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This May at Google I/O 2021, we shared our vision for Project Starline, a technology project that combines advances in hardware and software to enable friends, families and coworkers to feel together, even when they’re cities (or countries) apart.

Project Starline is the culmination of advances we’ve made across 3D imaging, real-time compression, spatial audio and our breakthrough light field display system that, when combined, enables a sense of depth and realism that feels like in-person communication. We recently described some of these advancements in a technical paper, Project Starline: A high-fidelity telepresence system, which we’re honored to have had accepted for publication at SIGGRAPH Asia.

As we’ve started expanding Project Starline’s availability in more Google offices around the United States, we’ve been encouraged by the promising feedback. Google employees have spent thousands of hours using Project Starline to onboard, interview and meet new teammates, pitch ideas to colleagues and engage in one-on-one collaboration. Many users noted how powerful the ability to make eye contact was, and how much more engaged and connected they felt. One user compared their experience to a coffee chat – a genuine interaction that makes you want to lean in and focus on the other person.

We measured the impact of hundreds of Google employees’ experiences with Project Starline, and the results showed that it feels much closer to being in the same room with someone than traditional video calls. We saw an increase in some of the most important signals that are often lost in video calls, such as attentiveness, memory recall and overall sense of presence. Here’s what we found when comparing Project Starline to traditional video calls:

• People displayed more non-verbal behaviors such as ~40% more hand gestures, ~25% more head nods and ~50% more eyebrow movements.
• People had much better memory recall when using Project Starline, tracking nearly ~30% better when being asked to recall details of their conversation or the content of a meeting.
• People focused ~15% more on their meeting partner in an eye-tracking experiment, suggesting that visual attentiveness is enhanced when using Project Starline.

These early results show promise for Project Starline’s ability to facilitate more personal connections from afar. As Google and more companies navigate the future of work, we are optimistic about the potential to deepen connection and collaboration among employees in the modern-day workplace. We look forward to continuing to expand Project Starline and sharing more on our progress.

^{Pictured left to right: Natalia Villalobos, Omoju Miller, Laura Markell and Kat Kuan}

In 2015, Developer Advocate Kat Kuan and I took a walk around the marshlands of Google’s Mountain View campus. We asked ourselves, “Why aren’t there more people of diverse backgrounds building apps for Android?” We noticed that the Android training content offered at the time assumed an intermediate level of programming experience, and decided to challenge that assumption. Was it possible to learn Android without any programming experience? We set out to create a learning path that would enable anyone to become an Android developer, and this remains one of the main priorities for Android’s training content.

As a team of four women at Google with different backgrounds and experiences, we envisioned what this learning process could entail and conducted early user testing to make sure student needs were met. In partnership with Udacity, we co-developed a curriculum for Android beginners. We focused on not only delivering technical content, but also on crafting supplemental materials like app case studies, an easy-to-understand vocabulary glossary and inspiring video content to reduce imposter syndrome. In 2015 the Android for Beginners course launched, and we saw tremendous reception. Soon students were asking, “What’s next?” We expanded the curriculum into a series of courses to help people without programming experience build a collection of Android apps. This was a major step towards building a more inclusive, equitable Android developer ecosystem.

In the six years since, Google continues to grow its investment with a larger dedicated training team. We’re seeing even more demand for beginner Android training, particularly as there are now over 3 billion active Android devices in the world. With a platform that evolves as quickly as Android, making sure learners have access to up-to-date materials that reflect development best practices is a major priority.

The latest course is Android Basics in Kotlin, available now for people with no programming experience who want to build basic Android apps within the flexibility of their own schedule. Beyond this online curriculum, we created materials for different learning styles so everyone can learn these critical Android concepts. To support students who learn best with others, we have facilitator materials that are useful for a group setting. To support more traditional classroom learning, we offer a university classroom curriculum that educators can adapt for their teaching environments. Next up, we are working on a training course in Compose, which is Android’s latest toolkit for building user interfaces.

