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Once popular in Europe, folding campers have come to struggle with a bit of an image problem. They're practical and make for cheap travel, but have as much sex appeal as an orthopedic shoe. Aiming to change that is Opera, a foldout trailer that's as eyecatching and luxurious as it is convenient. Designed by Axel Enthoven, who has led the department of Man & Mobility at Eindhoven's Design Academy since 1989, the Opera's overlapping domed tent is unabashedly inspired by the Sydney Opera House. It folds out of the trailer in minutes, revealing a sleek interior that includes hot and cold running water, a toilet, a simple stove, a wine cabinet and an espresso bar. As well as two luxury beds that slide together at the push of a button. And an enclosed teak veranda. More compact than a full-sized recreational vehicle, the Opera allows travelers further off the beaten track, which is why it's being marketed as "your suite in nature". The concept will no doubt appeal to a new breed of nomads who want the feeling of roughing it out in the bush, without the actual roughness. Pricing hasn't yet been announced—Opera will be officially launched in December and taken into production in 2010—but it's safe to say that the company is targeting the high end of the market. (Related: Pop-up cabins designed for stargazing — Upscale camping at summer music festivals — Farm camping in cottage-style tents.) Website: www.yoursuiteinnature.com (note that the current website is limited to a Flash presentation) |
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Anyone who's ever owned a home has probably either heard or experienced their own horror stories involving less-than-entirely-honest building contractors and the havoc they can wreak. Aiming to put an end to the uncertainty involved in such situations, Florida-based BidABuilder now offers a way for homeowners to solicit bids from only the most carefully prescreened contractors. Homeowners with work to be done on their property simply post a project for free on BidABuilder's site, giving listed contractors an opportunity to bid for the work. Not just any contractor can participate on the site, however—to be included, they must provide photo ID, license and insurance info, as well as submit to a criminal background check revealing all infractions. Those who pass BidABuilder's stringent requirements are notified of new projects in real time via email, mobile and the web; from there, they can submit bids or request site inspections. After a one-time setup fee of USD 29.95, contractors pay bid prices based on the estimated value of the project, starting at USD 4. Once all the bids are in, the homeowner then chooses the contractor he or she would like to do the work. After the work is done, the homeowner can then rate the contractor to help guide other users of the site. A forthcoming reward-point system, meanwhile, will offer homeowners discounts and prizes for frequent use. In a world that's positively flooded with directories and bidding boards for construction jobs—but little in the way of formal evaluation—BidABuilder's focus on prescreening is a smart strategy that offers considerable benefits for both contractors and for homeowners. Currently, however, the site serves only US users; one to partner with or emulate in other parts of the world? (Related: Handywomen take on construction.) Website: www.bidabuilder.com |
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Along with yoga's rise in popularity has come a raft of DVD and online classes offering a potentially less expensive and more convenient alternative to live, scheduled instruction. Such prerecorded offerings often focus on the fittest and most photogenic yogis, however—without the real-world masses—which may be good for education, but can be demoralizing for those who are less than perfectly toned and proficient. Enter YogaVibes, a site that offers recordings of real-world yoga classes, complete with fellow classmates in all shapes and sizes. North Carolina-based YogaVibes offers a wide variety of online classes of varying lengths and difficulty levels, taught by actual yoga instructors from top studios around the world. Rather than situating those instructors against breathtaking backdrops for glossy, fully staged productions, however, the classes featured are real ones with real students of all ability levels. The site explains: "Our classes are authentic. With few exceptions, we film real students, who come in all shapes, sizes and abilities. We know they’ll inspire your yoga practice, both on and off the mat." A series of free vignettes are available on YogaVibes, as are an assortment of paid classes, which are typically priced at USD 10 for 14-day access. Alternatively, a Class Pass offers five full-length online classes for 30 days for USD 20. YogaVibes gives five percent of its class fees to charities including yogaHOPE, Yoga Bear and Street Yoga. It seems reasonable that just as consumers value the opinions of twinsumers when making purchase decisions, so they value the inclusion of others at—and even below—their own ability level when learning something new. The lesson to be learned? Co-consumers can remain a critical part of the equation, even in an online setting; remove them, and you may just remove part of your service's value. Website: www.yogavibes.com |
