For all their impressive capabilities, search engines today are still only dumb robots that basically work by trying to match a search query with the same textual phrases on the internet. They can’t (yet) very well understand the meaning of words and phrases, pictures, music or video. As such, there are a group of question types that they can’t handle. Here’s my guide to those question types with an example of each. Use them to create your own quizzes and have a go at answering my questions. Stick your answers in the comments section. Some are easy, some are hard. You can try Googling, of course but it won’t help you.

1. What Links?

Contestants have to identify a common link between a series of names, places, words, numbers, whatever… Search engines can’t compute the myriad possible ways these things might be linked.

Q1. What links: Daft Punk, Buster Rhymes, Kanye West and Alice in Chains?

2. The Odd One Out

A cousin of What Links? and favourite round in Have I Got News For You, contestants have to identify a common theme in a series of names, places etc and find the one that doesn’t fit the pattern.

Q2. Name the odd one out: Vinnie Jones, Julio Iglesias, Gordon Ramsey and Jason Statham.

3. The Next in a Sequence

Another list that requires the contestant to first understand the relationship of the items before working out what the next in the sequence should be. Warning: this becomes Googleable once  the relationship has been worked out.

Q3. What comes next? Russia, Germany, Turkey, France, ?

4. What is More Likely?

Questions on statistical probabilities are very hard for most search engines to understand, although Wolfram Alpha is gradually getting there. Other search engines will struggle to even realise they are being asked a mathematical question unless it is presented as an equation. It is technically possible to use search engines to find information to help you get to the answer but it wouldn’t be practical in most pub quiz situations.

Q4. What is more likely if you live in the UK: being hit by lightning or dying in a plane crash?

5. Logic Puzzles

There is no current way for a search engine to understand logic so these are very safe questions for quizzes.

Q5. On a game show there are 3 doors with a prize behind 1 of them. The contestant must pick only 1 door which he does. The door remains closed but the show host opens 1 of the other doors to reveal it empty. He now offers the contestant the chance of staying with his original choice or switching to the other door. What should the contestant do to provide the best chance of winning the prize?

6. Media Identification

Be careful here. Google Goggles and Shazam are 2 mobile apps that use image and audio recognition software to identify media. To combat this, distort your media in some way by adding noise or reproducing it in a different way from the original form.

Q6. Name these movie posters:

7. Word Puzzles

A merging of the logic puzzles and perhaps images, these can include the Dingbat-style word puzzles but also the likes of word searches, crossword clues and riddles.

Q7. Name the phrase: HAVEHAVE + HOLDHOLD

As I mentioned, if you think you know the answers, stick them in the comments below and I’ll provide answers next week. The rate of advancement in search engine technology and artificial intelligence means that these questions will probably be answerable by robots within the next few decades. I promise to write another blog post about beating the search engines then.

How to Create an UnGoogleable Quiz is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

What makes Facebook worth so much money, when even Google who has a solid bottom line at $10 billion is trading at 20 times its earnings?

Looking at external factors the US economy is recovering but at 2.5% forecast this year it’s slow and not enough to create such heady valuations.  Nor does this valuation make any sense from the share market perspective which is trading at 12 times its earnings. Further investors are wary at the previous dot.com listings that haven’t really performed too well and are wary of paying massive premiums for Facebook shares. Have a look at the table below to see the performance of some of these companies which have been trading at their 52 week lows recently.

 Let’s put aside economics growth figures and market multiples and look at Facebook in isolation as a social network platform. Here is a company with 845 million users, that provides an easy and cost effective way to for individuals to network and companies to promote their brand identify at a global level. This is achieved by humanising our online identities which were previously thought to be too dry and cold in the online space.

As a result of our expressive outpour, Facebook knows where we are, what we like eating, when we are upset and the brands we consume. To compare this to some of the other main user engagement platforms, Google has a vast depository of user search behaviour, twitter knows users’ thoughts and opinions and YouTube has 60 hours of video footage being added each hour.  

 Facebook has almost all of the above and more information about us. Currently its advertising model is based on user demographic and the information users specify about themselves which can be targeted by advertisers.   It could in the future get around user privacy issues and use an advanced form of dynamic user profiling to target adverts. Here is a scenario of how this could work:

Tom is a regular Facebook user who shares pictures, comments and is part of different groups. During the run up to his birthday, Facebook could use his timeline data to determine who he interacts with the most on face book and things he likes.  So if he has been part of the Spartacus TV show group, it could show his close friends bespoke adverts of Spartacus DVD from a retailer with a special discount if they bought it for Tom. That’s not just gold dust its diamond dust.

