Just as chefs are forever seeking out new ways to fill our bellies, the food industry shows a insatiable appetite for novel concepts, as can be seen in our food & beverage database. Here's a selection of new innovations designed to appeal to those hungry for a more unusual dining experience:

1. LE TROISIEME LIEU — Stealing a tradition from music and comedy clubs, Paris bar Le Troisième Lieu has declared Mondays as 'open kitchen nights': any aspiring chef can register to be the venue's cook for the evening. All meals cost EUR 12.

2. PUBLIC PIE — Dutch mobile kitchen Public Pie features ovens that are integrated into the outdoor benching that is provided for patrons, meaning customers get exactly what is promised by the company motto: 'Fresh apple pie with a hot butt'.

3. PATTY'S PIZZA — Santa Monica pizza maker Patty's has done away with its brick-and-mortar eatery altogether, and moved its retail operation entirely online. On top of that, customers can choose to have their gourmet pizzas delivered baked or par-baked, giving them the option of completing the process their own oven.

4. LOBSTER PUSHER — How to make a sandwich more exciting to consumers? The Lobster Pusher's answer is to make the act of buying one emulate a drug deal. Customers interested in The Merchandise—a lobster bun—must first become a member of a Facebook group. Orders for product are conducted by SMS, and handovers take place surreptitiously on street corners.

Spotters: Elisabeth Dien, Food Inspiration, Jim Stewart, Erin Lindholm

Businesses can give back to the world in many ways, from making one-off donations to innovating new, socially minded solutions of their own. Opting more toward the latter end of the scale, Vai Vai is a drink brand that dedicates one side of each Tetrapak container to featuring worthy social organizations.

Founded last year, French Vaiva is a registered collaborative whose principal product is Vai Vai, a coconut water beverage made from coconuts that are hand-picked on socially minded farms in the southern Philippines. Nothing is added to the healthful coconut water, and the project helps to support 8,000 local families with development programs, microcredit and training. Product transportation is chosen as sustainably as possible, and Vaiva uses its profits to hold concerts, sports matches and other events. Most interesting of all, however, is that one side of each Vai Vai package is set aside for the promotion of various socially minded artists, entrepreneurs and associations, at no cost to them. Currently, the project of the month is Durable.com.

Packaging space, of course, is something any brand with a physical good could donate in a similar way. One more chance to please the generosity-minded masses of Generation G!

Website: www.vai-vai.com
Contact: www.vai-vai.com/noustrouver/contacts

Spotted by: Florent Lesauvage

Eco-minded products are all very well and good, but for many consumers the important thing is the green credentials that go with them. A new smartphone from German sports company Puma—launched just last week in Europe through a partnership with France's Sagem Wireless—promises to serve both purposes by featuring both an integrated solar cell and an eco-metering function that displays all the resulting energy savings.

With a tablet form factor, a 2.8-inch thumbable screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera and a VGA video call camera, the Puma Phone is available SIM-free for an estimated retail price of EUR 399; it's also available subsidised by local operators as part of a contract bundle. The sports-centric phone is shipped in eco-friendly packaging, and just one hour of sunshine provides enough power for one hour and 30 minutes of MP3 play or about 30 text messages, its makers say. Even more interesting is that users can easily see how much of their phone calls, music and messages have been powered by the sun—data that's eminently shareable for a quick boost in status. According to a report on Gizmodo, solar power usage also translates into points redeemable in the Puma store.

Of course, in addition to providing an eco-metering, status-conveying alternative to the rest of the cellphone pack, the Puma Phone is also a nice example of what our sister site would call a branded brand. Makers of other eco-minded goods: what are you doing to help your customers flaunt their green credentials...? (Related: Fitness-focused cell phone — Laundromat reaps solar rewards — Energy meters get tweeting — Thermoelectric wellies charge festival-goers' phones.)

Website: www.pumaphone.com
Contact: info-de@puma.com

Spotted by: Henry Mason

Learning a new language is often best achieved outside the classroom—when one is eating lunch, for example, or practicing one's profession. Aiming to bring a similar philosophy to the education of children, Parisian Baby-speaking is an in-home childcare service that includes foreign language instruction in day-to-day activities.

