Google Hopes To Ad Small Barcodes To Newspaper Ads

Google has been working on getting into more print ads but with little steam. Dan Frommer from AlleyInsider.com reports that they might incorporate the small bar codes that are popular in Japan. If the bar code is implemented in newspaper ads consumers will be able to capture the bar code through their cell phones which will redirect them to a website. This all sounds great since the advertiser would be able to track the ad more precisely and see what kind of return on investment the ad has but the right info structure would have to be there. Google will have to get the debugging software to read the bar code on to mobile phones which right now not a lot of phones has this software. With their launch of Android (Googles new cell phone) they would be able to preload the software to make this possible. If they can create enough market awareness of this feature with combination of more mobile phones having this software I think it could become very useful and powerful.

Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard

Now usually I wouldn't blog about products but I couldn't not blog about this. Logitech has this new keyboard out and it is so cool. With most TVs being able to be hooked up to your PC now, you need a keyboard that is compact yet sleek. The Logitech diNovo Mini Keyboard is your answer. Here are some specs

Convenience and Style

• Palm-sized mini-keyboard with backlighting: Fits in your hand. Backlighting makes text entry effortless, even in low light.
• Compact: Perfect size for your coffee table.

Control

• Integrated, dual-purpose ClickPad: Use as a touch pad to point and click – or as a directional pad to navigate menus and make selections.
• Backlighting: Makes text entry effortless – even in low light. Enjoy two different backlight colors depending on the mode you're in – orange for cursor mode, and green for media control mode.

I have always wanted to hook up my PC to my Lcd TV but always stayed aways since there was no real keyboard that was compact enough to go with my stuff or had the right capabilities like bluetooth. With this it solves my problems of finding a place to put it and not having to worry about the extra components that I would have to setup or store away.

Logitech

Ordering Pizza by Mobile Phone?

Pizza Hut now has the capability to be able to order to your favorite pizza through your mobile phone. They are not the only ones that offer this service Domino`s and Papa Johns have been offering for sometime now. Pizza Hut offers two ways on how you can order pizza on your phone, but first you will have to create an account on their website from your desktop. You can visit their site through your mobile phone, which has been optimized to fit the smaller screen. Once you login you will be able to browse the menu and order your favorite pizza. If you want to order your pizza with a text message you will have to setup a Pizza Playlist to name and save your favorite order. Once that is setup text "O," followed by a space and the name of your Playlist choice (ex: O FAV) to 749488.

PizzaHut

Internet on JetBlue Flight

JetBlue has rolled out their BetaBlue program which allows for Yahoo IM and email on their flight. Not available on all flights, but still very exciting. It only looks like you can check your Yahoo IM or Yahoo email but still something is better than nothing.

Which airline will offer this service next? Will Google get on this as well? What kind of new accessories will come out to accommodate the service?

See some screenshots from Engadget

Twitter.com Going to Japan

Twitter is a commonly used service which allows you to stay connected with friends, family and colleagues. Twitter has posted on their coporate blog that they will be teaming up with Digital Garage in Japan to bring the Twitter service to Japan.

Read More

Could you buy your Starbucks Latte on your iPhone?

It seems that Apple has filled a patent that many believe would allow users to be able to purchase items at select stores and will be notified on the iPhone when it becomes ready. The Forbes article goes on to say that you would be able to cut into line to get your item before other customers. The current system they have allows customer to ".. which allows iPhone users to press a button and wirelessly download the song playing in the background as they sip their soy lattes."

Being a huge Starbuck's customer this might be the thing that would make me change to an iPhone.

Read Forbes Article

WikiaSearch

I always thought the idea of having a user driven search engine would be very helpful to find more vague search terms on the web. WikiaSearch hopes to deliver this, they are still in the alpha stages so that means there will be tons of bugs still but worth taking a look.

The search is based on the same principles as Wikiapedia where "..trusted user feedback from a community of users acting together in an open, transparent, public way." With the community being able to cross check the searches for relevance and accuracy this will be huge. I would think since so much of the searches are based on SEO and other keyword tactics, now you will more likely get what you are searching for. As a fan of Wikiapedia I am very interested to see how the search will look in the coming weeks, I will make sure to write another report.

WikiaSearch.com

StumbleUpon Bought fo $75M

This is some what old news but I thought I bring it up because I blogged about them last year. Great product for anyone that likes new things and has some extra time. I am going to be curious to see if any big changes will happen since eBay bought them up.

Why BestBuy is killing the competition

As most of us heard BestBuy has been reporting better earnings this year then any other retailer. With the closure of CompUsa, I believe there is only one other retailer that can compete with them, CircuitCity. In the following article I will try to exam why BestBuy is doing so much better than the other retailer.

Customer Service / Installation

We the consumer like to feel that we are important when shopping at these big stores. Bestbuy has been the leader of making us feel special and the only one since CircuitCity doesnt offer this. BestBuy offers a Rewards Zone Card which is a point card that you get. For every $1 dollar you spend you get 1 point, for every 250 points you get a $5 gift card. Pretty nice if you weigh that buying a tv will cost you way over $1000 and you get $25 back from that purchase. BestBuy used to charge $9.99 a year for this service but since they have made it free the last year they have seen a growth of over 17 million users in one year from 7 million, reported by Reuters.

For the novice consumer buying a new computer or networking your home can seem like a overwhelming task. For those people BestBuy and CircuitCity offer a in home installation and consulting service. I believe that BestBuy has the edge on this service because they have been able to brand their name for this service for much longer. Most people will be recognize the name Geek Squad then Firedog (which is CircuitCity's). As computers and networks become more complicated I am sure that this area will have huge growth in the future.

Shipping and In-store Pickup

As a busy consumer like myself I find free shipping and in-store pickups the greatest thing ever. For anyone that is not familiar with in-store pickups, it is where you buy something online and then pickup at your local store. The concept of this is great, you can search through items that you want to purchase at the comfort of your own home and then pickup at the store so that you don't have to wait in lines to get your stuff nor do you have to wait to get your product in the mail. The problem is that it doesn't work that seamlessly. In most cases like at BestBuy you tend to have to wait 20 - 30 minutes for them to find your product. To offset this CircuitCity has a 24 minute guarantee that states that they will have your product ready for pickup in 24 minutes or they will give you a gift card worth $24. This of course does not include checkout time or wait in the in-store pickup line. When dealing with CircuitCity I have never had to wait to get my product and love that they have this guarantee if I had to wait.

Free Shipping, who doesn't like free shipping. When you shop online like I do, you are always looking for a way to get it to you cheaper. CircuitCity offers free shipping on most products over $25, BestBuy doesnt.

Home Theater

With the growing amount of HDTV's becoming more and more affordable it becomes important that you have the right speakers, lcd tv mounts, cables and other equipment to go with your tv. Again for a novice shopper or even an experienced shopper this can be very difficult. You want to make sure that everything you buy is compatible with what you have or gonna buy. BestBuy offers their Magnolia department which only specializes in home theater. This is huge for anyone who has had to deal with a high school or college student sales representative that seems to know less than what you know. Having a specialized team that only deals with this product, you are more likely going to get the information and support that you need to make your home theater work for you. This is why when I was shopping for my home theater system I went to BestBuy, since I was planning to spend about $3000 I wanted to make sure I was able to deal with someone that knew what they were talking about.

Conclusion

I believe that BestBuy is doing better because they have a better in-store experience. Since most people do not shop online, even though it has gone up over the years CircuitCity is just not able to keep up in the in-store experience. CircuitCity free shipping and in-store pickups are not able to compete with rewards and knowledge sales staff.