We don’t know exactly what the jobs of the future will be. But we do know that they almost certainly will involve technology. And that means that computer science will be one of the most sought-after skills of the next fifty years.

Yet the number of computer science graduates in Australia is falling. We need to reverse this trend and help Aussie schoolkids develop the skills they need to help Australia prosper and grow in a digital age.

Over 600 Aussie schools took part in the Hour of Code last week, giving themselves an introduction to the world of Computer Science. But that was just a taste. There are plenty of other courses to help educators teach computer science, and Google’s Computer Science for High School program is our way of supporting them. And now it's not just for high schools.

CS4HS is Google’s annual program that provides grants to for programs that help teachers teach computer science. Over the past 4 years, hundreds of high school teachers across Australia have gone through programs to help them equip their students with the skills of the future. As Australia’s new Digital Technologies Curriculum starts rolling out, we’re expanding CS4HS. We’re looking for programs that target teachers from primary school through to high school teachers. Applications are now open for our 2015 CS4HS program.

If you’re a teacher and want to learn more about teaching computer science, there are some classroom resources on our K-12 educators page. You can also take part in free online professional teacher development courses.

Posted by Sally-Ann Williams, Engineering Community & Outreach Manager, Google Australia & New Zealand

Every year, we reflect on the moments that made us smile from ear to ear, or kept us gripped to our screens, in our annual Year in Search. It was a year in which we were affected by the death of a beloved comedian, and watched news unfold about a horrific plane crash and a terrifying disease. We were captivated by amazing goals, and had our fun with digital birds, a bucket of ice, and goat simulators.

Watch our video to rediscover the events, people and topics that defined 2014:

All the world’s a stage 
Nothing brings people together like sports, and 2014 had one of the biggest athletic events in recent memory. The World Cup in Brazil had its fair share of unforgettable moments and had everyone glued to their TVs and mobile devices all summer. From Luis Suarez’s bite heard around the world, to Tim Cahill’s magical goal vs. Netherlands, to Germany’s incredible run to their fourth title, the competition certainly lived up to its reputation and topped the charts.

Into the unknown
How could a plane just vanish? In the wake of the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, that question propelled the mystery to the global trends charts. As the investigation continued on the ground and online, people stayed hopeful for a happy ending despite the dim odds; searches for “mh370 found” outnumbered searches for “mh370 lost.”

Goodbye, genie 
“You're only given a little spark of madness, you mustn't lose it.” The passing of beloved comedian and actor Robin Williams shook the world, bringing many people online to search for more information and to remember—and putting Williams in the #3 spot on our Australian trends charts. There was also an uptick in searches related to depression and mental health in the days following his death. People revisited his iconic roles in movies like Aladdin and Dead Poets Society and found solace in gifs and memes that captured Williams’ spirit.

Closer to home, we remembered the lives of Charlotte Dawson and Phil Hughes. We also searched for more information about Schapelle Corby’s release and the launch of the online services portal MyGov. Rounding out the list was ongoing concern for the global Ebola crisis, Hunger Games star Jennifer Lawrence and the emergence of the wildly successful (or annoying?) mobile game Flappy Bird.

Here’s the full list of our top 10 trending searches in Australia this year:
Trending Searches
1. World Cup
2. Malaysia Airlines
3. Robin Williams
4. Charlotte Dawson
5. Phil Hughes
6. Jennifer Lawrence
7. Schapelle Corby
8. MyGov
9. Ebola
10. Flappy Bird

You can find more on these top searches and more at google.com.au/2014 

In other news... 
Australians were captivated by important global events ranging from Cyclone Ita to Scottish Independence, while also being distracted by news of a good looking young man called Alex From Target. We also looked to the stars to tune in to the Lunar Eclipse and marvelled at the feat of placing Philae Lander on a fast-moving comet.

To better understand our world, we asked questions like What is ALS, Who is Jesus, Where is Sochi and wanted to learn how to draw. We also quickly searched for new digital lingo like Doge, Neknominate, Goat Simulator and Ello to get up to speed (just in case our friends asked us about these new crazes)...

Explore the stories from the year, one chapter at a time

On our Year in Search site you can take an in-depth look at the stories that made 2014 unforgettable. From the rise of the selfie, to understanding if we search for “how” more than “why,” each chapter shares a glimpse into the people and events that drove this year forward.

We've also made it easier to find the trending topics of the year directly from Google Search. For the first time, a simple search for [google 2014] will give you a peek at what made the top trending lists from around the world. And you can follow more insights from the year with #YearInSearch. So take a moment to appreciate what this year had to offer. It’ll be 2015 before you know it.

