Filed under: Internet, Web services, Search, web 2.0
MiaMia : Ask Anything, Get Email or SMS Answers. Sometimes.
No, I didn't edit that image, that's actually the first question that pops up on MyMiaMia's flash intro banner. While I'm not certain it's a reference I would make when trying to flog my awesome new web app, it did make me stick around and try it out.
It's a slick concept. Visit the website and type in your query, get an answer sent to your email or cell phone via SMS. Your answers will probably arrive with a short, ceontextual ad at the end (at some point - right now it's just a placeholder).
I figured their example of a dictionary word was child's play, so I threw them a curve: Who played Ash in Army of Darkness? To my amazement, here was the reply: "Bruce Lorne Campbell an American actor, producer, writer and director, best known for his starring role as Ash in the Evil Dead trilogy of horror/slapstick movies."
It's a slick concept. Visit the website and type in your query, get an answer sent to your email or cell phone via SMS. Your answers will probably arrive with a short, ceontextual ad at the end (at some point - right now it's just a placeholder).
I figured their example of a dictionary word was child's play, so I threw them a curve: Who played Ash in Army of Darkness? To my amazement, here was the reply: "Bruce Lorne Campbell an American actor, producer, writer and director, best known for his starring role as Ash in the Evil Dead trilogy of horror/slapstick movies."
Slap my mouth and call me Sally, it works. Sure, it was a tad slow - about two to four minutes from the time I asked until I received my answer - but that's pretty damn accurate. Ok MiaMia, you passed my first test. Let's try something harder.
What is Downloadsquad? "Downloadsquad is a website where you can download different applications from PC to Celular phone." Er...no, no it's not. Still, on my third attempt MiaMia nailed Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, and that's not too shabby.
Now it may be that I was just tired and didn't enter my phone number properly to test the SMS reply option, but I couldn't get that to work. And the goofy phone input form has got to go. People want a form that looks like a form, as I learned from my uSniff post.
Useful? Yes. Fast? No, not so much. Perfect? Anything but. Still, it's got fantastic potential, and it's fun to try to stump MiaMia.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
pickleman77 said 11:14AM on 8-30-2008
Meh, nothing new. There's a website called ChaCha which does the same thing and works faster in my opinion.
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Matias Korhonen said 11:41AM on 8-30-2008
"Visit the website and type in your query, get an answer sent to your email or cell phone via SMS."
Why don't they just show you the answer right away? If you still have to visit their site, what's the point?
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Bootes said 2:25PM on 8-30-2008
ChaCha's better text ChaCha (242242) or call 18002chacha a question and they'll text you the answer.
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Marco said 5:04PM on 8-30-2008
W-O-W
My question: "HOW MANY BODYGUARDS OR SECRET AGENTS PROTECT PRESIDENT BUSH?"
Answer (only 2! minutes delay): "The number differs on the event or occasion and the place. It was noted that in Beijing, he had a 600-person security team. "
Serious, I expected a "Information not available" or a similar message.
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Jash Sayani said 2:59AM on 8-31-2008
Now thats really Cool !!!!
Jon Rick said 11:12PM on 8-30-2008
I asked a question about myself that I knew was on my website. (I'm very easy to find via google). Within 2 minutes I got a hit on my website from the Philippines and then a reply back with the correct answer.
Very cool service, I'll be sure to use it in the future.
The only concern is what kind of data are they holding on too? Are they going to keep email addresses and phone numbers and sell them off to third parties?
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vinayak paluskar said 3:03AM on 8-31-2008
i am asking the position of saturn in 15000 bc. in cybersky 4,there is position of saturn is so far fromecliptic.and distance from sun is 54 au.magnitude is also 7.1. it is located in cepheus[today saturn is in leo].
please clear how it is possible?
vinayak paluskar
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Spanky said 4:26AM on 8-31-2008
Comrade, I think it can only answer questions in English. People (Bangledeshis) can only find the answer and type so fast.
smeti said 6:07PM on 8-31-2008
From MiaMia: Re: was 9/11 an inside job?
According to http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/inside.html, 9/11 look like inside jobs. Miamia thanks you for your question.
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Mandy said 2:08PM on 9-01-2008
Is MiaMia better than ChaCha and vice versa?
MiaMia (1 minute later): Thank you for your question. MiaMia does not answer questions that require an opinion. We suggest consulting neutral sources to find information on the topic.
ChaCha (5 minutes later): ChaCha provides the "Human Touch" to ever one of it's [sic] answers. Not computer generated answers. Plus we are US operated company.
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Vadim Berman said 8:22PM on 9-01-2008
Greetings from MiaMia. It's good to see such a genuine interest.
We're still in a BETA stage - heck, the website is still in the making (the proctologist is a testament to that...). Frankly, we didn't intend to let the public know yet - but the news appeared in European blogs because of obvious reasons, and then it spread like wildfire...
We have no interest in collecting nobody's emails or phones. Given the system's complexity, it is like using the Hubble to peek into your neighbour's window. If we wanted to collect the emails, why not use our datamining tools to crawl the web?..
The profit derives, as stated on the website, from the advertising, sales of custom MiaMia's and certain subscription services. This is all we can say on this point. If all the desktop search engines in the world use this model, why can't the mobile ones do it, too?
No, we're definitely not ChaCha nor its numerous clones. Some differences are:
* ad-funded, free to the user (typically a similar service charges around 1-3 USD per question)
* can be addressed via voice - invaluable for drivers and people with impaired vision. The latter would need a TTS on their phones for now, but we are looking to make it easier for them as well
* not limited to one country
* no need to download anything, subscribe or sign up
* semi-automation and machine learning
* auxiliary fully automated services, such as email /SMS forwarding. Maybe not much use to people with a mobile internet, but if you are a backpacker on roaming or with a SIM from a dodgy local network somewhere in a remote village in a developing country, 50 miles away from the closest internet cafe, and you just need to let your parents know you're alive and well, it's invaluable.
* there will be more features and foreign language support coming. Let's just say for now it's much, much more than you have now.
One more thing. While all questions are appreciated, please understand that we are not trying to build a Delphic Oracle, nor give advices on life and death matters. So people asking about the meaning of life, average size of penis, whether 9/11 was an inside job, how to cure cancer or do their homework: sorry, but we are not to tell you anything new here.
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Paolo said 12:38PM on 9-11-2008
It's not exactly ask anything. I tried asking about what kind of doctor to see for sleeping problems and miamia gave the response: "Thank you for your question. MiaMia is not qualified to give medical advice."
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Vadim Berman said 9:09PM on 9-13-2008
Hi Paolo,
This is by design, I'm afraid.
We want to completely stay away from dangerous things like medical advices, illegal activities, and controversial subjects. We had a few questions like, "What kind of medicine do I need to give to my 3 year old if he can't sleep?" Can you imagine what happens to that 3 year old, us and MiaMia if the answer is wrong, or even misinterpreted?
So no, in the world where McDonalds gets sued by a lady who poured on herself hot coffee, medical advice or even directions to anyone giving this medical advice is simply out of the question. Hope you understand.