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Dire reports from the world of newspapers and magazines may suggest the printed medium is on its way out, but a new Chicago start-up doesn't think so. Rather, it's beta-testing a plan to publish a raft of free print publications in local communities across the US. With a heavy emphasis on the local, The Printed Blog is an independent outlet that aggregates user-generated content from the internet and publishes it in print. The result is a fully tactile newspaper that reads and functions like a web feed, but that can still be spread across the breakfast table or enjoyed on the train. Bucking the "one-size-fits-all" trend followed by many newspapers, The Printed Blog aims to choose the content of its many local editions to reflect the votes of local readers, who will ultimately be able to express their preferences on its site. Content will include not just blogs but also photographs, puzzles, events, reader comments and other items of local interest. The paper is currently still testing its model, but its first issues are scheduled to hit the streets of Chicago and San Francisco today. It will ultimately be distributed to neighbourhood pickup points in A.M. and P.M. editions. The Printed Blog has already received permission from about 300 bloggers—including the Daily Kos—to publish their work in exchange for a share of ad revenue, according to a report in The New York Times. Some 15 advertisers signed on for the first issue, the NYT reported. The startup reportedly plans to put commercial printers in the homes of its distributors as a way to keep printing costs low. Will The Printed Blog succeed in reinventing the local newspaper? Time will tell. Meanwhile, one to watch! (Related: Free daily pays bloggers.) Website: www.theprintedblog.com Spotted by: Martina Meng |
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Given the current state of the economy, it’s timely to see a makeover of an age-old form of personal loans. Borro claims to be the world’s first online pawnbroker. The company, which was launched in August 2008, offers short term loans to customers who cannot borrow from banks or have maxed out their other options, giving them cash for jewellery, gold and memorabilia. After filling out an application form describing the valuables they wish to pawn, a borrower is offered a loan of up to 40% of an item’s value. Should they take the plunge, the borrower couriers their item to Borro, receiving their loan via bank transfer or postal order. Interest on loans accrues at 6% per month (lowered to 4% for loans over GBP 1,000), and loans must be repaid within 6 months for the pawned item to be returned, unless an extension is agreed in writing. Loans of GBP 100–GBP 100,000 are available, with Borro stating that over 85% of borrowers repay their loans on time and in full. The site brings an ancient system into the 21st century, providing a convenient form of short-term credit that could be cheaper than unauthorised bank overdrafts or payday loans. It also creates a certain degree of transparency for customers, since everyone is offered the same rate. And sending items in by courier eliminates the potential awkwardness of dealing with an offline pawnshop. Based in Oxford, Borro currently only serves the UK, though European and US expansion plans are in the cards. Website: www.borro.com Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann |
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It's probably safe to say that most consumers would like to make their lives more "green," but that the devil lies in the details. Much like the UK's Green Homes Concierge, which we wrote about last year, New York-based Green Irene aims to help consumers reduce their homes' carbon footprint. Green Irene's flagship service is its Green Home Makeover, which it offers for USD 99. As part of that service, one of Green Irene's local eco-consultants will spend 60 to 90 minutes walking through a consumer's home and developing a customized set of recommendations for saving money, energy and water, and for just living a healthier life. Topics in the inspection include energy and water conservation improvements, alternative energy sources in the area and financial incentives such as tax credits, and consumers also get a 6-month subscription to the company's Ask Green Irene online service. When it comes time for implementation, Green Irene's eco-consultants sell many green solutions themselves and can also make referrals to green-minded contractors in the company's Sustainable Contractor Network. In addition to home makeovers, the company also offers Go Green Workshop parties, "EZ Bulb Swap Outs" and makeovers for offices. Green Irene provides training and business set-up help for its territory-based network of eco-consultants, each of whom works independently, and is currently recruiting through a separate site. Contractors, meanwhile, are invited to apply for membership in its partner network. One to get in on early...? Website: www.greenirene.com |
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Consumers longing to try out the latest mobile devices—whether for fashion or for function—must typically wait for their current contract to expire before trying something new. Aiming to make it possible to sample both more widely and more often, Rentobile provides a wide selection of the latest cell phones for rent on a monthly basis. Users begin by deciding if they want to become a Rentobile member or simply rent as a guest. Membership rates begin at USD 5 per month; in exchange, members enjoy the site's lowest rental rates and other privileges. They then browse Rentobile's collection—including sections for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon as well as unlocked models—and choose which they'd like to try out first. All models are either new or in like-new condition, Rentobile says, with monthly rental rates beginning at about USD 15. Consumers can rent the device of their choice for as little as a month or as long as they want. A USD 9.95 round-trip shipping charge is assessed up front, so when they're ready for something new, they simply return the item for free and tell Rentobile what to send next. Launched last year, New Jersey-based Rentobile brings the Netflix model to cell phones, joining a long list of companies that have already brought it to toys, books and snacks, among other goods. All of which should please transumers, consumers who crave opportunities to experience products without contracts or ownership. One to bring to other parts of the world! Website: www.rentobile.com |
