Charting The Rise & Rise Of Indian-Born Techie Sundar Pichai

Gravitas: Sundar Pichai named the CEO of Alphabet, The Parent company of Google

Sundar Pichai is now CEO of both Google and Alphabet, Pichai has replaced Larry Page. Watch this video to know more.

Major corporate restructuring at Google, Sundar Pichai becomes CEO of  Alphabet

<p>Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google said on Wednesday it will offer personal checking accounts next year through its Google Pay app, initially in partnership with Citigroup Inc&nbsp;and a small credit union at Stanford University.</p>

<p>The project, codenamed Cache, comes as rivals <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/libras-association-is-independent-facebook-wont-be-part-of-it-even-outside-the-us-till-regulators-approve-zuckerberg-to-us-house-panel-257767">Facebook Inc&nbsp;</a>and Apple Inc&nbsp;are expanding their own efforts in consumer finance, a broad area that ranges from digital payment apps to bank accounts, brokerage accounts and loans, and which offer Silicon Valley new sources of revenue and new opportunities to strengthen ties with users.</p>

<p>US&nbsp;regulators and lawmakers have expressed concern about how those companies' massive influence and poor records on data privacy will play out as they try to gain ground in finance. The scrutiny most recently prompted Facebook's partners to pull back from plans to support the launch of a digital currency.</p>

<p>Google said it has held initial talks with regulators, though it declined to specify which ones, about compliance issues related to the new checking accounts.</p>

<p>Asked about Google's plans, US&nbsp;Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat on the Senate panel that oversees banking, expressed reservations.</p>

<p>"There ought to be very strict scrutiny," Warner told CNBC about tech giants such as Facebook or Google entering new fields before rules governing them were in place.</p>

<p>Google spokesman Craig Ewer said the company's lead partners were Citi and Stanford Federal Credit Union and that more details would be known within months.</p>

<p>"We’re exploring how we can partner with banks and credit unions in the U.S. to offer smart checking accounts through Google Pay, helping their customers benefit from useful insights and budgeting tools, while keeping their money in an FDIC or NCUA-insured account," Ewer said in a statement, referring by acronym to two US&nbsp;agencies that insure deposits.</p>

<p>Stanford Federal and Citi confirmed their roles.</p>

<p>"This agreement has the potential to expand the reach and breadth of our customer base," Citi spokeswoman Liz Fogarty said. "Privacy and transparency are, and will continue to be, critical priorities."</p>

<p>Joan Opp, president and chief executive of Stanford Federal, described the deal as "critical to remaining relevant and meeting consumer expectations."</p>

<p>Traditional banks have long partnered with companies outside the industry to lure deposits or expand their loan books.</p>

<p>The most recent prominent example is Goldman Sachs Group Inc&nbsp;teaming up with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/apple-co-founder-says-apple-card-algorithm-gave-wife-lower-credit-limit-261266">Apple Inc&nbsp;on a credit card</a> this year, but other regulated banks, including JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co, Citigroup Inc.&nbsp;American Express Corp&nbsp;and Green Dot Bank, have teamed with companies, including Amazon.com Inc, Walmart Inc, Delta Air Lines Inc&nbsp;and Home Depot Inc&nbsp;to offer co-branded products.</p>

<p>The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Google's plan and quoted Caesar Sengupta, general manager and vice president of payments at Google, as describing an approach of partnering deeply with banks.</p>

<p>"It may be the slightly longer path, but it's more sustainable," Sengupta said.</p>

<p>Leaning on the regulatory and financial know-how of banks could allow Google to proceed without engaging much with bank regulators.</p>

<p>For instance, deposits are stored in an account managed by a regulated bank and protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and if the lender does not share consumers’ financial data with Google, there may not be a regulatory problem or license requirements.</p>

<p>Google's biggest success in financial services has been in India, where it has over 67 million monthly users for Google Pay, which is used to digitally pay for groceries, Uber rides and other transactions.</p>

<p>Though still behind Indian rivals, the Google Pay app's popularity in India has overshadowed its usage in the United States and other countries, where it can be used for cashless payments in stores and money transfers.</p>

<p>Sengupta had overseen the Indian service, formerly known as Tez, as head of Google's emerging markets product team. Chief Executive Sundar Pichai last year sought to build on the Indian app, developed by a team of about 150 employees in Asia, and merged it into Google's broader payments organization.</p>

<p>The move has given Sengupta oversight of several thousand workers worldwide, including those who maintain tools to help Google charge its advertisers and app store users.</p>

<p>Former Google Pay employees said the company faces a massive challenge gaining users for payment tools in locations such as the United States that have robust financial products already. High interest rates on deposits or major loyalty perks could become important incentives for Google to draw consumers, the former employees said.</p>

<p>On Tuesday, Facebook launched a unified payment service through which users across its platforms can make payments without exiting the app, named Facebook Pay.</p>

<p>The effort is separate from Facebook's plan to launch its Libra cryptocurrency, which has met with skepticism from US, European and Australian regulators concerned about the risk of money laundering and the security of transactions and user data.</p>


Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it will offer personal checking accounts next year through its Google Pay app, initially in partnership with Citigroup Inc and a small credit union at Stanford University.

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it will offer personal checking accounts next year through its Google Pay app, initially in partnership with Citigroup Inc and a small credit union at Stanford University. The project, codenamed Cache, comes as rivals Facebook Inc and Apple Inc are expanding their own efforts in consumer finance, a broad area that ranges from digital payment apps to bank accounts, brokerage accounts and loans, and which offer Silicon Valley new sources of revenue and new opportunities to strengthen ties with users. US regulators and lawmakers have expressed concern about how those companies' massive influence and poor records on data privacy will play out as they try to gain ground in finance. The scrutiny most recently prompted Facebook's partners to pull back from plans to support the launch of a digital currency. Google said it has held initial talks with regulators, though it declined to specify which ones, about compliance issues related to the new checking accounts. Asked about Google's plans, US Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat on the Senate panel that oversees banking, expressed reservations. "There ought to be very strict scrutiny," Warner told CNBC about tech giants such as Facebook or Google entering new fields before rules governing them were in place. Google spokesman Craig Ewer said the company's lead partners were Citi and Stanford Federal Credit Union and that more details would be known within months. "We’re exploring how we can partner with banks and credit unions in the U.S. to offer smart checking accounts through Google Pay, helping their customers benefit from useful insights and budgeting tools, while keeping their money in an FDIC or NCUA-insured account," Ewer said in a statement, referring by acronym to two US agencies that insure deposits. Stanford Federal and Citi confirmed their roles. "This agreement has the potential to expand the reach and breadth of our customer base," Citi spokeswoman Liz Fogarty said. "Privacy and transparency are, and will continue to be, critical priorities." Joan Opp, president and chief executive of Stanford Federal, described the deal as "critical to remaining relevant and meeting consumer expectations." Traditional banks have long partnered with companies outside the industry to lure deposits or expand their loan books. The most recent prominent example is Goldman Sachs Group Inc teaming up with Apple Inc on a credit card this year, but other regulated banks, including JPMorgan Chase & Co, Citigroup Inc. American Express Corp and Green Dot Bank, have teamed with companies, including Amazon.com Inc, Walmart Inc, Delta Air Lines Inc and Home Depot Inc to offer co-branded products. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Google's plan and quoted Caesar Sengupta, general manager and vice president of payments at Google, as describing an approach of partnering deeply with banks. "It may be the slightly longer path, but it's more sustainable," Sengupta said. Leaning on the regulatory and financial know-how of banks could allow Google to proceed without engaging much with bank regulators. For instance, deposits are stored in an account managed by a regulated bank and protected by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), and if the lender does not share consumers’ financial data with Google, there may not be a regulatory problem or license requirements. Google's biggest success in financial services has been in India, where it has over 67 million monthly users for Google Pay, which is used to digitally pay for groceries, Uber rides and other transactions. Though still behind Indian rivals, the Google Pay app's popularity in India has overshadowed its usage in the United States and other countries, where it can be used for cashless payments in stores and money transfers. Sengupta had overseen the Indian service, formerly known as Tez, as head of Google's emerging markets product team. Chief Executive Sundar Pichai last year sought to build on the Indian app, developed by a team of about 150 employees in Asia, and merged it into Google's broader payments organization. The move has given Sengupta oversight of several thousand workers worldwide, including those who maintain tools to help Google charge its advertisers and app store users. Former Google Pay employees said the company faces a massive challenge gaining users for payment tools in locations such as the United States that have robust financial products already. High interest rates on deposits or major loyalty perks could become important incentives for Google to draw consumers, the former employees said. On Tuesday, Facebook launched a unified payment service through which users across its platforms can make payments without exiting the app, named Facebook Pay. The effort is separate from Facebook's plan to launch its Libra cryptocurrency, which has met with skepticism from US, European and Australian regulators concerned about the risk of money laundering and the security of transactions and user data.

Google Pay to offer checking accounts through Citi, Stanford Federal

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/us-states-plan-google-antitrust-meeting-next-month-in-colorado-report-257621">Alphabet Inc's Google</a> said on Wednesday it had achieved a breakthrough in computing research by using a quantum computer to solve in minutes a complex problem that would take today's most powerful supercomputer thousands of years to crack.</p>

<p>Google researchers expect that quantum computers within a few years will fuel advancements in fields such as artificial intelligence, materials science, and chemistry. The company is racing rivals including IBM Corp and Microsoft Corp to be the first to commercialize the technology and sell it through its cloud computing business.</p>

<p>"We're hoping that when people start using this and looking at performance stability and cloud interface, they'll get really excited about what we have to offer at Google," John Martinis, the company's chief scientist for quantum hardware, told reporters.</p>

<p>The breakthrough was described in a paper published in the science journal Nature. It followed weeks of controversy since a draft leaked over whether Google's claim of "quantum supremacy" was valid.</p>

<p>IBM said a supercomputer employing a different set-up could solve the same challenge in under three days, while chipmaker Intel said, "quantum practicality" remained years away.</p>

<p>Google defended its position but did not dispute rivals' contentions. It has manufactured a handful of chips with 54 'qubits', vastly more powerful than the standard 64-bit chip in many consumer devices. However, for the technology to be useful to customers, it would need to make chips with thousands of qubits.</p>

<p>Martinis said Google sees "a pathway" to a computer with 1,000 qubits and expressed confidence that it had a reliable process to make its new chip, dubbed Sycamore.</p>

<p>The US&nbsp;and Chinese governments have led in the burgeoning quantum technology field, pledging billions of dollars in funding to corporate and state researchers to fast-track quantum development and mitigate possible issues, including the tech's expected ability to break digital encryption.</p>

<p>Google has been among the beneficiaries of American support. "The United States has taken a great leap forward in quantum computing," said US&nbsp;chief technology officer Michael Kratsios on Wednesday.</p>

<p><strong>Long-held dream</strong></p>

<p>For decades, computer scientists have sought to harness quantum physics, laws governing the behaviour of particles that are smaller than atoms and can simultaneously exist in different states.</p>

<p>Quantum bits, or qubits, can be set to one and zero at the same time, unlike today's computer bits that are either ones or zeros. This superposition property multiplies exponentially as qubits become entangled with each other, meaning the more qubits connected, the vastly more powerful a quantum computer becomes.</p>

<p>But there is a catch: Quantum researchers need to cool qubits to about absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius or -460 degrees Fahrenheit) to limit vibration - or "noise" - that causes errors in calculations. It is in this challenging task that Google, which has designed much of its own electronics and used liquid helium for cooling, has made significant progress.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-plans-to-relaunch-in-china-without-right-conditions-ceo-sundar-pichai-228341">CEO Sundar Pichai</a> compared the achievement to building the first rocket to leave Earth's atmosphere and touch the edge of space, an advance that brought interplanetary travel into the realm of the possible.</p>

<p>"For those of us working in science and technology, it's the 'hello world' moment we've been waiting for - the most meaningful milestone to date in the quest to make quantum computing a reality," Pichai wrote in a blog https://blog.google/perspectives/sundar-pichai/what-our-quantum-computing-milestone-means.</p>

<p>Sycamore, measuring about 10 mm (0.39 inch) across, is made using aluminium and indium parts sandwiched between two silicon wafers. In their experiment this year, the researchers were able to get 53 of Sycamore's qubits to interact in a quantum state.</p>

<p>They then had the quantum computer detect patterns in a series of seemingly random numbers, and it succeeded in 3 minutes and 20 seconds. They estimated that the same problem would take 10,000 years for a Summit supercomputer - the most powerful in the world today - to solve.</p>

<p><strong>Hold on a qubit</strong></p>

<p>While the peer-reviewed research has drawn plaudits, with MIT's William D. Oliver comparing it to the Wright brothers' first flights, sceptics say Google is over-selling its achievement.</p>

<p>IBM said a supercomputer with additional disk storage can solve the random number problem in at most 2-1/2 days and with greater accuracy. It also said Google risked misleading the public by implying the new-style computers would replace existing ones.</p>

<p>"Quantum computers will never reign 'supreme' over classical computers, but will rather work in concert with them, since each has their unique strengths," Dario Gil, director of research at IBM, wrote in a blog.</p>

<p>Torsten Siebert, manager of the quantum computing research program at Germany's Fraunhofer Society, agreed that "progress was likely to be achieved through such hybrid combinations."</p>

<p>Researchers also have expressed concern about quantum computers being used, for example, to unseal secure data and passwords or enable new forms of surveillance.</p>

<p>But before quantum computers can break codes, security experts have plenty of time to adapt, Martinis said.</p>

<p>"We're pretty confident we'll all stay safe and secure in the future," he said.</p>


Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it had achieved a breakthrough in computing research by using a quantum computer to solve in minutes a complex problem that would take today's most powerful supercomputer thousands of years to crack.