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Rather than wait for customers to come to her, Wink Eyewear's Michele Bayle takes her entire eyewear 'store' to their workplace. Toting a collection of four hundred frames, Bayle offers personal consultations to find a flattering fit. The visits aren't just about convenience; they also allow customers to get feedback from friends and coworkers, helping them pick a pair of glasses that everyone will approve of. Much like the mobile restaurants and small food delivery companies we've been featuring, Wink Eyewear offers its founder a clear advantage: the opportunity to start a business without investing in a retail location. By keeping things mobile, fledgling entrepreneurs can avoid overhead costs that can make a new business hard to sustain. Traveling salespeople are hardly new, of course, but were generally part of larger organizations. By contrast, the current entrants are small independents making the most of a new infrastructure: portable payment solutions, mobile broadband, shared workspaces and the low-cost marketing power of social media. Whether it's to keep costs low, try out a business for size or work around jobs and families, there's no doubt that this model can work for other aspiring entrepreneurs, especially if the outcome offers customers added convenience and personal service. One to consider! (Related: Doctor 2.0 uses IM and sticks to house calls.) Website: www.wink-eyewear.com Spotted by: Andrea Ballard |
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Much like Club Bounce, which we just wrote about, Nomad Wheelchairs grew out of an entrepreneur's personal need. After spending over a decade in a variety of wheelchairs, director Mark Owen decided it was time to create a product he'd actually be proud to use. Launched just six months ago, the company's first product is the mrk1. Consumers' increased interest in—and knowledge of—design is influencing manufacturers in every product category, and mobility products are no exception. The mrk1's minimalist appearance, customizable upholstery and careful finishing create an aesthetically pleasing product. Adjustable brakes and axle, improved caster arm and limited number of moving parts, meanwhile, ensure a better functioning chair that is lightweight and durable, with as smooth a ride as possible. Given the fact that some people spend most of their waking hours in a wheelchair, it's only logical that both its looks and function should make for a pleasurable experience. Long overdue, there's a growing interest in improving that aspect of the health industry, which in turn creates sound opportunities for entrepreneurs. Website: www.nomadwheelchairs.com Spotted by: Jay Parkinson |
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Located in Long Beach, California, Club Bounce is a nightclub for plus-size men and women. Or, as Bounce puts it, for "BBW (big beautiful women), BHM (big handsome men) and those who admire us". Fat or skinny, everyone is welcome, but its nightly revellers are definitely of a larger size than those beyond the velvet rope at, say, New York's Boom Boom Room. We're surprised we haven't spotted it sooner, since Club Bounce has been around since 2004. It was founded by Lisa Marie Garbo, who's something of a spokesperson for full-figured people. The idea for the club grew out of her own desire to be able to go out and enjoy herself without feeling unwelcome or discriminated against. Garbo recently opened a second club in Phoenix, Arizona, and is looking to add a third. Club nights for BBWs are also organized in some other cities. While some organizations are worried that venues catering to fat people will prevent them from changing unhealthy lifestyles, size activists protest the notion that bigger is necessarily less healthy. And one could argue that a fat person dancing the night away is engaging in a healthier activity than a thinner person at home on the couch ;-) It's no secret that entrepreneurs find lucrative opportunities by catering to niche audiences, and those gaps in the market are often found by creating a product or service that fulfills a personal need. One to replicate in other size-ist parts of the world? (Related: Baby loves disco, and so does mommy — Weeknight clubbing for the 9–5 crowd.) Website: www.clubbounce.net
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Ireland has been particularly hard-hit by the current economic recession, spurring initiatives like the recent iQ Prize, whereby Dublin internet consultancy iQ Content awarded EUR 10,000 to a promising young Irish startup as a way to help kick-start the country's recovery. Proving once again that there are few things as contagious as a good idea, Outvesting has now launched a similar effort, only this time it's a grassroots one that's using a crowdfunding approach via Twitter. Outvesting aims to give EUR 5,000 with no strings attached to an Irish startup. To make that possible, it's using Twitter to invite interested participants to contribute EUR 50 each towards the effort. Once EUR 5,000 has been raised—last week it was already up to EUR 4,500—Outvesting will announce how startups can apply. Those who donate to the fund, meanwhile, will get more than just good karma in return—they'll also get the chance to vote on which startup wins the money. There's no arguing with corporate donations like iQ Content's, but those tend to be limited in number; crowdfunding approaches, on the other hand, are virtually limitless in what they can achieve. Combine the power of the crowds with the reach of Twitter, and there's no telling how far an effort can go. One to replicate in a recession-weary community near you...? (Related: Free Chinese lessons for the Irish — Crowdsourcing economic solutions for Ireland.) Website: www.outvesting.org Spotted by: AJ O'Flaherty |
