Tag: Google

Google.org announces €300,000 to fund nonprofits supporting local employment opportunities in Dublin

Minister Simon Harris TD was in St. Andrews Resource Centre, Pearse Street in Dublin this morning to announce funding support of €300,000 by Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, to fund nonprofits supporting local employment opportunities.

The Minister was joined by Carlow native Lorraine Twohill, Google’s global Chief Marketing Officer to make the announcement that will see the €300,000 in funding directly support nonprofit programmes defined by Google’s Employment Task Force, a diverse coalition of community experts who are identifying ways to drive inclusive economic growth in Dublin.

Launched in 2021, Google’s Employment Task Force aims to find sustainable employment solutions for long-term unemployed people from the south inner city and provide training and development opportunities. Attendees at this morning’s event had the opportunity to hear from community representatives and participants in the current Employment Task Force programmes.

Today’s grant by Google.org will fund programmes by two nonprofits:

  1. St. Andrews Resource Centre – will create a hyperlocal, community based training programme to upskill 50 local unemployed people to become more employable by obtaining a certified level of housekeeper and complementary digital skills to enable them to gain sustainable employment in a growing industry.

  2. Ringsend Community Service Forum –  will offer focused training for 50 local managers and emergent leaders through a ‘train the trainer’ process to provide assistance in accessing jobs, educational & training opportunities for up to 2000 local unemployed youth in Ringsend and Irishtown. Youth will be significantly upskilled on basic tech and digital skills thereby helping to close the digital gap and allowing access to new career opportunities as a result.

Speaking at the event this morning, Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science said:

“I am delighted to be here to see the impact that is being made by Google’s Employment Task Force.  This is my second visit and I am overwhelmed each time at the impact this is having in communities. This programme is driven by the local community and for those who live there. I want to thank Google for their further commitment to this important work today.”

Lorraine Twohill, Google’s Chief Marketing Officer said:

“I am proud to be here today to announce further support from Google for such a significant and important employment initiative. We’ve been part of the Ringsend and Pearse Street community for almost 20 years, and we know it is important for Google to show up locally. We remain committed to addressing the opportunities and challenges facing the Docklands community, and through the Task Force and organisations we support, we will continue to build on the work launched in 2021, helping to create meaningful, sustainable and long-term employment for members of our local community.” 

Created and enabled by Google, the Employment Task Force is an initiative that is driven by the local community and made up of Google representatives, community based training employment and education services, local businesses, Dublin City Council and the Department of Social Protection. Today’s announcement follows a commitment of over €500,000 by Google in 2021 at the launch of the Employment Task Force,

 

Jim Hargis, Manager of Local Employment Service at St. Andrew’s Resource Centre, representing the Local Employment Task Force, said:

“This is a unique and impactful initiative, one that brings together the people and organisations that have a direct and often personal experience of local unemployment challenges.  This diverse coalition of community experts and representatives will provide support, mentoring and access to skills training – all vital elements of employment services – to local unemployed young people and those seeking educational and other supports. I want to offer my thanks to those who spoke today and shared their experience of participating in the programmes run by the Task Force and to thank Google for further committing to this project.”

Google Trends – What the country is searching for this Halloween

Ireland is searching the most for Halloween on Google this October worldwide which may be no surprise given Ireland is the birthplace of Halloween, so Google wanted to share Google trends and data on what exactly Ireland has been searching for when it comes to Halloween 2022.

For starters, what are the kids up to these days? Watching Blippi it seems! Overall, the most searched costume for Halloween 2022 in Ireland is Blippi. If you don’t know Blippi, he is known for his blue and orange outfit and educational videos for young children.  He’s a phenomenon, who knew?
Other popular children’s costumes searches this year are heavily influenced by TV and film including Pennywise, Ghostbusters, Batgirl, Hocus Pocus, Jack Skellington, Belle, Sonic and Freddy Krueger…the kids are not holding back!

TV and Film has had an influence on adult costumes too with the release of the Hocus Pocus sequel perhaps having something to do with Sarah Sanderson being the third most popular costume search and Winifred Sanderson not too far behind. Netflix continues to be a source of inspiration with searches for Cobra Kai costumes and of course, crowd favourite, Stranger Things making an appearance across top costume searches, couples costumes and DIY costumes.

