Co-founder Alex Eberts ( @AlexEberts ) and CFO Mark McLeod ( @startupcfo ) are both in Austin, Texas this weekend for SxSW 2010 to promote the launch of the new Akoha.

South by Southwest (SXSW) is a huge event combining three components - interactive, film and music. Known foremost for the music festival portion, it has grown over the years and attracts numerous attendees to each portion of the event. Twitter launched at SxSW Interactive in 2007.

We have a set of SxSW-specific missions that you can play in order to meet new people, discover new things to do in Austin, and have fun.

Sign up today on http://akoha.com to get your set of SxSW2010 missions, and enjoy the event!

We’ll be announcing new updates, missions and features on Twitter, so make sure to follow @Akoha

New missions released today:

• “Morning Fuel” : What gets you going in the morning? Share your favorite breakfast food.
• “Colors of the Rainbow” : Take the picture of a rainbow
• “It’s a Rainy Day” : Go out and sing in the rain!

Also, look out for new gifts appearing shortly

Have fun!

ps. Co-founder Alex Eberts will be making a TV appearance tonight on Webnation with MacArthur ( @ambermac ) on CP24.

We’ve received amazing feedback since the release of the new Akoha - thank you for taking the time to reach out!

I’d like to take the time to clarify some of the changes we have made.

REDESIGNED AND IMPROVED

Easier playing of missions : The move to smart phones and away from the physical cards reflects the fact that so many people now have smart phones. The old code & card system was based much more on a lowest common denominator (SMS & Codes) approach – but the cards were a friction point that made it harder to share Akoha with friends.

A platform for people to discover fun and meaning: our previous mission system was entirely based on the pay it forward model, which we learned created a sense of obligation at times on recipients. We always wanted to create Akoha as a means of sharing opportunities for fun & meaning - not create obligation. The changes to the mission system reflect an improvement on that.

HAVING MORE FUN

We wanted to make sure our players and mission content reflected our own sense of fun, discovery and play. Being happy, having fun and getting out from behind your computer into the real world to have experiences with your friends and city didn’t come through enough with the focus on just the “doing good” missions.

Thus, we introduced such missions as:

• “A Way with Words” : Photograph the word “LOVE”
• “Teach Me” : Write four adjectives about the teacher who inspired you
• “Lost in the Dessert” : Treat a friend to the most decadent dessert
• “Patron of the Arts” : Find creative ways to support your local artists

Although not necessarily confined to only good social actions, the Akoha missions now give you an excuse to try new experiences, to explore and discover the world around you, and to have fun with friends. We believe that people doing fun, meaningful & playful things on a regular basis will make their lives happier.

STAYING ON COURSE

The original mission of the company remains the same, how can we make millions of peoples lives more meaningful and fun. How we are accomplishing that mission is and will continue to be a process of evolution.

We hope you give the new Akoha a try. Let us know what you think!

Dear Akoha friends,

We have important news to announce. We’re finally ready to wrap up our open beta testing phase. Since our launch at Techcrunch50 in September 2008, thousands of missions have been played in over 67 countries. From helping a neighbor who had lost their house to a fire, to making a lifetime-lasting friendship from a simple coffee shop invitation, these missions have touched many more thousands around the world.
These missions were a source of inspiration for our team, and your feedback has been invaluable in shaping the future of Akoha. On behalf of the team, we would like to offer you my most heartfelt gratitude.

The New Website
We’re happy to announce a new phase at Akoha. Based on lessons learned during our beta, we redesigned and improved the player experience.

The new Akoha is a fantastic way to add a little more awesome to your life. Our new direction is based on the idea that it’s the special little moments that make life awesome. From the smile of a stranger to a surprise gift, Akoha can turn an ordinary moment into something awesome. The new Akoha will make it easier to have fun, to be spontaneous and to discover new and interesting things to do.

Although we will be officially launching the new Akoha to coincide with SxSW in Austin, Texas, we’ve decided to rollout the website ahead of schedule to give you a chance to try out the improved Akoha experience firsthand. We’re excited to get your feedback!

Going Mobile
A huge component of the new Akoha experience lies in the mobile space. Along with the new website, we are simultaneously launching the Akoha iPhone application. Using your mobile phone, you can now easily capture the moment when completing real-world missions. This vastly improves real-world playability and makes it a breeze to record missions.

Although our initial launch focuses on the iPhone, we are looking into expanding to other mobile environments in the near future.

What happens to my current account?
As of March 9th, 2010, we will reserve all user login information in the new Akoha. You’ll be able to log onto the new website using your same username and password. The current Akoha as you know it will be transferred over to http://historical.akoha.com for a period of three months before being shutdown.

We understand that this may feel like the end of something. Many of you have put a lot of time and effort into your missions. We hope you have felt rewarded by the joy and happiness you have spread, and by the positive reactions from the recipients of your missions. Our intention was never to replace real-world interactions, but to encourage people to go out and play, and you’ve done so admirably. We hope you continue with us on this new stage of the Akoha journey.

SxSW
Co-founder Alex Eberts will be at SXSW starting March 12 to promote the new Akoha - we encourage you to spread the word!


Thank you for your time.
Gratefully,
The Akoha Team

Dear Akohans,

We’d like to thank you for sending your thoughts to the Haitian people and for doing your part in the relief efforts. From seeing inspiring local fundraising efforts to witnessing a seven-year-old raise $200,000 by riding his bike, we have been moved by the compassion shown to this disaster-stricken country.

Again, we’d like to thank you for helping out. For those who wish to continue contributing to the disaster relief, here is a list of organizations we suggest:

Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors without Borders http://www.msf.org/
Plan International http://plan-international.org/
CARE http://www.care.org

This is not an exhaustive list, as many non-profits and charities around the world have been mobilized to assist Haiti. We encourage you to get informed with your local government, community centers or your local chapter of the Red Cross or Red Crescent and to do what you can to help.

Thank you for your compassion & generosity.

The Akoha team