Alphabet Inc's Google said on Wednesday it had achieved a breakthrough in computing research by using a quantum computer to solve in minutes a complex problem that would take today's most powerful supercomputer thousands of years to crack. Google researchers expect that quantum computers within a few years will fuel advancements in fields such as artificial intelligence, materials science, and chemistry. The company is racing rivals including IBM Corp and Microsoft Corp to be the first to commercialize the technology and sell it through its cloud computing business. "We're hoping that when people start using this and looking at performance stability and cloud interface, they'll get really excited about what we have to offer at Google," John Martinis, the company's chief scientist for quantum hardware, told reporters. The breakthrough was described in a paper published in the science journal Nature. It followed weeks of controversy since a draft leaked over whether Google's claim of "quantum supremacy" was valid. IBM said a supercomputer employing a different set-up could solve the same challenge in under three days, while chipmaker Intel said, "quantum practicality" remained years away. Google defended its position but did not dispute rivals' contentions. It has manufactured a handful of chips with 54 'qubits', vastly more powerful than the standard 64-bit chip in many consumer devices. However, for the technology to be useful to customers, it would need to make chips with thousands of qubits. Martinis said Google sees "a pathway" to a computer with 1,000 qubits and expressed confidence that it had a reliable process to make its new chip, dubbed Sycamore. The US and Chinese governments have led in the burgeoning quantum technology field, pledging billions of dollars in funding to corporate and state researchers to fast-track quantum development and mitigate possible issues, including the tech's expected ability to break digital encryption. Google has been among the beneficiaries of American support. "The United States has taken a great leap forward in quantum computing," said US chief technology officer Michael Kratsios on Wednesday. Long-held dream For decades, computer scientists have sought to harness quantum physics, laws governing the behaviour of particles that are smaller than atoms and can simultaneously exist in different states. Quantum bits, or qubits, can be set to one and zero at the same time, unlike today's computer bits that are either ones or zeros. This superposition property multiplies exponentially as qubits become entangled with each other, meaning the more qubits connected, the vastly more powerful a quantum computer becomes. But there is a catch: Quantum researchers need to cool qubits to about absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius or -460 degrees Fahrenheit) to limit vibration - or "noise" - that causes errors in calculations. It is in this challenging task that Google, which has designed much of its own electronics and used liquid helium for cooling, has made significant progress. CEO Sundar Pichai compared the achievement to building the first rocket to leave Earth's atmosphere and touch the edge of space, an advance that brought interplanetary travel into the realm of the possible. "For those of us working in science and technology, it's the 'hello world' moment we've been waiting for - the most meaningful milestone to date in the quest to make quantum computing a reality," Pichai wrote in a blog https://blog.google/perspectives/sundar-pichai/what-our-quantum-computing-milestone-means. Sycamore, measuring about 10 mm (0.39 inch) across, is made using aluminium and indium parts sandwiched between two silicon wafers. In their experiment this year, the researchers were able to get 53 of Sycamore's qubits to interact in a quantum state. They then had the quantum computer detect patterns in a series of seemingly random numbers, and it succeeded in 3 minutes and 20 seconds. They estimated that the same problem would take 10,000 years for a Summit supercomputer - the most powerful in the world today - to solve. Hold on a qubit While the peer-reviewed research has drawn plaudits, with MIT's William D. Oliver comparing it to the Wright brothers' first flights, sceptics say Google is over-selling its achievement. IBM said a supercomputer with additional disk storage can solve the random number problem in at most 2-1/2 days and with greater accuracy. It also said Google risked misleading the public by implying the new-style computers would replace existing ones. "Quantum computers will never reign 'supreme' over classical computers, but will rather work in concert with them, since each has their unique strengths," Dario Gil, director of research at IBM, wrote in a blog. Torsten Siebert, manager of the quantum computing research program at Germany's Fraunhofer Society, agreed that "progress was likely to be achieved through such hybrid combinations." Researchers also have expressed concern about quantum computers being used, for example, to unseal secure data and passwords or enable new forms of surveillance. But before quantum computers can break codes, security experts have plenty of time to adapt, Martinis said. "We're pretty confident we'll all stay safe and secure in the future," he said.

Google unveils quantum computer breakthrough; critics say wait a qubit

Will Google's quantum computers finish traditional PCs?

Google Ceo Sundar Pichai said on October 23that Google have achieved a breakthrough in computer research, by solving a complex problem in minutes with a so-called quantum computer that would take today's most powerful supercomputer thousands of years to crack.

Google claims quantum supremacy

<p>US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-misstates-location-of-ohio-shooting-rampage-241057">Donald Trump</a> on Tuesday stepped up his accusations against&nbsp;Google, claiming without offering evidence that the technology company worked to subvert his 2016 presidential campaign and warning he was watching it "very closely" ahead of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-and-sanders-emerge-as-top-two-candidates-for-the-2020-us-presidential-electionspolls-241096">2020 election</a>.</p>

<p>Trump, in a series of early posts on Twitter, also slammed&nbsp;Google's Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai, and again raised questions about the search engine's work with China, despite his administration's earlier comments that any such work was limited.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">... are NOT planning to illegally subvert the 2020 Election despite all that has been said to the contrary. It all sounded good until I watched Kevin Cernekee, a Google engineer, say terrible things about what they did in 2016 and that they want to “Make sure that Trump losses...</p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1158797734394191873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>"We go to great lengths to build our products and enforce our policies in ways that don't take political leanings into account," a&nbsp;Google&nbsp;spokesperson said in an email statement.</p>

<p>Trump, who is seeking re-election in 2020, has repeatedly slammed&nbsp;Google&nbsp;and a host of other technology companies, echoing conservative critics' claims of unfair treatment and raising the spectre of regulation.</p>

<p>Lawmakers have also raised the possibility of regulating the industry, in part over security and misinformation concerns following the 2016 election, and findings of Russian interference in that vote that relied heavily on leveraging technology and social media.</p>

<p>Trump on Tuesday accused&nbsp;Google&nbsp;of "very illegal" acts but offered no evidence, and no formal charges have been announced.</p>

<p>"Distorting results for political purposes would harm our business and go against our mission of providing helpful content to all of our users," the spokesperson added.</p>

<p>Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what steps the administration was taking towards the company.</p>

<p>Trump and&nbsp;Google's Pichai had met at the White House last month. Following the meeting, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said they both had been assured that any of&nbsp;Google's work with China was "very, very limited."</p>

<p>Days later, Trump warned&nbsp;Google&nbsp;with a post on Twitter.</p>


US President Donald Trump on Tuesday stepped up his accusations against Google, claiming without offering evidence that the technology company worked to subvert his 2016 presidential campaign and warning he was watching it "very closely" ahead of the 2020 election.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday stepped up his accusations against Google, claiming without offering evidence that the technology company worked to subvert his 2016 presidential campaign and warning he was watching it "very closely" ahead of the 2020 election. Trump, in a series of early posts on Twitter, also slammed Google's Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai, and again raised questions about the search engine's work with China, despite his administration's earlier comments that any such work was limited. ... are NOT planning to illegally subvert the 2020 Election despite all that has been said to the contrary. It all sounded good until I watched Kevin Cernekee, a Google engineer, say terrible things about what they did in 2016 and that they want to “Make sure that Trump losses... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 6, 2019 × "We go to great lengths to build our products and enforce our policies in ways that don't take political leanings into account," a Google spokesperson said in an email statement. Trump, who is seeking re-election in 2020, has repeatedly slammed Google and a host of other technology companies, echoing conservative critics' claims of unfair treatment and raising the spectre of regulation. Lawmakers have also raised the possibility of regulating the industry, in part over security and misinformation concerns following the 2016 election, and findings of Russian interference in that vote that relied heavily on leveraging technology and social media. Trump on Tuesday accused Google of "very illegal" acts but offered no evidence, and no formal charges have been announced. "Distorting results for political purposes would harm our business and go against our mission of providing helpful content to all of our users," the spokesperson added. Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what steps the administration was taking towards the company. Trump and Google's Pichai had met at the White House last month. Following the meeting, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said they both had been assured that any of Google's work with China was "very, very limited." Days later, Trump warned Google with a post on Twitter.

Ahead of 2020 US presidential election Trump accused Google of 'very illegal' acts

<p>Alphabet Inc shares rose about 8 per cent&nbsp;after the company reported quarterly results that eased investors' concerns about growth challenges facing its <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-to-lift-veil-on-facebook-google-algorithms-to-protect-privacy-238610&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi795iK0NLjAhVdnI8KHd4yA3EQFjADegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0DjuqZIq45MxG5qQMQLYOz">Google</a> advertising business.</p>

<p>Driven by ad sales, second-quarter revenue and earnings beat analysts' expectations. Also, the world's largest online search and ads firm, unlike No. 2 online ad player <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-to-create-privacy-panel-pay-5-billion-to-us-to-settle-data-breach-allegations-238141&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwin3vee0NLjAhUJuY8KHX4XCmoQFjAJegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3oWENcDFaT7j5nwu9RI2L3">Facebook Inc</a> a day earlier, offered no worrisome guidance about increasing regulatory scrutiny.</p>

<p>The results helped Alphabet dismiss as a rare blip a $1 billion revenue miss in the first quarter, which had prompted an outburst of investor questions and the biggest one-day sell-off in its shares in about seven years.</p>

<p>In after-hours trade on Thursday, the shares rose to $1,226.60, on track for their biggest single-day increase in four years though still down about 4% from their highs before the April slide.</p>

<p>Alphabet's shares have lagged peers on Wall Street this year, rising about 9 per cent through Thursday's close, compared to a roughly 20% gain for the S&amp;P 500 broadly.</p>

<p>Questions linger about whether privacy, content moderation and antitrust rules proposed or already passed in the United States and other high-revenue countries will slash ad prices. Google also faces an industrywide slowdown in ad sales in the United States and Europe, with revenue from emerging markets not yet picking up the slack.</p>

<p>Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai told analysts on Thursday that advances in ad targeting and new services for consumers worldwide would spur growth. He said the company had survived calls for regulation before.</p>

<p>"We understand there will be scrutiny," and "we will engage constructively," he said.</p>

<p><strong>WEAKENING CONCERNS</strong></p>

<p>Alphabet, which generates about 85 per cent of its revenue from sales of ad space and ad technology, reported total second-quarter revenue of $38.9 billion. That was up 19% over last year and compared with 17% growth in the first quarter. Analysts on average estimated 16.8% growth and $38.2 billion in revenue, according to IBES data from Refinitiv.</p>

<p>The last time that Alphabet had two consecutive quarters of revenue growth below 20% was three years ago.</p>

<p>Executives said the latest results backed their contention that the performance recently has been affected by currency exchange rates and one-off fluctuations rather than advertiser flight or some deeper challenge to its business.</p>

<p>Alphabet's chief financial officer, Ruth Porat, appeared to dispel other analyst concerns, saying the company has seen "virtually no impact" to revenue from efforts to stop running ads on YouTube videos that some have characterized as extremist or hateful.</p>

<p>Alphabet authorized up to $25 billion in new stock buybacks, aiming to make use of its $121 billion in cash.</p>

<p>Pichai said quarterly revenue from licensing cloud computing services and workplace software jumped to about $2 billion, from its last disclosure of $1 billion at the end of 2017. He said the cloud unit would triple its sales staff over the next few years.</p>

<p>Atlantic Equities analyst James Cordwell told Reuters in an email that the buyback and cloud updates "suggests that management cares about stock performance, which will be a relief to shareholders!"</p>

<p>Net income for the second quarter rose to $9.95 billion, or $14.21 per share, compared with analysts' estimates of $8.02 billion, or $11.32 per share.</p>

<p>Alphabet’s quarterly costs at $29.76 billion were about flat with the same period a year ago. The operating margin was 24%, up from 18% in the first quarter.</p>

<p>Alphabet in its earnings release on Thursday did not mention any government investigations.</p>

<p>Facebook Inc, along with the release of its earnings on Wednesday, said the FTC had informed it last month that it was under antitrust investigation. The social media giant also acknowledged a broad US&nbsp;Department of Justice's antitrust review of large internet companies.</p>

<p>Reuters reported last month that the US&nbsp;Federal Trade Commission was gearing up to investigate Google over complaints of anti-competitive behaviour.</p>

<p>Accusations lodged against Google by rivals and other critics span its advertising, app store, search and other businesses.</p>

<p>On Thursday, the Texas attorney general's office announced that a bipartisan group of state attorneys general is weighing a range of antitrust actions against big tech companies.</p>


Alphabet Inc shares rose about 8 per cent after the company reported quarterly results that eased investors' concerns about growth challenges facing its Google advertising business.

Alphabet Inc shares rose about 8 per cent after the company reported quarterly results that eased investors' concerns about growth challenges facing its Google advertising business. Driven by ad sales, second-quarter revenue and earnings beat analysts' expectations. Also, the world's largest online search and ads firm, unlike No. 2 online ad player Facebook Inc a day earlier, offered no worrisome guidance about increasing regulatory scrutiny. The results helped Alphabet dismiss as a rare blip a $1 billion revenue miss in the first quarter, which had prompted an outburst of investor questions and the biggest one-day sell-off in its shares in about seven years. In after-hours trade on Thursday, the shares rose to $1,226.60, on track for their biggest single-day increase in four years though still down about 4% from their highs before the April slide. Alphabet's shares have lagged peers on Wall Street this year, rising about 9 per cent through Thursday's close, compared to a roughly 20% gain for the S&P 500 broadly. Questions linger about whether privacy, content moderation and antitrust rules proposed or already passed in the United States and other high-revenue countries will slash ad prices. Google also faces an industrywide slowdown in ad sales in the United States and Europe, with revenue from emerging markets not yet picking up the slack. Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai told analysts on Thursday that advances in ad targeting and new services for consumers worldwide would spur growth. He said the company had survived calls for regulation before. "We understand there will be scrutiny," and "we will engage constructively," he said. WEAKENING CONCERNS Alphabet, which generates about 85 per cent of its revenue from sales of ad space and ad technology, reported total second-quarter revenue of $38.9 billion. That was up 19% over last year and compared with 17% growth in the first quarter. Analysts on average estimated 16.8% growth and $38.2 billion in revenue, according to IBES data from Refinitiv. The last time that Alphabet had two consecutive quarters of revenue growth below 20% was three years ago. Executives said the latest results backed their contention that the performance recently has been affected by currency exchange rates and one-off fluctuations rather than advertiser flight or some deeper challenge to its business. Alphabet's chief financial officer, Ruth Porat, appeared to dispel other analyst concerns, saying the company has seen "virtually no impact" to revenue from efforts to stop running ads on YouTube videos that some have characterized as extremist or hateful. Alphabet authorized up to $25 billion in new stock buybacks, aiming to make use of its $121 billion in cash. Pichai said quarterly revenue from licensing cloud computing services and workplace software jumped to about $2 billion, from its last disclosure of $1 billion at the end of 2017. He said the cloud unit would triple its sales staff over the next few years. Atlantic Equities analyst James Cordwell told Reuters in an email that the buyback and cloud updates "suggests that management cares about stock performance, which will be a relief to shareholders!" Net income for the second quarter rose to $9.95 billion, or $14.21 per share, compared with analysts' estimates of $8.02 billion, or $11.32 per share. Alphabet’s quarterly costs at $29.76 billion were about flat with the same period a year ago. The operating margin was 24%, up from 18% in the first quarter. Alphabet in its earnings release on Thursday did not mention any government investigations. Facebook Inc, along with the release of its earnings on Wednesday, said the FTC had informed it last month that it was under antitrust investigation. The social media giant also acknowledged a broad US Department of Justice's antitrust review of large internet companies. Reuters reported last month that the US Federal Trade Commission was gearing up to investigate Google over complaints of anti-competitive behaviour. Accusations lodged against Google by rivals and other critics span its advertising, app store, search and other businesses. On Thursday, the Texas attorney general's office announced that a bipartisan group of state attorneys general is weighing a range of antitrust actions against big tech companies.