Since that very first conversation that sparked the idea for this initiative, it was always about wanting to empower people. To date, hundreds of thousands of students have started their Android training. It has been incredible to witness their growth — both in the skills they acquire and the confidence they gain.

But we’re not done asking the hard questions. We’re still challenging our assumptions, and we’re as committed as ever to enabling more people to build products that reflect their diverse experiences. This not only unlocks new career paths for people, but it results in a better app ecosystem — one that serves more people, and creates new opportunities.

To stay up-to-date on the latest news in Android training, check out the Android Developers blog.

Quantum computers will allow us to do hard computations and help us rethink our understanding of the fundamentals of science. That’s because quantum computers harness the power of quantum mechanics — a subfield in physics that explains how the natural world around us works at the subatomic level. While we are a long ways off from building a useful quantum computer, our team at Google Quantum AI is already running novel experiments on the quantum processors we have today. One particular experiment that was just published in the science journal Nature is our work on a new phase of matter called a time crystal.

For years, scientists have theorized about the possibility of a time crystal and wondered whether one could ever be observed. By using our quantum processor, Sycamore, we now know it’s possible. To answer some common questions about this phenomenon, Google Quantum AI research scientists Pedram Roushan and Kostyantyn Kechedzhi answer the frequently asked questions.

What is a time crystal?

A time crystal may sound like it’s from the pages of a science fiction novel, but it’s something that we’ve demonstrated is possible to observe, even though it may appear to go against the basic laws of nature. You might be familiar with crystals like emerald, diamond and salt. At the microscopic level, they’re made up of repeating patterns — many layers of atoms that ultimately form a physical structure. For example, a grain of salt is made up of sodium and chlorine atoms. A time crystal is similar, but instead of forming a repetitive pattern in space, an oscillating pattern is formed in time.

Can you give an example of a time crystal?

Let’s say you took pictures of a planet and its orbiting moon every time it finishes its orbit over a period of time with the Hubble Telescope. These pictures would all look the same with the moon repeating its orbit over and over again. Now hypothetically, let’s say there were hundreds of new moons added to the planet’s orbit. Each new moon introduced would exert gravitational pull on the orbits of the others. Over time, the moons would start to deviate from their orbits without ever coming back to their starting point. This increase in disorder or entropy is unavoidable due to the second law of thermodynamics, a fundamental law of physics. What if there was a system of a planet and many moons where the moons could periodically repeat their orbits, without ever increasing entropy? This configuration — evidently hard to achieve — would be considered a time crystal.

How do you use a quantum processor to observe a time crystal?

Quantum objects behave like waves, similar to how sonar uses sound waves reflected from solid objects on the ocean floor to detect them. If the medium that the quantum wave travels through contains multiple objects at random locations in space, then the wave could be confined and come to a complete stop. This key insight about quantum waves is what puts a cap on the spread of entropy and allows the production of a stable time crystal, even though it appears to be at odds with the second law of thermodynamics. This is where our quantum processor comes in. In our paper, we describe how we used our Sycamore processor as a quantum system to observe these oscillatory wave patterns of stable time crystals.

Now that time crystals have been observed for the first time, what’s next?

Observing a time crystal shows how quantum processors can be used to study novel physical phenomena that have puzzled scientists for years. Moving from theory to actual observation is a critical leap and is the foundation for any scientific discovery. Research like this opens the door to many more experiments, not only in physics, but hopefully inspiring future quantum applications in many other fields.

Google News Showcase, a product and licensing program for news publishers, will begin rolling out in Portugal today as “Destaques Jornalísticos no Google” in Portuguese. Participating publishers from local, national and independent Portuguese outlets can give readers more insight into the topics they choose to highlight, through curated story panels which can appear on Google News and Discover.

This is part of our global investment in news and reinforces our commitment to Portugal and journalism. With News Showcase (Destaques Jornalísticos), publishers can provide additional context about stories via curated panels, and add related articles, timelines and more. Publishers get more control of their presentation and branding, helping them be more visible to their dedicated readers and to those who are just discovering them.

Google has signed partnerships with 28 Portuguese publications, including O Jornal Económico, Jornal de Notícias, Observador, O MIRANTE and Jornal do Fundão. News Showcase (Destaques Jornalísticos) panels can appear on Google products, currently on News and Discover, and direct readers to the full articles on publishers’ websites, helping them deepen their relationships with readers. In addition to the revenue that comes directly from these more-engaged readers, participating publishers will receive monthly licensing payments from Google.

“Quality journalism has a paramount importance in a free and democratic world. It gives everyone the knowledge to play an active role in society as the world evolves, beyond witnessing history,” says Marco Galinha, CEO of Global Media Group, who owns several titles in Portugal, including Dinheiro Vivo, Jornal de Notícias and TSF. “Sharing our quality information, strengthening our audience and connecting even more people is what we expect from Google News Showcase (Destaques Jornalísticos no Google).”

Since News Showcase (Destaques Jornalísticos) launched in October 2020, we’ve signed deals with more than 1,000 news publications around the world and have launched in more than a dozen countries: India, Japan, Germany, Brazil, Austria, the U.K., Australia, Czechia, Italy, Colombia, Argentina, Canada and Ireland. More than 90% of the publications that are part of News Showcase (Destaques Jornalísticos) represent local or community news. Local news is an essential way for readers to connect to their communities and ensure they get the news that impacts their day-to-day lives.

“A Voz de Trás-os-Montes is a local newspaper, seeking, over time, to reinvent itself in the production of content and the formats in which it is presented, whether on paper or digital.” says João Vilela, Director at A Voz de Trás-os-Montes. “Google News Showcase (Destaques Jornalísticos no Google) assumes itself as a product that will enhance the presence of this title in the digital world, also promoting the practice of quality, reliable and independent journalism, and providing readers with a good experience in accessing regional information.”

To further strengthen these relationships, we offer News Showcase (Destaques Jornalísticos) readers the ability to read select paywalled content from publishers. This feature means readers will have the opportunity to read more of a publisher’s articles, encouraging them to learn more about the publication — and potentially subscribe.

“Earlier this year, we challenged Google and the Portuguese Press Association to work together to find solutions to support a sustainable Portuguese media ecosystem, and in particular the local and regional media, in order to respond to the digital challenges, based on a framework that respects individual rights and copyright and ensures that the Portuguese citizens continue to have access to credible and relevant information”, says André de Aragão Azevedo, Secretary of State for the Digital Transition. “We are proud to see such great progress and we are in full support of initiatives like this.”

Google News Showcase (Destaques Jornalísticos no Google) is our latest effort to support publishers of all sizes and the news ecosystem in the country. Through the Digital News Initiative (DNI) Fund, Google has invested nearly eight million euros to support 32 Portuguese projects, tackling major challenges such as boosting digital revenues to telling local stories and exploring new technologies. In 2020, with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Google News Initiative offered financial support to 71 Portuguese newsrooms through its global Journalism Emergency Relief Fund. Around the world, the GNI, alongside a $300 million investment, has supported more than7,000 news partners in over 120 countries and territories.

Google also sends eight billion visits each month to European news websites from products like Search and News, which publishers can monetize with online advertising and subscriptions on their websites and apps. Our ad technologies enable news organizations to sell their ad space to millions of advertisers globally — including advertisers they wouldn’t have access to without these services.

Beyond working with publishers on their digital transformation, it’s vital we also support access to accurate and reliable information. Since 2015, the Google News Lab has trained 2,550 Portuguese journalists and journalism students on a range of digital tools to help them research, verify and visualize their stories. We’ve also supported a number of Portuguese specialists including Media Veritas, a project by the Portuguese Press Association to promote media literacy and combat misinformation, and we contributed 25 million euros to the European Media and Information Fund, managed by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, European University Institute and the European Digital Media Observatory to strengthen media literacy skills.

