China. In order to do so, we have agreed to remove certain sensitive information from our search results. We know that many people are upset about this decision, and frankly, we understand their point of view. This wasn't an easy choice, but in the end, we believe the course of action we've chosen will prove to be the right one.<br /><br />Launching a Google domain that restricts information in any way isn't a step we took lightly. For several years, we've debated whether entering the Chinese market at this point in history could be consistent with our mission and values. Our executives have spent a lot of time in recent months talking with many people, ranging from those who applaud the Chinese government for its embrace of a market economy and its lifting of 400 million people out of poverty to those who disagree with many of the Chinese government's policies, but who wish the best for China and its people. We ultimately reached our decision by asking ourselves which course would most effectively further Google's mission to organize the world's information and make it universally useful and accessible. Or, put simply: how can we provide the greatest access to information to the greatest number of people?<br /><br />Filtering our search results clearly compromises our mission. Failing to offer Google search at all to a fifth of the world's population, however, does so far more severely. Whether our critics agree with our decision or not, due to the severe quality problems faced by users trying to access Google.com from within China, this is precisely the choice we believe we faced. By launching Google.cn and making a major ongoing investment in people and infrastructure within China, we intend to change that.<br /><br />No, we're not going to offer some Google products, such as <a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/">Gmail</a> or <a href="http://www.blogger.com/home">Blogger</a>, on Google.cn until we're comfortable that we can do so in a manner that respects our users' interests in the privacy of their personal communications. And yes, Chinese regulations will require us to remove some sensitive information from our search results. When we do so, we'll disclose this to users, just as we already do in those rare instances where we alter results in order to comply with local laws in France, Germany and the U.S.<br /><br />Obviously, the situation in China is far different than it is in those other countries; while China has made great strides in the past decades, it remains in many ways closed. We aren't happy about what we had to do this week, and we hope that over time everyone in the world will come to enjoy full access to information. But how is that full access most likely to be achieved? We are convinced that the Internet, and its continued development through the efforts of companies like Google, will effectively contribute to openness and prosperity in the world. Our continued engagement with China is the best (perhaps only) way for Google to help bring the tremendous benefits of universal information access to all our users there.<br /><br />We're in this for the long haul. In the years to come, we'll be making significant and growing investments in China. Our launch of google.cn, though filtered, is a necessary first step toward achieving a productive presence in a rapidly changing country that will be one of the world's most important and dynamic for decades to come. To some people, a hard compromise may not feel as satisfying as a withdrawal on principle, but we believe it's the best way to work toward the results we all desire.

Google in China

Posted by Andrew McLaughlin, senior policy counsel Google users in China today struggle with a service that, to be blunt, isn't very goo...

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Watching NBA Games on Google Video

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Nelson Cheng, Business Product Manager by day, Sports Enthusiast by night</span><br /><br />I first started following basketball during the era of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_jordan">Michael</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Johnson">Magic</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Bird">Larry</a>, arguably three of the top 10 NBA players of all time. Two remarkable games a few days ago reminded me that while these three mega-stars may no longer step onto the hardwood, a new generation of players continues to make history and excitement for fans everywhere.<br /><br />Last Sunday, with 81 points, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to a 122-104 victory over Toronto. Eighty-one. That’s the second highest scoring total in NBA history, only behind Wilt’s famous 100 point game. Even Michael’s career high was only (only!) 69. It is so physically and mentally draining carrying such a heavy scoring load, especially when the opposing team is completely geared to stopping you. Despite this, Kobe still shot over 60 percent from the field, making 28 of 46 shots.<br /><br />And the same night, in a game that was a throwback to the days when defense was light and scoring was high, the Sonics beat the Suns 152-149 in double overtime. (For comparison, the average number of points by other winning teams that night was only 101). Steve Nash, last season’s MVP (and the early front runner for MVP again), scored 28, had 16 assists and 8 rebounds. Ray Allen, despite a slow start, finished furiously, making 8 of 10 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and overtime.<br /><br />When people say, “Wow, <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=481223013166933332&q=team%3ALos_Angeles_Lakers">Kobe scored 81</a>?” or “<a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8635066441524694197&q=team%3ASeattle_SuperSonics">Nash went for 20+ points and 15+ assists</a>… again!” – now you (and I!) can reply, “Yep – just caught it on <a href="http://video.google.com/nba.html">Google Video</a>.” So come watch the greatest players today play some of the greatest games ever.

