read more at Cincinnati.Com:
"Quantcast
Out of the titan discounter's more than 3,300 stores worldwide, it has chosen this location to test a new retail strategy of shrinking inventory and the size of its supercenters to generate more sales per square foot - a key retail measure - while maintaining its appeal as a one-stop shopping destination.
Once a massive, 220,000-square-foot store on Smiley Road near Interstate 275 and Winton Road, the Walmart was remodeled and shrunk by 93,000 square feet late last year, reopening in November.
Like no other Walmart in the world, the smaller store has a new color scheme, wider aisles, lower shelving, 'green' lighting, unobstructed views and a renovated pharmacy and restrooms."
Monday, January 12, 2009
Crunching the Wal-Mart numbers
read more at Vallejo Times Herald
"A recent Times-Herald article on Wal-Mart's one-year anniversary quoted me accurately but omitted the exact figures for the city that Wal-Mart has contributed. Based on publicly released figures available from the state of California (www.boe.ca.gov\sutax\localdist.htm), we at California Healthy Community Networks have been able to determine the following figures:
Net revenue for American Canyon from retail sales in 2007/2008 (Aug. 14, 2007 to Aug. 13, 2008) -- $1,604,658
Since Wal-Mart opened mid-fiscal quarter, we estimate based on subsequent quarters that Wal-Mart and all of the other new businesses in American Canyon generated $147,257 that are not in the above figures.
This makes the total figures for retail sales in American Canyon for the period at $1,751,915.
Total sales for American Canyon in the comparable period for 2006/2007 is 1,256,451.
This makes the total generated difference between the Wal-Mart's opening and the previous year at $495,464.
"A recent Times-Herald article on Wal-Mart's one-year anniversary quoted me accurately but omitted the exact figures for the city that Wal-Mart has contributed. Based on publicly released figures available from the state of California (www.boe.ca.gov\sutax\localdist.htm), we at California Healthy Community Networks have been able to determine the following figures:
Net revenue for American Canyon from retail sales in 2007/2008 (Aug. 14, 2007 to Aug. 13, 2008) -- $1,604,658
Since Wal-Mart opened mid-fiscal quarter, we estimate based on subsequent quarters that Wal-Mart and all of the other new businesses in American Canyon generated $147,257 that are not in the above figures.
This makes the total figures for retail sales in American Canyon for the period at $1,751,915.
Total sales for American Canyon in the comparable period for 2006/2007 is 1,256,451.
This makes the total generated difference between the Wal-Mart's opening and the previous year at $495,464.
Since specific businesses do not release their actual sales tax revenues, and the other new outlets in American Canyon (including a shoe store, Radio Shack, T-Mobile cell phones, a gas station, 10 new restaurants and two hotels) also contributed to the increase, we are left with the general impression that Wal-Mart contributed between $300,000 and $350,000 to the city's coffers in sales tax revenues. Wal-Mart promised more than $600,000 of sales tax revenues to the city of American Canyon. We at
California Healthy Community Networks would love to see Wal-Mart's actual figures and see if they are significantly different from what the state seems to claim and what Wal-Mart promised the taxpayers of American Canyon.This $350k they did receive also has to cover the increased costs of having 2-3 shift officers patrolling either Highway 29 in front of Wal-Mart or the parking lot of Wal-Mart. Also, most critically for the long-term health of American Canyon, nothing in this money is going towards the upgrade of Highway 29 to 6 lanes that the citizens are required to pay now that the city approved the Supercenter going in on that state highway.
For you folks who may not have heard this part, the Wal-Mart Supercenter was not part of the city's long-term plans submitted to Caltrans for planning purposes. The city went ahead and approved the development in spite of the fact that Caltrans had no funding mechanism to expand the highway to accommodate the increased traffic and access required by a Supercenter. Caltrans denied a funding request from the city and the city sued in state court to force Caltrans to pay for the highway upgrade.
"Wal-Mart Moves Closer to Russia
Read more at the Moscow Times
12 January 2009
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has registered a legal entity in Russia and joined a local retailers' organization, the latest in a series of moves indicating its interest in expanding into the country.
The company registered a subsidiary under the name WM Eastern Europe Holdings and joined the Russian Association of Retail Trade Companies, or AKORT, which includes the 28 largest commercial organizations in the country.
'Wal-Mart is working on the Russian market,' Ilya Belonovsky, the executive director of the 28-member industry group said Dec. 29. He declined to elaborate."
12 January 2009
Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has registered a legal entity in Russia and joined a local retailers' organization, the latest in a series of moves indicating its interest in expanding into the country.
The company registered a subsidiary under the name WM Eastern Europe Holdings and joined the Russian Association of Retail Trade Companies, or AKORT, which includes the 28 largest commercial organizations in the country.
'Wal-Mart is working on the Russian market,' Ilya Belonovsky, the executive director of the 28-member industry group said Dec. 29. He declined to elaborate."
Hello Walmart Shoppers
read more at Today’s Trucking
"Beginning as a one-truck operation serving Eastern Ontario in 1990, Seaway has grown to over 65 units and has made a specialty out of serving the tightly scheduled Wal-Mart distribution Center, also located in the Cornwall Business Park.
Known as Supply Chain Management, the Wal-Mart depot handles all the stores' merchandise east of Ontario."
"Beginning as a one-truck operation serving Eastern Ontario in 1990, Seaway has grown to over 65 units and has made a specialty out of serving the tightly scheduled Wal-Mart distribution Center, also located in the Cornwall Business Park.
Known as Supply Chain Management, the Wal-Mart depot handles all the stores' merchandise east of Ontario."
Wal-Mart Taps Agentrics to Support Great Value Re-Branding, Private Label Development
PR release at eMedia Wire
"Agentrics PLM Platform Core to World's Largest Retailer's Private Brand Growth Strategy
Chicago (PRWEB) January 12, 2009 -- Agentrics, a leading solution provider to the world's largest retailers and their trading partners, today announced that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), the world's largest retailer, selected the Agentrics product lifecycle management (PLM) platform to support the collaborative development of its private brand products, beginning with the Wal-Mart Great Value line. Agentrics PLM features a Web-based, collaborative, end-to-end work process, database and production environment to drive speed, innovation and consistency across the product lifecycle. Agentrics has rebranded the Wal-Mart system, which is now referred to as 'Wal-Mart ASPECT' across the retailer's network.
In October, Wal-Mart and more than 500 suppliers began using Agentrics PLM to support the re-branding of the Wal-Mart Great Value line.
. . . Great Value is the highest selling consumer brand in North America..
"Agentrics PLM Platform Core to World's Largest Retailer's Private Brand Growth Strategy
Chicago (PRWEB) January 12, 2009 -- Agentrics, a leading solution provider to the world's largest retailers and their trading partners, today announced that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT), the world's largest retailer, selected the Agentrics product lifecycle management (PLM) platform to support the collaborative development of its private brand products, beginning with the Wal-Mart Great Value line. Agentrics PLM features a Web-based, collaborative, end-to-end work process, database and production environment to drive speed, innovation and consistency across the product lifecycle. Agentrics has rebranded the Wal-Mart system, which is now referred to as 'Wal-Mart ASPECT' across the retailer's network.
In October, Wal-Mart and more than 500 suppliers began using Agentrics PLM to support the re-branding of the Wal-Mart Great Value line.
. . . Great Value is the highest selling consumer brand in North America..
Is Verizon Deal A Big Loss For Google? - 01/09/2009
Read more at MediaPost Publications "How big a loss is the Verizon mobile search deal for Google? BusinessWeek's Rob Hof says it depends on how Verizon positions search on its devices. However, as browsing via the mobile Web becomes more important, Hof wonders whether such deals are 'less important than they used to be.'
According to Nielsen Mobile, only 20% of mobile subscribers use search on their phones. Of those, 60% use Google, 18% use Yahoo and only 6% use Microsoft. Hof deduces that since Google's only exclusive deals are with Sprint Nextel and the Android-based T-Mobile G1 phone, 'it's clear that most people are choosing Google regardless of what the default search option is.'"
According to Nielsen Mobile, only 20% of mobile subscribers use search on their phones. Of those, 60% use Google, 18% use Yahoo and only 6% use Microsoft. Hof deduces that since Google's only exclusive deals are with Sprint Nextel and the Android-based T-Mobile G1 phone, 'it's clear that most people are choosing Google regardless of what the default search option is.'"
TiVo Redesigns Search Function, Wants to be the 'Google of TV'
read more at Gadget Lab from Wired.com:
". . . Still, this is a feature that is most helpful during passive browsing – if you're the type that already knows what you want, the new search will look much nicer but it won’t make a huge difference.
Already, some are saying that the search function is not fast at all but TiVo reps promise they're working on boosting that speed. That’s an important development that is critical if the company really wants to make this feature the 'Google of TV search.'"
". . . Still, this is a feature that is most helpful during passive browsing – if you're the type that already knows what you want, the new search will look much nicer but it won’t make a huge difference.
Already, some are saying that the search function is not fast at all but TiVo reps promise they're working on boosting that speed. That’s an important development that is critical if the company really wants to make this feature the 'Google of TV search.'"
Pen Computer
read more at BBC NEWS | dot.life |
"LiveScribe Pulse
After seeing a fellow journalist using this computer-in-a-pen at the show, I was already impressed, and the presenters here showed it off really well. So you're at a press conference or lecture. You take notes with the pen, which also records audio, on special paper with microdots built in. If your shorthand, like mine, is non-existent, you'll look back at your notes and puzzle to understand them. But tap on any word you've written down, and your recording will replay at the exact same point in the lecture. Clever, really clever.
So take your pick. I was most impressed by Bug Labs Bug and by the LiveScribe Pen but, like the judges on Strictly Come Dancing, I was out of tune with the public. The online audience voted for the Emware stress reliever, while the hooters and the hollerers in the hall chose the Eye-Fi video card. As an American politician said after being voted out, 'the people have spoken, the bastards.'"
"LiveScribe Pulse
After seeing a fellow journalist using this computer-in-a-pen at the show, I was already impressed, and the presenters here showed it off really well. So you're at a press conference or lecture. You take notes with the pen, which also records audio, on special paper with microdots built in. If your shorthand, like mine, is non-existent, you'll look back at your notes and puzzle to understand them. But tap on any word you've written down, and your recording will replay at the exact same point in the lecture. Clever, really clever.
So take your pick. I was most impressed by Bug Labs Bug and by the LiveScribe Pen but, like the judges on Strictly Come Dancing, I was out of tune with the public. The online audience voted for the Emware stress reliever, while the hooters and the hollerers in the hall chose the Eye-Fi video card. As an American politician said after being voted out, 'the people have spoken, the bastards.'"
T-Mobile G1 Powered by Google Android �
read more at Last Gadget Standing:
"Pros: As the first Android device, the G1 has a lot to prove; thankfully, in most key areas it’s a tour-de-force of functionality and user-friendliness. Eye-catching features like the Street View-controlling compass start off looking like gimmicks but end up must-haves, while HTC’s sturdy design may not win too many beauty pageants but doesn’t, at least, fall apart in your pocket.
Cons: Despite the hype, this is no iPhone killer; the G1 appeals to a whole different segment of users looking to tinker with their handset and have the open-source blessing of Google to do just that. For the rest of us, that means a smartphone with a few obvious omissions, like no on-screen keyboard, and the inevitable teething pains of a spanking new platform.
Recommendation: Undercutting the iPhone 3G’s outright purchase price, together with recently lowered monthly price plans, make the G1 a serious budget option as well as an open-source dream. Future Android devices may heap on the glamor, but they’ll owe no small debt to the G1. For innovation, flexibility, and promise, the G1 has to go forward."
"Pros: As the first Android device, the G1 has a lot to prove; thankfully, in most key areas it’s a tour-de-force of functionality and user-friendliness. Eye-catching features like the Street View-controlling compass start off looking like gimmicks but end up must-haves, while HTC’s sturdy design may not win too many beauty pageants but doesn’t, at least, fall apart in your pocket.
Cons: Despite the hype, this is no iPhone killer; the G1 appeals to a whole different segment of users looking to tinker with their handset and have the open-source blessing of Google to do just that. For the rest of us, that means a smartphone with a few obvious omissions, like no on-screen keyboard, and the inevitable teething pains of a spanking new platform.
Recommendation: Undercutting the iPhone 3G’s outright purchase price, together with recently lowered monthly price plans, make the G1 a serious budget option as well as an open-source dream. Future Android devices may heap on the glamor, but they’ll owe no small debt to the G1. For innovation, flexibility, and promise, the G1 has to go forward."
Friday, January 09, 2009
What’s the Kindle Worth to Amazon? - NYTimes.com
read at NYTimes.com
"Amazon’s current $24 billion market capitalization represents a whopping premium to that figure. Even stripping out $2 billion of cash, $9 billion of value is apparently unaccounted for. Could that be the “Kindle premium”?
Amazon is trying to copy Apple’s stunning success with its elegant iPod and cheap and user-friendly music store. The Kindle is not there yet, but it is getting closer. This year, Amazon is redesigning it, and a student version is also expected, an attempt to snag part of the $5.5 billion annual United States college textbook market."
"Amazon’s current $24 billion market capitalization represents a whopping premium to that figure. Even stripping out $2 billion of cash, $9 billion of value is apparently unaccounted for. Could that be the “Kindle premium”?
Amazon is trying to copy Apple’s stunning success with its elegant iPod and cheap and user-friendly music store. The Kindle is not there yet, but it is getting closer. This year, Amazon is redesigning it, and a student version is also expected, an attempt to snag part of the $5.5 billion annual United States college textbook market."
Ballmer: Google, Google, the economy, Google
read more at CNET News:
"Q: One of the biggest parts of the PC business that's really taken off amid an, obviously, challenging time overall is the Netbook segment. What has that meant for Microsoft both in terms of the technology, but also from a business standpoint? How does that impact you?From netbook to ebook reader? 90 degrees.
Ballmer: Well, we've done very well on Netbooks. When they first came out, I'm not sure if people knew whether they were PCs or something else, and I think everybody kind of understands now that a Netbook is a small-form-factor, low-cost personal computer. And we're doing very well with Windows XP, which fits. Vista does not fit, and we're working hard to make sure Windows 7 fits very well on the Netbooks.
You know, from a business perspective, low-cost machine means a little less revenue per unit to Microsoft, but I think it gives us an opportunity to see expansion of the overall PC market."
Google v Apple v Amazon
Read at CNN.com
"In particular, ScrollMotion's upcoming Iceberg Reader, the first application to partner with several major publishers of copyrighted books, promises to make full use of the iPhone/iPod Touch as a fully functional e-book reading device."
"In particular, ScrollMotion's upcoming Iceberg Reader, the first application to partner with several major publishers of copyrighted books, promises to make full use of the iPhone/iPod Touch as a fully functional e-book reading device."
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Urban Tick with Google Earth
read more at Google Earth Blog
Imagine if you tracked your daily commute and every side trip for several months. What would your track reveal about the place you work? If you animated the track over time, what would it tell you about the daily flow of traffic in a city? Imagine using Google Earth to show the data and compare it to the underlying imagery and data GE provides? This is what a master's student named Fabian in the UK name Fabian is doing and sharing through his blog Urban Tick (see his introductory post about the project).
Imagine if you tracked your daily commute and every side trip for several months. What would your track reveal about the place you work? If you animated the track over time, what would it tell you about the daily flow of traffic in a city? Imagine using Google Earth to show the data and compare it to the underlying imagery and data GE provides? This is what a master's student named Fabian in the UK name Fabian is doing and sharing through his blog Urban Tick (see his introductory post about the project).
Verizon makes a big mistake, picks Microsoft
read at ZDNet.com:
"Google, Yahoo and Microsoft were competing for a mobile search deal that would give the winner some good exposure through the Verizon network. Unfortunately for Verizon, they didn’t choose Google — something that would have given users a level of comfort, and a better user experience out of the box.
