Mahalo

Google Unveils Search Function for Local Businesses

nextupresearch1 — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 10:10:23 +0000

Google unveiled a search service that collects information on businesses in specific geographic areas, part of a plan to get more revenue from ads tied to local companies and attractions. The feature groups information on a business, including its website, address and photo, along with news, blogs, and reviews from sites such Yelp Inc., Citysearch.com and Urbanspoon.com.

ChaCha may drop T-Mobile over planned fee

nextupresearch1 — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 05:24:40 +0000

ChaCha is threatening to drop T-Mobile’s wireless service over the carrier’s plan to impose a new fee on text messages. T-Mobile has said it will begin charging a fee of one-quarter of 1 cent on each text message beginning Oct. 1. Known as the “world’s leading answers service,” ChaCha allows wireless phone users to call in or text their questions to ChaCha’s ranks of human guides at no charge. T-Mobile subscribers account for only about 10 percent of ChaCha’s traffic, said CEO Scott Jones, who downplayed the effect of its potential plan to drop the carrier.

ChaCha Adds MMS Service

nextupresearch1 — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:29:35 +0000

ChaCha has added a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) option that allows brands to package sound and motion in messaging. The new MMS service supports video such as movie trailers and sports highlights, provides a text response code that launches video when consumers respond, and enables mobile coupons for redemption via barcodes.

ChaCha lands tie-in with NBC

nextupresearch1 — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 05:30:46 +0000

ChaCha scored a major studio win under a new deal with NBC Universal Digital Studio. The company, which takes a unique approach to mobile search, has landed a role as the answers service provider for the studio’s recently launched original series “FCU: Fact Checker’s Unit.” “FCU: Fact Checker’s Unit” provides a seemingly ideal branded entertainment relationship for ChaCha. The show follows two overzealous fact checkers who are digging into a selection of articles to be published by a magazine. Through ChaCha’s participation, viewers and fans can join in by submitting their own answers to ChaCha and signing up for the show’s mobile alerts. The ChaCha portal on the show site will carry a live feed of fact-checking questions.

ChaCha’s Social Platform Launches SMS Text, Live Feeds, Facebook and Twitter Integration

nextupresearch1 — Wed, 05 May 2010 06:01:43 +0000

ChaCha can now be accessed via mobile devices. This enables users to ask and answer questions from their mobile phones and see the activity posted live to their ChaCha.me page and on other social networks such as Facebook. Additionally, users can now get instant mobile alerts when a question is asked of them, allowing responses while on the go.

Best Android apps for ChaCha and other community-driven search apps

nextupresearch1 — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 06:00:48 +0000

As mobile search becomes more personal and readily used, the accessibility around mobile-friendly app design has opened up opportunities for companies such as ChaCha. Funded by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, ChaCha’s mobile presence has been extended to Android, thanks to a contest encouraging apps to be built around its community-driven search tool.

ChaCha Turns To Facebook To Socialize Questions And Answers; Rolls Out API

nextupresearch1 — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 05:33:10 +0000

ChaCha is rolling out a Facebook application allows users open access to questions and answers from both ChaCha and all of their friends. Additionally, users can select “share” when they submit a question, and the question and answers will post to their friends’ Facebook walls that they select. Individuals receive points for questions they answer for pure recognition and fun, and based on points attainment, users receive different titles which are displayed on a leader board. ChaCha has also recently launched an iPhone App and Twitter integration via @chacha, so people can ask questions on the microblogging platform.

Google Launching Social Search Soon, Challenging Aardvark, ChaCha, Mahalo

nextupresearch1 — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:14:44 +0000

Google’s Marissa Mayer unveiled Google Social Search, a pending opt-in service that will let users with Google accounts, profiles and contacts find content created by people in social networks such as Twitter and FriendFeed. The news came just hours after Microsoft executives announced that Bing would be surfacing search results with Twitter tweets and Facebook status updates in real time. Google already has millions of users for its general search engine. If even a fraction of these millions begin using Google Social Search, it might not leave much room for challengers such as Aardvark, Mahalo and ChaCha.

Mahalo 2.0 Is Proving a Success

nextupresearch1 — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:34:48 +0000

Mahalo opted for a “low-tech” approach using humans to create the result pages for the more popular queries. These volunteer editors can apply to be the maintainers of a particular query, with the task of populating the results and keeping them updated falling solely to them.

Santos probes Mahalo potential

nextupresearch1 — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:36:31 +0000

Santos has started exploring the Mahalo Block in ATP 337 of Australia’s Bowen basin for coalbed methane (CBM) gas potential after spudding the Scrubber Gully-1 core well. Co-venturer Comet Ridge said the well was being drilled in area about 12 kilometres south of the Humbolt-1 exploration well and 11 kilometres south-east of the Mira-1 exploration well to test coal development and permeability of the Bandanna Formation coals. The well, to be drilled to a total depth of 445 metres, will help shore up contingent resource estimates for the block and determine the best areas for future appraisal and development. The Mahalo Block is about 150 kilometres north of the producing Fairview CBM field and around 245 kilometres west of Gladstone. Comet holds a 40% interest in the block while operator Santos and Origin Energy each hold 30%.