Fact Check Tool By Google

[caption id="attachment_4258" align="alignleft" width="300"] Image from Pixabay[/caption] It's tough being at the top. Google has been taking a lot of heat for returning what some are calling fake news results to online search queries. In addition, they have been under fire for showing paid ads next to offensive content and losing Adwords revenue. They aren't the only ones. Facebook has also been in hot water, and it all came to a head around the time of the 2016 elections. In an effort to combat this issue, Facebook rolled out their "educational tool" about a month ago. Now it's Big G's turn. Last Friday they introduced the new fact check tool by Google, which utilizes outside sources to check the validity of the certain stories. The following post gives an overview of how it works:

Google rolls out new 'Fact Check' tool worldwide to combat fake news - CSMonitor.com

April 7, 2017 —On Friday, Google implemented a new tool to fight the spread of misinformation on the web worldwide. The new "Fact Check" program automatically labels dubious stories in users' search results, and provides links to fact-checking sites like Snopes and Politifact to establish the veracity of their claims.

Google rolls out new 'Fact Check' tool worldwide to combat fake news - CSMonitor.com

[caption id="attachment_4259" align="alignright" width="300"] Image from Pixabay[/caption]

The main two problems with attempting to be the fake news police is: 1. The question of freedom of speech and 2. Who gets to decide what is fake

Some people are questioning whether Snopes and Politifact are considered accurate sources and have the right to decide if a news story is authentic. Snopes, a project that began in 1994 with the mission of proving or disproving urban legends, is now one of the most trusted sites for checking whether a story is true, false, or a little of both.

However, it seems that politics play into many decisions made these days.

As far as freedom of speech, part of what makes the internet so cool is that you can access differing opinions on topics and then glean information in an effort to make practical assumptions about the facts.  Every person has an distinct opinion about what the truth is, making the term "alternative facts" part of the news mainstream.

The following video provides some thought provoking information on this subject:

Let's face it, Google has a lot of weight on their shoulders to provide accurate search results. It makes it difficult to please every group or cause, similar to how a referee of a sporting event never makes a decision that satisfies everyone. I remember not long ago that Wikipedia was considered a questionable source of content since it is collaborative endeavor by its users...AKA someone's opinion. Can the people that conclude a written piece of work is fake or not stay completely neutral? The next post continues with this train of thought:

Google’s fact check feature goes global and comes to Google Search | TechCrunch

Occasionally, of course, different groups may have come to different conclusions. Some of these claims can be a bit fuzzy, after all. Google says it will present those different opinions to its users. “Even though differing conclusions may be presented, we think it’s still helpful for people to understand the degree of consensus around a particular claim and have clear information on which sources agree,” the company writes in today’s announcement. “As we make fact checks more visible in Search results, we believe people will have an easier time reviewing and assessing these fact checks, and making their own informed opinions.”

Read the original post here:  Google’s fact check feature goes global and comes to Google Search | TechCrunch

[caption id="attachment_4260" align="alignright" width="300"] Image from Wikimedia Commons[/caption] I would like to think that there are a lot of practical people in our world with enough common sense to distinguish between what is accurate or inaccurate news. Based on scientific and historical knowledge, we know that the world is round, not flat. But given enough input saying the opposite, some people give in to doubts and start to wonder. However, the type of people that question the status quo are many times inventors that think outside the box, coming up with ideas that save lives or at least make our lives easier. It will be interesting to see how this evolves and how artificial intelligence is used in our search for the truth.

