Monthly Archives: March 2022

Many Google employees dont see their pay packages as fair or competitive, according to an annual worker survey of the company that was obtained by CNBC.

Googles Googlegeist survey, which was released to employees last week, found that compensation, promotions and an ability to meet career goals were among the top concerns for workers. Employees were largely happy with the companys ability to carry out its mission and values.

A Google executive said employees receive top compensation. But according to the survey results, the percentage of employees who think their compensation is competitive, the percentage who think their pay is fair and equitable and the percentage who say their performance is reflected in their pay all dropped from the previous year. Less than half of workers said their compensation is competitive compared to similar jobs elsewhere, down 12 points from the prior year.

A survey released earlier this month found that part of the reason workers are quitting en masse is because of pay dissatisfaction. Still, Google executives announced late last year they wouldnt raise pay to match inflation even as its revenue continued to rise.

We know that our employees have many choices about where they work, so we ensure they are very well compensated, a Google spokesperson said in a statement. Thats why weve always provided top of market compensation across salary, equity, leave and a suite of benefits.

CEO Sundar Pichai received a favorable rating of 86%, while about three-quarters of workers said Pichai inspires them.

Pichai said Google's annual survey is one of the most important ways the company measures employee satisfaction. Other large tech companies survey their workers through surveys, too: Meta conducts a semi-annual Pulse Survey, and Microsoft workers take an annual companywide poll.

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Google employees don't think their pay is competitive - Protocol

The latest Android Auto update adds a diagnostic feature that checks if your USB cable or port isnt working as expected, as shown by former XDA Developers editor-in-chief Mishaal Rahman on Twitter. If your phone isnt connecting to your car, the diagnostic tool might be able to help pinpoint if the USB connection is where the issue lies.

In images shown by Rahman, the tool, seemingly called USB Startup Diagnostics, will check if a USB cable connects and checks the cable quality. On a support page, Google recommends using connecting to your car with the cable that came with your phone or one thats less than three feet long and doesnt use USB hubs or cable extensions.

Having the right cable might be easier said than done, though. USB cables can be of wildly varying quality, meaning it can be tough to know which have the right specifications to support Android Auto. And you may not be able to assume that the cable that came with your phone will work with Android Auto, either, as most newer phones come with USB-C cables, but not many cars have USB-C ports. Hopefully, this diagnostic tool makes it easier to know if you need to get a different cable.

Rahman says the tool is available in Android Auto 7.5.121104 if you dont have that version yet, you might want to check if you have an update available. In a Twitter DM, Rahman noted that if you have the feature, you can find it under Android Autos settings > Connection help > USB startup diagnostics. Its worth noting that Google will sometimes slowly roll out features, so if youre not seeing the diagnostic tool, you might just have to wait for it to become available.

Update March 16th, 6:27PM ET: Added context about which version appears to have the feature.

See more here:

Google's Android Auto app can tell you if your USB cable is bad - The Verge

The news: At the HIMSS conference this week, Google Health announced a partnership to integrate Googles Care Studio with Meditechs electronic health record (EHR) platform, per a Google blog post.

How does Googles Care Studio work? It essentially serves as a clinical search tool that lets clinicians quickly access patient information in their personal health record.

For example, providers can type a word like diabetes or hemoglobin into the Care Studio search bar, and the tool will pull up all relevant patient info across the health systems multiple clinical softwares.

Quick access to a patients clinical information could be handy for physicians already overburdened with paperwork, since patient information is often buried across multiple platforms. Some hospitals have a patients MRI results and medical history on two different softwares requiring separate logins, for instance. Toggling between both takes valuable time away from patient care.

Heres what the partnership means for Google: Its Care Studio has had one-off partnerships with health systems, but partnering with Meditech means reaching multiple new hospital clients.

Last year, Googles Care Studio inked a deal with major health system Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIMDC) to let clinicians try the tech giants clinical search tools.

BIMDC wasnt its first health system-tie up, though.

Now, the expanded Meditech partnership means Google will eventually get its Care Studio in the hands of physicians at various new health systems: Meditech boasts over 623 hospital clients, per its website.

Whats next? If Care Studios partnership is a hit with Meditechs hospital clients, it would be a jumpstart to Google partnering with larger EHR vendors like Epic and Oracles Cerner.

That would help Googles Care Studio scale more rapidly than with a Meditech partnership alone:

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Google Health's Care Studio ties up with Meditechhere's why Epic could be its next target - eMarketer

Its been two years since the vast majority of people started working from home due to COVID-19. As we move into a more flexible future of work, a hybrid approach will be the new norm for many companies, including Google. At its core, this means bringing people back together in ways that can work for everyonegiving employees more choice and flexibility, while ensuring teams are being set up for success.

