A set of product placement ads for Microsoft’s Bing ran during NBC’s The Philanthropist. The ads showed two of the characters from the actual show in scenes in which Bing was being used – clearly ads, but still integrated with the actual program.
Social Networks Leaking Users Data To Tracking Sites
Many popular social networking sites typically make personal information available to companies that track users’ browsing habits and allow them to link anonymous browsing habits to specific people, according to a new study by the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI).
"When you sign up with a social networking site, you are assigned a unique identifier," says Craig Wills, professor of computer science at WPI.
Facebook Reportedly Readying New Ads Manager
Facebook will reportedly begin testing a new Ads Manager soon, as well as a new bulk uploading tool for advertisers. The company told Inside Facebook that these would be rolling out to a few advertisers soon.
"Unlike today’s Ads Manager, the new version will include in-line editing and search, which should make campaign management much more efficient for those managing many Facebook Ads," says Inside Facebook’s Justin Smith.
Facebook Set To Revise Privacy Policy
Facebook has announced plans to improve user’s control over their information and allow them to make better choices about their privacy. The new improvements will include new notifications, additions to Facebook’s Privacy Policy, and technical changes aimed at giving people more transparency and control over the information they provide to third-party applications. The changes came […]
Get More Traffic from Bing’s Image Search
In a previous article, we discussed why and how to rank in image searches. The article was based on discussion from the recent Search Engine Strategies conference in San Jose. Bing’s Todd Schwartz was part of that discussion, and he has now shared additional insight into Bing’s image search.
Criminals Using Social Networks To Target People
Users of social networks are giving away vital information about themselves and their whereabouts that is being used by criminals to create a list of targets, according to a new report by the British-based insurance firm Legal & General.
The report "The Digital Criminal," found 38 percent of users of sites such as Facebook and Twitter have posted status updates detailing their vacation plans and 33 percent have posted status updates saying they are away for a weekend.
Latest Google AdWords API Available to All
This week Google released the latest version of the AdWords API (v2009) to all advertisers after releasing it to a limited group back in June. The new version offers users some new features, and Google says it comes with greater speed at a lower cost.
Google Now Identifying Businesses in Street View
Google has now made it easier to view businesses in Street View on Google Maps. When a user conducts a local search, the bubble that pops up on business results will show a Street View link.
Users can click on that link and see the business marked with a 3D marker in Street View, just like the one you’d find on the map. When you click the marker, details about the business are shown right within Street View.
Real-Time Search Engine Attracts $7 Million Funding
OneRiot, one of the real-time search engines whose name we keep hearing again and again has secured $7 million in Series C funding from Appian Ventures, Commonwealth Capital Ventures, and Spark Capital, the company’s existing venture capital firms.
"This commitment from our existing investors is a big vote of confidence in the realtime search market, OneRiot’s product offering, and our team’s ability to execute," said Kimbal Musk, OneRiot’s CEO.
Executives See Value And Danger In Social Media
Social media has become a common communication tool in the U.S., driven by the fact that Americans’ time on social networking sites has increased by 73 percent in the past year, according to a new survey from Minneapolis-based Russell Herder and Ethos Business Law.
When it comes to using social media in a corporate setting, fifty-one percent of executives surveyed said they fear social media could reduce employee productivity, while 49 percent said that using social media could damage a company’s reputation.