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New Verizon Company Name Will Be Oath

The acquisition of Yahoo by Verizon has been ongoing news since July of 2016, when it was announced that the deal was made at a price tag of $4.8 billion. In the meantime, the revelation of two major data breaches affecting 1.5 billion Yahoo users caused the deal to be put on hold. After the price was shaved down $350 million, the agreement is tentatively back on. [caption id="attachment_4242" align="alignleft" width="275"] Image from Blue Diamond Gallery[/caption] Verizon has been spending some big bucks in the last few years. In a 2015 transaction, Verizon bought Internet pioneer AOL for $4.4 billion.  Speculation for this purchase had to do with the fact the at some point, Verizon recognizes the need to "move their cheese." The wireless company has a huge number of mobile customers but eventually the market has to slow down. That is, unless you can lure people away from their current provider or sell them another device.  Creating a new objective that establishes a monster digital brand is the next step. An announcement came out today that hinted at a Yahoo and AOL marriage and parent company Verizon will be officiating at the wedding. The new Verizon company name will be Oath, a title that represents more than 20 brands. The following post by CNN Money provides the details:

Yahoo and AOL will form new company called ... Oath - Apr. 3, 2017

[caption id="attachment_4241" align="alignright" width="275"] Via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

Yahoo (YAHOF) and AOL are expected to form a new company under Verizon called Oath. The new company is expected to launch this summer after Verizon's (VZ, Tech30) acquisition of Yahoo is completed.

Tim Armstrong, the head of AOL who helped spearhead the Yahoo acquisition, teased the new company's launch in a tweet. "Billion+ Consumers, 20+ Brands, Unstoppable Team. #TakeTheOath. Summer 2017," Armstrong wrote on Twitter. The new name was first reported by Business Insider.

Read the original post here: Yahoo and AOL will form new company called ... Oath - Apr. 3, 2017

The head of AOL, Tim Armstrong, tweeted out the announcement that has some people wondering. It remains to be seen as to why they chose the name Oath, but I'm sure that Verizon is hoping the hashtag #TakeTheOath will be trending:

Billion+ Consumers, 20+ Brands, Unstoppable Team. #TakeTheOath. Summer 2017. http://pic.twitter.com/tM3Ac1Wi36

— Tim Armstrong (@timarmstrongaol) April 3, 2017

The transition with Oath is expected to go through by this summer. It is still unsure as to how the Yahoo name will still fit into the mix. The investment holdings in Alibaba are part of the issue at point as well as the popularity of Yahoo’s core properties. The next post from Market Watch offers more info on this topic:

Yahoo name game continues with ‘Oath: A Verizon Company’ - MarketWatch

Yahoo previously announced that the parts of the business Verizon is not acquiring — mostly Yahoo’s remaining investment in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. BABA, +0.24%  and

[caption id="attachment_4244" align="alignright" width="211"] Photo from Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

billions in cash — would be renamed Altaba Inc. In both cases, some observers immediately took the name changes to mean that Yahoo’s heavily trafficked websites would be renamed.

It is unlikely that Verizon plans to change the brand name on Yahoo’s core properties, however, because that could affect the number of people who still visit those sites and therefore ruin Verizon’s main reason for purchasing the business. Millions of people visit Yahoo’s core properties like Yahoo Mail, Yahoo News and Yahoo Finance, and changing the name could confuse users and drive them away.

Yahoo name game continues with ‘Oath: A Verizon Company’ - MarketWatch

One fact that is already decided is that current Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer will not be part of the new venture once the deal closes. Initially it appeared that she wanted to see the transition through, but the new owners have determined that she and co-founder David Filo will no longer be on the board of directors. It will be interesting to watch how it all plays out and what path the new company will take.

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Adwords Recent Update

Recently released news from Google will definitely affect your Adwords campaign. If you aren't familiar with Google Adwords, it is the paid advertisements that show at the top and bottom of the page when someone types in a search query. When an online shopper clicks on the ad, then the person that ran the ad gets charged, which is why it is also called pay-per-click. The update has to do with exact match keywords and the use of close variants from those phrases. Misspellings were a big reason why Google started using close variants, but abbreviations and plurals were also exceptions. The original update happened in 2012, but Adwords users could opt out of allowing variants and only use exact match keywords. The ability to opt out was taken away in 2014, and it was supposed to save time for anyone managing an Adwords account. Instead of having to research and build out a list of exact match keywords, Google was letting phrases like "SEO Company" and "Search Engine Optimization Companies" be close variants of each other. What this means is that when an online user typed in either phrase, your ad would potentially show. Fast forward a couple more years with Google relying heavily on machine learning capabilities for online search, and now the game is changing even more. Not only will your ad show with the above example, but now the order of the words can vary. So, "Denver SEO Companies" and "Search Engine Optimization Company Denver" would also be close variants. This post from Marketing Land echoes this update:

