Vending machines are already being used to sell shoes, prescription drugs and bicycle parts, and now we can add bathing suits to that list. Thanks to a new initiative from clothing company Quiksilver and hotelier André Balazs, guests at The Standard Hotels will soon be able to shop for swimwear while they're already at the pool.

A specially designed, co-branded line of men's boardshorts and one women's bikini will soon be available not just online and in The Standard Hotels' gift shops but also in what just may be the world's first bathing suit vending machines, located poolside at the hotel's New York, Los Angeles, Hollywood and Miami locations. The first such vending machine will open in Los Angeles on August 8, according to a Luxist post. The Standard/Quiksilver women's black bikini is priced at USD 84; mens' boardshorts—available in four styles, each corresponding to one of the hotel's four locations—are USD 75 and come with a waterproof travel bag. Each pair of boardshorts also includes "a carefully curated list of addresses corresponding to unique groups of destinations near each of the 4 hotels," as the company puts it, "curated and scribbled out by legendary skateboarder and Quiksilver Creative Director Natas Kaupas." The theme for the Miami style suit is "Comida is Cuban"; for the LA pair, it's "Art is Undercover"; for the Hollywood suit it's "Music Musts"; and for the New York style, it's "Summer in the City."

Next, we wouldn't be surprised to see hoteliers teaming up with Solar Energy Vending to give such poolside machines the added eco-allure of being off the grid. After all, where there are pools, there tends to be sun; serve up bathing suits and drinks from a solar-powered machine, and your own place in the sun will be all but assured! ;-)

Website: www.shopthestandard.com
Contact: theshop@standardhotel.com

Spotted by: Luxist via Raymond Kollau

Regular Springwise readers may remember LocoMatrix, the location-based game we covered last year that kids play outside using GPS-enabled cell phones. Along similar lines, a new iPhone-specific counterpart aims to take kids on an eco-minded adventure through the park.

Released early this month by Australian developer Bulpadok, The Hidden Park is a computer game for young families that makes the most of the iPhone's features as it leads children into a fantasy world of trolls, fairies and genies. Families begin by downloading the app from Apple’s App Store for USD 6.99 and then heading to a nearby park—currently, the game supports a select group of parks in nine major cities around the world, including New York, London, Tokyo and Sydney. From there, children navigate their way through the real park by following a magical map that reveals where mystical creatures live. As kids move past landmarks in the park, the map tells them where to go next, with puzzles and riddles to solve in order to save the park from greedy developers. Children also take photos of various landmarks—and of the magical creatures who are said to live nearby—and can store those photos in a gallery for an album of their adventure that day.

Taking full advantage of Apple's technology, the Hidden Park uses the iPhone’s A-GPS feature to accurately pinpoint each player’s movements within the park and plot them against the interactive map that forms the heart of the game, for example. Through Location Based Services (LBS) technology, the game triggers particular animations and tasks as the user reaches key points along their journey. The phone's accelerometer, meanwhile, allows users to shake the device to scatter mystical characters over any photographed image. The Hidden Park was created in collaboration with WSP Environmental. And while the game is currently focused on a set of key major parks, it can be adapted to others—in fact, the company is now working on a park builder that will allow parents to set up the game in their local park and share it with other parents. In the meantime, Bulpadok is also accepting nominations for additional parks to support in the game.

As developed nations around the globe fight childhood obesity, there's no doubt games like this will be welcomed with open arms; improving mobile technologies, meanwhile, are making more and more possible. How could *you* put the iPhone to work to slim down and entertain the world's kids...? (Related: Gyms for kids use gaming to keep them hooked.)

Website: www.thehiddenpark.com
Contact: info@bulpadok.com

Spotted by: Judy McRae

Hot on the heels of vending machines selling after-party shoes, comes an interactive kiosk that speeds up the process of buying custom footbeds. The eSoles Foot Imaging Kiosk System is a self-service kiosk that takes a complex 3D scan of the customer's foot, helping create an eFit footbed within minutes. Customers can also use the scan to order a bespoke ePro footbed, which is shipped within days.