With services for children aged one and up, Baby-speaking was developed with the help of language-acquisition experts to incorporate a new language into everyday activities. Care providers are all native-speakers in the language they offer, and are carefully trained in Baby-speaking's method, which includes a plethora of games and activities to work into the day. “Simon Says” and “Go Fish” are both among the games that Baby-speaking uses to create fun immersion time for young kids, as are songs, skits and cooking recipes. For kids six and up, Baby-speaking adds activity books of interactive games and a conversation notebook to enrich what's learned in school; teen services are designed to complement the language fundamentals learned in high school. Baby-speaking's prices range from EUR 12 per hour for children under 6 to EUR 35 for teens.

Baby-speaking has already won several awards, including one in the 2009 European Innovative Enterprise Competition. Time to target all the future little polyglots near you...?

Website: www.baby-speaking.fr
Contact: www.baby-speaking.fr/en/contact.html

Spotted by: Hugo Cahuzac

We've seen numerous examples of pop-up restaurants in recent years, including the Müvbox, the Yellow Treehouse and Charlie's Burgers. Recently one of our spotters alerted us to a monthly event in Paris, however, that starts with a community brunch and offers a whole day of eco-minded activities.

Founded by Nadege Winter—who, incidentally, is affiliated with Wool and the Gang, which is no stranger to our pages—BrunchBazar is a series of community get-togethers that take place on the first Sunday of every month at the Comptoir General in Paris. The last one, for example, took place on May 2, running from noon to 7 p.m. Organic catering was provided by Cococook, as was a series of cooking workshops throughout the day. Creative workshops for kids were provided by PetitHOOD, while Wool and the Gang served up something similar for knitters. Also on hand were a fashion swap sponsored by Good Storage, dance classes by I Could Never Be a Dancer, music from Big Festival, eco-minded education from Winter's online magazine Greenkiss, and more. The price of admission was EUR 3—50 cents of which went to the World Wildlife Fund—with small additional fees for some of the workshops.

Besides the obvious attraction for consumers and benefits for the community, BrunchBazar clearly has much to offer local vendors and brands as well—namely, a way to get close to customers in a relaxed setting that's focused on education and entertainment rather than making a sale. (Related: Pop-up cafe is a (straw) monument to sustainability.)

Website: www.brunchbazar.com
Contact: nadege@nwagency.fr

Spotted by: Elisabeth Dien

It's been a few years since we first came across the Linkle sewing café in Berlin, but recently one of our spotters alerted us to a like-minded establishment in France: Sweat Shop, conveniently located near Canal Saint-Martin in Paris.

Aiming to facilitate the DIY movement in the world of clothing, Sweat Shop offers 10 workstations equipped with Singer sewing machines as well as a central communal table. Amid a relaxed atmosphere featuring funky furniture, hot beverages and organic treats, sewing enthusiasts can come and go as they please, paying rates of EUR 6 per hour to rent a machine or EUR 25 for the day, including tee and coffee. A series of weekly workshops on sewing and knitting techniques are also available, ranging from EUR 20 to EUR 80 per class. American brand Singer sponsored the sewing machines; Sweat Shop also sells kits including everything necessary to create a particular item of clothing, according to a report in the New York Times, with prices ranging from EUR 30 to EUR 100.

Given the continuing interest in all things DIY, there are still plenty of opportunities to facilitate the customer made trend among crafters in other parts of the world. Time to offer—or sponsor—some “stitch & bitch” sessions in a cozy being space near you...? (Related: All-in-one kits for style-sensitive knitting novices — Retailer helps tweens make their own clothes — A being space for learning English.)

Website: www.sweatshopparis.com
Contact: info@sweatshopparis.com

Spotted by: Lamia Aloui

Urban farming is a trend we've been following for years, but between the recession and the recent focus on sustainability, it's showing no sign of slowing down. The latest spotting? French Bacsac, which offers a line of geotextile bags that can be used to transform any space into a growing, living garden.

The Bacsac is a lightweight and portable bag that can be used indoors or out, on terraces, balconies, rooftops and yards. Users simply fill the permeable bags with soil—there are versions in round pot shapes as well as divided squares for larger, modular gardens—and plant to their heart's content. The bags are made of double-walled and fully recyclable geotextile fabric that maintains the necessary balance between air, soil and water; it's also resistant to sun, frost and tears. Pot-sized Bacsacs range from 3- to 150-litre sizes, with hanging and window-box styles also available. Bacsquares range in size from two to 16 interior compartments. Custom sizes are also available. With prices starting at about EUR 15 for a 3-litre pot, Bacsac products are available at a variety of retailers worldwide.

