Posts Tagged ‘web2 0’
Qype releases API; announces new CEO
26 Jan. 2009 | Author: Qype is on the move: alongside its announcement of its new head, it has also released its API and is offering to reward developers for the best mashups.
It was recently announced that Qype-founder and CEO until now, Stephan Uhrenbacher has resigned his position. He will become Chairman of the Board, as described by the company in a press release. The new head of Qype is Stephen Taylor, whose credits include Regional Vice President and Managing Director von Yahoo! Europe as well as Managing Director of Overture Europe.
Just a few days before the change in management was announced, the company released their API. As announced in a press release, content from Qype, such as places, ratings, locations, place categories or photos become accessible for integration in mashups and other apps. The recently released ‘Qype Radar” application for iPhone (see our post) is based, for example, on the API.
Developers can download version 1.0 of the Qype API, and start designing applications. In fact, the best apps will be rewarded: first prize will receive a prize of Euro 3.500, second prize Euro 1.000 and third prize Euro 500. To participate, developers must submit their completed new apps by February 28, 2009 to Qype.
The API is not going to remain at v.1.0. As Stephan Uhrenbacher announced in the company blog, the first quarter 2009 should see the appearance of the Qype-API 2.0. Using the innovations of this API, it is planned to also integrate photos and reports from Qype.
Posted in Local Search per PC, Local Search per Mobile phone, Local Search, News, Practical features | 
Tags: API, Bewertungen, Bewertungsplattform, Bewertungsportal, Community, Empfehlungsportal, lokale Informationen, lokales Such- und Bewertungportal, Qype, Qype Radar, Stephan Uhrenbacher, Stephen Taylor, User Generated Content, web2 0 | 
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New search engine wants to deliver concrete results
WeFind, a new Web2.0 search service, launched at the end of November 2008.
As delineated by its creators in a press release, the goal of WeFind is to deliver concrete answers and clean, structured information to searchers. To this end, WeFind automatically assigns the thematic area (e.g. “general” or “health”) of the search, and then sorts the resultant lists into special areas, such as “current news’, “pharmacies” or “cafés”.
To facilitate this new slant of search, specialized new search algorithms have been developed, for instance for the researching of news portals and blogs, as well as the products of cooperative partners. According to WeFind, the company is collaborating with national and international partners – users can find books and other products from Amazon, public notices from German official agencies, doctor/medical evaluations (delivered with DocInsider) or company information via Firmenwissen.de.
A local search option has also been introduced – if the user searches for “Naturheilverfahren in 10435″ [en=alternative medical in 10435], WeFind automatically finds relevant content, and will expand its range to person searches. Special here is that people discovered through the resultant search(es), would be able to be contacted directly via the WeFind community. “We can thus keep our fingers on the pulse and join up search and community: information can be searched for, WeFind delivers appropriate experts and provides the direct contact facility. After a discussion with the experts, the searcher may also subsequently publish new discoveries on WeFind, and become an expert too”, said Helmut Hoffer von Ankershoffen, initiator and CEO of WeFind AG, in a press release. This explains why WeFind sees itself as a Web2.0 initiative.
The new search service is run by WeFind AG, a daughter firm of neofonie Technologieentwicklung und Informationsmanagement GmbH.
Live Search Maps now with 360º views
The US-edition of Live Search Maps is now offering its users panorama and 3D-views, of cities, street views or buildings.
Microsoft has equipped its local search service with the Web2.0 photo tool Photosynth, with which users can assemble three-dimensional views using a collage of ‘normal’ photos. Whoever uploads photos with location-details, will facilitate these images being searchable through Live Search Maps. This recent addition was announced by Microsoft employee Chris Pendleton in his blog.
Find thing the new feature is however like a needle in a haystack – it is found after a search, in the left hand menu, under ‘Explore Collections/Show/Photosynth (per link or icon). Once discovered, a list appears showing all available Photosynth images – the geo-locations of which are displayed on the map. As these images are not embedded in Live Search Maps, users must have the Photosynth software installed on their computers. (Note, at the time of writing, the software was only available for the Windows platform).
Although this application is at present only accessible through the English-language edition of Live Search Maps, one is able to access various locations in other countries, including some in Germany, via this version of LSM.
Google Maps builds on the knowledge of its users
Google knows that Users know their own areas best of all. The search engine giant is now allowing users of its German-language Maps site, to edit and append the search results.