“The ultimate goal in mobility is contextual awareness and the delivery of highly personalized experiences,” Jackson said. “These are competencies Google has in spades, so it may be that Verizon’s customers ultimately end up with an inferior experience relative to what Google might enable.” — John Jackson"
"Google, Yahoo and Microsoft were competing for a mobile search deal that would give the winner some good exposure through the Verizon network. Unfortunately for Verizon, they didn’t choose Google — something that would have given users a level of comfort, and a better user experience out of the box.
“The ultimate goal in mobility is contextual awareness and the delivery of highly personalized experiences,” Jackson said. “These are competencies Google has in spades, so it may be that Verizon’s customers ultimately end up with an inferior experience relative to what Google might enable.” — John Jackson"
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Wal-Mart settles drug records accusation
read at BusinessWeek
"LITTLE ROCK, Ark.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has agreed to a $637,000 fine to settle allegations that it violated drug record keeping regulations at its pharmacies in south Texas.
Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that Wal-Mart paid the fine on Dec. 29 and that the settlement was made final on Tuesday.
Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson says the case began with five Wal-Mart and Sam's Club pharmacies that allegedly didn't have records the government requires to help prevent diversion of controlled substances. Johnson said the problem with the records violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, under which the complaint was brought. More Wal-Mart pharmacies in the region were then audited, he said."
"LITTLE ROCK, Ark.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has agreed to a $637,000 fine to settle allegations that it violated drug record keeping regulations at its pharmacies in south Texas.
Federal prosecutors said Wednesday that Wal-Mart paid the fine on Dec. 29 and that the settlement was made final on Tuesday.
Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Johnson says the case began with five Wal-Mart and Sam's Club pharmacies that allegedly didn't have records the government requires to help prevent diversion of controlled substances. Johnson said the problem with the records violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act, under which the complaint was brought. More Wal-Mart pharmacies in the region were then audited, he said."
Wal-Mart De Mexico 2008 Sales Up 11% To Record MXN244.03 Billion
read at CNNMoney.com:
"MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- Retailer Wal-Mart de Mexico (WMMVY) said Wednesday its sales rose 11% last year to a record 244.03 billion pesos ($17.7 billion), although growth slowed toward the end of the year with a decline in December same-store sales.
Same-store sales fell 0.8% in the last month of the year from December 2007, affected in part by a negative calendar effect.
Walmex, as Mexico's biggest retailer is known, said same-store sales for the full year 2008 were up 4.6% from 2007."
"MEXICO CITY -(Dow Jones)- Retailer Wal-Mart de Mexico (WMMVY) said Wednesday its sales rose 11% last year to a record 244.03 billion pesos ($17.7 billion), although growth slowed toward the end of the year with a decline in December same-store sales.
Same-store sales fell 0.8% in the last month of the year from December 2007, affected in part by a negative calendar effect.
Walmex, as Mexico's biggest retailer is known, said same-store sales for the full year 2008 were up 4.6% from 2007."
Verizon picks Microsoft search over Google, Yahoo
from Reuters: "By Ritsuko Ando and Sinead Carew
NEW YORK/LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc has chosen Microsoft Corp to provide Internet search services for cell phones, in what is seen as a blow to rivals Google Inc and Yahoo Inc."
NEW YORK/LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc has chosen Microsoft Corp to provide Internet search services for cell phones, in what is seen as a blow to rivals Google Inc and Yahoo Inc."
UPDATE 1-Sam's Club's head to be Wal-Mart International CEO
read at Reuters:
"CHICAGO, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) said on Wednesday that Doug McMillon, the current head of its Sam's Club division, will become president and CEO of Wal-Mart International next month, when the current man in that role takes over as the company's president and CEO."
"CHICAGO, Jan 7 (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) said on Wednesday that Doug McMillon, the current head of its Sam's Club division, will become president and CEO of Wal-Mart International next month, when the current man in that role takes over as the company's president and CEO."
Print 3D Buildings from Google Earth
Video at Google Earth Blog
"Another company has come out with a solution for making 3D prints from Google Earth. This time the solution is actually based on SketchUp 3D models. The company is called Sweet Onion Creations, and they describe how to click on a 3D model seen in Google Earth (or any found in the Google 3D Warehouse) and using their '3D printing' service get back an actual physical model. Here's a video they've made showing how it works:"
"Another company has come out with a solution for making 3D prints from Google Earth. This time the solution is actually based on SketchUp 3D models. The company is called Sweet Onion Creations, and they describe how to click on a 3D model seen in Google Earth (or any found in the Google 3D Warehouse) and using their '3D printing' service get back an actual physical model. Here's a video they've made showing how it works:"
Wal-Mart to Settle Suits Over Pay
read more at NYTimes.com
"Wal-Mart said on Tuesday that it would pay at least $352 million, and possibly far more, to settle lawsuits across the country claiming that it forced employees to work off the clock. Several lawyers described it as the largest settlement ever for lawsuits over wage violations."
"Wal-Mart said on Tuesday that it would pay at least $352 million, and possibly far more, to settle lawsuits across the country claiming that it forced employees to work off the clock. Several lawyers described it as the largest settlement ever for lawsuits over wage violations."
Wal-Mart Stole Market Share from GameStop
read more at Edge Online:
"Big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart gained market share against specialty retail GameStop over the holiday season due to highly-competitive pricing, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said in a research note Tuesday.
'We expect GameStop may have lost intended foot traffic this holiday to big-box retailers offering highly promotional pricing on numerous consumer products,' he stated. 'We think low price retailers like Wal-Mart, arguably the largest domestic videogame retailer, likely took market share this holiday.'"
"Big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart gained market share against specialty retail GameStop over the holiday season due to highly-competitive pricing, Janco Partners analyst Mike Hickey said in a research note Tuesday.
'We expect GameStop may have lost intended foot traffic this holiday to big-box retailers offering highly promotional pricing on numerous consumer products,' he stated. 'We think low price retailers like Wal-Mart, arguably the largest domestic videogame retailer, likely took market share this holiday.'"
New Walmart market opens in Greenacres this morning at 8
From Palm Beach Post
: "Tuesday, January 06, 2009
GREENACRES — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT, $56.02) opens a Neighborhood Market store in Greenacres Wednesday at 8 a.m.
The 45,600-square foot store, which employs about 100, is the anchor store at the newly renovated Greenacres Plaza at 3911 Jog Road. Unlike the supersize Walmart stores, the Neighborhood Market sells only grocery itemsand is intended to draw people from only about a 3-mile radius."
: "Tuesday, January 06, 2009
GREENACRES — Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT, $56.02) opens a Neighborhood Market store in Greenacres Wednesday at 8 a.m.
The 45,600-square foot store, which employs about 100, is the anchor store at the newly renovated Greenacres Plaza at 3911 Jog Road. Unlike the supersize Walmart stores, the Neighborhood Market sells only grocery itemsand is intended to draw people from only about a 3-mile radius."
Wal-Mart, Netflix conspired to create monopoly, suit alleges
read more at Los Angeles Times
"Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Netflix Inc. were accused of conspiring to create a monopoly for online video rentals in a consumer lawsuit alleging that the collusion drove up prices.
The two companies agreed in 2005 that Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, would close its online rental business and refer customers to Netflix, which would promote Wal-Mart's DVD movie sales, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco."
"Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Netflix Inc. were accused of conspiring to create a monopoly for online video rentals in a consumer lawsuit alleging that the collusion drove up prices.
The two companies agreed in 2005 that Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, would close its online rental business and refer customers to Netflix, which would promote Wal-Mart's DVD movie sales, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco."
Report: Cloud-Based Email Cheapest Option for Most Companies
read more at ReadWriteWeb
"A new report from Forrester presents a cost analysis of cloud-based email systems in enterprises, such as Google Apps or Yahoo!'s Zimbra. In the report, Forrester argues that cloud-based email services are cheaper than running email on-premise for all companies with less than 15,000 employees. What's more, Google Apps is significantly cheaper than both on-premise solutions and other cloud-based email services - even for very large enterprises. This could spell trouble for Microsoft, as we explain below."
"A new report from Forrester presents a cost analysis of cloud-based email systems in enterprises, such as Google Apps or Yahoo!'s Zimbra. In the report, Forrester argues that cloud-based email services are cheaper than running email on-premise for all companies with less than 15,000 employees. What's more, Google Apps is significantly cheaper than both on-premise solutions and other cloud-based email services - even for very large enterprises. This could spell trouble for Microsoft, as we explain below."
Could new iPhoto person and location tagging carry over to iPhone?
read at Los Angeles Times:
"The soon-to-be-released iPhoto '09 incorporates signature features of each social networking website. Users will be able to tag faces in photos and view all their pictures of a particular person, just like on Facebook. And like Flickr, the software also will use GPS data recorded by some cameras (the one on an iPhone, for example) and display the location they were taken on a Google map.
The faces and places data carry over to images uploaded to Facebook and Flickr, respectively."
"The soon-to-be-released iPhoto '09 incorporates signature features of each social networking website. Users will be able to tag faces in photos and view all their pictures of a particular person, just like on Facebook. And like Flickr, the software also will use GPS data recorded by some cameras (the one on an iPhone, for example) and display the location they were taken on a Google map.
The faces and places data carry over to images uploaded to Facebook and Flickr, respectively."
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
More on Tesco v Wal-Mart
Read more at BusinessWeek:
"Analysts say that Tesco's big advantage over major international rivals, which also include Germany's Aldi and Lidl, is its unrivaled ability to manage vast reams of data and translate that knowledge into sales. While data crunching may sound dull, it has given Tesco two major advantages: an unmatched ability to operate multiple retail formats—ranging in size from convenience stores to hypermarkets—and the market knowledge to offer what many analysts say is the best and broadest range of house brands from any retailer.
Tesco uses information gleaned from Dunnhumby, a British data mining firm of which it has majority control, to manage every aspect of its business, from creating new shop formats to arranging store layouts to developing private-label products and targeted sales promotions. In 2003, U.S. supermarket chain Kroger (KR) copied Tesco's example, setting up a joint venture with Dunnhumby in the U.S. Since then, Dunnhumby also has signed deals with a number of other U.S. retailers including Home Depot (HD), Best Buy (BBY), and Macy's (M).
. . .
Tesco's other strength is its private-label goods. While U.S. retailers have struggled to convince shoppers that supermarket brands are as good as big-name counterparts, Tesco's private-label products account for as much as 60% of sales in many countries. According to the company, private-label products also account for more than 70% of Fresh & Easy's sales. "Wal-Mart and France's Carrefour are lucky to get 35% of sales from private label," Flickinger says. The reason, he says, is that Tesco has a range of house brands to cover every price point. In fact, some of its premium-range products, such as Tesco Finest chocolate or yogurt, even sell at up to a 50% premium to established brands such as Cadbury (CBY) and Danone (DANO.PA).
. . . Tesco has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1919 at a market stall in London's East End. Today, it runs the world's largest and most successful online grocery operation and is Britain's biggest private-sector employer, with 280,000 staff. Its broad portfolio of businesses in Britain also encompasses telecom services, gas stations, personal finance, an online digital music and film download business, and even a home insulation service.
Tesco reckons there's plenty of potential for some of these businesses, especially personal finance, which it hopes to launch into new markets such as Poland.
Meanwhile . . . in NORFOLK, VA
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/01/new-walmart-store-less-supercenter-more-supermarket
"Analysts say that Tesco's big advantage over major international rivals, which also include Germany's Aldi and Lidl, is its unrivaled ability to manage vast reams of data and translate that knowledge into sales. While data crunching may sound dull, it has given Tesco two major advantages: an unmatched ability to operate multiple retail formats—ranging in size from convenience stores to hypermarkets—and the market knowledge to offer what many analysts say is the best and broadest range of house brands from any retailer.
Tesco uses information gleaned from Dunnhumby, a British data mining firm of which it has majority control, to manage every aspect of its business, from creating new shop formats to arranging store layouts to developing private-label products and targeted sales promotions. In 2003, U.S. supermarket chain Kroger (KR) copied Tesco's example, setting up a joint venture with Dunnhumby in the U.S. Since then, Dunnhumby also has signed deals with a number of other U.S. retailers including Home Depot (HD), Best Buy (BBY), and Macy's (M).
. . .
Tesco's other strength is its private-label goods. While U.S. retailers have struggled to convince shoppers that supermarket brands are as good as big-name counterparts, Tesco's private-label products account for as much as 60% of sales in many countries. According to the company, private-label products also account for more than 70% of Fresh & Easy's sales. "Wal-Mart and France's Carrefour are lucky to get 35% of sales from private label," Flickinger says. The reason, he says, is that Tesco has a range of house brands to cover every price point. In fact, some of its premium-range products, such as Tesco Finest chocolate or yogurt, even sell at up to a 50% premium to established brands such as Cadbury (CBY) and Danone (DANO.PA).
. . . Tesco has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1919 at a market stall in London's East End. Today, it runs the world's largest and most successful online grocery operation and is Britain's biggest private-sector employer, with 280,000 staff. Its broad portfolio of businesses in Britain also encompasses telecom services, gas stations, personal finance, an online digital music and film download business, and even a home insulation service.
Tesco reckons there's plenty of potential for some of these businesses, especially personal finance, which it hopes to launch into new markets such as Poland.
Meanwhile . . . in NORFOLK, VA
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/01/new-walmart-store-less-supercenter-more-supermarket
The state's first Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market, a grocery concept focused on convenience and low prices, is scheduled to open Wednesday morning on East Little Creek Road.
The 45,000-square-foot store looks like a traditional supermarket - more akin to local rivals Harris Teeter and Farm Fresh than its sister Wal-Mart Supercenter. About one-fifth the size of a Supercenter, the Neighborhood Market abandons the open, brightly lit, warehouse feel and straight aisles of a Supercenter in favor of cozy specialty areas with track lighting and curved walls for produce, meats and deli.
Netflix Streaming To Be Built Into TVs (NFLX)
read more
"More options on the way for watching Netflix (NFLX) streaming movies in your living room: Beginning this spring, Korean electronics giant LG will build Netflix streaming directly into some of its plasma and LCD HDTVs, the companies will announce today.
This means that Netflix subscribers will be able to stream more than 12,000 movies and TV shows on their TVs without a separate set-top box or a PC."
"More options on the way for watching Netflix (NFLX) streaming movies in your living room: Beginning this spring, Korean electronics giant LG will build Netflix streaming directly into some of its plasma and LCD HDTVs, the companies will announce today.
This means that Netflix subscribers will be able to stream more than 12,000 movies and TV shows on their TVs without a separate set-top box or a PC."
Monday, January 05, 2009
Online video viewing jumps 34 percent
read more at Digital Media - CNET News:
"Americans appear to be getting more comfortable watching videos online--and Google is the clear winner.
Internet users in the U.S. watched 12.7 billion online videos in November, an increase of 34 percent versus a year ago, according to numbers released Monday by market researcher ComScore.
Thanks to YouTube, Google Sites retained the crown as the top U.S. video property with nearly 5.1 billion videos viewed--or about 40 percent of all videos viewed online--with the video-sharing site accounting for more than 98 percent of Google's traffic. Fox Interactive Media was a distant second with 439 million videos watched (or 3.5 percent), followed by Viacom Digital with 325 million videos watched (2.6 percent).
The data also showed that 77 percent of all U.S. Internet users had viewed online videos in 2008, and that the average online video viewer watched 273 minutes of video."
"Americans appear to be getting more comfortable watching videos online--and Google is the clear winner.
Internet users in the U.S. watched 12.7 billion online videos in November, an increase of 34 percent versus a year ago, according to numbers released Monday by market researcher ComScore.
Thanks to YouTube, Google Sites retained the crown as the top U.S. video property with nearly 5.1 billion videos viewed--or about 40 percent of all videos viewed online--with the video-sharing site accounting for more than 98 percent of Google's traffic. Fox Interactive Media was a distant second with 439 million videos watched (or 3.5 percent), followed by Viacom Digital with 325 million videos watched (2.6 percent).
