Virtue may be its own reward, but that doesn't mean tangible prizes won't make the deal even sweeter. Just as SmartyCard uses gifts from popular vendors and family sites to reward kids for completing educational games, so Switch2Health uses much the same approach to motivate them to exercise.

New Jersey-based Switch2Health now offers the S2H REPLAY, a fun and innovative wrist-worn device aimed at tweens and teens that allows them to quantify their level of physical activity. In addition to displaying the date and time, the device also tracks and registers continuous, moderate-intensity activity, subdividing each hour into 20 three-minute segments. When users complete a full 60 minutes of physical activity over time, the device generates a reward code that can be uploaded and converted into points on the company's website. Those points are redeemable for items such as gift cards or free months of membership at sponsors including Barnes & Noble, GameStop, Best Buy, Webkinz and Club Penguin. Consumers can also set each other specific challenges and reward them for success using S2H REPLAY. No cables or software are required, nor is there any need to recharge the device's battery. Available online for USD 19.95, S2H REPLAY is water-resistant and available in three sizes. The device comes with a blue silicone band, but alternate colours are available for USD 2.99 each. A fully brandable device is also available for use in corporate promotions.

As part of a recently announced partnership with Boston Celtics captain Paul Pierce, S2H REPLAY will soon be incorporated into Pierce’s FitClub34 from Harvard Pilgrim. Other fitness organizations around the world: could be a novel way to reward and engage your own customers or members. All others: One to get involved with on the sponsorship end? (Related: Gyms for kids use gaming to keep them hooked — iPhone game gets kids into the (hidden) park.)

Website: www.s2h.com
Contact: amado@s2h.com

Spotted by: Goutham Bhadri

The ink had barely dried on our story about Blippy when one of our spotters alerted us to yet another social shopping venture, this time out of Estonia. Much like Blippy, WhosRich.me gives consumers a way to share their latest purchases and comment on those of their friends.

Now in beta, WhosRich.me is a social utility that aims to make it easy for people to track their friends' shopping habits. Users enter their purchases via a simple interface, including a photo along with the date, time and price; for updates on the go, a mobile iPhone app is also available. From there, other members can view and comment on each other's purchases. The site's search tool also lets consumers sort results by country or keyword for a look at trends of interest to them.

WhosRich.me is free for users. No word yet on its business model, but as with other such ventures, there's clearly the potential not just for advertising but also for referral fees from vendors whose products get highlighted on the site. Next, we wouldn't be surprised to see WhosRich.me add real-time capabilities like Blippy's for an invigorating shot of what our sister site calls nowism. Another one to watch!

Website: www.whosrich.me
Contact: info@whosrich.me

Spotted by: John Greene

We've featured several concepts that promote acts of kindness, including KIND Snacks' series of KINDED cards. For those not yet convinced, comes yet another spotting: California-based Boom Boom! Cards. Named for the karmic notion that every good deed comes back to its performer, boomerang-style, Boom Boom! Cards exist to inspire altruism. Available in packs of 26, the artistically designed cards each specify a particular act of kindness. It might be something as simple as saying “please” and “thank you” in every interaction over the course of a day, or it might be something more tangible, like buying a stranger a cup of coffee. There's also a pack aimed at teens that focuses on family, friends and school.

Either way, users begin by registering their deck and performing the specified kind acts, one at a time. Each time they do, they give the card away to someone else and then write about their experience on the Boom Boom! website. Users can upload photos and video to help tell their story, and the site's mapping feature allows them to follow each card and see where their kindness spreads. Since the site's launch into beta almost a year ago, more than 2,600 “agents of altruism” have joined what the company calls "the uprising of guerrilla goodness." Each deck of Boom Boom! Cards is priced at USD 9.99; of that price, 5 percent is donated to iSpot Compassion and 5 percent goes to the charity of the purchaser's choice.

Boom Boom! Cards are currently available both online and from select California and Minnesota retailers. Time to start proving that virtue really is its own reward! ;-) (Related: Online game focuses on real-world kindness — Clothing brand asks its wearers to be kind — Random acts of kindness for Hyatt's most loyal guests.)

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

Spotted by: Michael Corrales

Charcoal lighter fluid is responsible for the release of some 14,500 tons of volatile organic compounds into the atmosphere in the US each year, according to the EPA, which is one of the reasons there's growing interest in charcoal alternatives like Sologear's uGO FlameDisk. For those too attached to that authentic charcoal flavour, however, there's now a chemical-free, eco-minded option.

One Light Charcoal is a single-use charcoal bag featuring an internal chimney that uses air rather than harmful accelerants to ignite and roast the charcoal. No lighter fluid is added; rather, the consumer simply opens the bag, lights the long-stem match provided and places it in the chimney. The bag then burns from the inside out, allowing the charcoal to roast before the bag itself burns off, leaving only a pyramid of red-hot coals.

The brain child of Texas-based Innovative Barbecue Solutions, One Light Charcoal is priced at about USD 3.50 per three-pound bag and sold through stores including HEB, Wal-Mart and Whole Foods. Retailers in other parts of the world: one to add to your outdoor grilling section?

Website: www.onelightcharcoal.com
Contact: www.onelightcharcoal.com/contact.php

Spotted by: Shelly Wares