What is Qwiki?

Qwiki is a new start-up that was first featured at TechCrunch back on September 27th, 2010. According to Qwiki, they seek to “forever improve the way people experience information”. So, what exactly does that mean to us?

Well, before we answer that question, do you remember the 2002 science fiction film “The Time Machine“?  Hint: click to expand image below.

In the movie, Guy Pearce (scientist and inventor) interacts with a futuristic holographic computer called Vox, portrayed by Orlando Jones.  In the movie, Vox is the evolved state of computing intelligence – a reference source of all human knowledge. When asked a question, Vox would collect the data and present back the most relevant details to the user (Guy Pearce). This is essentially the goal at Qwiki – “to advance information technology to the point it acts human”.

Qwiki is changing the paradigm for search. The cool thing about Qwiki is that it does more than simply deliver your standard formatted text or image search results. It delivers the content in a multimedia format, including visuals and audio narratives. These “narratives” or storyboards, are referred to as Qwikis (quick wikis).

How exactly does Qwiki work?  Here’s a brief overview:

1. The Qwiki user is prompted to enter a keyword or topic in the search bar of their site.
2. Qwiki then runs a search and quickly aggregates the results.
3. The search results are then delivered to the user in a visual format, including a presentation.
4. The presentations are narrative-style slideshows which are generated on the fly.

What’s the Verdict on Qwiki?

I believe it’s too early to say. However, regardless of what search engine you favor, I believe Qwiki is destined to have a major impact by helping to redefine the way search results are delivered. Imagine a day (not long from now) when we can run a voice-activated search and find exactly what we are seeking. Google popularized the idea of voice-activated search via it’s mobile app but the technology is still in its infancy. While Qwiki does not have a voice-activated search feature, it is moving us one step closer to “The Time Machine’s” fictionalized Vox. I think it’s safe to say that combining a visual, audio, and narrative formatted search result is no easy task. Qwiki has done an amazing job of bringing this technology to life. I see big things happening for this company and can’t wait to see what they do next.

At the moment, Qwiki is still in Alpha but they do allow new users to sign-up for future accounts. If this type of technology interests you, make sure to follow them on Twitter @Qwiki. However, before you leave, watch Qwiki’s demo video or click below and tell me what you think.

Is Qwiki the future of search consumption?

Check out the #qwiki buzz on Twitter!

Well, if I ever decide to create new business cards again, this is definitely the way I want to do it. Want more? Check out James Alliban’s talking business card.

We often talk creative ways in which we can leverage mobile marketing in the recruitment process.  More Mobile Relations utilized an integrated solution that included print, ad, SMS, MMS, and email to recruit qualified candidates.  Here’s a case of a company truly “walking-the-talk” with great success.

This from More Mobile Relations:

The challenge

Attracting the best employees is a challenge in the best of times. A new generation of job seekers is more inclined to focus on value-based issues rather than a fancy title or fat paycheck. Corporate social responsibility (CSR), company values, environmental policies and so on are increasingly important factors in attracting employees. For these job seekers, company information and the way the company expresses its brand can be deciding factors.

More Mobile Relations Norway was hiring new employees in cooperation with Orion Search International AS. The first job recruitment ad (Dagens Næringsliv, on July 4, 2008) was very traditional in approach and had very low response, resulting in no qualified applications.

You can read the solution here: You’re hired! Cross-media job search nets qualified applications | More Mobile Relations.

Creating a mobile version of your blog or website is not as hard as we think, at least there is no programming involved. MoFuse helps site owners to create a mobile version of the website within clicks. Creating a mobile site is simple; just sign up, fill up a couple of compulsory text-fields and your mobile site is good to go.

Mofuse is fairly easy to get around with, I’ve created a mobile version of hongkiat.com in few clicks, there’s even an iPhone version too! More options are available in the Dashboard to further customize the mobile site, making it more personalized.

Create Mobile Version Of Your Website / Blog With MoFuse | Web 2.0.

Steven Rothberg says:

Is there any doubt by anyone that the way that Gen Y communicates is fundamentally different from the way previous generations communicated? I don’t believe that the ways that Gen Y communicates are better or worse but they certainly are different. For example, this is the first generation to have grown up with cell phones.

Mobile Web is About to Boom : CollegeRecruiter.com Blog.

Voice-To-Text

In the past, I often relied heavily on memory, or, a scribbled note on a napkin. Today, I use Jott’s voice-to-text service which allows me dictate a memo to my mobile device. Within a couple of minutes, my memo is transcribed and sent to me via text message (or email if I prefer).

What is JOTT?

“Jott makes sure you stay on top of everything. With a simple phone call to 866-JOTT-123, you can capture notes, set reminders and calendar appointments, stay in touch with friends and family, and interact with your favorite web sites and services…all with your voice!” -Jott.com

As with most SaaS on the web, Jott offers both free and premium service.  Paid services offers much more functionality such as the ability to install, and use Jott for Outlook. It’s a nifty Outlook add-on which allows you to easily create e-mail messages, calendar items, and tasks by dictating them to Jott on an as needed basis.

Here’s a short video on Jott:

Jott is a must-have app for the mobile professional. If you are on-the-go and in need of a great way to transcribe your daily acition-items, I would recommend testing Jott’s (free) service. If you decide that Jott’s free offering is too basic, then there’s always the option to upgrade.

Remember, get comfortable now because the future is mobile…

OpenDrive is a remote drive for your computer, that allows you to store, share or back up files from your computer on the Internet. You can store anything and share it with anyone, right from your desktop. Start storing and sharing today.

Imagine being able to grab a file and instantly share it with anyone, right off your desktop. Or quickly edit and save a file and see those changes instantly on any other pc with OpenDrive or an Internet connection.

OpenDrive: Learn More about OpenDrive The Online Disk.

15 Tech Secrets for the Serious Road Warrior – Business Center – PC World.

Take The Tour – SoundCloud.