Google Comes to Brick and Mortar Store Windows

In a recent article, we discussed ways the local search landscape is changing. Add another one to the list, because now Google is sending brick and mortar businesses decals to put on their windows, with barcodes that people can scan with their phones to bring up business listings on Google.

Google CEO Joins Twitter

At this point, Twitter may not gain much from the backing of any more "celebrity" members; we've already seen lots of politicians, media personalities, and Hollywood types join up.  Just the same, it seems noteworthy that Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt, apparently established an account last night.

Facebook Forms Board For Online Safety

Facebook has formed a Safety Advisory Board with five safety organizations from North America and Europe in an effort to better protect its 350 million global users. The five organizations on the board are Common Sense Media, ConnectSafely, WiredSafety, Childnet International and The Family Online Safety Institute.

Yahoo Lets Users See How They’re Being Tracked for Ads

Yahoo has launched a tool it's calling "Ad Interest Manager" in beta. The tool is designed to provide transparency and let Yahoo users make decisions about how they want their information to be exposed to interest-based advertising from the Yahoo Ad Network.

Facebook Profiles Reflect True Personality

Social networks such as Facebook are being used to express and communicate genuine personality, instead of an exaggerated identity, according to new research from psychologist Sam Gosling at The University of Texas at Austin. "I was surprised by the findings because the widely held assumption is that people are using their profiles to promote an enhanced impression of themselves," said Gosling of the more than…