Facebook critics, worry that with 85% of its revenues coming from advertising it’s not a very diversified business model making the upside relatively limited. In Facebook’s support, these same critics seem to forget that over 90% of Google revenues are from advertising and it’s doing alright!

I feel that the case here for evaluating Facebook’s potential is not in its diversification of revenues but in its durability as a business and its ability to effectively monetise its 845 million users.

I am quite sure that as long as people fly and Boeing makes safe and competitive products, it will be in business. However one cannot be so sure about Facebook’s future, when only recently we have seen another high profile social platform go under in Rupert Murdoch’s hands.

Are your ‘likes’ worth a $100 billion? is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

Yahoo filed a lawsuit against Facebook this week, alleging the social media giant has infringed upon ten patents owned by Yahoo!, including patents specifically on advertising methods.

This comes a few weeks after Yahoo! issued a warning saying they would take such legal action should Facebook not enter a licensing agreement for the disputed patents. Apparently, other companies agreed licensing agreements on these patents.

A Yahoo! statement said: “Unfortunately, the matter with Facebook remains unresolved and we are compelled to seek redress in federal court.”

The timing of this lawsuit could not come at a more inconvenient time for the social networking site, who recently announced their plans for a share offering, potentially valuing Facebook at $100billion. An amount which is largely based on advertising capabilities and potential of the 850million member site.

Facebook have notably made several changes to their advertising structure over recent months, all of which could come under scrutiny should this case reach federal court.

Yahoo! have argued that Facebook’s methods were generally considered as among the worst performing for advertising. Allegedly it was Yahoo!’s Customization Patents that led to the rise in popularity of the Facebook Newsfeed in terms of click through and return customers.

The failing search engine also claims that Facebook’s privacy policy is largely based on Yahoo!’s privacy patents.

Yahoo! have only recently appointed CEO, Scott Thompson, who is reportedly under pressure to raise revenues. It seems that patent licensing may be a sustainable life-saver.

Yahoo! sues Facebook is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

Apple will be launching the newest version of their market-leading tablet the IPAD on Friday 16^th March at approximately 8am in 12 countries (including the UK) around the world.

They will start accepting orders online and in store one hour earlier than their usual opening time. Like any Apple launch of late, they expect a plethora of interest and first day purchases/orders, which justify an extra hour of retail trading. The pre-order stock reportedly sold-out within just two days of the, perhaps, short-sightedly named “New iPad”.

So what should New iPad enthusiasts be expecting from the new tablet? Here is a breakdown of the new features and developments buyers can expect:

• Better Display – The New Ipad is set to have 4 times more pixels than its predecessor featuring a 2048-by-1536 resolution (3.1 million pixels)
• A5X Processor – Quad-core graphics processing means that the enhanced display does not slow down the performance of the tablet.
• iSight Camera – 5 megapixel camera which can film HD video in 1080p.
• 4G enabled – Although not yet available in the UK, the New iPad will be able to tap into 4G LTE for faster on-the-go web access and communication. In the meantime it will still have 3G capabilities and Wi-Fi.

Aside from being thinner and lighter and having “Siri” equivalent software, that makes up the significant developments from the iPad 2 which sold over 170 million units last year. Great things are expected, as well as a great price tag; ranging from £399 to £649 depending on memory and 4G/Wi-fi capabilities.

Minnie’s Verdict

The iPad will be the first tablet that will be 4G accessible, which is incredibly exciting considering we (UK) may have access to that by the end of 2012. With the extra speed and enhanced visual display, it is vital that mobile sites and displays be up to scratch, and take advantage of these capabilities.

The biggest question, like with any Apple product launch, is how to justify the price tag as many would still be licking the wounds on their bank accounts from the iPad 2s. However, the features on the “New iPad” should just nudge Apple ahead of its competitors, who should be following suit within the next few months.

Wi-Fi on the tube!

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, announced on Wednesday that tube users will have free WiFi internet access in 80 stations during this summer’s key events in the capital (Summer Olympics and Queen Elizabeth’s  Diamond Jubilee). The service is expected to be extended to up to 120 stations by the end of 2012, and will be provided by Virgin Media.

