|
|
|||
|
|
||
|
"Divide and conquer" is a strategy that can be just as successful for tackling a task as it is for gaining power: break it down into small parts, and you have a better chance of succeeding. Such was the thinking behind DailyLit's books delivered in bite-sized portions, and a similar notion appears to be at work in Popling, a new online educational tool. Users hoping to learn something new—whether it's French or trigonometry—begin by signing up for free with Popling and installing its Mac or Windows desktop software on their computer. They then subscribe to specific "poplings," or topics they want to learn. There are more than 150 poplings currently available, including 11 languages and topics in math, business, science and technology, among others. Based on their choices, Popling's desktop software will display pop-up flash cards on their computer throughout the day, timed to the frequency they choose. A language card, for example, might display a new vocabulary word, or quiz the user on one they've already learned. If the user ignores a pop-up it will go away, but if they click on it, they can see the full version and answer the question it contains. Popling is also available in an ad-free subscription for USD 20 per year. Easy-to-digest tidbits are one of the hallmarks of what our sister site trendwatching.com would call snack culture, catering to consumers who seek gratification in smaller, easier-to-handle bites. Why not education, where the flash card already has a long history? Next, how about rolling out localized versions of Popling, tailored both to language and to culturally relevant topics? Consumers the world over are hungry for knowledge—give it to them the way they want it, and you could end up with some tasty rewards yourself! ;-) Website: www.popling.net |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
Tourist destinations around the world are no strangers to marketing, but many could take a lesson from Australia's Tourism Queensland, which recently kicked off a very clever viral promotion. Specifically, the group launched an international recruiting contest to fill what it calls The Best Job in the World—a highly paid, 6-month position living the high life while focusing global interest on the Great Barrier Reef Islands. Featuring live-in accommodations in a luxurious, 3-bedroom house on Hamilton Island and a salary package of AUD 150,000 plus airfare, the Island Caretaker position will involve responsibilities including exploring the surrounding islands and reporting back to Tourism Queensland—and the world—via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates. Applicants can be from anywhere in the world, as long as they submit a 60-second video application by 22 February. Tourism Queensland will then create a short list of 50 candidates who will submit a personal profile, and in May 11 candidates—10 chosen by Tourism Queensland and one Wild Card candidate selected by the global audience—will be invited to the islands for an interview. The position begins 1 July 2009. The idea for the contest was conceived by Website: www.islandreefjob.com |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
Anyone who's ever had a baby or undergone surgery knows all too well how challenging it can be in the days following simply to prepare a meal. MealBaby is a new online service that aims to help people in such situations by helping their friends take care of them. When a friend or family member is in need of a little TLC, MealBaby allows users to plan and organize all the details of a meal registry. Users begin by creating an account along with a meal schedule for the recipient featuring a list of their favorite foods, gift card options, contact information, maps and directions. They then choose friends and family near and far to ask for help, either via home-cooked meals, food delivery or gift cards to a local restaurant. An e-mail is sent to all those people, who can then sign up for particular days using MealBaby's calendar planning tools; the system blocks out each date that's spoken for. MealBaby is a free service for users and is supported in part through partnerships with a variety of restaurants, whose gift cards can be purchased through the site. MealBaby also offers meal givers the option of donating to Feed the Children. The site's founders explain: "We have all been in a place where a friendly familiar face stopping by our door with a yummy lunch or dinner means the world. And we often have wanted to repay others with the same sort of gesture when they are in need. But we are all busy people and keeping up with who needs what and when can be a little overwhelming and turn good intentions into, well, good intentions and nothing more. Now, with the help of MealBaby's easy registration process and calendar planning tools, we can become people whose good intentions become reality." Illinois-based MealBaby targets primarily users in the United States; one to emulate in other parts of the world....? Website: www.mealbaby.com Spotted by: Bill McMahon |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