The nation’s love for baking is alive and well with breakout searches this month including “Halloween Cake” and “Halloween Cupcakes” ,it looks  like Halloween Parties are well and truly back and will be fueled by home-made delicacies! For those opting for a Halloween night of scary movies instead of parties, the trending Halloween movies in Ireland this month include Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey slasher film,  Smile, Sleepy Hollow, and the classic Friday the 13th.

And, of course, it’s nice to see that we haven’t forgotten our heritage as searches for oiche shamhna poem have spiked over 250% over the past 7 days. Surely everyone knows that Halloween first started in Ireland, right?

Top Halloween Trends

 

Ireland is searching the most for Halloween this October, worldwide

Trending costumes, October 2022, Ireland

  1. Blippi

  2. Goddess

  3. Sarah Sanderson

  4. Huggy Wuggy

  5. Cobra Kai

  6. Winifred Sanderson

  7. Scoops Ahoy

  8. Police officer

  9. Shaggy

  10. Rainbow friends

Trending couple costumes, October 2022, Ireland

  1. Princess Peach and Daisy

  2. Angel and Devil

  3. Pineapple and Palm tree

  4. Danny and Sandy

  5. Squints and Wendy Peffercorn

  6. Rick and Morty

  7. Robin and Steve (Stranger Things)

  8. Peter Pan and Tinkerbell

  9. Step Brothers

  10. Captain Hook and Tinkerbell

Trending kids costumes, October 2022, Ireland

  1. Robot

  2. Pennywise

  3. Ghostbusters

  4. Batgirl

  5. Dog

  6. Hocus Pocus

  7. Jack Skellington

  8. Belle

  9. Sonic

  10. Freddy Krueger

Trending DIY costumes, October

  1. Dog

  2. Astronaut

  3. Wonder Woman

  4. Gru

  5. Tom and Jerry

  6. Ginny Weasley

  7. Ghost

  8. Vampire

  9. Little Red Riding Hood

  10. Eleven (Stranger Things)

Most searched makeup-looks, October 2022, Ireland

  1. Demon

  2. La dia de los muertos

  3. Harley Quinn

  4. Ghost

  5. Zombie

  6. Creepy Doll

  7. Red Riding Hood

  8. Emo

  9. Morticia Addams

  10. Minnie Mouse

Trending Horror/Halloween movies, October 2022, Ireland

  1. Winnie the Pooh

  2. Smile

  3. Sleepy Hollow

  4. Choose or Die

  5. Friday the 13th

  6. Cloverfield

  7. Seed of Chucky

  8. Carrie

  9. Corpse bride

  10. The Sixth Sense

Tech Review – Pixel 7 chalk case

We have a range of cases coming for the Google Pixel 7 and we start off today with a case from Google which is the Chalk case which matches our device nicely. Clean and simple this case does a good job all round and works with wireless charging.

The case will give you additional grip and also has a lip on the top which protects the screen, the lens area on the rear is also protected but I can see dust building up in the corners, we will see over the next few days how that goes. The keys which are aluminium work fine and match the buttons on the device too and same for the logo on the rear. The case is made with over 30% recycled plastics which is nice and keeps things greener. Check the video for more below.

Check out the Pixel Watch first look and Pixel 7 first look, full reviews soon when we spend some real time with both devices.

BUY 

Video review

 

Google Pixel Watch – First look and impressions

Google have launched their first official watch which is of course smart and the same applies to the watch as did the phone and any tech we do not do leaks for clicks we wait for the product to be in our hands for assessment and the day has come us to check it out.

I have many smartwatches here as our readers know and a fan for several reasons, it keeps you off your phone more you can do things from the watch if required to do so and get on without the need to take your phone out of your pocket and this was a conversation I had with Nokia mobile here in Dublin last week with some of their feature phones and the same applies to a watch whereby it is less distracting and you can chose to ignore or reply to emails and social etc which is also good for the mental health I think..