Kitchen gardening, organic gardening, urban farming and container gardening are all among the top 10 global gardening trends for 2010, according to a recent report commissioned by Husqvarna. Gardening retailers around the world: Better stock up! (Related: Boosting suburban farming — More homegrown vegetables, without the sweat — Remote-controlled farming for city dwellers.)

Website: www.bacsac.fr
Contact: www.bacsac.fr/en/contact-3/

For supercar fans, there's already écurie25. Private jet users have long had NetJets. Now high-end motorcycle aficionados have a fractional ownership club of their own through Columbus Club, based in Cannes, France.

In exchange for an annual membership fee, Columbus International's Columbus Club provides priority access to a "dream garage of exceptional motorbikes." Members need not worry about depreciation, insurance, servicing, maintenance or storage—the company takes care of all that. Rather, they simply pick a membership level and enjoy riding a variety of high-end bikes. Three membership levels cost EUR 2,000, 3,000 and 5,000 per year, respectively. In exchange, members are granted a corresponding number of credits for use on riding the bikes of their choice. A variety of models are available--all less than a year old, including the Ducati, BMW, Triumph and Hollister's brands--with daily rates ranging from EUR 195 off-season to EUR 385 during the peak of the summer. Cannes-based Columbus also offers chauffeur service to and from Nice airport, camera-equipped helmets and personal guided riding tours, among other extras.

With its focus on transumers—who would rather experience products than own them—Columbus Club's concept is one that could do well in any temperate, motorcycle-friendly part of the world. One to partner with or emulate on the scenic highways and byways near you...? (Related: Motorcycle hearses offer a (life)stylish final ride.)

Website: www.columbus-international.com/columbus-club/
Contact: discover@columbus-international.com

It's no longer uncommon to see bags and even jackets with pockets for gadgets, but French WTFjeans are the first pants we've seen designed specifically with technology geeks in mind.

iPods, iPhones, USB sticks and more can all be accommodated in these high-tech jeans, which feature “Twitter bloo” stitching and microfiber lining for extra gadget protection. Along with the mobile-device compartments, there's a special USB stick pocket on the front of the pants, which are sold in men's sizes. There's also “extra protection” padding along the crotch sides. Finally, just as interesting is that WTF plans to make only 1,000 pairs and it's conducting all its promotion through online social media. Launched earlier this month, the “beta version” of the pants, comprising 100 pairs priced at EUR 59 each, has already sold out, and will ship April 1. The rest of us can now get WTFjeans for EUR 79 on orders placed before Aug. 1; 400 pairs will be sold that way and shipped in early September. Thereafter, the final 500 pairs will sell for EUR 109 each.

Consumers may live much of their lives online, but in the real world, they still need pants--both figuratively and literally. Still plenty of opportunity out there for gadget-enabled, OFF=ON clothing! (Related: Chic camera bags for style-conscious photographers — Design your own jeans, custom-made for $145 — Limited-edition jeans for summer music festival.)

Website: www.wtfjeans.com
Contact: sanja@wtfjeans.com

Spotted by: Jenny Lau

Extreme sports such as bungee-jumping from the Macau Tower may well be enough to satisfy the adrenaline needs of the majority of premium thrill-seekers. Those still wishing for more, however, have a new alternative: they can pay to be kidnapped, without warning, by French Ultime Réalité.

"Kidnapping", "Manhunt" and "Go-Fast Adventure" are all among the standard services Ultime Réalité offers, but it's open to special requests. Through the company's simulated kidnapping packages, for instance, the participant is abducted without warning—after leaving a restaurant, say, or in the supermarket parking lot. Paying "victims" are then bound, gagged and imprisoned for four or 10 hours (depending on the scenario they choose), allowing them to experience the terror of the real thing. Additional elements such as ransom, escapes and helicopter chases can also be involved. Manhunt packages, meanwhile, can last either one or two days, with the option to play the role of either hunter or prey. Then there's the Go-Fast Adventure, where participants take the role of a drug dealer smuggling cargo on the high seas. Finally, a recently added "extreme" package allows clients to wake up on an autopsy table in a morgue, surrounded by corpses and body bags. Pricing on a basic kidnap package is EUR 900.

Just a few weeks into its launch, Ultime Réalité was already getting as many as two requests per day, according to Reuters primarily from top-level executives seeking an extreme-sports alternative. Don't look now, but the premium bar just got raised again... (Related: Paparazzi for the rest of us.)

