Branded brand spottings have been relatively few and far between on Springwise since we covered the miCoach fitness-focused cell phone from Samsung and adidas earlier this year. Recently, however, one of our spotters sent in news of a shining new example coming out of Slovenia.

Following in the tracks of cars that have added iPod integration, Slovenian appliance maker Gorenje has unveiled a "Made for iPod" refrigerator that is specially designed around iPod Touch technology. Featuring an iPod docking station, the fridge lets users charge their iPod, play back music and video and, in wirelessly enabled households, connect to the web. Music is played through built-in speakers, while video content--which can include anything from music videos to video recipe instructions--are displayed on the iPod's screen. Through Gorenje's newly launched iGorenje web portal, meanwhile, users will have access to additional content related to cooking and other household tasks, adjusted for viewing on the iPod Touch screen and other mobile devices. The site will also allow for wifi control of household appliances connected to a home server, Gorenje says. The Made for iPod refrigerator was demonstrated last week at the IFA 2008 consumer electronics fair in Berlin; production is scheduled to begin late this year or early next. No word yet on pricing or availability.

Gorenje is no stranger to branded-brand partnerships--in fact, regular Springwise readers may remember our coverage of its Swarovski crystal-laden range of appliances a few years ago. Will working with iPod technology reinvigorate the appliance category for a whole new generation of tech-savvy consumers? Time will tell. Meanwhile, one to watch!

Website: www.gorenjegroup.com/en/news?aid=945
Contact: info@gorenje.si

Spotted by: Helena M.

Nightclubs may operate seven days a week in many cities, but working professionals who partake in their late-night offerings outside of the weekend tend to regret it the next day. With such schedule-bound partiers in mind, Toronto's Gladstone Hotel recently launched an earlier alternative that still lets revellers get to bed on time.

The Gladstone's Granny Boots series of dance parties take place each Wednesday night beginning at 7:30 and ending promptly at 10--"so you can go home, watch 'Law and Order' until 11 pm and go to BED," as the hotel puts it. The events are held in the Gladstone's Melody Bar, which is already famous for weekend karaoke nights, and feature different performances and livingroom DJs each week. Admission is free.

We also spotted something similar in Belgium, where Bart Van Orshoven's After Work Parties draw large crowds--and corporate sponsors--in various venues in Antwerp, Gent, Leuven and Brussels. The parties start at 7 pm and doors close at 9 pm to ensure a decent-sized crowd from the start. At 1 am, everyone is sent packing.

Of course, in addition to the legions of business people and other working stiffs out there who can't afford to stay up late, there's also the substantial crowd of older people who still like to party but simply don't want to be up during the wee hours. Catering to such consumers could be the key to attracting a whole new segment. As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm--or, in this case, the entertainment dollars! ;-)

Website: www.gladstonehotel.com/events/show.cfm?id=791 -- www.afterworkparty.be
Contact: dance.granny.boots@gmail.com -- bart@afterworkparty.be

Spotted by: Anita Windisman

Earlier this summer we wrote about Now Play It, a UK-based site that uses artist-led video instruction to teach music fans to play their favourite pop and rock songs. Now, focusing on a different niche, a similar site based in New York targets professional classical and jazz musicians with a wide range of expert-taught lessons.

Mucony offers video music lessons taught by some of the world’s finest classical and jazz artists. All the major instruments are represented, along with lessons in voice, history and theory, and teaching faculty hail from such prestigious institutions as the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera orchestras. A lesson for pianists on Schumann's Canaval op .9, for example, spans 30 minutes, while baritones can learn about pronouncing vowels through a 27-minute lesson; pricing for each is USD 5. In the next few weeks Mucony plans to relaunch with a new format that adds a raft of community features as well, the site says. Included among them will be job listings, master classes, live performances, a forum, downloadable music for sale and lessons for beginners.

Making top-level instruction more widely accessible can only please musicians, and the upcoming addition of community elements promises to complete the picture. One to replicate in the other arts as well, or any place practitioners can benefit from the guidance of experts.

Website: www.mucony.com
Contact: cs@mucony.com

Spotted by: Steve Andreacchi

Several years ago we wrote about Reality TV in a Booth, which gave South African consumers a chance at instant stardom, and now Dutch media entrepreneur John de Mol is tapping the crowds to find the next big ideas in non-scripted television—with big rewards for those that get chosen.

Just last week the creator of ‘Fear Factor,’ ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Deal or No Deal’ launched TalpaCreative, an online community that offers American TV fans the unprecedented opportunity to create and sell their original non-scripted show ideas. Those who become members of the site can submit original format ideas as well as respond to more focused creativity assignments posted by De Mol and his creative team. Two submissions per month are required to retain membership, which is free. Members also have access to the site’s exclusive newsletter and an array of online media resources to help them stay up-to-date on the latest trends. Trend-spotting is strongly encouraged as well, with cash prizes for the most prolific spotters. The best show ideas submitted to the site will be developed by De Mol and his creative team and may be produced and distributed internationally by Talpa Media Group and Endemol, with the creator's involvement throughout the process. A cash reward of USD 500 will be given to the most active and creative member of the site each month, and shows that get put into production will earn their creators USD 50,000 or more (spelled out in clear-cut legal agreements), depending on how far they get.

De Mol explains: "I am certain that someone with little connection to the TV industry is sitting on a truly great non-fiction show concept. TalpaCreative.com offers that person a direct line to my development team, which could be all it takes to make their dream into our next reality hit. We are ready to take creative and financial risks, to bring some of these ideas to life."

From product-design contests by major consumer brands to ad agencies for consumer-created ads, there's no doubt companies are finally starting to realize (and reward!) the potential and profitability of crowdsourcing and the customer-made trend. How can the wisdom of the crowds help your brand compete? (Related: Crowd-managed TV production company.)

Website: www.talpacreative.com
Contact: www.talpacreative.com/contact

Spotted by: Jochem de Swart

There's nothing like a great song to inspire music fans to want to learn to play it themselves, but doing it right is rarely easy. Enter Now Play It, a UK-based site that offers video instruction taught by the artists themselves.

Launched last year, Now Play It aims to get people as close to the artists and songs they love as possible. To do that, it offers downloadable video tutorials on the art and craft of playing hundreds of different songs on guitar, bass, piano or drums, many of them led by the artists who wrote or perform them. Paul McCartney, Blur and KT Tunstall are among the artists currently offering instruction on the site, and users can search for tutorials by artist, song, instrument, difficulty level or tutor. Now Play It's full tutorials, priced at GBP 3.99, are typically split into three parts—lesson, recap and play-through—and are at least 15 minutes long. In-house tutorials follow the same format but with instruction by a Now Play It tutor instead. 'Lite' tutorials, meanwhile, are just two parts—play-through and recap—and are generally between three and six minutes long; pricing is GBP 1.99. Downloads are available in MP4 or Windows Media Video formats.

With Generation C's penchant for content production, Now Play It is sure to find an enthusiastic audience among the many consumers out there seeking to create, to express themselves and to make the music they love their own. Being taught by a well-known artist, meanwhile—even if by video—is sure to give them a heaping helping of status skills and stories to share about the experience. Now Play It currently offers a forum for community discussion, but a logical next step, it seems to us, would be to give consumers a place to show off the results of their instruction with video and recordings of them playing the music they learned—along with opportunities to critique and discuss. If there's anything better than content, it's content plus community! (Related: Music school for generation YouTube.)

Website: www.nowplayit.com
Contact: enquiries@nowplayit.com

Spotted by: Lloyd Salmons