Customers can expect to have internet access in stations, on platforms and escalators, but not on trains.

During the initial period the service will be available for free to all users and customers, and then will be available as a pay-as-you-go service. If you are already a Virgin Media customer, you may well be entitled to the Wi-Fi as part of your subscription plan.

Minnie’s Verdict

Darts out the door! Heading for Angel station!!

This is definitely worth being excited about, and is a great win for Richard Branson and Virgin Media. People will be able to stay connected longer, which opens up a lot of avenues for commuter tailored services and tablet/phone applications (i.e. TfL travel information). It also means that the huge influx of customers expected during the Olympics will have access to event information on the go.

This along with the introduction of 4G in the UK by the end of the year, really shows how well the United Kingdom is moving forward in mobile technology.

Infographic of the Week

Fantastic Infographic on the importance and significance of inbound marketing vs traditional outbound marketing. If you thought blowing a big budget on an outdated marketing strategy, maybe this will make you think again!

Minnie’s Weekly Round Up on the New Ipad, Wi-Fi on the Tube and Inbound/Outbound Marketing is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

Original, good quality content is crucial for attracting and engaging site users and in turn converting them into our clients or customers. Creating quality content is also not cheap and must be maintained, especially with the latest Google algorithm updates, designed to display the most up-to-date results in their search engine. With no proper planning, it’s easy to let the content well dry up… Another problem that companies face is simply running out of integrated ideas to get their readers involved with the brand in any meaningful way. This is where crowdsourcing comes into play and is a potential solution to solve both of these challenges.

A crowd-sourced solution

Where user-generated content (UGC) is most often associated with ratings, product or services reviews, forum discussions or sharing viral photos or videos – crowdsourcing provides new ways to generate original content and create an opportunity for recognising different participants within your brand’s online community.

As brands participate in social communities, like Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn – asking and answering questions, engaging their users, and sharing relevant content – numerous opportunities arise to involve the community with content creation. Crowdsourcing means a practice of presenting the community with a problem along with a plea to assist in its solution; it can also just be about having an open forum so your customers can share their feedback.

There are compounded benefits, in short:

• Gain more trust from visitors and improve brand awareness

• Contributors have an interest in helping promote the content they have written.
• Crowdsourcing provides more content for search engines.
• It provides more information about products and services for prospects and customers, allowing for critical feedback about such products and services.
• It facilitates brand conversations within the marketplace

Of course there are downsides as some resources are needed for oversight and moderation. If not monitored, the ease of publishing may lead to spam and some information provided by users could be false and outdated. But the rewards far outweigh the obstacles so long as you keep on top of these potential issues.

6 ideas for implementing crowdsourcing:

1. Blog interactions: One of the most meaningful ways for a community to engage with a brand is through comments on a company blog. Write blog posts that encourage interaction, spark debate, consider the occasional area of controversy to polarise opinion.
2. Contests resulting in content. Create contests in which visitors produce their own videos and share images in their social networks and on their blogs. Search engines love any kind of content, especially text.
3. Co-authoring thought leadership pieces: Working with other experts in your field enables you to ‘stand out’ from the crowd. Asking the community for suggestions of whom to interview and what questions to ask is a great way to get people involved. Interviewing industry thought leaders provides the brand’s audience with unique content and creates a positive association between the “brandividual” and the company
4. So – the question is how creative can you get with crowdsourcing content for your brand? Start simple and scale-up!
5. Influencing site content or brand behaviour: With tools such as User Voice and Get Satisfaction you can pose a topic question and/or leave an open feedback board. Let your customers share their feedback about your brand.
6. Social Q&A or Social FAQ An unanswered question can kill a sale. But an answer can create a brand advocate for life. Enable customers to ask questions and get the information they need when they are early in their purchase decision-making. This information is also captured and leveraged by search engines to drive traffic and acquisition.

Consumer In The Driver’s Seat: How to Use Crowdsourcing To Generate Fresh Content For Your Site is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

This week, Google was given the go ahead by US and European regulators to complete the take-over of Motorola for a reported $12.5 Billion.

You may remember that back in December we told you about Google wanting to purchase Motorola? Well, at the time Google received a 400 page document containing allegations of “abuse of dominance” by the European Commission. The report detailed that Google was unethical in its monopoly over the search engine market. There were talks of a hefty fine as well as the implications that any acquisition of Motorola would have to go on hold.