Google is making a big change to exact match keyword targeting in AdWords

[caption id="attachment_4227" align="alignright" width="300"] Image Via Max Pixil[/caption]

On Friday afternoon, Google announced another change to the way exact match keyword targeting works for search ads. Matching for close variants — plurals, typos, abbreviations, adverbs and so on —  will be broadened to include variations in word order and function words in the coming months. With this change, Google may ignore word order and function words when determining whether a search ad should trigger for an exact match keyword. In other words, exact truly no longer means exact.

Read more here:  Google is making a big change to exact match keyword targeting in AdWords

The other change that is mentioned above is with function words such as "a", "the", and "for" will be ignored.  Continuing with our previous example, "a Denver SEO Company" would also match. Google has enough confidence in their system of artificial intelligence that it will not allow phrases that don't match, such as "John Denver Companies". The next video provides an excellent review of the different types of keyword choices when setting up an Adwords account:

Is Adwords recent update helpful to all users? My guess would be no. However, there are some businesses that will benefit from the change, and this is outlined in the WordStream post below:

Breaking: Exact Match Keywords No Longer Exact Match | WordStream

[caption id="attachment_4228" align="alignright" width="275"] Image from Blue Diamond Gallery[/caption]

Some small advertisers may benefit from this change. Local advertisers uniquely benefit from the simplicity of this new exact match. For instance, let’s say you were advertising your new hotel in Boston’s Copley Square. Previously, the exact match keyword [Hotel Copley Square] would only show your ad to that exact search query Hotel Copley Square. You’d have to create multiple keywords or experiment with other match types to get more traffic. Now that exact match keyword [Hotel Copley Square] will attract a lot more relevant searches that you might not immediately consider such as Copley Square Hotel, Hotel in Copley Square, Hotel on Copley Square, Hotel near Copley Square, Hotel by Copley Square, etc.

Read the original post here:  Breaking: Exact Match Keywords No Longer Exact Match | WordStream

With that said, Adwords users that include long-tail keywords in specific niches need to review their Adwords account, as do brand advertisers. The change allows less specific keyword phrases than what was intended be part of the query. One solution will be adding in as many negative keywords necessary to narrow the search back down so you aren't paying for clicks that don't produce results.

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How Can Foursquare Analytics Help Your Business?

Foursquare, a social networking service where you "check in" with your location to allow your friends to keep tabs on you, has announced a new service. Through logging all of the data collected by the users of the app, they are now unveiling Foursquare Analytics. This platform is designed to provide insight for retail shops concerning buying patterns of various demographics as well as competitors stats. [caption id="attachment_4216" align="alignleft" width="300"] Image from Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Foursquare has been around since 2009, and people have used it to search and discover ever since its inception. The company was one of the pioneers in using mobile devices to interact with others. Up until 2014, you could share your location by text or by going to the mobile website of the venue to let your friends know what you were up to. Then they launched Swarm, an app that worked alongside of Foursquare, which was an upgrade into the technology of the mobile world. Swarm allowed you to earn prizes and compete with your friends based on the placed you visit. Shortly thereafter, Foursquare was changed from a check-in site to a more sophisticated mobile search and review tool. Fast forward to 2017, and after continually gathering data about users' shopping habits, Foursquare obviously had a bigger picture in mind. The following post by TechCrunch gives the rundown on the new Foursquare Analytics:

Foursquare is launching an analytics platform to help retailers understand foot traffic | TechCrunch

So today the company is announcing Foursquare Analytics, a foot-traffic dashboard for brands and retailers. The platform is available for retailers with any number of stores, no matter how small. Previously the only way for companies to access this data was through one-off deals with Foursquare.