Now with this offering from Google it appears to be a fitness orientated watch on top of being smart at the same time and as we know they bought fitbit and fitbit did not cut it offering more for the user but was heavy on the fitness end of things and was more a product for people into fitness but with not much other functionality which I understand, different strokes for different folks and all that but this has changed somewhat.

Again there has been commentary on this watch which I chose to ignore and make my own assessments and so far it has been more so on the bad side, again form folks who typically pick on Google and do not have the product in hand and snuff the idea of its existence which is fine don’t get me wrong but it is down to the hands on experience after all and what the product does isn’t it?

Check the video below for more and if you have any questions drop em in the comments

BUY

Unboxing video

Google Pixel 7 – First Look and impressions

The Google Pixel 7 has arrived and once again we avoided all the leaks and wait until the device is in our hands to see for ourselves what is on offer and still using the Pixel 6a which I am loving it is time to see what the new member of the family has to offer, being a pixel user from their first ever device these are phones that stay in my hands longer than others as I have an entire Google ecosystem at home and it all works very seamlessly.

There is some cool new features of course with the new device and once again makes live simple, some we have seen before and enhanced and there is an argument over which device is better value for money with the price, we have a bumped up Tensor chip  G2 which is their own inhouse chip.

We have a 6.3 inch Oled screen with 416 PPI, 1400 nits and 2400 X 1080 panel, A 90hz refresh rate here which is a bit disappointing some will say as it is the new buzzword but for me it is no huge deal being honest having used and own devices with 120hz refresh rate for the most I have has to point this out and show people and not really a deal breaker to be frank but others would disagree and nitpick like we always see for Google devices at launch bit no so loud on iPhone shortcomings and I own an iPhone 14 pro which so far has been pretty much the same as before, having said that it is a tech cycle and we often see a small jump in specs and then companies calling old things new and then features arriving later and so on and claiming they are new, you know how it goes and often it is funny how they take each other off on social media. Banter never did anyone any harm.

The rear has changed to a metal visor style this time and for the better and one piece with a 50MP camera that comes with OIS 12MP ultra wide and but no telephoto camera, the front camera is 10.8 MP and as we know Google has done cameras very well over the years even with a single lens option. There is new features here like Cinematic blur which and face unblur and for that you can tidy up some old photos but we will see more on that in the full review later on. We also have 4K 60fps which is plenty in my eyes, currently I have a phone that shoots in 8K which is pointless today. You will need to update the app because it will keep crashing until you do. Also note the Pixel watch app will need to be installed.

The battery again is of course another feature people often speak about which comes in at 4355mAh and smaller than last years which was 4614mAh if my memory serves me right so it will be interesting to see how that fair out in our testing, there is new features to come to the Pixel 7 later down the road.

Today we take a tour of the Pixel 6 and have a look at the UI and see what is there and check out the phone in general as we always do here and let you see what it is all about and if you have any questions feel free to ask, we only have the device in our hands for 3 days and so far so good but it takes more than that to give an honest review which we will have in a few weeks and a better assessment loaded with all the apps for example and any updates that arrive in the interim and see how it gets on and I expect to see good things going forward as always and we will report them here and if there is any shortcomings but for the price it looks like another winner and is the pro version worth the extra 250 euro they ask??

Also stay tuned for some case reviews and more for the Pixel 7 coming soon from our other partners.

You can read more on their blog here 

Order the Pixel 7 here

Unboxing here

 

Ten things to know so far on the new Pixel phones

 

Pixel 7. 

Simply 

powerful. 

Super helpful.

 Meet Pixel 7. It’s fast, secure and helpful, with advanced photo and video features and all-day battery life.Take beautifully authentic photos with improved Real Tone and stunning video with Cinematic Blur. The super-sharp 6.3-inch display is fast and responsive for smoother gaming and scrolling. And it’s 25% brighter for better visibility outdoors. 

Pixel 7 starts at only €649. And it’s available in Snow, Obsidian and Lemongrass.
2 

Pixel 7 Pro. 

The all-pro 

Google phone. 

3 

Beautiful 

and durable, inside and 

out.