The data also showed that 77 percent of all U.S. Internet users had viewed online videos in 2008, and that the average online video viewer watched 273 minutes of video."
Why Apple and Wal-Mart Are Poised To Rule The World Of Mobile Media
read more at MediaPost Publications
"On December 28, Wal-Mart began selling Apple's iPhone -- and made sure that its customers knew about it. The cover of the retailer's 15-page Sunday flyer featured the iPhone3G (8GB) for $197. Best Buy chose to retaliate by dropping its price to $189.99. Frankly, the price difference will probably do little to sway those willing to pop for a $200 phone -- and, more significantly, the two-year contract and monthly data charges that go along with it. IPhone's move into Wal-Mart is not about the discount of a few dollars, it is all about Apple striking while the iron is hot and expanding the accessibility of this must-have product. With one fell swoop Apple (and AT&T) put the iPhone in the retail chain with more accessibility than any of the U.S.-based smart phone rivals."
"On December 28, Wal-Mart began selling Apple's iPhone -- and made sure that its customers knew about it. The cover of the retailer's 15-page Sunday flyer featured the iPhone3G (8GB) for $197. Best Buy chose to retaliate by dropping its price to $189.99. Frankly, the price difference will probably do little to sway those willing to pop for a $200 phone -- and, more significantly, the two-year contract and monthly data charges that go along with it. IPhone's move into Wal-Mart is not about the discount of a few dollars, it is all about Apple striking while the iron is hot and expanding the accessibility of this must-have product. With one fell swoop Apple (and AT&T) put the iPhone in the retail chain with more accessibility than any of the U.S.-based smart phone rivals."
How big is Wal-Mart: Some staggering facts
read more at Wholesale Shopping Gems
"Here are some facts about Wal-Mart as verified from Snopes.com:
1. At Wal-Mart, Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour of every day
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute! 5.8133333% margin
3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year
4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot Kroger Target Sears Costco K-Mart combined
5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people and is the largest private employer. And most can't speak English
6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the World
7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger & Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only 15 years
8. During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy (including Winn-Dixie)
9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world
10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago
11. This year, 7.2 billion different purchasing transactions will occur at a Wal-Mart store. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion.)
12. 90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart"
"Here are some facts about Wal-Mart as verified from Snopes.com:
1. At Wal-Mart, Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour of every day
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute! 5.8133333% margin
3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year
4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot Kroger Target Sears Costco K-Mart combined
5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people and is the largest private employer. And most can't speak English
6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the World
7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger & Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only 15 years
8. During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy (including Winn-Dixie)
9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world
10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago
11. This year, 7.2 billion different purchasing transactions will occur at a Wal-Mart store. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion.)
12. 90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a Wal-Mart"
Wal-Mart Introduces Eco-Friendly Asthma Inhaler
Read more
"The FDA outlawed the use of ozone-damaging CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) in inhalers beginning in 2009, so many manufacturers are switching to the less injurious HFA (hydrofluoroalkane) instead. While HFA inhalers are generally comparable in performance to those that include CFCs, they also tend to be somewhat more expensive, with prices between $30 and $60. This can be a problem for people on limited and fixed incomes—and as it happens, asthma tends to occur more frequently in that very group.
This is where Wal-Mart comes in. The ReliOn(R) Ventolin HFA inhaler, which will be sold exclusively by the retail giant, is priced at $9.95, bringing it within reach of many suffering asmathics.
"The FDA outlawed the use of ozone-damaging CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) in inhalers beginning in 2009, so many manufacturers are switching to the less injurious HFA (hydrofluoroalkane) instead. While HFA inhalers are generally comparable in performance to those that include CFCs, they also tend to be somewhat more expensive, with prices between $30 and $60. This can be a problem for people on limited and fixed incomes—and as it happens, asthma tends to occur more frequently in that very group.
This is where Wal-Mart comes in. The ReliOn(R) Ventolin HFA inhaler, which will be sold exclusively by the retail giant, is priced at $9.95, bringing it within reach of many suffering asmathics.
U-2 Spyplane Caught in Flight in Google Earth
follow the link for the image atGoogle Earth Blog:
U-2 Spyplane Caught in Flight in Google Earth
Sometimes the satellite images Google acquires happen to capture some really unique sight. This one is really awesome for those of us who try to find planes captured in flight in Google Earth: A U-2 Spyplane flying over Kuwait! [Google Earth Required. You must have GE installed.] This one was found by plane aficionado 'Delta102' of the Google Earth Community. He's found many other planes in Google Earth, but this is one of the best. NOTE: the orange colored 'shadow' to the upper left is actually an artifact of the satellite cameras which is caused by the plane's motion. You see this in GE with planes and cars (the further away, the faster the object)."
U-2 Spyplane Caught in Flight in Google Earth
Sometimes the satellite images Google acquires happen to capture some really unique sight. This one is really awesome for those of us who try to find planes captured in flight in Google Earth: A U-2 Spyplane flying over Kuwait! [Google Earth Required. You must have GE installed.] This one was found by plane aficionado 'Delta102' of the Google Earth Community. He's found many other planes in Google Earth, but this is one of the best. NOTE: the orange colored 'shadow' to the upper left is actually an artifact of the satellite cameras which is caused by the plane's motion. You see this in GE with planes and cars (the further away, the faster the object)."
$4 Medicine at WalMart
Read more at Kamcity.com:
"While the US recession deepened last year, Wal-Mart climbed the most since 1999 as it started to sell $4 medicines and reduced prices on groceries, jeans and other basics to attract more US customers. The company is extending discounts on laundry detergent, vacuum cleaners and fresh foods into 2009, and adding products such as Apple’s iPhone."
"While the US recession deepened last year, Wal-Mart climbed the most since 1999 as it started to sell $4 medicines and reduced prices on groceries, jeans and other basics to attract more US customers. The company is extending discounts on laundry detergent, vacuum cleaners and fresh foods into 2009, and adding products such as Apple’s iPhone."
Google testing Timeline view in main results | Googling Google | ZDNet.com
read more at ZDNet.com:
"One of Google’s “experiments” is apparently being tested out in the main Google search results — Timeline View. This unique view shows search results over time — making it great for searching for things that can be visualized over time.
This is the first time anything found in Google Experimental has made its way out into the wild, and of any, it’s probably the one that is most useful. The trick for Google is to be able to determine when a timeline view makes sense, and when it doesn’t."
"One of Google’s “experiments” is apparently being tested out in the main Google search results — Timeline View. This unique view shows search results over time — making it great for searching for things that can be visualized over time.
This is the first time anything found in Google Experimental has made its way out into the wild, and of any, it’s probably the one that is most useful. The trick for Google is to be able to determine when a timeline view makes sense, and when it doesn’t."
Know it all
read more at Indian Express:
"But on the other hand, if you’re not looking for an authoritative map of our deepest desires, Google trends are greatly satisfying. India’s search trends confirm lots of our gut judgments. That Bengal is football mad or that Kerala tops the suicide search may not be revelatory; but that Oriyas simply wanted “love” and that what most urban Indians urgently wonder about (after weight-loss) is “how to kiss” — has a certain sweet pathos. And this Zeitgeist captures both space and time — as Sarah Palin and Katrina Kaif replace last year’s Carla Bruni or Britney Spears before that, Google search trends hold up a mirror to this peculiar moment and its fleeting preoccupations."
"But on the other hand, if you’re not looking for an authoritative map of our deepest desires, Google trends are greatly satisfying. India’s search trends confirm lots of our gut judgments. That Bengal is football mad or that Kerala tops the suicide search may not be revelatory; but that Oriyas simply wanted “love” and that what most urban Indians urgently wonder about (after weight-loss) is “how to kiss” — has a certain sweet pathos. And this Zeitgeist captures both space and time — as Sarah Palin and Katrina Kaif replace last year’s Carla Bruni or Britney Spears before that, Google search trends hold up a mirror to this peculiar moment and its fleeting preoccupations."
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Wal-Mart's New Enemies
read more at Associated Content:
. . .the company from Bentonville, Arkansas, has decided to ban products from two Latin-American countries: Cuba and Venezuela. The former has to do with the embargo that the United States has on Cuba. The US prohibits American companies from trading with Cuba; and since Wal-Mart is opening up new stores in Chile, they are obligated by American law to stop importing these goods. The problem with Venezuela seems to be produced by the many Hugo Chavez' anti-American speeches. Because of this US . . . there will be an overall of forty-two affected products from this country alone.
. . .
The bans do not only apply to Latin-America's economies; the following countries will be affected by this policy: Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Belarus, North Korea, and Liberia. These cases are all due to interrupted relations with the United States. This contradicts the Chilean law, which goes as follows: "there is no foreign law over the rights of the customer, in the case the product is been acquired by a sale or advertisement". According to this law, the customer has the right to sue Wal-Mart and is encouraged to do so by Chile's National Costumer Service.
. . .the company from Bentonville, Arkansas, has decided to ban products from two Latin-American countries: Cuba and Venezuela. The former has to do with the embargo that the United States has on Cuba. The US prohibits American companies from trading with Cuba; and since Wal-Mart is opening up new stores in Chile, they are obligated by American law to stop importing these goods. The problem with Venezuela seems to be produced by the many Hugo Chavez' anti-American speeches. Because of this US . . . there will be an overall of forty-two affected products from this country alone.
. . .
The bans do not only apply to Latin-America's economies; the following countries will be affected by this policy: Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Belarus, North Korea, and Liberia. These cases are all due to interrupted relations with the United States. This contradicts the Chilean law, which goes as follows: "there is no foreign law over the rights of the customer, in the case the product is been acquired by a sale or advertisement". According to this law, the customer has the right to sue Wal-Mart and is encouraged to do so by Chile's National Costumer Service.
Springsteen set to be sold only at Wal-Mart
from Springfield News-Leader:
"In the lead-up to the release of the next Bruce Springsteen album on Jan. 27, two exclusive deals involving the Boss have been struck.
Wal-Mart will be selling a 'Greatest Hits' album beginning Jan. 13 and f.y.e. stores will be offering Springsteen cards and posters to consumers who pre-order 'Working on a Dream.'
The 12-track hits package is all Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band recordings, which differentiates it from the 1995 'Greatest Hits' release."
See: Why Media Companies are Hosed
"In the lead-up to the release of the next Bruce Springsteen album on Jan. 27, two exclusive deals involving the Boss have been struck.
Wal-Mart will be selling a 'Greatest Hits' album beginning Jan. 13 and f.y.e. stores will be offering Springsteen cards and posters to consumers who pre-order 'Working on a Dream.'
The 12-track hits package is all Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band recordings, which differentiates it from the 1995 'Greatest Hits' release."
See: Why Media Companies are Hosed
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Tesco is Wal-Mart's worst nightmare
Read more at KVOA News 4, Tucson, Arizona
British retailer Tesco entered the U.S. market only in 2007, but already it has managed to put Wal-Mart, the world's No. 1 retailer, on the defensive.
Tesco fired the first salvo, in a battle that retailing analysts expect will intensify, by launching Fresh & Easy, a chain of 10,000-square-foot convenience stores, in cities across California, Nevada, and Arizona in November 2007. Eleven months later, Wal-Mart returned fire, taking on Tesco in Arizona with the debut of the similar-size Marketside, its first new store format in a decade.
'It's a direct message from Wal-Mart to Tesco saying, 'Hey, we're watching you,'' says Neil Stern, a senior partner at retail consultants McMillan Doolittle in Chicago. ''And we'll not only copy you; we will do it better.''
. . .
British retailer Tesco entered the U.S. market only in 2007, but already it has managed to put Wal-Mart, the world's No. 1 retailer, on the defensive.
Tesco fired the first salvo, in a battle that retailing analysts expect will intensify, by launching Fresh & Easy, a chain of 10,000-square-foot convenience stores, in cities across California, Nevada, and Arizona in November 2007. Eleven months later, Wal-Mart returned fire, taking on Tesco in Arizona with the debut of the similar-size Marketside, its first new store format in a decade.
'It's a direct message from Wal-Mart to Tesco saying, 'Hey, we're watching you,'' says Neil Stern, a senior partner at retail consultants McMillan Doolittle in Chicago. ''And we'll not only copy you; we will do it better.''
. . .
Wal-Mart tries to woo Illinois farmers
Read more at Chicago Business News,
. . .
"Long known for its uneasy relationship with rural America, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is trying to court small Illinois farmers.
The giant retailer wants to sell more local produce in its Illinois superstores to satisfy increasing customer demand. After reaching out to farmers on its own with mixed results, the Arkansas company is turning to the University of Illinois' MarketMaker, an online matchmaker for farmers and retailers. Some farmers have signed on, but the company is struggling to find enough supply."
. . .
"Long known for its uneasy relationship with rural America, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is trying to court small Illinois farmers.
The giant retailer wants to sell more local produce in its Illinois superstores to satisfy increasing customer demand. After reaching out to farmers on its own with mixed results, the Arkansas company is turning to the University of Illinois' MarketMaker, an online matchmaker for farmers and retailers. Some farmers have signed on, but the company is struggling to find enough supply."
Why media companies are hosed
from Terry Heaton’s PoMo Blog
. . . the problem here is that advertisers don’t need media companies anymore. Take a look at Wal-Mart’s home
. . .
The point is that Wal-Mart is a media site in that it sells its reach to advertisers, a reach that vastly exceeds two of the top newspaper sites in the world. This is why I keep harping on everybody that the future for local media companies lies beyond their own walled garden websites, and those who refuse to hear that (like, everybody) are sprinting to the tar pits."
. . . the problem here is that advertisers don’t need media companies anymore. Take a look at Wal-Mart’s home
. . .
The point is that Wal-Mart is a media site in that it sells its reach to advertisers, a reach that vastly exceeds two of the top newspaper sites in the world. This is why I keep harping on everybody that the future for local media companies lies beyond their own walled garden websites, and those who refuse to hear that (like, everybody) are sprinting to the tar pits."
Wal-Mart alone among retailers expected to see December sales gains - Related Stories - ICSC SmartBrief
from ICSC SmartBrief: "CSC SmartBrief | 01/02/2009
Wal-Mart is the lone retailer expected to make gains for December, projected to see a 2.8% increase for the month as the rest of the industry drops 6.3%. The retailer 'is winning because it provides its customers with more value and merchandise,' one analyst said. 'That's so important right now because consumers are extremely careful with their money.' Wall Street Journal, The (subscription required) (12/31)"
Wal-Mart is the lone retailer expected to make gains for December, projected to see a 2.8% increase for the month as the rest of the industry drops 6.3%. The retailer 'is winning because it provides its customers with more value and merchandise,' one analyst said. 'That's so important right now because consumers are extremely careful with their money.' Wall Street Journal, The (subscription required) (12/31)"
Amazon, Wal-Mart Know How to Keep Web Shoppers Happy
read more
. . .
"Wal-Mart’s Web site is “climbing fast”, the report says, noting that this year’s score represents a five-point jump from 2006. “Their value model clearly plays well in this economic environment, so a key challenge for them will be whether they can retain customer loyalty when the economy improves,” the ForeSee study says."
. . .
"Wal-Mart’s Web site is “climbing fast”, the report says, noting that this year’s score represents a five-point jump from 2006. “Their value model clearly plays well in this economic environment, so a key challenge for them will be whether they can retain customer loyalty when the economy improves,” the ForeSee study says."
Writing the Web’s Future in Many Languages
Read more at NYTimes.com:
"Google’s initiatives in India are aimed at opening the country’s historically slow-growing personal computer market, and at developing expertise that Google will be able to apply to building services for emerging markets worldwide.
“India is a microcosm of the world,” said Dr. Prasad Bhaarat Ram, Google India’s head of research and development. “Having 22 languages creates a new level of complexity in which you can’t take the same approach that you would if you had one predominant language and applied it 22 times.