Although hospital superbugs may be infamous, we haven’t yet seen a branded, integral B2C approach to their prevention. Sold and marketed to consumers instead of to health institutions, PatientPak is a collection of antimicrobial and other hygiene items for those planning a hospital visit. Its aim: to kill 99.99% of bugs, including nasties such as MRSA, salmonella and E. coli. GBP 16 buys a set of fourteen different germ prevention items to be used during a hospital stay, ranging from hand, surface and fabric sanitizing sprays to an advice leaflet, disposable pen and polite bedside sign to remind others to wash their hands. PatientPak was made available from UK stockists such as Amazon.co.uk, Tesco and Mothercare late last year. Separately, much of the pack’s contents are readily available, but by bundling a range of products for a specific purpose, the brand has created a new product that should speak both to consumers’ worries and to their desire for convenience. One to launch locally? Website: www.patientpak.com Spotted by: Marko Balabanovic |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
‘Democratic’ is a word few would use to describe Hollywood decisions, but Cowrite, a collaboratively written movie script, is here to change that. After two sentences that describe the mood and plot (‘Napoleon Dynamite’ meets ‘Pineapple Express’, starring an awkward teenager caught up in a dangerous conspiracy), the organisers put the public in the driving seat. Anyone is open to submit a 10-page portion of the script, provided they do not belong to the Writer’s Guild of America and have paid an entry fee of around USD 10. The contest was announced in December 2008, with the opening ten pages to be selected by Cowrite’s judges and uploaded to its website for all to see by 29 January 2009. The story will build from there, with the judges selecting and uploading the best ten-page addition every fortnight over six months. Each of the 11 selected writers will receive USD 2,000 prize money, with USD 5,000 is reserved for the overall winner, who will also rewrite the first draft. Writers will also receive a share of the royalties should the movie go into production. The project is the brainchild of Benderspink, the management and production company behind the 1999 flick American Pie. It’s shaping up to be an engaging project from start to finish, as fans wait for each fortnightly installment, passionately debate the changes made in the rewrite and spread the word to build hype before the film is released. The movie’s innovative creation process will certainly create press attention, which could make it more likely to succeed at pitch and (hopefully) the box office. Given that everything these days can be written, designed and produced by your customers, providing affordable labour as well as die-hard fans, what aspects of your business could you relinquish control over? (Related: Angelic crowdsourcing — Online auditions for a crowdsourced movie.) Website: www.cowritescript.com Spotted by: Miranda Lopez |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
We've already written on two separate occasions about GoMobo and its service enabling food ordering via text message. Always happy to see a good idea spread, we were recently pleased to note that the company has signed on sandwich chain Subway for text ordering in New York City. Users of Subway Now begin by entering their address online to find the Subway shop nearest them. They then create and save their favourite orders, each of which is assigned a number. To order by text message, they simply text the word "menu" to Subway's shortcode, and the service sends back a list of their favourites. They reply with the number they want, and Subway Now responds with a text confirmation and pickup time. All orders are paid via credit card information saved on the Subway Now site, so customers can skip the line entirely when they pick up their food, and the service itself is free. With the time savings and VIP treatment for customers and the reportedly increased order sizes for restaurants, it's no wonder this trend is going strong. Which major chain will be next....? Website: www.subwaynow.com |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
We shamefully admit we're a year late reporting on this one—don't know how we managed to miss it! But given our sister-site trendwatching.com's current focus on generosity, our timing doesn't seem entirely off. ;-) Aiming to make things a fraction easier for homeless people in Canada—who face winter temperatures of as low as -30 degrees Celsius—Canadian ad agency TAXI developed the 15 Below Jacket, a garment that owes its insulating properties to old newspapers. Distributed to the homeless by the Salvation Army, the jacket's durable, waterproof and wind-resistant case has internal pockets in the sleeves, body and hood for its owner to fill with newspaper. Readily available from recycling bins, bunched-up newspaper is an excellent insulating material. The garment was named '15 Below' to reference the Celsius mark at which a cold warning is issued, urging the homeless to get off the streets. It's also a nod to the design competiton that produced it, which celebrates TAXI's 15th birthday. Creative