 Introducing Pixel 7 Pro, Google’s best-of-everything phone. It’s fast and secure, with all-day battery life and an immersive 6.7-inch Smooth Display that intelligently adjusts up to 120 Hz.1, 2, 5 The triple rear camera system includes a dedicated 5x telephoto lens and 30x Super Res Zoom for crisp, clear photos from far away. The upgraded ultrawide lens with auto-focus powers Macro Focus for amazing shots of the tiniest details. 

Pixel 7 Pro starts at €899. And it’s available in Snow, Obsidian and Hazel. 

This is Pixel’s most refined design, with a smooth glass back and aluminium frame and Camera Bar. Pixel 7 Pro is elegant and sophisticated with polished aluminium, and Pixel 7 is super sleek with a matte aluminium finish. Both phones are made with recycled materials.7 And they’re as durable as they are beautiful. Pixel can handle water and dust with IP68 protection. The display is scratch resistant, with Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus.
4 

Google 

Tensor G2. 

The brains 

behind it all.

 Google Tensor G2 is the next-gen processor custom built for Pixel with Google’s advanced machine learning and speech recognition. It makes Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro faster, more efficient, more secure and even more helpful. And it delivers Pixel’s best photo and video quality ever, with next-gen Super Res Zoom, up to two times faster Night Sight processing, sharper photos with Face Unblur and new features like Cinematic Blur.

 

5 

The most 

advanced 

Pixel cameras yet.

 The photo and video quality of the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro cameras is extraordinary. The large main sensor brings in light and detail, even in low light. The Pixel 7 front camera is now the same as the one in Pixel 7 Pro, for better low-light photography, stunning 4K60 video and a wide field of view for group selfies. Cinematic Blur makes Hollywood-like videos. With Real Tone, all skin tones are represented beautifully and accurately – now in Night Sight and Portrait mode too. Photo Unblur improves your blurry pictures – new or old.10 And Guided Frame helps people with low vision take the best selfies through audio and haptics. Photos match your vision with Pixel camera favourites like Magic Eraser, Motion mode and Face Unblur.
6 

Secure to the core. 

7 

The battery 

lasts all day.

 Pixel 7 is the most secure and private Pixel yet. With Google Tensor G2 and the Titan M2 security chip, Pixel is built with multiple layers of security to help keep your personal info safe. Face Unlock and Fingerprint Unlock quickly and easily unlock your phone with just a glance or a tap. With VPN by Google One built in, Pixel will help protect your online activity no matter what app or web browser you use (coming soon). And Pixel comes with at least five years of security updates, so your phone gets even more secure over time. 

Pixel’s Adaptive Battery can last over 24 hours.1It learns your favourite apps, so it doesn’t waste power on ones that you rarely use. Turn on Extreme Battery Saver, and the battery can last up to 72 hours. And with the compatible 30 W USB-C® Charger (sold separately), your Pixel charges super fast – up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes.
8 

A world of 

help. Built 

around you.

 Pixel phones, earbuds and watches work together to help you throughout your day. It’s easy to connect your Pixel devices with each other and switch between them, so you can watch, listen or work from device to device. Control your entertainment or smart devices from your phone, earbuds or watch. Focus on your health and fitness with the Google Pixel Watch (sold separately) and get even more insights on your phone. And use your favourite Google apps, like Assistant, Maps and YouTube Music, when and where you need them.

 

9 

The best of 

Google, 

included with Pixel.

 The Pixel 7 comes with three months of YouTube Premium and Google One. The combined savings add up to almost €42– all to help you get the most out of your new Pixel.

10 

So much help, in so many ways. 

Pixel is more helpful than ever. At a Glance shows you useful info at the right time, like your baggage claim info at the airport or when a package is delivered to your door. With voice message transcription, you can read audio messages. Assistant voice typing lets you type with your voice – now in Spanish, French and Italian. Pixel search is faster and more powerful – it searches your entire phone and the web. And every few months, Pixel gets feature drops – software updates with new and improved features, tricks and tips. So, Pixel just keeps getting better.

