Google has been attracting considerable attention after Classified Intelligence reported the search giant has applied for patents for a classified advertising system. 'Google Automat' links a listings database with an online payment system, likely to be used at the domain classifieds.google.com. Screen shots show that the service would be free for adverts in motoring, property and jobs.
Both online and print newspapers have become increasingly threatened by Google's moves into online advertising, but the news might not be all bad. Paid Content flags a report today that Google is considering testing print adverts in Chicago newspapers...
• Photographs from the ONA New York conference are online at Flickr, including this smashing shot of the hyper energetic David Dunkley Gyimah giving his presentation on Viewmagazine.tv.
• The National Writers' Union in the US is calling for freelancers to donate books to help rebuild reference libraries for writers working on the Gulf Coast. New or 'gently used' editions welcome - send to the Gulf Coast Writers Fund, PO Box 2067, Mandeville, LA 70470-2067 USA.
New stuff
• Washingtonpost.com has launched an animation competition for digital political cartoonists to find a 'Herblock for the digital age'. Entrants must be US residents over the age of 18, alas, but what a great idea. Full rules on the site. Can we have the same for a digital era Steve Bell please?
• Press release distribution service Response Source is now offering an a RSS service. Journalists can sign up to receive press releases in 25 different categories, or create their own custom feed combining several specialist areas.
• Future Publishing has launched a community-orientated site for the SFX sci-fi magazine at sfx.co.uk. There's the inevitable forum with plenty of space for fantasy geeks to rant about Lost, Smallville etc etc, for whoever is into that kind of thing.
• FHM is enthusiastically emailing everyone to encourage voting in its 100 Media Doors promotion. So guess if there's a good pub you know, or - intriguingly - somewhere you want to nominate in the 'places for clandestine meetings' category, get on to the site.
• Some cracking video on Times Online featuring Jeremy Clarkson and AA Gill up to no good in Iraq. And apparently tank racing at one point.
• We've added another RSS feed to the site, this time for our extensive diary of short training courses. If you're still confused about exactly what RSS is, read this, and once that makes sense you can also sign up to our feeds for awards and event information as well as jobs and news.
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