Scan a traditional UPC barcode with software on one of Nokia's latest phones and it will search Krillion's product database, returning information on availability and price based on location. Sherry Thomas-Zon, chief executive officer at Krillion, tells me the company plans to make an official announcement next week that it's technology feeds product search data behind the scenes to support Nokia's barcode scanner technology.

Trada engineers have begun developing business process and reporting options that make it easier for ad agencies to outsource paid search campaigns to the marketplace. The biggest change comes in automating the manual reporting process to give agencies proof of progress.

Rumors suggest Google will release the Android tablet at its I/O conference next week in San Francisco. Of course this is pure speculation, but there are a few facts.

Wall Street analysts aren't convinced data from comScore's U.S. April 2010 report tell the whole picture of gains in search market share for Yahoo -- up from 16.9% in the prior month, to 17.7% Digging a little deeper, some attribute the uptick to new features that could be falsely raising the numbers.

Traditional pay-per-click platforms have allowed advertisers to drive leads through Internet ads for years, but with the uptick in mobile search, the percentage of advertisers tapping into the pay-per-call strategy continues to rise. Here are some tips on how to take advantage of this trend.

How many consumers know or care about real-time search? A study released this week from RTS engine Wowd indicates some ignorance: 52% had never heard of real-time search before taking the survey. Perhaps it's time the search industry steps up to the plate.

Yahoo posted a sneak peek of several creative pieces that will become part of the next phase of the company's "It's You!" marketing campaign. A video on Yahoo's site sets the tone, which takes a blatant jab at Google.

Dear BP, I hope you're paying attention to the chatter across the Web about your misstep. Several online marketing experts weighed in with suggestions on how to better manage your reputation through paid search, search engine optimization, Facebook ads and YouTube videos, as you not only try to clean up the oil in the ocean and shoreline, but the foul sentiment you're leaving behind online.

Like a young child standing in front of classmates with a big grin on his face ready to spill the beans, Google's venture capital arm, Google Ventures, launched new information on its Web site explaining the company will build a team of entrepreneurs, subject-matter experts and investors committed to providing more than financial backing to companies that fit the bill. Aside from providing capital, Google also plans to assist with product launches, code reviews, user interface designs and more.

Marketers who want to build iPhone campaigns or Facebook Fan page face a quandary: they must leave behind many of the tools -- analytics, search engine optimization (SEO) and click-through rates (CTR) -- that accompany campaigns across the open Web, according to Forrester Research analyst Josh Bernoff . This trend is evident in the way Apple and Facebook create proprietary platforms that prohibit search engines from indexing private content, and require brands to build campaigns with specific technologies and APIs. Among Apple's rules: Adobe Flash won't run.