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Seat Geek is a free service that helps users find tickets when they're cheapest. Currently focused on Major League Baseball games and select concerts in the US, Seat Geek employs a sophisticated algorithm to predict whether the price of a queried ticket is set to rise or fall—similar to what Bing Travel (formerly Farecast) does for flight tickets. If the price is expected to go down, users can sign up to receive a free email alert when it's at rock bottom. Seat Geek also scours the web in for the best deals at any moment, linking to affiliated ticket merchants like StubHub, RazorGator and eBay. Website: www.seatgeek.com Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann |
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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 Spotted by: Thibaut Bayart |
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Earlier this year we covered txteagle, a service that aims to fight unemployment in the developing world by enabling mobile phone subscribers there to complete quick jobs via SMS. Operating on much the same principle, Samasource is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that connects workers in the developing world with computer-based tasks. Samasource has partnered with 18 locally owned small businesses, nonprofit training centers and rural data centers in Kenya, Uganda, Cameroon, Ghana and Pakistan. Such service partners are first carefully screened, both for social and economic impact and for their ability to deliver good work. Next, Samasource provides those organizations with free business training, using live sample projects, web-based tools and site visits. Then, Samasource markets the services of its partners to paying clients around the world for tasks such as data entry and digitization, web development, image and site moderation, application testing, video and audio services, project management, research assistance, virtual assistance and tasks via Amazon's Mechanical Turk. So far, clients including Benetech, GoodGuide and Stanford University Library have provided USD 160,000 in paying projects for more than 500 individuals, with the effect of raising the average income of those people from less than USD 75 per month to USD 300 or more. Through a partnership with CARE International, meanwhile, Samasource is training workers at a refugee camp in Kenya with the help of an iPhone application—codeveloped with CrowdFlower—that lets volunteers in the developed world verify their work. Samasource itself, meanwhile, covers its operating costs by charging its clients a modest service fee. Samasource seeks both clients in need of computer-based help and volunteers to verify refugees' accuracy via the iPhone application. It's also exploring the possibility of bringing its services to disadvantaged regions of the U.S. in fields such as quality assurance, web design and geographic information systems. One to partner with or hire for help with your next computer-based project...? (Related: Solar-powered cellphone kiosks for Ugandan women.) Website: www.samasource.com |
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BrandNew Stores aims to turn fleeting pop-up shops into a chain concept, creating fixed spaces where brands can temporarily present themselves in a regular retail environment. Its first branch opened in the Dutch town of Amstelveen last month, where Alfa Romeo used the shopping mall space to present its new Alfa Mito model. It's all about experience marketing: companies can use a BrandNew Store for a few weeks to present a product or service, or to reach out to new and existing customers without going for immediate sales. Targeting premium retail areas where unhurried leisure-shoppers are more likely to explore a client's offerings, BrandNew Stores will add locations in Groningen, Den Haag and Rotterdam later this year, with more cities to follow in 2010. The stores will be decked out with video screens, interactive floor projectors and other elements that make it easy for brands to present themselves. Exclusivity has been a major element of the pop-up phenomenon, and brands have mostly limited their temporary attention-seeking abodes to major cities like London and New York. By creating a nationwide network, much of that exclusivity is lost, and the concept becomes more of a regular marketing tool. Which has its benefits: brands can reach a much wider audience, and being able to design once and then move everything to another city significantly brings down the cost per location. Since rents are still down in most malls and high street shopping areas, now's the time to bring this to other countries. (Related: Brands to take turns running airport store in Glasgow.) Website: www.brandnewstores.com |
