Google's take on Retail Landscape

It seems the search giant - Google is entering the retail domain through their “local business photos” to optimise and maximise their results on the searches being made for the local businesses (I reckon, conversion ratios and CTR’s too). Interestingly they are using Google sponsored photographers (suggests me probably better quality – 4-5 Megapixels or better).

By everyone’s guesses, the reason behind this strategic move could be everything from augmenting their search algorithms to their individual product offering to enhance their market share and search volumes share. Recently enough, Google has also been diving into finding how competitors are fairing (specially BING – as it is more and more getting closer to search benchmarking through tie-ups with technology partners) through employing their analytics tools on their own web-search pages.

Gives us a suggestion on enhancing our Retail Media Galleries?

Inception Dream Levels in Flow Chart

Ok, it might be a bummer for people who have not seen inception yet. This flowchart comes from graphic designer Sean Mort, to explain INCEPTION in Cobb's dreams. Although personally I feel, there was 1 more level which was depicted by the Totem in the closing scene of the movie.
I am sure, my friends in IT fraternity will give enough time to expand it in IF>ELSE  and CASE (C++) sequences.

Hope you enjoyed! For those who have not seen Inception yet, I am really sorry to break the surprise!

Amazon grabs 70-80% eBook market

I have always been an avid reader of eBooks, ever since I first came across the concept, around 4 years back. They provide quiet an easy way to carry all your favourite books on your smartphone which you can read any time on the train, in the car, on a ferry, in your office lunch time, waiting on a date et al.
According to Ian Freed, Amazon's VP for Kindle:

1. The number of eBooks sold in first quarter of 2009 vs the number of eBooks sold in Q1-2010 has tripled.
2. Since the price of the device dropped to $189, the growth rate has tripled year over year.
3. 80% of Kindle books are being sold to Kindle users, using the software of their iPhone, any other smart phone, iPads, Mac or a PC.
4. After collecting data on books for last 15 years, Amazon has found that most of the consumers are shifting for eBooks which are priced at $9.99 or less.
5. Amazon had over 630,000 books which are not public domain titles and out of this, over 510,000 are sold for $9.99 or less. Out of The New York Times bestsellers, 80 of them are $9.99 or less.
6. A lot of authors didn't think of self publishing before the Kindle platform became so large. Now with the 70% royalty option, Amazon is sending a lot of these royalty cheques to the self publishing writers.
7. The American Association of Publishers say that eBook market is growing over 200% year on year and even faster growth in the Amazon's portfolio says for itself about the segment share.

So the market has a lot to offer and it seems as a reader and consumer, I am bound to get even better eBook deals in future.

Will Black Pad make its impact?

Industry experts believe that RIM app store has a very small fraction of the number of apps the iPhone/iPad app store already has and it is also less likely that they will be getting a lot more apps in the near future.

With Android devices already making their mark on the consumers worldwide, and iPad already found a way into corporates through innovative brand tie ups, and user friendly interfaces seeing a sea change in the GUI options available in the market.

On the other hand, according to Bloomberg, the device is expected to hit the market by November this year and will come in same 9.7-inch form factor as iPad. It is also expected to ship with both, front and rear facing cameras and Tethering capabilities with a BlackBerry smartphone. BlackBerry's OS 6 although, is still an untested platform and only time will tell what it has in store for the users.

Also Read: http://media360d.blogspot.com/2010/08/rims-black-pad.html

BP Oil Spill: Gearing up for final tests

The scientists have arrived on a unanimous decision last night that BP's oil spill was the worst accidental oil spill in history. They are planning an important test today that will confirm the progress on final stages of testing for suppressing the deepwater horizon oil rig in The Gulf of Mexico.
Nearly 5 million barrels of oil has gushed into the ocean since the deepwater horizon rig exploded and sank in April this year. 
Under the Clean Water Act, BP faces a fine of $1,100 (£691) a barrel, or $4,300 a barrel if it is found that the spill was the result of gross negligence. As a result, BP could be fined either $5.4bn or $21bn. The federal team reckon BP's own containment efforts saved about 800,000 barrels which could be taken into account as a mitigating factor, reducing the fine to either $4.5bn or $17.6bn.
If tests go to plan, BP will begin pumping mud into the well from a nearby ship loaded with 8,000 barrels of it. The plan is to slowly force the oil back down into the reservoir by steadily pumping in the heavier mud. If successful, BP will be able to either cement the well from the top, or wait until the relief wells – which are due to be completed later this month – have reached the correct depth and cement the well from the bottom.


Photo courtesy: AFP/Getty Images