TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT

  • Federal officials said they won’t force Google, Facebook, and other companies to honor “Do Not Track” requests.
  • Facebook posted huge increases in usage and revenue. A Bloomberg reporter says usage growth is “accelerating again”.
  • Google’s infamous Penguin update is late, but still on track for 2015.

And that is what you need to know for this week without the hype.

News You Should Know

The FCC says it can’t force Google and Facebook to stop tracking their users

The agency says its net neutrality policy doesn’t let it regulate Web sites — just Internet providers.

Facebook Sales Top Estimates, Fueled by Mobile Advertising

Facebook Inc. notched another quarter of revenue that beat estimates after stepping up its mobile-advertising efforts.

Google Confirms Penguin Update By End of Year
Google Confirms Penguin Update By End of Year

Good news for those anxiously awaiting a Google Penguin update, Google confirms we will be seeing the update before the end of the year. Big news coming on the heels of the “Rank Brain” main algorithm change a couple of weeks ago.

Tech in our Lives

Gmail’s Inbox app will now write (some of) your e-mails for you - The Washington Post
Gmail’s Inbox app will now write (some of) your e-mails for you – The Washington Post

E-mails written by actual robots, rather than just office drones. For now, this is just the Inbox app, not the Gmail app.

TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT

  • The main Google algorithm that creates search results explained and with a big new update to boot.
  • Twitter is going to let you have follow a whole lot more people.
  • Target increases digital spend for the holidays–now 61% of their budget!

And that is what you need to know for this week without the hype.

News You Should Know

All About Google's New Search Algorithm
All About Google’s New Search Algorithm

Google’s using a machine learning technology called RankBrain to help deliver its search results. Here’s the best explainer article on the topic so far.

Twitter Moves Account Limit from 2,000 to 5,000 Followers
Twitter Moves Account Limit from 2,000 to 5,000 Followers

This is a big cultural change for Twitter, but should ony affect power users.

Target Boosts Digital Ad Spending to 61% for Holidays
Target Boosts Digital Ad Spending to 61% for Holidays

Toy-Filled ‘Odyssey’ Campaign Features Bullseye, Neil Patrick Harris Plus Tie-Ins With Mary Poppins, Star Wars. You think they got the mobile and social memo?

Tech in our Lives

Everything you need to know about the vast undersea network that makes the Internet work
Everything you need to know about the vast undersea network that makes the Internet work

For all the talk about the “cloud,” practically all of the data shooting around the world actually relies on a series of tubes to get around — a massive system of fiber-optic cables lying deep underneath the oceans.

TODAY’S SPOTLIGHT

  • Bing is profitable, says Microsoft, and that means Microsoft has renewed vigor in search for the future.
  • One search source may be Facebook. The text of all public posts will be available.
  • Google search results have been extremely variable for 8 days. We have the best article we’ve seen on the subject but no one has answers yet.

And that is what you need to know for this week without the hype.

News You Should Know

Microsoft's Bing search business finally is profitable
Microsoft’s Bing search business finally is profitable

Microsoft’s search business has turned the corner and is finally profitable, and generated $1 billion in revenues during the company’s first quarter of 2016. That sets up the ongoing battle with Google to continue.

Facebook Search Opens to All Public Messages

Facebook announces that all public posts will be searchable. That means your organization may be able to start seeding Facebook with promotional messages much like you do now with search engines.

Double Google Ranking Changes in October Not Penguin Related
Double Google Ranking Changes in October Not Penguin Related

“…This could have been one.” That’s what Googler Gary Illyes wrote on Twitter this week. What’s this? Search marketers have been seeing substantial shifts in search ranking since October 17. But “it” is not the Penguin update, says Google, while declining to say anything else.

Tech in our Lives

24 words that mean totally different things now than they did pre-Internet

Remember when a canoe was just a boat and a troll was just a mythological creature?