. . .
"Google’s initiatives in India are aimed at opening the country’s historically slow-growing personal computer market, and at developing expertise that Google will be able to apply to building services for emerging markets worldwide.
“India is a microcosm of the world,” said Dr. Prasad Bhaarat Ram, Google India’s head of research and development. “Having 22 languages creates a new level of complexity in which you can’t take the same approach that you would if you had one predominant language and applied it 22 times.
. . .
Google recently introduced news aggregation sites in Hindi and three major South Indian languages, and a transliteration tool for writing in five Indian languages. Its search engine operates in nine Indian languages, and can translate search results from the English Web into Hindi and back.
Google engineers are also plugging away on voice recognition, translation, transliteration and digital text reading that it plans to apply to other developing countries.
Mr. Ram Prakash of Quillpad said he was inspired when friends at Google told him they had compared Quillpad with Google’s transliteration tool. He said that he believed the use of local languages on the Web would soar even as more Indians strived to learn English.
Google in push to gain e-mail market share
Read more at FT.com
"Yahoo and Microsoft have more than 250m users each worldwide for their webmail, according to the comScore research firm, compared to close to 100m for Gmail. But Google’s younger service, launched in 2004, has been gaining ground in the US over the past year, with users growing by more than 40 per cent, compared to 2 per cent for Yahoo and a 7 per cent fall in users of Microsoft’s webmail."
"Yahoo and Microsoft have more than 250m users each worldwide for their webmail, according to the comScore research firm, compared to close to 100m for Gmail. But Google’s younger service, launched in 2004, has been gaining ground in the US over the past year, with users growing by more than 40 per cent, compared to 2 per cent for Yahoo and a 7 per cent fall in users of Microsoft’s webmail."
Google execs among big donors to inauguration
Read more
"Google executives, venture capitalists, advertising industry chiefs, attorneys and entrepreneurs contributed up to $50,000 each to the committee organizing the official festivities. The cash makes them part of a historic event that is expected to draw millions of spectators to the National Mall and, according to political analysts, buys them goodwill with the incoming administration.
. . .
Robert Haas, the former CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., donated $50,000 to Obama's inauguration; J. Minott Wessinger, president of San Francisco's McKenzie River Corp., a beverage marketing company, along with his wife, contributed $100,000; Carole Hays, president of the company that operates several Broadway theaters in San Francisco, and her husband also gave $100,000.
. . .
Mountain View's Google is home to the biggest block of Bay Area donations. Six executives, including CEO Eric Schmidt, co-founder Larry Page and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley, made individual contributions of $25,000 each, for a total of $150,000.
. . .
In donating to Obama's inaugural committee, the Bay Area's business elite joins Bill Gates of Microsoft, the family of billionaire investor George Soros, and Hollywood celebrities including director Steven Spielberg, and actors Samuel L. Jackson and Halle Berry. Absent is any big employee donation from Cisco Systems, the San Jose telecommunications equipment company that donated $100,000 to the Bush 2005 inauguration; and Chevron, which gave $250,000 toward the Bush festivities.
"Google executives, venture capitalists, advertising industry chiefs, attorneys and entrepreneurs contributed up to $50,000 each to the committee organizing the official festivities. The cash makes them part of a historic event that is expected to draw millions of spectators to the National Mall and, according to political analysts, buys them goodwill with the incoming administration.
. . .
Robert Haas, the former CEO of Levi Strauss & Co., donated $50,000 to Obama's inauguration; J. Minott Wessinger, president of San Francisco's McKenzie River Corp., a beverage marketing company, along with his wife, contributed $100,000; Carole Hays, president of the company that operates several Broadway theaters in San Francisco, and her husband also gave $100,000.
. . .
Mountain View's Google is home to the biggest block of Bay Area donations. Six executives, including CEO Eric Schmidt, co-founder Larry Page and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley, made individual contributions of $25,000 each, for a total of $150,000.
. . .
In donating to Obama's inaugural committee, the Bay Area's business elite joins Bill Gates of Microsoft, the family of billionaire investor George Soros, and Hollywood celebrities including director Steven Spielberg, and actors Samuel L. Jackson and Halle Berry. Absent is any big employee donation from Cisco Systems, the San Jose telecommunications equipment company that donated $100,000 to the Bush 2005 inauguration; and Chevron, which gave $250,000 toward the Bush festivities.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Google-Mart | PBS
I, Cringely . The Pulpit . Google-Mart
published November 17, 2005
. . .
published November 17, 2005
"And you know whose strategy this is? Wal-Mart's. "The Google Mart Economy takes a different view. It's not just about Google following a WalMart strategy. It's about complimentary functionality. WalMart in physical space supported by the Cloud. Google in the Cloud supported by their servers in physical space.
From the link:
. . . So why buy-up all that fiber, then?
The probable answer lies in one of Google's underground parking garages in Mountain View. There, in a secret area off-limits even to regular GoogleFolk, is a shipping container. But it isn't just any shipping container. This shipping container is a prototype data center. Google hired a pair of very bright industrial designers to figure out how to cram the greatest number of CPUs, the most storage, memory and power support into a 20- or 40-foot box. We're talking about 5000 Opteron processors and 3.5 petabytes of disk storage that can be dropped-off overnight by a tractor-trailer rig. The idea is to plant one of these puppies anywhere Google owns access to fiber, basically turning the entire Internet into a giant processing and storage grid.
While Google could put these containers anywhere, it makes the most sense to place them at Internet peering points, of which there are about 300 worldwide.
Where some other outfit might put a router, Google is putting an entire data center, and the results are profound. Take Internet TV as an example. Replicating that Victoria's Secret lingerie show that took down Broadcast.com years ago would be a non-event for Google. The video feed would be multicast over the private fiber network to 300 data centers, where it would be injected at gigabit speeds into each peering ISP. Viewers watching later would be reading from a locally cached copy. Yeah, but would it be Windows Media, Real, or QuickTime? It doesn't matter. To Google's local data center, bits are bits and the system is immune to protocols or codecs. For the first time, Internet TV will scale to the same level as broadcast and cable TV, yet still offer soemthing different for every viewer if they want it.
. . .
Android OS Coming To Netbooks
Read more
"Most of the bestselling laptops on Amazon’s computer bestseller list are so-called netbooks, computers which have little memory, are highly compact and more affordable than traditional laptops. Lighter and smaller, they’re largely for mobility and internet use.
Their appearance and popularity are are consistent with trends toward “cloud computing” (e.g., Google Apps) and mobile internet access (i.e., iPhone/Android). Many of these computers run the Microsoft XP OS but many run Linux. Now it appears Android is eying this market as well, according to a report appearing in VentureBeat, which predicts an Android OS netbook by 2010.
Assuming it’s true this marks an interesting development for the open-source OS. Android’s creators have always seen it as a broader platform than for just smartphones. Back when the Open Handset Alliance was announced and Android formally launched in November 2007 there were allusions to non-phone uses of Android."
"Most of the bestselling laptops on Amazon’s computer bestseller list are so-called netbooks, computers which have little memory, are highly compact and more affordable than traditional laptops. Lighter and smaller, they’re largely for mobility and internet use.
Their appearance and popularity are are consistent with trends toward “cloud computing” (e.g., Google Apps) and mobile internet access (i.e., iPhone/Android). Many of these computers run the Microsoft XP OS but many run Linux. Now it appears Android is eying this market as well, according to a report appearing in VentureBeat, which predicts an Android OS netbook by 2010.
Assuming it’s true this marks an interesting development for the open-source OS. Android’s creators have always seen it as a broader platform than for just smartphones. Back when the Open Handset Alliance was announced and Android formally launched in November 2007 there were allusions to non-phone uses of Android."
Google’s Top Ten Products (More Or Less)
Google’s Top Ten Products (More Or Less):
"Can you name Google’s top ten products? If you look at how Quantcast ranks Google’s subdomains, you can get a sense of which Google products are the most popular, since they each have their own subdomain. Google’s main search engine tops the list with an estimated 136.6 million unique visitors in the U.S. Then comes Google Maps (36 million), Image Search (31.7 million), and Gmail (10.5 million). Google Docs, Sites, and Knol are still too small to make the top-ten, but are all showing decent growth.
YouTube, Blogger, and Orkut are not included below because they are on their own domains, but YouTube would be second with 70 million unique U.S. visitors, and Blogger would be in the top 5 with 23.5 million. Orkut is not popular in the U.S., so it would not be a factor in this particular list. And I took out sorry.google.com, the domain Google uses to try to catch bots and spyware. It would....
"Can you name Google’s top ten products? If you look at how Quantcast ranks Google’s subdomains, you can get a sense of which Google products are the most popular, since they each have their own subdomain. Google’s main search engine tops the list with an estimated 136.6 million unique visitors in the U.S. Then comes Google Maps (36 million), Image Search (31.7 million), and Gmail (10.5 million). Google Docs, Sites, and Knol are still too small to make the top-ten, but are all showing decent growth.
YouTube, Blogger, and Orkut are not included below because they are on their own domains, but YouTube would be second with 70 million unique U.S. visitors, and Blogger would be in the top 5 with 23.5 million. Orkut is not popular in the U.S., so it would not be a factor in this particular list. And I took out sorry.google.com, the domain Google uses to try to catch bots and spyware. It would....
What Do Google Android Netbooks Mean For Microsoft And Apple? (GOOG)
What Do Google Android Netbooks Mean For Microsoft And Apple? (GOOG)
. . . "It's no secret that Google (GOOG) is hoping its Android operating system can be useful for more than just mobile phones. So it makes sense that Google would want to get Android on 'netbook' laptops -- small, lo-fi computers that companies like Dell (DELL), HP (HPQ), Acer, and Asus are selling like hotcakes to geeks and early adopter-types.
If that happens, and Google-powered computers take off, Microsoft is the biggest loser. Early netbooks ran Linux, but today's best sellers run Windows. For instance, the 10 top-selling laptops on Amazon (AMZN) right now are netbooks running Windows XP Home. While selling an XP Home license likely isn't as valuable to Microsoft as selling a Vista Ultimate license, it'd still be losing some potential license sales. And if netbooks start cannibalizing real laptop sales, Microsoft stands to lose market share, too.
What about Apple? The company hasn't joined the netbook market yet -- unless you count the iPod touch, or maybe the iPhone -- but will supposedly start selling larger tablet computers sometime next year. We see no reason why a Google-powered netbook would necessarily be better than an Apple-powered netbook. But they could be cheaper."
. . . "It's no secret that Google (GOOG) is hoping its Android operating system can be useful for more than just mobile phones. So it makes sense that Google would want to get Android on 'netbook' laptops -- small, lo-fi computers that companies like Dell (DELL), HP (HPQ), Acer, and Asus are selling like hotcakes to geeks and early adopter-types.
If that happens, and Google-powered computers take off, Microsoft is the biggest loser. Early netbooks ran Linux, but today's best sellers run Windows. For instance, the 10 top-selling laptops on Amazon (AMZN) right now are netbooks running Windows XP Home. While selling an XP Home license likely isn't as valuable to Microsoft as selling a Vista Ultimate license, it'd still be losing some potential license sales. And if netbooks start cannibalizing real laptop sales, Microsoft stands to lose market share, too.
What about Apple? The company hasn't joined the netbook market yet -- unless you count the iPod touch, or maybe the iPhone -- but will supposedly start selling larger tablet computers sometime next year. We see no reason why a Google-powered netbook would necessarily be better than an Apple-powered netbook. But they could be cheaper."
Walmart Splits With PRISM - 01/02/2009
from MediaPost Publications
"Walmart is withdrawing from the consortium of retailers, packaged-goods manufacturers and agencies supporting the PRISM in-store media measurement service, the Nielsen Co. disclosed Tuesday.
Nielsen said it will continue work on PRISM (an acronym for Pioneering Research for an In-Store Metric), which is expected to introduce a complete metric in 2009. However, the departure of its largest founding member is a setback for the project, one of several high-profile initiatives working in parallel to create new metrics for out-of-home.
. . .
"Walmart is withdrawing from the consortium of retailers, packaged-goods manufacturers and agencies supporting the PRISM in-store media measurement service, the Nielsen Co. disclosed Tuesday.
Nielsen said it will continue work on PRISM (an acronym for Pioneering Research for an In-Store Metric), which is expected to introduce a complete metric in 2009. However, the departure of its largest founding member is a setback for the project, one of several high-profile initiatives working in parallel to create new metrics for out-of-home.
. . .
In September, Walmart unveiled a new Internet-protocol Smart Network, the result of a cooperative effort between Premier Retail Networks, Studio2 and DS-IQ, which will continually analyze point-of-sale figures and dynamically update programming and advertising to maximize sale lift.
Premier Retail Networks is responsible for building and operating the IPTV network as well as ad sales. Studio 2 provides custom programming, and DS-IQ is responsible for measurement, analysis and the message optimization strategy. (The roster at DS-IQ, founded in Bellevue, Wash. in 2003, boasts former top tech executives from Microsoft, Amazon.com, RealNetworks and aQuantive).
Shifting into gossip mode, the decision to leave PRISM could also be delayed fallout from the departure of Walmart's former senior vice president of marketing Julie Roehm two years ago. Roehm, who was at the helm when preliminary research for PRISM was performed in spring of that year, was forced out in December 2006 for alleged favoritism in granting ad and media contracts.
She was also said to have clashed with the retailer's powerful merchandising and consumer research and strategy divisions, which were responsible for creating the Smart Network. Walmart did not hesitate to pull the plug on another of Roehm's initiatives: an online media exchange also organized as a consortium.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Top Media & Marketing Innovations of 2008
Top Media & Marketing Innovations of 2008:
"Sponsor in Aisle Five!
Shopper marketing may never be the same. Wal-Mart, the largest U.S. retailer, this year led the way with the rollout of its in-store digital network, the Wal-Mart Smart Network. Powered by Internet Protocol Television, content, ads and merchandising can be monitored and controlled down to a single screen. Even as scores of video networks pop up, this represents a new paradigm, offering a level of precision targeting never before seen. Instead of relying on shelf-talkers and end-of-aisle displays to promote products, the Wal-Mart net creates a dynamic, interactive dialogue between marketer and consumer. (While utilizing the latest technology, the network also is a real throwback in terms of customer service, taking shoppers back to a time when the store clerk knew every item and could help the customer make informed decisions on the spot.) Operated by Premier Retail Networks, the network is the result of two years and $10 million in research aimed at the optimal content and placement of screens for engaging consumers at the point-of-purchase. Up and running in 300 stores in time for the holiday season, Wal-Mart anticipates chain-wide deployment (2,700 U.S. outposts) by early 2010. -Katy Bachman"
"Sponsor in Aisle Five!
Shopper marketing may never be the same. Wal-Mart, the largest U.S. retailer, this year led the way with the rollout of its in-store digital network, the Wal-Mart Smart Network. Powered by Internet Protocol Television, content, ads and merchandising can be monitored and controlled down to a single screen. Even as scores of video networks pop up, this represents a new paradigm, offering a level of precision targeting never before seen. Instead of relying on shelf-talkers and end-of-aisle displays to promote products, the Wal-Mart net creates a dynamic, interactive dialogue between marketer and consumer. (While utilizing the latest technology, the network also is a real throwback in terms of customer service, taking shoppers back to a time when the store clerk knew every item and could help the customer make informed decisions on the spot.) Operated by Premier Retail Networks, the network is the result of two years and $10 million in research aimed at the optimal content and placement of screens for engaging consumers at the point-of-purchase. Up and running in 300 stores in time for the holiday season, Wal-Mart anticipates chain-wide deployment (2,700 U.S. outposts) by early 2010. -Katy Bachman"
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Real Story of Cyber Monday: A View Into Actual Consumer Engagement - MarketWatch
from MarketWatch:
. . . Amazon.com, eBay.com, and Walmart.com were the most visited retail sites on Cyber Monday
"On Cyber Monday, the most popular shopping websites received substantial increases in average clicks per user, suggesting that users were more engaged shoppers on that particular day. WalMart.com had the biggest increase with more than 145 times the average clicks per user. The top two shopping websites on Cyber Monday (Amazon.com and eBay.com) were on the bottom of the list for average user clicks per site.