Alphabet's revenue rebounds easing doubts on growth

<p>Chief executives from several US tech companies met with President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-to-host-meeting-with-tech-executives-on-huawei-ban-sources-237207">Donald Trump</a> on Monday and expressed "strong support" for policies restricting the use of products from Chinese telecom giant Huawei.</p>

<p>Washington accuses <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/huawei-plans-extensive-layoffs-at-its-us-operations-report-235708">Huawei</a> of working directly with the Chinese government and its intelligence services, which it says could pose security risks -- claims the company denies.</p>

<p>In May, Trump hit Huawei with an executive order that effectively banned it from trading with any US companies, although a temporary license was issued shortly after.</p>

<p>At the meeting were Sundar Pichai of Google, Chuck Robbins, of Cisco, Robert Swan of Intel, Sanjay Mehrotra of Micron, Stephen Milligan of Western Digital Corporation, Steven Mollenkopf of Qualcomm, and Hock Tan of Broadcom.</p>

<p>"The CEOs expressed strong support of the president's policies, including national security restrictions on United States telecom equipment purchases and sales to Huawei," the White House said.</p>

<p>"They requested timely licensing decisions from the Department of Commerce, and the president agreed. The group was also optimistic about United States 5G innovation and deployments," the statement read.</p>

<p>Huawei -- a leader in next-generation 5G wireless technology -- is barred from developing such networks in the United States.</p>

<p>Trump has put Huawei on its so-called entity list, which meant US companies needed a license to supply US technology to the Chinese firm.</p>

<p>Washington has been pressuring its allies to avoid using Huawei for deployment of 5G wireless.</p>

<p>The news comes as The Washington Post reported that Huawei secretly helped North Korea build and maintain the country's commercial wireless network.</p>

<p>The Post, citing internal documents it obtained and people familiar with the arrangement, said Huawei has partnered with a Chinese state-owned firm Panda International Information Technology on projects in North Korea over at least eight years.</p>

<p>By doing so Huawei, which has used US technology in its components, may have violated US controls on exports to the isolated North Korea regime.</p>


Chief executives from several US tech companies met with President Donald Trump on Monday and expressed "strong support" for policies restricting the use of products from Chinese telecom giant Huawei.

Chief executives from several US tech companies met with President Donald Trump on Monday and expressed "strong support" for policies restricting the use of products from Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Washington accuses Huawei of working directly with the Chinese government and its intelligence services, which it says could pose security risks -- claims the company denies. In May, Trump hit Huawei with an executive order that effectively banned it from trading with any US companies, although a temporary license was issued shortly after. At the meeting were Sundar Pichai of Google, Chuck Robbins, of Cisco, Robert Swan of Intel, Sanjay Mehrotra of Micron, Stephen Milligan of Western Digital Corporation, Steven Mollenkopf of Qualcomm, and Hock Tan of Broadcom. "The CEOs expressed strong support of the president's policies, including national security restrictions on United States telecom equipment purchases and sales to Huawei," the White House said. "They requested timely licensing decisions from the Department of Commerce, and the president agreed. The group was also optimistic about United States 5G innovation and deployments," the statement read. Huawei -- a leader in next-generation 5G wireless technology -- is barred from developing such networks in the United States. Trump has put Huawei on its so-called entity list, which meant US companies needed a license to supply US technology to the Chinese firm. Washington has been pressuring its allies to avoid using Huawei for deployment of 5G wireless. The news comes as The Washington Post reported that Huawei secretly helped North Korea build and maintain the country's commercial wireless network. The Post, citing internal documents it obtained and people familiar with the arrangement, said Huawei has partnered with a Chinese state-owned firm Panda International Information Technology on projects in North Korea over at least eight years. By doing so Huawei, which has used US technology in its components, may have violated US controls on exports to the isolated North Korea regime.

US tech CEOs support Trump on Huawei restrictions: White House

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-says-russia-election-probe-amounted-to-treason-206153">President Donald Trump</a> has said that Google is totally committed to the US military as he met the internet giant's Indian-American CEO Sunder Pichai at the White House, days after he accused the tech company of helping China and its army.</p>

<p>Trump, who has been at loggerheads with several big companies, earlier this month said, "Google is helping China and their military, but not the US".</p>

<p>On Wednesday, after a meeting with Pichai at the White House, the US President said: "Meeting ended very well".</p>

<p>"Just met with @SundarPichai, President of @Google, who is obviously doing quite well," he said.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Just met with <a href="https://twitter.com/sundarpichai?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SundarPichai</a>, President of <a href="https://twitter.com/Google?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Google</a>, who is obviously doing quite well. He stated strongly that he is totally committed to the U.S. Military, not the Chinese Military....</p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1110989594521026561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Pichai "stated strongly that he is totally committed to the US military and&nbsp;not the Chinese military", Trump said.</p>

<p>"Also discussed political fairness and various things that @Google can do&nbsp;for our country. Meeting ended very well!" said the President.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">....Also discussed political fairness and various things that <a href="https://twitter.com/Google?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Google</a> can do for our Country. Meeting ended very well!</p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1110989595758469120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>There was no immediate tweet from Pichai.</p>

<p>However, a Google spokesperson said that the company is pleased to have productive conversations with the President.</p>

<p>"We were pleased to have productive conversations with the President about investing in the future of the American workforce, the growth of emerging technologies and our ongoing commitment to working with the US government," said the Google spokesperson.</p>

<p>Trump's tweet criticising Google earlier last month came after Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan and General Joseph Dunford, chairman joint chiefs of staff, said during a Congressional hearing that "Google was partnering with China... But the Internet search engine giant has shown a lack of willingness to work with the US Department of Defence".</p>

<p>During his trip to Washington DC, Pichai also met India's Ambassador to the US Harsh V Shringla.</p>

<p>"A thoroughly enriching experience to meet and interact with" Pichai on Google's positive engagement in India and elsewhere in the world, privacy laws, internet governance and a host of other issues, the ambassador said in a tweet.</p>


President Donald Trump has said that Google is totally committed to the US military as he met the internet giant's Indian-American CEO Sunder Pichai at the White House, days after he accused the tech company of helping China and its army.

President Donald Trump has said that Google is totally committed to the US military as he met the internet giant's Indian-American CEO Sunder Pichai at the White House, days after he accused the tech company of helping China and its army. Trump, who has been at loggerheads with several big companies, earlier this month said, "Google is helping China and their military, but not the US". On Wednesday, after a meeting with Pichai at the White House, the US President said: "Meeting ended very well". "Just met with @SundarPichai, President of @Google, who is obviously doing quite well," he said. Just met with @SundarPichai, President of @Google, who is obviously doing quite well. He stated strongly that he is totally committed to the U.S. Military, not the Chinese Military.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2019 × Pichai "stated strongly that he is totally committed to the US military and not the Chinese military", Trump said. "Also discussed political fairness and various things that @Google can do for our country. Meeting ended very well!" said the President. ....Also discussed political fairness and various things that @Google can do for our Country. Meeting ended very well! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 27, 2019 × There was no immediate tweet from Pichai. However, a Google spokesperson said that the company is pleased to have productive conversations with the President. "We were pleased to have productive conversations with the President about investing in the future of the American workforce, the growth of emerging technologies and our ongoing commitment to working with the US government," said the Google spokesperson. Trump's tweet criticising Google earlier last month came after Acting Defence Secretary Patrick Shanahan and General Joseph Dunford, chairman joint chiefs of staff, said during a Congressional hearing that "Google was partnering with China... But the Internet search engine giant has shown a lack of willingness to work with the US Department of Defence". During his trip to Washington DC, Pichai also met India's Ambassador to the US Harsh V Shringla. "A thoroughly enriching experience to meet and interact with" Pichai on Google's positive engagement in India and elsewhere in the world, privacy laws, internet governance and a host of other issues, the ambassador said in a tweet.

Trump meets Sundar Pichai who says Google committed to US military, not China's 

WION Your Story: Google CEO Sundar Pichai testifies before US Congress

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/canada-court-grants-conditional-bail-to-huaweis-meng-wanzhou-183357">Canada court grants conditional bail to Huawei's Meng Wanzhou</a></p>

<p>A Canadian court granted bail to Huawei's Meng Wanzhou who was held by authorities for the past one week after US officials accused the top executive of misleading banks about transactions linked to Iran.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/assembly-election-results-no-party-gets-clear-mandate-in-madhya-pradesh-polls-183370">Assembly election results: No party gets clear mandate in Madhya Pradesh polls</a></p>

<p>Counting for all seats in Madhya Pradesh has got over on Wednesday morning and the Congress has emerged as the single-largest party.</p>

<p>No party has got a clear mandate to form government yet.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/gunman-kills-four-in-french-christmas-market-and-flees-183355">Four killed and 11 wounded in shooting near Christmas market in France's Strasbourg; gunman escapes</a></p>

<p>A gunman on a security watchlist killed at least four people and wounded at least 11 others near the picturesque Christmas market in the historic French city of Strasbourg on Tuesday evening before fleeing.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/google-has-no-plans-to-launch-search-engine-in-china-sunder-pichai-183356">Google has no plans to launch </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/google-has-no-plans-to-launch-search-engine-in-china-sunder-pichai-183356">search</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/google-has-no-plans-to-launch-search-engine-in-china-sunder-pichai-183356"> engine in China: CEO Pichai to US panel</a></p>

<p>Google currently has no plans to launch a search engine in China, its Indian-American CEO Sundar Pichai told lawmakers Tuesday as he dodged a series of questions from lawmakers who expressed concern over such a reported move by the internet giant.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mohamed-salah-gives-liverpool-a-1-0-win-over-napoli-qualifies-for-champions-leagues-last-16-183363">Champions League: Salah's strike sinks Napoli; Liverpool reach last 16</a></p>

<p>Mohamed Salah's delightful first-half strike gave Liverpool a 1-0 win over Napoli that sent them into the Champions League's last 16 and the Italian side crashing out at a tension-filled Anfield on Tuesday.</p>


Canada court grants conditional bail to Huawei's Meng Wanzhou A Canadian court granted bail to Huawei's Meng Wanzhou who was held by authorities for the past one week after US officials accused the top executive of misleading banks about transactions linked to Iran.

Canada court grants conditional bail to Huawei's Meng Wanzhou A Canadian court granted bail to Huawei's Meng Wanzhou who was held by authorities for the past one week after US officials accused the top executive of misleading banks about transactions linked to Iran. Assembly election results: No party gets clear mandate in Madhya Pradesh polls Counting for all seats in Madhya Pradesh has got over on Wednesday morning and the Congress has emerged as the single-largest party. No party has got a clear mandate to form government yet. Four killed and 11 wounded in shooting near Christmas market in France's Strasbourg; gunman escapes A gunman on a security watchlist killed at least four people and wounded at least 11 others near the picturesque Christmas market in the historic French city of Strasbourg on Tuesday evening before fleeing. Google has no plans to launch search engine in China: CEO Pichai to US panel Google currently has no plans to launch a search engine in China, its Indian-American CEO Sundar Pichai told lawmakers Tuesday as he dodged a series of questions from lawmakers who expressed concern over such a reported move by the internet giant. Champions League: Salah's strike sinks Napoli; Liverpool reach last 16 Mohamed Salah's delightful first-half strike gave Liverpool a 1-0 win over Napoli that sent them into the Champions League's last 16 and the Italian side crashing out at a tension-filled Anfield on Tuesday.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<p>In a public address to a group of mostly tech novices, Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Tuesday explained the company's algorithm that works behind curating data for its search results.</p>

<p>One of the many questions answered by the CEO was that why the search results for 'idiot' mostly showed pictures of US President Donald Trump.</p>

<p><img alt="Google " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a2830b-1983-4b07-8d54-3d0dae664a86" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/trumpp.JPG" /></p>

<p>The CEO responded to this by explaining the technicalities of the search results. He explained that some 200 factors such as relevance, popularity and how others are using the search term were taken into considerations to present data results for the query.</p>

<p>A US lawmaker also asked Sundar Pichai that it's not a little man was sitting behind and operating on what would be shown to the users.</p>

<p>Pichai was also asked in the event that if he had ever ordered any of his employees to manipulate search results.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To this, the CEO responded saying that it was impossible for one person, or even a group of people, to do that because there are so many steps in the process.</p>

<p>He explained that the results shown in the search engine were presented based on popular keywords and algorithm and are not at all intervened by humans.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


In a public address to a group of mostly tech novices, Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Tuesday explained the company's algorithm that works behind curating data for its search results.

In a public address to a group of mostly tech novices, Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Tuesday explained the company's algorithm that works behind curating data for its search results. One of the many questions answered by the CEO was that why the search results for 'idiot' mostly showed pictures of US President Donald Trump. The CEO responded to this by explaining the technicalities of the search results. He explained that some 200 factors such as relevance, popularity and how others are using the search term were taken into considerations to present data results for the query. A US lawmaker also asked Sundar Pichai that it's not a little man was sitting behind and operating on what would be shown to the users. Pichai was also asked in the event that if he had ever ordered any of his employees to manipulate search results. To this, the CEO responded saying that it was impossible for one person, or even a group of people, to do that because there are so many steps in the process. He explained that the results shown in the search engine were presented based on popular keywords and algorithm and are not at all intervened by humans.

