GeoVector yesterday announced that it had received a patent for mobile-local search technology, already in use in Japan:
GeoVector Corporation… today announced the issuance of its latest patent for a unique location-based service (LBS) system which allows users to search the Internet or query databases merely by pointing a wireless phone or other mobile device at a location or object.
Users can point their phones at retailers, restaurants, billboards, banks or historical sites to instantly retrieve information on what they are looking at, or find what they are looking for. Utilizing GPS technology and a digital compass built into wireless phones, GeoVector allows users to “Click on the Real World” similar to how computer users point and click with a mouse to access information, conduct transactions or play games.
Another company, NeoMedia, has some very similar mobile products for consumers and enterprises. These kinds of innovations and simplifications make mobile advertising much more likely to become a mainstream phenomenon in the near term vs. waiting for everyone to adopt "smartphones."
Separately, Marchex has acquired the assets of AreaConnect LLC for $16 million in cash and stock. Reportedly, Marchex now adds "more than one million local, unduplicated unique monthly visitors to its base of local traffic, and will deepen its relationships with local merchant aggregators, including Yellow and White Pages providers. AreaConnect's users access local- and directory-focused Web sites in all 50 US states and throughout Canada through www.areaconnect.com and www.areaconnect.ca."
True Local released a local traffic estimator:
The estimator provides such information as map clicks, or listing views, in relation to the most popular categories and nearest zip codes to the searched term and location. For example, a user can type in shoes in 60612 and the local traffic estimator determines the three most popular categories for this search and the five nearest zip codes to 60612. This allows businesses to accurately asses which categories and zip for which they should bid.
I would imagine that lots of folks would want to tap into this just to get the data regardless of whether they're True Local advertisers (although that's a requirement). This kind of data is in short supply and lots of people want it.
Screenwerk 