Springwise - Life Hacks

The wisdom of the crowds, tailored to expecting parents

2009-11-18T18:29:36Z

Google may put a world of information within easy reach, but for important decisions, most of us want personalized advice. That's the premise behind Hunch, which we covered earlier this year, and it's also the basis underlying WiserPregnancy, which focuses specifically on all the many decisions that must be made by expecting parents.

Now in beta, Washington, DC-based WiserPregnancy aims to help users make informed decisions by showing them what others have done in their own situation, including the choices they made, their rationale, the outcome of those choices, and how they felt about it afterward. The searchable site—which is part of the more broadly focused WiserTogether—includes data from thousands of women about more than 600 choices that can be faced while pregnant. Those decisions relate to a number of health-related issues, from back pain treatments to nausea remedies to the question of getting an epidural, and are collected via a medically approved questionnaire. Respondents include a prescreened panel of randomized participants as well as visitors to the WiserTogether site, who are asked to contribute their own, anonymized input for aggregated inclusion. Users of WiserPregnancy can search for information on topics relevant to them, even filtering data so that they see only decisions made by people similar to themselves based on age, education, number of pregnancies and more. Most features on the site can be used anonymously and for free. Tailored data or forum contributions require registration, while custom medical searches—offering summaries of current medical literature on user-requested topics—are normally priced at USD 39 each, but free through the end of this month. Advertising and referrals also contribute to WiserPregnancy's income.

Social networks are all very well for connecting, communing and commiserating, but improved decision-making may very well require something more—such as the collective wisdom of other people who have faced similar decisions before. A model to apply to the decision set of your choice...?

Website: pregnancy.wisertogether.com
Contact: info@wisertogether.com

Site helps neighbours share tools & equipment

2009-11-18T17:41:03Z

In tough economic times, it can make sense for consumers to be both transumers—eschewing the burdens of ownership in favour of shorter-term privileges—and sellsumers, making the most of what assets they do own. Aiming to facilitate both is NeighborGoods, a brand-new site that helps consumers borrow, lend, rent, sell and buy stuff in their community.

Focusing for now on Southern California, NeighborGoods is an online community that lets consumers save and earn money by sharing with their neighbours and friends any of the assorted tools, ladders and other things they use only occasionally. Users of the site, which just launched into beta, can decide how they want to share their stuff. They can allow their friends to borrow an item for free while charging others a rental fee, for example, or they can decide to make the item available only to friends. NeighborGoods helps facilitate transactions with a reservation calendar, automated reminders, wish-list alerts and private messaging. It also tracks and shares the transaction history of each member. Neighbours can rate each other and even flag another member's account if something goes wrong. Borrowing and lending items on NeighborGoods is free of charge. Members who want to earn money by renting or selling items must have a Pro account—currently free, but ultimately by paid subscription.

Besides the obvious financial advantages for those involved, of course, sharing tools and equipment—much like cars, bikes and boats—has distinct eco-benefits as well, minimizing the redundant things so many households typically buy. Looks like another sharing-enabled win-win-win—for borrowers, owners and the planet—and one to be emulated in communities around the world! (Related: Neighbourhood approach to renewable energy.)

Website: www.neighborgoods.net
Contact: info@neighborgoods.net

Spotted by: O Magazine

Twitter for entrepreneurs

2009-11-17T22:03:50Z

We've already seen the Twitter model applied to organizational employees via Yammer, which encourages coworkers to share and collaborate by frequently answering—in 140 characters or less—the question, "What are you working on?" Now Canadian startup Sprouter invites entrepreneurs to do the same thing as an opening for discussion, support and collaboration.

Toronto-based Sprouter is an online community that allows small business owners and entrepreneurs to share links, ask questions and share expertise with their peers. Whereas most social networks focus on connecting users with people they already know, the premise behind Sprouter is that it's often the people one hasn't yet connected with—but who share common goals and interests—that can be the most valuable resources. Accordingly, the site's search function can help members find not just entrepreneurs in their area or industry, but also those who are discussing a topic of common interest—funding, for example. Members of the site can create profiles and start real-time discussions around any concept, company, association or event.

Sarah Prevette, Sprouter’s founder and CEO, explains: “The power of social networking by individuals has been made more than evident, and Sprouter is striving to create that same sense of community and sharing for entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs face struggles on a daily basis—from how to get funding to the best business tools to use. Sprouter can provide the forum for real-time networking and collaboration so everyone can benefit from mistakes and successes.” Sprouter is free for users, and hopes to generate income through partnerships with venture funding agencies and small business associations, Prevette told the Financial Post.