FINAL CALL For Small Businesses Across Ireland To Win Money-Can’t-Buy Prize From Google

It’s the final countdown as the closing date for entries to Google’s You’re the Business campaign is fast approaching. Google wants to hear from SMEs across Ireland by 7 October about how using digital skills and tools has helped to enhance or to grow their business with ten of those businesses winning a truly unique, money-can’t-buy prize.

The prize package or Personal Plan includes a customised suite of digital supports from Google, expert sector and industry-specific mentoring across a range of technical areas that will help the ten SMEs – selected by a panel of established judges – to further develop their business. The selected businesses will also receive a €1,000 Google ads package each.

Entry is simple but time is ticking! To be considered one of the ten lucky businesses to receive this one-of-a-kind digital prize package, SMEs can submit a video [via the You’re the Business site] no longer than two minutes in duration detailing what their business means to them, as well as an example of how they have used digital to enhance their business. This can be anything from setting up or optimising a web presence to expanding your operations internationally.

Submissions must be uploaded here by the newly extended deadline of 7 October 2022.

John Gallagher, Head of Accelerated Growth at Google, said:

“Small Businesses are an invaluable part of Ireland’s economy employing over 1 million people across the country. We are privileged to work with many of these businesses every day and continue to be impressed by the passion and drive for growth they demonstrate. At Google we are also fortunate to see the creativity of these SMEs and how they are leveraging digital to enhance their businesses. That’s why, as part of our You’re the Business initiative, we want to help ten SMEs to further enhance these digital skills by offering a unique opportunity to receive tailored mentoring from sector experts within Google. The selected businesses will also receive a customised support package that includes €1,000 worth of Google ad funding. 

“We are hoping that as many SMEs as possible from across Ireland will log on and tell us why they’re the business – we can’t wait to hear from you!”

Launched this year, You’re the Business – a partnership between Google, Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices – focuses on supporting Irish SMEs to upskill digitally and enhance their online capabilities.

You’re the Business provides Irish SMEs with access to a series of live and on-demand training sessions, geared towards supporting companies at all stages of their digitalisation journey, including those at early stages right through to those more digitally-sophisticated businesses. The training consists of three modules that will help businesses understand how they can use digital to get online, grow online and expand internationally.

For further information on the various training modules as well as the opportunity to be awarded a customised support package, please visit: g.co/yourethebusiness

Irish SMEs looking to digitalisation to future proof business and operate more cost effectively

Irish SMEs are investing in digitalisation to help future proof their businesses and operate more cost effectively at a time when they are concerned about the economy and rising costs of doing business according to a new survey commissioned by Google Ireland and conducted by Amárach.

The survey, commissioned ahead of Google’s International Small Business Week, found almost three quarters (72%) of  SMEs surveyed said that surviving the current period of economic uncertainty is a key priority over the next 12 months, while 71% are prioritising revenue and profit growth. In addition, the rising cost of doing business is a key concern for 63% of SMEs in the year ahead.

Despite this economic uncertainty and concern around rising costs, businesses recognised the impact that investing in digitalisation can have on managing costs and supporting growth.  Almost half (48%) of SMEs stated that digital skills and tools allow them to operate more cost effectively while 60% use them to connect with customers and 46% say it opens up new markets for their business. Further demonstrating the value of digital, 61% of those surveyed stated that digital skills are essential to future proofing their business.

When it comes to upskilling in digital, Irish SMEs are motivated to learn and willing to put in the time, with over 40% of SMEs surveyed having engaged in digital skills training over the past 12 months. However, there are still 20% of SMEs having not completed any digital skills training in the last two years and 19% having never completed any digital skills training at all.

Alice Mansergh, Director of Small Businesses at Google, said:

“It is really encouraging to see that Irish SMEs are embracing digital skills and tools to help them navigate this period of uncertainty and future proof their business. Notably, half the businesses surveyed see digital skills as indispensable to their business at this time. Today there is a digital divide, whereby even though more than 90% of Irish consumers are online, 45% of Irish businesses do not have a website. Helping businesses gain digital know-how and confidence are key to bridging the divide, and strengthening Ireland’s SME sector.  That’s why Google has come together with Enterprise Ireland and the Local Enterprise Offices to offer free training support for all.  Through our You’re the Business programme we’re providing free accessible training, in person or online, helping businesses get online, grow online and expand internationally.”

