Street Fight Daily: Square Denies IPO Plans, New Competitor for Foursquare
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology…
At Square, Growth Is Good — At Least It Could Be (Street Fight)
In an interview published Wednesday, Jack Dorsey said that the company has never “been in any talks about an acquisition with anybody for our nearly six years as an idea and over five years as a company.” He also rejected rumors that the closely-watched firm was under duress financially, framing the losses as intentional investments in the business.
Can Another Company Deliver on the Promise of Foursquare? (GigaOm)
Foursquare may be struggling, but that doesn’t mean others aren’t jostling to take its place. A new app, Connect, just raised a $10.3 million Series A, in a round including Marc Benioff, to give it a shot. It calls itself a “living address book.” It’s a digital address book, but it’s also a new take on Foursquare’s check-in feature.
Apple and IBM Release New Retail Apps (Street Fight)
Last summer, Apple and IBM announced a partnership to develop hundreds of new business applications exclusively for iOS devices. The fruits of the partnership, which were released this morning, include a handful of productivity and sales applications that could compete with a thriving category of startups selling software to brick-and-mortar retailers.
Bizarre Yelp Lawsuit Over Alleged Fake Reviews To Finally Move Ahead (Ars Technica)
A judge in San Diego, California, ruled Tuesday against a local bankruptcy lawyer who had attempted to put a stop to Yelp’s lawsuit against him. Yelp believes that McMillan orchestrated fake reviews on the Yelp page for his bankruptcy law business—an accusation he emphatically denies. That larger case, which had been put on hold, will now resume.
Sponsored Post: After the Click — Solving Mobile’s Attribution Problem (Street Fight)
Traditional online metrics, focused more on website clicks, fail to accurately capture online-to-offline attribution. How can companies “close the loop” on measuring mobile ad effectiveness? An important way is through calls, given that 30% of display ad secondary actions are calls.
Though Less Effective, Standard Banners Still 97 Percent Of Mobile Display (Marketing Land)
There are multiple ad unit types that are more effective than standard mobile banners. However the latter still comprises an amazing 97 percent of US mobile display advertising according to a new Report. Meanwhile, more than 40 percent of mobile users who engaged with video in mobile display ads watched the entire video.
Anschutz Explores Bringing Back Rocky Mountain News in Denver (Denver Business Journal)
Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz is exploring the possibility of reviving the Rocky Mountain News, the Denver daily newspaper that shut down in 2009 after nearly 150 years of publication. But one news-industry analyst suggests that Anschutz’s real goal may be to buy The Denver Post and is floating the idea of bringing back its longtime competitor as a negotiating tactic.
Will Tools Like Apple Pay Move The Needle On Mobile Commerce? (AdExchanger)
Lauren Moores: With holiday shopping following close on the heels of the fall release of the iPhone 6 with Apple Pay, I expect shopping behavior to shift further toward mobile because of reduced transaction costs. Now we’re all waiting to see whether integration of Apple Pay and other mobile payment options in brand mobile apps or mobile-optimized sites will create momentum.
Swill Launches In New York To Make Buying Alcohol A ‘Seamless’ Experience (TechCrunch)
Swill has launched in NYC, offering users an easy way to order booze with their phone and have it delivered on the spot. The app gives users access to a full marketplace of beers, wines, spirits and mixers from various nearby liquor shops.
Nokia’s Here Maps arrives on Android (Engadget)
After weeks of testing, Nokia has officially released Here Maps on Google Play. While it’s not as multi-talented as Google Maps, its simple interface specializes in navigation (especially driving) and offline mapping — this may be ideal for trips abroad where cellular data isn’t guaranteed.
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