Street Fight Daily: Oink Shutters, SXSW Location Wrap, Groupon Poaches

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal media, technology, advertising and startups.

Kevin Rose’s Oink Shuts Down (TechCrunch)
Oink, the first app from Kevin Rose’s new startup lab Milk, is shutting down. The announcement posted to the company’s homepage yesterday claims the app was a “test” and the decision was made so that the company could focus on its next project, yet to be named.

Big Hyperlocal Blogs Looking At Advertising All Wrong (Business Insider)
John Buchanan: The bottom line is that traditional models simply don’t apply. In order to be successful, publishers need to think differently, be better at adapting to the needs of hyperlocal readers and experiment with new strategies that are outside of their comfort zone.

SXSW: Location, Location, Location Fuels Mobile Apps (MacWorld)
Will the location-based apps change the mobile landscape or are they a flash in the pan? One factor that has the potential to slow growth is user concern over privacy protections. Location data has opened up a flood of innovation, but has also raised concern among privacy advocates and privacy-sensitive users.

Groupon Hires Curtis Lee Away From Zynga to Become Its New VP Of Consumer Products (TechCrunch)
Groupon has been busy buying up assets in areas like mobile and is looking for ways of driving more revenue per user, with services like VIP loyalty programs. It is not clear yet what Lee will produce at Groupon, but the idea of putting some of his creativity around monetizing services and adding more “gaming” elements into Groupon’s offerings does make you look forward to seeing what lies ahead.

The Fantastic Evolution of Online Deal Platforms (Mighty Deals)
This infographic, presented by MightyDeals, shows the complete evolution of online deal platforms. It covers both flash sale and groups sale sites, starting in 2001 and leading right into predictions for the near future. It even includes some suggested sites by niche.

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