director Steve Mykolyn came up with the concept, winning the privilege of testing his prototype in a meat locker. Supervised by a paramedic, the design helped him survive eight hours in -28 degree conditions, after which 3,000 jackets went into production (in December 2007). When stuffed, the jacket—created by Canadian designer Lida Baday—looks like a garment anybody could wear, avoiding stigmatization of its wearers. In the summer months it can be emptied and used as a raincoat, folded up into a backpack to be transported, or filled and used as a pillow. An altruistic project that rubs off very well on all involved, sponsors are currently being sought to fund distribution in other countries. For much more on how brands are embracing generosity, check out trendwatching.com's February trend briefing: GENERATION G. Website: www.15belowproject.org — www.taxi.ca Spotted by: Claudia Allwood |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
We've written about several mobile applications to help consumers navigate the world around them, but a new one from UK travel and leisure site Lastminute.com goes a step further by taking advantage of the built-in compass in the T-Mobile G1. Lastminute.com's nru—short for "near you"—is designed to give users of the Android-powered T-Mobile G1 a narrowly focused and continuously updated view of things to do around them, from bars and restaurants to cinemas and cafes. Users begin by downloading the application from the Android Marketplace—currently, it's available only to UK consumers. They can then launch it on their G1 anytime they're looking for something to do, and the technology will show them what almost looks like a radar map indicating entertainment venues nearby. Closer establishments are shown in the center of the map's field, while those further away are indicated along the outside. A combination of GPS, compass and accelerometers creates an entirely physical interface, so as the user moves and points the phone around in different directions, they see different information. The application gets much of its data from Qype, and for each restaurant, users can even see the deals currently on offer and book a table through Lastminute.com's fonefood service. A video demo illustrates how nru works. Since T-Mobile's G1 is the first to include a built-in compass, nru is one of the first of what will likely be a long line of applications to take advantage of the technology. Lots of opportunities here, both for consumers and for businesses wanting to be found. One to experiment with! (Related: Using pictures to give directions — Mapping the 24/7 economy — Nightlife mapping tool uses GPS to reveal hotspots.) Website: labs.lastminute.com/nru |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
Offering an experience that's as close as possible to the real thing, Be At TV offers full-on video coverage of some of the world's hottest clubbing events. Be At TV, aka b@, is a slick IPTV and social networking site that covers clubs, events and DJs such as the Space Ibiza Opening Party or Annie Mac at London's Big Chill House. The site displays footage from four camera angles simultaneously, showing the DJ booth, individual clubbers and the momentum of the dance floor in all of its glorious and gory detail, accompanied by a live recording of both the DJ's set and the whoops and cheers of the party people. It's then over to the clubbers themselves to use the footage as the basis for their social networking: logging their attendance at events to chat with the people they randomly met, tagging their appearances in videos and sharing clips by embedding them in emails and web pages. The footage is also proving useful for those who want to preview a club night or get in the mood before heading out. By combining professional video reporting with social networking elements, b@ is creating a convergence between one-off offline experiences and continued online interaction, while promoting events and artists to a wider audience. Time to find other live events that are ripe for being taken to the next level of online coverage? Website: www.be-at.tv Spotted by: Ali Gunning
|
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
Music fans continue to play an ever-increasing role in the music industry, as we've chronicled on numerous occasions before. Similar to GoodStorm's MixTape and Mixaloo, a new London-based service lets music fans have a hand in selling the music they love. At People's Music Store, music fans can set up their own online storefronts for recommending and selling their favourite music. Creating a store is free, and while owners don't get paid with money the way they do on MixTape and Mixaloo, they do earn free MP3 downloads. People's Music maintains a licensed catalog of a variety of electronica, rock and other types of DRM-free music for shopowners to sell. When someone visits a store on the site and buys music based on the owner's recommendations, the owner gets rewarded with points—equivalent to 10 percent of the retail price—that can be redeemed toward music at other stores on the site. Artists and labels, meanwhile, are paid a full cash royalty for every sale. Labels represented on the site include Warp Records, Ninja Tune, kranky and Domino Records; artists include respected names like Squarepusher, Boards of Canada, Autechre and Amon Tobin. Pricing begins at 99p per standard track and GBP 7.99 per standard album. If there's anything people love more than having their say, it's being rewarded for that input—not to mention a chance to earn the respect of countless like-minded twinsumers around the world. Next, People's Music Store plans to begin including user-generated audio content for sale through its storefronts as well, according to its FAQ—now that could really be music to prosumers' ears! ;-) Website: www.peoplesmusicstore.com Spotted by: Murtaza Ali Patel |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
