OK, so it's still in closed Beta, but I am testing a new service form Amazon called "NowNow" and it is pretty cool. I was invited into the Beta because I've purchased a mobile device from Amazon, and they are apparently targeting this at mobile device users.
What's NowNow?
NowNow is a service, through which you send a question to a specified email address, and they send back a response. The questions are fielded by live people, who monitor the address 24x7, research your question and send you a response. The Beta is free, but the info I've seen so far implies there will likely be some kind of charge when it goes live.
What can you ask?
Some of the sample questions they provided by way of example include:
- Trivia question: "What year did elvis presley's single suspicious minds come out? "
- Local question: "What is the best sushi restaurant in New York City, NY "
- Local Address/Phone #: "Is there an ice cream parlor close to 12th & Pike in Seattle Wa?"
- Personal research question: "Are banana peels edible without side effects?"
My first test
- I sent my first question to them at 9:29pm: "Who does the voice of Junior Asparagus in the Veggie Tales videos?"
- I got my first response at 9:32pm: "Lisa Vischer does the voice of Junior Asparagus" -- along with a full filmography. Way cool.
- I was able to vote on the quality of my answer by simply replying to the email with a keyword indicating how well they did.
You can find out more about NowNow at the web site, and sign up to be notified when it's available. I can hardly WaitWait....