Google expands check-in deals

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Google recently announced the expansion of Check-in deals for people using Google Maps with Latitude and Places. The program initially launched in Austin, Tx during SXSW. Check-in is now open to the rest of the country.

Google Check-in does not make a game out of your location status like other services; instead, you get rewards purely based on the number of check-ins you have at a location. As you achieve different levels, the rewards get better.

Google is starting out with discounts from American Eagle Outfitters, Quiznos, Arby's, Macy's, Radio Shack, Finish Line, Famous Footwear, Great Clips, Naturalizer, Tasti D-Lite, Wireless Zone, Cellairis, and PostNet.

Google has a competitive advantage over some of the other services in that the app needed to check in is native to Android phones. Whether you are a fan of Google Buzz, Google Latitude, Google Places, or Google Maps on your phone, they all interact with each other at some point. This makes it easy for users who might not otherwise bother with check-ins to stumble upon the service.

Many users are reluctant to use Google Check-in, Buzz, Latitude, Places, etc... , because they "don't know anybody else who uses it." It may prove more difficult to persuade existing users of Foursquare, Gowalla, et. al. to try Google Check-in versus users who don't already have "friends" using those services. It remains to be seen whether the tight integration with mobile handsets will offset the momentum that the other location-based services have.

Unlike the other services, Google Check-in rewards everybody who frequents businesses. This lower hurdle to getting rewards may very well turn out to be the key to its adoption.

Google Latitude check-in deals now available across the US (downloadsquad.switched.com)

Google Latitude Check-In Offers Go Nationwide (newsgrange.com)

Google Rolls Out Checkin Deals for Latitude Nationwide (mashable.com)

Check in, gain status, and unlock offers at more places with Google Latitude (google-latlong.blogspot.com)

Blogger blocks excessive posting

A while ago, I tried uploading a blog post via Android App. The upload kept failing. Not to be deterred, I deleted the app and reinstalled, to find no better success. I thought that perhaps I could email the post to Blogger. That did not work either. The email bounced back with the following: Technical details of permanent failure: You have exceeded the the allowable number of posts without solving a captcha. This happened because I imported quite a few blog posts from another blog I discontinued just yesterday. It has been less than 24 hours since the import. It makes sense. I'm rather certain the captcha speedbump is also why the mobile app refused to publish my posts. The problem can be circumvented if you post directly on the Blogger site and solve the captcha. This problem will likely resolve in the next few hours and all will be right with the universe once more.

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