Google 'idiot' and image of Trump shows up. Sundar Pichai explains why

<p>Google on Thursday outlined changes to its handling of sexual misconduct complaints, hoping to calm outrage that triggered a worldwide walkout of workers last week.</p>

<p>"We recognise that we have not always gotten everything right in the past and we are sincerely sorry for that," chief executive Sundar Pichai said in a message to employees.</p>

<p>"It's clear we need to make some changes."</p>

<p>Arbitration of harassment claims will be optional instead of obligatory, according to Pichai, a move that could end anonymous settlements that fail to identify those accused of harassment.</p>

<p>"Google has never required confidentiality in the arbitration process and it still may be the best path for a number of reasons (e.g. personal privacy, predictability of process), but, we recognize that the choice should be up to you," he said in the memo.</p>

<p>Pichai promised that Google will be more transparent with how concerns are handled, and provide better support and care to those who raise such issues with the company.</p>

<p>Google will provide "more granularity," regarding sexual harassment investigations and their outcomes, according to Pichai.</p>

<p>A section of an internal "Investigations Report" will focus on sexual harassment to show numbers of substantiated concerns as well as trends and disciplinary actions, according to the California-based company.</p>

<p>He also said Google is consolidating the complaint system and that the process for handling concerns will include providing support people and counselors.</p>

<p>Google will update its mandatory sexual harassment training, and require it annually instead of every two years as had been the case.</p>

<p><strong>Less booze</strong></p>

<p>Google is also putting the onus on team leaders to tighten the tap on booze at company events, on or off campus, to curtail the potential for drunken misbehavior.</p>

<p>"Harassment is never acceptable and alcohol is never an excuse," Google said in a released action statement.</p>

<p>"But, one of the most common factors among the harassment complaints made today at Google is that the perpetrator had been drinking."</p>

<p>Google policy already bans excessive consumption of alcohol on the job; while on company business, or at&nbsp; work-related events.</p>

<p>Some teams at the company have already instituted two-drink limits at events or use ticket systems, Google said.</p>

<p>Google executives overseeing events will be expected to strongly discourage excessive drinking, according to the company, which vowed "onerous actions" if problems persisted.</p>

<p>The company also promised to "recommit" to improving workplace diversity through hiring, retention, and career advancement.'</p>

<p><strong>'Googleplex' walkout</strong></p>

<p>Thousands of Google employees joined a coordinated worldwide walkout a week ago to protest the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment.</p>

<p>A massive turnout at the "Googleplex" in Silicon Valley was the final stage of a global walkout that began in Asia and spread to Google offices in Europe.</p>

<p>Some 20,000 Google employees and contractors participated in the protest in 50 cities around the world, according to organizers.</p>

<p>Demma Rodriguez, head of equity engineering and a seven-year Google employee, said during the walkout that it was an important part of bringing fairness to the technology colossus.</p>

<p>"We have an aspiration to be the best company in the world," Rodriguez said.</p>

<p>"But we also have goals as a company and we can't decide we are going to miss those."</p>

<p>The protest took shape after Google said it had fired 48 employees in the past two years - including 13 senior executives - as a result of allegations of sexual misconduct.</p>

<p>Demands posted by organizers included an end to forced arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination for all current and future employees, along with a right for every Google worker to bring a co-worker, representative, or supporter when filing a harassment claim.</p>

<p>In a statement organizers commended Google for the response, but said more changes are needed.</p>

<p>"We demand a truly equitable culture, and Google leadership can achieve this by putting employee representation on the board and giving full rights and protections to contract workers," organizer Stephanie Parker said in the statement.</p>

<p>Along with sexual harassment, Google needs to address racism and discrimination that includes inequity in pay and promotions, organizers said.</p>

<p>"They all have the same root cause, which is a concentration of power and a lack of accountability at the top," Parker said.</p>


Google on Thursday outlined changes to its handling of sexual misconduct complaints, hoping to calm outrage that triggered a worldwide walkout of workers last week.

Google on Thursday outlined changes to its handling of sexual misconduct complaints, hoping to calm outrage that triggered a worldwide walkout of workers last week. "We recognise that we have not always gotten everything right in the past and we are sincerely sorry for that," chief executive Sundar Pichai said in a message to employees. "It's clear we need to make some changes." Arbitration of harassment claims will be optional instead of obligatory, according to Pichai, a move that could end anonymous settlements that fail to identify those accused of harassment. "Google has never required confidentiality in the arbitration process and it still may be the best path for a number of reasons (e.g. personal privacy, predictability of process), but, we recognize that the choice should be up to you," he said in the memo. Pichai promised that Google will be more transparent with how concerns are handled, and provide better support and care to those who raise such issues with the company. Google will provide "more granularity," regarding sexual harassment investigations and their outcomes, according to Pichai. A section of an internal "Investigations Report" will focus on sexual harassment to show numbers of substantiated concerns as well as trends and disciplinary actions, according to the California-based company. He also said Google is consolidating the complaint system and that the process for handling concerns will include providing support people and counselors. Google will update its mandatory sexual harassment training, and require it annually instead of every two years as had been the case. Less booze Google is also putting the onus on team leaders to tighten the tap on booze at company events, on or off campus, to curtail the potential for drunken misbehavior. "Harassment is never acceptable and alcohol is never an excuse," Google said in a released action statement. "But, one of the most common factors among the harassment complaints made today at Google is that the perpetrator had been drinking." Google policy already bans excessive consumption of alcohol on the job; while on company business, or at work-related events. Some teams at the company have already instituted two-drink limits at events or use ticket systems, Google said. Google executives overseeing events will be expected to strongly discourage excessive drinking, according to the company, which vowed "onerous actions" if problems persisted. The company also promised to "recommit" to improving workplace diversity through hiring, retention, and career advancement.' 'Googleplex' walkout Thousands of Google employees joined a coordinated worldwide walkout a week ago to protest the US tech giant's handling of sexual harassment. A massive turnout at the "Googleplex" in Silicon Valley was the final stage of a global walkout that began in Asia and spread to Google offices in Europe. Some 20,000 Google employees and contractors participated in the protest in 50 cities around the world, according to organizers. Demma Rodriguez, head of equity engineering and a seven-year Google employee, said during the walkout that it was an important part of bringing fairness to the technology colossus. "We have an aspiration to be the best company in the world," Rodriguez said. "But we also have goals as a company and we can't decide we are going to miss those." The protest took shape after Google said it had fired 48 employees in the past two years - including 13 senior executives - as a result of allegations of sexual misconduct. Demands posted by organizers included an end to forced arbitration in cases of harassment and discrimination for all current and future employees, along with a right for every Google worker to bring a co-worker, representative, or supporter when filing a harassment claim. In a statement organizers commended Google for the response, but said more changes are needed. "We demand a truly equitable culture, and Google leadership can achieve this by putting employee representation on the board and giving full rights and protections to contract workers," organizer Stephanie Parker said in the statement. Along with sexual harassment, Google needs to address racism and discrimination that includes inequity in pay and promotions, organizers said. "They all have the same root cause, which is a concentration of power and a lack of accountability at the top," Parker said.

Less booze, improving diversity: Google outlines steps to tackle workplace harassment

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/googles-sundar-pichai-says-48-employees-were-fired-for-sexual-harassment-173488">Google CEO Sundar Pichai </a>has promised changes to the tech giant's sexual harassment policies, a week after thousands of its employees across the world, including in India, walked out in protest against the company reportedly shielding some top executives accused of sexual misconduct.</p>

<p>In a memo to employees on Thursday, the Indian-origin CEO said, "We recognise that we have not always gotten everything right in the past and we are sincerely sorry for that. It's clear we need to make some changes."&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/less-booze-improving-diversity-google-outlines-steps-to-tackle-workplace-harassment-176336">Also read: Less booze, improving diversity: Google outlines steps to tackle workplace harassment</a></p>

<p>"This is an area where we need to continually make progress and are committed to doing so," Pichai said while detailing the comprehensive action plan to address the demands of the Google employees.</p>

<p>"We will provide more transparency on how we handle concerns. We'll give better support and care to the people who raise them. And we will double down on our commitment to be a representative, equitable, and respectful workplace," he assured the employees.</p>

<p>More than 20,000 Google employees across the world walked out of their offices last Thursday following a bombshell New York Times report that detailed how the company has shielded and gave multimillion-dollar severance packages for senior executives accused of sexual misconduct, with organisers of the protest demanding concrete changes like a new system for reporting abuse and an employee representative on the company's board.</p>

<p>Some 150 Google employees participated in the walkout in India. The employees were from Hyderabad, Gurgaon and Mumbai offices.<br />
Google leadership also held a town-hall style meeting with employees following the publication of Pichai's memo on Thursday, the CNBC reported.</p>

<p>While the policy changes Pichai outlined met many of the protesters' requirements, they do not include adding an employee representative to Alphabet's board or elevating the chief diversity officer to report directly to the CEO, it said.</p>

<p>Google's plan includes providing more transparency around sexual harassment investigations and outcomes as part of its annual "Investigations Report," revamping its reporting channels for incidents of misconduct, updating and expanding its sexual harassment training and making arbitration optional for sexual harassment claims.</p>

<p>Organisers of the protests had specifically demanded Google put an end to its policy of forced arbitration for sexual misconduct allegations a practice that prevents employees from taking cases to court and is generally criticised for suppressing victims' stories.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pichai's memo says that while Google "never required confidentiality," employees with harassment or assault claims can now choose whether or not to go through the arbitration process.</p>

<p>Organisers of Google's protests were also deliberate about including contract workers in their original demands. Google said in an additional document detailing changes that it will routinely review contractor and temp worker suppliers to see if they adhere to agreements around the handling of employee complaints.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the Tech Workers Coalition, which launched a retaliation hotline for Google employees who participated in last week's protest, says that the new policies don't do enough to protect those temp, vendor and contract workers (TVCs), the report said.</p>

<p>"TVCs didn't receive this email this morning, and have been excluded from the town-hall," a spokesperson said. "This deliberate slight demonstrates the caste-like system deployed by Google, which fails to protect its workers and our colleagues."</p>

<p>The protest's organisers also released a statement saying that while Google made progress towards addressing their demands, they would "not let up" until all of them were met.</p>

<p>"We demand a truly equitable culture, and Google leadership can achieve this by putting employee representation on the board and giving full rights and protections to contract workers, our most vulnerable workers, many of whom are Black and Brown women," CNBC quoted Google employee Stephanie Parker as saying in that statement.&nbsp;</p>


Google CEO Sundar Pichai has promised changes to the tech giant's sexual harassment policies, a week after thousands of its employees across the world, including in India, walked out in protest against the company reportedly shielding some top executives accused of sexual misconduct.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has promised changes to the tech giant's sexual harassment policies, a week after thousands of its employees across the world, including in India, walked out in protest against the company reportedly shielding some top executives accused of sexual misconduct. In a memo to employees on Thursday, the Indian-origin CEO said, "We recognise that we have not always gotten everything right in the past and we are sincerely sorry for that. It's clear we need to make some changes." Also read: Less booze, improving diversity: Google outlines steps to tackle workplace harassment "This is an area where we need to continually make progress and are committed to doing so," Pichai said while detailing the comprehensive action plan to address the demands of the Google employees. "We will provide more transparency on how we handle concerns. We'll give better support and care to the people who raise them. And we will double down on our commitment to be a representative, equitable, and respectful workplace," he assured the employees. More than 20,000 Google employees across the world walked out of their offices last Thursday following a bombshell New York Times report that detailed how the company has shielded and gave multimillion-dollar severance packages for senior executives accused of sexual misconduct, with organisers of the protest demanding concrete changes like a new system for reporting abuse and an employee representative on the company's board. Some 150 Google employees participated in the walkout in India. The employees were from Hyderabad, Gurgaon and Mumbai offices. Google leadership also held a town-hall style meeting with employees following the publication of Pichai's memo on Thursday, the CNBC reported. While the policy changes Pichai outlined met many of the protesters' requirements, they do not include adding an employee representative to Alphabet's board or elevating the chief diversity officer to report directly to the CEO, it said. Google's plan includes providing more transparency around sexual harassment investigations and outcomes as part of its annual "Investigations Report," revamping its reporting channels for incidents of misconduct, updating and expanding its sexual harassment training and making arbitration optional for sexual harassment claims. Organisers of the protests had specifically demanded Google put an end to its policy of forced arbitration for sexual misconduct allegations a practice that prevents employees from taking cases to court and is generally criticised for suppressing victims' stories. Pichai's memo says that while Google "never required confidentiality," employees with harassment or assault claims can now choose whether or not to go through the arbitration process. Organisers of Google's protests were also deliberate about including contract workers in their original demands. Google said in an additional document detailing changes that it will routinely review contractor and temp worker suppliers to see if they adhere to agreements around the handling of employee complaints. However, the Tech Workers Coalition, which launched a retaliation hotline for Google employees who participated in last week's protest, says that the new policies don't do enough to protect those temp, vendor and contract workers (TVCs), the report said. "TVCs didn't receive this email this morning, and have been excluded from the town-hall," a spokesperson said. "This deliberate slight demonstrates the caste-like system deployed by Google, which fails to protect its workers and our colleagues." The protest's organisers also released a statement saying that while Google made progress towards addressing their demands, they would "not let up" until all of them were met. "We demand a truly equitable culture, and Google leadership can achieve this by putting employee representation on the board and giving full rights and protections to contract workers, our most vulnerable workers, many of whom are Black and Brown women," CNBC quoted Google employee Stephanie Parker as saying in that statement.

Google walkout effect: CEO Sundar Pichai announces revamped sexual harassment policies

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-visiting-turkey-cia-chief-gina-haspel-submits-report-on-khashoggi-to-trump-173506">After visiting Turkey, CIA chief Gina Haspel submits </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-visiting-turkey-cia-chief-gina-haspel-submits-report-on-khashoggi-to-trump-173506">report</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/after-visiting-turkey-cia-chief-gina-haspel-submits-report-on-khashoggi-to-trump-173506"> on Khashoggi to Trump</a></p>

<p>The head of the CIA on Thursday&nbsp;briefed US President Donald Trump on the latest&nbsp;developments in the investigation of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after a fact-finding mission to Turkey, officials said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/fuel-prices-continue-to-decline-petrol-at-rs-8085-per-litre-diesel-at-rs-7473-per-litre-in-delhi-173498">Fuel prices continue to decline; Petrol at Rs 80.85 per litre, Diesel at Rs 74.73 per litre in Delhi</a></p>

<p>The petrol price in Delhi was revised to Rs 80.85 per litre, while that in Mumbai was Rs 86.33 per litre after a reduction of 25 paise.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/googles-sundar-pichai-says-48-employees-were-fired-for-sexual-harassment-173488">Google's Sundar Pichai says 48 employees were fired for sexual harassment</a></p>

<p>Google Inc Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said on Thursday the company had fired 48 employees for sexual harassment over the past two years.&nbsp;Pichai sent an email to Google employees in response to a New York Times story that was published earlier in the day.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/package-bombs-sent-to-trump-critics-lead-investigators-to-florida-report-173486">Package bombs sent to Trump critics lead investigators to Florida: Report</a></p>

<p>The investigation into 10 pipe bombs sent to high-profile Democrats and critics of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump is focusing on leads in Florida, a federal law enforcement source said on Thursday.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/design-of-bombs-targeting-trump-critics-came-from-internet-173495">Design of bombs targeting Trump critics came from </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/design-of-bombs-targeting-trump-critics-came-from-internet-173495">Internet</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/design-of-bombs-targeting-trump-critics-came-from-internet-173495">: Source</a></p>

<p>Investigators believe that the design and instructions for&nbsp;building the bombs&nbsp;sent to several critics of US&nbsp;President Donald Trump this week were taken from the internet, a federal law enforcement official told Reuters on Thursday.</p>


After visiting Turkey, CIA chief Gina Haspel submits report on Khashoggi to Trump The head of the CIA on Thursday briefed US President Donald Trump on the latest developments in the investigation of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after a fact-finding mission to Turkey, officials said.