Watching NBA Games on Google Video

Posted by Nelson Cheng, Business Product Manager by day, Sports Enthusiast by night I first started following basketball during the era of M...

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Putting a stop to spyware

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Elizabeth Echols, Director of Policy, Global Online Sales and Operations</span><br /><br />We're really excited to tell you about <a href="http://www.stopbadware.org">StopBadware.org</a>, a new initiative aimed at combating the growing problem of spyware and other deceptive software. This project is led by <a href="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/home/">Harvard’s Berkman Center</a> and the <a href="http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford Internet Institute</a> to independently evaluate downloadable applications, publish objective information for consumers, and provide an easy web-based way for users to describe problems they've encountered. <a href="http://www.consumerwebwatch.org/">Consumer Reports WebWatch</a> is serving as an unpaid advisor to the effort. Google, along with Sun Microsystems and Lenovo, are co-sponsors. <a href="http://www.stopbadware.org/home/faq">Learn more here</a>.

Putting a stop to spyware

Posted by Elizabeth Echols, Director of Policy, Global Online Sales and Operations We're really excited to tell you about StopBadware.o...

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New year, new imagery

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Chikai Ohazama, Google Earth Team</span><br /><br />We're always trying to improve the imagery in <a href="http://earth.google.com">Google Earth</a> and <a href="http://local.google.com">Google Local</a>, but our latest update is bigger than usual. Not only have we added extensive 6-inch imagery for many parts of the U.K., but we've updated the Google Local database to match the coverage we have in Google Earth, and (drum roll, please) ... we've added two more zoom levels in Google Local's Satellite mode! Now for many areas around the world you can see a lot more detail than you could before.<br /><br />Take a look at people standing at the gates of <a href="http://local.google.com/local?q=buckingham+palace&ll=51.5015,-0.141387&spn=0.001386,0.002916&t=k">Buckingham Palace</a> in London, or jump <buckinghampalace.jpg>over the pond and see the <a href="http://local.google.com/local?q=statue+of+liberty&ll=40.689148,-74.044569&spn=0.001688,0.002916&t=k">Statue of Liberty</a> in New York, and then maybe<statueofliberty.jpg> drop down to the southern hemisphere and check out the boats sailing past the <a href="http://local.google.com/local?q=sydney+opera+house&ll=-33.856794,151.215284&spn=0.003697,0.005831&t=k">Sydney Opera House</a>.<br /><sydneyoperahouse.jpg></sydneyoperahouse.jpg></statueofliberty.jpg></buckinghampalace.jpg>

New year, new imagery

Posted by Chikai Ohazama, Google Earth Team We're always trying to improve the imagery in Google Earth and Google Local , but our lates...

