This service is getting rave reviews. I tested it overnight & it works like a charm. This morning on WPIX in NYC we talked about how you can become a "guide" on this service .... working as little as 15 minutes at a time. They're recruiting -- go for it! Previously interviewed the founder of this site, and the human search concept is really pretty compelling.

Mobile Search Guide - www.chacha.com

ChaCha is a FREE cell phone search engine, where users call, text or e-mail a real, live human being with a question and he or she quickly researches it for you, delivering a snippet of personalized advice along with the single best Web site link to your mobile phone. I got mine in a matter of seconds. ChaCha's live guides are sitting at home or in a dorm room making money assisting you in your search. They answer questions on just about any topic imaginable – What's the weather in X area going to be?; Where can I find the cheapest gas?; Who won the game last night?, etc.

ChaCha.com pays "guides" up to $10 per hour spent searching for answers. The more efficient you are, the more you make. The service currently has about 8,000 freelance "guides" across the country and says that about 10 percent are logged on at any given time. The guides can sign in whenever they want, but the company says it works out that at least 500 are always online. Most of the guides are college students, stay-at-home parents or retired.

(ChaCha plans to make money via advertising and through deals with wireless carriers).

The large downturn in real estate is leaving a record number of homes on the market ... Some frustrated sellers are getting creative, using sites like onlinehousetrading.com to connect with other sellers who might agree to "swap" -- or buy one another's property.


While the idea of trading houses temporarily for vacations has long existed, permanent house swapping is a new trend ... and www.onlinehousetrading.com is one of six such launched sites. The sites do not complete the transactions, they simply play matchmaker, similar to the role of an online dating site by aggregating a large number of properties & analyzing their "swap criteria."


Finding the right match is one thing, but finalizing the transaction can be a bit complicated ... OnlineHouseTrading recommends both clients agree to use one title company & recognize the deal's not done "until everyone signs off."

Again, the Videologists have outdone themselves with this video of Chris Berman absolutely losing it on Monday Night Football. They say no one knows why this video has suddenly surfaced eight years after it happened. Am not naming names, but can tell ya, this kind of thing happens more often than you may think. TV can be a fairly intense business ... ;) Fair warning: Explicit language.

This is a fun one, as discussed on radio with the very gracious Wags & Elliot on Ohio's WLVQ FM last week & in on KVIL-FM in Dallas today with Gene & Julie ... Picture this: You're at one of 1700 restaurants nationwide, one of the 36,000 item menus listed has a "healthy heart" next to it. To be clear, it often has NOTHING to do with calories. If you're an old-fashion believer in calories in & calories out (simple math), this new online mobile tool may be for you.

Have tested it all week & the instant results are truly instant. They call it, "Nutrition on the GO." I call it avoid crazy mistakes ... You send text message to Diet1 (34381) -- same drill as voting on American Idol. You type in the menu item (e.g, Subway 6 inch tuna sub ...) They text you right back with key -- & frankly staggering stats -- 530 calories (imagine when you have 12 inch!); carbs 45g: protein 22g; fat 31g. Then, you can make an educated call. I'm swearing of them. Am a 6-12" veggie girl ... Not that it's anything to brag about!

According to a recent post by money saving blog WalletPop.com, many parents have put off signing their kids up for summer camp this year. Must admit, I'm one of them. A weak economy and high camp prices can't help but make you look twice & reconsider. Indeed, we may be suffering from Summer Camp Sticker Shock.

Our childcare system works well in Summer, but -- must say -- it takes some logistical prowess to crack the off-school calendar code, especially if you're a working parent &/or juggling other caregiving & community efforts. If you're creative and do a little homework, you can find some low-cost summer camps or alternative programs in your community.

Here are some tips:
- Some camps offer discounts for early sign-up (better hurry!)
- Camps affiliated w/ non-profits like YMCA or the Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts) will be cheaper.
- Opt. for a Day Camp vs. a Sleep Away camp – find & compare camps at www.acacamps.org
- Nearly two-thirds of camps offer camper scholarships or financial aid. Many others allow parents to spread payments over the course of a year.
- Ask about discounts for enrolling more than one child.

More money saving tips: eHaggling - Your Mouse as a Bargaining Chip.

The folks at this new luxury blog brought this to our attention ... It's the ultimate green house, potentially generating more energy than it actually uses. A negative carbon footprint:) Bratt Pitt is rumored to be potential buyer. Given the cost per square foot (not to mention cost of getting there), it's got to be a short list, but perhaps sign of things to come ... Take a look:

As covered on Fox News Channel this weekend, http://autos.aol.com, is an open marketplace for used cars (you can list yours). They've got record-breaking selection -- more than 2.5 million vehicles for sale in the United States, including the biggest U.S. inventory of used cars on the Web.


The search tool helps cut to the chase ... You can search for used, certified pre-owned, and private-seller listed cars using natural language queries (e.g., "black Honda Civic"). Results can be filtered based on make, model, price, body style and more, giving you more relevant listings.


On the flip side, sellers can easily post cars for sale, and include specifics like photos, comments and even a car's history. Buyers can contact sellers directly through the site by email or phone.

The site also features the latest automotive news, including reviews and advice from industry experts on topics such as car buying, ownership and repair, hybrid trends and more. If you're in the market for a hybrid or want the latest news on green cars, consider also checking out AutoblogGreen.

Here's one of the best kept secrets on the Internet & the fastest way to catch the "Must See" moments from TV in the last 24 hrs. From the funny late-night TV joke right after you fell asleep, to the cliffhanger you missed. These guys are ALL over it. Is really impressive how they pull it together. It's one of the few sites I visit daily. You'll be surprised how much more "with it" you feel in 5 simple clicks ...

Techpresident.com tracks how the web affects the election and which candidate is moving the needle most online. It's complete with running tallies of Facebook and YouTube popularity, as well as candidate website traffic. It's an easy place to keep up with the latest political viral videos, like the McCain girls video – "Here Comes McCain Again."

Was away with my extended family this weekend. Am embarrassed to say, they've all done a better job of "going green" vs our home. This Neutron Battery-Powered "smart" mower might help get us over the hump, especially -- as they wisely point out -- 17 million gallons of gas are SPILLED every year by people filling or TRYING to fill their mowers. A "smart" tractor & we're in ...

Other items in this DESIGN WITHIN REACH catalog also amazing. Related Blog: Green Daily

Here's one's for the boys ... Asylum.com is a new site featuring all things guys care about – from girls to sports to work to pop culture. Editorially, the site falls somewhere in between Maxim magazine and GQ. Recent features include pranks you can play on your office workers, hottest female newscasters and craziest breakfast cereals of all time ... You get the idea. It's expected to be nominated for industry awards. Men are voting. Women are rolling their eyes.

Are Huge Online Polls Telling? Can that many People be Wrong?

A lot of controversy this year about the accuracy of political polling and how off it's been, look no further than New Hampshire & by the hour, Pennsylvania. Now people are starting to look at Internet polls. It's always interesting to look at online polls like the HUGE number of votes garnered in the daily HOT SEAT poll which you can actually "snag" & post on your site. With hundreds of thousands of votes on any given day, it's fun to see how your own opinion matches up on a percentage base. In total, you've got to think these polls might -- arguably -- be one of the better barometers of public opinion and perhaps a precursor to what will really ends up happening in the general election. The new Hot Seat phenomenon has garnered such attention, even Barack Obama has personally responded to some of the poll results.

Click to check out today's poll question.