The ability to rate entries has been available to registered Google-Account holders, as of June 2007. Now users have the possibility to change these – such as when address details are incorrect or incomplete, or the markers are incorrectly positioned on the maps. Indeed an out-of-date result can be completely deleted. All these functions can be found in the respective Info-Window of each search result page, accessible through a click on the “Bearbeiten” [en=edit] link. This however can only be done as long as the owner of the undertaking themselves have not ‘claimed’ control over the entry and have verified the information themselves.
If a location is missing, registered users can complete or add to the results. To access this, the user clicks on the link “Add Location to Map”.
These features have been available on other language editions (eg. the USA edition) of Google since March 2008 (see our post).
GoYellow sells GoLocal
GoLocal.de only started up in March (2008) (see our report). The ratings portal has just changed hands for two million Euros.
GoYellow Media AG announced this in a press release. Until now, the ratings portal has been operated by GoLocal GmbH & Co. KG, a daughter company of GoYellow Media AG. According to the report, the mother company, which owns the online-directory GoYellow.de, among other companies, has sold all their shares in the daughter company to GoLocal Holding GmbH & Co. KG – pending approval from regulators. Associates of the new purchaser include various directory publishers.
GoYellow Media AG will still however continue to operate the directory information portal GoYellow.de, in an ongoing cooperation with the yellow-page publishers that has continued to be expanded since April 2007. GoYellow Media AG intends to concentrate on the national and international development of the online telephone service PeterZahlt.de [translated as 'PeterPays'].
Posted in Web Communities, Local Search per PC, Local Search, News |
Tags: Bewertungsportal, GoLocal, GoYellow, Informationsservice, lokale Informationen, Verkauf, web2 0 |
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KennstDuEinen.de cooperates with eins.de
Just a
This in essence means that other portals are now able to embed the recommendations of KennstDuEinen.de into their own websites, according to the management of KennstDuEinen GmbH in a press release. For marketing partners this provides the possibility of increasing the attractiveness of their offerings and customer connectivity. As a result, KennstDuEinen.de is hoping to extend its reach and raise its profile throughout the German-speaking region.
The first partner enrolled in this scheme is the social city portal eins.de. As announced by both firms in another (joint) press release, though this cooperation, the members of eins.de will enjoy direct access to the ratings portal. Using this new functionality, users of eins.de will be able to search for and rate local service providers and businesses. Their ratings will subsequently be displayed on both portals. KennstDuEinen already lists 5 million such entries on offer, mostly generated through the local search machine suchen.de (operated by t-info).
eins.de users can find this new feature on the start page in the left-hand navigation section under ‘Service’.
Posted in Web Communities, Local Search per PC, Local Search, News |
Tags: eins.de, KennstDuEinen, Städteportal, Stadtportal, t-info, User Generated Content, web2 0 |
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GenieTown: Marketplace for local services
Recently GenieTown, a new local marketplace, was launched in the USA. This service aims to offer and search for all forms of services.
This new site aims at services from professionals, from private persons and from ‘Genies’, as the experts are labeled here. The principle of the site is that everyone and anyone can possess abilities that someone else could make use of. And that, irrespective of whether one is a licensed business or a talented ’self-taught’ person. The services offered or searchable here cover the full spectrum of needs. They range from help with building renovation, housework or garden tasks, child sitting or pet sitting, through car repair, computer problem-solving, tax returns, to music tuition.
GenieTown offers a web presence to the service ‘providers’, where they can describe themselves and the services offered. When looking for an expert, one can either search the Genie (experts) for the specific area, or alternatively post a request with the issue at hand, and invite the Genies to respond to the help request with a proposal or quotation.
As with most Web 2.0 projects, the Genies and the clients are able to describe and rate each other. In so doing, they can accumulate points– which then reflect not only the quality of the services delivered, but also their involvement in the community; the inclusion of articles with tips and tricks or the answering of questions can all add to one’s ratings.
In a press release delivered by the presenters, GenieTown is a kind of mixture of the YellowPages (online directory), Craig’sList (online classifieds) and eBay (auctions).
GenieTown is still in Beta, and is concentrating at present on the San Francisco Bay Area.
Posted in Web Communities, Local Search per PC, Local Search, News |
Tags: Community, genietown, local, Marktplatz, web2 0 |
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