One of the ironies of the networked world is that we often end up communicating more frequently with those across the planet than we do with the people living right next door. Stackd is a site that aims to change all that by helping to connect those who work in the same vicinity.

Now in beta, Stackd was created by New York-based Supermetric to enable its own neighbouring office workers to get in touch, whether "for business or beers," as the site puts it. Currently focused on Manhattan and Brooklyn, the site is free to use for both individuals and businesses, which are encouraged to list their offices on the site. After signing up with Stackd, users can browse by address through the listings of other businesses in their area, hook up and expand their social network locally. The site explains: "We would like to think that it's the people around you that should be part of your social network: people you meet in the elevator rather than on Facebook, people you follow to the 14th floor instead of on Twitter. Online social networks are great for what they are. We built STACKD to tap the potential of the place you stick around most: the office."

We've covered other examples of nethoods, as our sister site calls them—LifeAt is one—but we hadn't yet seen one focusing on office buildings. Either way, the potential benefits—both for users and for local advertisers—are compelling. One to partner with or emulate in an office district near you...?

Website: www.stackd.biz
Contact: info@supermetric.com

Empowering citizens to improve their communities, SeeClickFix functions as a hub for residents to report and track non-emergency issues, with the aim of having them resolved by local government and neighbourhood groups.

The Connecticut-based venture was inspired in part by UK enterprise FixMyStreet, which we covered in 2007, when it was known as Neighbourhood Fix-It. SeeClickFix expands the model on several fronts. The free problem reporting service benefits from enhanced mobile accessibility in the form of an iPhone app, Twitter and a US toll-free number, helping people to report concerns while on the go. SeeClickFix will match reported problems with potential 'fixers'—users or groups who have signed up to receive updates—according to their location or keyword relevancy. Interested local media and bloggers are also encouraged to syndicate these feeds (which are available in a variety of formats), and to stimulate community engagement by adding Google Maps-based widgets to their own websites. And adding an extra level of interactivity, users can show their support for causes by voting, commenting and sharing.

SeeClickFix is currently focusing on select US cities, but was created with global expansion in mind. Its founders hope to maintain the sustainability of their enterprise by way of a paid premium service for local authorities, which offers extra tools for tracking issues and viewing data. SeeClickFix is also enlisting volunteers—SideClicks—to act as ambassadors for the service in their local area.

Website: www.seeclickfix.com
Contact: team@seeclickfix.com

It's been more than a year since we featured the toy rental service from Texas-based Babyplays, so we were pleased to see that a similar concept has now been launched in Europe. French Dim Dom offers a very similar service, with toy rental options aimed at kids up to 5.

Dim Dom offers toys for rent on either a short-term or a subscription basis. Grandparents expecting kids for a holiday visit, for example, are among the intended customers of the short-term plans, as are families hoping to arrange an assortment of toys for the duration of a family vacation. Prices on Dim Dom's short-term packages begin at EUR 49.95 for a selection of five toys for up to a month; all shipping costs are included, and return shipping labels are provided. The company's subscription services, meanwhile, follow a Netflix-like model that begins at EUR 19.95 per month for four toys at once. Toys can be kept as long as 12 months, but they can also be sent back and exchanged for free when children get tired of them. All of Dim Dom's toys are purchased new from official suppliers, the company says, and are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between uses. When they reach the end of their useful lives, they are donated to charities and families in need.

Dim Dom currently delivers only within France, but it's already working on solutions for ownership-shy transumers in neighbouring countries.

Website: www.dimdom.fr
Contact: www.dimdom.fr/support-client/contactez-nous.html

Spotted by: Fadila Merizak

Last week, we wrote about SFapps, a San Francisco initiative that invites developers to turn municipal data into useful tools for the city's residents. Not one to be bested, Mayor Bloomberg just launched a similar concept in New York: NYC BigApps, "a software application competition to make New York City more transparent, accessible and accountable, and an easier place to live, work and play." On offer for developers? USD 20,000 in cash prizes, plus dinner with Bloomberg. And, no doubt, some valuable media attention.

Developers can use public sets of raw data produced by city agencies, available from the newly-launched NYC Data Mine. Judges for the competition, which is taking submissions until 8 December 2009, include Fred Wilson, Esther Dyson and Jason Calcanis. No word yet on if and how the city will adopt and promote winning apps. Other cities around the world—what are you waiting for? Data isn't just for internal use; time to corral it, keep it up to date, and entice developers to create useful applications for your citizens.

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

Proving that the internet’s information doesn’t always have to appear on-screen, Question Box brings the web’s intelligence to offline communities. At the heart of the venture is a solar-powered intercom box that features a large green button. By pressing the button, a user is connected to an operator sitting in front of a computer. The caller asks a question and the operator does a web search to find the answer.

Two Question Boxes are currently operational in the Indian state of Maharastra, where the first box was installed by California-based non-profit Open Mind in September 2007. In March 2009, the Applab Question Box service was launched in Uganda—tweaking the model by enabling callers to contact call centre operators from their own mobile phones. Both services log previously answered questions in local databases, speeding up responses to future enquiries and providing information offline in case of lack of connectivity. Queried topics range from crop prices and cricket scores to exam results.

The free service brings almost limitless information to poor and rural areas, in a format that transcends literacy. As the scheme expands, it will be interesting to see whether the boxes begin to focus on specific niches: health advice or political updates, for instance, or be adopted by corporate sponsors offering a similar service in exchange for airing commercial messages. (Related: Internet-in-a-box for areas without electricity.)

Website: www.questionbox.org
Contact: www.questionbox.org/contact.php

Spotted by: Susannah Haynie