After visiting Turkey, CIA chief Gina Haspel submits report on Khashoggi to Trump The head of the CIA on Thursday briefed US President Donald Trump on the latest developments in the investigation of the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi after a fact-finding mission to Turkey, officials said. Fuel prices continue to decline; Petrol at Rs 80.85 per litre, Diesel at Rs 74.73 per litre in Delhi The petrol price in Delhi was revised to Rs 80.85 per litre, while that in Mumbai was Rs 86.33 per litre after a reduction of 25 paise. Google's Sundar Pichai says 48 employees were fired for sexual harassment Google Inc Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said on Thursday the company had fired 48 employees for sexual harassment over the past two years. Pichai sent an email to Google employees in response to a New York Times story that was published earlier in the day. Package bombs sent to Trump critics lead investigators to Florida: Report The investigation into 10 pipe bombs sent to high-profile Democrats and critics of US President Donald Trump is focusing on leads in Florida, a federal law enforcement source said on Thursday. Design of bombs targeting Trump critics came from Internet: Source Investigators believe that the design and instructions for building the bombs sent to several critics of US President Donald Trump this week were taken from the internet, a federal law enforcement official told Reuters on Thursday.

Dragonfly: Sundar Pichai gives Google's China project green flag

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/india-a-world-power-hope-for-strong-ties-marshall-islands-president-to-wion-169848">India a world power, hope for strong ties: Marshall Islands president to WION</a></p>

<p>Hilda Heine, Marshall Islands first women president, spoke to WION and shared her views on India-Pacific ties, PM Modi, climate-change and her interest in Bollywood.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/election-commission-announces-poll-dates-for-madhya-pradesh-rajasthan-chhattisgarh-mizoram-and-telangana-169833">Election Commission announces dates for Assembly polls in five states, results on December 11</a></p>

<p>The Election Commission on Saturday announced dates for the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly elections.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While polls in Chhattisgarh are likely to be held in two phases, elections in the other states might see polling in one phase.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-20-killed-13-injured-as-minibus-falls-into-gorge-near-banihal-169825">Jammu and Kashmir: 15 killed, 19 injured as minibus falls into </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-20-killed-13-injured-as-minibus-falls-into-gorge-near-banihal-169825">gorge</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-20-killed-13-injured-as-minibus-falls-into-gorge-near-banihal-169825"> near Banihal</a></p>

<p>At least 15 people were killed and 19 injured when a minibus fell into a deep gorge along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near here, a senior police officer said on Saturday.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/google-ceo-secretly-met-pentagon-leaders-over-ai-project-report-169834">Google CEO secretly met Pentagon leaders over AI project: Report</a></p>

<p>Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai quietly paid a visit to the Pentagon to ease tensions that erupted after employee outrage prompted the tech giant to sever a controversial defence contract to analyse drone video, according to a media report.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/nana-patekar-dissmisses-allegaions-of-sexual-harassment-imposed-on-him-169847">Nana Patekar dismisses sexual harassment allegations, says, 'A lie is a lie'</a></p>

<p>Nana Patekar on Saturday denied sexually harssing Tanushree Dutta on the sets of 'Horn Ok Pleassss'.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I said this ten years ago... A lie is a lie (Dus saal pehle bol chuka hoon, ab jo jhoot hai woh jhoot hai')", said Patekar after returning from Jodhpur at the airport.</p>


India a world power, hope for strong ties: Marshall Islands president to WION Hilda Heine, Marshall Islands first women president, spoke to WION and shared her views on India-Pacific ties, PM Modi, climate-change and her interest in Bollywood.

India a world power, hope for strong ties: Marshall Islands president to WION Hilda Heine, Marshall Islands first women president, spoke to WION and shared her views on India-Pacific ties, PM Modi, climate-change and her interest in Bollywood. Election Commission announces dates for Assembly polls in five states, results on December 11 The Election Commission on Saturday announced dates for the Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Telangana and Mizoram Assembly elections. While polls in Chhattisgarh are likely to be held in two phases, elections in the other states might see polling in one phase. Jammu and Kashmir: 15 killed, 19 injured as minibus falls into gorge near Banihal At least 15 people were killed and 19 injured when a minibus fell into a deep gorge along the Jammu-Srinagar national highway near here, a senior police officer said on Saturday. Google CEO secretly met Pentagon leaders over AI project: Report Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai quietly paid a visit to the Pentagon to ease tensions that erupted after employee outrage prompted the tech giant to sever a controversial defence contract to analyse drone video, according to a media report. Nana Patekar dismisses sexual harassment allegations, says, 'A lie is a lie' Nana Patekar on Saturday denied sexually harssing Tanushree Dutta on the sets of 'Horn Ok Pleassss'. "I said this ten years ago... A lie is a lie (Dus saal pehle bol chuka hoon, ab jo jhoot hai woh jhoot hai')", said Patekar after returning from Jodhpur at the airport.

<p>Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai quietly paid a visit to the Pentagon to ease tensions that erupted after employee outrage prompted the tech giant to sever a controversial defence contract to analyse drone video, according to a media report.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pichai met with a group of civilian and military leaders mostly from the office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Intelligence, the Defense Department directorate that oversees the artificial-intelligence drone system known as Project Maven, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about the meeting, The Washington Post reported.</p>

<p>Google had worked with the Defense Department to develop Project Maven, which uses AI to automatically tag cars, buildings and other objects in videos recorded by drones flying over conflict zones. But in June, the tech giant said it would not renew its contract following an uprising from employees, who criticized the work as helping the military track and kill with greater efficiency, the report said.</p>

<p>A Defense Department spokesperson said, "We do not comment on the details of private meetings. Department leaders routinely meet with industry partners to discuss innovative technologies. These meetings support continuing dialogue aimed at solving future technology challenges.</p>

<p>A spokeswoman for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.</p>

<p>The secrecy surrounding Pichai's visit highlights one of the tech giant's most challenging binds: How to retain Silicon Valley workers angered by the moral implications of developing warfare technology while also staying in the running for Washington's lucrative military contracts, the paper said.</p>

<p>Google's change-of-heart over Project Maven, its first big AI partnership with the Pentagon, has become a key source of tension between the tech giant and military officials, who felt that Google should have done a better job communicating that the technology could help keep servicemembers out of harm's way, according to a source familiar with the work.</p>

<p>Google's decision to terminate its relationship with Project Maven also has drawn sharp rebukes from congressional lawmakers, particularly Republicans, who were the focus of Pichai's rare, two-day swing through Washington last week.</p>


Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai quietly paid a visit to the Pentagon to ease tensions that erupted after employee outrage prompted the tech giant to sever a controversial defence contract to analyse drone video, according to a media report.

Google's India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai quietly paid a visit to the Pentagon to ease tensions that erupted after employee outrage prompted the tech giant to sever a controversial defence contract to analyse drone video, according to a media report. Pichai met with a group of civilian and military leaders mostly from the office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Intelligence, the Defense Department directorate that oversees the artificial-intelligence drone system known as Project Maven, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely about the meeting, The Washington Post reported. Google had worked with the Defense Department to develop Project Maven, which uses AI to automatically tag cars, buildings and other objects in videos recorded by drones flying over conflict zones. But in June, the tech giant said it would not renew its contract following an uprising from employees, who criticized the work as helping the military track and kill with greater efficiency, the report said. A Defense Department spokesperson said, "We do not comment on the details of private meetings. Department leaders routinely meet with industry partners to discuss innovative technologies. These meetings support continuing dialogue aimed at solving future technology challenges. A spokeswoman for Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The secrecy surrounding Pichai's visit highlights one of the tech giant's most challenging binds: How to retain Silicon Valley workers angered by the moral implications of developing warfare technology while also staying in the running for Washington's lucrative military contracts, the paper said. Google's change-of-heart over Project Maven, its first big AI partnership with the Pentagon, has become a key source of tension between the tech giant and military officials, who felt that Google should have done a better job communicating that the technology could help keep servicemembers out of harm's way, according to a source familiar with the work. Google's decision to terminate its relationship with Project Maven also has drawn sharp rebukes from congressional lawmakers, particularly Republicans, who were the focus of Pichai's rare, two-day swing through Washington last week.

Google CEO secretly met Pentagon leaders over AI project: Report

<p>Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has agreed to testify before the US&nbsp;House Judiciary Committee in November, a senior Republican said Friday.</p>

<p>According to news agency Reuters,&nbsp;House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy disclosed that Pichai had agreed to testify and met with Pichai along with other senior Republicans to discuss concerns that the search engine giant is biased against conservatives, which Alphabet Inc's Google unit has repeatedly denied the accusations.</p>

<p>Google came under fire earlier this month for refusing to send a top executive to a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that included Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc executives.</p>


Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has agreed to testify before the US House Judiciary Committee in November, a senior Republican said Friday. According to news agency Reuters, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy disclosed that Pichai had agreed to testify and met with Pichai along with other senior Republicans to discuss concerns that the search engine giant is biased against conservatives, which Alphabet Inc's Google unit has repeatedly denied the accusations.

Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai has agreed to testify before the US House Judiciary Committee in November, a senior Republican said Friday. According to news agency Reuters, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy disclosed that Pichai had agreed to testify and met with Pichai along with other senior Republicans to discuss concerns that the search engine giant is biased against conservatives, which Alphabet Inc's Google unit has repeatedly denied the accusations. Google came under fire earlier this month for refusing to send a top executive to a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing that included Facebook Inc and Twitter Inc executives.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai to testify before US House panel in November

<p>Google's annual developer conference kicked off on Tuesday in California starting with CEO Sundar Pichai apologising for the flawed designs of the burger and beer emoji on Android.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pichai said: "Towards the end of last year it came to my attention that we had a major bug in one of our core products. It turns out, we got the cheese wrong in our burger emoji."</p>

<p>There was a huge debate over the burger emoji on social media last year which started with author Thomas Baakdel stating the wrong placement of the cheese on the burger.&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="screen shot 2018-05-08 at 13815 pm_0.png" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="407" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/screen%20shot%202018-05-08%20at%2013815%20pm_0.png" width="814" /></p>

<p>The tweet went viral and Pichai responded with a good humour, tweeting that Google would "drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday."</p>

<p>After the emoji was fixed, a similar issue happened with the beer emoji and caught everyone's attention. The flaw: The beer emoji was a half-full mug with foam coming out of the top.</p>

<p><img alt="screen shot 2018-05-08 at 13927 pm.png" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="663" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/screen%20shot%202018-05-08%20at%2013927%20pm.png" width="1326" /></p>

<p>While addressing the crowd at the conference Pichai said: "I don't even want to tell you the explanation the team gave me as to why the foam is floating above the beer, but we restored the natural laws of physics."&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the burger and beer mug fixed, Pichai went on to address matters that extended beyond the internet's interest in emoji accuracy.</p>

<p>The Google in its annual developer conference announces upcoming products or plans and also reviews progress that the tech giant has made since the last event.</p>


The Google in its annual developer conference announces upcoming products or plans and also reviews progress that the tech giant has made since the last event

Google's annual developer conference kicked off on Tuesday in California starting with CEO Sundar Pichai apologising for the flawed designs of the burger and beer emoji on Android. Pichai said: "Towards the end of last year it came to my attention that we had a major bug in one of our core products. It turns out, we got the cheese wrong in our burger emoji." There was a huge debate over the burger emoji on social media last year which started with author Thomas Baakdel stating the wrong placement of the cheese on the burger. The tweet went viral and Pichai responded with a good humour, tweeting that Google would "drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday." After the emoji was fixed, a similar issue happened with the beer emoji and caught everyone's attention. The flaw: The beer emoji was a half-full mug with foam coming out of the top. While addressing the crowd at the conference Pichai said: "I don't even want to tell you the explanation the team gave me as to why the foam is floating above the beer, but we restored the natural laws of physics." With the burger and beer mug fixed, Pichai went on to address matters that extended beyond the internet's interest in emoji accuracy. The Google in its annual developer conference announces upcoming products or plans and also reviews progress that the tech giant has made since the last event.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai apologises for flawed beer, burger emoji, displays new versions

<p>More than 3,000 Google employees have sent a letter to chief executive officer Sundar Pichai, protesting against a Maven project for the US military.</p>

<p>The letter has asked to put a stop on company's Maven project for the Pentagon.</p>

<p>The letter which has been obtained by US daily, The New York Times reportedly reads "we believe that Google should not be in the business of war."</p>

<p>The letter further emphasis that working for a warfare could put off other workers that too in a time in which company is already struggling for people's trust.</p>

<p>The letter further argues that firms like Microsoft and Amazon who are also working for the military doesn't make this any less risky for the company and it is also against the Google's motto of 'don't be evil'.</p>

<p>The project issue was also raised in the companywide meeting by employees during which the Diane Greene leader of Google's cloud infrastructure business defenced the deal.</p>

<p>She further sought a cooperation from the employees and reassure concerned employees, The New York Times reported. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The tech giant&nbsp;is working on Maven project for Pentagon which uses artificial intelligence to analyse video imagery. The project reportedly will help in improving the precision of military drone strikes.</p>

<p>The video imagery will help in better identifying targetted people to avoid any innocent casualty.</p>

<p>According to news reports, the letter has also asked to promise that the company will never build warfare technology.</p>

<p>So far the letter has received 3,100 signatures including dozens of senior engineers of the company. The Google has workforce about 70,000 people.</p>

<p>However, the company subsequently has defended the project 'non-defensive' in nature.</p>

<p>Both Pentagon and Google have assured that the company will not create an autonomous weapons systems that could be used without a human operator.</p>

<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Google is working on Maven project for Pentagon which uses artificial intelligence to analyse video imagery

More than 3,000 Google employees have sent a letter to chief executive officer Sundar Pichai, protesting against a Maven project for the US military. The letter has asked to put a stop on company's Maven project for the Pentagon. The letter which has been obtained by US daily, The New York Times reportedly reads "we believe that Google should not be in the business of war." The letter further emphasis that working for a warfare could put off other workers that too in a time in which company is already struggling for people's trust. The letter further argues that firms like Microsoft and Amazon who are also working for the military doesn't make this any less risky for the company and it is also against the Google's motto of 'don't be evil'. The project issue was also raised in the companywide meeting by employees during which the Diane Greene leader of Google's cloud infrastructure business defenced the deal. She further sought a cooperation from the employees and reassure concerned employees, The New York Times reported. The tech giant is working on Maven project for Pentagon which uses artificial intelligence to analyse video imagery. The project reportedly will help in improving the precision of military drone strikes. The video imagery will help in better identifying targetted people to avoid any innocent casualty. According to news reports, the letter has also asked to promise that the company will never build warfare technology. So far the letter has received 3,100 signatures including dozens of senior engineers of the company. The Google has workforce about 70,000 people. However, the company subsequently has defended the project 'non-defensive' in nature. Both Pentagon and Google have assured that the company will not create an autonomous weapons systems that could be used without a human operator.