Trending Searches 1. World Cup 2. Malaysia Airlines 3. Robin Williams 4. Charlotte Dawson 5. Phil Hughes 6. Jennifer Lawrence 7. Schapelle Corby 8. MyGov 9. Ebola 10. Flappy Bird	News items of 2014 (Trending) 1. MH370 News 2. Peaches Geldof Dead 3. Cyclone Ita 4. Michael Schumacher News 5. Scottish Independence 6. Alex From Target 7. Ukraine News 8. Lunar Eclipse 9. Ebola Outbreak 10. Philae Lander
How to… (Most Searched) 1. Draw 2. Kiss 3. Crochet 4. Meditate 5. Knit 6. Pronounce 7. Sing 8. Twerk 9. Screenshot 10. Whistle	What is… ? (Most Searched) 1. Ebola 2. ALS 3. Love 4. Gluten 5. Tinder 6. ISIS 7. Depression 8. Bitcoin 9. Cilantro 10. Tumblr
Aussies (Trending) 1. Schapelle Corby 2. Todd Carney 3. Iggy Azalea 4. Margot Robbie 5. Rolf Harris 6. Torah Bright 7. Nick Kyrgios 8. Sia 9. Ian Thorpe 10. Alex Mckinnon	Global People (Trending) 1. Jennifer Lawrence 2. Michael Schumacher 3. Oscar Pistorius 4. Jules Bianchi 5. Jared Leto 6. Jordan Belfort 7. Renee Zellweger 8. Lorde 9. Dan Bilzerian 10. Conchita Wurst
Recipes (Most Searched) 1. Pancake Recipe 2. Chicken Recipe 3. Thermomix Recipes 4. Slow Cooker Recipes 5. Chocolate Cake Recipe 6. Quiche Recipe 7. Scone Recipe 8. Pizza Dough Recipe 9. Carbonara Recipe 10. Paleo Recipes	Who is… ? (Most Searched) 1. Jesus 2. ISIS 3. Banksy 4. Redfoo 5. Ultron 6. JOB 7. Siri 8. God 9. Allah 10. HowToBasic
Where is… ? (Most Searched) 1. Sochi 2. MH370 3. Perth 4. Glasgow 5. Gallipoli 6. Dubai 7. Stonehenge 8. Bali 9. Uluru 10. Pompeii	Digital / Internet Lingo (Trending) 1. Tinder 2. Neknominate 3. Goat Simulator 4. Ello 5. Bitcoin 6. Doge 7. Pixelmon 8. Vines 9. Dogecoin 10. Flipagram

Trending Searches: What was hot in 2014? The "trending" queries are the searches that had the highest spike in traffic over a sustained period in 2014 as compared to 2013.
Most Searched: What topped Google’s charts? The "most searched" queries are the most popular terms for 2014—ranked in order by volume of searches.

Posted by Shane Treeves, Senior Communications Associate, Google Australia

2014 was chock full of YouTube moments that got everybody talking. We were pranked by a spider dog in Poland, learned how to become a man with the Bondi Hipster, debated about the veracity of shark videos and watched total strangers share a first kiss. We laughed, we cried, and yes, we sang along to “Let It Go” roughly a bajillion times.

Here are the top trending videos for 2014 in Australia, based on views, shares, comments, likes and more. This year, the list represents the amazing variety of creativity brought to YouTube each day, including social commentaries, pranks, advertisements, and thrilling moments from traditional media and big names on YouTube. Collectively these 10 videos have hundreds of millions of views and more than 14 million cumulative subscribers who regularly return to check out their latest vids.

1. FROZEN - Let It Go Sing-along | Official Disney HD 
2. Bars & Melody - Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer act | Britain's Got Talent 2014
3. Mutant Giant Spider Dog (SA Wardega)
4. Play Doh Ice cream cupcakes playset playdough by Unboxingsurpriseegg
5. Look Up 
6. Wheels On The Bus | Plus Lots More Nursery Rhymes | 54 Minutes Compilation!
7. GoPro: Man Fights Off Great White Shark In Sydney Harbour
8. Old Spice Man Song
9. Lip Sync Battle with Emma Stone
10. FIRST KISS

When it comes to music, it was a year of powerful female artists, as you can see from our list of top music videos where women artists took seven of the top 10 spots. We also had two Aussies on our list, with Sia in number six and Iggy taking out top spot. The top 10 music videos were collectively played billions of times.

1. Iggy Azalea - Fancy (Explicit) ft. Charli XCX
2. Nicki Minaj - Anaconda
3. Katy Perry - Dark Horse (Official) ft. Juicy J
4. Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass
5. Taylor Swift - Shake It Off
6. Sia - Chandelier (Official Video)
7. Ariana Grande - Problem ft. Iggy Azalea
8. #SELFIE (Official Music Video) - The Chainsmokers
9. Katy Perry - This Is How We Do (Official)
10. Shakira - Can't Remember to Forget You ft. Rihanna.

Check out our YouTube Rewind channel for more top videos of the year from around the world, and our main YouTube channel to see a mashup of the top branded videos of the year and a list of the top ads YouTube for the year. Be sure to visit google.com/yearinsearch and check back at our blog next week for Google's annual look at the people, places and events that captured the world's attention.