. . . Amazon.com, eBay.com, and Walmart.com were the most visited retail sites on Cyber Monday
"On Cyber Monday, the most popular shopping websites received substantial increases in average clicks per user, suggesting that users were more engaged shoppers on that particular day. WalMart.com had the biggest increase with more than 145 times the average clicks per user. The top two shopping websites on Cyber Monday (Amazon.com and eBay.com) were on the bottom of the list for average user clicks per site.
Wal-Mart launching takeover of Chile retailer D&S | Industries | Consumer Products & Retail | Reuters
UPDATE 2-Wal-Mart launching takeover of Chile retailer
"SANTIAGO, Dec 19 (Reuters) - U.S. retailing mammoth Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) said on Friday it launched an all-cash offer to buy Chile's biggest supermarket chain, D&S DIS.SN(DYS.N), setting itself up to gain a major foothold in one of Latin America's most competitive retail markets.
D&S, Chile's biggest supermarket chain, said in a statement to the Chilean bourse late on Friday that the offer would be made within 10 days and was for $0.408 per share. It was being made in the name of Inversiones Australes Tres Limitada, a unit of Wal-Mart."
"SANTIAGO, Dec 19 (Reuters) - U.S. retailing mammoth Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) said on Friday it launched an all-cash offer to buy Chile's biggest supermarket chain, D&S DIS.SN(DYS.N), setting itself up to gain a major foothold in one of Latin America's most competitive retail markets.
D&S, Chile's biggest supermarket chain, said in a statement to the Chilean bourse late on Friday that the offer would be made within 10 days and was for $0.408 per share. It was being made in the name of Inversiones Australes Tres Limitada, a unit of Wal-Mart."
Google Ad Server share now at 57%. Microhoo less than 15% market share.
from Attributor Blog
"December 18, 2008 @ 8:00 am
The Google ad serving juggernaut appears secure even if Microsoft and Yahoo agree on a deal to merge their search advertising businesses. Our analysis of ad server calls across 75 million domains shows that both Yahoo and Microsoft lost significant share compared to our March report and now make up less than 15% of the total market.
The explosion of new ad networks in 2008 had an impact, but only one newcomer - Revenue Science- broke into the top 5. Unsurprisingly, Google’s AdSense is dominant on smaller sites while Google-owned DoubleClick leads on larger sites; however AdSense made great strides on larger sites, leapfrogging Yahoo into 2nd place."
"December 18, 2008 @ 8:00 am
The Google ad serving juggernaut appears secure even if Microsoft and Yahoo agree on a deal to merge their search advertising businesses. Our analysis of ad server calls across 75 million domains shows that both Yahoo and Microsoft lost significant share compared to our March report and now make up less than 15% of the total market.
The explosion of new ad networks in 2008 had an impact, but only one newcomer - Revenue Science- broke into the top 5. Unsurprisingly, Google’s AdSense is dominant on smaller sites while Google-owned DoubleClick leads on larger sites; however AdSense made great strides on larger sites, leapfrogging Yahoo into 2nd place."
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Can Google Crack the Mobile Advertising Nut?
Technology News: M-Commerce:
"Earlier this week, Google announced it's pushing its AdWords program onto the mobile platform. Sponsors will be able to show their advertisements on handhelds like the iPhone, the T-Mobile Latest News about T-Mobile G1, and others that use full HTML browsers without having to redesign the ads specifically for mobile devices. The advertisers can even get feedback specifically on mobile ads to check a campaign's status.
Google has the potential to jump-start the mobile advertising market, which has had a slow takeoff. In addition to its recent AdWords effort, it's also deployed mobile search applications to popular smartphones like the iPhone, not to mention the fact that it has its own mobile software system, Android, through which it could presumably offer any number of creative advertising ventures. However, the company faces many challenges in its attempt to reshape the mobile sector."
"Earlier this week, Google announced it's pushing its AdWords program onto the mobile platform. Sponsors will be able to show their advertisements on handhelds like the iPhone, the T-Mobile Latest News about T-Mobile G1, and others that use full HTML browsers without having to redesign the ads specifically for mobile devices. The advertisers can even get feedback specifically on mobile ads to check a campaign's status.
Google has the potential to jump-start the mobile advertising market, which has had a slow takeoff. In addition to its recent AdWords effort, it's also deployed mobile search applications to popular smartphones like the iPhone, not to mention the fact that it has its own mobile software system, Android, through which it could presumably offer any number of creative advertising ventures. However, the company faces many challenges in its attempt to reshape the mobile sector."
Friday, December 12, 2008
SMS Text Messaging for G chat
Official Gmail Blog: Really new in Labs this time: SMS Text Messaging for chat:
"How often do you try to chat with somebody and they don't respond because they just walked away from their computer? Or maybe you're in the middle of chatting with them just as they need to leave. But you still need to tell them something -- something really important like you've moved where you're meeting...or ice cream! We need ice cream! This is why we built a way to chat with your friends even when they're away from their computers. Now you can keep the conversations going with a new Labs feature that lets you send SMS text messages right from Gmail. It combines the best parts of IM and texting: you chat from the comfort of your computer, and your friends can peck out replies on their little keyboards."
"How often do you try to chat with somebody and they don't respond because they just walked away from their computer? Or maybe you're in the middle of chatting with them just as they need to leave. But you still need to tell them something -- something really important like you've moved where you're meeting...or ice cream! We need ice cream! This is why we built a way to chat with your friends even when they're away from their computers. Now you can keep the conversations going with a new Labs feature that lets you send SMS text messages right from Gmail. It combines the best parts of IM and texting: you chat from the comfort of your computer, and your friends can peck out replies on their little keyboards."
Chrome Comes Out of Beta with 10 Million Users
Chrome Comes Out of Beta with 10 Million Users:
"As was reported yesterday, Google’s browser Chrome is coming out of beta — a mere 100 days after it was introduced. When I commented to Sundar Pichai, Product VP, that this had to be one of the fastest exits from beta for Google in recent memory he explained that “Google has a very traditional approach to our client software products,” meaning it accelerates the process of getting them to a general release."
"As was reported yesterday, Google’s browser Chrome is coming out of beta — a mere 100 days after it was introduced. When I commented to Sundar Pichai, Product VP, that this had to be one of the fastest exits from beta for Google in recent memory he explained that “Google has a very traditional approach to our client software products,” meaning it accelerates the process of getting them to a general release."
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Recessions give space for new ideas to flourish
from FT.com :
. . .
While the economic effects of recession can be dire, in the long term the effect on work and working habits can be positive."
. . .
. . .
While the economic effects of recession can be dire, in the long term the effect on work and working habits can be positive."
. . .
So what impact will the current recession have on work over the next decade?
. . .
First, while the focus is still on shoring up finance and the economy, in time we will begin to question the prevailing norms of leadership and decision-making. The dominant “command and control” leadership style that allows a chief executive such as Richard Fuld at Lehman Brothers unilaterally to make decisions about the whole company will increasingly come under scrutiny. If the crowd is indeed wise, why do we put our faith in the decisions and knowledge of a tiny fraction of people?
. . .
Next, past recessions have often served to accelerate the development of practices and processes that had limited popularity pre-recession. Before the 1990s recession, for example, off-shoring was seen to be too complex and difficult an option. It was only with the cost imperatives of the recession that off-shoring was initially pushed and then eventually became a norm, later to be broadened and deepened into its current application. The same is true of group-ware technologies, which have had limited uptake as people said they would prefer to meet face to face. Now, however, those who last year would have jumped on a plane to attend meetings have had their travel budgets slashed. They are being forced to use video conferencing and webcasts. . . . . Others, however, will have fundamentally changed their habits and begun to build working communities that are virtual.
Finally, the 2008-2009 recession will profoundly change the way occupations are seen. Each previous recession has had some impact on perceptions. The 1990s recession slowed the rush to technology and start-ups. The current one may well have the same impact on banking, which has been a huge magnet for talent. The upside would be that our most talented youngsters might look to more than just investment banking for a career.
Recessions are a time of destruction of the old order, a time when assumptions are questioned and nascent practices and ideas are given space to flourish. That is little cheer for now but, in the longer term, an enormous stimulus for change.
King Google
from BuzzMachine
Via TechCrunch, here’s a good PPT outlining the continued primacy of Google across its various products and lines of business:"
Via TechCrunch, here’s a good PPT outlining the continued primacy of Google across its various products and lines of business:"
Sunday, December 07, 2008
2008 Video Search Year In Review
2008 Video Search Year In Review
"The big TV networks haven’t given up on their own sites, but in 2008, some networks have started to embrace YouTube. CBS, in a very resourceful move, recently announced a partnership with YouTube to stream full length episodes of popular shows like “MacGyver.” MGM has also reached an agreement to post movies on YouTube. Between funny skateboarding accidents and full-length episodes of MacGyver, I don’t think I’ll ever leave YouTube."
"The big TV networks haven’t given up on their own sites, but in 2008, some networks have started to embrace YouTube. CBS, in a very resourceful move, recently announced a partnership with YouTube to stream full length episodes of popular shows like “MacGyver.” MGM has also reached an agreement to post movies on YouTube. Between funny skateboarding accidents and full-length episodes of MacGyver, I don’t think I’ll ever leave YouTube."
2008 Video Search Year In Review
2008 Video Search Year In Review
"YouTube rolls out a new ad-model. Recently, YouTube internal search results have started to look a little more like Google.com results. Google has used AdWords functionality to allow advertisers to bid on YouTube search terms that trigger ads to appear in the “sponsored video” section of the YouTube search results. For example, an advertiser selling first aid products might benefit from bidding on the “funny skateboarding accidents” phrase. Unlike Google.com, clicking on the ad keeps the user on the YouTube domain, where they see a featured video from the advertiser. This channel could be particularly effective for studios promoting movie trailers, companies bringing a new product to market, and brand advertisers like car manufacturers wanting to showcase products. 2009 will tell if sponsored video becomes the effective YouTube ad model that advertisers have been craving."
"YouTube rolls out a new ad-model. Recently, YouTube internal search results have started to look a little more like Google.com results. Google has used AdWords functionality to allow advertisers to bid on YouTube search terms that trigger ads to appear in the “sponsored video” section of the YouTube search results. For example, an advertiser selling first aid products might benefit from bidding on the “funny skateboarding accidents” phrase. Unlike Google.com, clicking on the ad keeps the user on the YouTube domain, where they see a featured video from the advertiser. This channel could be particularly effective for studios promoting movie trailers, companies bringing a new product to market, and brand advertisers like car manufacturers wanting to showcase products. 2009 will tell if sponsored video becomes the effective YouTube ad model that advertisers have been craving."
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Google Sorts One Petabyte Of Data In 6 Hours - Analytics - InformationWeek
Google Sorts One Petabyte Of Data In 6 Hours - Analytics - InformationWeek
"According to last Friday's Official Google Blog, the Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Systems Infrastructure Team has sorted a record 1 terabyte of data on 1,000 computers in only 68 seconds, which breaks the previous mark of 209 seconds established in July by Yahoo.
Team leader Grzegorz Czajkowski wrote that the team followed the rules of a standard terabyte sort benchmark and used Google's MapReduce software framework that supports parallel computations over large (multiple petabyte) data sets on clusters of computers. Yahoo's effort had featured a 910-node cluster, and used Hadoop, an open-source MapReduce implementation.
The sort benchmark, which was created in 1998 by computer scientist Jim Gray, specifies the input data (10 billion 100-byte records in uncompressed text files), which must be completely sorted and written to disk. Not content with just rewriting the record book, the Google team then decided to up the ante in sorting massive volumes of data."
. . .
One petabyte is a thousand terabytes, or roughly 12 times the amount of archived Web data in the U.S. Library of Congress as of May 2008. One way to put that amount in perspective, according to Czajkowski, is to consider that the aggregate size of data processed by all instances of MapReduce at Google was, on average, 20 PB per day in January 2008. A paper explaining MapReduce on the Google labs site says that the upwards of one thousand MapReduce jobs are executed on Google's clusters every day. So the infrastructure team's MapReduce job that extended the benchmark factors out to 50 typical MapReduce jobs, or one-twentieth the total of all daily MapReduce jobs run on Google's clusters.
"According to last Friday's Official Google Blog, the Google (NSDQ: GOOG) Systems Infrastructure Team has sorted a record 1 terabyte of data on 1,000 computers in only 68 seconds, which breaks the previous mark of 209 seconds established in July by Yahoo.
Team leader Grzegorz Czajkowski wrote that the team followed the rules of a standard terabyte sort benchmark and used Google's MapReduce software framework that supports parallel computations over large (multiple petabyte) data sets on clusters of computers. Yahoo's effort had featured a 910-node cluster, and used Hadoop, an open-source MapReduce implementation.
The sort benchmark, which was created in 1998 by computer scientist Jim Gray, specifies the input data (10 billion 100-byte records in uncompressed text files), which must be completely sorted and written to disk. Not content with just rewriting the record book, the Google team then decided to up the ante in sorting massive volumes of data."
. . .
One petabyte is a thousand terabytes, or roughly 12 times the amount of archived Web data in the U.S. Library of Congress as of May 2008. One way to put that amount in perspective, according to Czajkowski, is to consider that the aggregate size of data processed by all instances of MapReduce at Google was, on average, 20 PB per day in January 2008. A paper explaining MapReduce on the Google labs site says that the upwards of one thousand MapReduce jobs are executed on Google's clusters every day. So the infrastructure team's MapReduce job that extended the benchmark factors out to 50 typical MapReduce jobs, or one-twentieth the total of all daily MapReduce jobs run on Google's clusters.
Google v Microsoft
Microsoft Loses Internet Ground, Or Not? - Microsoft Blog - InformationWeek:
"Do the hit counters at ComScore have a different take on this situation? The Seattle Post-Intelligencer quotes a ComScore study that shows Microsoft's search share holding steady. However, that refers to October versus September search share. If you eyeball the one-year graph in that story, you'll see essentially the same decline that Neilsen found.
Beneath these two contradictory headlines, there is actually some consistent data. Microsoft has lost about 20 percent of its market share in the past year, but in recent months has seemed to stop the bleeding. Yahoo has even managed a slight uptick in searches over the past two months. It makes you wonder whether the now-unlikely merger of these two would make any difference when both are so far behind Google."
"Do the hit counters at ComScore have a different take on this situation? The Seattle Post-Intelligencer quotes a ComScore study that shows Microsoft's search share holding steady. However, that refers to October versus September search share. If you eyeball the one-year graph in that story, you'll see essentially the same decline that Neilsen found.
Beneath these two contradictory headlines, there is actually some consistent data. Microsoft has lost about 20 percent of its market share in the past year, but in recent months has seemed to stop the bleeding. Yahoo has even managed a slight uptick in searches over the past two months. It makes you wonder whether the now-unlikely merger of these two would make any difference when both are so far behind Google."
Op-Ed Contributor - How to Publish Without Perishing - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Contributor - How to Publish Without Perishing - NYTimes.com:
"One could imagine the book, venerable as it is, just vanishing into the ether. It melts into all the other information species searchable through Google’s most democratic of engines: the Web pages, the blogs, the organs of printed and broadcast news, the general chatter. (Thanks for everything, Gutenberg, and now goodbye.)
But I don’t see it that way. I think, on the contrary, we’ve reached a shining moment for this ancient technology. Publishers may or may not figure out how to make money again (it was never a good way to get rich), but their product has a chance for new life: as a physical object, and as an idea, and as a set of literary forms."
