Weekly newsletter — 23 February 2011Spotted for you this week: a hotel 'minibar' of mind-nourishing reads, biodegradable footwear that can be buried instead of junked, electronic textbooks available by the chapter, and more. Our next edition is due on 2 March 2011. In the meantime, check out our daily postings on www.springwise.com, send us your tips, and please don't forget to tell your friends and colleagues about us. Much appreciated!
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After years of catering more or less exclusively to the physical comfort of their guests, hotels have now begun to pay attention to patrons' social and intellectual needs as well. That's why we've seen efforts to help guests connect with each other — such as at New York City's Pod Hotel — and it's also why we've seen hotels offering night school programs and even readers in residence. The latest spotting? Minibar for the Mind, an initiative just launched through a partnership between Morgans Hotel Group and The School of Life. Launched late last month at Morgans' two London properties, Minibar for the Mind was created exclusively for the hotel chain by The School of Life and now offers guests at several of its hotels what it calls “a midnight feast of intellect, inspiration and ideas.” Priced at USD 56, the custom-made box contains a thought-provoking alternative to the usual minibar fare. Included within the box are a set of 250 cards featuring conversation-starting questions, quotations and provocations; a thought-provoking volume of the best columns written by The School of Life's faculty and friends; two tailor-made “reading prescriptions” from The School of Life's Bibliotherapists designed to evoke moods of relaxation or seduction; and a blank journal with pencil for personal reflection. Continuing the theme of mental stimulation, Daily Aphorism cards are now provided at turn-down service across all Morgans hotels, while guests dining at select properties are offered a Conversation Menu that features an entertaining selection of conversation prompts. A series of talks is also being hosted by The School of Life at various Morgans hotels. Finally, at Morgans' St Martins Lane hotel in London, The School of Life has curated what it calls “Semi-Automatic,” a vending machine installed there for a limited time that offers up a selection of products including Bibliotherapy Gift Vouchers and limited edition design objects. Man cannot live on comfortable bedding and gourmet food alone, to butcher the well-known phrase, so it's inspiring to see hotels recognizing that fact with food for the mind and soul. Other hoteliers around the globe: what about you? Website: www.morganshotelgroup.com/so/schooloflife.html |
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Most people would agree that a certain amount of “face time” is critical to the smooth functioning of any group or team, but making it happen can be a challenge, particularly for telecommuters. Enter Anybots, a Californian company that now sells what it calls a “personal avatar” that enables people to participate in meetings and other events from afar. Telecommuters and other remote workers need just a web browser to operate an Anybot on-site and interact with the whole office, lab, factory or warehouse. Equipped with a speaker, microphone, camera and video screen, the wifi-enabled device can show live video of the person operating it, or it can simply display a still picture. Either way, the robot's eyes glow as long as the user is logged in, so human colleagues know the person is “there” and available for conversation. The Anybot glides around quietly and smoothly, giving the human operating it complete visibility and access to the events going on. When in-person attendees take breaks at conferences or meetings, for example, remote participants are no longer stuck waiting on conference call — rather, they can manipulate the Anybot to mingle in the lobby, taking full advantage of any conversations or happenings going on there. Similarly, an Anybot can give a telecommuter an ongoing in-house presence, making casual conversations around the watercooler a possibility once again. Weighing 35 pounds and moving at roughly walking speed, Anybots are priced at USD 15,000 and currently available only for shipping within the U.S. One to partner with for distribution to other parts of the world? (Related: Robot mower runs on solar power.) Website: www.anybots.com Spotted by: Jim Stewart |
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Currency exchange is a function that has long been dominated by banks with high international transfer fees, but a new Irish site hopes to change all that. CurrencyFair is a fully regulated online marketplace that lets ordinary people exchange currencies with other people anonymously, at rates typically available only to multinationals and market professionals. Users of CurrencyFair can choose to exchange their currency on the spot, selecting from multiple competing market-beating rates, or they can offer up their own rate and wait for someone else to match it. Either way, the site works on the barter principle whereby an exchange is made only when it benefits both sides. In general, CurrencyFair says rates approach or even beat the Interbank Rate, which is the price financial institutions charge each other. All funds are received and paid out via Electronic Bank Transfer, so no physical notes are involved. Fourteen currencies are currently tradeable on the site, including the British Pound, the Euro, Krona, Zloty, and U.S., Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore Dollars. Middlemen have already taken a beating in so many areas at the hands of peer-to-peer sites — to the considerable benefit of consumers — so it's no great surprise to see the same phenomenon come to currency exchange. What markets remain ripe for a dose of peer-to-peer innovation? (Related: P2P lending arrives down under — Peer-to-peer student loans.) Website: www.currencyfair.com Spotted by: Zachary Love |