Springwise readers are already well-acquainted with Zipcar, the car-sharing service we first featured back in 2003. In April 2007 we wrote about Zipcar's partnership with ParkAtMyHouse.com in the UK, allowing its cars to be dispersed even more finely throughout the parking spots of London. Now, thinking along similar lines, one of the leading parking operators in New York City has launched its own, competing car-sharing service for residents of the Big Apple. Like Zipcar, Mint offers its members 24/7 access to its cars for as little as an hour or as much as several days. The company maintains a diverse fleet of fuel-efficient vehicles as well as fun ones for special occasions, and it frees members from having to worry about car payments, insurance, maintenance, parking or even gas. Each member gets a smartcard, which unlocks Mint cars and also begins and ends a member's reservation. All gas is paid for by Mint using a gas card located in each car—members must simply fill up when the car dips to a quarter tank—and an E-ZPass is included in each car as well, so tolls can be simply added to the reservation charge at the end of the month. To become a member of Mint, drivers pay an application fee of USD 25, which gets them one free year of membership. Hourly rates begin as low as USD 2 per hour, including 180 free miles per day. Since any car-sharing service is going to need a ready supply of parking spots, it makes good sense to recognize that synergy from the get-go. Mint hopes to expand to other cities in the future—particularly if you're a parking operator, could be one to get in on early! Website: www.drivemint.com |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
Pop-up cinema is something we've been seeing for a few years already, but typically only in areas with the infrastructure to support the large screens it relies on. A new effort from equipment provider Open Air Cinema, however, uses inflatable movie screens to bring outdoor film to remote areas in Africa. Last month, Open Air Cinema launched a subsidized program to provide NGOs and small business owners in Africa with its CineBox Global, a portable, durable solution that comes with everything needed to distribute information, education and entertainment on an inflatable, outdoor movie screen. Screen sizes range from three to 12 meters; blower fans, generators, digital projectors, DVD players, sound mixers, cables and carrying cases are also included. The equipment can all fit in a vehicle the size of a Land Rover, and all components are 110/240 compatible. Open Air's kits have already been used by the United Nations and FilmAid in refugee camps in Kenya and Tanzania, for example, as well as to show the Oscar-nominated documentary War/Dance to thousands of people living in an isolated refugee camp in northern Uganda. The screens are also used for “Hillywood,” the traveling Rwandan film festival that features filmmakers from Rwanda and other African states, with attendance as high as 10,000 people per showing. Stuart Farmer, president of Utah-based Open Air Cinema, explains: “With the infrastructure challenges that are common throughout Africa, we are offering NGOs an effective and enticing new medium to deliver critical information and needed entertainment. Our inflatable movie screens and systems can be made available anywhere, even in the bush, so NGOs can now deliver consistent messages—through training films about AIDS awareness or women’s rights or an entertaining movie to help elevate the morale of those in the audience.” Open Air's subsidized program includes detailed training, technical support and reduced pricing, which also varies based on choice of components. More information and applications for the program are at www.openaircinema.us/humanitarian.htm. The company's screens, meanwhile, are available for branding with a logo or organization name. One to sponsor, partner with, or otherwise get involved in....? (Related: Internet-in-a-box for areas without electricity — Solar-powered cellphone kiosks for Ugandan women — See-saw power.) Website: www.openaircinema.us/humanitarian.htm Spotted by: Bonnie Larner |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