"One could imagine the book, venerable as it is, just vanishing into the ether. It melts into all the other information species searchable through Google’s most democratic of engines: the Web pages, the blogs, the organs of printed and broadcast news, the general chatter. (Thanks for everything, Gutenberg, and now goodbye.)
But I don’t see it that way. I think, on the contrary, we’ve reached a shining moment for this ancient technology. Publishers may or may not figure out how to make money again (it was never a good way to get rich), but their product has a chance for new life: as a physical object, and as an idea, and as a set of literary forms."
A Maturing Google Buckles Down and Searches for Cost Savings - Advertising Age - Digital
A Maturing Google Buckles Down and Searches for Cost Savings - Advertising Age - Digital:
"NEW YORK (AdAge) -- The recession is reverberating even in the freewheeling halls of the Googleplex.
Proving that even the search giant isn't immune from the vagaries of the economy, Google is cutting its 10,000-strong contract staff, nixing some new products that won't pay back in the near term and aggressively trying to squeeze more out of existing revenue streams."
"NEW YORK (AdAge) -- The recession is reverberating even in the freewheeling halls of the Googleplex.
Proving that even the search giant isn't immune from the vagaries of the economy, Google is cutting its 10,000-strong contract staff, nixing some new products that won't pay back in the near term and aggressively trying to squeeze more out of existing revenue streams."
Google's Plan for Mobile Domination | Fast Company
Scobleizer: Google's Plan for Mobile Domination | Fast Company:
"In January, California will join the states that have made it illegal to text while driving. Google's voice-powered service, GOOG-411, is great for hands-free access to local information. Call 800-GOOG-411 and the system prompts you to tell it where you are and what you want. You can even have it send directions via a text message."
worth the click for more details
"In January, California will join the states that have made it illegal to text while driving. Google's voice-powered service, GOOG-411, is great for hands-free access to local information. Call 800-GOOG-411 and the system prompts you to tell it where you are and what you want. You can even have it send directions via a text message."
worth the click for more details
Monday, December 01, 2008
It's not Chrome v Firefox, it's Google v Microsoft
Free standards based at the last mile = controlling the screen.
Media News - European Journalism Centre:
"Google is considering pre-installing its Chrome browser on personal computers in the search giant's latest challenge to the dominance of Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The move would significantly ramp up the browser war that Google launched against Microsoft when it launched Chrome in September, in the battle to dominate how users access and interact with the web"
Media News - European Journalism Centre:
"Google is considering pre-installing its Chrome browser on personal computers in the search giant's latest challenge to the dominance of Microsoft's Internet Explorer. The move would significantly ramp up the browser war that Google launched against Microsoft when it launched Chrome in September, in the battle to dominate how users access and interact with the web"
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Wal-Mart, FedEx, Lenovo Discuss Supply Chain Sustainability � Environmental Leader � Green Business, Sustainable Business, and Green Strategy News for
Wal-Mart, FedEx, Lenovo Discuss Supply Chain Sustainability
"Executives from Waste Management, FedEx and Lenovo discuss sustainability and the supply chain at Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Summit in Beijing, China."
Go the links for 3 8 minutes videos
"Executives from Waste Management, FedEx and Lenovo discuss sustainability and the supply chain at Wal-Mart’s Sustainability Summit in Beijing, China."
Go the links for 3 8 minutes videos
T Wal-Mart buys wind energy, plans to power 360 Texas stores
The Daily Texan - News Briefly: Wal-Mart buys wind energy, plans to power 360 Texas stores: "rt to become more eco-friendly, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. made its first substantial wind energy purchase Thursday with plans to integrate the power into 360 Texas stores and facilities by April 2009.
Wal-Mart purchased the wind-generated energy from Duke Energy Corp., a Charlotte, N.C., electric-power company. The electricity will come from a wind farm constructed by the energy company near Ector and Winkler counties in West Texas. According to Wal-Mart press releases, the farm, called the Notrees Windpower Project, will be complete by the end of 2008. The wind farm will generate 226 million kilowatt hours, enough energy to power more than 20,000 average American homes annually."
Wal-Mart purchased the wind-generated energy from Duke Energy Corp., a Charlotte, N.C., electric-power company. The electricity will come from a wind farm constructed by the energy company near Ector and Winkler counties in West Texas. According to Wal-Mart press releases, the farm, called the Notrees Windpower Project, will be complete by the end of 2008. The wind farm will generate 226 million kilowatt hours, enough energy to power more than 20,000 average American homes annually."
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
WalMart and Local Economies
La Voz Nueva - News & entertainment for Hispanics in Denver, Colorado - noticias para Hispanos
"Retailer stocks shelves with locally grown holiday favorites
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Nov. 25 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- While the economic climate continues to be a concern for local farmers, Walmart is continuing its effort to help local agriculture business by continuing partnerships with small farms and stocking shelves with locally grown items.
In-store seasonal facts:
-- Walmart sells locally grown pumpkins in 27 states - more than half the country - making Walmart the largest local pumpkin distributor in the U.S.
-- Customers in 17 states, including North Carolina and Utah, can purchase locally grown apples for their homemade holiday apple pie.
-- Walmart works with 50 small cranberry growers through Ocean Spray to bring local cranberries to customers in Washington and Massachusetts, among others.
-- Walmart offers local sweet potatoes in seven states including Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. Sweet potatoes are grown in southern states due to specific climate needs.
"Our partnership with Walmart has allowed us the opportunity to grow our business and expand our acreage," said Greg Nix, Apple Wedge Farms, a Walmart apple supplier. "It's great to know that a company as big as Walmart is focused on local agriculture business especially at a time when many industries are struggling."
Walmart's locally grown offerings go beyond the produce aisle. Walmart offers locally grown poinsettias - the traditional plant of choice for decorating and gift giving during the holiday season - in Garden Centers in 20 states across the country.
-- Walmart stores in North Carolina sell poinsettias from Metrolina Greenhouses, Inc., a Huntersville-based greenhouse. Metrolina invests extensively in research and development to produce plants that are grown in environmentally friendly greenhouses.
-- Florida customers will see locally grown poinsettias from Sunshine Growers. Sunshine Growers gives a portion of their poinsettia sales to local charities, churches, schools and nursing homes.
"Retailer stocks shelves with locally grown holiday favorites
BENTONVILLE, Ark., Nov. 25 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ -- While the economic climate continues to be a concern for local farmers, Walmart is continuing its effort to help local agriculture business by continuing partnerships with small farms and stocking shelves with locally grown items.
In-store seasonal facts:
-- Walmart sells locally grown pumpkins in 27 states - more than half the country - making Walmart the largest local pumpkin distributor in the U.S.
-- Customers in 17 states, including North Carolina and Utah, can purchase locally grown apples for their homemade holiday apple pie.
-- Walmart works with 50 small cranberry growers through Ocean Spray to bring local cranberries to customers in Washington and Massachusetts, among others.
-- Walmart offers local sweet potatoes in seven states including Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. Sweet potatoes are grown in southern states due to specific climate needs.
"Our partnership with Walmart has allowed us the opportunity to grow our business and expand our acreage," said Greg Nix, Apple Wedge Farms, a Walmart apple supplier. "It's great to know that a company as big as Walmart is focused on local agriculture business especially at a time when many industries are struggling."
Walmart's locally grown offerings go beyond the produce aisle. Walmart offers locally grown poinsettias - the traditional plant of choice for decorating and gift giving during the holiday season - in Garden Centers in 20 states across the country.
-- Walmart stores in North Carolina sell poinsettias from Metrolina Greenhouses, Inc., a Huntersville-based greenhouse. Metrolina invests extensively in research and development to produce plants that are grown in environmentally friendly greenhouses.
-- Florida customers will see locally grown poinsettias from Sunshine Growers. Sunshine Growers gives a portion of their poinsettia sales to local charities, churches, schools and nursing homes.
Reports: Wal-Mart To Sell iPhone Starting Dec. 28
Mac News Update -
"New reports suggest discount retail giant Wal-Mart will begin selling the iPhone Dec. 28, a move raising some eyebrows while also expanding Apple’s retail strategy, according to other experts. An AT&T memo obtained by the Boy Genius Report outlined plans to offer the iPhone first in select Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club locations, followed by nationwide availability [...]"
"New reports suggest discount retail giant Wal-Mart will begin selling the iPhone Dec. 28, a move raising some eyebrows while also expanding Apple’s retail strategy, according to other experts. An AT&T memo obtained by the Boy Genius Report outlined plans to offer the iPhone first in select Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club locations, followed by nationwide availability [...]"
World Prout Assembly: Let Walmart do it!
World Prout Assembly: Let Walmart do it!: "Let Walmart do it!
1. At WalMart, Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour of every day.
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
3. WalMart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
4. WalMart is bigger than Home Depot Kroger Target Sears Costco K-Mart combined.
5. WalMart employs 1..6 million people and is the largest private employer. And most can't speak English.
6. WalMart is the largest company in the history of the World.
7. WalMart now sells more food than Kroger & Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only 15 years.
8. During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy (including Winn-Dixie).
9. WalMart now sells more food than any other store in the world.
10. WalMart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are SuperCenters; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago.
11. This year, 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at a WalMart store. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion.)
12. 90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a WalMart.
13. Let WalMart bail out Wall Street and the auto industry!!!"
1. At WalMart, Americans spend $36,000,000 every hour of every day.
2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
3. WalMart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
4. WalMart is bigger than Home Depot Kroger Target Sears Costco K-Mart combined.
5. WalMart employs 1..6 million people and is the largest private employer. And most can't speak English.
6. WalMart is the largest company in the history of the World.
7. WalMart now sells more food than Kroger & Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only 15 years.
8. During this same period, 31 Supermarket chains sought bankruptcy (including Winn-Dixie).
9. WalMart now sells more food than any other store in the world.
10. WalMart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 1,906 are SuperCenters; this is 1,000 more than it had 5 years ago.
11. This year, 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at a WalMart store. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 billion.)
12. 90% of all Americans live within 15 miles of a WalMart.
13. Let WalMart bail out Wall Street and the auto industry!!!"
International Retail Guru Michael Duke to Replace Lee Scott as Wal-Mart CEO
International Retail Guru Michael Duke to Replace Lee Scott as Wal-Mart CEO:
"Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) has announced that H. Lee Scott Jr., 59, will be stepping down as the retail giant’s chief executive officer, effective Feb. 1. He will be succeeded by Michael “Mike” T. Duke, 58, head of the company’s overseas operations.
. . .
International sales could jump 9.3% in the year starting February
"Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) has announced that H. Lee Scott Jr., 59, will be stepping down as the retail giant’s chief executive officer, effective Feb. 1. He will be succeeded by Michael “Mike” T. Duke, 58, head of the company’s overseas operations.
. . .
Duke is currently head of the Wal-Mart’s international division, which goes a long way toward explaining his ascension. International expansion will pay a very large part in Wal-Mart’s future growth, and under Duke’s stewardship the company’s global presence has grown markedly.
Duke said in June that overseas revenue could eclipse $100 billion for the first time in the fiscal year that ends Jan. 31. International sales, which account for about one quarter of the Wal-Mart’s business, totaled $90.6 billion in 2007.
Citizen WalMart
VA�U€$�–�The Blog:
"It was not long ago that nobody interested in making a better world would ever have a good thing to say about WalMart, the giant American retailer, and owner of Asda in the UK. Yet speaker after speaker praised WalMart at the Economist conference on corporate citizenship that Matthew has just moderated in San Francisco."
"It was not long ago that nobody interested in making a better world would ever have a good thing to say about WalMart, the giant American retailer, and owner of Asda in the UK. Yet speaker after speaker praised WalMart at the Economist conference on corporate citizenship that Matthew has just moderated in San Francisco."
Wal-Mart Aggressively Courts Mommy Bloggers — Commercial Alert
Wal-Mart Aggressively Courts Mommy Bloggers — Commercial Alert:
"Eleven Moms Weigh in on P&G, Coke, Campbell Brands
Over the weekend of Nov. 15-16, Katja Presnal was a key figure in the public flogging of Motrin and its parent Johnson & Johnson on Twitter, creating a YouTube video that showed dozens of tweets castigating its babywearing ad.
By Nov. 21, she was blogging in an entirely different way. Ms. Presnal was preparing a blog post in her role as one of Wal-Mart Stores’ Eleven Moms panel of mommy bloggers behind the planned Nov. 24 unveiling of “Salon Secret,” which turns out to be Procter & Gamble Co.’s Pantene.
The idea was to have the mommy bloggers, who had attended a trip to Wal-Mart’s Bentonville, Ark., headquarters last month, be treated with an unnamed “salon brand,” to be revealed as Pantene. A sampling site for the launch notes that 70% of salon-brand users prefer the mystery brand.
Power of mommy bloggers
Ms. Presnal, who runs the Skimbaco.com online retail site and SkimbacoLifestyle blog, is a one-woman embodiment of the best and worst that mommy bloggers can offer marketers."
"Eleven Moms Weigh in on P&G, Coke, Campbell Brands
Over the weekend of Nov. 15-16, Katja Presnal was a key figure in the public flogging of Motrin and its parent Johnson & Johnson on Twitter, creating a YouTube video that showed dozens of tweets castigating its babywearing ad.
By Nov. 21, she was blogging in an entirely different way. Ms. Presnal was preparing a blog post in her role as one of Wal-Mart Stores’ Eleven Moms panel of mommy bloggers behind the planned Nov. 24 unveiling of “Salon Secret,” which turns out to be Procter & Gamble Co.’s Pantene.
The idea was to have the mommy bloggers, who had attended a trip to Wal-Mart’s Bentonville, Ark., headquarters last month, be treated with an unnamed “salon brand,” to be revealed as Pantene. A sampling site for the launch notes that 70% of salon-brand users prefer the mystery brand.
Power of mommy bloggers
Ms. Presnal, who runs the Skimbaco.com online retail site and SkimbacoLifestyle blog, is a one-woman embodiment of the best and worst that mommy bloggers can offer marketers."
The Multi Polar World
FT.com / Columnists / Gideon Rachman - Is America’s new declinism for real?
"The latest report, published on November 20, has made headlines around the world. The front page of Britain’s Guardian newspaper shouted “2025: the end of US dominance”. For once, the headline is broadly accurate. As the NIC frankly notes, “the most dramatic difference” between the new report and the one issued four years ago is that it now foresees “a world in which the US plays a prominent role in global events, but the US is seen as one among many global actors”. The report issued four years ago had projected “continuing US dominance”."
"The latest report, published on November 20, has made headlines around the world. The front page of Britain’s Guardian newspaper shouted “2025: the end of US dominance”. For once, the headline is broadly accurate. As the NIC frankly notes, “the most dramatic difference” between the new report and the one issued four years ago is that it now foresees “a world in which the US plays a prominent role in global events, but the US is seen as one among many global actors”. The report issued four years ago had projected “continuing US dominance”."
Saturday, November 22, 2008
from the Central Intelligence Agency
Toward a Complex Adaptive Intelligence Community —
"The compressed response cycle gives the United States significant strategic and tactical superiority over our adversaries. Our national security is best protected when we operate more quickly than those who would do harm to our people and our freedom. This compressed response time allows us to disrupt, interdict, preempt, and respond to injurious efforts before our adversaries can achieve their goals against us.
This compression is not just a preferred work style within the US national security community. It is characteristic of the way the world works in the 21st century. Thus, not only do we respond more quickly, but also the circumstances to which we respond—in and of themselves— develop more quickly. These rapidly changing circumstances take on lives of their own, which are difficult or impossible to anticipate or predict. The US national security community— and the Intelligence Community (IC) within it—is faced with the question of how to operate in a security environment that, by its nature, is changing rapidly in ways we cannot predict. A simple answer is that the Intelligence Community, by its nature, must change rapidly in ways we cannot predict."
"The compressed response cycle gives the United States significant strategic and tactical superiority over our adversaries. Our national security is best protected when we operate more quickly than those who would do harm to our people and our freedom. This compressed response time allows us to disrupt, interdict, preempt, and respond to injurious efforts before our adversaries can achieve their goals against us.
