CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-02-20 13:31:10 (288 comments, 382 reshares, 1833 +1s)

Seeking Glass Explorers: goo.gl/PbKWr

Last year we showed Glass to the world for the first time - we jumped out of airships, crashed New York Fashion Week and even took a ride on the subway. It’s been an exhilarating journey so far and there’s a lot more to come, but we can’t go it alone. We’re developing new technology that is designed to be unobtrusive and liberating, and so far we’ve only scratched the surface of the true potential of Glass.

Now we want you to get involved and that’s why today we’re expanding our Glass Explorer Program. We’re looking for bold, creative individuals who want to join us and be a part of shaping the future of Glass. Glass is still in the early stages, so we expect there will be some twists and turns along the way. While we can’t promise everything will be perfect, we can promise it will be exciting. 

We’d love tomake everyone a Glas... more »

2013-02-14 07:12:00 (196 comments, 110 reshares, 1505 +1s)

I had a blast today testing out a new kiteboat with my friend +Don Montague.  It was amazing to go ~2.5x wind speed.  But what topped it off was catching an actual green flash at the end of the day with the sun setting right behind the golden gate bridge.  I thought I had seen them before kinda sorta but this was really bright saturated no-question-about-it green.

2013-01-14 06:39:03 (236 comments, 301 reshares, 2505 +1s)

No place in the world has made me consider my place in the universe like Jellyfish Lake. Millions of creatures all drifting seemingly aimlessly, searching for light, for the energy to spawn so generations of their offspring may do the same years later. I take a small breath, sink toward the bottom, watching them in wonder and think are we really so different?

2012-12-22 04:50:50 (263 comments, 257 reshares, 2932 +1s)

Morning of the apocalypse.

Straight out of the camera this am. Beautiful yet ominous sunrise.

2012-12-10 19:50:45 (31 comments, 98 reshares, 687 +1s)

Lady Ada Lovelace, born nearly two centuries ago on December 10, 1815, is considered by some to be the world’s first computer programmer. In 1843, she published the first algorithm intended for use on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. Nearly a century before the first computers were built, Ada envisaged a day when a single machine would be capable of a myriad of tasks, limited only by the creativity of its programmer.

Today we're celebrating Ada's prophetic vision for computing with a doodle on homepages worldwide. We hope today's doodle inspires people to find out more about Ada, and about the contributions made by women in general to science and technology. Read more: http://goo.gl/zL9Ar

2012-11-26 07:03:37 (134 comments, 107 reshares, 1206 +1s)

"You there, pull over!"

[taken during sf fleet week]

2012-11-24 06:35:53 (269 comments, 179 reshares, 2446 +1s)

Pa-cif-ic: calm, tranquil, at peace.

On a rare day when this ocean earns its name, +Anne Wojcicki finds tranquility in the stunning waters of Maupiti.

2013-04-29 10:05:00 (288 comments, 247 reshares, 2141 +1s)

Don't miss today's solar eclipse.  I took the one below a couple years back on Hao atoll.  It's very spectacular in person if you around Cairns right now but if not you can catch a live stream online.  It's about 5 minutes to totality at many sites.

2012-11-06 08:03:49 (495 comments, 2019 reshares, 7963 +1s)

I must confess, I am dreading today's elections.
Not because of who might win or lose.
Not because as a Californian, my vote for President will count 1/3 as much as an Alaskan (actually it won't matter at all -- I'm not in a swing state).
Not because my vote for Senate will count 1/50 as much as an Alaskan.

But because no matter what the outcome, our government will still be a giant bonfire of partisanship.  It is ironic since whenever I have met with our elected officials they are invariably thoughtful, well-meaning people.  And yet collectively 90% of their effort seems to be focused on how to stick it to the other party.

So my plea to the victors -- whoever they might be: please withdraw from your respective parties and govern as independents in name and in spirit.  It is probably the biggest contribution you can make to the country.

[If youag... more »

2012-10-29 02:06:33 (150 comments, 103 reshares, 1480 +1s)

I caught this beautiful sunrise a few weeks ago ... a nice antidote for those who are facing very different weather in the next 24 hours on the east coast.

