BBC News reports that Google Maps will soon be a paid service — to websites deemed heavy users of the supposed free service. “Heavy” is certainly a subjective word but the report says starting Jan 1, 2012, Google will start charging websites for using Google Maps API when they reach above the 25,000 map hits in a day.
Google is rumored to be charging $4 per 1,000 views in excess of the limit.
Google has been more caring when it comes to accommodating search queries that contain local modifiers. In the past when someone uses location + keyword, Google tries to find results based on conventional means. That is, look for the pages that match based mainly on the presence of these keyword combinations, and to a later extent, relevance of inbound links and anchor text.
Effective advertising: Hong Kong MTR can use such campaign to help discourage last second dash on closing doors. Source: thepirata.com
Now Google serves results more geared towards local flavor. The search engine giant is increasingly focusing on serving local results and local modifiers are sometimes not even a necessary part of search queries.
Wall Street Journal posted an article that describes Google’s apparent preferential treatment of its own content over other major vertical players when it comes to serving search engine results.
Through the years, Google has been developing various tools and products that enhance users’ search experience. In 2005, it developed a maps service whose sophisticated features propelled it to become one of the most popular applications of the search engine giant. In 2009, it introduced Google Local Business Center (later renamed Google Places) which allows business listings associated with its Google Maps service.
Search has become one of the mainstream uses of the Web. Better search result accuracy and diverse choices through blended search are among the reasons why more people use search engines (15.4 billion search queries as of March 2010 in the U.S.) to find information.
This trend is coupled with the proliferation of WiFi network that offer even more convenience to mobile search engine users. But the problem with Wi Fi networks is that it opens up risks for security breach. Just look at what role WiFi played in the unplanned gathering of unnecessary information by Google’s street car while mapping many cities in the globe. And it’s not just Google that’s capable of snooping on our website traffic and stealing sensitive information. While we could assume that an unsuspecting search query at Google is not a concern, think again.
It was announced that Planet Yoga, one of the popular yoga centers in the city has closed its doors for business because it was short of cash.
Yes, the company is short of cash even if some of its 13,000 members claim they were urged to renew memberships long before they’ll expire. In Hong Kong it’s not unusual for a membership based shops to shut down in a blink of an eye. Customers of Planet Yoga will now have to look for new places to meditate and stay fit. Once they find one, members are also hoping that it won’t fold too soon; in March, Yoga Yoga International also closed shop.