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With a vast selection of products to choose from online, it's no wonder gift-givers can sometimes feel overwhelmed. As we saw last year, Just the Right Book uses hand-picked customization to tackle the problem for literary gifts, but UK-based 15gifts now uses a proprietary search engine to help users choose from among a curated selection of unique gifts. 15gifts begins by hand-selecting a wide array of gift ideas from independent, unique and quirky online shops. Users in need of a gift idea then indicate whether the gift is for a male, female or a couple, then select their age range and relationship to the giver. Alternatively, the site also has the option to "import" the gift recipient's details from Facebook. The user is then asked to indicate the occasion, as well as check off the recipient's hobbies, taste in clothing and home decor, and a general budget for the gift. In return, the site presents users with 15 gift ideas to consider — when one idea is rejected, another is offered to take its place. Users can create a shortlist of ideas that seem most promising and they can also share ideas with others for joint decision-making or advice. Once they've settled on a winning idea, 15gifts links them directly to its seller for purchase. Meanwhile, 15gifts refines its engine to better customize its recommendations for the next user. In order to provide ultimate relevance, 15gifts seems to be banking on the combination of a curated product selection and a proprietary recommendation technology. Indeed, this could be a match made in heaven; a model to apply to the niche of your choice? (Related: 'Inspiration engine' suggests travel possibilities — App recommendations based on your tweets & status updates.) Website: www.15gifts.com Spotted by: James |
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The spread of mobile internet has enabled online dating and networking services to step outside of the home and onto the streets, giving users the ability to connect in the real-world, in real-time, via their mobile device. There are plenty of examples of this mass mingling trend, and we've already spotted StreetSpark and Loopt Mix, among others. However, Metro Mates is the first service we’ve seen targeted at commuters underground, adopting Bluetooth technology to allow usage on the New Delhi Metro. To join the service, users create an account on the Metro Mates website and enter key pieces of information about themselves, such as personality traits, physical build, and whether they are seeking a relationship or a friendship. However, the service then differs from other dating or meet-up services by asking commuters to fill in their usual journey times and routes on the New Delhi public transport network. Users are then given a unique code, which fellow commuters can use whilst traveling to identify them by and subsequently initiate a connection via Bluetooth — assuming they like what they see on the user's profile. Rather than isolating users by shrinking their experiences down to a world of small screens, it is clear that mobile technology has great potential to connect individuals in the real world. What other daily experiences could be made more sociable with mobile technology’s intervention? (Related: Five online services for getting together offline — Mobile dating app lets singles broadcast their availability — Social network helps commuters meet others on the go.) Website: www.metromates.in |
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The ongoing boom in social networking means most of us are far more connected than ever before, and a brief browse of online photo albums can offer a cheerful reminder of this newfound popularity. But when the computer is off, Social Print Studio can provide the analogue equivalent to the online album. The site creates posters generated from Facebook friends’ profile pictures, Facebook photo albums, Twitter followers, and even Tumblr accounts. Alternatively, these same pictures can be printed as stickers or turned into albums. Taking the idea one step further, Social Print Studio recently collaborated with social media blog Mashable, wallpapering an entire wall of their New York office using fans’ Facebook profile pictures, thereby creating the “world’s largest real-life Facebook wall”. With an iPhone app in the pipeline, and a spin off photo-sharing website SuperEgo.me hoping to rival sites such as Pixable, the next few steps for Social Print Studio may be back into the digital world they draw upon. But for now, Social Print Studio's real-world products offer a simple and compelling reminder of users' online popularity. (Related: Animated photo printing for everyone — New instant print kiosks — Have phone, will print) Website: www.socialprintstudio.com |
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Regular readers of Springwise will be aware of various eco-innovations that have sought to create new fashion products from discarded waste. However, Dutch OAT Shoes plans to launch a range of footwear this March focusing on a green end to their product's life, rather than a green creation. The concept is simple: When it’s time to throw away the OAT Shoe, the wearer simply buries it instead. The shoe is fully biodegradable, and, as such, could be used to help other plants grow. Keen to realize their vision of a fully biodegradable shoe whilst incorporating a stylish design, the team at OAT Shoes were forced to develop and source many of their own materials and processes. OAT Shoes founder Christiaan Maats says, “It makes sense to make products that are part of the planet we party on. We all like the nice bits in fashion, so why not make those bits fully biodegradable?”. It made sense to the judges at the Green Fashion Awards too, where OAT Shoes walked away with a prize. As our sister site trendwatching.com points out, eco-credentials aren't always enough to see a product succeed, especially in a competitive and design-focused industry such as fashion. To compete with major shoe brands, in remains to be seen whether the OAT Shoe will have the eco-superior credentials to out-style the competition. Website: www.oatshoes.com |
