InTheWorks, Inc. (ITW) announces that Ted Treanor joined its management team. InTheWorks is a Kitsap County-based clean technology company with plans to expand operations within the county.

Scott Reynvaan, ITW’s CEO and co-founder, said, “Ted has shown great value as a trusted advisor over the years. He will join us in strategically positioning the company into its global leadership role. Our next generation catalytic converter will transform the catalytic industry for the combustion engine. read more »

While Facebook users expect exclusive content, discounts, promotions and updates from the companies they “like” on the site, marketers see the action of “liking” in a slightly different way.

The “Variance in the Social Brand Experience” study from the CMO Council and social CRM firm Lithium asked both marketers and consumers what it meant when a customer “likes” or engages online with a brand.

Fifty-seven percent of marketers thought a “like” meant the content on the site was agreeable, and 41 percent thought it meant customers wanted to be heard. Only 33 percent of marketers said they thought customers were looking for incentives or rewards for their “like.” read more »

Consumers shopping in some New England stores this past holiday season may have spotted Quick Response codes in some unusual places. Research from mobile marketing and technology firm Nellymoser Inc. found that of more than 700 stores canvassed in the Boston area, 23 contained at least one QR code, a type of two-dimensional bar code.

Retailers use 2-D bar codes to enable consumers to view mobile web-based content with their smartphones. Consumers click to open a free scanning app, point the phone at the code, and the web content appears on the phone’s screen. read more »

Kim McKoy considers herself an early adopter of technology, and has been keeping up with new trends for 30 years. Building websites since 1994, she can do a little bit of everything — from making mobile applications and creating video to helping other professionals self-publish ebooks.

“I’m such a huge fan of technology. I believe it can help you be productive but a lot of people are afraid to use it because they think it will take a lot of their time,” she said.

McKoy recently relaunched her 6-year-old business read more »

Police in New Zealand have raided several homes and businesses linked to the founder of Megaupload.com, a giant file-sharing site shut down by U.S. authorities, and seized guns, millions of dollars, and nearly $5 million in luxury cars, officials said.

Police arrested founder Kim Dotcom9 37. (previously known as Kim Schmitz and Kim Tim Jim Vestor).and three Megaupload employees on U.S. accusations they facilitated millions of illegal downloads of films, music and other content, costing copyright holders at least $500 million in lost revenue. Extradition proceedings against them could last a year or more. read more »

“…Google’s integration of Google+ into its search results is a major change, one Brands and Businesses must not ignore. And with Facebook having the potential to immediately capture a quarter of the search market globally were it to launch its own search engine, this move by Google has not come a minute too soon…”

Google has revealed it will imminently be integrating Google+ into its search results, to deliver search results that better reflect user preferences and also incorporate content shared by people in their respective Google+ Circles. read more »

Dr. Laura Day of Harbor Audiology & Hearing Services in Gig Harbor is now offering SoundCure Serenade for sufferers of tinnitus. Originally developed at University of California Irvine, S-Tones are the foundation of the SoundCure Serenade technology.

Tinnitus is a condition in which a person perceives sound that is not actually present in the environment. It is often described as “ringing in the ears” but can include virtually any type of sound including whooshing, hissing, or whistling. There are many possible causes for tinnitus but most cases are related to damage to the auditory system. read more »

A new electronic application that quickly and efficiently finds loans, grants, and other useful small business resources, and its developer Somesh Kumar of Freemont, Calif., won first prize and $5,000 in a nationwide competition sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration. The competition and resulting seven “apps” are meant to put new and useful web tools at the fingertips of growing entrepreneurs.

As a result of SBA’s “Apps for Entrepreneurs Challenge,” a competition for tech-savvy developers to build new and useful web tools for small businesses, entrepreneurs can reach for their smartphone or tablet read more »

U.S. Senators Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have urged the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to launch a thorough antitrust investigation into Google. In a letter to FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz (PDF), Sens. Kohl and Lee — Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee, respectively — expressed concern that Google Search is “biased in favor of [Google’s] own secondary products and services” and that Google is thus threatening open competition in the Internet economy. read more »