2012-10-17 05:31:55 (210 comments, 164 reshares, 1704 +1s)

Nothing is quite like swimming with a humpback whale. Believe it or not, this is a baby! Despite our language (and culture and species) barrier, her intelligence and playfulness shone through right away. As I snorkled at the surface, she came up every minute or two to take a breath (the adults only breathe every 15 minutes or so). Each time, she got closer and closer until she was almost tackling me. In those precious few moments, I felt I really formed a connection with this beautiful creature. I will never forget the experience.

As an aside, this photo and many other spectacular ones were almost lost altogether when in haste I later jumped in the water and didn't properly close one latch on the camera case. After many hours of drying, stressing, and stitching files together I managed to recover all the photos. So don't be foolish like me ... back up your photos after every outing.... more »

2012-10-09 05:45:11 (348 comments, 219 reshares, 2073 +1s)

Blue Angels -- great at flying.
Counting ... not so much.

taken during the amazing airshow in SF this weekend

2012-10-06 05:01:09 (201 comments, 123 reshares, 1681 +1s)

A nurse shark in the Bahamas swims toward the light.  While they are generally harmless, I have seen them get curious about humans before and come in for a sniff.  Perhaps foolish but my first impulse when I see a creature such as this is to grab my camera and jump in the water.

2012-10-01 05:55:38 (231 comments, 170 reshares, 1624 +1s)

If Hitchcock's movie scared you, don't be afraid.  Frigate birds are harmless except of course for the occasional dropping.  Nonetheless, they along with other bird species can be an overwhelming sight at relatively untouched sanctuaries such as this one on Isla Genovesa in the Galapagos.  Though it looks upside down, I shot this pretty much straight up from under a cliff overhang while dodging those little white bombs raining down.

2012-09-14 05:48:01 (94 comments, 123 reshares, 566 +1s)

Celebrated fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg tried on Glass for the first time a few months ago at a conference that she attended with Sergey Brin. She immediately loved it and they agreed to bring Glass to New York Fashion Week. Diane is a champion for innovation and effortless design, so it’s unsurprising that Glass fit seamlessly into her production. In the week leading up to her Spring 2013 show in New York, and during the show itself, everyone from stylists and models to Diane herself used Glass to capture never-before-seen footage of the creative process. This is the first time any video has been shot entirely through Glass and we’re so excited to be able to share it with you. #DVFthroughGlass  

2012-08-22 06:58:34 (383 comments, 362 reshares, 1157 +1s)

If you haven't followed the Pussy Riot "trial" in Russia, I recommend you read Garry Kasparov's eye opening account of the state of freedom of expression under Putin.

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/opinion/article/putinism-is-the-only-religion-that-matters/466886.html

There was shock, if no real surprise, at the verdict against Pussy Riot on Friday. Despite whispers of leniency, I never doubted that a conviction and prison term would result. Not because they violated anything in the Criminal Code, which, as of this writing, is still freely available on the Internet. No, Pussy Riot's actions were hateful toward religion only in breaking the First Commandment of today's Russia, "Thou shalt not take Putin's name in vain." ...

2012-07-20 07:23:21 (488 comments, 449 reshares, 3833 +1s)

It is hard to appreciate how vast this world is until you travel to a remote corner and watch your wings take off without you.  I was lucky to catch this shot when the plane I had just been on flew off to escape just before sunset.

If you have travelled somewhere remote, how did you feel when your transportation left you?

2012-06-28 07:04:27 (258 comments, 252 reshares, 1259 +1s)

We are always pushing the limits of our technology, and Project Glass is no exception.  It is designed to help you live in the moment -- even when you’re falling from the sky.

We’re still in early development days, but at Google I/O this morning we wanted to do a product demo in a way we’d never tried before.  We worked with some of the world’s top athletes, combined skydiving and mountain biking, and shared the experience -- through their eyes -- with the world.