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Regular Springwise readers are already well-acquainted with the crowdfunding concept, by which multiple fans, customers or other supporters contribute funds to help ensure the realization of a particular project or idea. Movere is a soon-to-be-launched crowdfunding site that will use the concept to enable the realization of a variety of new ideas in Brazil. Due to launch on March 1, Movere will feature a dedicated page for each project seeking funding, detailing its goals, the amount it needs to accomplish them along with any deadline, and the rewards that will be given to financial supporters should the required sum be raised. An accompanying video, meanwhile, will illustrate the project's motivation. Potential supporters can then browse the many project pages on the site. When they find one they like, they can donate via PayPal and then wait to see if the required total gets raised. To help ensure that it does, Movere encourages participants to promote the ideas they care about via their favorite social media. Projects that succeed in raising the needed funds then reward supporters with the promised items — CDs, for example, or tickets to an event — and keep them updated as launch approaches. Those that don't raise the necessary money, meanwhile, refund supporters' donations in full. Just as the crowds far and near can be tapped for economic solutions to help a nation during tough times, so, too, can they help provide the financial fuel to jump-start ideas that will see it into a prosperous future. One to emulate in developing economies around the globe! (Related: Crowdfunding app rewards donors with space on a digital wall — Crowdfunding investment for social enterprises.) Website: www.movere.me Spotted by: Thiago Fontes
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Music fans have already been playing an increasingly significant role in the funding and management of the bands they love, but a new site aims to give brands a chance to get involved as well. Toward that end, fanatic.fm is a music sponsorship platform where brands and bands can find each other. Rather than paying for advertising spots on music destination sites, brands participating in fanatic.fm set up a pool of funds for a branding campaign and invite only the musicians they feel best portray their brand image. They essentially bid on musical projects such as a band's new album, in other words, giving bands a chance to control which sponsors they work with. Once a relationship has been formed, the sponsor pays the band in question a set cost per play on the fanatic.fm player, which can be embedded in any site or social media page. Sponsors themselves, meanwhile, can use the band’s music within their own social media campaigns as well as co-promoting directly on a band’s music player. In all, musicians take 70 percent of the total sponsorship revenue, while California-based fanatic.fm takes 30 percent. Both parties also donate 2.5 percent each to the charity of the band's choice. Remember the days when musical artists were at the mercy of the record labels? Well, those days are gone. A model to apply to other forms of art and entertainment, or to target to specific genres and niches? (Related: Bands offered a unique website for every song — Analytics tools help music bands uncover local demand — Online tool gives musicians one-stop band management.) Website: www.fanatic.fm |
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We’ve seen plenty of social networks appearing over the last few years, from sites helping commuters meet others on the go, sites for sharing fitness activity, and even sites for dogs to connect. Now there's Bitsy, a new B2B online network that offers an online marketplace and social features. Bitsy serves as a way for small businesses to communicate and link up, as well as claiming to offer relief from the loneliness that can come from working alone. The site features a blog with advice, hints and tips, and it also hosts a directory where businesses can buy or list services. Claiming to be “the friendliest business to business marketplace on the web”, the site also incorporates many of more traditional features associated with social networking, such as the ability to add friends, update statuses, and create and join groups — with the most interactive businesses being featured on the homepage. It’s free to become a member, and for GDP 1.60 a month members can become sellers, enabling them to list their service in the Bitsy directory for a further GDP 5 a month. Small businesses have a lot to gain from the experiences and expertise of one another. Bitsy has tapped into this, offering startups the chance to find the help they need; with the added transparency offered by networking features. Time to remind yourself that you're not alone! Website: www.bitsythis.com |
