According to the World Customs Organisation, counterfeit goods account for between five and seven percent of world trade. In an effort to counter the counterfeiters, Hong Kong's government is working to facilitate efficient product authentication. In June, the region's dominant duty-free retailer Nuance-Watson pilot-launched an authentication kiosk in its Hong Kong Airport Travelcare Express store. The kiosk allows customers to scan a product's label and follow its supply chain history to verify authenticity. Since fake medicines are of particularly acute concern to regulators, the pilot is focusing on pharmaceutical products.

The kiosk is part of a wider government initiative—BarcodePlus—which is supposed to become Hong Kong's portal for product quality and safety information. Due for official launch next month, BarcodePlus will enable users to not only verify the authenticity of a product, but also to find information about its shelf-life, origin, ingredients and packaging. Consumers will be able to access the service online or via SMS.

The 'product life story labels' we've covered in the past—from spinach to sheep—were mainly about sustainability and unearthing the softer sides of authenticity. With BarcodePlus, on the other hand, traceability is being put to work to protect consumers and profit margins. One to keep an eye on if you operate in markets flooded with knockoffs!

Website: www.barcodeplus.com.hk
Contact: info@barcodeplus.com.hk

Spotted by: Judy McRae

Empowering citizens to improve their communities, SeeClickFix functions as a hub for residents to report and track non-emergency issues, with the aim of having them resolved by local government and neighbourhood groups.

The Connecticut-based venture was inspired in part by UK enterprise FixMyStreet, which we covered in 2007, when it was known as Neighbourhood Fix-It. SeeClickFix expands the model on several fronts. The free problem reporting service benefits from enhanced mobile accessibility in the form of an iPhone app, Twitter and a US toll-free number, helping people to report concerns while on the go. SeeClickFix will match reported problems with potential 'fixers'—users or groups who have signed up to receive updates—according to their location or keyword relevancy. Interested local media and bloggers are also encouraged to syndicate these feeds (which are available in a variety of formats), and to stimulate community engagement by adding Google Maps-based widgets to their own websites. And adding an extra level of interactivity, users can show their support for causes by voting, commenting and sharing.

SeeClickFix is currently focusing on select US cities, but was created with global expansion in mind. Its founders hope to maintain the sustainability of their enterprise by way of a paid premium service for local authorities, which offers extra tools for tracking issues and viewing data. SeeClickFix is also enlisting volunteers—SideClicks—to act as ambassadors for the service in their local area.

Website: www.seeclickfix.com
Contact: team@seeclickfix.com

Last week, we wrote about SFapps, a San Francisco initiative that invites developers to turn municipal data into useful tools for the city's residents. Not one to be bested, Mayor Bloomberg just launched a similar concept in New York: NYC BigApps, "a software application competition to make New York City more transparent, accessible and accountable, and an easier place to live, work and play." On offer for developers? USD 20,000 in cash prizes, plus dinner with Bloomberg. And, no doubt, some valuable media attention.

Developers can use public sets of raw data produced by city agencies, available from the newly-launched NYC Data Mine. Judges for the competition, which is taking submissions until 8 December 2009, include Fred Wilson, Esther Dyson and Jason Calcanis. No word yet on if and how the city will adopt and promote winning apps. Other cities around the world—what are you waiting for? Data isn't just for internal use; time to corral it, keep it up to date, and entice developers to create useful applications for your citizens.

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

While the web is disrobing many businesses in the name of transparency, the City of San Francisco is happy to expose itself. A month since the launch of DataSF.org, a public archive of government data, Mayor Gavin Newsom has announced that the site will now showcase applications which manipulate that data to make it more useful and accessible to the city's residents. Inspired by the success of Apple's iTunes App Store and Facebook's open developer platform (60,000 and 350,000 apps respectively), writes Mayor Newsom, San Francisco is encouraging democratic participation by “giving residents the tools to build the kind of government that works for them.”

A number of apps are already online, with the new showcase expected to stimulate many more creations. Among those currently available, EcoFinder helps residents find out where their nearest recycling services are located, while Cabspotting—a project by the Exploratorium interactive science museum—displays a real-time map of cab locations in San Francisco.

It's not the first step the tech-centric Bay Area has made towards ‘Gov 2.0’—in June we reported on their Twitter service for civil complaints. But this latest effort could mark the start of a sea-change in the way governments provide public information services. Don't let your local government miss the boat!

Website: www.datasf.org/showcase
Contact: www.datasf.org/showcase/?page_id=115

Spotted by: Duncan Rickelton

In an effort to defibrillate its tourist industry after the shock of the swine flu outbreak, Mexico City is reaching out by being generous. Under a scheme launched late July, the city's tourism office is offering free medical insurance and tourist assistance worth an estimated USD 30 per person to every tourist that visits the city.

“Of all the world’s largest cities, Mexico City is the first to try this,” said Mayor Marcelo Ebrard at a ceremony unveiling the service. Since average hotel occupancy rates dropped to a record low in April/May of this year, the tourist department has been quick to introduce an incentive for both national and international guests. It's no surprise that "medical assistance in case of influenza AH1N1" heads up the list of services on the official website. Medical assistance for any other ailment, as well as emergency hospital accommodation and dental care are also included in the policies, which are underwritten by insurance provider MAPFRE.

The insurance isn't limited to medical issues; a 24-hour call centre will also provide legal assistance in case of robbery, and will help tourists whose flight is cancelled or delayed. The centre is staffed by attendants who are fluent in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish, who will even book tickets for events in the city. Whether or not this initiative will bring back the tourists remains to be seen. But it's an innovative move by Mexico City, tackling a major issue with wide-sweeping generosity.

Website: www.mexicocity.gob.mx/contenido.php?cat=50500⊂=13
Contact: servicios@mexicocity.gob.mx

Spotted by: Murtaza Ali Patel