The mapping upgrades and improvements are coming so fast now from Google, Microsoft, MapQuest, and Yahoo that it's difficult to keep track of all the changes. Luckily, the Ask Blog walks us through all the features of the new and improved Ask Maps UK, which includes multi-point routing, walking directions (which are claimed to be unique to Ask), aerial views, and incorporates landmarks, transit, and points of interest.
However, this isn't a map-centric local search site, like Ask City in the US. A search for local information on the Ask UK Maps site (e.g., London Hotels) will send users to Ask.com search results.
Filed under Search Engines by Greg Sterling
IAC Reports Q3 Results from CNNMoney reports that IAC saw a 4.2% decline in net income year over year. Here is IAC's press release for the third-quarter numbers this year.
But if you pull out Ask.com, IAC's search engine, which is part of IAC's Media & Advertising group, you will see that sector saw an increase of 40% in revenue and a positive net this past quarter. In Q3 2007, the Media & Advertising group saw revenues of $189.8 million up from $135.5 million in Q3 2006, plus operating income this past quarter was $15.4 million, up from a loss of $2.1 million last year.
Filed under Search Engines by Barry Schwartz
Our goal: to get more people to use Ask UK's Maps service. Our solution: introduce a new version, with new features. Now, thanks to a joint effort across several Ask.com offices, we've succeeded in delivering an Ask Maps service well worth talking about, with features that we think will have you coming back for more.
Bringing the US Along for the Ride
When you work with teams that cross boundaries, it?s often little details that take the longest to get right. In the UK, when you come off a motorway, you call it a "junction;" in the US you call it an "exit." And when it comes to prioritizing landmarks like museums and other points of interest in our search results, we worked closely with our US development team to advise them as to the more popular UK sites.
In addition to the new features, we've extended Ask Maps to cover the UK and Ireland. So if you're planning an Autumn trip around the British Isles, make sure you give it a go.
Driving You Sane
You can give our new driving directions up to ten different destinations and it will plot a route between them.
Getting There On Foot
If you are more of the urban walking persuasion, try the walking directions.
Just tell it where you want to go and it'll show you how to get from A to B.
(BTW, Google/Yahoo!/MSN Live Maps do not provide walking directions. Nice!)
Landmark Assistance
Our UK map plots not only streets, but several thousand points of interest. Ask UK Maps cover museums (try the National Gallery), historic buildings (go for the Tower of London), parks (a stroll in Regent's Park, perhaps?) and many others.
Tube Vision
If walking through London is wearing you out, take the underground! The tube stations are marked on our maps (they are the little red circles with a blue line across them).
Get a Birds-Eye Perspective With Aerial View
If you want to know what things look like before you even get there, use the
satellite imagery. Just click on the "Aerial" link and zoom right
in. If you like the picture a lot, you can even buy it! Just click on the "BuyPoster"
link.
And remember, you can also bookmark a map view that you like, email it to a
friend or print the driving directions. Click on the options on the top right-hand
side of the map.
UK Maps, Smarter Than Ever
Now you can start your city searches right from the Ask UK home page. Type in the name of any major UK city on our web search, and you will get a Smart Answer with not only a link to the map, but a whole lot of other information, like links to local travel traffic information, tourist advice and virtual tour.
When you have a project team spread over four or five different geographical
locations and several time zones--on a product with very specific local quirks--it's
quite a challenge. But the team worked hard to make it happen, and on time too!
--Koji Kawano and Daniel Mermelstein
International Product Management
Ask UK
Filed under Ask by Ask.com Blog
Kevin Gibbons spotted a couple new features in Google AdWords for advertisers, including a convenient way for advertisers who are not based in the United States to now change the format of numbers, times, and dates within their accounts.
Filed under Search Engines by Barry Schwartz
AOL Will Let Consumers Opt Out of Targeted Ads from the Wall Street Journal reports that AOL will announce today a new tool that will enable AOL users to opt out of targeted or personalized ads. (NOTE: The AOL announcement is now live).
AOL has behavioral ad technology that stores consumer's preferences and then tailors ads based on the sites' users' visits. AOL is expected to announce a system that will give these users the ability to opt out of those ads.
Filed under Search Engines by Barry Schwartz