Over 3,000 Google employees sign a letter asking to stop Maven project for Pentagon

<p>Thomas Baekdal, author-writer-publisher and a media analyst recently called for a discussion on the &quot;burger emoji&quot;.</p>

<p>In a Twitter post, the author said his confusion was about how Google&#39;s burger emoji places the cheese underneath the burger while Apple on the top.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I think we need to have a discussion about how Google&#39;s burger emoji is placing the cheese underneath the burger, while Apple puts it on top <a href="https://t.co/PgXmCkY3Yc">pic.twitter.com/PgXmCkY3Yc</a></p>
&mdash; Thomas Baekdal (@baekdal) <a href="https://twitter.com/baekdal/status/924312294439444480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>His tweet, which was retweeted over five thousand times, created a trail of discussion on&nbsp;social media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Twitterati shared their knowledge&nbsp;of the correct order for cheese and lettuce.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Obviously, cheese must be on top of meat. But lettuce must be insulated by the tomato - so both are in the wrong.</p>
&mdash; Tero Kuittinen (@teroterotero) <a href="https://twitter.com/teroterotero/status/924316787319164929?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">lettuce under meat keeps the bottom bun from getting (as) soggy with meat juice.</p>
&mdash; ??DARK ALEX RISING?? (@alex_insist) <a href="https://twitter.com/alex_insist/status/924381410059722752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">basically this <a href="https://t.co/nTimOlvbay">pic.twitter.com/nTimOlvbay</a></p>
&mdash; Saikyo Ninja KeiyosX (@KeiyosX) <a href="https://twitter.com/KeiyosX/status/924506569005522944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">They had ALL better make sure the ROLL OF TOILET PAPER <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/emoji?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#emoji</a> has the loose sheet to the front or there will be hell to pay.</p>
&mdash; Michael Everson (@Evertype) <a href="https://twitter.com/Evertype/status/924379444436926466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">They&#39;re both wrong. Google&#39;s cheese is wrong, Apple&#39;s lettuce is wrong. The correct order, from bottom up, is burger - cheese - toppings <a href="https://t.co/lF1AUu64ht">pic.twitter.com/lF1AUu64ht</a></p>
&mdash; Mark Goodge ???? (@MarkGoodge) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkGoodge/status/924337663456501760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/bhaggs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bhaggs</a> seriously dude!!?? Lettuce next to cheese? Just tell me it is a soy burger and kill me now <a href="https://t.co/rYT2jeYMx7">pic.twitter.com/rYT2jeYMx7</a></p>
&mdash; md (@manuel) <a href="https://twitter.com/manuel/status/924493564637200384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Some even advised to replace&nbsp;it with the Maharashtrian snack&nbsp;<em>Vada Pav</em>.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Vadapav ?? we need this emoji ?? especially Indian people will love this..</p>
&mdash; Venkatesh (@venky8694) <a href="https://twitter.com/venky8694/status/924569210809827328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dear <a href="https://twitter.com/Google?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Google</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/sundarpichai?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sundarpichai</a>, In India. its should be like this... feels nostalgic. ?? <a href="https://t.co/J4vk6z8hI9">pic.twitter.com/J4vk6z8hI9</a></p>
&mdash; ...?? ???? (@prashume) <a href="https://twitter.com/prashume/status/924584458753159168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Clearly HTC win for doubling up <a href="https://t.co/ZRUMZfzYuc">pic.twitter.com/ZRUMZfzYuc</a></p>
&mdash; Anthony Thomas (@ant_thomas) <a href="https://twitter.com/ant_thomas/status/924334254418530304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mozilla solved the problem by totally avoiding the lettuce and tomato. ?? <a href="https://t.co/o5oUiu9Zcw">pic.twitter.com/o5oUiu9Zcw</a></p>
&mdash; Daniel Lo Nigro (@Daniel15) <a href="https://twitter.com/Daniel15/status/924430955175014401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Google isn&rsquo;t being faithful to its &ldquo;Do no harm&rdquo; motto</p>
&mdash; Sandra Oldfield (@SandraOldfield) <a href="https://twitter.com/SandraOldfield/status/924492639537213440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>Twitterati certainly loved debating on the correct order of the cheese in the burger.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">With your tweet, You have brought sudden excitement into people&#39;s lives! I Cannot believe the depth of the discussion here??????????</p>
&mdash; Gaurav Kutemate (@G_thinktank) <a href="https://twitter.com/G_thinktank/status/924547044739551232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>And the &quot;depth of the discussion&quot; increased when Google CEO Sunder Pichai assured to drop everything else just to address the matter on Monday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Will drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday:) if folks can agree on the correct way to do this! <a href="https://t.co/dXRuZnX1Ag">https://t.co/dXRuZnX1Ag</a></p>
&mdash; Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) <a href="https://twitter.com/sundarpichai/status/924487551372615680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>His tweet attracted 12 thousand likes and was retweeted over five thousand times.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Oof. These burger puns are going to ketchup with you in a bad way.</p>
&mdash; Paul Reynolds (@MugOfPaul) <a href="https://twitter.com/MugOfPaul/status/924492410289233920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">If Sundar says they&#39;ll do it, then consider it bun</p>
&mdash; ????&zwj;?????? (@hunterwalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/hunterwalk/status/924491434157154310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Personally I relish this sort of discussion</p>
&mdash; Ina Fried (@inafried) <a href="https://twitter.com/inafried/status/924499024060616706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/sundarpichai?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sundarpichai</a> while you&#39;re at it can you get a veggie burger emoji in place as well???</p>
&mdash; Nirav Sheth (@nsheth_ahimsa) <a href="https://twitter.com/nsheth_ahimsa/status/924497926113521664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">That earnings call has got you feeling pretty good, I see??</p>
&mdash; Tim Abraham (@timabe) <a href="https://twitter.com/timabe/status/924489922496491521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mr. Sundar we want felafel emoji please</p>
&mdash; Hussein Adel Fahmy (@7usfahmy) <a href="https://twitter.com/7usfahmy/status/924566657418387456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">That&rsquo;s why in India we go for Vadapav instead. No confusion.</p>
&mdash; Dvijen Trivedi (@DvijenT) <a href="https://twitter.com/DvijenT/status/924488032585052160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Goes on top Mr. Pichai. Do the right thing sir.</p>
&mdash; Kazushi Nethery (@sakurabruh) <a href="https://twitter.com/sakurabruh/status/924488518193180672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Please add coming up with emoji design that doesn&#39;t seem like a badly drawn cartoon. You know, to blend with my beautiful Pixel 2 XL ??</p>
&mdash; Jaime Rivera (@Jaime_Rivera) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jaime_Rivera/status/924556281691512832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/9WILFD0QJU">pic.twitter.com/9WILFD0QJU</a></p>
&mdash; Stephanie MacConnell (@stephmacc) <a href="https://twitter.com/stephmacc/status/924503772835057664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Google CEO responded to a tweet by Thomas Baekdal, asking for a discussion over the order of cheese in Apple and Google's 'burger emoji'

Thomas Baekdal, author-writer-publisher and a media analyst recently called for a discussion on the "burger emoji". In a Twitter post, the author said his confusion was about how Google's burger emoji places the cheese underneath the burger while Apple on the top. I think we need to have a discussion about how Google's burger emoji is placing the cheese underneath the burger, while Apple puts it on top pic.twitter.com/PgXmCkY3Yc — Thomas Baekdal (@baekdal) October 28, 2017 × His tweet, which was retweeted over five thousand times, created a trail of discussion on social media. Twitterati shared their knowledge of the correct order for cheese and lettuce. Obviously, cheese must be on top of meat. But lettuce must be insulated by the tomato - so both are in the wrong. — Tero Kuittinen (@teroterotero) October 28, 2017 × lettuce under meat keeps the bottom bun from getting (as) soggy with meat juice. — ??DARK ALEX RISING?? (@alex_insist) October 28, 2017 × basically this pic.twitter.com/nTimOlvbay — Saikyo Ninja KeiyosX (@KeiyosX) October 29, 2017 × They had ALL better make sure the ROLL OF TOILET PAPER #emoji has the loose sheet to the front or there will be hell to pay. — Michael Everson (@Evertype) October 28, 2017 × They're both wrong. Google's cheese is wrong, Apple's lettuce is wrong. The correct order, from bottom up, is burger - cheese - toppings pic.twitter.com/lF1AUu64ht — Mark Goodge ???? (@MarkGoodge) October 28, 2017 × @bhaggs seriously dude!!?? Lettuce next to cheese? Just tell me it is a soy burger and kill me now pic.twitter.com/rYT2jeYMx7 — md (@manuel) October 29, 2017 × Some even advised to replace it with the Maharashtrian snack Vada Pav. Vadapav ?? we need this emoji ?? especially Indian people will love this.. — Venkatesh (@venky8694) October 29, 2017 × Dear @Google @sundarpichai, In India. its should be like this... feels nostalgic. ?? pic.twitter.com/J4vk6z8hI9 — ...?? ???? (@prashume) October 29, 2017 × Clearly HTC win for doubling up pic.twitter.com/ZRUMZfzYuc — Anthony Thomas (@ant_thomas) October 28, 2017 × Mozilla solved the problem by totally avoiding the lettuce and tomato. ?? pic.twitter.com/o5oUiu9Zcw — Daniel Lo Nigro (@Daniel15) October 29, 2017 × Google isn’t being faithful to its “Do no harm” motto — Sandra Oldfield (@SandraOldfield) October 29, 2017 × Twitterati certainly loved debating on the correct order of the cheese in the burger. With your tweet, You have brought sudden excitement into people's lives! I Cannot believe the depth of the discussion here?????????? — Gaurav Kutemate (@G_thinktank) October 29, 2017 × And the "depth of the discussion" increased when Google CEO Sunder Pichai assured to drop everything else just to address the matter on Monday. Will drop everything else we are doing and address on Monday:) if folks can agree on the correct way to do this! https://t.co/dXRuZnX1Ag — Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) October 29, 2017 × His tweet attracted 12 thousand likes and was retweeted over five thousand times. Oof. These burger puns are going to ketchup with you in a bad way. — Paul Reynolds (@MugOfPaul) October 29, 2017 × If Sundar says they'll do it, then consider it bun — ????‍?????? (@hunterwalk) October 29, 2017 × Personally I relish this sort of discussion — Ina Fried (@inafried) October 29, 2017 × @sundarpichai while you're at it can you get a veggie burger emoji in place as well??? — Nirav Sheth (@nsheth_ahimsa) October 29, 2017 × That earnings call has got you feeling pretty good, I see?? — Tim Abraham (@timabe) October 29, 2017 × Mr. Sundar we want felafel emoji please — Hussein Adel Fahmy (@7usfahmy) October 29, 2017 × That’s why in India we go for Vadapav instead. No confusion. — Dvijen Trivedi (@DvijenT) October 29, 2017 × Goes on top Mr. Pichai. Do the right thing sir. — Kazushi Nethery (@sakurabruh) October 29, 2017 × Please add coming up with emoji design that doesn't seem like a badly drawn cartoon. You know, to blend with my beautiful Pixel 2 XL ?? — Jaime Rivera (@Jaime_Rivera) October 29, 2017 × pic.twitter.com/9WILFD0QJU — Stephanie MacConnell (@stephmacc) October 29, 2017 ×

First things first: Sundar Pichai wants to address order of cheese in burger

<p>Google&rsquo;s recent <a href="https://www.recode.net/2017/8/7/16110696/firing-google-ceo-employee-penned-controversial-memo-on-women-has-violated-its-code-of-conduct">sacking</a> of James Damore for circulating a <a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3914586/Googles-Ideological-Echo-Chamber.pdf">memo</a> will do the tech giant more harm than good. Not only has the memo been incorrectly dubbed &ldquo;anti-diversity&rdquo;, but a majority of Google employees surveyed in a recent poll <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com.au/many-google-employees-dont-think-james-damore-should-have-been-fired-2017-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">disagreed</a> with the decision to fire Damore.</p>

<p>A more productive response to the memo would have been to setup an official channel for employees to air these kinds of issues. This way employees feel their views are heard and the company can take into account different points of view while formulating policy.</p>

<p>Google&rsquo;s chief executive, Sundar Pichai, <a href="https://www.blog.google/topics/diversity/note-employees-ceo-sundar-pichai/">wrote</a> to all Google employees saying that Damore&rsquo;s memo had crossed the line by &ldquo;advancing harmful gender stereotypes in the workplace&rdquo;. It might have been more advantageous to have a full and frank discussion of Google&rsquo;s diversity policies and what they are intended to achieve.</p>

<p><strong>Is it too dangerous to talk about diversity?</strong></p>

<p>Although painted as &ldquo;<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/06/technology/culture/google-diversity/index.html">anti-diversity</a>&rdquo;, the memo itself raises issues of the alienation of conservative views at Google and the need to be able to discuss diversity more openly. In other words, diversity shouldn&rsquo;t be a concept that people are scared to discuss openly for fear of being vilified or shamed.</p>

