I have been busy since I left my full time employ at GatherUp.com. I have been doing my consulting again, helping with two new companies, Leadferno & Near Media AND writing. I am also still doing the LocalU Last Week in  Local. But none of it here.

As a note, if you are following me via the FeedBurner email, that is going away and I would suggest that if you want to follow my writing you subscribe to the Near Media Newsletter where I am joining David Mihm and Greg Sterling to focus on local insights for search, social and commerce.

Some recent writings and podcasts:

4/23/2021 Google Expands Restaurant Online Order Integration – Google is rapidly building out front and back end capabilities to improve integration with restaurant food ordering and to control many parts of the process, while minimizing costs and extracting some rent.

4/22/2021 FTC to Speed Rulemaking to Fight Digital Deception – Rebecca Slaughter, the acting Chair of the FTC, disdains fake reviews and has elevated rulemaking at the FTC to do something about it

4/21/2021 Google Maps Privacy Nutrition Label – Early last week Google finally updated Maps for iOS and its attendant privacy label. As you suspected, Google is collecting a shit ton of personal data.

Podcasts & Video

4/23/2021 The Near Memo, Episode 12 Zagat reviews, but shorter and more visual, rise from the Google ashes; The FTC ability to levy fines as a deterrent is knee capped by SCOTUS; Apple privacy changes AND review capability coming this week. (Also available as a podcast and on Youtube)

4/19/2021 Last Week in Local for April 19, 2021 with Mary Bowling and Carrie Hill

Thank you so much for all of the support you have provided over the years. I hope you will follow me on my new adventures and join us for the Near Media Newsletter and podcast. And as a note, you can always reach out to me with questions, ideas, suggestions and yes, even criticism about local at mike at blumenthals.com