If you missed it, we’d love you to be able to see how we put this together, so tune in live tomorrow (weather permitting!) at roughly 11am at https://developers.google.com/events/io/ to check it out.

And you may just catch another Hangout in Air.

#projectglass   #io12   #skydiving  

2012-06-19 06:08:20 (120 comments, 404 reshares, 1068 +1s)

How long does it take to go around the world in the age of YouTube? Oh, about six minutes or so.

2012-06-12 16:24:53 (184 comments, 347 reshares, 1659 +1s)

A few weeks ago, the President of Turkey visited Google.  When we showed him one of our self driving cars, he was so excited that he and his wife jumped in for an impromptu test drive.  Here we are on 101 with +Sebastian Thrun at the wheel (so to speak).  On the right +Anthony Levandowski is holding a laptop which shows us what the car is "seeing" with its laser scanner.

This photo is a highlight for Google X because it combines two of our main projects -- self driving cars and +Project Glass (worn by Sebastian and used by me to take the shot).  Thanks to the Secret Service for having a sense of humor about the last minute jaunt.

2012-05-25 14:22:00 (92 comments, 95 reshares, 790 +1s)

The International Space Station Expedition 31 crew successfully captured the +SpaceX #Dragon capsule with the station’s robotic arm at 9:56 AM EDT. The feat came 3 days, 6 hours, 11minutes and 23 seconds after the mission’s launch. The station was 251 miles over northwest Australia when capture occurred.

2012-05-14 07:02:59 (94 comments, 44 reshares, 585 +1s)

This year has offered a lot of new cameras for photo enthusiasts. One of my favorites -- the new Sony NEX-7 packs great image quality in a package far smaller than the typical DSLR. Even with the mondo 18-200 lens, I was able to take this on a ski trip that I would not have brought a full size camera. I came back with a lot of stunning sharp 24 megapixel images. This is one of my favorites.

2012-05-13 15:35:31 (78 comments, 57 reshares, 815 +1s)

Happy Mother's Day

2012-05-09 02:21:25 (186 comments, 221 reshares, 1234 +1s)

Jasper, my son, and me.

2012-04-18 08:59:19 (244 comments, 808 reshares, 2214 +1s)

I believe the internet has been one of the greatest forces for good in the world over the past quarter century. So when the Guardian requested that I speak to them over the past few months about internet freedom, I decided it was important to participate.

I think the article is a pretty good read but is a short summary of a long discussion. My thoughts got particularly distorted in the secondary coverage in a way that distracts from my central tenets so I think they are worth clarifying here.

(see article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/15/web-freedom-threat-google-brin)

Today, the primary threat by far to internet freedom is government filtering of political dissent. This has been far more effective than I ever imagined possible across a number of nations. In addition, other countries such as the US have come close to adopting very similar techniques in order... more »

2012-04-04 16:31:50 (254 comments, 415 reshares, 954 +1s)

We think technology should work for you—to be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t.

A group of us from Google[x] started Project Glass to build this kind of technology, one that helps you explore and share your world, putting you back in the moment. We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input. So we took a few design photos to show what this technology could look like and created a video to demonstrate what it might enable you to do.

Please follow along as we share some of our ideas and stories. We’d love to hear yours, too. What would you like to see from Project Glass?

+Babak Parviz +Steve Lee +Sebastian Thrun

2012-04-02 05:48:18 (88 comments, 137 reshares, 613 +1s)

We spend a lot of time at Google trying to answer "What ifs?" What if you could find any info you need, the instant you need it? Google Search. What if you could view some of the world’s most renowned art online? The Art Project. And what if you built a self-driving car capable of navigating a track at speeds upwards of 200mph while surrounded by other cars? Our answer to that last one is Google Racing, a partnership with NASCAR to design and build autonomous stock cars. Find out more at google.com/racing.

2012-03-28 19:25:05 (140 comments, 493 reshares, 950 +1s)

We announced our self-driving car project in 2010 (http://goo.gl/dI6qA) with a clear goal: make driving safer, more enjoyable and more efficient.

