Technology has already created myriad new ways for parents to interact with their children, whether by narrating their own storybook videos or by playing an iPhone game on a shared walk through the park. A new option is Story Something, a site that generates personalized e-stories in which the kids listening are the heroes.

Now in private beta, Story Something targets busy parents of kids aged three through eight with a collection of original stories that can be personalized and accessed online or via email. The company has commissioned a team of professional authors to write its stories, which currently number around 50 or so. Parents begin by choosing a theme, browsing by topic or age through choices such as dragons, pets or superheroes, according to a report in TechCrunch. Along with making their selection, they also enter their child's name and age. Story Something then generates a personalized story that can be viewed online or emailed to parents, enabling them to read it from their iPhone or Kindle. Parents can build a virtual bookshelf of their favourites, TechCrunch reported, and they can even get a new story emailed to them every day. Using the site will be free for occasional use or USD 3 per month otherwise, it said.

Currently a TechCrunch50 finalist, San Francisco-based Story Something is reportedly planning to include stories submitted by parents alongside those written by its contributing authors. We'd hope there will be some kind of a reward system for that, allowing contributing parents to share in any earnings their stories bring in, as well as community features that enable rating and sharing. And how about adding the ability to turn the best-loved stories into printed and bound books through a partnership with Blurb—or an option for grandparents, say, to narrate and record them? With fresh content that can't be found elsewhere, the opportunities abound! (Related: iPhone app narrates stories for young kids.)

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

It couldn't have been long after the invention of the cell phone that parents discovered how useful the devices can be for distracting and entertaining young children. Aiming to provide a more enriching experience than simply playing with the buttons or watching movies, iStoryTime is a new iPhone application that's designed to bring stories to life.

Parents with an iPhone 3G, iPhone or iPod touch can now turn their handset into educational entertainment for kids aged two to seven while they're on the go. Six original narrated stories with illustrations are currently available for USD 1.99 each on the iPhone App Store, with many more in the works, including versions for Android. "Binky the Pink Elephant," for example, tells the story of a little elephant's discovery that being different can be good. iStoryTime's self-navigating and self-narrating book application is designed for use even by two-year-olds, flipping the pages automatically while the child follows along. Kids can choose between two narrators—an adult or a child's voice—or read the book on their own. In addition, the words to the story are included onscreen so beginning readers can make associations between what they hear and the words they see.

Graham Farrar, founder of California-based iStoryTime and parent company FrogDogMedia, explains: “iStoryTime provides mind-enriching entertainment for the kids while making life a little easier for mom or dad. Instead of having to resort to movies or video games to occupy your child when you need a few minutes to finish the grocery shopping, are out at a restaurant, or stuck in traffic, you can give them a story they'll will want to hear and see again and again."

Launched in April, iStoryTime's e-books are available globally, but only in English. One to partner with for regional translations...?

Website: www.istorytimeapp.com
Contact: info@frogdogmedia.com

Spotted by: Susanna Haynie

Road warriors may enjoy virtually unlimited choices when it comes to finding a place to work, but by no means are those options all equal: wifi availability, noise levels and even the quality of the coffee served can all have a big impact on a mobile worker's productivity.

That's where WorkSnug comes in. The mobile application uses augmented reality to show users what workspaces are nearby along with reviews of their offerings. The WorkSnug team checked hundreds of spots—from small cafes to formal co-working spaces—and reviewed them on such factors as wifi access, power supply, noise levels, community feel and—yes—even the coffee. Mobile workers simply launch the application on their iPhone 3GS and use the phone to scan what's around them. The application then displays the information it has about what's nearby; there's also an option for users to add reviews of their own.

Created in association with headset maker Plantronics, the free app is coming soon for London and San Francisco, with data for other cities coming later this year. Meanwhile, more information is available via Twitter. One to watch! (Related: ING app for Google phone uses compass and camera to show nearest ATM.)

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

Applying innovative technology in a rural setting, Indian mobile operator Tata Teleservices is helping farmers monitor and switch on irrigation pumps remotely, using a system dubbed Nano Ganesh.

The need for the technology stems from India's erratic power supply; farmers routinely walk several kilometres to water their crops, only to find that there's no electricity available to power their irrigation pumps. Through Nano Ganesh, farmers can dial a code from any phone to a mobile modem attached to the pump's starter. This informs them whether electricity is available, and allows them to remotely switch the pump on or off.

Named 'Nano Ganesh', the service—developed by agri-tech firm Ossian Agro—is currently being trialled in two villages in the state of Gujarat. The system is priced at INR 2700 (USD 56) for the wireless device connected to the pump's starter, plus phone costs. Customers can use cell phones they already own, since the system works even with the most basic handsets.

Nano Ganesh joins Tata's earlier mobile initiatives delivering educational content and agricultural information to rural communities. With mobile uptake growing quickly, there's a wealth of opportunity for practical ideas like this one.

Website: www.nanoganesh.com
Contact: www.nanoganesh.com/html/contact%20us.html

Spotted by: Murtaza Ali Patel

Automated phone systems tend to be found primarily in large businesses, owing largely to their expense and the technology that must be installed. FonGenie, on the other hand, targets retail and small businesses with a web-based system that not only handles routine calls but offers sales help and analytics as well.

Companies that sign up with FonGenie get access to a website with graphical user interface that's used to type in the automated responses they'd like the system to use to answer calls. The system uses text-to-speech technology so no voice recording is necessary, and menus can be customised on the fly to reflect things like daily specials—such changes can even be made via mobile phone or Twitter. Advanced analytics features, meanwhile, provide a data mining engine that continually monitors every aspect of telephone traffic. Callers’ behaviour is automatically highlighted, with charts and reports showing the number of calls during a particular time frame, the most-listened-to specials and more. The result, FonGenie says, is that businesses can make changes to better serve customers' preferences. FonGenie is best used by service-oriented retailers that receive between 40 and 100 phone calls a day, company founder James Im told VentureBeat, and it typically produces revenue increases of about 15 percent. The California-based service is currently free to use for US companies.

While there's no doubt that a timely response by a real human being is still the best option for serving customers, FonGenie could provide a smart runner-up for small businesses that are short on staff. One to try out—or help bring to recession-beleaguered small businesses in the rest of the world? (Related: Online service cuts through phone menus.)

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