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Attend SMX Local & Mobile With a Free Pass!

posted on September 21, 2007

How would you like to learn the hottest trends in mobile and local marketing?

How would you like to learn from experts such as Chris Sherman, Greg Sterling, Paul Bremmer, Vanessa Fox and Christine Churchill?

How would you like to attend SMX Local & Mobile for free?

Thanks to a joint promotion with SMX, Marketing Pilgrim is pleased to give away a free pass to one lucky reader.

Here’s what the conference includes:

  • Meet the Local & Mobile search providers
  • Local & Mobile search optimization
  • Using analytics to fine-tune Local search campaigns
  • Leveraging social networks in Local & Mobile search
  • Clash of titans: Google & Yahoo vs. online yellow pages
  • Measuring and demonstrating ROI of internet-influenced/real-world-consummated transactions

Want to go?

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Will the Net Remain Tax Free?

posted on September 21, 2007

By Roderick Ioerger.

Someone once said there is no such thing as a free lunch.  Well how about a free Internet?  Word out of Washington is that odds are good that the existing moratorium on taxing Internet access will be extended and there is even a distinct possibility that the ban could become permanent.

The Internet is an unusual topic for Congress only in that it is not a partisan issue.  Neither all of the Republicans nor all of the Democrats are on board with the existing moratorium.  It appears that the Republicans are pressing harder for the ban to be permanent while Democrats like Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, prefer to extend the moratorium but still prefer to hedge his bets in case the congress wishes to change its mind in the future.

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TV Networks Networking Online

posted on September 20, 2007

NBC isn’t the only one making moves online. ABC, CBS and MTV are also in the news today for their online strategies.

CBS
CBS, as reported by the LA Times, has turned its attention to creating communities for its shows on the site. Designed to allow fans of its shows to congregate and discuss the shows.

Adding a social aspect to its site seems like a good idea. It will help to increase visitors’ time on site, as well as show consumer loyalty for shows. However, I have seen community message boards like these become mostly a platform for people who hate the show in question, and expect the network to see and respond to their complaints. As long as it’s abundantly clear that the message boards are for discussing the shows with one another, it should work out at least moderately well for CBS.

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NBC Shows Free for Download

posted on September 20, 2007

No, it’s not iTunes, Hulu, Amazon or even BitTorrent. Soon you’ll be able to get your free fix of Heroes, Conan, and The Office—directly from NBC. Well, from their service, NBC Direct.

The ad-supported free content model is, of course, nothing new. In March, for example, CBS partnered with YouTube to provide free, ad-supported NCAA tourney clips. We reported:

In 2005, their subscription model pulled in $250,000. Not too shabby, but nothing compared to 2006, when they switched to a free, streaming, ad-based model: $4.5 million. That’s an 1800% increase.

Of course, there is a catch (or several). NBC Direct will only offer Windows-compatible files. The shows will be available as soon as they air (unlike their Amazon deal, which will offer season premieres in advance), but the digital files will expire seven days after airing. The advertising cannot be skipped.

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BMW First to Offer In-Car Google Local Search

posted on September 20, 2007

Google-fans rejoice, you now have a Google-approved car to consider for your next purchase.

myTELUS reports new BMWs will come equipped with “Google By Car.”

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The German luxury carmaker is now the only automobile manufacturer in the world to offer Google local search in their cars. The search function will allow drivers to look for local information anywhere in Germany- powered by the worlds most powerful search engine. Results are displayed with address, phone number and distance, and upon finding what they’re looking for, the driver can transfer the coordinates into their car’s navigation system and mobile phone at the touch of a button.

Sweet!

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Wow, Ex-Googler Vanessa Fox Worth $30+ Million!

posted on September 20, 2007

Everyone’s talking about Zillow’s new $30 million round of VC funding. I wasn’t sure what angle to focus on–then it hit me. This $30M comes just shortly after ex-Google employee Vanessa Fox joins the company.

Coincidence?

I think not. SEOmoz just raised $1.25M with talk that Vanessa might join the company’s board of directors. She’s attracting money wherever she goes!

What’s next for Vanessa?

George Bush wants her to swing by the U.S Treasury.

The SCO Group wants her to get them out of bankruptcy.

And if she leaves a comment on this post, maybe I’ll win the lottery this weekend. ;-)

</tongue-in-cheek>

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Turkey Bans YouTube Access

posted on September 20, 2007

A court in the eastern city of Sivas, Turkey, ordered the country’s telecom company to block YouTube access from the country, according to AP.

The ban comes after the video site hosted a video insulting Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, as well as President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the army.

Apparently, it’s a big deal in Turkey to insult Ataturk and this is the second time the country has blocked YouTube for allowing critical videos of him.

In response, a media advocacy group has criticized Turkey.

“Blocking an entire Web site because of a few videos is a disproportionate measure,” the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders said. “We urge the authorities to reverse this decision.”