This compression is not just a preferred work style within the US national security community. It is characteristic of the way the world works in the 21st century. Thus, not only do we respond more quickly, but also the circumstances to which we respond—in and of themselves— develop more quickly. These rapidly changing circumstances take on lives of their own, which are difficult or impossible to anticipate or predict. The US national security community— and the Intelligence Community (IC) within it—is faced with the question of how to operate in a security environment that, by its nature, is changing rapidly in ways we cannot predict. A simple answer is that the Intelligence Community, by its nature, must change rapidly in ways we cannot predict."
From the Buzz Machine
Guardian column: The Google economy:
My Guardian column this week argues that we’re witnessing not just the collapse of the financial (and auto and newspaper…) industries but the birth of a new economy best seen through - you guessed it - the lens of Google:
The financial crisis might be damaging countless companies around the world, but last month Google announced another quarter of growth, with profit up 26%. When it reported similar results two quarters before, The New York Times’ headline proclaimed, “Google defies economy.” It should have read, “Google defines economy.”"
My Guardian column this week argues that we’re witnessing not just the collapse of the financial (and auto and newspaper…) industries but the birth of a new economy best seen through - you guessed it - the lens of Google:
The financial crisis might be damaging countless companies around the world, but last month Google announced another quarter of growth, with profit up 26%. When it reported similar results two quarters before, The New York Times’ headline proclaimed, “Google defies economy.” It should have read, “Google defines economy.”"
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Pay for Performance..What a simple idea!
Pinstorm is the Reddest Herring!:
"Indian firm chosen among “Asia’s Hottest” three times in four years.
Pinstorm, the world’s leading pay-for-performance digital marketing firm has been selected by Red Herring Magazine to their list of Asia’s 200 Hottest companies for 2008. This is Pinstorm’s third appearance in the list, having graced it earlier in 2005 & 2006. Pinstorm has the distinction of being perhaps the only firm in the world to be selected thrice in four years.
The Red Herring Award is bestowed by Silicon Valley-based Red Herring magazine after evaluating the business model, analysing profitability forecasts, and assessing the management team.
Mahesh Murthy, Founder, Pinstorm said “Colour us red with joy. We first won when we were barely 20 people working out of one office. Today we are over 120 from 7 offices in 6 countries - and it’s a thrill to know that the world sees us just as hot as ever. Our pay-for-performance model is revolutionizing advertising both on the search and display fronts - and we hope to continue this hot streak for a long time to come”, Mahesh Murthy added."
"Indian firm chosen among “Asia’s Hottest” three times in four years.
Pinstorm, the world’s leading pay-for-performance digital marketing firm has been selected by Red Herring Magazine to their list of Asia’s 200 Hottest companies for 2008. This is Pinstorm’s third appearance in the list, having graced it earlier in 2005 & 2006. Pinstorm has the distinction of being perhaps the only firm in the world to be selected thrice in four years.
The Red Herring Award is bestowed by Silicon Valley-based Red Herring magazine after evaluating the business model, analysing profitability forecasts, and assessing the management team.
Mahesh Murthy, Founder, Pinstorm said “Colour us red with joy. We first won when we were barely 20 people working out of one office. Today we are over 120 from 7 offices in 6 countries - and it’s a thrill to know that the world sees us just as hot as ever. Our pay-for-performance model is revolutionizing advertising both on the search and display fronts - and we hope to continue this hot streak for a long time to come”, Mahesh Murthy added."
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Google (GOOG) Is Benefiting From the Wal-Mart Effect
StreetInsider.com - Piper Jaffray
"October 17, 2008 9:14 AM EDT
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster commented on Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) after better-than-expected earnings results from the seach giant after the close, saying the company is benefiting from the 'Wal-Mart' effect that consumers will be searching more for bargains in tough economy.
Munster said, "The bottom line is the "Wal-Mart" effect in combination with our research which suggests advertisers are shifting from non measurable (display) to measurable (search) advertising, leads us to believe Google is positioned to resist the economic slowdown over the next year. While the Google results showed the September quarter was intact, investors could have lingering concerns that business slowed in the month of September. However, Hal Vairan, Chief Economist at Google, speculated on the earnings call that Google could benefit from a "Wal-Mart Effect" in the tougher economy, which leads us to believe that while not immune to economic slowdown, Google's business is resistant to a slowdown. The company described the "Wal-Mart" effect as consumers searching more for bargains due to a tougher economy. We believe it is reasonable that such an effect exists and note that it supports our thesis that advertisers will continue to buy keywords on Google because the customers will continue to be there."
"October 17, 2008 9:14 AM EDT
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster commented on Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) after better-than-expected earnings results from the seach giant after the close, saying the company is benefiting from the 'Wal-Mart' effect that consumers will be searching more for bargains in tough economy.
Munster said, "The bottom line is the "Wal-Mart" effect in combination with our research which suggests advertisers are shifting from non measurable (display) to measurable (search) advertising, leads us to believe Google is positioned to resist the economic slowdown over the next year. While the Google results showed the September quarter was intact, investors could have lingering concerns that business slowed in the month of September. However, Hal Vairan, Chief Economist at Google, speculated on the earnings call that Google could benefit from a "Wal-Mart Effect" in the tougher economy, which leads us to believe that while not immune to economic slowdown, Google's business is resistant to a slowdown. The company described the "Wal-Mart" effect as consumers searching more for bargains due to a tougher economy. We believe it is reasonable that such an effect exists and note that it supports our thesis that advertisers will continue to buy keywords on Google because the customers will continue to be there."
Wal-Mart looks to Chinese cities in hinterlands | Seattle Times Newspaper
Seattle Times Newspaper:
"LOUDI, China — Maoming, Wuhu and Loudi.
They're Chinese cities so far in the boonies that Lonely Planet doesn't even bother to mention them in its popular travel guide. But Wal-Mart has found them as part of the company's aggressive push into China's smaller markets.
China's economic growth is rapidly spreading out from the main cities like Beijing and Shanghai into the hinterlands, where the middle class is taking off. In a report last year, the consulting firm A.T. Kearney said 75 percent of the middle market is expected to be in tier-two and tier-three cities by 2017.
These cities are 'small' only by the standards of a country with 1.3 billion people. For example, Wuhu in eastern China has 2.3 million people, and Maoming in the south has 6.8 million, providing a strong consumer base as incomes rise."
"LOUDI, China — Maoming, Wuhu and Loudi.
They're Chinese cities so far in the boonies that Lonely Planet doesn't even bother to mention them in its popular travel guide. But Wal-Mart has found them as part of the company's aggressive push into China's smaller markets.
China's economic growth is rapidly spreading out from the main cities like Beijing and Shanghai into the hinterlands, where the middle class is taking off. In a report last year, the consulting firm A.T. Kearney said 75 percent of the middle market is expected to be in tier-two and tier-three cities by 2017.
These cities are 'small' only by the standards of a country with 1.3 billion people. For example, Wuhu in eastern China has 2.3 million people, and Maoming in the south has 6.8 million, providing a strong consumer base as incomes rise."
Wal-Mart Wins, Everybody Else Loses
from TrafficCourt:
"Sales at department stores and specialty retailers are in free fall. They are cutting staff, discounting merchandise and closing stores to survive. But even as the financial turmoil strangled discretionary spending at many stores, it sent struggling consumers into the arms of Wal-Mart — and left it, the world’s largest retailer, poised for a blockbuster Christmas.
“In my mind, there is no doubt that this is Wal-Mart time,” H. Lee Scott Jr., the company’s president and chief executive, said recently at a meeting of analysts and investors in Wal-Mart’s hometown, Bentonville, Ark. Referring to the discount chain’s founder, he added, “This is the kind of environment that Sam Walton built this company for.”"
"Sales at department stores and specialty retailers are in free fall. They are cutting staff, discounting merchandise and closing stores to survive. But even as the financial turmoil strangled discretionary spending at many stores, it sent struggling consumers into the arms of Wal-Mart — and left it, the world’s largest retailer, poised for a blockbuster Christmas.
“In my mind, there is no doubt that this is Wal-Mart time,” H. Lee Scott Jr., the company’s president and chief executive, said recently at a meeting of analysts and investors in Wal-Mart’s hometown, Bentonville, Ark. Referring to the discount chain’s founder, he added, “This is the kind of environment that Sam Walton built this company for.”"
Wal-Mart + CD Sales
AC/DC Charts Despite Wal-Mart Exclusive
"Fans have only three ways to buy AC/DC's Black Ice album: Wal-Mart, its sister chain Sam's Club or ACDC.com. But that hasn't stopped the CD from selling like gangbusters, with over a million copies sold in its first two weeks domestically.
Columbia Records says it has shipped over 5.3 million copies of the album worldwide to date, making this the number one album in Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Argentina, Canada and Spain in addition to the US"
"Fans have only three ways to buy AC/DC's Black Ice album: Wal-Mart, its sister chain Sam's Club or ACDC.com. But that hasn't stopped the CD from selling like gangbusters, with over a million copies sold in its first two weeks domestically.
Columbia Records says it has shipped over 5.3 million copies of the album worldwide to date, making this the number one album in Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Norway, Argentina, Canada and Spain in addition to the US"
Saturday, November 08, 2008
Job to job retraining in Finland
UPM to start "From job to job" programme in Kajaani and Valkeakoski in Finland
"PM has today announced that it will close down Kajaani paper mill and Tervasaari pulp mill in Finland by the end of the year. In order to alleviate the impacts of redundancy UPM will start a
'From Job to Job' programme in both locations. The programme includes, in cooperation with authorities and partner companies, active measures to support finding a new job and retraining.
UPM will support re-employment training of employees who have been given notice. UPM has reserved EUR 1.5 million to support the participation and material costs for retraining at a rate of up to EUR 5,000 per person.
In addition, UPM will encourage affected personnel to create new businesses by offering start-up support. The company has booked EUR 1 million for this purpose. UPM's start-up support can be applied until the end of 2010. Maximum support for business is EUR 20,000.
In order to relieve the situation in Kajaani where the mill will be closed, UPM will extend the re-employment obligation for local employees from 9 months, obligated by law, to 15 months. UPM is committed to inform employees given notice about the company's vacancies to their home addresses and employment authorities at all the company's mill locations 9 months beyond the above mentioned time period."
"PM has today announced that it will close down Kajaani paper mill and Tervasaari pulp mill in Finland by the end of the year. In order to alleviate the impacts of redundancy UPM will start a
'From Job to Job' programme in both locations. The programme includes, in cooperation with authorities and partner companies, active measures to support finding a new job and retraining.
UPM will support re-employment training of employees who have been given notice. UPM has reserved EUR 1.5 million to support the participation and material costs for retraining at a rate of up to EUR 5,000 per person.
In addition, UPM will encourage affected personnel to create new businesses by offering start-up support. The company has booked EUR 1 million for this purpose. UPM's start-up support can be applied until the end of 2010. Maximum support for business is EUR 20,000.
In order to relieve the situation in Kajaani where the mill will be closed, UPM will extend the re-employment obligation for local employees from 9 months, obligated by law, to 15 months. UPM is committed to inform employees given notice about the company's vacancies to their home addresses and employment authorities at all the company's mill locations 9 months beyond the above mentioned time period."
Monday, November 03, 2008
Wal-Mart v Apple . . . and DRM
Walmart's MP3 Store VS Apple iTunes
"Last month Walmart gave consumers the number 1 reason why DRM isn't the answer when they announced that they would be shutting down their DRM server come October 9th. Since then, Walmart relaunched it's online music store on Tuesday. The new music store offers the latest hits at only $.79 per song, while standard songs are offered at $.94. With competitive pricing options Walmart could give iTunes stiff competition."
"Last month Walmart gave consumers the number 1 reason why DRM isn't the answer when they announced that they would be shutting down their DRM server come October 9th. Since then, Walmart relaunched it's online music store on Tuesday. The new music store offers the latest hits at only $.79 per song, while standard songs are offered at $.94. With competitive pricing options Walmart could give iTunes stiff competition."
Workforce and Economic Opportunity Initiative
The Beaufort Gazette: Wal-Mart grant fires up green construction program at TCL:
"TCL will begin using the grant money this year to train instructors and develop a curriculum. Classes and workshops will begin in fall 2009, and Feight said green principles will be integrated into all programs.
TCL is one of 20 technical and community colleges nationwide to receive the grant, which Wal-Mart awarded though its Workforce and Economic Opportunity Initiative.
Students will learn that though the initial cost of LEED-certified buildings can be higher than traditional methods, green buildings often provide better air and water quality and are often cheaper to maintain because they require less energy, according to the Green Building Council.
The initiative targets rural or isolated communities and aims to enhance development by encouraging local businesses, colleges and community organizations to work together, according to a news release from the Wal-Mart Foundation."
"TCL will begin using the grant money this year to train instructors and develop a curriculum. Classes and workshops will begin in fall 2009, and Feight said green principles will be integrated into all programs.
TCL is one of 20 technical and community colleges nationwide to receive the grant, which Wal-Mart awarded though its Workforce and Economic Opportunity Initiative.
Students will learn that though the initial cost of LEED-certified buildings can be higher than traditional methods, green buildings often provide better air and water quality and are often cheaper to maintain because they require less energy, according to the Green Building Council.
The initiative targets rural or isolated communities and aims to enhance development by encouraging local businesses, colleges and community organizations to work together, according to a news release from the Wal-Mart Foundation."
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Wal-Mart Investment through 2010
Wal-Mart View: Big Plans Abroad, Small U.S. Stores - WSJ.com: "Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it will continue emphasizing international expansion, particularly in emerging markets such as Brazil, as it trims U.S. growth, company officials said on Tuesday.
A day after declaring that it will curtail openings of its traditional U.S. stores and focus more on remodeling existing locations, the world's largest retailer by sales laid out a vision for growth during the second half of a two-day conference with investment analysts.
Wal-Mart officials forecast that they will add approximately 19% less square footage in the coming year compared with a year earlier, with much of the reduction coming from the U.S. In all, Wal-Mart expects to add 34 to 36 million square feet of retail space in the fiscal year starting in February, compared with 42 to 43 million square feet of retail space globally in the current fiscal year, ending Jan. 31.
Wal-Mart, which has benefited from the global downturn thanks to its economies of scale and lower prices, reiterated it felt well-positioned to prosper in the current economy.
"This company will emerge from this time a tougher competitor," Wal-Mart Chief Executive Lee Scott said.
Still, company officials detailed plans to transform into a different kind of discount retailer by focusing more on smaller stores than in the past. Wal-Mart has been executing that shift for the past three years, officials noted, well before the economy soured.
Analysts generally seemed to approve Wal-Mart's moves. Some predicted that by focusing on sprucing up older locations, the retailer may be poised to hold on to some of the new customers it has attracted during the downturn.
"The strained consumer environment has driven sustained traffic from core customers and new traffic from affluent shoppers, which could prove sticky if executives are able to maintain and enhance the customer experience," Goldman Sachs analyst Adrianne Shapira wrote in a note to investors.
Wal-Mart stock rose 11%, or $5.50, to $55.17 Tuesday in 4 p.m. New York Stock Exchange composite trading.
Over the next five years, Wal-Mart said it will devote 53% of its international spending to emerging markets such as Brazil and India, up from 33% in the previous five years, with the remainder going to mature markets such as Canada and the U.K.
Wal-Mart also said it remains committed to succeeding in Japan, a plan that was criticized by analysts a year ago. The retailer said it is on pace to post its first operating profit in Japan this fiscal year.
Though Wal-Mart said it remains bullish on international expansion, overall capital spending, including adding new stores and remodeling existing ones, was projected to rise only slightly, to $4.8 to 5.3 billion in the year ending January 2010, from the current year's $4.5 billion to $4.8 billion.