Website: www.ultimerealite.fr
Contact: contact@ultimerealite.fr

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

It's been a while since we've come across any new efforts involving vending machines, but recently a nice one in the Paris Métro caught our eye. A week before Valentine's Day, fragrance retailer Sephora installed a series of machines at various Métro stations dedicated to selling Calvin Klein's CK One scent in a special, portable size.

From February 7 through February 20, visitors to the Métro's La Défense, Charles de Gaulle-Étoile, Montparnasse and Miromesnil stations could buy a special 15ml size of CK One at an on-site "CK One Pocket Store" by Sephora. Priced at EUR 10, the limited-edition pocket size is also available through Sephora itself. The vending-machine concept was created by Paris agency Nouveau Jour, which says it expects to use it abroad as well. A video on Daily Motion shows the campaign in action.

Another option, of course, would have been for Sephora to use the vending machines to give out free samples of the fragrances, much the way Fosfor's Boobox does. Either way, however, the approach is sure to generate far more interest and trials among trysumers than a traditional advert ever could. Keep the vending-machine ideas coming! (Related: Upscale vending machine sells curated luxury goods — Vending machines sell after-party shoes — Vending machines sell bathing suits at hotel pools — Touch-screen machine for interactive vending — Best Buy starts vending at airports.)

Website: www.sephora.fr
Contact: serviceclients@sephora.fr

Withings is a French company that develops smart and hyperconnected objects. Their first product is a wifi body scale. Like other high-end personal scales, it not only determines someone's weight, but also estimates their body fat and lean body mass.

What sets this scale apart is that it automatically transmits that data to the web. Next time the user is online, they can access their Withings dashboard, which displays graphs of their data over time, alongside recommended healthy ranges. The dashboard can manage up to eight users and the scale can recognize which person it's weighing. Users can even opt to automatically broadcast their weight on Twitter, and an iPhone app is available for tracking information on the go.

We've already seen connected cooking aids and wifi thermostats, but this is barely the beginning. Expect a heavy load of wifi-enabled products in the coming year, including plenty that will socially communicate on behalf of their users. (Related: Wearable device tracks fitness data — To improve employee health, gadget tracks every move — Connecting online and off with RFID for the masses.)

Website: www.withings.com
Contact: www.withings.com/en/index/contact

Spotted by: Jim Stewart

Knitwear fans can already design their own hats and even choose a granny to do the knitting, thanks to French Golden Hook. Now they can design their own cashmere sweaters, scarves and more—and then sell their creations—on Trendy Workshop.

Users of Custom & Co.'s Trendy Workshop—also from France—can create their own knit sweaters, scarves, dresses, tunics, bags and jackets in a choice of cashmere or cotton. The site's design platform lets users specify the shapes, sleeves, necks, finishes, belts, pockets and other details of a variety of items for men, women and children. They can alternate front and back views at will throughout the design process, as well as choosing from a wide range of colours for their creations. Pricing for a custom-designed cashmere scarf, for example, is EUR 89. Clothes designed on Trendy Workshop are produced in China and delivered within three weeks, according to a report on Tiburon-TV.

Perhaps even more interesting than the design-your-own capabilities, however, is that creating an item on Trendy Workshop entitles the user to sell their creations on the very same platform. Beginners start with the status of "designer apprentice" and set up a personal store on the site. Their creations then get shown in the online boutique and offered for sale. For every purchase, a commission of 5 to 10 percent gets awarded to the product's creator, depending on their status.

Trendy Workshop currently offers delivery to Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, Spain, Austria, Denmark, Ireland and Portugal. One to partner with or emulate for the knitwear fans near you...? (Related: Design your own Keds & sell them on Zazzle.)

Website: www.trendy-workshop.com
Contact: bonjour@trendy-workshop.com

Spotted by: Tristan Daeschner

Netherlands-based Sellaband has already appeared on our virtual pages on numerous occasions, so we were interested to see a like-minded enterprise spring up in France. Much like Sellaband, Kisskissbankbank lets music fans invest in the bands they love and share in the rewards of their success.

