Here are some articles which have caught my interest lately.

Blue Dot Special

Google has added a new feature to Google Shopping.  When you search for an item, not only will Google tell you the price ranges found, it will now tell you (indicated by a blue dot) the retailers that have it in-stock, it’s price, distance from you and a link to directions.   This could be trouble for local shopping startups like Milo.com

Mobile

According to a new Nielson report, smartphones will outnumber feature phones by the end of 2011.

Gartner released a new report outlining 10 mobile technologies to watch this year and next.  The two that most caught my attention were:

• By 2011, over 85 percent of handsets shipped globally will include some form of browser.
• By the end of 2011, over 75 percent of devices shipped in mature markets will include a GPS.

This has interesting implications for retailers and location-based services.

Check-in’s and Cheaters

Tired of checking into multiple location based services?  Check.in may have the answer.  It will be interesting to see how the fragmentation around ‘checking in’ will shake out.

Nate Riggs has a good article for retail and restaurant companies about how to leverage your relationship with your location’s Foursquare mayor.

Of course, you may be talking to a cheater.  A new app – Fake Mayor – allows users to present a screen which makes them appear to be mayor.  You should check the Foursquare website to be sure.

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