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We've written about a number of games designed to get kids off the couch and into some exercise, but recently one of our spotters alerted us to one we hadn't yet seen: DigiWall, a structure that combines a climbing wall with gaming. Designed for use in public places like museums and shopping malls, DigiWall is a climbing wall with high-end surround-sound whose grips include both lights and sensors that react when they are touched. A variety of games, contests, challenges and creative experiences are possible on the wall as a result, using a combination of visual and audio feedback and body movements. Games currently available, for example, include simple ones based on physical activity and speed as well as more complex ones involving flexibility, bodily control and tactical skill. New games are also being added all the time, the wall's Swedish maker says. When not in use, DigiWall becomes a decorative sound and light installation. Much like Wii, location-based games and gyms that use games to keep kids moving, DigiWall could be another weapon in the battle against childhood obesity—not to mention a novel and entertaining public attraction. Kid-friendly restaurants, stores, malls, museums—even airports or schools: This one's for you! (Related: Poolside climbing walls — In-store wave riding.) Website: www.digiwall.se
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There are social networks for virtually every profession, hobby and interest, and golf is no exception. Myriad sites already exist to help golfers connect, but a new one that just launched adds professional video analysis and online instruction to serve up free, personalized golfing advice. Links Lessons, based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, is a free social network that focuses on improving members' game. That may be a common goal among enthusiast sites, but Links Lessons goes beyond forums and general professional tips to give members the online equivalent of free, personalized lessons. Members simply upload a video of their swing to the Videos section of the site. There, it is analysed by a real golf professional, who then gives them feedback and advice on improving it. Amateur golfers can also use Links Lessons to interact with their peers, including commenting on each other's swings and profiles. Professionals, meanwhile, can use the site to gain clients and exposure. Offering a win-win for both amateurs and pros—not to mention a raft of niche advertising opportunities—Links Lessons was built using Ning, an online service that lets users create, customize and share social networks focused on any topic. How about creating something similar in another part of the world, or for another sport....? (Related: Connecting off the court.) Website: www.linkslessons.com Spotted by: Gustavo |
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We've written about pop-up innovations of many kinds, including Greenhouse by Joost, a cafe in Melbourne that was designed to showcase sustainable practices. That pop-up will soon disappear, but a new project in New Zealand recently opened the doors on a pop-up restaurant that was constructed 10 metres up a tree. Located near Warkworth, about 45 minutes north of Auckland, the Yellow Treehouse is a pod-shaped restaurant that was built as part of a marketing promotion by the New Zealand Yellow Pages to prove that all the suppliers for any project can be found through its listings. Serving as a case in point, the restaurant opened Jan. 9 and will stay open to the public only through Feb. 9, according to the original plans. The Yellow Treehouse was designed by Pacific Environments Architects and is situated above an open meadow and meandering stream on the edge of the woods. It sits almost 10m wide and over 12m high, with the split-level floor sitting 10m off the ground. Acrylic sheeting makes the mostly wood structure weather-resistant, and access is via a 60m treetop walkway. Inside, the restaurant seats 18, with kitchen and bathrooms on ground level. Lunch, dinner and afternoon tea are served, but currently, all seatings are completely booked. The project is currently considering whether to keep the restaurant open beyond the original plan, according to its website. Meanwhile, its exact location is disclosed only to those with booked seating, making idle sightseeing impossible for the masses. Besides serving as a marketing tool for its original sponsor, of course, the Yellow Treehouse is sure to provide a fresh experience consumers won't soon forget. The secrecy of its location and the scarcity of reservations, meanwhile, only increase its appeal. Whether as like marketing promotions or as genuine restaurants-in-earnest, similar efforts could take several lessons from this example! (Related: Pop-up nightclubs launch in Singapore.) Website: www.yellowtreehouse.co.nz |
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Who said fat was bad for you? Vegawatt focuses on the upside of grease, turning restaurants' waste oil into electricity and hot water. Vegawatt's refrigerator-sized units are incorporated into a building's existing system in the same way as a solar panel is retrofitted. After filtering a restaurant's used vegetable oil, the unit combusts the refined fuel in a diesel engine, feeding electricity and hot water straight into a restaurant's system. The units won't provide all the power and electricity that a business needs, but can significantly improve its carbon footprint and running costs, as a unit typically provides 10-25% of electricity requirements. Leasing the system for five years costs USD 435 per month, with potential fuel savings calculated at USD 850 per month. Alternatively, the system can be purchased for USD 22,000 outright, paying for itself within three years, according to Vegawatt. And that's without taking governmental incentives and rebates into account. Businesses further benefit by not having to pay or arrange for used oil to be removed, and also receive credits towards LEED certification. Last but not least, there's the reputation boost gleaned from going green. Vegawatt was developed by the Owl Power Company, a clean energy system company based in Massachusetts, and was launched this month. Planet-friendly, pocket-friendly, and good for PR... Time to put fries back on the menu? ;-) Website: www.vegawatt.com Spotted by: Doug Jost |
