Category Archives: local search

Past, present and future of online maps

Posted on August 5, 2009 by Rakesh Agrawal

Google announced yesterday that it has added more detail on its maps, highlighting businesses and landmarks. They even solved the Albert Einstein Memorial problem that I wrote about last year. Businesses and landmarks are important because they make maps more … Continue reading →

Posted in bing, google, local search, maps, microsoft | 4 Comments

You too can be Rand McNally

Posted on September 10, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

How long does it take to get from Pike Place Market to Mount Rainier National Park? According to Google Maps, it’s a 5 minute walk; less than 1/3 of a mile. Pretty easy, huh? In reality it’s a 2 1/2 … Continue reading →

Posted in city guides, flickr, geotagging, google, gps, iphone, lbs, local search, maps, satellite navigation | 6 Comments

Your customers are Twits

Posted on September 1, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

Last year, I blogged about how local businesses could use Twitter to reach their customers. In that hypothetical example, a street vendor would let regulars know whether he was working or not. A number of large companies, including Zappos, Comcast … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, customer service, lbs, local search, marketing, social networking, twitter | 4 Comments

Why don’t local businesses use the Internet?

Posted on September 1, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

Back in the mid 90s, I frequented The Weinery, a total dive of a hot dog place in the Cedar/Riverside area of Minneapolis. Jerry, the then owner, collected email addresses and would occasionally send out specials. Say the password when … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, lbs, local search, marketing, newspapers, yellow pages | 9 Comments

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!

Posted on August 27, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

I’ve long advocated that news organizations geotag the news. But I’ve been skeptical of automated systems for doing this. Google News recently provided a terrific example of what can happen when you use entity extraction for such a task: In … Continue reading →

Posted in geotagging, google, journalism, local search, maps, media, newspapers, web 2.0 | 4 Comments

Unlocking the creativity of the masses

Posted on July 14, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

With the launch of the iPhone last year (and the millions of dollars in ad spend around it), Apple did more for wireless data adoption than wireless carriers had in the last 10 years. With Thursday’s launch of the App … Continue reading →

Posted in apple, apple tv, facebook, flickr, geotagging, gps, iphone, ipod, lbs, local search, mobile, mobile search, photography, social networking, twitter, where, wireless, wireless data, yelp | 3 Comments

Occasional reader – Pennies, GPS, bribing Congress, Nats opener

Posted on April 15, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

Some interesting stories from the last couple of weeks: Penny Dreadful (New Yorker) — Please, please let’s kill the penny already. It’s one of the nuisances of everyday life. Aside from Lincolnphiles and the companies that make money selling zinc … Continue reading →

Posted in consumer electronics, elections, fun, gps, local search, mobile, mobile search, random, reader, weekly reader | Comments Off on Occasional reader – Pennies, GPS, bribing Congress, Nats opener

Dash-ing out of the gate

Posted on March 27, 2008 by Rakesh Agrawal

The Dash portable navigation device I wrote about earlier is now shipping. Dash has dropped the price $200 from the initial pre-order pricing. It’s the first true two-way connected PND on the market, using cellular data for search, traffic and … Continue reading →

Posted in cars, consumer electronics, dash, gps, local search, maps | 1 Comment

Dash begins taking preorders

Posted on December 18, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

Dash is now taking preorders for its next-generation navigation system. It’s one of the biggest breakthroughs in navigation technology and points to a time when we’ll all be connected as we drive down the road at 65 mph. Unlike typical … Continue reading →

Posted in dash, gps, lbs, local search, maps, mashups, satellite navigation | 3 Comments

Yahoo! Local gets Yelpy

Posted on December 13, 2007 by Rakesh Agrawal

Yahoo! Local has rolled out some new features to increase the Web 2.0-ness of its local search product: RSS feeds. You can subscribe to feeds of all reviews near you. If you find a reviewer you like, you can stay … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, city guides, local search, search, web 2, web 2.0, yahoo, yelp | 1 Comment