Archive for July, 2011

Germany’s market leader for bonus collecting has just released a new version for its application for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The latest Payback-App, in cooperation with Das Örtliche, now offers users theme channels for local search.
Payback customers that download the latest version of the app in the Apple Store will find a new point in the menu: clicking on “Extras” can show users where the next ATMs are, where the next movie theater is, or when the next cultural event is. The data is delivered by Das Örtliche. Payback is trying to expand these kinds of local services, according to the app. This ambition is confirmed by DeTeMedien, the carrier for the online directory. Read the rest of this entry »

The German social network wer-kennt-wen.de is now cooperating with Gettings, a provider for mobile, location-based deals. Through the cooperation, users of the community can begin pulling up information about current deals and offerings in their vicinity. Read the rest of this entry »

Lary Page can be excited about the positive reception of the Google+ project and a record turnover for the second quarter of the year. Meanwhile, Facebook has received a poor grade in the subject of user satisfaction from a study.
The social media market is ready for a new player, according to the census administered by the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) E-Business Report, which was conducted with the market research institute ForeSee Results. The social network Facebook received the poorest grade of all the social networks that were analyzed in customer satisfaction. The winner in the category for social media was Wikipedia. But who could have been in first place in the portal and search engine sectors? That’s right: Google. Because the study was conducted last month, Google+ is not included in the study, as the project wasn’t launched until afterwards. But according to a press release by ForeSee, the low results that Facebook has received give Google+ a good start, that is, if the service can offer users something better. Read the rest of this entry »

Das Telefonbuch did it about three weeks ago, now Gelben Seiten is following suit: with the new application, the iPhone or the iPad can become a navigation system – for free. Integration with the V-Navi-App from the cooperation partner Map and Route makes this possible, much like the app for Das Telefonbuch. Read the rest of this entry »

The highly anticipated Google+ project, which is Google’s latest attempt at creating a social network, is continuing to add to its features. After the previous release for Android, the service has now released a native app for iOS, which has already become a great hit: the app, which was released just a few days ago, has already become the top free app in the App Store. But can the search engine giant’s attempt at creating a social network really be a such a threat to Facebook, which continues to hold the post of most downloaded app of all time? Read the rest of this entry »

The location-based check-in service Foursquare is expanding its coupon offering: starting immediately, the new app will be offering dailys deals fromLivingSocial, Gilt City, zozi, BuyWithMe, and AT&T Interactive, according to the company’s blog. The Wall Street Journal reports that Foursquare is currently in discussion with Croupon. This information was classified as confidential. Read the rest of this entry »

Not that long ago, we reported in the Local Search Blog (LSB) about the recent study “The Net Community – Key Trends of the Digital Age” [Ger. „Die Netzgesellschaft – Schlüsseltrends des digitalen Wandels“] from the Zukunftsinstitut.
Now, the Zukunftsinstitut is allowing us to give away a copy of the approximately 200 page and 190 Euro work: we will be drawing a name from the first ten LSB-readers that send us an email with the subject “Verlosung Studie” at info@vabene.biz. We ask that you give your address, that way we can send the winner the compendium. Read the rest of this entry »

On July 14th, 1881, the first telephone book was released under the cumbersome name “Verzeichnis der bei der Fernsprecheinrichtung Betheiligten” [lit. “Directory of Involved Parties of Telephone Installations”]. What began with 187 entries was smirked at as the “Book of 99 Mockeries”, is now an essential institution: Das Telefonbuch is one of the most-used directory medias in Germany. And despite the digital age, 80 percent of the people in the country use the print version, according to Telekom speaker Niels Hafenrichter. Read the rest of this entry »

“This is pretty cool”, which is why we give a +1: Google is now offering a tool for small businesses that allows them to create a mobile internet site quickly – for free. Whoever visits http://sites.google.com/mobilize can create a mobile landing page with just a few clicks in just a few minutes. Read the rest of this entry »

Just in time for the summer holidays, Das Telefonbuch has updated its mobile application for the iPhone and iPad in cooperation with Map and Route. Users can now use their smartphones as a navigation device within Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in addition to the route function. Read the rest of this entry »