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Web apps can be quite a boon for small businesses, offering them flexible applications that are accessible from any web browser, and often at a lower cost than traditional corporate software. Joining the fray and aiming to take the stress out of shift management, WorkWhen Notifier is an Australian site that distributes staff schedules to employees via email and SMS. Users put together their schedule as they normally do, and upload it to WorkWhen's website, or send it by email or fax. WorkWhen accepts any document or spreadsheet that customers care to use—even photos of whiteboards or scanned notes. With a process estimated to take less than 5 minutes per week, it's refreshing to find a service that fits users' ways of doing things, rather than the other way around. Notifications are then sent to employees by email and/or text message, and employers can track which staff members have read their messages. After a free introductory period, the service starts at AUD 20 per week, a price that includes all texts and emails to staff. As consumers become accustomed to web applications and online life hacks that make their personal lives easier, they're coming to expect the same level of convenience from the tools they use to manage their work lives. Which means plenty of opportunities for smart entrepreneurs. Website: notifier.workwhen.com Spotted by: Jo-Hanna Werts
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Now that manufacturing, media and music have all been turned into bespoke, personalised concepts, it seems it's time to overhaul the previously passive experience of theatre. Call Cutta in a Box is a theatre experience for one audience member at a time. As they enter a barely furnished room in a normal office building, a phone on the desk starts ringing. Upon answering it, they're put through to a worker in the Descon Limited Call Centre in Calcutta, but, refreshingly, they're not pitched insurance policies or long distance plans. Instead, the participant spends their time getting to know the person at the other end of the line. And that part isn't play-acting: the person in the call centre really is 10,000 miles away, using their real personal details and stories. And this means that every performance can be unique and, in some ways, more meaningful than a scripted piece. The installation—dubbed “an intercontinental phone play”—is the work of German theatre company Rimini Protokoll. It began touring last year, visiting Copenhagen, Dublin, Amsterdam and Paris before hitting New York in January and February 2009. It's been a while since we've covered an interesting concept in theatre—the last time was in 2006, with Teatr Rozmaitosci's play that took place in the audience's home. There's clearly a lot of room left to innovate and grab people's attention—budding directors, we look forward to covering your work! ;-) Website: www.rimini-protokoll.de Spotted by: Judy McRae |
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Polaroid may have stopped production of its analogue instant film last summer, but such is the strength of the product's fan base that some have decided they won't take "no" for an answer. Specifically, a group of aficionados in the Netherlands has bought an old Polaroid factory and plans to bring the technology back into production later this year. As part of what it calls The Impossible Project to bring back integral film for vintage Polaroid cameras, Impossible b.v. has signed a 10-year lease on Polaroid's Enschede-based film-production factory, which still includes everything needed to produce up to 100 million units of instant film per year—all fully connected and operational, and valued at about EUR 100 million. With support from Ilford Photo, the project has also engaged an experienced team of integral film experts from around the world. Among the team's challenges is retooling and modernizing Polaroid's integral film, in part to reflect the fact that some of its key components are no longer available. The project website explains: "The Impossible mission is NOT to re-build Polaroid Integral film but (with the help of strategic partners) to develop a new product with new characteristics, consisting of new optimised components, produced with a streamlined modern setup. An innovative and fresh analogue material, sold under a new brand name that perfectly will match the global re-positioning of Integral Films." Impossible is seeking various types of support for its effort; one to get in on early...? (Related: Lush brings back discontinued products — Out-of-print books, printed on demand.) Website: www.the-impossible-project.com Spotted by: Elisa Barents |
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Grandmothers are known for many virtues, not the least of which is their ability to knit spectacular socks. Perhaps even more admirable, however, is the older generation's ability to make the most of limited resources. With just that talent in mind, Oxfam recently recruited a team of what it calls Green Grannies to offer advice to the UK public about everything from how to darn socks to how to make delicious food from leftovers. Part of Good Ideas Unltd, Oxfam’s new lifestyles campaign, the service aims not only to help UK consumers save cash, but also to encourage recycling and help tackle climate change, which it notes has a particularly hard impact on the world's poorest populations. To disseminate the grannies' advice, Oxfam has launched a YouTube channel—a recent clip describes how to stay warm at night without running the heat, for example—and will soon debut its ‘Ask a Granny’ service on the Oxfam website. Green Granny Barbara Walmsley explains: “I have always made the most of what I have—it just comes naturally to me. Every granny has her own tricks for saving money, and I’m really glad to have the chance to share them with younger people. Its great to be involved with a campaign which is helping people living in poverty now, and which will also help take care of the world for my grandchildren’s generation.” "Waste not, want not" is a maxim that works well both from an economic and an environmental perspective, and it's also one that comes naturally to older generations. Where else could consumers benefit from some elderly advice....? Website: www.oxfam.org.uk/applications/blogs/goodideasvideo |
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