Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Just peeking at a restaurant is enough to begin seeing digital projections of data such as hours of operation, ratings, the menu, or even the fact that a friend is sitting inside: what sounds like some sort of clairvoyant, science fiction is actually being put into application by Google, which hopes to go public this year. The Internet giant is developing a special lens for augmented reality in the “Google X” lab. Those wearing these special glasses will receive information about their environment. Read the rest of this entry »

Small businesses using online directories to improve their brand recognition and to win new customers are doing so correctly, according to the study from the Agof (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Onlineforschung) in February 2012: in the marketing ranking from the Internet Facts from November 2011, Das Telefonbuch, Das Örtliche and meinestadt.de were in the Top 20. Read the rest of this entry »

Google’s specialized service for regional businesses AdWords Express is now available in Germany and the United Kingdom, after its release in the USA and France. With the new program, businesses can easily create online ads to win new customers.
With the help of AdWords Express, business owners can reach potential customers directly out of their region searching for their products or services online, according to the AdWords-Blog. In addition, company websites or Google-Places sites can be found easier. Those interested simply have to enter a bit of information about their company, write a small ad-text, and decide on a monthly budget. The program then submits the ad automatically. AdWords Express extracts keywords from the ad and shows them in a related search. Read the rest of this entry »

Just in time for the release of Apple’s iPhone 4S on October 14th of this year, there were camp-like conditions in front of Apple stores worldwide. Some waited the entire night in sleeping bags for the opening. Hard to believe: every second German who has a smartphone is interested in purchasing the iPhone 4S. This was the conclusion of a recent study conducted by Gelbe Seiten. In addition: smartphone users value the local search apps right behind the basic functions. This is explained in a post by the Local Search Blog’s own Ben Broshi, thanks to a combination of different technologies that make local search more simple and elegant. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, Google announced in its new “helicopter view” feature for Google Maps. Paul Yang, Google Maps engineer, wrote the following:
“Getting directions is one of the most popular features on Google Maps, whether it be for driving, walking, biking or transit. Today, we are launching a new feature that allows you to bring your upcoming trip to life, by allowing you to preview your route in 3D.” Read the rest of this entry »

Berlin is really becoming the place-to-be in Europe, and for good reason: the city has a unique flair and a lot to offer. And citizens of Berlin love compliments coming from the outside: tech-blogger Dmitri seems to have a lot of nice things to say about the Hauptstadt, even going as far as to say, “[Berlin] will become the next New York of the startup world.” Read the rest of this entry »

What are they key trends to digital economy? What will follow the Google dynasty? And why do local search servers belong to the most important providers in the social web? These questions were answered by a fascinating study by the Zukunftsinstituts.
“The Net Community – Key Trends of the Digital Age” is the name of the approximately 200 page work, that so extensively reviewed almost all facets of digital life like almost no other publication in the German language in the past years. One of the most interesting points made: the Internet will someday be integrated into so many facets of life, that we will no longer be aware of it’s true reach. The authors call this fourth and final phase of the net evolution “The Return to Reality”.
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Online communities are gaining popularity at an exponential rate: the number of German users has grown by 10 million users within a year, as shown in the study “Social Networks in Germany”, conducted by the high-tech association BITKOM at the polling firm Forsa. In addition, about 40 million, or half of all federal citizens, are active in social networks. And which community is leading the pack? Facebook, of course. Read the rest of this entry »

Following the release of Das Örtliche’s mobile apps for the iOS and Android operating systems, the app is now available for phones with Windows Phone 7. Now users with the current Windows mobiles can search for private and commercial contact information. Read the rest of this entry »