Chasing Thin Air

Why Google Bought Frommer's Content

Frommer’s may have a well-known name, but the buy is only costing Google a reported $23 million — or basically nothing in Google terms. The property will be absorbed into Zagat, whichreportedly cost all of $125 million.

What’s slightly different about the Frommer’s deal is that the travel guidebook creator had an editorial team to write its content, whereas Zagat was perhaps one of the first user-generated content services.

But if you look at the language Google is now using, it’s grouping all this local and travel content as “reviews.” Google said the Frommer’s deal will help it fill in reviews for venues all over the world.

The reason Google wants to bring this particular type of content in-house? Search is increasingly about answers — at least as long as those European regulators don’t get in the way.

That’s especially true on mobile. When you’re traveling and you just want to find a good restaurant nearby, you don’t want to scroll through links. You want a paragraph that tells you where to go and what to order.

Google has put years of work into a “Knowledge Graph” that slurps content from Wikipedia and elsewhere into at-a-glance guides to all sorts of topics that show up on the search page to save users the trouble of clicking through. Well, guess what? Google needs content to fill up those little Knowledge Graph boxes.

This is particularly relevant for travel, a rich category where people actually spend money. Looking for travel content has long been one of the worst Google experiences, due to all the search-engine-optimized crap that pushes its way to the top.

(Source: abbyjean)

Jay-z's Influence on the Brooklyn Nets Eclipses His Ownership Stake

This week the folks behind the massively popular photography app for iOS and Android called Instagram are updating both Android and iOS environments to include a function called Photo Mapping. This makes the company’s purchase by Facebook seem all the sweeter as Facebook’s own geo-location tagging is alive and well, but has little use other than to make note of where each of a person’s posts have been made. With Photo Mapping, Instagram is able to show you where you’ve been and what you were doing when you were there!

You’ll be given the option when you first update to version 3.0 of Instagram which photos you want included in your Photo Mapping and which you do not. If you’re not a fan of having all of the photos you took at your house marked with an easy-to-follow map right to your doorstep, you’re free to skip including those. Likewise you are able to essentially opt out of Photo Mapping altogether just as you’re not required to tag your location on any photo in the first place.

This update also lets everyone know that Instagram wants to be part of the special event universe, though your ability to see the Photo Mapping of the world based on date does not yet exist. We’re expecting that eventually Instagram – and Facebook – will have an interface which can not only show all sorts of photos in clusters around locations, but clusters based on time as well, with much more massive groups appearing at a concert location when that concert took place, emptying out as the land is once again left empty.

The Human Will is incredible! Shout out to @korilaurel #motivation #crossfit #crossfitgames #paleo #handstandpushups (Taken with Instagram)

io/LA incubator with @NKY7 #entrepreneurship #tech #startups (Taken with Instagram at Hollywood)

In celebration of ESPN’s coverage of UEFA Euro 2012, enjoy this.

It’s within arms reach. #motivation #LA #BeachLife #Aquatics #Yachts (Taken with Instagram)

Corporate Swagu #unstoppable #ml4t (Taken with Instagram)

It’s not fitness. It’s life. #crossfit (Taken with Instagram)

9 Mar

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lindsayurban:

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(Source: routinemiracles)

lindsayurban:

IF YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH THE VIOLENCE GOING ON IN AFRICA TOWARDS CHILDREN please look into Falling Whistles. I learned about the movement three years ago. I purchased a whistle (by doing so you make a donation and get away to spread awareness aka the whistle it’s self). They are non-profit and constantly updating me about how my money is actually being used to educate and house children rescued from armed forces. Even if you don’t buy one, at least reblog this so teens can get involved in a way that isn’t posting that Kony video 7653473 times.