There's nothing like a sudden flurry of like-minded contenders to suggest an idea is a good one. Case in point: The proverbial ink had barely dried on our story last week about Spareground, the site that helps UK consumers rent out unused space, when we were alerted to not one but two similar services.

Los Angeles-based Homstie, for example, bills itself as a community marketplace for storage space. Launched by a team of UCLA students, Homstie aims to provide an alternative to the USD 22 billion storage industry and its rental fees of USD 700 per month or more. Listing and searching for space on Homstie are both free; the only fees the company charges are for making listings featured or highlighted—priced at USD 3 and USD 2, respectively—and for a custom lease agreement, which is priced at USD 19. Homstie does not facilitate rental payments, but it does offer member profiles, identity verification and a feedback system. Users of ad-supported Homstie can browse for listings by proximity to major California universities or by region across the United States.

Store at My House, meanwhile, also serves US consumers with listings of parking and storage space nationwide. Users can search the ad-supported site by ZIP code for the space they need; if they can't find it, they can also create a request. Reputation ratings for space providers on the site, meanwhile, help ensure safety.

Enough said? The economy doesn't look to be making any dramatic improvements anytime soon, so there's still plenty of opportunity to spread this concept around the globe. So far, just the US and the UK seem to be covered; one to bring to cash-strapped consumers in a market near you?

Website: www.homstie.com — www.storeatmyhouse.com
Contact: www.homstie.com/contact — www.storeatmyhouse.com/contact.php

Spotted by: May Almero-Cruz and Susannah Haynie

When we wrote about RFID-enabled pokens last month, we noted that business professionals might prefer something slightly less cute than pandas on their keychains for exchanging digital contact details. As if on cue, Virginia-based Mingle360 recently launched the MingleStick, a small, sleek keychain device that serves as an electronic business card.

The MingleStick is a single-button device with an infrared sensor on one end and a capped USB connector on the other. When two users meet, they both point their MingleSticks at each other and click the button to create a successful connection, which is indicated by a small green light. At the end of the day, they can each plug their device into their computer; the Mingle360 website automatically launches and they can log into their account to view the connections they made that day. Address book, calendar, messaging, group organization and content sharing features are all available through the company's MingleManager application, as are privacy controls that let the user decide how much information to share with each new acquaintance. Currently, the MingleStick is aimed at organizers of trade shows and other events. Service pricing includes a setup fee, security deposit and per-device rental fee that begins at USD 20 but is negotiable based on volume and other factors. Branding opportunities are also available.

The MingleStick has already been used at multiple trade shows, conventions and singles events, and provides yet another excellent example of the digital lifestyle lubricants that are increasingly blurring the lines between online and off. It's also the first we've seen offered on a rental basis for events, sidestepping entirely the problem of achieving the critical mass that would otherwise be necessary to make the devices useful. One to try out, partner with or otherwise get involved in early....? (Related: Connecting online and off with RFID for the masses — RFID collar tag helps dog owners meet new friends — Shopping by invitation only — Dating cards fuse physical and virtual connections.)

Website: www.mingle360.com
Contact: connect@mingle360.com

Much like the build-your-own-magazine concept from HSBC that we covered last year, a brand-new initiative from Lexus, Time and American Express Publishing is giving consumers a new way to create their own personalised magazine.

Dubbed "mine," the free magazine invites readers to choose editorial content from five of eight select Time and American Express Publishing brands: Time, Sports Illustrated, Food & Wine, Real Simple, Money, InStyle, Golf, and Travel + Leisure. Participants can choose to receive their magazine either in a limited-edition print format or online—some 31,000 copies of each print issue and 200,000 electronic copies are available, and readers receive a new issue every two weeks for 10 weeks. Each issue is 36 pages, with advertising tailored for each recipient based on geographic location and taste, as determined by their answers to four initial questions. Since Lexus's participation is to help mark the launch of its new Lexus 2010 RX, four single-page ads for the vehicle are included in each issue as well. Readers can also receive news and entertainment alerts through a customised widget or mobile application via RSS. The program ends June 15.