There’s much left to design and test, but we’ve now safely completed more than 200,000 miles of computer-led driving, gathering great experiences and an overwhelming number of enthusiastic supporters.

We wanted to share one of our favorite moments from some special research we conducted. Watch this video of Steve, who joined us for a drive on a carefully programmed route to experience being behind the wheel in a whole new way. We organized this test as a technical experiment outside of our core research efforts, but we think it’s also a promising look at what this kind of technology may one day deliver for society if rigorous technical and safety standards can be met.

A version of this video with audio captions is availablehere:... more »

2012-02-21 18:50:06 (117 comments, 36 reshares, 460 +1s)

I was lucky to catch Muhammad Ali's 70th Birthday this past weekend -- an amazing event supporting a great cause -- the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health.

2012-01-18 08:29:53 (161 comments, 847 reshares, 2300 +1s)

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:SOPA_initiative/Learn_more

2011-12-23 06:43:31 (274 comments, 297 reshares, 1415 +1s)

Edward, 72, lives by himself on an otherwise uninhabited island. His diet consists mostly of conch and fish as well as some vegetables from a small garden. Lean and muscular, he looks healthier than most people I know in their twenties.

2011-12-23 06:43:23 (94 comments, 32 reshares, 338 +1s)

Favorite photos

2011-12-15 07:05:41 (251 comments, 1932 reshares, 3106 +1s)

In just two decades, the world wide web has transformed and democratized access to information all around the world. I am proud of the role Google has played alongside many others such as Yahoo, Wikipedia, and Twitter. Whether you are a student in an internet cafe in the developing world or a head of state of a wealthy nation, the knowledge of the world is at your fingertips.

Of course, offering these services has come with its challenges. Multiple countries have sought to suppress the flow of information to serve their own political goals. At various times notable Google websites have been blocked in China, Iran, Libya (prior to their revolution), Tunisia (also prior to revolution), and others. For our own websites and for the internet as a whole we have worked tirelessly to combat internet censorship around the world alongside governments and NGO promoting free speech.

Thus, imagine... more »

2011-12-14 21:18:09 (136 comments, 86 reshares, 813 +1s)

Few landscapes in the world are as surreal as deserts. You may think this photo is heavily edited but it is straight out of the camera.

To get this shot, I climbed onto a concrete wall in the middle of the night, balanced the camera on the edge (the blur on the bottom ... sorry), and fired a 30 second exposure.

Even though it was moonlit, the sky was so clear that you can almost make out the nebula in Orion's dagger.

2011-12-14 06:51:45 (88 comments, 45 reshares, 392 +1s)

Favorite photos

2011-12-10 07:25:32 (176 comments, 239 reshares, 856 +1s)

After a long day at the office ...

2011-12-09 21:49:39 (213 comments, 116 reshares, 1054 +1s)

You might think that this is a macro shot but in fact there just are really big bugs in the south pacific (perhaps someone can identify it). This one landed on a table near me and all I had on me was a wide (35mm) lens. But I got as close as I dared, and with a little crop, here is the result.

Note this is my first try at posting from Picasa as the latest version now has native Google+ support.

2011-12-09 19:12:12 (172 comments, 108 reshares, 1152 +1s)

A few months ago I was on a hike with +Patrick Pichette. As we came over the crest of a long climb, he spotted this amazing hawk. All we had was our cell phones but we managed to get this shot.

2011-11-29 19:24:21 (98 comments, 294 reshares, 613 +1s)

Today, Google Maps is entering a new frontier: mapping the indoors. As part of this morning’s launch of Google Maps 6.0 for Android, you can use your phone to see detailed floor plans of airports, malls, large stores, and other public spaces; get a more accurate location indoors; and find your way around large buildings. The familiar ‘blue dot’ can show you where you are indoors and automatically detect what floor you’re on. And it’s all seamlessly integrated into Google Maps for Android.

