News

Answers.com Tests Mobile Reference

By David Worthington | Published March 29, 2005, 11:57 AM

Answers.com has ported its referenced-based search engine to mobile devices. A beta of the service is formatted to fit consolidated screen space and is available for a variety of handhelds including Treo, BlackBerry, as well as Windows CE and other browser-based telephones.

"Were taking our goal of supplying 'Answers at Your Fingertips' pretty literally," explained Bob Rosenschein, Founder and CEO of GuruNet.

"The rapidly increasing use of mobile phones has made the accessibility of reliable reference on the go a natural extension for us. If you communicate on the go and get your e-mail on the go, why not get instant facts on the go?"

Answers.com is not alone in its attempt to extend the company's search assets to mobile users. Google has also offers its services on the go using SMS text messages.

An initial version of Google SMS provides the names, addresses and the phone numbers of local businesses and residences; a dictionary lookup, and price comparisons between local retail stores.

The beta version of Answer.com mobile can be found at the product's Web site.

View comments by with a score of at least

Bing bonked by service outage Thursday, Microsoft configured the wrong server

It's always nice to have a backup, but it's even nicer to remember which one is the backup. That's the lesson Bing's admins learned yesterday evening.

Microsoft, don't hang up on Windows Mobile, but do call for help

Only a Manhattan Project can save Microsoft's phone strategy now.

See ya later, WinMo: Microsoft's mobile strategy needs a reboot

Carmi Levy | Wide Angle Zoom: Hands up if you're considering upgrading to a Windows phone for the holidays...Anybody?

The Black Screen Syndrome, or, Tech news in search of the apocalypse

Scott Fulton On Point: This is a story about something that should not have been a story, about something that at one time was a story.

Survey reveals there are more women then men, including on social networks

If you think you can market your products and services online as though you're selling car batteries in the middle of halftime, think again. And again.

Acer eclipses Dell for #2 spot in global PC shipments, says iSuppli data

It literally does look like a 360-degree turnaround in Dell's fortunes, as the bells of bad tidings now toll solely for Dell.

Android team updates 'Donut' and 'Eclair' SDKs

The Android SDK includes components which optimize app development for each version of the mobile operating system. Today, the 1.6 and 2.0 components got updates.

Online advertising evolves away from display, toward interactive software

Marketing departments and agencies are increasingly establishing positions for "creative technologists" who can steer designers and developers toward platforms that enable direct connections with consumers.

Comcast deal for NBC Universal is about content, not broadband

Although Comcast is certainly America's largest broadband provider, at least for PCs, in most regards, today's deal with GE may not impact the Internet at all.

Mark Russinovich on MinWin, the new core of Windows

The next version of Windows three years hence will likely build onto a significant architectural change implemented in Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2.

Google begrudgingly adjusts news crawling for paid publishers

If publishers want to make readers pay for news content, and thereby drive down its popularity and Google ranking, the company says, they can just go right on ahead.