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<p><a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3914586/Googles-Ideological-Echo-Chamber.pdf">Damore&rsquo;s memo</a> suggests that those with differing views on diversity are dismissed and vilified. The response to his memo seems to prove his point. This might in fact be the heart of the problem - fear of saying something politically incorrect might in fact be holding people back from understanding the need for diversity measures.</p>

<p>One <a href="http://scholarship.law.duke.edu/faculty_scholarship/2340/">study</a> found that American corporate directors thought board diversity (in racial, ethnic and gender terms) was an important goal worth pursuing. But they seemed unable to substantiate this opinion with examples of how board diversity might help the company. The authors of the study concluded that diversity seemed to be a &ldquo;dangerous&rdquo; subject to talk about.</p>

<p>Shutting down differing views on the matter is antithetical to the idea of diversity. &ldquo;Inner diversity&rdquo;, meaning diversity of viewpoints and opinions, is as important as &ldquo;outer diversity&rdquo;, in terms of gender and ethnicity etc.</p>

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<h5>A Canadian report on women on company boards found that boards with more women surpass all male boards in their attention to audit and risk oversight and control.</h5>
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<p>A Canadian report on women on company boards <a href="http://utsc.utoronto.ca/%7Ephanira/WebResearchMethods/women-bod&amp;fp-conference%20board.pdf">found</a> that boards with more women surpass all male boards in their attention to audit and risk oversight and control. It also highlights that outer diversity (such as having more women on the board) is a proxy for inner diversity - it is a sign of different &ldquo;gifts, skills, experiences, and perspectives&rdquo;. If a company focuses singularly on outer diversity while discouraging diverse viewpoints it won&rsquo;t realise the real benefits of diversity in the first place.</p>

<p><strong>Rationales for diversity</strong></p>

<p>The rationale for measures promoting diversity is twofold. Women and minority groups have to overcome many barriers including selection bias while being recruited. And diversity, particularly in problem-solving groups, is <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-racism-and-a-lack-of-diversity-can-harm-productivity-in-our-workplaces-73119">ultimately good for business</a>.</p>

<p>Diversity measures seek to reduce (if not eliminate) <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/04/why-is-silicon-valley-so-awful-to-women/517788/">biases</a> by expanding or diversifying the pool of candidates being considered for each position. For example, programs where female candidates are given mentors opens up new opportunities.</p>

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<h5>Recent neuroscience research shows there is not enough evidence to conclude that there are significant differences in the male and female brain.</h5>
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<p><a href="https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/3914586/Googles-Ideological-Echo-Chamber.pdf">Damore&rsquo;s memo</a> argues the biological differences between men and women might be one of the reasons for the low number of women in the tech industry. However, <a href="http://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1018&amp;context=learning_processes">recent neuroscience research</a> shows there is not enough evidence to conclude that there are significant differences in the male and female brain. So while Damore&rsquo;s view is not unequivocal, this perception could impede the effectiveness of diversity measures.</p>

<p>Other <a href="http://www.aei.org/publication/why-cant-a-woman-be-more-like-a-man-3/">research</a> shows that more men than women study computer science, engineering, physics and mathematics in the US. This could account for some of the gender disparity in tech companies. However, this is not true in all countries.</p>

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<h5>Women make up nearly half of computer science and computer engineering students in India.</h5>
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<p>For instance, women make up <a href="https://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2015/5/186026-decoding-femininity-in-computer-science-in-india/abstract">nearly half</a> of computer science and computer engineering students in India. It might be interesting to study what factors deter women in the US from studying these subjects.</p>

<p>But in order to address these issues it is necessary to be able to discuss them, and then assess what a diversity policy is intended to fix. To that end, companies must create forums and events to discuss the rationales for diversity policies and also allow employees to voice their views in this regard.</p>

<p><img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.edu.au/content/82318/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />A starting point could be to have employees fill out anonymous surveys to gauge perception of diversity policies. Based on this, appropriate discussions can be encouraged. Companies could also consider making the rationale for the diversity policy available along with the policy itself. This process will result in more informed policy choices and perhaps a more inclusive work culture.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-memo-to-google-firing-employees-with-conservative-views-is-anti-diversity-82318">original article</a>.</p>


Damore?s memo argues the biological differences between men and women might be one of the reasons for the low number of women in the tech industry.

Google’s recent sacking of James Damore for circulating a memo will do the tech giant more harm than good. Not only has the memo been incorrectly dubbed “anti-diversity”, but a majority of Google employees surveyed in a recent poll disagreed with the decision to fire Damore. A more productive response to the memo would have been to setup an official channel for employees to air these kinds of issues. This way employees feel their views are heard and the company can take into account different points of view while formulating policy. Google’s chief executive, Sundar Pichai, wrote to all Google employees saying that Damore’s memo had crossed the line by “advancing harmful gender stereotypes in the workplace”. It might have been more advantageous to have a full and frank discussion of Google’s diversity policies and what they are intended to achieve. Is it too dangerous to talk about diversity? Although painted as “anti-diversity”, the memo itself raises issues of the alienation of conservative views at Google and the need to be able to discuss diversity more openly. In other words, diversity shouldn’t be a concept that people are scared to discuss openly for fear of being vilified or shamed. Damore’s memo suggests that those with differing views on diversity are dismissed and vilified. × Damore’s memo suggests that those with differing views on diversity are dismissed and vilified. The response to his memo seems to prove his point. This might in fact be the heart of the problem - fear of saying something politically incorrect might in fact be holding people back from understanding the need for diversity measures. One study found that American corporate directors thought board diversity (in racial, ethnic and gender terms) was an important goal worth pursuing. But they seemed unable to substantiate this opinion with examples of how board diversity might help the company. The authors of the study concluded that diversity seemed to be a “dangerous” subject to talk about. Shutting down differing views on the matter is antithetical to the idea of diversity. “Inner diversity”, meaning diversity of viewpoints and opinions, is as important as “outer diversity”, in terms of gender and ethnicity etc. A Canadian report on women on company boards found that boards with more women surpass all male boards in their attention to audit and risk oversight and control. × A Canadian report on women on company boards found that boards with more women surpass all male boards in their attention to audit and risk oversight and control. It also highlights that outer diversity (such as having more women on the board) is a proxy for inner diversity - it is a sign of different “gifts, skills, experiences, and perspectives”. If a company focuses singularly on outer diversity while discouraging diverse viewpoints it won’t realise the real benefits of diversity in the first place. Rationales for diversity The rationale for measures promoting diversity is twofold. Women and minority groups have to overcome many barriers including selection bias while being recruited. And diversity, particularly in problem-solving groups, is ultimately good for business. Diversity measures seek to reduce (if not eliminate) biases by expanding or diversifying the pool of candidates being considered for each position. For example, programs where female candidates are given mentors opens up new opportunities. Recent neuroscience research shows there is not enough evidence to conclude that there are significant differences in the male and female brain. × Damore’s memo argues the biological differences between men and women might be one of the reasons for the low number of women in the tech industry. However, recent neuroscience research shows there is not enough evidence to conclude that there are significant differences in the male and female brain. So while Damore’s view is not unequivocal, this perception could impede the effectiveness of diversity measures. Other research shows that more men than women study computer science, engineering, physics and mathematics in the US. This could account for some of the gender disparity in tech companies. However, this is not true in all countries. Women make up nearly half of computer science and computer engineering students in India. × For instance, women make up nearly half of computer science and computer engineering students in India. It might be interesting to study what factors deter women in the US from studying these subjects. But in order to address these issues it is necessary to be able to discuss them, and then assess what a diversity policy is intended to fix. To that end, companies must create forums and events to discuss the rationales for diversity policies and also allow employees to voice their views in this regard. A starting point could be to have employees fill out anonymous surveys to gauge perception of diversity policies. Based on this, appropriate discussions can be encouraged. Companies could also consider making the rationale for the diversity policy available along with the policy itself. This process will result in more informed policy choices and perhaps a more inclusive work culture. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Firing workers with conservative views is anti-diversity, says majority of Google employees

<p>After attending the CEOs roundtable conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said here that the Indian PM focused on getting insights on how to attract more foreign investment.</p>

<p>&quot;It (the conference) was a discussion across many industries and I think the Prime Minister was looking for insights into how India can attract more foreign investment,&quot; Pichai told ANI in an exclusive interview.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said good ideas were discussed on foreign investment and everyone was looking forward to investing more in India.</p>

<p>&quot;I think there were many good ideas discussed and I think everyone is excited to invest more in India and I&#39;m excited about what we all can do together,&quot; said the Google CEO.</p>

<p>Commenting on the upcoming rollout of Good and Services Tax (GST), Pichai said, &quot;We are all looking forward to the July 1&nbsp;rollout. I know it has been a very difficult thing to do so I&#39;m excited to see it happen. Shows that you can achieve reform by pushing hard for it and I hope it is just the beginning.&quot;</p>

<p>GST is India&#39;s biggest and most ambitious tax reform that is being rolled out in hope that it will shore up tax revenues, cool inflation and accelerate growth. When implied it will tear down trade barriers by replacing 15 different central and state levies. The government has assured that the reform will not be inflationary. At the conference with the business honchos, the Prime Minister stressed that the whole world is looking at India today adding that growth for New Delhi also presents a win-win partnership for the United States.</p>

<p>The Indian Government so far has carried out about 7,000 reforms for ease of doing business in the country and provide for minimum government, maximum governance.</p>

<p>&quot;The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools,&quot; said the Prime Minister.</p>

<p>The CEO&#39;s in attendance included</p>

<p>1. Shantanu Narayen, Chairman, President &amp; CEO, Adobe 2. Jeff Bezos, Founder &amp; CEO, Amazon3. Jim Taiclet, Chairman, President &amp; CEO, American Tower Corporation 4. Tim Cook, CEO, Apple5. Jim Umpleby, CEO, Caterpillar6. John Chambers, Executive Chairman, Cisco7. Punit Renjen, Global CEO, Deloitte8. David Farr, Chairman &amp; CEO, Emerson 9. Mark Weinberger, CEO, Ernst &amp; Young 10. Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google11. Alex Gorsky, Chairman &amp; CEO, Johnson &amp; Johnson 12. Jamie Dimon, CEO, JPMorgan Chase &amp; Co.13. Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President &amp; CEO, Lockheed Martin14. Arne Sorenson, President &amp; CEO, Marriott International 15. Ajay Banga, President &amp; CEO, Mastercard16. Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman &amp; CEO, Mondelez International 17. David Rubenstein, Co-founder &amp; Co-CEO, The Carlyle Group 18. Doug McMillon, President &amp; CEO, Walmart 19. Charles Kaye, Co-CEO, Warburg Pincus 20. Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, IHS Markit 21. Mukesh Aghi, President, USIBC Prime Minister Modi who touched down the Andrews Air Force base in Washington yesterday is on a bilateral visit to meet U.S. President Donald Trump.&nbsp;</p>

<p>(ANI)&nbsp;</p>


The Google CEO said good ideas were discussed on foreign investment and everyone was looking forward to investing more in India

After attending the CEOs roundtable conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Google CEO Sundar Pichai said here that the Indian PM focused on getting insights on how to attract more foreign investment. "It (the conference) was a discussion across many industries and I think the Prime Minister was looking for insights into how India can attract more foreign investment," Pichai told ANI in an exclusive interview. He said good ideas were discussed on foreign investment and everyone was looking forward to investing more in India. "I think there were many good ideas discussed and I think everyone is excited to invest more in India and I'm excited about what we all can do together," said the Google CEO. Commenting on the upcoming rollout of Good and Services Tax (GST), Pichai said, "We are all looking forward to the July 1 rollout. I know it has been a very difficult thing to do so I'm excited to see it happen. Shows that you can achieve reform by pushing hard for it and I hope it is just the beginning." GST is India's biggest and most ambitious tax reform that is being rolled out in hope that it will shore up tax revenues, cool inflation and accelerate growth. When implied it will tear down trade barriers by replacing 15 different central and state levies. The government has assured that the reform will not be inflationary. At the conference with the business honchos, the Prime Minister stressed that the whole world is looking at India today adding that growth for New Delhi also presents a win-win partnership for the United States. The Indian Government so far has carried out about 7,000 reforms for ease of doing business in the country and provide for minimum government, maximum governance. "The implementation of the landmark initiative of GST could be a subject of studies in US business schools," said the Prime Minister. The CEO's in attendance included 1. Shantanu Narayen, Chairman, President & CEO, Adobe 2. Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO, Amazon3. Jim Taiclet, Chairman, President & CEO, American Tower Corporation 4. Tim Cook, CEO, Apple5. Jim Umpleby, CEO, Caterpillar6. John Chambers, Executive Chairman, Cisco7. Punit Renjen, Global CEO, Deloitte8. David Farr, Chairman & CEO, Emerson 9. Mark Weinberger, CEO, Ernst & Young 10. Sundar Pichai, CEO, Google11. Alex Gorsky, Chairman & CEO, Johnson & Johnson 12. Jamie Dimon, CEO, JPMorgan Chase & Co.13. Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President & CEO, Lockheed Martin14. Arne Sorenson, President & CEO, Marriott International 15. Ajay Banga, President & CEO, Mastercard16. Irene Rosenfeld, Chairman & CEO, Mondelez International 17. David Rubenstein, Co-founder & Co-CEO, The Carlyle Group 18. Doug McMillon, President & CEO, Walmart 19. Charles Kaye, Co-CEO, Warburg Pincus 20. Daniel Yergin, Vice Chairman, IHS Markit 21. Mukesh Aghi, President, USIBC Prime Minister Modi who touched down the Andrews Air Force base in Washington yesterday is on a bilateral visit to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. (ANI)

Everyone excited about investing in India: Google's Sundar Pichai after Modi CEOs meet

<p>Google CEO Sundar Pichai has won many hearts by replying to a letter sent by a 7-year-old girl asking for a job at Google. Chloe Bridgewater, in a handwritten letter to the &ldquo;Google boss&rdquo;, mentioned her interests and some adorable reasons she thought could get her a job at Google.</p>

<p>&ldquo;My dad said I can sit on bean bags, go down slides and ride go karts in a job in Google. I like computers too and have a tablet I play games on,&rdquo; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6237725562237001728/">she scribbled in the letter, which was shared by her father Andy Bridgewater in a LinkedIn post</a>.</p>

<p>Here&rsquo;s the full letter addressed to Sundar Pichai:</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/1-handwritten-letter-google-20170216091359.jpg" />
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<p>7-year-old writes a handwritten letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. (WION)</p>
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<p>In what came as an unexpected move, Sundar Pichai replied to the girl with encouraging words and suggested her to formally apply for a job at Google when she grows up.</p>

