It's all too common for patients to be kept waiting in emergency rooms; the average wait for ER treatment in the United States is estimated at 3.2 hours. Earlier this month, Atlanta-based InQuickER announced the launch of a new service that allows patients with non life-threatening conditions to reduce their waiting time by calling ahead or signing in online.

After preregistering for the service, patients inform their hospital about their injury or illness in order to reserve the first available time slot. In 75 percent of cases, InQuickER users will be seen immediately upon arrival, but if a patient is not seen by a doctor within 15 minutes, InQuickER and the hospital won't charge for the ER visit, diagnostic services, professional fees or supplies. The 'hold-your-place-in-line' service is currently available at three hospitals.

Patients pay USD 24.99 per visit for InQuickER's service—a price that's manageable for most people. By streamlining the check-in process, InQuickER offers both hospitals and patients a way to cut through some of the red tape, saving time and aggravation. One to replicate to other countries and industries? (Related: Letting customers skip the line.)

Website: www.inquicker.com
Contact: www.inquicker.com/contact

Spotted by: Judy McRae

Giving is the new taking, as our sister site likes to say. And while we've covered several examples of the growing importance of generosity as a societal and business mindset, we hadn't yet come across anything from the tech sector. But now we've found not just one but two such examples, courtesy of Adobe and Telefónica.

Adobe launched a program earlier this month whereby it is giving its Flex Builder 3 Professional software free of charge to developers who have been hit by current economic conditions and are out of work. To participate in the program, unemployed developers must attest that the software will be used only for personal use and skill-building—not for any production or commercial purposes. In exchange, they get a free copy of Flex Builder 3's Professional version, which is normally priced at USD 699.

Spanish telecom provider Telefónica, meanwhile, announced last month that it would begin offering discounts of up to 50 percent on unemployed customers' fixed and mobile phone service. The offer applies also to customers who are self-employed, and the maximum limit is EUR 20 per month per invoice. Participants must have had a Telefónica account for at least 6 months; to apply, they need only submit an application form, available on the company's website.

Whether it's helping fire victims find a place to stay, giving "worthy workers" a break or helping the unemployed get back on their feet, there are countless opportunities every day for brands to display their generous side. Think giving, think helping, think showing appreciation for others who do, and you just may win the hearts and minds of the burgeoning ranks of Generation G!

Website: freeriatools.adobe.com/learnflex — www.telefonica.es/on/io/es/teayudamos/home.html

This is inflight entertainment that should appeal to all of our entrepreneurial readers: Virgin Atlantic's recently launched PitchTV. As part of Virgin Atlantic's 25th birthday celebrations, Richard Branson announced a new way to support innovative business plans. Entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to the world in video format, uploading the videos to Virgin's website, where the online community can view and rate their idea.

Videos rotate on a monthly basis, and those with the most votes will be shown on Virgin Atlantic's in-flight entertainment service. The aim is for the airline's business passengers to watch the videos, contacting the entrepreneurs behind the ideas that take their fancy to help them develop the idea. Branson claims it's a unique way of giving the world's top business professionals access to fresh ideas and new ventures.

By playing matchmaker, Virgin gains kudos and recognition without shelling out its own cash for new ventures. One pitch will likely prove the exception to that rule, however, as there's a 'special prize' that has yet to be announced. We can't wait to hear which of our readers will be first to appear inflight... (Related: Web channel for three-minute pitches — 'Open-mic nights' for business ideas.)

Website: entrepreneur.virgin.com/pitchtv
Contact: entrepreneur.virgin.com/contact

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

No sooner did we post our story about Fortnum & Mason's rooftop beekeeping effort in London than one of our readers alerted us to a similar one under way across the ocean. This time, it's atop a Toronto hotel, and the resulting honey is being used to supply the hotel's restaurant kitchen.

Last summer the Fairmont Royal York hotel installed a three-hive apiary 14 stories up above the streets of Toronto. Affectionately named the Honey Moon Suite, The Royal Sweet and The V.I.Bee Suite, the three hives are home to as many queens and their accompanying entourage of more than 10,000 other bees, each of whom forages for nectar in the hotel's decade-old rooftop herb garden and on nearby Toronto Island. The apiary was established in partnership with the Toronto Beekeepers Cooperative and FoodShare, and is a natural extension of the hotel's herb garden, Executive Chef David Garcelon says. It's also part of the hotel's commitment to sustainable hotel management through its Green Partnership program. Garcelon explains: “You can’t find a supplier much closer than your own roof. Our colonies deliver irresistible honey for our guests, while promoting our ecological commitment to bee culture.”

The three hives had produced a total of 378 pounds of honey by last fall and won 2nd place in the Liquid Honey Amber category at the 86th annual Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in November. Response from hotel patrons, meanwhile—who can learn about the source of the hotel's honey via the restaurant menu and also via its monthly audio podcasts—has been so positive that the hotel plans to install three more hives this summer. Similar efforts are also under way at The Fairmont Algonquin in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, and The Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver.

All of which, of course, is further proof that consumers love things that are (still) made here, wherever that may be. One part hyperlocal production, one part storytelling skill, and you've got a winning recipe for sweet success! ;-)

Website: www.fairmont.com/royalyork
Contact: royalyorkhotel@fairmont.com

Spotted by: Dana

There are countless employment sites out there that help companies fill full- and part-time jobs. Not included in most, however, are all the extra little tasks businesses often need to get done, but that aren't enough to justify hiring another regular employee. Targeting those small—yet important—jobs comes ShortTask, which aims to connect qualified workers with companies in need of such short-term help.

Now in beta, ShortTask is essentially a community that focuses on connecting what it calls "seekers"—companies or individuals who need various tasks accomplished without hiring in-house staff—and "solvers," or workers who can complete those tasks virtually from home. Seekers begin by listing the tasks they need done, such as transcribing audio or video recordings, identifying objects in a photograph or creating written content. They also create an escrow account for payment and indicate for each task how much they're willing to pay, along with its deadline. Solvers then visit the site and choose the tasks they'd like to complete. Once the work is done and the seeker approves it, they get paid in US dollars via PayPal from the seeker's account; ShortTask, meanwhile, takes a commission of 10 percent. There are currently more than 50,000 tasks listed on the site, including finding articles and commenting on Amazon.com (price: USD 1), for example, or asking questions on a forum (paying USD 0.15). Solvers from around the world are allowed to find jobs through the site.

Similar to Amazon's Mechanical Turk, California-based ShortTask gives companies a more flexible way to get work done and allows consumers to earn some extra money during tough times. One to emulate on a localized or niche basis? (Related: Matching students with odd jobs — Bidding system for domestic outsourcing.)

Website: www.shorttask.com
Contact: contact@shorttask.com

Spotted by: Jonathan Kyle