Back in January we covered Blippy, the Twitter-like site that lets users automatically publish their shopping transactions in real time for all the world to see. Now targeting the same space is Swipely, a Rhode Island-based venture that's planning to do much the same thing.

Currently in invitation-only beta, Swipely aims to “turn purchases into conversations,” in the site's own words. Toward that end, it has developed a secure platform for consumers to share their purchase experiences online. Users begin by signing up and importing purchases from their credit or debit card accounts; email can also be used for purchases made online. Users remain in complete control of the purchases they share. For those they do, they can rate the experience and add comments or photos. Many purchases are automatically geolocated to specific store locations, and Swipely supports product details as well by integrating catalogs and menus from more than 250,000 retail and restaurant locations. The result, it says, is that users can start conversations around “specific outfits, meals, songs, movies, gadgets and millions of other products.” Upon seeing a compelling new purchase, other users can click to see the venue on the map and add the item to their own wish list; for music, movies and apps, meanwhile, they can just press play on select purchases to hear a song preview, see a video trailer or browse app screen shots. Swipely places a strong emphasis on protecting consumer privacy, it says, and has passed reviews and audits from leading third-party security and privacy organizations.

After a recent security glitch at Blippy, it's not entirely clear how concerned users will be about protecting their purchase information. Still, there's no doubt the potential of social shopping is compelling, particularly when combined with a twist of nowism. Another one to watch!

Website: www.swipely.com
Contact: business@swipely.com

Spotted by: LA Times via Jim Stewart

Last fall we covered Covestor Investment Management, a company that lets investors follow the trades of experts with their own managed funds. Approaching the topic with a like-minded spirit, San Francisco-based AlphaClone lets investors intelligently apply the publicly disclosed stock ideas of top hedge fund and institutional money managers.

Also known as piggyback investing, cloning lets investors create a portfolio of stocks—known as a “clone”—based on the stock ideas of one or more fund managers at the time those ideas become public. The strategy has been found to outperform the overall market by a significant amount over time, AlphaClone says, so the company offers an online research service that enables investors to create customized clones and quickly determine via instant 10-year backtests if the strategies have added value over time. Investors can follow the stock picks of a single manager or a custom group of managers--AlphaClone currently tracks more than 280 in its database. Cloning strategies can be based on position size, recency or popularity, but AlphaClone also offers a family of Core Strategies that rebalance automatically via its investment accounts. Either way, once they find a good strategy, users purchase the stocks that the system suggests and rebalance quarterly when new holdings are disclosed. A YouTube video demonstrates the platform in action. A full membership on AlphaClone is priced at USD 99.95 per month; basic service costs USD 29.95 monthly. Users of the site's free Guest Pass, meanwhile, get access to the “Top 3 Holdings” clone strategy for any individual fund manager.

Two heads are better than one, as the saying goes, and therein lies the dizzying power of the global brain. Just as the consumer crowds often come up with winning innovations, so it makes perfect sense to tap the expert crowds for investment guidance. One to emulate on a local or niche basis?

Website: www.alphaclone.com
Contact: contact@alphaclone.com

Spotted by: Sam Mar

British high-end chocolate maker and retailer Hotel Chocolat, which currently operates over 40 stores in the UK, the Middle East and the US, wants to expand even further. But rather than turning to banks or big investors for money, they're inviting customer to buy bonds. Bonds that will pay chocolate returns.

Two values of Chocolate Bond will be issued: both with the return paid in monthly Tasting Boxes. Holders of a GBP 2,000 Chocolate Bond will receive six free tasting boxes a year worth GBP 107.70 per year, and those holding a GBP 4,000 bond will receive thirteen boxes, worth GBP 233.35 per year. Which comes down to a 5.38% return. After an initial term of three years, and on every anniversary thereafter, bond holders can redeem their bond for a full return of their investment. If they decide to continue to hold the bond, the monthly boxes will keep on coming.

The company doesn't have to worry about the logistics of interest payment in kind; it already operates a tasting club with home delivery to over 100,000 members, and the bond holders will neatly slot into that distribution system. Hotel Chocolat explains that the money will be used to expand their factory in Britain, to build out their plantation in Saint Lucia, and to open new stores in various parts of the world. (Related: Crowdfunding for creative endeavours — Shares in New Zealand beehives help protect Manuka trees.)

Website: www.hotelchocolat.co.uk
Contact: www.hotelchocolat.co.uk/contactus.asp?article_id=contact

Back in October we covered SeatGeek, the free service that helps users find tickets to concerts and sporting events when they're at their lowest price. Recently the company launched a new feature aimed at season ticket holders that helps them price, sell and manage their entire ticket investment.

TicketPortfolio is a web-based application that allows season ticket holders to treat their tickets much like a portfolio of stocks. Specifically, the service leverages SeatGeek’s extensive database of historical transaction data, market-based pricing capabilities and forecasting technology to give ticket holders a real-time snapshot of their portfolio and a way to track its fluctuating value over the course of the season. With an intuitive online interface, users can easily manage and plan how they would like to use their tickets. Selling recommendations—powered by SeatGeek’s patent-pending forecasting algorithm—are available on a game-by-game basis and are accompanied by direct links to the top secondary markets, including StubHub, RazorGator and TicketsNow. New York-based SeatGeek offers a free, two-week trial on TicketPortfolio; thereafter, it's USD 15 per month.

Given the investment they represent, treating season tickets like assets in a portfolio makes good sense, particularly when combined with a fresh shot of pricing transparency. What other consumer investments could benefit from the centralized view of a portfolio approach...? (Related: Ticketing marketplace makes prices negotiable — Used cars & price transparency.)

Website: seatgeek.com/ticketportfolio
Contact: admin@seatgeek.com

Spotted by: Arie Abecassis

Helping consumers find a certain level of gratification in paying ATM fees, New York-based Choose Change ATM empowers ATM users to contribute a portion of their fees to support their favourite charitable causes.

Launched in February, Choose Change ATM has developed a brand of ATMs that lets users donate USD 1 of each USD 2 transaction fee to a non-profit organization of their choice. Users select from a display of eight non-profits, supporting causes such as disaster aid, poverty relief and human rights. The ATMs are installed at no cost to retailers and Choose Change handles all of the maintenance and refills.

Choose Change ATM provides a convenient way for consumers to support causes they are passionate about. It's a shining example of the kind of embedded corporate generosity increasingly sought after by disillusioned consumers seeking brands that are more in tune with a spirit of giving. Choose Change ATM welcomes partnership enquiries from retailers and non-profit organizations. One worth emulating for socially conscious ATM users around the globe. (Related: Credit union gives people ten-dollar bills to give away — Grocer lets customers direct its community giving.)

Website: www.choosechangeatm.com
Contact: victor@choosechangeatm.com

Spotted by: Victor Ma