As hybrid work continues to gain popularity, companies must be mindful of the challenges it can present if not done inclusively. A recent survey found a strong preference for remote or hybrid work among employees of color, caregivers, and women. Working in the office shouldnt overshadow the impact an employee makes wherever they may be. We have a responsibility to make sure every employee continues to feel included and has the same opportunity to advance as their colleagues who may be in the office more frequently.

At Google, weve learned some valuable lessons over the past two years about how to put flexibility and inclusion first in a hybrid work environment, while also improving productivity and collaboration. Three key themes have emerged from our research and experiences.

Maintaining virtual connections will remain important as more companies embrace hybrid work long-term. In a hybrid workplace, it is imperative that teams build collaboration equity, in which all employees have the tools, access, and information they need to work together with their teams and be effective at their jobs. Heres a few examples:

As companies continue to become more distributed, it is critical to provide employees with the tools and support they need to build spaces where they can feel connected to others over a shared sense of identity. At Google, our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) bring together workers who share interests, backgrounds, or experiences, and provide a sense of community for employees to share their experiences as they navigate the changing work landscape in different ways.

To continue building community in a remote and hybrid environment, Googles ERGs have hosted virtual yoga, career development sessions, and even global summits. One of the most significant ways one of our ERGs is building connections is also one of the simplest: Our Asian Google Network ERG created designated office hours, opportunities for Googlers to sign up for a time slot to talk with a peer about anything thats on their mind in an open and safe space. These virtual office hours help employees across different schedules, locations, and work arrangements remain connected and have been adopted by other ERGs at Google because of their effectiveness in strengthening a support network.

As companies continue to develop hybrid work plans, they should lead with inclusive tools and behaviors to build new, creative ways for employees to be productive, connected, and collaborative from anywhereespecially the days when they are in the office.

For example, were experimenting with more flexible space types at some of our offices, featuring adaptable furniture and partitions that employees can adjust for focused individual work, collaboration, or a mix of both. Google also has a history of incorporating natural green spaces inside and around our offices, and as we redesign our offices over time for hybrid work, well explore ways to offer more spaces to support employees looking to work outdoors instead of being inside an office all day.

The pandemic has certainly presented many uncertainties and challenges, but it has also presented an ongoing opportunity to make our workplaces more accessible and inclusive. And that opportunity is one we should all take seriously as a way to continue listening to, learning from, and supporting our employees to thrive.

Melonie Parker is Googles chief diversity officer.

Originally posted here:

Google executive on lessons learned about diversity and inclusion - Fast Company

Juan Garzon/CNET

You've probably interacted with Google Assistant before, especially if you have a Google Pixel or another Android phone. Maybe you've asked what the weather is going to be like or how to get directions to a restaurant for date night. But Google Assistant can do a lot more, including controlling your entire smart home.

Whether you're using Google's Pixel phone, Nest Audio or Nest Mini smart speakers, Nest Hub smart display or any of a slew of other Google Nest devices, you already have everything that you need in order to start controlling your house. All you need to do is connect your devices so you can control them through Google Assistant. Here are some of the best tips and tricks for how to get the most out of the Google Assistant smart home experience.

Before you can control your light bulbs or pull up the live feed of your Nest Video Doorbell, you'll need to connect them, and whatever smart speaker or display you'd like to use, to your Google Home account. Doing so is easy, and if you're using Nest brand devices, you'll almost certainly have already done it. If your smart speaker or display is connected to the same account, you'll be able to control the device with straightforward commands, like, "Hey, Google, turn off the kitchen lights."

If your devices are Google Home-compatible, but you haven't connected them to the Google Home app, doing so is easy. Open the app and tap the + (plus sign) in the top left corner. Then tap Set up device > Works with Google. Select the device maker from the list (Wyze, for instance), and follow the directions to connect your gadget.

Google Assistant plus a smart thermostat like this one from Nest can even help you save money by conserving energy.

Once you've got a device that uses Google Assistant, the sky is the limit for smart home control. You can improve your home security with everything from smart locks and security cameras to connecting with professionally installed security services like ADT. You can control your lights, thermostatandapplianceswith a voice command. But that's only scratching the surface. Here's how you can get even more out of these integrations.

Your day has a rhythm to it, and interruptions to that routine can seriously derail your plans. Your smart home can help to facilitate those patterns, accomplishing recurring tasks that you find yourself needing to tackle day in and day out. All you need to do is set up a Routine.

Setting up Routines with Google Assistant is easy. Open the Google Home app and tap on Routines. There you'll find a number of ready-made routines that can be tweaked to your own personal needs and triggered with a predetermined command.