To watch the overview video -- http://youtu.be/Gy-DI_bWElg
To play with a demo -- visit maps.google.com/indoor
To read the full announcement -- http://goo.gl/HdI3R
To download the update from Android Market -- http://goo.gl/EFgwH

There is still plenty to share. Check back throughout today for lots of screenshots, more videos, and more information about indoor GoogleMaps and ... more »

2011-10-08 06:05:45 (187 comments, 219 reshares, 1207 +1s)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will have a conversation with Archbishop Desmond Tutu by live video over a Hangout (Google+'s video conferencing platform) as part of the Inaugural Desmond Tutu Peace Lecture in Cape Town, South Africa, on October 8, 2011, starting at 10:30am South African time (GMT+2.00). A link to the Google+ Hangout will be available approximately 20-30 minutes before the event begins.

2011-10-06 00:18:57 (469 comments, 2005 reshares, 8386 +1s)

From the earliest days of Google, whenever Larry and I sought inspiration for vision and leadership, we needed to look no farther than Cupertino. Steve, your passion for excellence is felt by anyone who has ever touched an Apple product (including the macbook I am writing this on right now). And I have witnessed it in person the few times we have met.

On behalf of all of us at Google and more broadly in technology, you will be missed very much. My condolences to family, friends, and colleagues at Apple.

2011-09-25 06:50:37 (472 comments, 177 reshares, 1544 +1s)

Taken in the state of majestic landscapes. I have been there twice and have been awed both times by the scenery and I certainly plan to visit again.

We turned around at this point on the hike because it was just a short day trip but it was very tempting to continue on into the wilderness.

Update: As a few of you have mentioned this is Alaska -- vast and scenic. Congrats to +Michael N. +John Hawkins +Cyrus Murphy and +Lyndsey Kleppin .

2012-05-15 09:21:30 (489 comments, 245 reshares, 1583 +1s)

You may think I captured this image of a "dragon" in a far off land but in fact it was very close to home. Let me know where you think this is and as always I appreciate feedback on the photo. I'll update the post later today with the story.

Update: First of all, no this is not +Larry Page when he is grumpy.
As many of you pointed out it is in fact a giraffe. And as a few people guessed or deduced the location is
....
<drumroll>
....
Safari West in Santa Rosa -- safariwest.com.
This was actually my second time there in a long time. We spent the night in one of their tent cabins and in the morning we took a walk among the animals. It was a bit dreary before the fog burned off (many of you guessed sf for that reason) so I was ambivalent about bothering to lug around the big 28-300 lens. In fact I wasn't very satisfied with the light as I... more »

2011-09-20 18:17:41 (213 comments, 84 reshares, 620 +1s)

Favorite photos

2011-08-29 05:42:21 (285 comments, 159 reshares, 1150 +1s)

Floating over the San Francisco Bay, it is hard to miss the amazing colors of the salt evaporation ponds at the southern tip. Depending on the salinity level of a particular pond, the color can vary from green to orange to red based on the ecosystem that flourishes at that concentration.

As you can probably guess, I took this shot from an airship. Since getting to know the folks over at airshipventures.com, I have had the pleasure of flying with them several times and this loop in the south bay is arguably the most scenic. I will probably give it another go when they get back to SF in October.

2011-08-23 06:03:50 (218 comments, 116 reshares, 687 +1s)

Full res versions of G+ photos

2011-08-21 23:55:21 (391 comments, 196 reshares, 1880 +1s)

I recently found an old flash card that I had misplaced and came across this shot. We were staying at a lodge in the Okavango Delta. Our guide had phenomenal vision and spotted something stirring under a tree perhaps two miles away.

When we drove there, we found this cheetah resting in the shade. His expression and the calming background were a magical view of the world's fastest hunter.

2012-06-13 03:32:04 (315 comments, 256 reshares, 1607 +1s)

Here is another set of Egypt photos. This country has lots of natural beauty -- underwater is no exception.

I shot these with a 5D II in an Ikelite housing with a 35 1.4 lens.

2012-06-13 03:32:04 (114 comments, 44 reshares, 448 +1s)

Under the Red Sea!

2012-06-13 03:32:04 (105 comments, 40 reshares, 399 +1s)

Under the Red Sea!