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There are numerous tools out there for managing HR functions like time sheets and accounting, but employees' paid leave has been all but overlooked. That's according to strategic design firm Matter, which recently launched its answer to that need in the form of Perq. Employee leave management is a complex task with potentially high stakes: companies lose millions or even billions of dollars in revenue each year without even knowing it because of unaccounted employee time off, says Atlanta-based Matter (which is not to be confused with the London company that goes by the same name). Enter Perq, a web application that's designed to let companies easily create an online version of their employee leave policies, view a shared calendar, and manage leave requests, accrued time off and multiple benefit levels. Personalized dashboards and automated tracking make it easy to keep up with accrual and rollover, while a simple leave request process keeps staff and managers connected and informed. Perq is free for up to three users; beyond that, pricing starts at USD 9 per month for up to 10 users. The service is also available for licensing and deployment as a white label product for enterprises with special brand or security requirements. Of course, Perq may scratch the employee-leave itch for companies in the English-speaking world, but it seems safe to assume there are plenty of small to medium-sized businesses in other parts of the globe with the same need. One to localize or adapt for HR managers in your neck of the woods...?* (Related: exchange lets hourly workers swap shifts — Staff schedules & notifications made simple.) Website: www.perqworks.com * P.S. If you're interested in translation or localization, Perq says to get in touch: hello@perqworks.com. |
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Despite the best efforts of companies like Disney and Sage Hospitality to reward those who donate their time to charity, the fact remains that volunteerism in the US has declined by 27 percent since 2001, according to app developer Catalista. Hoping to combat that trend, the San Francisco company has created mobile apps for Android and iPhone that make it easy for potential volunteers to find opportunities across the country. Users begin by downloading the free Catalista application onto their mobile phone--versions are available for both the Android-based T-Mobile G1 and myTouch and Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. The application uses All for Good's open API to connect users with more than 200,000 real-time, local opportunities across the US, offering them numerous chances to give back that day, weekend or month in an effort taking place nearby. Catalista also lets users invite their friends on Facebook to join them in a volunteer effort; in addition, it provides a way for users to track their cumulative impact and rate their volunteering experience once they've done a good deed. Even beyond the mobile access to volunteer opportunity listings, what seems especially compelling about Catalista is the possibility that it could facilitate spontaneous, ad-hoc volunteering, whereby people with a few hours of unscheduled time on their hands can find and participate in local opportunities that they might not have been able to plan for otherwise. One to partner with or emulate for would-be volunteers in the rest of the world...? Website: www.catalista.net |
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German airline Lufthansa is relaunching its FlyNet in-flight broadband service. Lufthansa was the first to launch in-flight broadband in 2004, then powered by Boeing's Connexion system, which Boeing phased out in 2006. Now, in partnership with Panasonic Avionics, Lufthansa has announced that it will bring back FlyNet mid next year. Website: www.myskystatus.com Spotted by: Mashable via Raymond Kollau |
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The way for Uneven Feet has been paved by the growth in social shopping and swap marketplaces. Founder Jonathan Lee—whose own shoe shopping pains inspired the site's creation—sees revenue potential in affiliate sales once the community grows. On a global scale, if even a tiny percentage of people feels their 'uneven' feet are a big enough issue to act on through the website, that could become a sizable audience. Any more anthropometric niches out there to capitalize on? Website: www.unevenfeet.com Spotted by: Jonathan Lee |
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There's no shortage of real-world games that use technology to add a virtual element, as we've already seen in such examples as Treasure World, The Hidden Park, LocoMatrix and Swinxs. What's less common is to see classic board games add technological features to their game play, yet that's just what Hasbro has done to its decades-old game Clue. Clue: Secrets & Spies is a new twist on the classic board game that adds text messaging to its game play. Players in the game are challenged to stop the nefarious Agent Black, who is plotting an assortment of evil capers. To do so, they must go undercover as international agents, complete missions and attend secret meetings. An included "spy light" can be used to reveal secrets, while players' cell phones can be used to receive Spy Text messages that could help or hinder their game. Players need only text the word "SPY" to 90445 to start receiving messages, which will number six in total during the course of a game. Participating mobile operators are AT&T, T-Mobile US, Nextel, Boost, Virgin, US Cellular, NTelos, Dobson, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and Cincinnati Bell Wireless; the cost of text messages is not included in the game's USD 24.99 price. By adding a thoroughly modern twist to a classic game, Hasbro not only stands to attract a younger crowd of mobile-minded users, it also provides yet another illustration of what our sister site calls the OFF=ON trend, whereby the lines separating the online and offline worlds are increasingly blurring. Other game makers: what about you...? Website: www.hasbro.com/clue/default.cfm?page=Products/Detail&product_id=24609 Spotted by: nytimes via Judy McRae |
