I have a clear recollection of the day I heard about GMail. I was sitting in my office at FindLaw in 2004 when someone sent me an email announcing the GMail launch and the limited number of beta test invites available to the general public. For the next week, I set out on a mission to contact every friend at Google I had until I had secured an invitation. Once accepted, I tried to secure “david@gmail.com” or even “davidr@gmail.com” but these were already gone. Still, I did OK … Continue reading →

SearchQuant posted a good analysis of AMP – Yahoo’s new display ad exchange – on his blog this evening, and he included a link to Yahoo’s promotional video about the release. Basically, AMP is an ad exchange that combines the inventory of Yahoo, major newspapers, eBay, and several other big players into one place. On top of that, it promises a slick user interface, and targeting tools like geo-targeting and demographic targeting. As SearchQuant and others have noted, the announcement of this exchange – which won’t launch until … Continue reading →

I just got back from a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas for the inaugural LeadsCon conference – the first conference created entirely for the online lead generation industry. If conference attendance is an indicator of the health of the lead gen industry, lead gen is doing quite well. To wit, conference creator Jay Weintraub had hoped to get 300 attendees and he ended up turning people away after more than 600 registrants invaded the Palms ballroom (indeed, I also heard that some people at the investment banking conference … Continue reading →

Well the timing isn’t necessarily that great, but Zillow is trying to throw a further wrench into online lead generation for mortgages by launching what is essentially a “reverse auction” for mortgages. As described on TechCrunch, “Borrowers submit just the essentials – what type of loan they need, where they’re located, their estimated property value, their credit history, etc – without divulging any of their contact info. Then certified lenders make offers that can be compared side-by-side. It’s up to the borrower to reach out and contact those … Continue reading →

After several years of low-key alpha testing and on and off again rumors of launch, it appears that Google Print Local will finally go live as a public beta in the next few weeks. Though I am often critical of new Google launches (see for example, my critique of Google Sky and Google Print, amongst others), from everything I have heard about Google Print Local, this one seems like it could really have legs. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this product, here’s the basic concept … Continue reading →