The process is easy enough for customers to carry out without sales assistance, using a touchscreen to lead them through standing, walking and jogging on a pressure mat in order to take a measurement. The mat maps out the customer's pressure points using 160 sensors, displaying the resulting personalised 3D image on the kiosk's screen. The kiosk then prints a ticket, providing the retailer with information to construct a USD 75 template-based footpad that's customized to the user's requirements. Alternately, customers can wait a little longer for a fully customised footbeds from the eSoles plant for USD 249. Their data can be stored permanently in the eSoles database, letting them order additional footbeds without repeated analysis.

After launching at The Cycle Loft in Boston, the eSoles Kiosk will be available to other footwear retailers this summer. By combining interactive customisation with self-service, eSoles offer an engaging, practical and scalable add-on for stores looking to offer their customers the benefits of custom insoles.

The innovation doesn’t stop there: eSoles has also developed insoles that relay pressure information to a nearby cellphone. An application on the phone can tell the wearer how much pressure he or she is applying in 11 different zones. The system has been trialled by the US Olympic BMX team, helping them figure out how to apply maximum power to bicycle pedals, and it can also help analyze a golf swing or skiing posture. The insoles will be available in a limited trial version in July, and the sensors will initially be priced around USD 300.

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

Spotted by: Judy McRae and Roberta Steinberg

Similar to eco-minded Comet Skateboards, which we wrote about back in 2007, Arniko Skateboards offers a line of slalomboards that combine sustainable craftsmanship with local production.

Whereas Comet uses a solar-powered factory in downtown San Francisco to produce its boards, however, Swiss Arniko taps small, local enterprises in Nepal, where artisans practice the traditional Nepalese art of woodcarving. Aiming to give such artists a global market, Arniko offers a line of 9 hand-carved skateboards crafted from varying timbers with unique hues. Available both online and in Arniko stores in St. Gallen and Kathmandu, the company's skateboards are priced beginning at CHF 169. Based on the classical slalomboard form, the compact boards are designed for urban transportation and can be used without much practice. A range of accompanying fashion articles and accessories—also produced exclusively in Nepal—are available as well. The Arniko website explains: "Our vision is to bring the Himalayan spirit to you, so that when you hold an Arniko Skateboard in your hands, you know that there are proud carving-artists in Nepal who believe their own capabilities can bring about change."

The majority of products today may still be mass-produced in nameless factories around the globe, but there's no doubt honey, sweaters, wind power and skateboards—to name just a few—can benefit from some (still) made here appeal. Add to that a solid product and a focus on social change, and you may just have a winner! ;-)

Website: www.arnikoskateboards.com
Contact: info@arnikoskateboards.com — nepal@arnikoskateboards.com

Spotted by: Gitte Meeussen

Combining try-before-you-buy with the luxury rental concept established by companies like Bag Borrow Steal and écurie25 is Guitar Affair, a service that rents out high-end and boutique guitars by the day or week.

Guitar Affair refers to its rentals as ‘affairs’ to reflect the emotional experience that customers have with instruments. Customers pay a one-off USD 50 fee to join and then select and reserve a guitar to be shipped anywhere within the United States. After they’ve had their affair for the agreed time span, they return the guitar in its shipping container with an included UPS label. For those fond enough to commit to a lasting relationship, guitars can be purchased with some (or all) of the affair fee refunded.

All of the guitars are memorable, with a cutaway XOX Handle carbon fibre guitar available for USD 75 a day or USD 300 a week, and a Sandoval Dot V costing USD 125 per day or 400 per week. In addition to guitars, customers can also rent a variety of headphones, amps, cables, straps, instructional items, backing tracks and road cases. The concept is perfect for a studio getaway, travelling musicians with fickle tastes or players who simply wish to experiment. And because the guitars are shipped back to the company, they're always maintained and set-up to professional standards—which can cost a pretty penny on its own.

Our sister-site trendwatching.com published a briefing about transumers back in 2006, focusing on consumers who are more interested in experiences than in ownership. It’s an enduring trend, and one that has extra power in today’s economy. Time to experiment with transient offerings of your own?

Website: www.guitaraffair.com
Contact: www.guitaraffair.com/contactus.php

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau