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posted 12/08/09 11:00 AM | updated 12/08/09 11:40 AM
Featured Post! | Views: 134 | Comments : 3 | Business

Pizza & Movies, and a First-Name-Biz Basis, These are a Few of Google's Favorite Places

By Michael van Baker
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Congratulations, Central Cinema! Besides being The SunBreak's most loyal advertiser, you're one of Google's Favorite Places in Seattle. Which means that Google has or will be sending you a decal for your front door with a bar code on it. When passers-by with smart phones scan the code, they'll be offered a link to your Place page, which has hours, reviews, a map, photos, and a link to your website.

Of course, the smart phone has to be able to scan QR codes. (Yes, there's an app for that.) To get things started, Google has partnered the makers of an iPhone scanner app, QuickMark, so the first 40,000 downloads are free. (It's normally $1.99, so not really a budget-buster in the first place.)

Google plans to send out 100,000 Favorite Places decals to businesses across the country, in 9,000 towns and cities. The "favoritism" is based on Google searches of business listings. Here are some of Seattle's Favorite Places, a list that looks more like tourists assembled it than residents:

  • Agua Verde Cafe & Paddle Shop
  • Edgewater Hotel
  • Gregg's Greenlake Cycle
  • Wide World Books & Maps
  • Ivar's Acres of Clams
  • Schultzy's Sausage
  • Ray's Boathouse Cafe Bar
  • Chambered Nautilus Bed & Breakfast Inn
  • Hilton Seattle Hotel
  • The Mac Store
  • Shafer Baillie Mansion Bed & Breakfast
  • Alki Kayak Tours
  • Bacon Mansion Bed & Breakfast
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The Mac Store?
While I completely agree with something like Central Cinema and Aqua Verde, the mac store? Really? This would be a way cool thing if some thought (and not just computer algorithms) were put behind it. Say if Yelp were doing something like this based on the highest rated businesses or something.
But a list that includes The Mac Store as one of Google's favorite places?
Comment by CharlesR
3 days ago
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RE: The Mac Store?
*mindboggle*

Still a few bugs in the system, I guess.
Comment by Michael van Baker
3 days ago
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semapedia.org
Screw Google. You can mark-up places yourself and tag them to Wikipedia entries. See http://en.semapedia.org/

Or, you can use any variety of online QR encoders to create your own tags with any information you want and paste them up wherever you want.
Comment by Rev. Tom Dobrowolsky
1 day ago
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