Fans begin by browsing through the artists on the site and choosing one or more they'd like to invest in. As little as EUR 10 per band makes a fan an official “KissBanker,” and those funds can be withdrawn or transferred to another artist at any time. Meanwhile, such investments entitle KissBankers to a share in the success of that band's efforts in proportion to their investments, as well as access to bonuses and exclusive content. KissBankers may also get invited to weigh in on decisions their bands make, and they are encouraged to help promote them in their own social networks and communities. Kisskissbankbank, meanwhile, gets a 20 percent commission on the amounts that are invested.

With all the many ways we've seen for bands to collaborate with their fans—whether via financial investments, help with music sales or concert promotion—it's clear the crowdfunding model has struck a “chord,” so to speak, in the world of music. Bands get support, fans get involved—and paid. It's music to everyone's ears! ;-)

Website: www.kisskissbankbank.com
Contact: www.kisskissbankbank.com/contact_requests/new

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

Airports and Twitter have one thing in common—they both create an ever more connected global village. Be that as it may, airports themselves can still be pretty lonely places while waiting to board. A French Twitter tool aims to remedy that: bored twitterers need only tweet #boarding along with an airport code (e.g. LAX), and they'll get a reply with a list of twitterers in that airport in the last few hours. Alternatively, Boarding.fr displays a map of all the world's airports and the users in them. Users can choose which random stranger they'd like to tweet and maybe meet while in transit.

Like Lufthansa's MySkyStatus, which tweets passengers' flight updates on their behalf, it's an example of real-time applications adding an automated element to the ongoing conversation that our sister-site calls foreverism. Web developer Damien Guinet created the @boarding 'twitterbot' when he realised many of his followers would tweet just to say they were in an airport. He decided to add value to this by letting them find out who else is there. Although he designed the free service "just for fun", it constantly records data to build up a picture of the most tweeted airports, and Guinet recognizes the potential to partner with airport-based advertisers—perhaps tweeting relevant airport discounts to users of the service? (Related: Connecting airline travellers for a shared cab.)

Website: www.boarding.fr
Contact: damien@boarding.fr

Regular Springwise readers may remember Lufthansa's MySkyStatus service, which lets air travellers get flight status updates posted automatically to their Facebook or Twitter profiles. Offering a variation on the same theme, mobile application EezeeRator now gives users a simplified way to share real-time flight information and reviews via Android and iPhone.

EezeeRator is a free travel companion from French Air Valid that allows passengers to post airline reviews while in flight. Travellers need only download the application—an Android version is available now, with iPhone software coming next month. With an on-board wifi connection, they can then use the application to search for airline and flight information, post reviews, and send messages, tweets and pictures in real-time from their phones. Preformatted message templates make it quick and easy to add text or photos and post; the resulting messages get sent both to Twitter and to Eezeer, Air Valid's airline-focused social network with information sheets on 1,220 airlines, information and ratings for more than 47,000 flight numbers from 260 airlines, and some 120,000 reviews from 45,000 members. All messages are moderated by the EezeeRator team, and a GPS function confirms that users are where they say they are.

The company blog explains: "The next time your flight attendant gives you the cold shoulder when you ask for an extra bag of pretzels, whip out your phone and tell everyone! These are the types of applications that will show which companies are taking care of their customers and which are hiding behind slick advertising."

Indeed, in addition to that much-needed dose of transparency for the airline industry, EezeeRator also gives passengers additional services including door-to-door luggage collection and delivery (thanks to First Luggage), and a way to purchase carbon offsets (through a partnership with JPMorgan Climate Care). All that and a heaping helping of nowism too! What is *your* brand doing to enable instant gratification for its customers...?

Website: www.eezeerator.com
Contact: www.eezeer.com/contact

We've seen a few examples of children's books that can be personalized with photos of the child who will be reading them, but it wasn't until recently that we learned of one that can be customized to feature a favourite toy instead. Sure enough, French publisher Typlume & Graphine offers a series of books called La Vie de Mon Doudou in which a treasured toy or security blanket is cast as the hero.

Parents or other gift-givers simply upload three photos of their child's security blanket or favourite toy: one head-on, one profile shot and one alternative view. From there, the company stages the "doudou" in various adventures and situations, such as sitting on the back of a cow or riding the Paris metro. Seven story themes are available, including "The day of my security blanket" and "My security blanket protects the planet." Each spiral-bound, hardcover book costs EUR 29.90 and is printed sustainably in France. Typlume & Graphine currently ships to France, Corsica, Belgium and Luxembourg. (Related: Gravanity books for kids — Narrate-your-own storybook videos — Personalized e-stories for kids on Kindle and iPhone.)