You’re the Business is a digital platform offering Irish SMEs access to free live and on-demand training sessions, geared toward supporting companies at all stages of their digitalisation journey. In addition, ten participants that demonstrate a commitment to digital will be awarded with a suite of customised supports, including mentorship and ad funding. In order to be considered as one of the ten firms to receive a package of tailored supports, SMEs can submit a video [via the You’re the Business site] detailing what their business means to them, as well as an example of how they have used digital to enhance their business. Submissions must be uploaded by 30th September 2022.

The survey also found that 66% of Irish SMEs believe that Ireland is a good place to own and operate a small business with 51% of those citing access to government supports like training and funding as a reason for that.

To mark International Small Business Week and to further support businesses on their digitalisation journey, Google Ireland has additional offers for Irish SMEs, available only during this week until September 16, including:

 

  • Save €200 off a Chromebook computer

  • Three months of Google Workspace’s business apps and collaboration tools at no charge

  • Get 60 Days of Shopify free of charge to help businesses create new websites

  • And more offers on the site at g.co/yourethebusiness on the “International Small Business Week” page

For further information on the various training modules as well as the opportunity to be awarded a customised support package, please visit: g.co/yourethebusiness

Google Maps Eco-friendly routing launches in Europe

Imagine you’re planning a day trip from your home in Athlone over to Limerick – over an hour and a half journey. To decide how to get there, you open Google Maps — which offers multiple navigation options including walking, cycling and public transit directions. Given the length of the trip, it makes the most sense to drive, and you immediately search for the fastest route.

But what if there were other options: A route that would take nine minutes more, but would save nearly 30% of your expected fuel consumption?

Now rolling out: Eco-friendly routing across Europe

This is now possible thanks to eco-friendly routing in Google Maps, which starts rolling out in nearly 40 countries across Europe today. With eco-friendly routing, you can choose a route that’s optimized for lower fuel consumption, which helps you save money on fuel and reduce carbon emissions — something that’s top of mind for many Europeans. And this is a real concern – according to Statista’s 2022 report, road transportation is the largest source of carbon emissions throughout Europe.

Now, in addition to showing the fastest route, Google Maps will also display the one that’s most fuel efficient, if it doesn’t happen to also be the fastest. With just a few taps, you can see the relative fuel savings and time difference between the two routes and choose the one that works best for you. Always want to choose the fastest route, no matter what? That’s okay too — simply adjust your preferences in Settings.

Eco-friendly routing is making an impact around the world. Since launching in the U.S., Canada, and Germany, it’s already estimated to have helped remove more than half a million metric tons of carbon emissions — equivalent to taking 100,000 fuel-based cars off the road.

Get the most fuel-efficient route based on engine type

The most fuel-efficient route will vary based on what type of engine you have. For example, diesel engines are usually more efficient at higher speeds than petrol or gas engines, while hybrid and electric vehicles perform better in stop-and-go traffic. That’s why, in the coming weeks, we’ll make it possible for drivers using eco-friendly routing in Europe, the U.S. and Canada to select their engine type — petrol or gas, diesel, hybrid or electric vehicle (EV) — in order to get the best route and most accurate fuel or energy efficiency estimates.

This technology is made possible thanks to insights from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and data from the European Environment Agency. By pairing this information with Google Maps driving trends, we were able to develop advanced machine learning models trained on the most popular engine types in a given region.

Helping you make sustainable choices with Google Maps and beyond

Whether you’re staying local or traveling, Google can help you get where you need to go more sustainably with a few helpful tips:

It’s electric! If you have an electric vehicle, just search for “EV charging station” on Google Maps to see charging stations nearby, along with helpful details, like port types and charging speeds. And for some stations, you can even see if a charger is available right now, helping you avoid the wait and save valuable time.

Swap four wheels for two. Often, the most sustainable choice doesn’t involve a car at all, and Google Maps can help you with alternate ways to get around. We recently announced more cycling route information, including a more detailed breakdown of your route and whether you’ll encounter heavy car traffic, stairs or steep hills on the way. And you can find nearby bike and scooter shares in over 500 cities around the world including Barcelona, Berlin, London, Paris, and Rome.