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Now in alpha, New York-based Supporter Wall is an interactive grid that can be customized and installed on any website, allowing visitors to donate small amounts of money in exchange for their own spot on the wall. Each time they do, the square they purchase displays the photo and link of their choice; the funds they pay, meanwhile, go to the wall owner's PayPal account. Possible uses include personal, organizational, charitable or other types of fundraising. Once the site launches in full, Supporter Wall users will be able to pay a flat fee up front to install their Supporter Wall, but then collect the full amount of all funds raised; alternatively, they can install a wall for free but then pay a small percentage of the donations collected, according to a report on Startupli.st. In the meantime, Supporter Wall has set up a wall of its own to fund its private beta testing stage, which will begin in March. Those interested simply purchase a square on the site's Beta Wall, and they'll receive a beta invitation that entitles them to create, customize and deploy a similar wall on their own website. Paid squares range from USD 10 to USD 100. Those who donate USD 20 or more will be able to install their Supporter Wall and collect donations without any fee. Beta invites will be released in stages, with USD 100 donors receiving theirs first. As in so many aspects of life, consumers sometimes value the ability to flaunt something almost more than they value the thing itself. That, however, can be difficult with donations, which typically reward donors in more intangible ways. A picture featured online certainly grants donors the recognition they often crave. One to try out for your own fundraising efforts! (Related: Crowdfunding investment for social enterprises — In Belgium & France, fans buy shares to fund comic books — Crowdfunding platform for web and mobile startups.) Website: www.supporterwall.com |
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Gearing up to launch next month, Coupawz aims to offer a variety of daily national deals that can be shipped across the United States, as well as a curated selection of local, hand-picked deals, starting with Austin, Texas. Discounts of as much as 50 percent will be offered through the site on products and services including grooming, veterinarians, boarding and more. Coupawz is currently inviting interested consumers to sign up for its email list in advance of its official March launch; for each person to do so, it will donate one free bowl of food to Austin Pets Alive. Support for other U.S. cities is coming soon, it says. Is there any limit to groups' purchasing power? We're thinking not. Which product category will you help to benefit from this trend? (Related: Broker creates local groups for collective solar purchasing — Online retailers install widget to enable group buying — Group buying for new parents.) Website: www.coupawz.com Spotted by: Courtney Berry |
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It's been several years since the launch of BookRenter's textbook rental program, but just recently we came upon what's surely the next logical step: Electronic textbooks, sold by the chapter. Focusing initially on education, business and the social sciences, UK-based Reference Tree aims to give higher-education students a way to purchase just the portions of the textbooks they need to efficiently complete their coursework. Publishers including Elsevier, Taylor + Francis, Sage, Hodder Education, McGraw Hill and Cambridge University Press have already signed on with the service, which adds features such as the ability to highlight and annotate text and — coming soon — the ability to collaborate with peers through shared notes and comments. Chapter pricing begins as low as GBP 1.50. It's a snack culture world out there, where consumers prefer to consume everything from desserts to books in bite-sized portions. Other book publishers: what about you? (Related: Business books served in bite sizes for e-readers.) Website: www.reference-tree.com |
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If mothers can get their own executive benefits and members' clubs, then why shouldn't they have their own calling cards too? Turns out they can, thanks to the new, German Mamicard. Harking back in many ways to the centuries-old tradition of the visiting card, the Mamicard can serve many different functions for today's modern mothers. Handed to new acquaintances at a playground, for example, it can forge new connections for mothers and children alike. A home business can also be represented, as can contact details for babysitters. Consumers simply choose which of Mamicard's many original designs they prefer. They then input their name, contact details and other text, email whatever photo they'd like to include, and Mamicard will turn the result into a digitally printed equivalent of the business card. Prices range from EUR 49 for 50 cards to EUR 99 for 200 cards. “Friend requests” may be easy and automatic in the online world, but sometimes the offline equivalent needs a little help. How can your brand help consumers forge new connections in the real world? Website: www.mamicard.de Spotted by: Lisa Koenig |
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The idea of creating an emotional customer experience to highlight brand values is not a new one. However, it’s a strategy that relies on quality, and that’s where so many brands fall down. The Art Box Collection aims to produce branding solutions that are genuinely artistic. Based in Berlin, the young company claims to be able to handle “any topic” and use “any material” to create boxes suitable for anything from reward packs, consumer communication, PR kits and exclusive gifts. They are keen to seek out green, sustainable materials and production methods to craft the final products, all of which are “Made in Germany” — with all the quality such a tag implies. What’s more, they can personalize each and every box sent out, and — by collaborating with a wealth of artists around the world — they aim to deliver products that would be just as at home in a gallery as anywhere else. In an increasingly digital world, an eye-catching analogue presence can create a powerful effect for brands. How can you reach, and delight, consumers offline? Website: www.theartboxcollection.com |
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Fast forward to last week
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