Citizens Community Bancorp + Wal Mart
Citizens Community Bancorp to Open Six In-Store Branches at Wal-Mart Supercenters in 2009 - MarketWatch
"EAU CLAIRE, Wis., Oct 30, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc., the holding company for Citizens Community Federal, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Wal-Mart to open six branches during 2009 in Wal-Mart Supercenters in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The company will open Citizens Community Federal branches in the following Wal-Mart Supercenter locations:
-- Menomonie, Wis.;
-- Neenah, Wis.;
-- Plover, Wis.;
-- Shawano, Wis.;
-- Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; and
-- Oak Park Heights, Minn.
Said Tim Cruciani, executive vice president of Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc., 'We're very excited to continue our expansion into Wal-Mart retail locations in 2009. These new branches will provide our customers the opportunity to do their banking and shopping in one, convenient location--with expanded hours and services to fulfill their banking needs. Citizens' continued transition into Wal-Mart Supercenters is consistent with our targeted expansion strategy and offers the potential for deposit and loan growth.'"
"EAU CLAIRE, Wis., Oct 30, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc., the holding company for Citizens Community Federal, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Wal-Mart to open six branches during 2009 in Wal-Mart Supercenters in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
The company will open Citizens Community Federal branches in the following Wal-Mart Supercenter locations:
-- Menomonie, Wis.;
-- Neenah, Wis.;
-- Plover, Wis.;
-- Shawano, Wis.;
-- Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; and
-- Oak Park Heights, Minn.
Said Tim Cruciani, executive vice president of Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc., 'We're very excited to continue our expansion into Wal-Mart retail locations in 2009. These new branches will provide our customers the opportunity to do their banking and shopping in one, convenient location--with expanded hours and services to fulfill their banking needs. Citizens' continued transition into Wal-Mart Supercenters is consistent with our targeted expansion strategy and offers the potential for deposit and loan growth.'"
Wal-Mart + iPhone website
Wal-Mart announces a custom iPhone website
"Users surfing to http://www.wal-mart.com will be automatically redirected to the iPhone version of the web site if they are using an iPhone.
Once on the site, users have an option to browse either Wal-Mart’s products or services on the very well-done and attractive site. The product section is well designed, and allows shoppers to browse Wal-Mart’s products, see what items are online, and even find which stores have it in stock as well.
The only caveat is that you cannot buy items on the iPhone site and are instead directed to the non-iPhone site to do so. There is also a Store Finder option that allows you to find the nearest store that works on the site too. Excellent idea indeed for those with the Wal-Mart itch."
"Users surfing to http://www.wal-mart.com will be automatically redirected to the iPhone version of the web site if they are using an iPhone.
Once on the site, users have an option to browse either Wal-Mart’s products or services on the very well-done and attractive site. The product section is well designed, and allows shoppers to browse Wal-Mart’s products, see what items are online, and even find which stores have it in stock as well.
The only caveat is that you cannot buy items on the iPhone site and are instead directed to the non-iPhone site to do so. There is also a Store Finder option that allows you to find the nearest store that works on the site too. Excellent idea indeed for those with the Wal-Mart itch."
The physical side of Google
A view from India. . . The Hindu News
"The book also deals properly with the physical side of building adigital empire. Early on, Google chose as its hardware 'a system cobbledtogether with inexpensive PC components' rather than more costly specialist equipment. This was a clever, counter-intuitive decision, the first ofmany. Google's racks of cheap servers could easily be expanded or othersadded. The company then set about placing them as close to its potentialcustomers as possible. Stross explains: 'As fast as electrons travel,physical distance still affects [online] response speed... Reducing [it]by even a fraction of a second mattered to users, as Google discovered whenit ran experiments to see if users noticed a difference between [a wait of]0.9 seconds [and one of] 0.4 seconds... Users were conspicuously more likely to grow bored and leave the Google site after waiting thatinterminable 0.9 seconds.
As quick and pragmatic as its customers, Google spent the early years ofthis decade securing premises across America for its servers: first incommercial spaces desperate for tenants after the 2001 dotcom crash, thenin its own purpose-built "data centres". Such was the surging demand forits services, and the amount of power the company was consuming as aresult, the first such facility was established in a town with its ownhydro-electric power station.
Whether Web users will remain satisfied for many more years with thelong shaggy lists of online sources that Google offers them is a question,frustratingly, that Stross does not properly answer. He does outline themenace to the company posed by the highly successful social networking siteFacebook, "a miniature Web universe - behind a wall, inaccessible to Google". And he lists other threats. Google's copyright dispute with publishers over its desire to make all books electronically searchable remains unresolved. Google's ad revenue may shrink, and no longer be sufficient to subsidise all its other, more experimental activities.
"The book also deals properly with the physical side of building adigital empire. Early on, Google chose as its hardware 'a system cobbledtogether with inexpensive PC components' rather than more costly specialist equipment. This was a clever, counter-intuitive decision, the first ofmany. Google's racks of cheap servers could easily be expanded or othersadded. The company then set about placing them as close to its potentialcustomers as possible. Stross explains: 'As fast as electrons travel,physical distance still affects [online] response speed... Reducing [it]by even a fraction of a second mattered to users, as Google discovered whenit ran experiments to see if users noticed a difference between [a wait of]0.9 seconds [and one of] 0.4 seconds... Users were conspicuously more likely to grow bored and leave the Google site after waiting thatinterminable 0.9 seconds.
As quick and pragmatic as its customers, Google spent the early years ofthis decade securing premises across America for its servers: first incommercial spaces desperate for tenants after the 2001 dotcom crash, thenin its own purpose-built "data centres". Such was the surging demand forits services, and the amount of power the company was consuming as aresult, the first such facility was established in a town with its ownhydro-electric power station.
Whether Web users will remain satisfied for many more years with thelong shaggy lists of online sources that Google offers them is a question,frustratingly, that Stross does not properly answer. He does outline themenace to the company posed by the highly successful social networking siteFacebook, "a miniature Web universe - behind a wall, inaccessible to Google". And he lists other threats. Google's copyright dispute with publishers over its desire to make all books electronically searchable remains unresolved. Google's ad revenue may shrink, and no longer be sufficient to subsidise all its other, more experimental activities.
Follow the Money
Perhaps Anticipating Reform Health Money Swings to Dems
"Widely perceived to be one of the nation's biggest challenges, health care reform will be at the top of the next administration's agenda, and a battle over proposed changes is certain. For the past 15 years, the health sector, which is already gearing up for next year's fight, has given more money to Republicans than Democrats. But with Democrats in control of Congress-and likely to pick up a few more seats next week-the tide is turning. Out of the $123 million contributed by the drug manufacturers, doctors, HMOs, hospitals and other interests in the health sector this election cycle, 53 percent has gone to Democratic candidates, committees and parties and 46 percent to Republican.
'They're reading the political tea leaves like everybody else,' said Robert B. Healms, a health care policy expert at the American Enterprise Institute. 'There are strong expectations that [Barack Obama] will win, and you could probably find [this financial trend] when administrations change from Republicans to Democrats.
The pharmaceutical and health products industry has spent at least $135 million on federal lobbying so far in 2008, twice as much as any of the other industries in the health sector this year. Perhaps this is not surprising because the drug industry is heavily affected by the rules of Medicare Part D, a federal program that subsidizes prescription drug costs. "This is an industry that is very dependent on what the government policy is," Healms said. "It affects their markets and their ability to sell."
Political scientists agree. "This sub-sector has emerged as a key target of government regulation in recent years," said Steven J. Balla, a political scientist at George Washington University who focuses on health care policy. "With so much at stake, this spending (on lobbying) makes sense."
"Widely perceived to be one of the nation's biggest challenges, health care reform will be at the top of the next administration's agenda, and a battle over proposed changes is certain. For the past 15 years, the health sector, which is already gearing up for next year's fight, has given more money to Republicans than Democrats. But with Democrats in control of Congress-and likely to pick up a few more seats next week-the tide is turning. Out of the $123 million contributed by the drug manufacturers, doctors, HMOs, hospitals and other interests in the health sector this election cycle, 53 percent has gone to Democratic candidates, committees and parties and 46 percent to Republican.
'They're reading the political tea leaves like everybody else,' said Robert B. Healms, a health care policy expert at the American Enterprise Institute. 'There are strong expectations that [Barack Obama] will win, and you could probably find [this financial trend] when administrations change from Republicans to Democrats.
The pharmaceutical and health products industry has spent at least $135 million on federal lobbying so far in 2008, twice as much as any of the other industries in the health sector this year. Perhaps this is not surprising because the drug industry is heavily affected by the rules of Medicare Part D, a federal program that subsidizes prescription drug costs. "This is an industry that is very dependent on what the government policy is," Healms said. "It affects their markets and their ability to sell."
Political scientists agree. "This sub-sector has emerged as a key target of government regulation in recent years," said Steven J. Balla, a political scientist at George Washington University who focuses on health care policy. "With so much at stake, this spending (on lobbying) makes sense."
$65,000 + Wal-Mart Shoppers
Arkansas News Bureau - Wal-Mart to pare capital spending:
"The world's largest retailer further revealed that as the U.S. economy reels from tighter credit, mounting job losses and falling home prices, it is attracting more higher-income shoppers. Traffic at stores serving households with incomes above $65,000 have been growing much faster than at the chain as a whole, the company said."
"The world's largest retailer further revealed that as the U.S. economy reels from tighter credit, mounting job losses and falling home prices, it is attracting more higher-income shoppers. Traffic at stores serving households with incomes above $65,000 have been growing much faster than at the chain as a whole, the company said."
Flu shots on demand
The right medicine to the right person at the right time.
Wal-Mart parking lot is the right place.
NEWS 25 - WEHT: Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro: "WARRICK CO, IN - Without even getting out of their car, hundreds of Warrick County residents got their flu shots on Saturday. The Warrick County Health Department says drive-thru vaccinations were such a big hit last year that they are offering it again this fall.
Saturday was the first opportunity for residents to get their flu shot without even getting out of the car. It was held in the parking lot of the Boonville Wal-Mart. Health officials tell NEWS 25 they gave out 600 vaccinations in just three hours."
Wal-Mart parking lot is the right place.
NEWS 25 - WEHT: Evansville, Henderson, Owensboro: "WARRICK CO, IN - Without even getting out of their car, hundreds of Warrick County residents got their flu shots on Saturday. The Warrick County Health Department says drive-thru vaccinations were such a big hit last year that they are offering it again this fall.
Saturday was the first opportunity for residents to get their flu shot without even getting out of the car. It was held in the parking lot of the Boonville Wal-Mart. Health officials tell NEWS 25 they gave out 600 vaccinations in just three hours."
Coupons - A business opportunity
Turn Economic Lemons Into Sales Lemonade
"However, all is not dark, and the nervousness that consumers are feeling right now may be tapped to effectively help improve one’s business right now and for the long-term. I’ve got a marketing tactic that can help with search engine optimization while simultaneously bumping up sales and even store visits for local brick-and-mortars. Read on!
My secret local search engine optimization tip du jour is exquisitely simple: coupons!
It’s unsurprising that consumers are searching for coupons more than ever, since they feel the need to cut back on expenses. Google Trends is showing a really sharp increase in searches for [coupons] as we approach the end of this year:"
"However, all is not dark, and the nervousness that consumers are feeling right now may be tapped to effectively help improve one’s business right now and for the long-term. I’ve got a marketing tactic that can help with search engine optimization while simultaneously bumping up sales and even store visits for local brick-and-mortars. Read on!
My secret local search engine optimization tip du jour is exquisitely simple: coupons!
It’s unsurprising that consumers are searching for coupons more than ever, since they feel the need to cut back on expenses. Google Trends is showing a really sharp increase in searches for [coupons] as we approach the end of this year:"
Measure to manage. And eat your own dogfood
What we learned from 1 million businesses in the cloud:
We measure every server request for every user, every moment of every day. Any millisecond delay is logged.
. . .
More than 1 million businesses have selected Google Apps to run their business, and tens of millions of people use Gmail every day. With this type of adoption, a disruption of any size — even a minor one affecting fewer than 0.003% of Google Apps Premier Edition users, like the one a few weeks ago — attracts a disproportional amount of attention. We've made a series of commitments to improve our communications with customers during any outages, and we have an unwavering commitment to make all issues visible and transparent through our open user groups.
Google is one of the 1 million businesses that run on Google Apps, and any service interruption affects our users and our business; our engineers are also some of our most demanding customers. We understand the importance of delivering on the cloud's promise of greater security, reliability and capability at lower cost. We are hugely thankful to our customers who drive us to become better every day.
We measure every server request for every user, every moment of every day. Any millisecond delay is logged.
. . .
More than 1 million businesses have selected Google Apps to run their business, and tens of millions of people use Gmail every day. With this type of adoption, a disruption of any size — even a minor one affecting fewer than 0.003% of Google Apps Premier Edition users, like the one a few weeks ago — attracts a disproportional amount of attention. We've made a series of commitments to improve our communications with customers during any outages, and we have an unwavering commitment to make all issues visible and transparent through our open user groups.
Google is one of the 1 million businesses that run on Google Apps, and any service interruption affects our users and our business; our engineers are also some of our most demanding customers. We understand the importance of delivering on the cloud's promise of greater security, reliability and capability at lower cost. We are hugely thankful to our customers who drive us to become better every day.
Space Matters
Local Search Marketing Tips for B2B Marketers
"B2B marketers establish conversions - or desired actions - throughout their customers’ buying process. These actions may take place online, on the phone, or live at a specific location. Regardless, many occur at the local level.
Local search enables marketers to capitalize on these interactions and differentiate your firm based upon one very important factor - geographic proximity."
"B2B marketers establish conversions - or desired actions - throughout their customers’ buying process. These actions may take place online, on the phone, or live at a specific location. Regardless, many occur at the local level.
Local search enables marketers to capitalize on these interactions and differentiate your firm based upon one very important factor - geographic proximity."
Metrics for Sale..
In an information economy, you have to turn an invisible conversation into a metric. Once you have a metric, you've grown a long tail.
Google’s New Metric For YouTube Ads: Brain Waves: "YouTube has recently been pushing overlay ads which appear in the lower portion of the window while the video is playing. Since these ads are often used for branding purpose looking at click thru measurements would not give a true picture of their impact upon the advertisers brand messaging.
To prove the efficacy of these ads, Google hired a company called NeuroFocus to conduct research measuring biometric response to the overlays through indicators such as brainwave activity, skin response, and eye tracking. The study discovered that viewers found the overlays “compelling and engaging” and that these ads generated a high amount of attention and emotional engagement for a variety of different brands and video types. In addition, including a companion banner alongside the overlay ad was found to improve brand response compared to banner ads alone."
Google’s New Metric For YouTube Ads: Brain Waves: "YouTube has recently been pushing overlay ads which appear in the lower portion of the window while the video is playing. Since these ads are often used for branding purpose looking at click thru measurements would not give a true picture of their impact upon the advertisers brand messaging.
To prove the efficacy of these ads, Google hired a company called NeuroFocus to conduct research measuring biometric response to the overlays through indicators such as brainwave activity, skin response, and eye tracking. The study discovered that viewers found the overlays “compelling and engaging” and that these ads generated a high amount of attention and emotional engagement for a variety of different brands and video types. In addition, including a companion banner alongside the overlay ad was found to improve brand response compared to banner ads alone."
Google Books Subscription?
So. . .if libraries and universities can buy subscriptions to the full archive, how far away is K-12? If k-12 can buy subscriptions, what happens if those books are available on demand versioned for a particular classroom at a particular time?
US: Google Books Drives Visits to Book Retailers:
US: Google Books Drives Visits to Book Retailers:
"Among other things, the settlement allows universities and libraries to buy a subscription to the entire collection of scanned books in Google's archives. Last week, 22% of visits from Google Book Search went to an Education website, with Worldcat (a website that allows users to search library catalogs) the #3 downstream website overall and the #1 Education website."
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