Retailers will be able to use the dashboard to see foot-traffic data across metrics like gender, age and new versus returning customers — on a national or citywide scale. They also can compare their foot traffic against a set of competitors and their category as a whole. Read more here:  Foursquare is launching an analytics platform to help retailers understand foot traffic | TechCrunch

Lots of posts on Twitter about the new platform launch. Pretty cool that one of the original search and discover concepts is stepping up their game. Previously, you could get similar data from Foursquare, but it was a one-time snapshot. Now, the dashboard will be dynamic, with data collected from a huge pool of resources:

Interested in retail foot traffic trends? Learn how Foursquare Analytics can help you discover hidden opportunities. https://t.co/F0ZEc7m6eE

— Foursquare (@Foursquare) March 20, 2017

In the following Medium post by the CEO of Foursquare, Jeff Glueck explains how the technology used for Foursquare Analytics was gathered for the sake of the broader view. Using data to drive marketing decisions is critical, but this type of platform takes the time and effort out of the equation. Foursquare has boosted the technology to the next level, as you will read in the following quote:

Introducing Foursquare Analytics: a dynamic foot traffic dashboard for brands

I’ve said this before: Oftentimes a company sets out to solve one particular problem and builds technology to do it, and then later realizes that the solution has much wider applicability. That’s what happened here. We built our location tech so we could provide timely recommendations to Foursquare City Guide users about the best places to go, and then with passive location detection, we could serve up tips based on their journey. We then realized that being able to recognize when phones walk in and out of 93 million public places worldwide created an incredible data set for aggregate and anonymous analytics. It turns out, this capability can solve many business problems outside of our own.

Read the full post here:  Introducing Foursquare Analytics: a dynamic foot traffic dashboard for brands

The resource of 93 million public places is powerful. What it comes down to is that Foursquare Analytics will help local retailers discern how their own company is performing based on measurable foot traffic visits. I'm impressed by the foresight of Foursquare!

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Google Hangouts are Changing

[caption id="attachment_4206" align="alignleft" width="275"] Image from Wikimedia Commons[/caption] Google has decided to take Hangouts to the next level. They have split the video chat service into two separate classes: Hangouts Meet and Hangouts Chat. Why? They are pushing toward being more business-oriented as opposed to consumer-oriented. After all, in today's world an actual face-to-face meeting isn't really necessary. Virtual chat meetings save a lot of time and money while still providing the connectivity of being there live.  In a quote from Google's blog concerning the update, " More than half of the workforce will contribute remotely by 2020, so businesses require purpose-built tools to help employees succeed." The changes are part of the G Suite platform for business, which is a set of apps including Gmail, Docs, Drive and Calendar to keep co-workers connected. It is part of Google Cloud, so it can be accessed anywhere and everywhere, making project collaboration easy. This blurb from Fortune magazine sums up the reasoning for why Google Hangouts are changing:

Google Debuts Hangouts Meet And Hangouts Chat Services | Fortune.com

[caption id="attachment_4205" align="alignright" width="226"] Image from Iconfinder[/caption]

The search giant is splitting its video and chatting service into two separate products to better appeal to business customers. As of Thursday, Hangouts Meet will be focused on corporate video conferencing while Hangouts Chat will target workplace chat and business productivity.

Read more here:  Google Debuts Hangouts Meet And Hangouts Chat Services | Fortune.com

What is the difference between the two types of Hangouts? Hangouts Chat is dedicated to team projects, allowing co-workers to share content from the various Google cloud applications. It is very similar to Slack, which is a messaging service for business on steroids. Hangouts Meet will be more like the original Hangouts: Video conferencing that is shared through a link or by dialing a number, but with no plugin required. This video from USA Today gives a run down of the features of both types of Hangouts:

Will Google video conferencing have a price tag?  As far as the cost for G Suite, there are options but it sounds like the free Hangouts are eventually going away. The dynamic duo of Chat and Meet will only be available to G Suite business customers. The pricing plans are explained below for small vs big business:

Compare G Suite billing plans - G Suite Administrator Help

The Flexible Plan might therefore be best if you have a variable workforce. For example, businesses that provide vacation services might double in size during the summer months. A Flexible Plan allows these companies to provide temporary employees with G Suite and only pay for the service while it's used. User accounts can then be deleted when employees leave at the end of the summer.

