London karaoke bar Lucky Voice has already appeared on our pages once before, but we're compelled to mention it again for an initiative it recently announced on one of our favourite themes.

Specifically, through its new "Worthy Worker Mondays" program, Lucky Voice is offering two hours of free karaoke singing to registered charity workers, nurses, doctors and others "who dedicate their lives to the greater good." Teachers, firefighters, police officers, prison officers and social workers are also included, though the list of qualifying occupations isn't strictly limited, the company says, and not everyone in a party need qualify—just the person making the reservation. The offer is available for all room sizes between 5pm and 1am every Monday at Lucky Voice Soho and Lucky Voice Islington. A special cocktail will also be created each month and priced at just GBP 5. The Worthy Worker Mondays program is an ongoing one, with no planned end date, the company says.

On a side note, Lucky Voice has apparently been busy cooking up ideas lately, and is actually also in the midst of an effort that taps right into another longtime Springwise theme with a pop-up karaoke offering in a shop in London's Newburgh Quarter by Carnaby Street. Free singing will be available there every day from 12pm to 7pm through April 5.

Both programs are nice examples of free love, of course, but the Worthy Worker Mondays initiative adds a dash of sympathy and is a shining illustration of the corporate generosity that's increasingly valued—nay, demanded—by members of today's Generation G. How can *your* company give something back to the unsung heroes of the world?

Website: www.luckyvoice.com — bars.luckyvoice.com/files/specialoffer.pdf
Contact: louise@luckyvoice.com

Spotted by: Naomi

There's no doubt the internet has transformed the way people communicate; what's less clear is that people are willing to let the old methods disappear. We've already seen companies that transform emails into paper letters; now, an Australian contender has resurrected none other than the classic telegram.

Focusing on the role telegrams have long played as historical records documenting significant events, Telegram Stop provides novelty telegrams with a classic look and feel that's designed for posterity. Users simply type their message online—up to 400 characters are allowed—and then preview the resulting telegram, which includes the traditional "stop" in place of periods. Both domestic and international service is available for a single, set price of USD 4.70; delivery takes 4 to 6 business days.

The more things change, the more they stay the same, as they say—particularly when consumers are willing to pay a price for nostalgia. One to emulate on a niche basis, such as birth announcements or wedding invitations....?

Website: www.telegramstop.com
Contact: www.telegramstop.com/Contact.mvc.aspx

Spotted by: Craig Winkler

Helping consumers be prepared, SurvivalStraps are paracords disguised as bracelets, belts, watch straps, key fobs, anklets and dog collars. In an emergency, a bracelet can be unraveled to up to 26 feet of military grade nylon cord, while belts contain up to 200 feet of cord. The parachute cord can be used for anything from pulling someone out of a river to building a makeshift shelter. Once used, the cord (along with the story of how it was used) can be sent to the manufacturer to be rewound into the original accessory.

Manufactured by Tough Gear Inc, a small family-run company in Florida, the accessories come in 900 different color combinations, with a choice of plastic side-release buckle or marine grade stainless steel shackle. In the few years since Tough Gear went into business, the company has grown from selling directly to a few friends to a customer base in the thousands.

Products that enhance preparedness in case of emergency can provide consumers with a feeling of safety, addressing a general unease caused by economic crises, war, floods and environmental concerns. Want to get in on the action? Figure out how to embed prepared-for-anything features in your own products or services, give them a survival-chic spin, and don't forget the all-important status skills and story elements.

Website: www.survivalstraps.com
Contact: customerservice@survivalstraps.com

Spotted by: Sofia Larsson

We’ve written about urban bikes stations before, and are happy to see the concept popping up in other parts of the world. Spotted in Brisbane: Cycle2City, which claims to be the first full-service facility for bicycle commuters in Australia. Brisbane City Council and Queensland Transport teamed up to fund construction of the facility, which gives cyclists a place to store their bikes and change into business attire.

Since opening last June, Cycle2City has signed up 400 members who have access to secure bike parking, air-conditioned locker rooms, showers, laundry service and free bike maintenance classes at the in-house maintenance and repair workshop. Members are encouraged to commit to using the facilities five days a week (at AUD 120.00 for one month or AUD 660.00 for six months), but three-day-per-week 'permanent casual' memberships and daily use options are also available.

Cycle2City is just one element of Brisbane’s commitment to encouraging citizens to replace driving with cycling—the city’s mayor has also announced that AUD 100 million will be spent on new bikeways over the next four years. As the number of cycling commuters grows around the world, so will the need for products and services that help make a smooth transition from four wheels to two. Bike-loving entrepreneurs—get going!

Website: www.cycle2city.com.au
Contact: administration@cycle2city.com.au

Spotted by: Brenton Nicholls

When it's time to make an important decision, technology can help consumers on the research end, but it's humans they typically turn to for practical advice. There's no substitute for a trusted advisor familiar with one's tastes and preferences—or, at least, there wasn't until recently.

Led in part by Flickr cofounder Caterina Fake, Hunch is a brand-new decision-making tool that gets to know the user first and then offers customised suggestions. Users of the site—which just opened its doors to the public on Friday—can ask its help in making any decision, whether it's "what dinner recipe should I make?" or "should I send my kids to private school?". They begin by telling Hunch a little bit about themselves through an introductory set of questions—"Where is your home located?," for example (suburbs, rural or city), and "Do you like bumper cars?". Then, when it comes time to make a decision, a core algorithm based on machine learning asks the user up to 10 structured questions on the topic, any of which can be skipped at the user's request. Using those answers—along with what it already knows about the user's particular preferences—the system proposes a customised solution.

Accompanying each decision is an explanation of how Hunch arrived at it, and users can vote on whether they agree with the result, as well as suggesting new topics and questions. In that way, the system gets smarter over time—almost Wikipedia-style—reflecting the corrections and suggestions of users. Contributions to the site earn credibility points in the form of "banjos" and badges for users. Meanwhile, as it learns more about each individual user's personality and preferences, Hunch also further refines its decision results for that person. "It's like a friend getting to know someone's taste and preferences over time, so they can provide sound and trusted advice," as the site puts it. Overall, "our long-term goal is for a user to be able to come to Hunch with any decision she is pondering, and after answering a handful of questions, get as good a decision as if she had interviewed a group of knowledgeable people or done hours of careful research online."

Some Hunch decision result pages include links to external commerce sites, in which case the site earns referral fees from the linked merchants—but such links have no effect on the decision results, the site says. Some 500 decision topics, 5,000 follow-up questions and more than 30,000 possible decision outcomes are already available on Hunch, with new ones being added every day. And while the New York-based site is currently available only to people who request an invitation and create an account, that requirement will be lifted in May. It's early days on this one, but the potential is compelling—one to try out, partner with, or otherwise get involved in...? (Related: Private Klusters help groups make decisions.)

Website: www.hunch.com
Contact: marketing@hunch.com