Walking the walk: Google Maps offers turn-by-turn directions for pedestrians. To ensure you’re not walking the wrong way, Live View uses augmented reality to display arrows and directions clearly overlaid on the map. Plus, you can preview your walking route with Street View.

Navigate public transport with ease. By tapping on the transit icon in Directions, you get directions to your destination by bus, train, subway and even ferry. When available, you can see real time arrival and departure times, transfers, and service delays. And Google Maps gives you all the information you need to be prepared, like how crowded your ride will be, what the temperature is like, and if there are wheelchair-accessible routes available.

Sleep more sustainably. Google Search helps you find hotels that have made significant commitments to green practices. Hotels that are certified for meeting high standards of sustainability from certain independent organizations, like Green Key or EarthCheck, will have an eco-certified badge next to their name. This helps you understand their eco-friendly practices, from waste reduction to energy efficiency to water conservation measures.

All this is part of their commitment to empower 1 billion people through Google products by the end of the year – by making the sustainable choice an easier choice.

Top technologies in 2022

Technology continues its unstoppable innovation, bringing new solutions to society. Perhaps some of them, as is the case of the metaverse, are not so important or socially relevant. However, in other cases we can find technologies that can have an application that can bring a lot to society, especially in certain countries, as is the case of Blockchain technology.

Metaverse

Many people may wonder what the metaverse can really contribute to people’s lives. In the opinion of many experts, perhaps little. What they can do is change the way we enjoy some experiences or perhaps envelop them with new sensations. For example, there are websites that claim that the metaverse will play an important role in casino games and the like. For example, being able to simulate the presence of the player in a real casino room, being able to enjoy from the comfort of your home the feeling of being in the gaming room of the best casinos in the world. For example, you will be able to visit and play at the tables of the Monte Carlo casino from the sofa of your home.

Some media also point to the possibility that we can have much more immersive distance learning experiences similar to a traditional classroom with physical presence and direct contact between student and teacher. In fact, online education can undergo a great evolution if it can fit well within an educational metaverse. Being able to ask questions to the teacher in real time in a much closer way than by a simple video call can make some trainings that are developed within the metaverse increase the quality and above all the knowledge that the student can obtain.

Blockchain

As for blockchain, large projects of great social significance have been generated within it. Blockchain technology should not be confused with cryptocurrencies, as they do not necessarily go together. Cryptocurrencies use blockchain technology, but they are not the same thing. For example, some of the most innovative projects using blockchain technology allow the donations that countries and individuals give to developing countries to be traced and, in a transparent way, it can be seen what that money is spent on and in whose hands it goes. This is something that can contribute to overcome the inequality that exists between many third world countries and more developed countries, since having the possibility of controlling and verifying what the donations are destined to, many more people may want to contribute to these countries without fearing that the money ends up diverted to the accounts of corrupt politicians in these less developed countries. In addition, the NGOs that may receive the funds will have full traceability of the money, being able to be transparent with their donors at all times.

In this aspect there are numerous social projects or projects of social interest that can be developed on the Blockchain, although few end up coming to fruition. In many cases, large sums of money are needed to finance the project, so they need to obtain funding and these times are not very good in that aspect, as many venture capital funds have stopped investing in companies that are not profitable and can offer a return on their investment in the short term, due to the crisis we are experiencing globally at the moment.

Artificial Intelligence

Undoubtedly the best example of the evolution of technology. This year there has even been news about the possible or theoretical consciousness that some artificial intelligences could have of themselves. However, artificial intelligence is something that will help many sectors in the coming years. One sector where a lot of work is being done with artificial intelligence is in the healthcare sector, where it is expected that artificial intelligence could help save many lives with artificial intelligence-based treatments and diagnoses in order to always do what is optimal for the patient.

Google even offers training on artificial intelligence so that users and developers can contribute to the ecosystem and take artificial intelligence to a new level where it can really have a great impact in favor of society in many different areas.