The Annual Plan might be best if you have a larger workforce and your team is generally growing in size. You pay a lower monthly rate for each user license. And you can add licenses as your workforce grows.

Original post here:  Compare G Suite billing plans - G Suite Administrator Help

If you're still undecided, here is a diagram that shows the G Suite pricing options:

[caption id="attachment_4202" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Image from G Suite[/caption] With all of the other video conferencing platforms, it doesn't surprise me that Google is going deeper into enterprise technology. All the popular business-focused video options come with a price tag. In fact, Amazon has even jumped into the ring with Chime video conferencing, so all of the big hitters are part of this trend.

The blog post Google Hangouts are Changing was originally published to S&S Pro Service Blog

What is YouTube TV ?

[caption id="attachment_4190" align="alignleft" width="300"] Image from Wikimedia Commons[/caption] The old way of providing television programming is changing in a big way. Cable and satellite TV companies used to have the monopoly on what you were able to watch, making you to pay a hefty amount for channels that you really don't want just so that you can get that ONE channel you need in order to watch your favorite show. They also lock you into a contract and if you want out of it, you pay a cancellation fee. In addition, you usually end up with a bunch of equipment you have to send back or you get charged for that too. It doesn't seem very customer oriented, does it? A few years back when we moved into our new residence in the country, there wasn't any cable available, and they wanted to charge us over $5000 to put in the service. As you can imagine, we decided we could do without that cost.  There were options for satellite TV, which were fine except they also want an arm and a leg to force you into the packages they offer. Then we discovered options for streaming TV, but most of the sports packages were not available. Until now... Google has announced they are soon going to be offering YouTube TV. So, what  is YouTube TV? For an affordable price, you will get a decent number of channels, including ESPN and regional sports networks. This post from Wired explains how it will work:

Google Targets Cable With 'YouTube TV'—40 Channels for $35 | WIRED

Just $35 a month gets you six accounts and access to live TV from more than 40 providers including the big broadcast networks, ESPN, regional sports networks and dozens of popular

cable networks. Subscriptions include cloud DVR with unlimited storage, AI-powered search and personalization, and access to YouTube Red programming. YouTube CEO Susan

[caption id="attachment_4192" align="alignright" width="251"] Image from Iconfinder[/caption]

Wojcicki calls it the evolution of television, and a bid to “give the younger generation the content that they love with the flexibility they expect.”

Read the original post here:  Google Targets Cable With 'YouTube TV'—40 Channels for $35 | WIRED

So how is YouTube TV different from Sling, Netflix, or any of the other streaming services? There is one big difference --- you can actually record your shows using a DVR, and the cloud storage is unlimited.  They are saved to your device, so that means they won't affect your data usage. You also get access to all of YouTube's original content that has only been available through YouTube Red, a subscription service that keeps ads off of your videos.

This is a really big deal for younger people who watch most of their shows from a mobile device, want control over their choices, and aren't interested in the restrictions of cable or satellite TV. Even though I'm a little older, I am still very excited for this affordable and flexible option. In the next video, the creator gives a run down of what YouTube TV is all about and how it will affect other companies as well as YouTube video creators:

The six accounts that come with the system allow you to have six different logins, so everyone in the family can personalize their choices. They are referring to this type of streaming TV as "skinny bundles," as they come with less networks but at a much more affordable cost.  In this case, YouTube TV comes with all the major networks except for AMC, CNN, TBS and TNT. If you want to know what channels are going to be part of the YouTube TV choices, the following article from Sports Illustrated gives the networks that will be included:

How YouTube TV compares to rivals Sling, PlayStation, DirecTV

-- YouTube TV ($35; on Android and iOS, Chromecast). More than 40 channels including CNBC, E!, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNU, Fox News, Fox Business Network, Fox Sports 1 and FS2, regional sports networks and local channels. Each membership comes with six accounts, each with its own DVR capabilities.