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And now, News

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Krishna Bharat, Creator, Google News</span><br /><br />We're taking <a href="http://news.google.com">Google News</a> out of beta! When we launched the English-language edition in September 2002, we entered untested waters with a <a href="http://news.google.com/intl/en_us/about_google_news.html">grand experiment</a> in news browsing - using computers to organize the world's news in real time and providing a bird's eye view of what's being reported on virtually any topic. By presenting news "clusters" (related articles in a group), we thought it would encourage readers to get a broader perspective by digging deeper into the news -- reading ten articles instead of one, perhaps -- and then gain a better understanding of the issues, which could ultimately benefit society. A bit more than three years later, we offer 22 regional editions in 10 languages, and have a better sense of how people use Google News.<br /><br />We've certainly gotten a lot of feedback from both readers and editors. For example, readers told us they loved the news clusters but they didn't want press releases on the home page (although they are still useful to have in the search results). A major area we wanted to address was personalization. We offered <a href="http://www.google.com/alerts">email alerts</a>, as well as the ability for users to create a <a href="http://www.google.com/ig">personalized page</a>, but many users don't have the time to specify exactly what they want. So today we're adding a way to automatically recommend stories for users with Personalized Search.<br /><br />Here's how it works: You can sign up for <a href="http://www.google.com/psearch">Personalized Search</a> to view and manage your history of news searches and the articles you've read. When you're signed in to your <a href="https://www.google.com/accounts/">Google Account</a>, you'll receive recommended news stories based on the previous stories you've read. These recommendations will be highlighted just below the top news stories on the page, in a clearly marked section. You can also get a full page of recommended stories by clicking on the section. All of this is done automatically using algorithms. For example, we might recommend news stories to you that many other users have read, especially when you and they have read similar stories in the past. We've also added a section to show you the most popular stories in the Google News edition you are viewing (e.g., U.S.). Now you can see the top stories being published by editors across the web, as well as other stories popular with readers, plus topics that you track or are interested in -- all on one page.<br /><br />Google News has matured a great deal, and we're proud to see it graduate from its beta status. Much remains to be done, and as always, we have many exciting ideas that we intend to take forward. Meanwhile, as the saying goes, if you don't like the news, go out and make some of your own. Or just keep reading Google News.

And now, News

Posted by Krishna Bharat, Creator, Google News We're taking Google News out of beta! When we launched the English-language edition in S...

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It's in the mail...

<span class="byline-author">Posted by Aaron Whyte, Gmail Engineer</span><br /><br />Our shipment of <a href="http://mail.google.com/mail/help/images/delete_btn2.gif">delete buttons</a> finally came in! We're busy affixing them to the <a href="http://mail.google.com">Gmail</a> interface as we speak.

It's in the mail...

Posted by Aaron Whyte, Gmail Engineer Our shipment of delete buttons finally came in! We're busy affixing them to the Gmail interface ...

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A resolution for well-being

<span style="font-style: italic;">From time to time, the resident physician at Google headquarters weighs in with her thoughts on healthy living. This is not medical advice, and you should check with your own doctor before pursuing any particular course of action. </span><br /><br /><span class="byline-author">Posted by Dr. Taraneh Razavi, M.D., Staff Doctor</span><br /><br />How many of you resolved that in the New Year you'd start a cholesterol- or blood pressure-reducing medication, or perhaps plan to spend a few days in the coronary care unit? My guess is that not too many of you -- but you might end up needing this sort of help rather than staying resolute to intended lifestyle changes that reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Let's face it, it's tough to get motivated. It's so much easier to take the pills or have the tests done -- later.<br /><br />So to help motivate you now, here's a short review of the findings of <a href="http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/112/6/924?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&author1=Iestra%2C+JA&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1137775683392_7590&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&volume=112&search_url=http%3A%2F%2Fcirc.ahajournals.org%2Fcgi%2Fsearch&journalcode=circulationaha">a recent study</a> by J. A. Iestra that appears in a 2005 issue of the journal <span style="font-style: italic;">Circulation</span>. It's called "Effect Size Estimates of Lifestyle and Dietary Changes on All Cause Mortality in Coronary Artery Disease Patients." Iestra's data showed notable reductions in coronary artery disease -- and mortality -- when patients make these changes:<br /><ul><li>Diet change: 40-45% </li><li>Smoking cessation: 35-50% </li><li>ACE inhibitors (for blood pressure): 26%</li><li>More physical activity: 20-30% </li><li>Beta blockers (for blood pressure): 23% </li><li>Statins (for cholesterol): 21% </li><li>Aspirin: 18%</li><li>Moderate alcohol: 14-20% </li></ul>The reduction in mortality from coronary artery disease is the same if not better with lifestyle or dietary changes as it is with medications. Other things to consider (but not analyzed in this study) are that lifestyle changes, such as more physical activity, don't produce bad side effects -- well, maybe a little sweat, but all medications may have some side effects. And certainly the cost of exercise vs. medication is lower too. So whether you're a Googler or not, let's all be visionaries not just about our work, but about our own bodies and souls.

A resolution for well-being

From time to time, the resident physician at Google headquarters weighs in with her thoughts on healthy living. This is not medical advice, ...

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