So what has changed? Well not much to tell the truth. Google is still under scrutiny, and have been warned that the acquired patents (17,000 and 7500 patent applications) would have to be licensed at fair prices.

This is by far the largest purchase in Google’s history, and is an obvious move to ensure that Google stand upfront with the competition like Apple through the explosion of the global mobile device market.

Minnie’s Verdict

It was on the cards since August 2011 that Google were going to acquire Motorola and its large portfolio of patents. It is essential that Google doesn’t abuse its patent rights as this could effectively wipe out the smart-phone competition in the new, developing markets.

Google already has one $6 Billion law-suit surrounding patent infringement on its hands with Oracle Corp, the last thing its reputation needs is another.

Social Media – Men Are the Early Adopters

For some time, it has been widely assumed (with fair justification) that there are more women using social networking sites than men and that they (specifically older/middle aged women) also spend more time using it. However new statistics have come to our attention that show more (young) men have utilized newer social networking sites Google+ and Pinterest.

The old perceptions are actually completely justified with the likes of Facebook (55% users are female) and Twitter (54% female). In fact, in 2011 LinkedIn was the only large Social Network Site with more men than women, mostly due to the fact that it has a professional focus with short usage times.

Over 60% of Google+ users are male, young and single, the complete opposite of the typical Tweeter. This is seen as an indication that Google+ is still mostly made up of marketing execs and the technically gifted.

E-Consultancy indicated that this demographic slant may cause serious issues for Google+ as by having too many men may actually put off potential female users from signing up. Research has proven that women are more “profitable” as well as spending more time on the sites.

Below is an Infographic on Pinterest users in the UK compared to the US.

Minnie’s Verdict

I don’t think Google has to worry too much about attracting women onto their Social Network. Google+ still has the fastest growing rate of new users and women are gradually getting on side. Making women “stick” with Google+ will likely be its biggest challenge.

An obvious conclusion is that Google+ and Pinterest (especially in the UK) are still going through their growing pains. It could have only been expected that the first users on the sites were men, due to the professions and industries of people who would want to get on there first.

Infographic of the Week

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, below we give you the battle of the sexes on Pinterest. Look at it as an insight into what most new Social Networks should experience within the first year of their launch.

Minnie’s Weekly Round-Up on Motorola, Social Media and Pinterest is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

Is this really then the beginning of the end for high street retail? Will Oxford Street in a few years look more like a warehouse compound used for collecting packages rather than a street with all the frills and fancies for a rich shopping experience?

In the last few decades any major paradigm shift be it in the way we travel, read, listen to music has been dependant on practical, economic and emotive factors.  If you are in a shop and hear a song that you like, you can Shazaam it, download it on ITunes and once in your car play it wirelessly off the stereo. Sounds like a dream, only it is the way it works these days.  Hence it’s not too difficult to imagine a complete shift from Vinyl and cassette tapes to digital. However the emotive side in us keeps the vinyl stores alive in the back streets of Shoreditch and Soho.

Shopping online provides you with an international mix of products, 24/7, often at a (perceived) discount and delivery to your door. This is a lot more agreeable than standing in long queues and running between shops to finish your shopping before they shut. Online companies are able to save costs on premium rentals on high streets, employ less staff, stay open 24×7 and minimise ongoing investment that are required to make the store look as inviting as possible to boost footfall.  Despite all the conveniences and savings online, our collective memory going back many hundred years of going to markets still cannot kick the idea of browsing around stores, touch and feeling products and the joy of interacting with people. After all humans are social creatures and thrive in interactive environments.  However, if people aren’t buying, how do these shops stay in business?

Over the past few years every major retailer has observed the disruptive nature of e-commerce. It has without a doubt changed the way people consume products and services. Some companies have shut their eyes to this change and gone out of business while others have adapted by going online themselves and survived.

There is however quite interestingly a 3^rd development that has been taking place over the last 12 months. Traditional retail companies have realised that shopping online be it mobile or desktop is here to stay. E-commerce companies have lower costs hence will always beat them on price but they lack the ability to provide the physical experience to consumers. This has lead to furious innovation by these companies in multichannel marketing and provided a lifeline for their survival.