Launched to the public just this week, Sprouter also hosts monthly events to bring local entrepreneurs together for in-person networking. The site's community currently includes members from all over the world, including India, Australia, Europe and North America. One to try out for your own entrepreneurial edification...?

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

Mobile app brings augmented reality to music festival

2009-11-17T20:04:25Z

Just a month or so after augmented reality browser Layar won EUR 75,000 in Vodafone's Mobile Clicks contest, the technology was already being put to work in a custom-designed application for Louisiana's Voodoo Experience music festival.

Layar is a free mobile browser for Android devices and the iPhone that overlays computer-generated information on top of real-time, on-screen images from the handset's built-in camera. The Voodoo app was designed by New Orleans ad firm Zehnder Communications using Layar 2.0 to let festival-goers with enabled phones get information on performances, attractions and services simply by pointing their phone cameras toward key parts of the festival grounds. When viewing concert stages, for instance, one custom AR layer provided information on lineups, schedules and current artists performing, including artist profiles and Web links. Pointing a phone camera at a vendor would show menus and pricing, while other points of interest highlighted by the app included vendor locations, artist displays, restrooms, ATMs, entrances and exits, medical sites and other services. Zehnder was one the first 50 firms worldwide named as developers of the Layar platform. A demo of the Voodoo app is available on Vimeo.

In addition to a whole new world of entertainment and useful information for mobile consumers, augmented reality also opens up a wealth of new OFF=ON opportunities for advertisers. Time to explore the possibilities for *your* tech-savvy brand...?

Website: www.z-comm.com
Contact: jzehnder@z-comm.com

Designer dresses for rent (back-up size included)

2009-11-04T07:55:42Z

From fine automobiles to designer handbags, we've covered various companies that let consumers rent expensive objects instead of buying them. The latest to join the herd is New York-based Rent the Runway, which allows women to rent designer dresses.

Dress-seeking fashionistas browse RTR's collection and schedule a delivery date (next-day delivery is available, as well as same-day in New York City). RTR then sends them the dress, including a second, back-up size to make sure the fit is as good as the design. Rental costs are around 10% of a garment's retail price, and range from USD 50–200. Customers can rent for four or eight days, after which they return the dress in the USPS return envelope that RTR provides. The extra size—which RTR provides at no extra cost—must be returned unworn.

Further proof that its founders have thought through the concept from a consumer's point of view, RTR also lets members rent a second style for just USD 25. Which gives them a back-up option for last-minute decisions, or a second dress to wear at an elaborate wedding or a multi-day event. Brands currently on offer include Just Cavalli, Helmut Lang, Proenza Schouler and Hervé Leger.

Appealing both to consumers who are cutting back for economic reasons, and to those who value experiences over ownership (dubbed transumers by our sister-site trendwatching.com), there's plenty of room for concepts like Rent the Runway to grow, especially if they provide their clients with heightened convenience as well as heightened style. (Related: Free clothes rental for fashionistas — Clothing rental for size-changing dieters — Baby clothes rental service.)

Website: www.renttherunway.com
Contact: feedback@renttherunway.com

Spotted by: Mike Hudack

Quick healthcare questions answered via Twitter

2009-11-03T22:58:16Z

If Twitter can be used to track packages, publish school menus and crowdfund startups, why not help tackle the US healthcare crisis too? Cell phones are already changing the way healthcare is delivered in the developing world, after all, and now Twitter promises to transform the delivery of healthcare information for stateside consumers.

ASKch is a new service from Nashville-based healthcare information provider Change:Healthcare that allows users to send quick healthcare questions via Twitter and have them answered within 60 seconds. Consumers can simply tweet a question such as, “what is diabetes” to @askch, which is now in beta; in return, they get a short description of the disease and a link to more information. Those seeking prescription pricing information in a particular ZIP code area, on the other hand, can tweet “cost of celebrex near 37209,” prompting the service to tweet back, “average price of $163 in 37209″ in return. Questions must be formatted according to predefined types, which currently include: what is (health issue); what is (drug name); cost of (drug name) near (zipcode); generic for (drug name); and generic discounts for (drug name) near (zipcode). Over time, however, Change:Healthcare plans to expand those possibilities.

The new application is just the first phase of what will ultimately be a much larger service from Change:Healthcare that aims to help consumers "be more informed and potentially save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars," the company says. Where else could Twitter be used to answer consumers' standard questions quickly and in real time...? (Related: In-home STD tests with results by text message.)

Website: ask.changehealthcare.com
Contact: company.changehealthcare.com/contact

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Personal data storage with emergency access

2009-11-03T21:35:39Z

Orggit offers a new take on web-based information storage. We've already seen this service in a several guises: from ultra-secure 'memory' storage inside a Swiss mountain, to an online locker for loved ones to open after the user's death. Orggit's unique selling point is the In Case of Emergency (ICE) card that it supplies with every subscription. Using the card, medical personnel can call a dedicated helpline and quote the member's ID code to gain access to all of their medical vitals, which could be a lifesaver. In case of a lost wallet, the good samaritan who finds it can also call the helpline and Orggit will arrange an owner-wallet reunion.

Orggit is essentially a consumer-friendly rebranding of parent company Morgan Street Document Systems' core service, which it has operated for high-end clients since 2003. As the online information storage industry goes mainstream, Orggit is aiming to appeal to the masses by offering them a comprehensive and highly-organised place to store critical data. In addition to medical records, there's a wallet section for storing card and ID data, an 'accounts and codes' area and a virtual filing cabinet that can hold about 10,000 documents. A free Orggit iPhone app—rapidly becoming a web start-up essential—gives users mobile access.

Annual subscription to Orggit's service costs USD 49.99. This includes the ability to add up to 10 users and manage access rights for each user. While consumers are overwhelmed with places to store data online for free (email providers, Google Docs etc.), Orggit's core value is in the structure and security it provides. The ICE card gives further peace of mind to users. One to localize for other languages and regions?

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

Spotted by: Jonathan Pirc

Marketplace for (very) short-term office rentals

2009-11-02T06:45:56Z

Offering a professional alternative to working from the nearest Starbucks, a new service from iStopOver makes it easy for people to rent (very) short-term business space worldwide. Created by Canadian tech enterprise Brightspark, the website provides a fully-automated service that connects offices with office-needers. Listing is free for hosts, while guests are charged a 6–11% service fee.

Rental terms can range anywhere from a few hours to several months, with spaces for rent including warehouses, boardrooms, offices, desks—even parking spaces. Users can refine their search according to particular requirements, such as wifi access, phone systems, catering, etc. (The service was launched two months ago, so available properties are still limited.) Guests and hosts can communicate through the site to exchange details. The booking process is automated, and iStopOver handles all payments online, only releasing payment to the host when they enter a reservation code given to them by the guest on arrival. This acts as a security measure for guests, giving them the option to leave without revealing their reservation code if the workspace doesn't match up to its description. The benefits? Those without offices gain access to a suitable working environment and professional image, while hosts can make money from empty spaces.

iStopOver for Office Rentals is an expansion of iStopOver's original home rental model. Both share features with services we've covered before on Springwise, but iStopOver looks to be growing into a one-stop solution for short-term rentals. One to partner with regionally? (Related: Helping consumers rent out unused space, Office space rented out by the desk, Parking and zipping)

Website: www.istopover.com/office
Contact: www.istopover.com/office/contact_us

Spotted by: Mark Skapinker

Ticket price forecasting for live events

2009-10-27T07:18:08Z

Seat Geek is a free service that helps users find tickets when they're cheapest. Currently focused on Major League Baseball games and select concerts in the US, Seat Geek employs a sophisticated algorithm to predict whether the price of a queried ticket is set to rise or fall—similar to what Bing Travel (formerly Farecast) does for flight tickets. If the price is expected to go down, users can sign up to receive a free email alert when it's at rock bottom. Seat Geek also scours the web in for the best deals at any moment, linking to affiliated ticket merchants like StubHub, RazorGator and eBay.

Seat Geek's patent-pending algorithm draws on a large pool of data that includes millions of historical ticket transactions. This data is crunched together with other factors, such as, for baseball games: team statistics, the weather, the venue, the price-level of the seat—even who'll be pitching. According to SeatGeek co-founder Jack Groetzinger, the algorithm is accurate 80% of the time, and it's also self-training, meaning it gets better every day.

As our sister-site explains in its latest briefing, consumers increasingly expect instant gratification. Seat Geek and other 'prediction engines' take that one step further, by drawing on the web's informational riches to tell consumers how things will be, enabling them to make better decisions now. The future has never been as near, and opportunities abound for entrepreneurs that can bring it even closer. (Related: Zigabid ticketing marketplace — Real-time pricing error alerts for consumers to pounce on.)

Website: www.seatgeek.com
Contact: admin@seatgeek.com

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Web app for managing employees' time off

2009-10-26T18:27:51Z

There are numerous tools out there for managing HR functions like time sheets and accounting, but employees' paid leave has been all but overlooked. That's according to strategic design firm Matter, which recently launched its answer to that need in the form of Perq.

Employee leave management is a complex task with potentially high stakes: companies lose millions or even billions of dollars in revenue each year without even knowing it because of unaccounted employee time off, says Atlanta-based Matter (which is not to be confused with the London company that goes by the same name). Enter Perq, a web application that's designed to let companies easily create an online version of their employee leave policies, view a shared calendar, and manage leave requests, accrued time off and multiple benefit levels. Personalized dashboards and automated tracking make it easy to keep up with accrual and rollover, while a simple leave request process keeps staff and managers connected and informed. Perq is free for up to three users; beyond that, pricing starts at USD 9 per month for up to 10 users. The service is also available for licensing and deployment as a white label product for enterprises with special brand or security requirements.

Of course, Perq may scratch the employee-leave itch for companies in the English-speaking world, but it seems safe to assume there are plenty of small to medium-sized businesses in other parts of the globe with the same need. One to localize or adapt for HR managers in your neck of the woods...?* (Related: exchange lets hourly workers swap shifts — Staff schedules & notifications made simple.)

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

* P.S. If you're interested in translation or localization, Perq says to get in touch: hello@perqworks.com.

Shoe-trading community for those with uneven feet

2009-10-23T15:16:58Z

With social networking dominated by colossal sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, it might seem that there's not much room left for smaller fish. But the web thrives on the long tail of consumer needs. Case in point: UnevenFeet. As the name suggests, this recently-launched Australian site is for anyone with two feet of different sizes. Until now, these people may have had to buy two pairs of shoes to get a perfect fit, but no longer. Uneven Feet records people's shoe sizes and finds their 'opposite matches', enabling them to arrange shoe swaps or joint purchases and continue life unimpeded by sloppy-fitting footwear.

The way for Uneven Feet has been paved by the growth in social shopping and swap marketplaces. Founder Jonathan Lee—whose own shoe shopping pains inspired the site's creation—sees revenue potential in affiliate sales once the community grows. On a global scale, if even a tiny percentage of people feels their 'uneven' feet are a big enough issue to act on through the website, that could become a sizable audience. Any more anthropometric niches out there to capitalize on?

Website: www.unevenfeet.com
Contact: www.unevenfeet.com/contact.php

Spotted by: Jonathan Lee

Real-time pricing error alerts for consumers to pounce on

2009-10-21T18:02:12Z

Real-time price search has arrived, and with it some unexpected bonus features for consumers. German site Apnoti claims to have the first search engine to index prices for the German, American and French markets in real time. Currently in beta launch, the engine crawls over 65 million items in more than 10,000 affiliated stores for each and every search request, presenting users with a comparison of products' price trends over the past four weeks and current prices, accurate (in theory) to the past few seconds. Apnoti differentiates itself from other price comparison services which usually rely on daily updates by their operators, claiming that these services cannot cope with the price fluctuations that often occur throughout the day.

According to Apnoti's creators, sudden price drops and fluctuations of up to 90%—usually due to retailer error—are a regular occurrence. To help their German users take advantage of these mistakes, Apnoti launched another purported web first: Preispanne.de ('price breakdown'), a free email alert service for huge price drops. Users enter their email address and select which product categories they'd like to monitor. When a price drop of over 50% occurs, they will be immediately alerted by email so they can pounce on the super-bargain before the retailer has a chance to correct it. Web store Otto.de recently learned this to its cost, when they received 6,534 orders for a EUR 2,000 MacBook mistakenly reduced to EUR 49.95.

Ethics aside, the services offered by Preispanne and Apnoti meet the demands of two powerful consumer trends: transparency and real-time everything. Online retailers will have to stay on their toes if they're to stay in the game! Meanwhile, opportunities abound for entrepreneurs who can make the most of real-time transparency. How about a cheeky webstore off the back of Preispanne's alerts?

Website: www.preispanne.de
Contact: www.apnoti.com/support

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

Consolidated storage space for product warranties

2009-10-21T06:45:18Z

Prompted by a satisfied customer who claimed he'd be even happier if he didn't have to hold on to a piece of paper for five years to retain the warranty on his new espresso machine, Henrik Peter Reisby Nielsen saw a gap in the market: digital storage for all of the guarantees and warranties that consumers accumulate alongside their purchases.

Reisby Nielsen, a fourth-generation Danish retailer of cookware and home furnishings, launched the Garanti Hotel to help solve the common annoyance of product paperwork that piles up but can't be found when it's actually needed. Consumers who sign up with Garanti Hotel can upload their warranties and access them online whenever and wherever they're needed—at home or when bringing in a product for repair. While retailers don't have to participate in the scheme for consumers to save documents, Garanti Hotel is encouraging them to sign up in order to streamline the endeavour, ideally enabling stores to send documents straight to a consumer's Garanti Hotel account. The company doesn't sell warranties or get involved with the fine print; its sole purpose is to provide a consolidated storage space for buyer protection documents.

The firm's ultimate goal is to have a wide range of retailers offer Garanti Hotel as a valuable service to their customers, both in Denmark and internationally. Considering most stores have their own priorities when it comes to providing guarantees, it won't be easy to persuade them to add another step to their sales process. However, considering the potential gains for consumers, this notion is one to look into if you're in retail.

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

Spotted by: Claus Schioldann von Eyben

Airport kiosk alerts customers to counterfeit products

2009-10-16T06:36:19Z

According to the World Customs Organisation, counterfeit goods account for between five and seven percent of world trade. In an effort to counter the counterfeiters, Hong Kong's government is working to facilitate efficient product authentication. In June, the region's dominant duty-free retailer Nuance-Watson pilot-launched an authentication kiosk in its Hong Kong Airport Travelcare Express store. The kiosk allows customers to scan a product's label and follow its supply chain history to verify authenticity. Since fake medicines are of particularly acute concern to regulators, the pilot is focusing on pharmaceutical products.

The kiosk is part of a wider government initiative—BarcodePlus—which is supposed to become Hong Kong's portal for product quality and safety information. Due for official launch next month, BarcodePlus will enable users to not only verify the authenticity of a product, but also to find information about its shelf-life, origin, ingredients and packaging. Consumers will be able to access the service online or via SMS.

The 'product life story labels' we've covered in the past—from spinach to sheep—were mainly about sustainability and unearthing the softer sides of authenticity. With BarcodePlus, on the other hand, traceability is being put to work to protect consumers and profit margins. One to keep an eye on if you operate in markets flooded with knockoffs!

Website: www.barcodeplus.com.hk
Contact: info@barcodeplus.com.hk

Spotted by: Judy McRae

Smarter transportation: iPhone app combines maps & reviews to find best meeting points

2009-10-15T21:49:18Z

This Smarter Cities post is supported by IBM. Read more about building a smarter planet on IBM's A Smarter Planet blog.

The world of iPhone apps is increasingly crowded. And while there are several that help users to find convenient meeting points, MeetMe is the first one to integrate both Google Maps and Yelp reviews.

In order to find an appropriate meeting location, users input Point A and Point B, and the type of venue they'd like to meet at. For instance, users can pinpoint the best sushi restaurant halfway between Boston and Philadelphia, or a romantic hotel between York and Manchester. The USD 1.99 app then provides a list of suitable locations complete with Yelp recommendations. Once a location is selected, MeetMe emails both parties a map complete with driving directions. If users prefer to meet closer to one point or the other, the distances can be adjusted. MeetMe points out that the app can also help plan road trip stopping points. MeetMe works worldwide and, according to reviews, has fewer accuracy problems than most mapping apps. It's also ad-free, so users can be sure the recommendations they're receiving aren't promos in disguise.

In theory, the app could help cut down on miles traveled because both parties will be encouraged to drive the shortest possible distance, instead of relying on meeting points that are familiar to both, but might not be most efficient. Mobile applications like MeetMe aren't just convenient tools for consumers—if widely adopted, smart navigation can reduce miles travelled and hours spent on the road. It can also help prevent congestion by feeding commuters real-time and predictive road data about potential traffic jams. As our everyday tools become ever more sophisticated at navigating cities, opportunities abound for entrepreneurs than can help us unlock location-based data in useful and intuitive ways.

Website: www.aboutmeetme.com
Contact: ideas@aboutmeetme.com

Spotted by: Adam Finkle