If you want to wake up to a specific song or have certain lights and appliances turned on for you when your start your day, for example, set up the Good Morning routine. Once you've customized the Routine, hit save. Now any time you say, "Hey, Google, good morning," it will automatically run your Routine.

You can also build custom Routines. To do this, open the Google Home app, select Routines, and tap the + button to create a new Routine. From here, you can set your trigger -- a voice command, a particular time of day or a specific action -- and tell Google Assistant what you want to happen within the routine. Under "This Routine will," use the + button to add new actions to the Routine.

Hit save and Google Assistant will perform your new routine anytime that you trigger it.

Tile trackers can help you keep track of easy-to-misplace personal effects -- and Google Assistant can help you find them with a simple voice command.

We've all experienced that panicked feeling of not being able to find our keys, phone, wallet or other important item when we're already running late for an event. You don't have to give yourself the full pat-down to see if you have the item on you or start ripping up couch cushions trying to find it. Just ask Google Assistant for help.

There are two ways to keep track of those items that just always seem to get misplaced. First, use a Tile tracker -- a small fob that connects to your keyring, your phone or whatever else you want. Then, if you've misplaced your keys, just say, "OK, Google, ring my keys," and you'll get a little chirpy ringtone to help you find them.

If you don't have a Tile tracker, Google can still help you out: When you want to remember where you're stashing something, say, "OK, Google, remember that I put my keys in the top drawer," or wherever else you're putting it. Google Assistant will remember for you. Then, when you can't find that object, just say, "OK, Google, where are my keys?" and Google Assistant will remind you exactly where you left them.

You can think of the Google Assistant as the universal remote for your smart home -- but it can be your actual television remote, too. If you have a smart TV with Google TV built in -- or just a Chromecast connected to your regular TV -- you can play your favorite movies and shows with simple voice commands. Just say, "OK, Google, play Stranger Things on [your preferred TV]," and Google Assistant will queue up the show. You can change what you're watching, control the volume and even tell Google Assistant to switch to another TV if you're changing rooms.

As things slow down in the evening -- and the kids finally get to bed -- sounds that at other times seem normal can seem startlingly loud. That includes Google Assistant's voice. If you're finding the voice assistant is just louder than you want as you're starting to settle in for your nighttime routine, you can turn on Night Mode and have everything automatically made quieter.

Open the Google Home app, tap Settings >Notifications > Digital Wellbeing. From here, you can enable Night Mode. This will lower the volume of any smart device and dim the lights of any smart lighting that you have connected to your Google Assistant.

There is so much that you can do with your Google Nest devices and Google Assistant to control your Google smart home. We've just scratched the surface of all the capabilities that the smart assistant brings to controlling everything throughout your connected living space.

For more information about using a Google Home device, check out:

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Control Your Google Smart Home With These Easy Tips and Tricks - CNET

JAKARTA, INDONESIA - MAY 31: A boy plays with a makeshift flagpole on a beach covered in plastic ... [+] waste at a fishing village on the northern coast on May 31, 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia. Indonesia has been ranked the second biggest marine polluter in the world behind only China with reports showing that the country produces 187.2 million tonnes of plastic waste each year. Like many developing countries Indonesia lacks the infrastructure to effectively manage their waste and the problem has become so severe that the nation's army has been called in to help clean-up when its rivers and canals were clogged with dense masses of bottles, bags and other plastic packaging. According to studies there could be more plastic in the sea than fish by 2050, while actual plastic particles might be in our seafood as fish consume bits of plastic which are coated in bacteria and algae, mimicking their natural food sources. (Photo by Ed Wray/Getty Images)

The Google-AFARA Plastic Circularity report on which I wrote a few months back has now been released in full. One of the key findings from the report is that investment is crucial to creating a circular economy for plastics and that there are significant opportunities for investors, particularly at the nexus of climate and plastics. With a recycling value chain that is under pressure like never before, the need for investor engagement has never been greater. But thanks in part to this study, one thing is now clearer than ever the current challenges facing the value chain present investors with a really unique opportunity to use their capital to steer the recycling industry back towards growth. The time to act and invest in solutions is now.

I recently sat down with Mike Werner, Googles Lead for Circular Economy, and Dan Zilnik, AFARA's President, to discuss their collaboration, insights, and recommendations to accelerate a circular economy for plastics and maximize investment opportunity. Below is an excerpt from our conversation.

RK: Mike, Google is known for being a data-driven organization. Why did you partner with AFARA to collect data on the plastic circularity gap, and what was the biggest surprise for you?

