September 2021 - Latest News, Headlines at Peter Zmijewski

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is now requiring phone carriers to block other carriers that have not implemented anti-robocall features. The FCC has been cracking down on robocalls, requiring carriers to implement the STIR/SHAKEN protocol. STIR/SHAKEN is a way for carriers to verify the authenticity of a call, pass that check on to the next carrier for further verification, and then confirming to the recipient that the call is verified or possibly spam. The FCC previously set September 28 as the deadline for carriers to have the mitigation efforts in…

Bing

Bing Updates Image Design Again: Dim Background, Faster Load Speed & More

September 29, 2021 news

Microsoft Bing announced they have once again updated the Bing Image Search user interface. The previous update was in June of this year. This new update includes: Added dimmed background and full-screen mode to make it easier to view images in high definition Larger filmstrip results to make viewing and browsing the images easier Lightning […] Microsoft Bing announced they have once again updated the Bing Image Search user interface. The previous update was in June of this year. This new update includes: Added dimmed background and full-screen mode to make it easier to…

google

Google Ads announces machine learning-based data-driven attribution models in new privacy landscape

September 28, 2021 news

In the wake of losing data to FLoC, Google’s new DDA solution seems to offer more attribution options even for smaller accounts “In a move away from last-click, data-driven attribution will soon be the default attribution model for all new Google Ads conversion actions,” tweeted Ads Liaison, Ginny Marvin on Monday morning. As Google works toward a move privacy-focused search experience for users, it’s also adjusting the available attribution models for advertisers. “[Data-driven attribution] uses advanced machine learning to more accurately understand how each marketing touchpoint contributed to a conversion, all while…

SEO

SEOs experiencing delays in data on Search Console performance reports

September 27, 2021 news

If you’re missing data, make sure to inform your clients and update your reporting to reflect the glitch. “We’re currently experiencing longer than usual delays in the Search Console performance report. This only affects reporting, not crawling, indexing, or ranking of websites,” said the Google Search Central Twitter account on the morning of Tuesday, September 21. “We’ll update here once this issue is resolved. Thanks for your patience!” Many SEOs have noticed the change in their Search Console reports this morning and have taken to social media to ask if…

SEM

Ads Creative Studio will consolidate Google’s various creative advertising tools

September 25, 2021 news

The new asset management hub will be available in beta to Display & Video 360 customers at the end of July and to select YouTube Ads customers in September. Google will launch a central hub for its creative advertising tools called Ads Creative Studio, the company announced Monday. Ads Creative Studio will unify tools previously found across YouTube, Display & Video 360 and Campaign Manager 360, and will be available in beta to Display & Video 360 customers at the end of July and to select YouTube Ads customers in September, with…

Volkswagen Truck Unit Cannibalizing Chips From Finished Trucks

September 24, 2021 news

Volkswagen’s truck unit, Traton Group, is taking chips from unfinished vehicles to finish others, a new indication of the impact of the semiconductor shortage. The semiconductor industry has been reeling as a result of the global pandemic. Early shutdowns and lockdowns interrupted production, while demand for laptops, tablets and gaming rigs skyrocketed. The auto industry has been particularly hard-hit, with multiple manufacturers slowing or halting production, or shipping vehicles without their full complement of fuel economy chips. In the case of the Traton Group, a Volkswagen subsidiary, the company is pulling…

Marketing

New marketing tactic to keep hot categories growing

September 23, 2021 news

Some sales soared during the pandemic. Comping that growth is the hard part. Here’s help. The pandemic has been a very profitable time for some businesses. Merchants that sell alcohol or pet food, for example, saw sales soar. It turns out that during a pandemic, people turn to the same sources of solace they turned to throughout history in difficult times: animal companions and booze. These comforts got many of us through the nightmare of COVID-19. In fact, data shows that these things got VERY many people through the pandemic.…

Bing

Microsoft Shows Off Coming Improvements To Bing App’s Voice Search

September 22, 2021 news

Microsoft has shared video of what was a confidential, employee-only demonstration of new voice search capabilities in its Bing app for Windows Phones. The demo, reported by MSFTKitchen, shows a substantially faster and more accurate voice search experience that also performs better in noisy situations. In the demo, Bing’s new voice search system appears to […] Microsoft has shared video of what was a confidential, employee-only demonstration of new voice search capabilities in its Bing app for Windows Phones. The demo, reported by MSFTKitchen, shows a substantially faster and more accurate…

google

PSA: Google Updates Chrome to Fix Serious Security Issues

September 21, 2021 news

Google has issued another update to Chrome in an effort address security issues. Google has released a number of security updates for Chrome in recent weeks, but the latest update addresses no fewer than 11 security issues, nine of which have a severity rating of “High.” The company says “the Stable channel has been updated to 93.0.4577.82 for Windows, Mac and Linux which will roll out over the coming days/weeks.” Users should update Chrome as soon as possible to avoid any issues.