Much like Club Bounce, which we just wrote about, Nomad Wheelchairs grew out of an entrepreneur's personal need. After spending over a decade in a variety of wheelchairs, director Mark Owen decided it was time to create a product he'd actually be proud to use. Launched just six months ago, the company's first product is the mrk1.

Consumers' increased interest in—and knowledge of—design is influencing manufacturers in every product category, and mobility products are no exception. The mrk1's minimalist appearance, customizable upholstery and careful finishing create an aesthetically pleasing product. Adjustable brakes and axle, improved caster arm and limited number of moving parts, meanwhile, ensure a better functioning chair that is lightweight and durable, with as smooth a ride as possible.

Given the fact that some people spend most of their waking hours in a wheelchair, it's only logical that both its looks and function should make for a pleasurable experience. Long overdue, there's a growing interest in improving that aspect of the health industry, which in turn creates sound opportunities for entrepreneurs.

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

Spotted by: Jay Parkinson

It wasn't all that long ago that most technology came in just two colours: black and grey. Palette options for laptops have been around for a while now, however, and a new partnership between Dell and nail-polish maker OPI promises to send the list of choices into overdrive.

Just in time for the holidays, Dell Mini, Inspiron and Studio laptops will soon be available in colours including “I’m Not Really a Waitress,” “Strawberry Margarita” and “Kyoto Pearl.” Twenty-six new colours will be added exclusively to the current Dell Design Studio palette and pattern options beginning next month in the US, and they will include not just 20 classic OPI colours but also six holiday-themed shades such as “Dear Santa,” “Merry Midnight” and “Smitten with Mittens.” Seasonal shades will vary, and availability in other countries will follow the palette's US introduction. Select OPI colours will also be available at many retailers.

Colour choices are Dell's most popular option for its consumer laptops, it says, proving once again that a splash of style can go a long way towards setting contenders apart. Could a bold new palette—and a smart brand partnership—create fresh excitement about *your* product line...?

Website: www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/design_studio/en/us/design_studio
Contact: support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dellcare/contact_us

Reimagined with inspiration from Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, the boring old TV remote control can now be replaced with a far more entertaining object. Like the Wii remote, the Kymera Magic Wand contains an accelerometer, allowing its holder to use gestures instead of pushing buttons.

By putting the wand in learning mode and 'commanding' it with a regular remote control, the Kymera can be programmed to learn up to 13 gestures: rotate clockwise to turn up the volume, for example, or flick right to switch to the next channel. Since the Kymera uses the widely accepted magical powers of infrared technology, it can be programmed to control not just televisions, but also DVRs, stereo sets, laptops (presenting a slide presentation will suddenly become a lot more fun) and other IR-friendly equipment.

The Wand Company—which is based in the UK—created a website that will enchant its audience as much as the product does, presenting it on aged paper pages and with illustrations and wording to match the wand's magical qualities. Currently only available online, the Kymera sells for GBP 49.95 and is shipped worldwide. (Packaged, we should add, in a 'faux dragonhide box line with Chinese silk brocade'.)

The obvious business opportunity here is to try to get hold of distribution rights, although The Wand Company has already received a great deal of trade interest and states that it will only be selling from its own website for the foreseeable future. The big picture opportunity isn't as easy to execute, but is equally obvious: take an everyday object and turn in into something extraordinary and delightful, and customers will line up at your door.

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

Should marriage really be celebrated with pots, pans and food processors? Aiming to offer a less dreary alternative, New York's nAscent Art has launched a registry service. The service, dubbed ArtWish, gives couples the chance to create a registry from art works showcased by the company. nAscent Art will then email the couple's friends and relatives explaining how they can purchase works from the list outright, or make a partial contribution as a gift. Customers have work from over fifty emerging New York artists to choose from, with pieces ranging from silk paintings to steel sculptures. Says nAscent co-founder, James Wallace: "We really bring art back from the stratosphere to prices within the reach of ordinary people. ArtWish is just one more way to reach that goal."

Recently married themselves, co-founders James and Jennifer Wallace wondered why art wasn't available on their own wedding registry. This formed the inspiration for the service. However, it's not necessarily limited to couples. With the holiday season on its way, some families might be spared the high-street frenzy by an invitation to chip in for a piece of art online.

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

Spotter: Cecilia Biemann

Hard on the heels of our story about ArtPrize comes news of another artistic endeavour that's tapping the power of the crowds. It's not contest-judging that the crowds will have a hand in this time, however; rather, through a microfinance model much like the stock market, consumers can invest in—and profit from—public art projects they like.

Unveiled earlier this year at TED Palm Springs by New York media company Fame Theory, Trust Art is a social platform that aims to commission 10 public works of art over the next year. A select group of artists were invited to propose their dream projects and to realistically assess what it would take to bring their projects to life—including material costs, travel and other logistical expenses. The Trust Art website includes descriptions of those projects and costs, along with current updates. Each project is then assigned a certain number of shares—equal to twice its funding target—and half of those shares are automatically assigned to the participating artist. The rest are put up for sale, and consumers are invited to become shareholders in any project with as little as USD 1, giving them access to the artists and network of shareholders as well as special events. Next spring, each public project will be represented by a private piece of art that will be publicly auctioned. Proceeds from those sales will first go toward paying for the auction and paying back shareholders relative to their individual contributions; after that, the rest will be split 50/50 between the artists and the network of shareholders—again, relative to how much they originally invested.

The initiative's website explains: "Trust Art is a radical experiment in raising capital for social art. Its starting point is the assertion that social art can more easily raise social capital (i.e. networks of people interested in and talking about it), and therefore it should be able to more easily raise financial capital (because this is more easily raised as groups grow). So Trust Art exploits social networks of people (some already connected, some newly connected) to add value to social art."

Ultimately, Trust Art hopes to exist as an ongoing open platform whereby any artist can propose a dream project and get funded by the crowds. One to watch--or get involved with?

Website: www.trustart.org
Contact: info@trustart.org

Spotted by: Dietrich Arndt