Finding an ATM in an unfamiliar city or neighbourhood can be a real hassle. So it's no surprise that various applications have been developed for the iPhone and other mobile devices, that use built-in GPS to map the nearest cash machines. ING Wegwijzer, a new application built for the T-Mobile G1 (Google) phone, takes the concept a step further. The G1 phone has a built-in compass, which means that it can not only determine where users are, but also which direction they're facing. Which gets interesting when combined with the phone's camera, which is what the Dutch bank's new tool does.

How that works? A cash-seeking user opens Wegwijzer, selects the camera mode, and holds the phone as though to take a picture. Layered over the live image of what's in front of him, is a label showing where the nearest ATM is, literally pointing to the building that houses the machine. Which, for most people, is a far more intuitive way to find an object than by looking at a map; it's the phone equivalent of asking a human and having them point to what you're looking for.

Another application that uses augmented reality in a similar way is the Wikitude AR Travel Guide, which taps into location-based Wikipedia content to give travellers details on landmarks they view through their Google phone.

ING Wegwijzer was launched today and is available for free through Android Market, the Google equivalent of Apple's iPhone App Store. As mobile devices become increasingly well-equipped, opportunities abound for brands and entrepreneurs that can help consumers find whatever it is they're looking for. Time to start brainstorming and hiring developers! :-) (Related: Entertainment mapping tool uses compass and GPS — Using pictures to give directions — Mapmania.)

Website: wegwijzer.ing.nl

P.S. ING developed Wegwijzer with Mobilizy (of Wikitude) and SPRXmobile. More/better images of the app in action can be found in Maarten Lens-Fitzgerald's Flickr set.

Urban bike-sharing is coming to North America in the form of Bixi, the new high-tech public bike system developed for the city of Montreal. Bixi follows the standard bike sharing principles: users take a bike from a stand, ride it to where they want to go, and drop it at another stand when they're done. To make the concept even more attractive to users, bikes will be equipped with RFID tags so that users can track availability online; real-time information is beamed to the web from the system's solar-powered bike stands.

Users will pay a membership fee of CDN 78 for one year, CDN 24 for one month or CDN 5 for one day. The first half hour of every trip is free, rising to CDN 12 per hour for extended periods of use. The aim is to encourage short trips, and fees compare favorably with the price of a monthly bus pass (CDN 66.25). One reason for the system's low cost is the long-lasting bikes, which were designed by Michel Dallaire and are expected to provide 75,000-100,000 km of travel.

Bixi's full launch is scheduled for April 2009, when 3,000 bikes will be installed in 300 locations across the city. Taking Montreal's fierce winters into account, Bixi will operate from April to November. If it all goes according to plan, the city will end up with a financially independent yet affordable scheme that will keep its residents fit and safe and its environment clean and open. (Related: City bike schemes — Bank-sponsored bike sharing.)

Website: www.bixi.ca
Contact: info@bixi.ca

Spotted by: Roberta Steinberg

Feeling there were limitations of working with a conventional label, British beat duo Groove Armada left Sony BMG and teamed up with Bacardi in April of last year to offer fans music in a new way. Rather than restrict song sharing in order to sell more tracks, the band offers incentives to those who spread their music the furthest.

Six weeks before Groove Armada will be releasing their new EP through traditional download stores, the first track appeared Bacardi B-Live, where registered users can download it for free. They can access the second track as soon once they've shared the first with 20 friends. The third MP3 can be heard when the first has been shared 200 times, and the fourth when 2,000 'friends' have hear the first track. Sharing is made easy by supplying users with widgets for their websites and Facebook profiles. The sharing application was launched last week and will be available until 2 March 2009.

Bacardi also funded the creation of Groove Armada's latest release, scoring the rights to use the music in advertising and other promotions. B-Live also hosts and streams live music events around the world. Groove Armada claims to be pleased with the arrangement because it lets them give away their work and build a dialogue with fans. "It encourages people to interact with the music in a slightly deeper way than just nicking and downloading it," says Tom Findlay, one half of the duo, in a BBC interview.

It's not just distribution that's been upended by the internet: band funding, management and festivals are also evolving. There's still a huge potential to rethink business models in this industry. Time to get creative!

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

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

Almost a year ago we wrote about BlakeMakes.com, a blog that helps food manufacturers distribute samples of their products to bloggers with influential voices. Working on much the same theme, WIN it gIRL is a new site gearing up for launch this spring that aims to connect consumers and brands.

WIN it gIRL will be a free, monthly e-mail newsletter and blog that features articles and reviews about the latest topics in style, wellness, living, technology and travel. Partner manufacturers will send samples of their latest products to WIN it gIRL, who will review them on her blog. Readers will then be directed to participating blog sites for details about exclusive monthly contests, through which they have a chance to win said products. Those who win will then be given the option to keep their prizes, or to donate them to their favourite charity.

The website explains: "WIN it gIRL is more of a social experiment than a typical promotions company, in that it is free to its readers and its partners. A scrappy and money-conscious consumer, WIN it gIRL created her website to not only benefit from the featured products and services, but to allow other women and organizations to do the same. As an added value, WIN it gIRL allows brands to reach their target market in an effective and cost-saving manner."

Indeed, traditional advertising is struggling, to put it mildly. Provide a good alternative, and you'll create benefits for brands, consumers—and you! WIN it gIRL currently seeks partner blogs and brands for its upcoming launch. One to get in on early....?

Website: www.winitgirl.com
Contact: girl@winitgirl.com

Last week we wrote about MealBaby, a site that helps friends take care of each other in times of need. Then one of our spotters alerted us to FriendlyFavor, a start-up that helps people ask directly for things that could help them out.

Launched just last week, FriendlyFavor is an all-purpose request tool developed to complement social networks such as Facebook and MySpace by enabling users to leverage their trusted networks of friends, family and colleagues for help with referrals, recommendations, advice and other favours or requests. People seeking a babysitter, job referral or help moving a couch, to name just a few examples, can all use FriendlyFavor for free to ask for help online—sending their request only to the contacts they trust—as can people with favours to offer, such as extra tickets or leftover moving supplies. The platform was designed to eliminate the hassle, wasted time and confusion that can accompany traditional favour requests, providing instead a one-stop site for managing everything from the initial request to the thank-you once a favour has been granted. For thank-yous, FriendlyFavor provides options through several channels, including gift cards from leading retailers such as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Nordstrom and REI; charitable gift cards via TisBest; as well as cash, "good karma" or "Swap Shop" options, enabling users to offer goods or services in exchange. Optimized for Facebook Connect, FriendlyFavor's platform can be easily licensed for corporate networking and intranets, online communities, and alumni or nonprofit groups, the company says.

Seattle-based FriendlyFavor generates revenue from technology licensing, targeted online advertising, affiliate marketing and sponsorships. In the coming months the company plans to add new features including the ability to save and name custom contact lists as well as Open Social and mobile integration. One to partner with—or emulate—in your neck of the friendly woods....?

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

Spotted by: Ozgur Alaz