Street Fight Daily: Groupon Sued, ExxonMobil Taps Shopkick

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

Groupon Hit With First Shareholder Suit Over Accounting (PaidContent)
Less than four months after going public, Groupon is already facing an SEC probe – and now its new shareholders are suing it for gimmicky accounting practices. In the first of what is likely to be a parade of lawsuits, a Chicago man is seeking compensation on behalf of shareholders who were allegedly tricked into buying the stock at artificially high prices.

Urban Airship Brings Location, Context Targeting To Mobile Notifications (TechCrunch)
In its biggest announcement since the acquisition of SimpleGeo, Urban Airship is unveiling a new product which combines its push notification platform with the ability to segment audiences by location, time, context, and preferences in an effort to improve relevancy and targeting of both messages and offers.

ExxonMobil Taps Shopkick To Lure Drivers (MediaPost)
Location-based shopping app Shopkick has turned to Big Oil for its latest retail partner. Under a new deal, ExxonMobil will let customers that use the Shopkick app at its gas station convenience stores earn points that can be redeemed at the stores of other retailers that work with Shopkick. Unfortunately for consumers reeling from high gas prices, the rewards don’t include discounts at the pump.

Delivery.com Adds Virtual Check-ins (VentureBeat)
Foursquare’s place check-in is moving into new territory. Online food ordering and delivery service Delivery.com is integrating with Foursquare so that customers can virtually check in to a businesses when they place an online order. Through the integration, the delivery service will enable its customers to connect to Foursquare to not only check-in when they order on the web, but also view food hotspots, sort results by check-ins, see venue photos, reviews, and tips, and leave tips of their own.

The Tap Lab Raises $550K for Location-Based Mobile Gaming (TechCrunch)
In an upcoming game from the company, players will be able to do jobs at real-world places like serve virtual coffee at their Starbucks. They’ll also be able to buy virtual versions of real-world products, which will earn them points. The previous version of the game let players take over local venues, challenge others for ownership and earn virtual income and rent.

How Location-Based Apps Can Stave Off the ‘Creepy Factor’ (Wired)
Christina Bonnington: Transparency and user control are key to keeping an app from coming across as untrustworthy or creepy. Developers already have the tools to make sure users are aware of geolocation features in apps, and it’s incumbent on them to use them.

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