“Rather than a threat, digital can be an opportunity for publishers. This is why APImprensa is supporting its members (regional and local) to deploy all the advantages of participating in the Google Showcase project,” says João Palmeiro, President of thePortuguese Publishers Association. “The advantages are a unique opportunity to understand how to compete in the digital world using tools that can bring more information, knowledge and skills to newsrooms and to the digital business.

Google News Showcase (Destaques Jornalísticos no Google) helps readers discover even more news and provides publishers with a new online experience to deepen their engagement and relationship with their audience. We are happy to contribute to the news ecosystem, support the open web and continue to provide access to information in Portugal and elsewhere.

Today, we announced the winners of Google Play’s Best of 2021, a celebration of apps and games that made positive contributions to culture this year. And to encourage innovation across Google Play, we’ve expanded this year’s awards to apps and games on tablets, plus apps on Wear OS and Google TV. By challenging the norm, introducing unique gameplay features and giving users never-before-seen experiences, Google Play’s Best of winners represent what’s next in app and game development.

Similar to our Best of 2020 winners, apps focused on personal growth were in high demand in 2021. This year’s winners found creative, and often meditative, ways to help users get to know themselves on a deeper level. Balance, which earned our Best App of 2021 award, encourages people to find their center through personalized meditations; Moonly provides tips and guidance based on the lunar calendar; and Laughscape helps people reach a meditative state through laughter.

“We are deeply honored that Google chose Balance as its Best App of 2021,” says Jesse Pickard, Founder and CEO at Elevate Labs. “We built Balance with the individual in mind. No two people are the same, and we wanted to create a personalized mental wellness program that could reflect and support those special differences. I also want to thank our customers for their help in our journey. Your engagement and feedback has allowed us to build a truly wonderful product together.”

Meanwhile, in gaming, Pokémon UNITE won Best Game for its dynamic gameplay and cross-platform experience. We also saw a surge of independent developers creating imaginative and personal gaming experiences. Indie developer George Batchelor brought us Bird Alone, a game that challenges you to become friends with the “loneliest bird in the world.” And in Donut County, developed by Annapurna Interactive, you play as a growing hole in a physics-based puzzle game.

Check out the full list of this year’s U.S. winners below, ranging from large developers to up-and-coming indies. You can also find your specific country’s winners in the Best of 2021 section of the Play Store.

Users’ Choice 2021

• App: Paramount+
• Game: Garena Free Fire MAX

Best App

• Balance

Best Game

• Pokémon UNITE

Best of app winners

Best Apps for Good

• Empathy
• Mentor Spaces
• Speechify

Best Everyday Essentials

• Blossom
• PhotoRoom
• Rabit

Best for Fun

• Clubhouse
• Noobly
• Whatifi

Best Hidden Gems

• Laughscape
• Moonbeam
• Moonly

Best for Personal Growth

• Balance
• Clementine
• Uptime

Best for Tablets

• Canva
• Concepts
• Houzz

Best for Wear

• Calm
• MyFitnessPal
• Sleep Cycle

Popular on Google TV

• Disney+
• ESPN
• Tubi

Best of game winners

Best Competitive

• League of Legends: Wild Rift
• MARVEL Future Revolution
• Pokémon UNITE
• Rogue Land
• Suspects: Mystery Mansion

Best Game Changers

• Inked
• JanKenUP!
• Knights of San Francisco
• Overboard!
• Tears of Themis

Best Indies

• 7 Billion Humans
• Bird Alone
• Donut County
• My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge
• Puzzling Peaks EXE

Best Pick Up & Play

• Cats in Time
• Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
• Disney POP TOWN
• Switchcraft
• Towers

Best for Tablets

• Chicken Police — Paint it RED!
• League of Legends: Wild Rift
• My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge
• Overboard!
• The Procession to Calvary

Congratulations again to all of our Best of winners, and a special thanks to our Google Play community for their participation and support. We look forward to seeing what you build next year.