<p>&quot;Thank you so much for your letter. I&#39;m glad that you like computers and robots, and hope that you will continue to learn about technology. I think that if you keep working hard and following your dreams, you can accomplish everything that you set your mind to - from working at Google to swimming in the Olympics. I look forward to receiving your job application when you are finished with school! :) All the best to you and your family,&rdquo; responded Pichai.</p>

<p>The full letter from Pichai is embedded below:</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/2-google-sundar-pichai-reply-20170216091657.jpg" />
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<p>Google CEO Sundar Pichai&#39;s reply to a job application filed by a 7-year-old. (WION)</p>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="javascript:void(0)" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Both the letters were later shared by the girl&rsquo;s father in LinkedIn posts <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6237725562237001728/">[1]</a><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6236942567154556928/">[2]</a>. In one of the posts, her father explained as to what intrigued Chloe in working with Google and how the reply from Pichai boosted her confidence.</p>

<p>&ldquo;After seeing images of Google offices with their bean bags, go karts and slides, my 7 year old daughter decided to write to Google to see if they would give her a job. She lost a great deal of confidence after being knocked down by a car a couple of years ago. However, to say she is delighted after receiving this letter signed by Sundar Pichai himself is an understatement. She is now even more eager to do well at school and work for Google. Can&#39;t thank such a busy person enough to take time out to make a little girl&#39;s dream become one step closer, although not sure she&#39;s fully aware that it&#39;ll take more than riding go karts and sleeping in pods to make it with Google!,&rdquo; wrote the girl&rsquo;s father.</p>

<p>(WION)</p>


This handwritten job application by a 7-year-old girl is something that can make your day

Google CEO Sundar Pichai has won many hearts by replying to a letter sent by a 7-year-old girl asking for a job at Google. Chloe Bridgewater, in a handwritten letter to the “Google boss”, mentioned her interests and some adorable reasons she thought could get her a job at Google. “My dad said I can sit on bean bags, go down slides and ride go karts in a job in Google. I like computers too and have a tablet I play games on,” she scribbled in the letter, which was shared by her father Andy Bridgewater in a LinkedIn post. Here’s the full letter addressed to Sundar Pichai: 7-year-old writes a handwritten letter to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. (WION) × In what came as an unexpected move, Sundar Pichai replied to the girl with encouraging words and suggested her to formally apply for a job at Google when she grows up. "Thank you so much for your letter. I'm glad that you like computers and robots, and hope that you will continue to learn about technology. I think that if you keep working hard and following your dreams, you can accomplish everything that you set your mind to - from working at Google to swimming in the Olympics. I look forward to receiving your job application when you are finished with school! :) All the best to you and your family,” responded Pichai. The full letter from Pichai is embedded below: Google CEO Sundar Pichai's reply to a job application filed by a 7-year-old. (WION) × Both the letters were later shared by the girl’s father in LinkedIn posts [1][2]. In one of the posts, her father explained as to what intrigued Chloe in working with Google and how the reply from Pichai boosted her confidence. “After seeing images of Google offices with their bean bags, go karts and slides, my 7 year old daughter decided to write to Google to see if they would give her a job. She lost a great deal of confidence after being knocked down by a car a couple of years ago. However, to say she is delighted after receiving this letter signed by Sundar Pichai himself is an understatement. She is now even more eager to do well at school and work for Google. Can't thank such a busy person enough to take time out to make a little girl's dream become one step closer, although not sure she's fully aware that it'll take more than riding go karts and sleeping in pods to make it with Google!,” wrote the girl’s father. (WION)

Google CEO Sundar Pichai responds to job application by a 7-year-old

<p>Google&#39;s India-born CEO Sundar Pichai has criticised President Donald Trump&#39;s controversial immigration order against people from seven Muslim-majority countries, saying it will create &quot;barriers&quot; to bringing great talent to the US, as the Internet search giant ordered its travelling staff to return to America.</p>

<p>Pichai in an email to staff said the US ban on foreign nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries will hit at least 187 Google employees.</p>

<p>&quot;We&#39;re upset about the impact of this order and any proposals that could impose restrictions on Googlers and their families, or that could create barriers to bringing great talent to the US,&quot; the Wall Street Journal quoted Pichai as saying in the email.</p>

<p>&quot;It is painful to see the personal cost of this executive order on our colleagues,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Google has recalled around 100 of its affected staff from overseas, the BBC reported.</p>

<p>President Trump ordered &quot;extreme vetting&quot; of people entering the US from seven Muslim-majority countries and banned the entry of Syrian refugees until further notice, as part of new measures to &quot;keep radical Islamic terrorists&quot; out of America.&nbsp;The countries impacted are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia.</p>

<p>The controversial move, signed a week after he was sworn in as the president, fulfills the vow Trump made on the campaign trail to limit Muslim immigration to the US.</p>

<p>In his message to employees, 44-year-old Pichai, who grew up in India, suggested that at least 187 employees hailed from countries included in the ban.</p>

<p>&quot;Our first order of business is to help Googlers who are affected,&quot; he said. &quot;If you&#39;re abroad and need help please reach out to our global security team.&quot; &nbsp;&quot;We wouldn&#39;t wish this fear and uncertainty on anyone and especially not our fellow Googlers,&quot; Pichai wrote:&nbsp;&quot;In times of uncertainty, our values remain the best guide.&quot;</p>

<p>Immigrants make up much of the workforce in Silicon Valley, including many executive roles, and the tech industry has long advocated for more open immigration laws in the US, saying they need more skilled foreigners to fill technical jobs.&nbsp;The new restrictions will have a major impact on American technology companies that hire skilled staff from all over the world on special H1-B visas, mostly used by Indian IT firms.</p>

<p>&quot;There have already been reports of green card holders, who are allowed to work in the US, being prevented from getting on flights. However, green cards are not specifically mentioned in the executive order,&quot; the Wall Street Journal said.</p>

<p>Microsoft has also warned its shareholders that curbs on immigration could have a material impact on its business.</p>

<p>Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also criticised Trump&#39;s decision to severely limit immigrants and refugees from certain Muslim-majority countries, saying America is a nation of immigrants and should be proud of it.</p>

<p>&quot;Like many of you, I&#39;m concerned about the impact of the recent executive orders signed by President Trump,&quot; Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. &nbsp;&quot;Like many of you, I&#39;m concerned about the impact of the recent executive orders signed by President Trump,&quot; Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. &quot;We need to keep this country safe, but we should do that by focusing on people who actually pose a threat ... We should also keep our doors open to refugees and those who need help. That&#39;s who we are. Had we turned away refugees a few decades ago, Priscilla&#39;s family wouldn&#39;t be here today,&quot; he wrote of his wife, Priscilla Chan, whose family were refugees from China and Vietnam.</p>

<p>&quot;These issues are personal for me even beyond my family. A few years ago, I taught a class at a local middle school where some of my best students were undocumented. They are our future too. We are a nation of immigrants, and we all benefit when the best and brightest from around the world can live, work and contribute here. I hope we find the courage and compassion to bring people together and make this world a better place for everyone,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>&quot;Expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources, while millions of undocumented folks who don&#39;t pose a threat will live in fear of deportation,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Zuckerberg also prodded Trump to stand by earlier statements regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) and H1-B visas, which are of particular concern to tech companies that use the visas to hire talent from overseas.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p>(PTI)</p>


Google has reportedly recalled 100 of its affected staff from overseas, according to the BBC

Google's India-born CEO Sundar Pichai has criticised President Donald Trump's controversial immigration order against people from seven Muslim-majority countries, saying it will create "barriers" to bringing great talent to the US, as the Internet search giant ordered its travelling staff to return to America. Pichai in an email to staff said the US ban on foreign nationals from seven Muslim-majority countries will hit at least 187 Google employees. "We're upset about the impact of this order and any proposals that could impose restrictions on Googlers and their families, or that could create barriers to bringing great talent to the US," the Wall Street Journal quoted Pichai as saying in the email. "It is painful to see the personal cost of this executive order on our colleagues," he said. Google has recalled around 100 of its affected staff from overseas, the BBC reported. President Trump ordered "extreme vetting" of people entering the US from seven Muslim-majority countries and banned the entry of Syrian refugees until further notice, as part of new measures to "keep radical Islamic terrorists" out of America. The countries impacted are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia. The controversial move, signed a week after he was sworn in as the president, fulfills the vow Trump made on the campaign trail to limit Muslim immigration to the US. In his message to employees, 44-year-old Pichai, who grew up in India, suggested that at least 187 employees hailed from countries included in the ban. "Our first order of business is to help Googlers who are affected," he said. "If you're abroad and need help please reach out to our global security team." "We wouldn't wish this fear and uncertainty on anyone and especially not our fellow Googlers," Pichai wrote: "In times of uncertainty, our values remain the best guide." Immigrants make up much of the workforce in Silicon Valley, including many executive roles, and the tech industry has long advocated for more open immigration laws in the US, saying they need more skilled foreigners to fill technical jobs. The new restrictions will have a major impact on American technology companies that hire skilled staff from all over the world on special H1-B visas, mostly used by Indian IT firms. "There have already been reports of green card holders, who are allowed to work in the US, being prevented from getting on flights. However, green cards are not specifically mentioned in the executive order," the Wall Street Journal said. Microsoft has also warned its shareholders that curbs on immigration could have a material impact on its business. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has also criticised Trump's decision to severely limit immigrants and refugees from certain Muslim-majority countries, saying America is a nation of immigrants and should be proud of it. "Like many of you, I'm concerned about the impact of the recent executive orders signed by President Trump," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. "Like many of you, I'm concerned about the impact of the recent executive orders signed by President Trump," Zuckerberg wrote on his Facebook page. "We need to keep this country safe, but we should do that by focusing on people who actually pose a threat ... We should also keep our doors open to refugees and those who need help. That's who we are. Had we turned away refugees a few decades ago, Priscilla's family wouldn't be here today," he wrote of his wife, Priscilla Chan, whose family were refugees from China and Vietnam. "These issues are personal for me even beyond my family. A few years ago, I taught a class at a local middle school where some of my best students were undocumented. They are our future too. We are a nation of immigrants, and we all benefit when the best and brightest from around the world can live, work and contribute here. I hope we find the courage and compassion to bring people together and make this world a better place for everyone," he said. "Expanding the focus of law enforcement beyond people who are real threats would make all Americans less safe by diverting resources, while millions of undocumented folks who don't pose a threat will live in fear of deportation," he said. Zuckerberg also prodded Trump to stand by earlier statements regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) and H1-B visas, which are of particular concern to tech companies that use the visas to hire talent from overseas. (PTI)

Google's Pichai, Facebook founder Zuckerberg criticise Trump's immigration order

<p>Google chief executive Sundar Pichai who is in New Delhi currently, launched &#39;Digital Unlocked&#39;, a training program to empower small and medium businesses (SMBs) in India to enable them to bring their businesses online.</p>

<p>He was addressing a gathering of SMBs entrepreneurs in the capital.</p>

<p>&#39;Digital Unlocked&#39; is &quot;a training program to empower SMBs with digital skills to enable them to get online and start using the power of the Internet to grow their business,&quot; Google said in a press release.</p>

<p>According to a KPMG - Google study titled &#39;Impact of Internet and digitisation on SMBs in India&#39;, 68% of the 51 million small businesses in India are offline. The study said that increasing digital penetration of these companies could raise their contribution to the GDP by 10 percentage points.</p>

<p>&#39;Digital Unlocked&#39;, Google says, would ensure that every small business that wants to go digital would have access to quality online and offline training. The training program has been developed for the online, offline and mobile platforms.</p>

<p><strong>Offline tutorial</strong></p>

<p>The offline training would be carried out in partnership with FICCI over the next three years, conducting 5000 workshops across 40 cities in the country.</p>

<p><strong>Online tutorial</strong></p>

<p>The online training would have 90 self-paced video tutorials curated specifically for India and available for free. The tutorials would cover a wide range of topics including &#39;building web presence&#39; and &#39;driving online growth&#39;.</p>

<p><strong>Mobile tutorial - Primer app</strong></p>

<p>Google also launched a free mobile app to teach digital marketing skills on Wednesday. The app is available in the Google Play and iOS app store. The app can work offline and is available in English and Hindi. Google will make tutorials in Tamil and Telugu and Marathi versions available soon.</p>

<p><strong>My Business Websites</strong></p>

<p>Google also previewed My Business Websites to help small businesses create &quot;a free mobile, optimised website&quot;. My Business Websites would be available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, and Malayalam.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>(This report first appeared in DNA)</p>


According to a KPMG - Google study, nearly 68% of the 51 million small and medium businesses in India are currently offline

Google chief executive Sundar Pichai who is in New Delhi currently, launched 'Digital Unlocked', a training program to empower small and medium businesses (SMBs) in India to enable them to bring their businesses online. He was addressing a gathering of SMBs entrepreneurs in the capital. 'Digital Unlocked' is "a training program to empower SMBs with digital skills to enable them to get online and start using the power of the Internet to grow their business," Google said in a press release. According to a KPMG - Google study titled 'Impact of Internet and digitisation on SMBs in India', 68% of the 51 million small businesses in India are offline. The study said that increasing digital penetration of these companies could raise their contribution to the GDP by 10 percentage points. 'Digital Unlocked', Google says, would ensure that every small business that wants to go digital would have access to quality online and offline training. The training program has been developed for the online, offline and mobile platforms. Offline tutorial The offline training would be carried out in partnership with FICCI over the next three years, conducting 5000 workshops across 40 cities in the country. Online tutorial The online training would have 90 self-paced video tutorials curated specifically for India and available for free. The tutorials would cover a wide range of topics including 'building web presence' and 'driving online growth'. Mobile tutorial - Primer app Google also launched a free mobile app to teach digital marketing skills on Wednesday. The app is available in the Google Play and iOS app store. The app can work offline and is available in English and Hindi. Google will make tutorials in Tamil and Telugu and Marathi versions available soon. My Business Websites Google also previewed My Business Websites to help small businesses create "a free mobile, optimised website". My Business Websites would be available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, and Malayalam. (This report first appeared in DNA)

'Digital Unlocked': Google's Sundar Pichai launches training program for small businesses in India

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai apologises for flawed beer, burger emoji, displays new versions

Over 3,000 Google employees sign a letter asking to stop Maven project for Pentagon

First things first: Sundar Pichai wants to address order of cheese in burger