Cell phone search takes on Net engines
May 12th, 2004
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Ah, memories of the old movie Deskset…
A new mobile phone service is challenging big Internet search engines by providing exact answers to any question, such as the number of steps of the Empire State building, the 1928 manager of British football club Chelsea, or which color hat to put on in the morning.
The service, dubbed Any Question Answered (AQA), provides an unusual mix of computer-automated search and human research to come up with answers that cost one pound ($1.76) apiece.
Three major cellular carriers in the United Kingdom–Orange, Vodafone and O2–have introduced the service to subscribers in the last three weeks.