Pros: Unlimited cloud DVR and YouTube Red content. Con: So far, Chromecast is only way to watch on TV. Read the full post here:  How YouTube TV compares to rivals Sling, PlayStation, DirecTV

Internet TV sites are forcing other providers to change their programming options. Recently we called the satellite TV service we use because we wanted to downgrade our monthly cost since football is over, which is the main reason we have it. Interestingly, they informed us that they now have a what is called a Flex Package that gives you the basic networks for a lower monthly price. The big change, though, was the ability to add a network for a couple weeks and then cancel it as soon as you are ready. We used to have to pay to downgrade, but upgrades were free. (Imagine that!)  It seems that maybe these companies are trying to adjust to the new world in which price and flexibility are what people are looking for.  

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Buying Video Games On Twitch

If you aren't aware of the site called Twitch, you are either not an avid gamer or you have been hiding under a rock. Established in 2011, Twitch is a leading social video platform and community for gamers that ranks 4th highest in traffic behind Netflix, Apple, and Google.  It has almost 10 million active users that log in to watch others play video games as well as discuss and interact with their gaming passion. It has formed a video game culture that is a unique way to connect with like minds on video gaming and other creative arts. Now they are offering even more incentive to join the millions of active video streamers and viewers:  The opportunity to buy the game you're watching through a live stream. The following post from CNET gives a quick overview of the new program starting this spring:

Twitch will let you buy games directly from streams - CNET

The streaming site focused on video games, tournaments and gaming culture will release this spring an update to allow viewers to buy the game they're watching others play. A "buy now" button will pop up next to the video description, sending viewers to a page where they can purchase the game.

Those who stream game play will get a 5 percent share of the purchase, enabling viewers to support their favorite shows and gamers. Streamers can opt into the new program by going to the settings tab in the "monetization" section and enabling revenue from game sales.

Read more here:  Twitch will let you buy games directly from streams - CNET

The statistics for how many dedicated gamers are on Twitch are mind blowing - 45 million!  Not only that, more than 60% of its viewers watch Twitch for at least 20 hours per week. That a massive audience of undivided attention that advertisers can tap into.

It isn't just individual people streaming video games. Twitch also includes competitive gaming which offer payouts for major events in the millions of dollars.  You can also be a Twitch partner after you have a certain number of followers and charge for subscribers. The following video is an excellent overview of Twitch and how it has become a major player in the world of online traffic:

How much money can you expect to make from Twitch when they launch the ability to purchase a video game with a Buy Now button? Streamers will get 5% of the total purchase and partner streamers will also receive 5% from in-game items bought through their channel page. The developers of the game will get 70% of the cost. This post from Game Spot discusses how it will work when buying video games on Twitch:

You Can Now Buy Games From Twitch, And Streamers Get A Cut | GameSpot

Streaming service Twitch is to start selling digital PC games soon. The site announced today that it will allow viewers to purchase games directly from streamers' pages starting spring 2017.

Once you've bought a game, it will be launchable through Twitch's own desktop program, or through publisher-led applications such as Ubisoft's Uplay. Doing so will reward customers with a free Twitch Crate, which may include randomized drops of items such as exclusive emotes, chat badges, and more.

Read the full post here:  You Can Now Buy Games From Twitch, And Streamers Get A Cut - GameSpot

Interesting that Amazon jumped on the Twitch bus, making the online hit part of the Amazon Prime package. If Cable TV companies can't learn a lesson from the popularity of live streaming sites like Twitch, they are not going to make it. Young online viewers want to have the option to choose and not have something shoved down their throat.  Technology is changing fast, and grabbing the attention of that size of a fan base is significant when making marketing decisions.  

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