Posted by Kevin Allocca, Head of Culture & Trends, and the YouTube Rewind team

One of the best presents we could give Aussie kids this Christmas would be the skills they need for the jobs of the future*

In an increasingly digital world, every Aussie student should have the opportunity to learn computer science - whether they intend to work in IT or not. People who learn computer science can find themselves working in medicine, helping to cure disease and drive breakthroughs in treatment. Or they can find themselves in Hollywood, working on the next blockbuster.
  

The good news is, there’s an easy place to start. Hour of Code is a global initiative to introduce 100 million students to computer science. It’s a one-hour activity that introduces kids to computational thinking and coding in a fun and creative way. It’s the biggest learning event in history, it starts today, and every Australian student can get on board. And it's free.

Everything you need to get started is here. You can ask your school to host an event, or do it yourself.

Posted by Sally-Ann Williams, Engineering Community & Outreach Manager, Google Australia
* OK, kids may have other views

Starting a business requires passion, dedication, and a clear vision—and powerful tools that help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. In September, we shared the results of a new Deloitte report that showed that companies using an above-average number of cloud services grow 26% faster and drive 21% more profit than those that use no cloud tools.

Now we’ve teamed up with international research agency GfK to study cloud adoption among new small businesses—those established up to three years ago—in Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Like their peers on the other side of the globe, these businesses are using the cloud as a tool for growth. Here are a few of the key insights we uncovered:

Most new SMBs are cloud users. 77% of companies that participated in the study have adopted cloud services. Cloud technology tends to be easy to set up and manage, so new business owners can let their IT run itself and instead focus their time on the work that matters.

New SMBs that take advantage of the cloud envision a brighter future. 70% of companies that use cloud services expect revenue to increase over the next 12 months, compared to 48% of businesses that don’t. Like the Deloitte study, these results point to a correlation between cloud adoption and fast growth.

Cloud services can help new SMBs build their brand. 72% of companies that adopted a custom email, like name@yourcomany.com, saw an increase in engagement and 74% saw an uplift in sales. Small businesses rely on the use of cloud services to get up and running quickly, and professional email addresses for domains are a common first step.

Getting a new business off the ground is always challenging, and building momentum in the early years can be even harder. Our latest research suggests that cloud services can help young companies build further engagement with customers, drive sales and set the business up for growth.

Cross-posted from the Google for Work blog. Original post by Kevin Ackhurst, Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand, Google For Work 

From the snow-capped summit of Mount Kosciuszko, to the beaches at Bondi and the seafloor of the Great Barrier Reef, every person can explore our country’s most beautiful locations on Google Maps.

To celebrate the once-in-a-decade IUCN World Parks Congress that’s taking place in Sydney this week, we’ve partnered with New South Wales National Parks and Catlin Seaview Survey to bring 21 parks and 27 underwater locations across Australia to Street View.

Beyond Mount Kosciuszko, bushwalkers can take a virtual hike through Fort Denison, Dorrigo National Park, Ku-ring-gai Chase, Cape Byron lighthouse and 16 other parks across New South Wales.

At the summit of Mount Kosciuszko

Looking over the cannons at Fort Denison

West Head Lookout at Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

The view over Dorrigo National Park

Divers can get up close with Minke whales, a seahorse in Chowder Bay, Magic Point sharks, dolphins near Myrmidon Reef and even a Norman Reef sea turtle. 

From the depths of Sydney Harbour to the iconic Bondi Beach and all along the Great Barrier Reef, we hope you enjoy exploring these locations from a whole new perspective.

 


A Minke Whale in the Great Barrier Reef (Captured by Catlin Seaview Survey)

A Sea Turtle in Norman Reef (Captured by Catlin Seaview Survey)

Dolphins off Myrmidon Reef (Captured by Catlin Seaview Survey)

Beneath the waves at Bondi Beach (Captured by Catlin Seaview Survey)

We hope this new Street View imagery not only inspires adventure, but that it also helps people to learn more about the delicate ecology of our parks and underwater worlds. 

Posted by Karin Tuxen-Bettman, Program Manager for Google Earth Outreach and Jenifer Austin, Manager of the Google Ocean Program

You didn’t just watch All About That Bass 200+ million times on YouTube. You watched Meghan Trainor perform it live for the first time ever and later with Jimmy Fallon and the Roots. You used the song in tens of thousands of your videos, like covering it with an upright bass. Your views helped put the song at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 for weeks. And that’s all just for one song.

You've watched, shared, remixed, invented, parodied and whatevered your favorite songs, making YouTube the ultimate place for artists and fans to connect. To celebrate all that music and unlock new ways to enjoy, we’re making it easier to find new music on YouTube and rock out to old favourites.

A new home just for music 

Starting today, you’ll see a new home just for music on your YouTube app for Android, iOS and on YouTube.com that shows your favorite music videos, recommended music playlists based on what you’re into and playlists of trending music across YouTube. You can find a playlist to perfectly fit your mood, whether that’s a morning motivators playlist or Boyce Avenue YouTube Mix. Check out the newest songs from channels you subscribe to, like FKA twigs or Childish Gambino. Or quickly find the songs you’ve been playing over and over and over again.

 

Posted by The YouTube Music team