Marks & Spencer, a traditional British store, now sells knickers and superior cakes by smartphone. House of Fraser has launched new HouseOfFraser.com stores in Aberdeen and Liverpool that act purely as order and collection points for goods.

In South Korea people are busy at home and tired after a long day at work so Tesco have launched virtual subway stores offering the opportunity to shop while walking home, scanning QR codes to populate their shopping baskets and paying with their mobiles. The food is delivered by the time people reach home.

Such innovation in multi-channel retailing is an indication of things to come where rather than being pure play, companies will be a lot more integrated across channels.  This will not only ensure the survival of high street retailers but also revitalise their growth and put pressure on online retailers to focus on usability and customer experience.

Is High Street Retail Dead? is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

In my first app review, I see it only fitting that I review a game, and not just any game, but one about my favourite subject, DOGS!

The geniuses at Big Pixel Studios (creators of Land a Panda), released Off the Leash at the start of February, and for nearly two weeks I haven’t been able to put down my iPod.

The Story

The new evil Chief of Police has decided to ban all dogs and has deployed his forces for our capture!

As a dog you must outrun the cop cars and elude captivity, whilst rescuing as many doomed pups as possible! To survive as long as you can you must evade protruding hedgerows, random ponds and puddles as well as oncoming vehicles, collecting food and coins as you go!

You start off as a Golden Retriever called Steve, but by collecting more coins you can use them to upgrade to faster stronger breeds and customise accessories. You can also unleash power-ups and to help your survival, and purchase whistles so you can call for “The Big Dog” in desperate times!

Key Features

• Simple one-handed tilt-based controls
• 7 different dogs to unlock and customise
• Unlock additional bonus levels, power-ups, and Big Dog attacks by completing missions
• 90 unique missions
• Stunning HD graphics
• Game Center + OpenFeint leaderboards and achievements to compete with your friends
• Easy to learn but difficult to master, you’ll be coming back again and again!

Minnie’s Verdict

8 Barks!

If you love dogs you’ll love this game. The simple controls and lasting gameplay makes it highly addictive. The graphics are tidy and the gameplay is faultless, and it’s FREE! I say give it a go if you have time to kill and feel like outrunning the law!

Off the Leash by Big Pixel Studios (App Review) is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

If you hadn’t heard already the Olympics are coming to London this year, bringing with it the eyes, ears and clicking fingers of the world! In fact, with the increase in physical visitors to the UK and increase in international (cyber) traffic to British sports streaming websites, the government are worried our internet may overload, slowing browser speeds and possibly causing a sort of breakdown.

Not to worry though, the British Government have announced this week that they are working on measures to tackle our somewhat sluggish internet (said to be one of the slowest in Europe!).

If they fail, Brits will be looking at a summer of disruption and slow service, and we’re not talking about National Rail. As a warning, an advisory document, “Preparing Your Business For The Games” [PDF] is available for download from the official London 2012 website.

The government is said to be working with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to find ways of avoiding being overwhelmed during the games which begin on the 27^th of July. One option they are considering is implementing data caps, meaning that the bandwidth can be distributed fairly amongst users.

Minnie’s Verdict

Slow internet is a killer and must be avoided. With so many businesses that market themselves online as speedy, efficient alternatives to heading out the house, sluggish speeds can be really damaging. The UK has always lagged slightly in terms of fast broadband, so the Olympics are a good excuse as any for fixing the problem, and getting us up to speed!

Frustratingly, we have also found out that mobile networks will be equally affected, especially within London near and around any major sporting event.

The Mobile Super Bowl

One of the world’s largest single sporting events took place this week. The Super Bowl was viewed by more than 100 million viewers round the world, and lived up to its expectations as being an exciting, highly commercialised sporting event.

This particular event was predicted to be the first “mobile Super Bowl” whereby 39% of viewers supposedly were to react to the sport and advertising, on mobile devices (i.e. smartphones and tablets.) according to one mobile ad network.

Adverts surrounding the Super Bowl (specifically at half-time) have become as traditionally celebrated as a spectacle, as much as the sport itself. Google announced that during the game 41% of searches related to the Super Bowl ads came from users mobile devices.

According to Google, “Super Bowl ad related searches in the US rose 200% on desktop, 970% on tablets and a whopping 2700% on smartphones.”

