Content about Google

DUBLIN, Ohio — HealthSpot, a provider of telehealth technology, has been asked to present at the Consumer Electronics Association 2013 CES on the Hill, the company has announced.

NEW YORK — Google is officially unveiling its testing program for its new online delivery service in the San Francisco Bay area of California, the Internet company said on its website.

Google Shopping Express promises same-day delivery to customers directly from such retailers as Target, Walgreens, Raley's, Toys "R" Us, American Eagle and others.

Google is offering a service called Google Shopping Express, which would offer same-day delivery from brick-and-mortar stores in the San Francisco Bay Area to the Internet giant's employees. Target and several other retailers have been named as possible partners.

NEW YORK — Google seems to have found a nifty niche for itself with Google Flu Trends, which seeks to track the influenza outbreak by monitoring Web searches for flu-related topics, but its accuracy may be in doubt, according to published reports.

Nature reported that a comparison between data from Google Flu Trends and official surveillance data found that the Google tool had overestimated peak flu levels. Nevertheless, according to Nature, the problem is minor, and the Internet services giant will probably be able to fix it.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Kodak is selling its digital imaging patents for $525 million, the bankrupt photography company said.

The sale of the more than 1,100 patents, part of the company's restructuring efforts as it seeks to emerge from chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring, involves the sale of the patents to a group of companies organized by Intellectual Ventures and RPX. According to published reports, companies buying the patents include Apple, Research In Motion and Google. Others include Adobe, Samsung, Fujifilm and China-based Huawei Technologies.

WASHINGTON — The Natural Products Association last week announced its presence across two new social media platforms — Pinterest and Google+. 

Consumers, industry members and policymakers can now stay up to date on NPA news, events, certification programs and advocacy actions in two new ways, the association stated. “Followers” also will get the latest details about federal and state legislation affecting the natural products industry, as well as news about current research and health trends. 

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — In anticipation of its upcoming 2012 Pharmacy and Technology Conference, the National Association of Chain Drug Stores has launched a mobile application to provide conference participants with a digital compass to navigate the event. The NACDS mobile website — m.NACDS.org — is also up to date with information for conference attendees.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — CVS/pharmacy is taking a greater step toward targeting the Hispanic market with the launch of its new Spanish-language website.

Like the English-language site, the Spanish version, located at http://es.cvs.com, enables shoppers to manage their prescription account, get health information, purchase products and access coupons. According to a MediaPost article, Google indicated that the new CVS Spanish website consists of 67,000 pages, most of which are product SKUs.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart announced that Google's VP local and maps Marissa Mayer will be up for election to the board at the company's annual shareholders' meeting on June 1. If elected, Mayer would become the 16th member of the board.

In a recent campaign, Walgreens used LocalResponse’s Direct Response to reach customers in-store to disseminate store promotions, such as flu shots and coupons for Kraft Foods’ Halls cough drops. Average click-through rates for Direct Response are greater than 50%, according to LocalResponse. Specifically, those consumers who “checked in” at their local Walgreens, be it through third-party apps like FourSquare, Google Places or Yelp, were targeted with a Halls-branded message.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Cambridge Consultants on Thursday released a report outlining how the health-and-wellness market may take shape as more consumer-friendly medical devices featuring the latest in technology reach the market.

“Disruption in this market will come from medical firms moving from 10-year product lifecycles and confronting the 18-month lifecycles of the consumer world, and from consumer companies adapting to the rigorous processes demanded by medical regulations,” stated Duncan Smith, head of product development at Cambridge Consultants.

WOONSOCKET, R.I. — As consumers and patients increasingly use social media as a healthcare tool and resource, a survey by Harvard University, Brigham and Women's Hospital, and CVS Caremark researchers found a need to improve site guidelines, as there is great variability in the standards used to ensure a site effectively provides information and answers to important health-related questions.