In addition to providing yet another illustration of the world's increasing customisability, such an offering could also prove to be an excellent perk to deliver to Lexus customers—as we noted in the HSBC case as well. It's good to give customers free love, but letting them choose what form that love takes is even better. Customisation and perkonomics—go forth and multiply! ;-) (Related: Personalised music mag.)

Website: www.timecmg.com/mine
Contact: www.toyota.com/help/contactus.html

Update: This New York Times article is worth reading for its background details on Mine's launch, including a few operational glitches. Some interesting data on uptake, too: "Through its website, Time Inc. made 200,000 digital versions and 31,000 print versions available. So far almost all the print editions have been claimed, while fewer than 30,000 digital versions have been ordered, Lexus said."

The deadline for the Best Job in the World may have passed weeks ago, but those looking for a contest-based change of career needn't fear: a new one was just announced that promises the chance to become an airplane pilot.

Malaysian airline AirAsia recently launched the "So You Wanna Be a Pilot?" contest, by which it's offering 10 people the chance to become a pilot. No experience or training is necessary; all contestants must do is submit a blog entry between 1 April and 15 May explaining why they deserve the opportunity. They must also meet a set of minimum requirements, such as being aged 18 to 28, having a good command of both English and Bahasa Malaysia, and having a minimum height of 163 cm. Ten winners will be selected, entitling them to attend the first round of selection for AirAsia's new pilot intake program and spend a day with a select group of pilots at AirAsia Academy. A place in the pilot training program is not guaranteed, but applicants will have a chance to dig further into the profession and maybe even have a go at computer pilot simulation series. "The road after this is yours and yours alone," the site explains. "We will pave the way but you have to do the running till the end."

Whereas the Best Job in the World was designed to focus attention on the Great Barrier Reef Islands, AirAsia's program is more of a fresh twist on the traditional recruitment process. And if that twist can work for hiring new pilots, what's to say it couldn't be used—with varying degrees of modification—to find your next blogger, marketing manager or sysadmin? Be inspired!

Website: http://blog.airasia.com/index.php/so-you-wanna-be-a-pilot
Contact: blogteam@airasia.com

Spotted by: Judy McRae

Frozen yoghurt is a topic we've already covered on a few different occasions: first the Korean-style frozen yoghurt trend, as exemplified by shops like Pinkberry and Red Mango, and then the arrival of self-serve contender Yogurtland. Now adding further differentiation to the industry is Sno:la, a Beverly Hills-based shop that bills itself as a socially conscious alternative.

Sno:la's shops—it just opened one in Kyoto as well, with another due to launch in Santa Monica soon—are designed to be eco-minded and plastic-free. All containers are biodegradable and compostable, with yoghurt cups made of sugar cane, verrine cups made of corn, and spoons made from wood and potatoes. Sno:la's countertops are crafted from recycled computer chips, and tabletops are based on eucalyptus, a fast-growing and sustainable tree. Wall decorations are made from recycled wood, and the concrete floors are soy-painted. Then too there's Sno:la's support of social causes: It gives 1 percent of its gross proceeds to Slow Food USA, which supports sustainable farming, and 1 percent of proceeds from its Chocolate Cremita flavour to the United Nations World Food Program, which helps children worldwide. All that on top of a range of seasonally flavoured yoghurt treats made with organic dairy products, "sweetened only by nature" and accompanied by a choice of some 40 toppings.

Need further proof that the frozen yoghurt industry is maturing? Red Mango recently launched Club Mango, a loyalty program that rewards customers for their purchases. Make no mistake: the era of differentiation has begun. Something to keep in mind for your own next big, yoghurty venture....?

Website: www.snolayogurt.com and www.snola.co.jp

Spotted by: PSFK via Raymond Kollau