Microsoft’s Bing Maps for Android- pleasant surprise for me!

Microsoft’s Bing for Android may not technically be the first Microsoft-made app for Android phones (that honor belongs to the rather obscure Microsoft Tag Reader,) but the Bing is its highest-profile app.

Bing for Android closely resembles Bing for iPhone, with an image of the day marking the backdrop, and a pop-up menu to search by images, movies, maps, news, or what’s nearby. There’s also an option for directions. A search field sits at the top, next to a voice search button. Bing for Android hides your history, settings, and favorites in the phone’s hard-coded Menu button.

The Android version of Bing also integrates maps, and the touchable hot spots hidden in the day’s image that reveal additional information about the photo du jour. Swiping backward loads previous images.

However, Bing for Android lacks two significant features found in the iPhone version-options for scanning an item’s bar code with your camera, and connecting to your Twitter and Facebook feeds.

We’re fans of the Bing app on all platforms we’ve tested, and while we’d like to see this Android version gain parity with the iPhone version, usabilitywise, it’s no exception. We’d also like to see the Maps portion add directions for public transit–a la Google Maps-to complement its driving and walking directions.

Garmin’s newest marine-friendly handheld GPSMAP 78sc

Scott Tunage, host of the award-winning series G3 Sportsman, takes to the woods and waters each week in search of new outdoor adventures. Scott is dedicated to the everyday outdoorsman, and brings a realistic look at what happens in the real world of outdoor adventures – including gear reviews. In the clip below, Scott spends time with Garmin’s newest marine-friendly handheld, the GPSMAP 78sc. The rugged GPSMAP 78sc comes preloaded with U.S. coastal charts and features a 3-axis compass, barometric altimeter, a high-sensitivity receiver, and – like you’ll see in the video – it floats! Watch the video below for a look at why anavid outsdoorsman like Scott doesn’t venture far without hisGPSMAP 78sc. Here’s a hint: “It’s as handy as a pocket on a shirt!”

If You are Hit by Competitor Spam Review

Barbara Oliver & Co. Jewelry’s Google Place page was hit with what appears to be a competitor spam review. The review is rather bizarre with racial innuendo and unfounded accusations. It would appear that the reviewer had not ever visited the store.

The timing of the spam review is interesting. There have previously been review complaints against other businesses in her market for having posted their own fake reviews. With Google no longer counting 3rd party reviews as of July 21st, there was a radical shift in the number of counted reviews showing for businesses that were returned in key searches in the market. Barbara fared well with the new review count totals while others in the market did not. Whether these facts are related to the spam review is unclear but I thought they added context and certainly raised suspicions.

The review is in technical violation of Google’s review guidelines although it is not at all obvious that it will be taken down by Google or if they will take it down, when. And like all reviews of this type, it points to a process failure in how Google handles review take down requests by SMBs.

Because of Barbara’s many positive reviews it had no impact on her star rating. Fortunately the best of all possible events occurred when a client responded to the bogus review directly and came to Barbara’s defense and another review was posted pushing the spam review down the page. It certainly points to the benefits of having happy clients speaking on your behalf in the on-line conversation.

I have been of two minds in regards to an owner response and have more questions than answers at this point. Would the review be somehow legitimized by any response? Would it bring unwarranted attention to it? Can a response be written, focused on future customers, that would stand the business and Barbara in good stead? Or is steady at the helm, garner new customer reviews the overall best, singular tactic? Barbara of course was calling for blood but was willing to take my advice and she recognized the power of having her customers speak on her behalf once that occurred.

The question at hand that I would like help answering: Should Barbara provide an owner response? If so why and what should the response look like? And if not why not?

P.S. a few simple Google Places Reputation management tips:


– With the new Places layout on the desktop, Offers (aka coupons) push reviews below the fold on both the desktop and mobile.
– The Share an Update (available from the analytics view) also pushes reviews down the page albeit not as much as a coupon
– Also if a previous reviewer simply edits/re-saves their review it will ascend to the top of the list pushing more recent reviews down.