Minnie’s Verdict

This story is another example of how important and relevant having mobile presence is becoming at merging offline with online. If you noticed, some of the Super Bowl advertising contained “call to actions” encouraging viewers to use their mobile devices. This is nothing new, but if, as an advertiser, you haven’t considered integrating mobile relevant content in your advertising, or do not have a mobile site/page to optimise for the increase in mobile traffic you should expect from using traditional media, it is about time you did!

Infographic of the Week!

In honour of the Super Bowl, and following the running theme of sport in this post, here is a great infographic we found from the Dachis Group.

It ranks the success of commercial messages and advertising around the Super Bowl in spreading awareness.

It’s a biggy but definitely worth a look!

Minnie’s Weekly Round Up on The Mobile Super Bowl and How London Olympics Could Crash the Internet is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun

Google announced last week that, as of 1^st of March, there will be one single privacy policy that will apply to all Google products, rather than one for each (currently over 70 different policies).

As much as this may make sense to web users, there has been some drama as to the alterations in the policy, which some see as a direct infringement on our general privacy.

So what’s new?

Google have said that through the new policy, users information will be shared across their different products, combining the likes of Gmail, search and Youtube information so that a user will have one single profile. This way Google can understand users better, by what they search for combined with what they like to watch and share.

This means that Google will have more information on users so that they can provide the most relevant results and ads for users.

Have a look at this video which explains Google’s changes.

Minnie’s Verdict

The reaction has been quite mixed across the industry. A lot of users see this as Google going too far with privacy, and the holding of information shows a close resemblance with the Facebook privacy policies. However, here we are not really at all surprised at these changes. Google are well within their rights to incorporate all their products within one legal privacy policy. Hopefully this will actually mean more relevant results, and as long as Google is not sharing our information with external organisations, is there really anything for us to be worried about?

Facebook Rolls Out Timeline to All Users

Facebook announced that all users would be updated to their recent timeline platform. Over the next few weeks, all 800 million users will log in to find their profile will be replaced by the timeline. Users will then have 7 days to edit their timeline before it is displayed to other users. This will give people the chance to alter the presentation of their timeline.

As usual, this change has had mixed reviews.

On one hand, the timeline has been positively received as a way of displaying more information in a more personal way. It has allowed the integration of apps, meaning users can spend more time on Facebook enjoying pockets of programmes they like. User creativity is also encouraged through the display picture function and it is also now easier and faster to find stories and old updates.

On the other hand, it has come under criticism for simply showing off too much information. For new users it can be difficult to navigate, and many are sceptical of the idea that Facebook visually can now show all activities since birth. The largest criticism is that users do not have the choice as to whether they would like the old profile or not.

Minnie’s Mini Verdict

This is the umpteenth Facebook upgrade. Each time there has always been those who have predicted the demise of the world’s most used Social Media platform. Now with the allure of Google+ next door, will users make that leap of faith?

INFOGRAPHIC OF THE WEEK

How to Utilise Twitter

Twitter remains as one of the largest sharing sites on the internet. Despite fierce competition from Google+, Twitter is still the site of choice in terms of sharing and sending out information. Social Media Marketers use Twitter as a way of generating a high CTR and quality traffic. Below is an infographic provided by Dan Zarrella, The Social Media Scientist. Maybe it could help you when planning your next Social Media Strategy.

Public Alerts To be Part of Google Maps

Earlier this week, Google Maps announced the introduction of a new feature for users, whereby public alerts would now be displayed.

So for instance if there is a public weather warning, Google will overlay it on the map highlighting the affected area and display information in a pop-box when you mouse over the area.

The data used for the alerts comes from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service and the US Geological Survery. So as well as weather in the US, users will also get alerts on techtonic movements and potential earthquake zones across the globe.

Google have said that: “We hope Google Public Alerts provides the public with information they need to make better decisions in times of crisis, and ultimately help save lives.”

Minnie’s Verdict

Google have made many moves over the last few months to enhance their image of being socially responsible in this is another move. Aside from that it also is yet another reason for Google Account holders to rely more on Google products and less on external sites. Now when planning a trip, a user can get travel news, route planner and any public announcements on Maps, making it more of a complete informational service. There is already the Google Weather add-on on iGoogle, however this may become a permanent feature on Google Maps.

Minnie’s Weekly Round Up – News on Google Privacy Policy, Facebook Timeline and Twitter is a post from: Response Marketing Blog - Search Engine Marketing by Mediarun