When consumers order diet soda, they can usually tell by the first sip if they got what they ordered. Not so decaf drinks, which tend to taste much the same as their fully caffeinated counterparts. Thanks to a new innovation much like a home pregnancy test, however, decaf drinkers can now test for themselves whether they're getting more than they ordered. DiscoverTesting.com's D+caf Test Strip quickly and easily determines whether coffee is really decaf. Consumers simply remove a small sample from their beverage before adding cream or other additives—half a teaspoon is enough, the company says. (The strips must not be used on the part of the beverage that will be consumed, product instructions warn.) They then dip the strip into their sample and hold it there for 5 seconds. Within 60 seconds, the strip indicates via the relative darkness of two adjacent lines whether the drink is truly decaf, with less than 20 mg caffeine per 6 oz. serving. The strips also work on tea and cold drinks, but unfortunately not on latte, cappuccino or other milk-based beverages, which will limit its reach. DiscoverTesting.com, which is part of California-based Silver Lake Research, sells the tests in kits of 20 single-use strips for USD 9.95. As many as 30 percent of decaf coffees ordered at coffee houses and restaurants contain unacceptably high levels of caffeine, the company says—which means countless consumers are getting more of a jolt than they realize. One to resell in your neck of the overcaffeinated woods....? Website: www.discovertesting.com
 |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
Kids can already publish their own stories in book form thanks to Tikatok, which we covered earlier this year, and soon they'll be able to record their own voices narrating classic stories, fairy tales, nursery rhymes and lullabies with accompanying video and music. Speakaboos is a site that aims to bring classic children's stories into the digital world, primarily through storybook videos featuring celebrity narration, illustrations and original music. Stories including Arthur, Snow White and Aesop's Fables are available for free viewing on the site, accompanied by links to educational activities, games and contests. The stories can also be downloaded for USD 0.99 per title, and are available on iTunes.com and Rhapsody.com as well. Launched in October with more than 30 titles, New York-based Speakaboos just recently added a holiday collection. The company donates at least 15 percent of all revenues to child-focused charities including the National Education Association and The Creative Coalition. There are other sites out there that offer digital storytelling for kids, of course—including Storyline Online, which also features celebrity narrators. What's especially interesting about Speakaboos, however, is a forthcoming feature that will let parents and kids create their own versions of its video stories. The site's "Record Your Own" feature will allow kids, parents, grandparents or even teachers to record their own voices reading (or singing) their favorite story, song or nursery rhyme. The result will be a fun, karaoke version kids can share with their friends, for example, or a personalized story a parent or grandparent can use to help tuck their loved ones into bed even when they're not there. If there's anything better than a site with high-quality content, it's a site that lets consumers create and share their own. Now, how about adding a marketplace feature that lets the storytelling whizzes of Generation C(ontent) turn their creations into some well-deserved C(ash)....? That's a story that will continue to be retold again and again! Website: www.speakaboos.com Spotted by: Roberta Steinberg |
|||
|
|||
|
|
||
|
It's not unusual for an art gallery to sell rare or limited edition pieces, but a new, online gallery based in London is banking on exclusivity to set it apart by offering just a single, limited-edition creation from each of a handful of select artists. The Few Gallery commissions limited-edition art prints exclusively for its shop from a set of hand-picked graphic artists and illustrators from around the globe. Each artist makes only one design for the gallery, which prints each of 30 editions of it individually using the Gicleé process for high resolution and life spans of at least 100 years. Prices begin at EUR 300 for each 60-by-80-cm print. In exchange, owners get a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity to go with it, along with the knowledge that 10 percent of the price is donated to a select set of charities, including Survival, Concern Worldwide, Save the Children and the World Wildlife Fund. Perhaps more importantly, once the design is sold out, it will never be printed again. The Few Gallery was founded by Hannes Unt, who is also the creative director and founder of Estonian design agency LOOVVOOL, specializing in high-end brands. The economy may be a shambles, but that doesn't mean status and exclusivity are going by the wayside. Nothing like a little planned scarcity to keep the massclusive wolves at bay and make a consumer feel truly unique! (Related: Luxury etailer focuses on planned scarcity — Limited edition lingerie.) Website: www.thefewgallery.com Spotted by: Alar Ojastu |
|||
|
|||
|
| |||
 |
|||
|
|
|
Home | Ideas by industry | Become a spotter | Tell a friend | Subscribe | Previous issues | PDF
|