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

Spotted by: Fadila Merizak

While tech fiends are anxiously awaiting web tablets made by Apple and TechCrunch, a recently-launched French touchpad device could become the darling of culinary geeks. Made specifically for kitchen use, QOOQ is a touchscreen tablet that aims to coach and assist both beginning and experienced cooks.

For EUR 349, the device comes loaded with 500 interactive recipes and 10 instructional videos. Customers can add their own recipes and—for a monthly fee of EUR 12.95—get access to a further 2,000 recipes and 500 video, with 50 new recipes added every month. Membership also includes unlimited access to a culinary guide that covers everything from wine pairing to chopping techniques. Spillproof and wifi-enabled, QOOQ was developed entirely to be used in the kitchen. Placed flat on a countertop, it rests on 'claws' that keep it safely elevated from crumbs and damp prep areas. It can also stand upright, for easier reading and for use as a digital picture frame (the device is multi-purpose: it also includes a radio and a weather station).

QOOQ's founders hope to encourage people to rediscover the pleasure of cooking, while making their lives simpler with features like intuitive menu planning tools and automated grocery lists. QOOQ's interface and recipes are currently only available in French—for anyone in food publishing in other parts of the world, this could be a natural fit.

Website: www.qooq.com
Contact: contact@unowhy.com

Spotted by: Thibaut Bayart

It's been more than a year since we featured the toy rental service from Texas-based Babyplays, so we were pleased to see that a similar concept has now been launched in Europe. French Dim Dom offers a very similar service, with toy rental options aimed at kids up to 5.

Dim Dom offers toys for rent on either a short-term or a subscription basis. Grandparents expecting kids for a holiday visit, for example, are among the intended customers of the short-term plans, as are families hoping to arrange an assortment of toys for the duration of a family vacation. Prices on Dim Dom's short-term packages begin at EUR 49.95 for a selection of five toys for up to a month; all shipping costs are included, and return shipping labels are provided. The company's subscription services, meanwhile, follow a Netflix-like model that begins at EUR 19.95 per month for four toys at once. Toys can be kept as long as 12 months, but they can also be sent back and exchanged for free when children get tired of them. All of Dim Dom's toys are purchased new from official suppliers, the company says, and are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between uses. When they reach the end of their useful lives, they are donated to charities and families in need.

Dim Dom currently delivers only within France, but it's already working on solutions for ownership-shy transumers in neighbouring countries.

Website: www.dimdom.fr
Contact: www.dimdom.fr/support-client/contactez-nous.html

Spotted by: Fadila Merizak

Air quality is a matter of urgent concern to residents of most large cities, and Paris is no exception. There are currently only 10 public sensors monitoring that important variable in the City of Lights, however, so a new initiative now aims to equip everyday citizens with a special device that can measure and report air-quality data regularly for collective use.

The Green Watch, or Montre Verte, is a specially equipped device worn on the wrist that includes not just a time piece but also a GPS chip, a Bluetooth chip, and ozone and noise sensors. At scheduled times—or on request of the wearer—the watch measures and saves air-quality and noise data, describing them in qualitative terms such as "good" or "bad." Those values are then returned to the user via the screen of his or her mobile phone in the image of an eye, where the colour of the eye's pupil indicates air quality while that of the iris represents noise. Finally, via the mobile phone, the watch sends the data to an open platform called Citypulse, either in real time via the mobile carrier or by synchronization when the user hooks the watch up to his or her computer. All measures are time-stamped, geolocated and saved; from there, they become available to anyone who wants to use them—and who has committed to an ethical charter. Potential uses include public matters such as mapping and citizen warnings, as well as business applications, such as services for people who suffer from asthma.

The Green Watch program is part of the Cities 2.0 program developed by FING, or the Fondation Internet Nouvelle Génération, as a way to increase the number of environmental sensors in Paris while also motivating citizens to take steps toward sustainability. Data from beta tests performed in May, with sponsorship from the Région Île-de-France and the Futur en Seine event, are currently available on the project's website. One to emulate—or sponsor—in a less-than-entirely-sustainable city near you...?

Website: www.lamontreverte.org
Contact: lamontreverte@fing.org

Spotted by: PICNIC Amsterdam (The Green Watch will be demo'd at next week's PICNIC conference: 23 — 25 September.)