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New Google Maps ads will drop branded pins on your search results
Yes, Google builds plenty of useful and fun products, but don't ever forget -- the company is first and foremost an advertising business. As such, today the company is announcing a number of updates to its various advertising products to help brands do a better job at reaching the billion-plus people using Google's core services like search, Gmail and Maps.
Google brings increasingly precise ads to Gmail and YouTube
Organizing a trip to New York, but getting distracted by wobbly recordings of the supermoon on YouTube? Fear not, as the planning will come to you via Google's newest advertising features: 'Customer Match' and 'Universal App Campaigns.' These new tools (similar to Facebook's ad service) are designed so that companies can use your personal email address (and the associated Google tools and apps) to deliver targeted marketing as you sift through the countless flash sales in your Gmail or even as you watch videos on YouTube.
Feedback Loop: Warming up to ads, killing tablets and more!
In this week's edition of Feedback Loop, we take a look at the possibility of Google bringing ads to home appliances, discuss whether Microsoft is trying to kill the tablet, as well as the reasoning behind Nintendo pulling the plug on its Wi-Fi Connection and older online gaming services. Add to that our impressions of Steam's new streaming service, troubleshooting a weak home network connection and a whole lot more. Join us below.
Engadget Daily: Ads on your thermostat, eBay's password breach and more!
You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours – all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.
Google runs newspaper ad for Google ads, universe has yet to implode
Google knows how to tug at your heart strings when promoting its services, but it also has the whole irony thing down pat. Last Thursday, the search giant touted the advantages of its targeted advertising in the Canadian newspaper the Globe and Mail, taking out a large spread asking the delightfully smug question you see above. Lest you think Google's pitch for AdWords wasn't in earnest, the ad also appeared on the Globe's website.
Google patent outlines ads targeted to 'environmental conditions'
The ad game is all about targeting: demographics, locations, keywords -- and really, few companies are more equipped to target users than Google. In case you were worried that the search giant doesn't have enough information to harvest, a newly surfaced patent outlines the company's interesting utilizing environmental conditions, including things like temperature, humidity, sound, light or air composition, in order to serve up advertisements to devices. Of course, as with other interesting ad patents from the company, the fact that Google applied doesn't necessary mean we'll be seeing this specific technology rolling out any time soon -- or ever, for that matter.
Google promises 'greater transparency' for targeted ads, gives users more control over them
Chances are you've visited at least one Google site or another today, and chances are you were delivered some ads tailored just for you while you were there. Exactly how those ads got from the advertiser to you hasn't always been clear, but Google's now announced a new effort that it promises will provide "greater transparency and choice" regarding the ads you see. The most immediate change is a new "Why this ad?" link that will be displayed in search results and on Gmail -- click on it and Google provides a brief explanation of how that particular ad came to appear on your screen (based on your current search terms, your location, etc.). You'll also soon be able to access a new Ads Preference Manager, which will let you block specific advertisers or opt out of personalized ads entirely. Google says those options will be appearing "over the coming weeks," but you can get a peek at what's in store in the video after the break.
Google reaches $500 million settlement with DOJ over drug ads
We had heard that Google irked authorities at the Department of Justice when ads advertising illegal and counterfeit drugs started popping up. But, we didn't realize just how expensive the offense would be. The government is expected to announce a $500 million settlement with the web giant later today that cut quarterly profits by 22-percent. Google told the New York Times that it had since banned the advertisers, but admitted they never should have been allowed in the first place. We'll just have to go back to getting our cheap Viagra where we used too -- our spam folder.
Google's potential $500M fine linked to illegal online pharmaceuticals
When Google revealed it would take $500 million first-quarter charge ahead of "potential resolution of an investigation" by the United States Department of Justice, the company offered few details. A three-line non-explanation pointed the finger at "advertising by certain advertisers." Now The Wall Street Journal reports that the mysterious half-billion-dollar hit may stem from advertisements placed by "rogue online pharmacies" that break US laws. The DOJ investigation has focused on whether the search behemoth knowingly accepted ads from shady pharma sites, but it's unclear whether those sites sold counterfeit or expired drugs, failed to require doctor's prescriptions, or both. Obviously, if the company profited from illegal activity, it can be held liable -- a fact Google knows all too well after a 2007 settlement over ads for online gambling. The impending fine would rank among the highest paid to the US government; this news, by the way, did not come from Facebook.
HTC Sensation 4G launching on June 8th, because Google AdWords says so
We already knew the dual-core Sensation 4G will be showing up in the states "beginning this summer," though HTC and T-Mobile have been mum on an actual date -- or so we thought. If you look up said phone on Google, you should see a cheeky Adwords ad mentioning a "6/8" date in the link. But wait, there's more: TmoNews also spotted the same date stamped on the Sensation 4G product shot from last week, which we've embedded after the break for your convenience. Of course, anything could change between now and June, but this preliminary date is certainly a good sign for all HTC Gingerbread anticipators -- or, you know, you could just get the leaked ROM right now.
Angry Birds officially lands on Android, made free for all
This game needs no introduction -- if you're using iOS, webOS or Symbian, chances are you would've already come across the endless hours of puzzle entertainment that is Angry Birds. Where's the Android version, you ask? Well, today's the day: not only has it now come out of beta, but it's also made free for all! The only small catch is that it's ad-supported, although we're pretty sure this isn't gonna stop you from grabbing it -- at the time of writing this, GetJar's website's taking a serious hit from avian fanatics around the world, so we suggest you go put on the kettle and try later. Enjoy! [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Nokia and Apple both target price drop searchers (Updated)
In among all of the furor about the big iPhone price drop yesterday, there is, of course, marketers trying to ply both sides. Nokia was first with the Google ad you see above, in the results page for "iphone price drop"-- they called out early adopters and tried to lure them to something called Mosh, apparently some kind of social network. I really doubt any iPhone users would join a Nokia social network, even if they were unhappy about the price drop, but nice try Nokia.And then Apple came up with a little plan of their own. As you can see on the right, they wrote their own "late adopter" Google ad, cheering on folks who purposely waited for an iPhone price drop (like yours truly-- OK, it was so much on purpose as it was being cheap, but still).Now, most of the tipsters who let us know about this (thanks everyone!) were pretty unhappy that Apple so clearly targeted folks who waited, but that whole $100 rebate thing probably eases the pain a little bit, eh? Can you really blame these marketers for seeing a clear demographic and driving for it?UPDATE: Cory O'Brien emailed us and let us know that Apple didn't place this ad, he did. Read his whole story at his blog.
Apple to sell ads on the iTunes Store?
Wow, more Google and Apple rumors! Valleywag, a Silicon Valley gossip blog, is suggesting that Apple will soon be running Google ads on many of its properties, most notably the iTunes Store. As with most of Valleywag's scoops this is unsubstantiated, but many people have been betting that Apple would put ads in the iTunes Store sooner or later.Will it come to pass? Who knows. What I want to know is, how would you feel about ads in the iTunes Store?