MW: At Google, we believe that realizing a sustainable world means that we all must accelerate the transition to a safe, equitable, and circular economy where people, the planet, and businesses thrive. However, reaching a circular economy for any resource, especially plastics, is a large and complex global challenge. Before conducting this study, what I saw in the public dialogue were data and reports on the 50 or 100 different things we all ought to do to end plastic waste, but there lacked a clear list of prioritized interventions that would have the greatest impact on creating a circular economy of plastics. Dan and his team at AFARA helped us dig into the economics and develop an intervention model that established a clear set of low-risk and no-risk interventions that would be economic under multiple future scenarios toward creating a circular economy for plastics. AFARA has been an ideal partner because of their deep expertise in the economics of oil, gas, and plastics value chains and the myriad of sustainability issues surrounding those resources.

Two big things stand out to me about the data. First, the data suggest that the circularity gap is likely going to grow significantly over the next two decades. Under a business as usual scenario, it is projected that 7.7 billion metric tons of plastics will be mismanagedlandfilled, incinerated or leaked into the environmentbetween now and 2040. That volume of plastic is equivalent to roughly 16x the weight of the entire human population on earth today! Second, while there needs to be a portfolio approach that includes plastic reduction efforts, the biggest intervention we need to capitalize on is building better recycling infrastructure. As the world transitions from linear to circular, supply chains need to be rewired and the requisite infrastructure needs to be put in place to ensure these resources are kept in the economy and out of the environment.

RK: This work takes on a big question that not many folks are paying attention to: How can we create irreversible momentum towards a circular economy for plastics and simultaneously end our reliance on fossil fuel feedstocks? Dan, how far did you get in answering this question and what solutions did the analysis reveal?

DZ: We got most of the way there; the data show that we can close the plastic circularity gap economically by 54-62%. Put another way, more than half of the worlds plastic waste can be part of profitable value chains if we invest in the right things. We can create significant impacts to Polyethylene (plastics 2 and 4), Polypropylene (plastic 5) and PET (plastic 1). While there needs to be a portfolio approach that includes plastics reduction efforts, the biggest intervention is to build better recycling infrastructure. This infrastructure will optimize the existing mechanical recycling technologies that are commercial today and unlock the potential of chemical recycling, which well need in tandem with mechanical recycling to close the plastic gap. But we need to turn this data into action quickly. By 2040, roughly $426-544 billion USD in net present value (NPV) must be redirected from linear supply chains to circular supply chains, and this capital needs to be patient since we are talking about infrastructure and hard-tech investment which are decade-based, not annual capital turnover cycles.

RK: These findings challenge some of the conventional wisdom that recycling doesnt work and isnt economical. How robust are the data and analyses behind these conclusions?

DZ: We grounded our analysis in the economics of plastics production and recycling, brought together 20 years of supply/demand forecasts for plastics, and developed an intervention model that quantified the impacts of various potential solutions (e.g., technology, investment, procurement, and policy). Finally, we prioritized potential solutions into strategic interventions that are either low-risk or no-risk under multiple future scenarios. For sustainability solutions to scale globally it has to attract capital and has to be economic. This is among the most robust economic models for plastics that I know of.

RK: I guess that explains why it took you guys 9 months to get these 117 pages published! The story coming out is a mix of hopeful (we can do a lot of things to close the gap), and bleak (if we do nothing we are going to have a lot of mismanaged plastic). What should we start doing today to make sure we maximize the opportunity?

MW: The entire ecosystem from investors and brands to policy makers needs to unlock and mobilize the requisite capital required to massively improve recycling infrastructure and new supply chains for recycled plastics around the world. In many ways, we are in a similar moment today as we were 20+ years ago with renewable energy. In other words, it was recognized that massive investment was needed in wind, solar, hydro and geothermal projects to increase the supply of green, low-carbon energy. Acceleration in new technologies, adoption of new policies, and leadership from the private sector was also critical. Similarly, it's time for all of us to act on the recognition that we cannot create a circular economy of plastics without massive investment in recycling, recovery, and reprocessing infrastructure. Some are touting that we cannot recycle our way out of the plastic waste problem and that sounds seductive; however, we cannot eliminate, reduce, or reuse our way out of this problem either. We actually need to do all of it.

The good news is that the tide is turning and both businesses and investors are starting to get a handle on how to better support the recycling value chain. They also recognize that the investment opportunities have real potential to simultaneously address plastic pollution, reduce business risk, improve the long-term economics of the recycled plastics value chains while also tackling climate change. And thats huge!

Excerpt from:

The Time To Invest In The Circular Economy For Plastics Is Now, According To Google Study - Forbes