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New Media News Every Morning

U.S.News & World Report unveils RankingsAndReviews.com

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rankingsreviews.gifU.S.News & World Report, the publisher of the America’s Best Colleges and Best Hospitals rankings, today announced the launch of RankingsAndReviews.com, a new internet site that empowers consumers to make the most informed buying decisions by providing rankings and meta-reviews of major consumer products.

It also unveils its first comprehensive consumer category – Best Cars and Trucks – the only free-of-charge website of its kind, creating a rankings system that distills all of the automotive information it collects into a single numerical score (between 1 and 10) and thereby enables consumers to make head-to-head comparisons of car models within their respective categories.

“By essentially offering a ‘review of reviews,’ Best Cars & Trucks eliminates the confusing and cumbersome task of sorting through the substantial amount of auto information currently available online and allows consumers to easily make sense of the best, most usable information,” said Brian Kelly, editor of U.S.News & World Report.

Originally posted on October 5, 2007 @ 7:47 am

American Express Travel launches Local Color

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901am.comAmerican Express Travel, one of the world’s largest travel agency networks, has launched Local Color, a new travel information and planning sitelet that aggregates best-in-class destination content from three strategic partners – Lonely Planet, IgoUgo, and Travel + Leisure – into one easily navigated, searchable, and engaging experience.

This will enable visitors to easily and efficiently explore destination content and plan for enriching travel experiences. American Express is leveraging each partner’s expertise to provide valuable travel information on destinations all over the world.

“Travelers are increasingly looking for ways to deepen their knowledge through travel experiences that are unique and memorable. By bringing to our customers tools like Local Color, we can help them create truly personalized and unforgettable vacations,” said Audrey Hendley, vice president of marketing, American Express Travel.

Originally posted on October 3, 2007 @ 11:13 am

IWON.com relaunches

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iwon.gifIWON.com, an exciting games and sweepstakes destination site that gives away cash and merchandise prizes, has revamped its site to give millions of online gamers even more reasons to play. Internet users who play casual games can now instantly win cash and a wide variety of prizes simply by playing their favorite online games for free.

In the coming months, the new IWON.com will incorporate social networking features that will make winning money a social experience. With more than 80 free games to choose from, players can find the perfect game for them on the all-new IWON.com – from classics like Blackjack, Poker and Solitaire to current favorites such as “Bounce Out” and “Collapse.”

“In developing the new IWON, we determined that not enough members were shouting ‘I Won’ on the old site. Now we plan to give away millions of dollars each year to thousands upon thousands of individuals. Right now, we have someone yelling out ‘I WON!’ every 45 minutes! It’s like being in Vegas, only without the risk,” said Tim Allen, VP of IWON.com.

Originally posted on October 3, 2007 @ 9:48 am

Zippyjobs.com connects students with employment opportunties

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zippyjobs.gifZippyjobs.com is a unique campus based job search website that connects students with jobs and internships that fit their class schedules and college lifestyles. It is available to over 200,000 students from the Washington DC metro area and enrolled in the following 12 D.C., Maryland and Virginia universities.

By serving as a bridge to one-time and part- time jobs and internship opportunities, Zippyjobs not only helps college students emancipate themselves from the burden of student loans and the pull of the parental leash, it also helps them gain valuable experience in their chosen fields.

Key features include a patent pending feature that allows students to search for jobs based on college campus, as opposed to city, state and zip code; Google Mapping so that students can easily determine how they can get to and from a job or internship; A social networking tool that allows students to discuss opportunities with their peers as well as with employers, HR professionals, and households that have posted on the site.

Originally posted on October 3, 2007 @ 6:56 am

Yahoo! launches Search Assist

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searchassist1.gifTo help many online users suffering from “Web search fatigue”, Yahoo! Search has launched Search Assist, the most advanced assistance technology available on the Web, and the integration of audio, video and photos directly into the search results to help make Web search effortless for consumers.

Yahoo!, Search Assist goes beyond basic search “suggestions” and gives consumers real-time query suggestions as well as related topics and concepts, which is especially valuable when a person is searching on an unfamiliar topic.

“The new Yahoo! Search is focused on getting consumers the most relevant information as well as providing the best user experience. We know that consumers want a complete answer, not a bunch of links, and the changes we’ve made are focused on getting people to the best answer – whether it be a Web link, photo, video or music clip – in one search,” said Vish Makhijani, general manager and senior vice president of Yahoo! Search.

Originally posted on October 2, 2007 @ 10:33 am