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There's no doubt recycling is good, but in many cases, reusing is even better. Aiming to keep its share of reusable boxes out of the recycling bin, Columbia Sportswear recently launched an effort to let customers request that their orders be shipped in boxes that have been used before. Consumers can already buy and sell their own used boxes on BoxCycle, which we covered about a year ago, and now Columbia Sportswear is bringing the concept into the corporate domain. When online shoppers reach checkout at Columbia.com, the website gives them the choice of shipping their order in a previously used cardboard box. Since the launch of the effort in August, more than 60 percent of online customers have selected the used box option, Columbia says. Perhaps even more interesting, however, is that Columbia places a sticker on the outside of each used box that includes a unique code and number. Entering that number or scanning the code via mobile phone into Columbia's "A Box Life" community site reveals a wealth of information about where that box has been. Then, before sending their reused box on its next journey, consumers are encouraged to post pictures of their own to the A Box Life Flickr group and to tweet about their box’s journey by adding the hash tag #aboxlife to Twitter posts when they have something “box worthy” to share. Not only does Oregon-based Columbia's effort create a new, eco-iconic shipping option, but it also brings the concept of product life stories into the world of packaging materials. In this era of transparency and sustainability, it's not hard to imagine Columbia's example setting a new standard for mail-order retailers worldwide. One to emulate sooner rather than later! Website: www.columbia.com — www.aboxlife.com |
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According to research carried out by SHE — Sustainable Health Enterprises, around 50 days of school or work are missed by girls and women who don't have access to sanitary pads, or can't afford them. Mud, bark and rags are often used instead of mass-produced pads; alternatives that are mostly ineffective, unhygienic and possibly dangerous, especially when combined with lack of clean water. SHE is a social enterprise set up to tackle these problems. Its first franchise was launched in Rwanda earlier this year, and is operated by women who manufacture and distribute low-cost sanitary pads. The pads are made of locally-sourced raw materials such as banana fiber, which stimulates the local economy and keeps costs down. To help future ventures get off the ground, microfinance loans will be offered to women starting up new branches. Training in business skills, health and hygiene will also be available. Convinced that donations aren't a long-term solution, SHE is applying market-based strategies to social and health problems. Using franchising makes sense: the model can be replicated wherever there's a need, meaning it can spread quickly and help more people faster, while allowing franchisees to become financially self-sufficient. (Related: P&G helps schoolgirls in Kenya.) Website: www.sheinnovates.com Spotted by: Petz Scholtus |
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Earlier this year we covered YokmoK, the Spanish travel company that invites its clients to help create new trips. Now, taking a page from TasteCasting's play book—by which restaurants give bloggers free food in exchange for social-media exposure—YokmoK is now offering popular bloggers free trips. Owners of popular blogs—which YokmoK defines as those with 10,000 or more incoming links—relating to travel, adventure or adrenaline sports are invited to apply for free travel on one of YokmoK's upcoming trips. They need only submit their name, the URL of their blog, which trip they're interested in and a few sentences about themselves in order to be considered. Then, when YokmoK finds itself with an unused slot on a trip, it lets qualified bloggers know—in general, at least two to three weeks before the schedule date of departure. If the blogger is available to participate, YokmoK will pay for all services included in the price for the corresponding trip. In exchange, the blogger is expected to share their experience of the trip, including at least four entries before the trip starts, one entry per day during the trip, and another four entries after the trip ends; each entry must include at least one direct link to YokmoK's website. Free expeditions are certainly a bigger investment for YokmoK than free meals are for TasteCasting's clients. On the other hand, can any advertising dollar achieve the targeted exposure of multiple posts on a highly relevant and popular blog site? We don't think so, either. A model to emulate for your own company's promotional purposes! (Related: Job contest lets bloggers become pilots — Blogger helps connect consumers and brands — Job contest spotlights Great Barrier Reef Islands.) Website: www.yokmok.com/bloggers-travel-free.html |
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Ad agencies thrive or fail by the creative ideas they come up with, and promoting themselves is no exception. What makes Montreal firm Carte Blanche's new self-promotion campaign unique is that it's also a recruitment experiment. Carte Blanche is offering one lucky (depending on your viewpoint) intern the chance to spend 30 days living in the heart of the Montreal agency's headquarters, in a fully-equipped apartment adjoining their offices. After the working day, the intern will have access to the office floor. The agency claims that this project—dubbed Dortoir (French for dormitory)—is a world's first for an ad agency. Website: www.cbcm.ca/dortoir Spotted by: Khady Beye |
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