Following the theme of the previous post, Google has taken yet another step toward bringing together search and location relevance. Its new "Favorite Places" program asks 100 "experts" to identify their favorite places on the globe. By expert, it means…
Google's home page has begun to identify users' locations on the iPhone. This basically takes the form of a link that asks users to have Google know their location in order to get locally relevant results. As a result, local…
This week at its Worldwide Partner Conference, Microsoft announced the upcoming launch of the Windows Mobile Marketplace. Starting July 27, developers will gain access to the program and be allowed to develop mobile apps that will run on Windows Mobile…
Hopstop, which provides public transit routing and schedules, plus walking directions, has brought in new leadership and expects to pursue rapid growth to 200 cities. It is currently in seven markets (or eight, if you count Long Island as a…
As noted in the above post, Urban Mapping continues to build out its neighborhoods and compete to license its neighborhood mapping API. It has 80,000 neighborhood maps developed. But it is also focusing on providing additional value with several features…
Maponics, a provider of polygonal neighborhood maps based on both GIS and sociological data, is launching a suite of services that match ZIP codes to the neighborhood boundary data it sells. The Norwich, Vermont-based company, which has around 30 staffers,…
In further support that mobile advertising needs to evolve to its form factor, an IAB-funded study reports that the vast majority of consumers prefer ads that include promotions or incentives. Specifically, 84 percent of younger consumers welcome mobile ads that…
TechCrunch profiles TownMe, a local search site started by ex-Googlers that has a decidedly quirky set of search categories for local info. These include searching for the best neighborhoods or hang outs for cougars, yuppies and "sugar daddies" (seriously). It…
Hostopia, Deluxe Corp.'s Web site hosting unit, has acquired MerchEngines, a small business-focused search engine marketing provider. This follows a market trend toward one-stop-shop capabilities and bundled marketing products. For hosting companies it's a logical extension from Web sites to…
Here is a recap of posts from last week, in case you missed any. Click below to read each post in full. Google Maps: Now With Auto-Location TechCrunch reports that location awareness has come to Google Maps when accessed from Chrome…
There’s too much “noise” with SMB information, and no one knows which businesses have up-to-date and fully populated information. Many SMBs, for instance, will have two or more sets of profiles, featuring different types of information. Think, for instance, of…
Over at Search Engine Watch, my column this month continues the discussion started earlier this week about Google Chrome. The takeaway: It will complete the circle for creating better Web-based products -- search and otherwise. The news media and blogosphere…
TechCrunch reports that location awareness has come to Google Maps when accessed from Chrome and Firefox browsers. This basically means that Google Maps on your desktop will locate you (based on Wi-Fi positioning) the same way it does on mobile…
One of the biggest themes of May's Winning Media Strategies conference was how television and radio broadcasters can reach mobile users. This is especially opportune for television, given the growing segment of smartphone users with bigger and better screens. At…
Inergize Digital adds Seek It Local, a new local search directory service for radio and television broadcasters seeking to beef up their digital inventory for advertisers and consumers. Getting into the local search business can be a critical move for…
Universal McCann and AOL released a joint study yesterday saying that one out of every seven minutes of media consumption per day happens on mobile devices in the U.S. This is yet another supporting point to mobile media's increasing saturation…
Oodle has added Twitter to its outlets for social classified listings. Oodle’s other social media outlets include Facebook, MySpace and AOL. CEO Craig Donato says he hopes to apply the learnings to Twitter from its launches on the other sites.…
Providing price quotes to online auto shoppers (and the auto ecosystem of lead providers and OEMs) has been a tough business for third-party auto sites. It involves a lot of interaction with thousands of individual dealerships. But Cobalt’s Dealix has…
LB2 Group announced the acquisition of Ketchum Directory Advertising from the ad agency behemoth Omnicom Group. LB2 Group Directory Services (a member of the European Association of Directory Publishers) is an agency "specializing in international placement of Yellow Page advertisements…
Local Insight Regatta Holdings announced the consolidation of its two principal operating subsidiaries, Local Insight Yellow Pages and The Berry Co. The consolidation was accomplished by merging Local Insight Yellow Pages, Inc. into The Berry Co. LLC. The tagline for…