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If Antiques Roadshow has taught the viewing public anything, it's that there's often no predicting which antique objects will turn out to possess the most value. Aiming to help consumers get some idea for themselves, UK-based Value My Stuff Now is a site that promises a valuation within 48 hours for any photo submitted. With a staff of experts based in England and experienced at Sotheby's, Christie's or one of the other major London auction houses, Value My Stuff Now evaluates antiques in a wide range of categories, including jewelry, memorabilia, books, stamps and Indian art. To request an evaluation, consumers begin by uploading photos and any details they have about the item(s) in question. VMSN then assigns an expert, who will return a full valuation within 48 hours. Valuation reports are presented in PDF, and they detail the item's history and value; an online valuation certificate, meanwhile, is held on VMSN's secure server. Consumers planning to sell an item on eBay can then link to that online certificate to show potential buyers the item's estimated value. VMSN's pricing begins at GBP 3.89 per item. In this era of the sellsumer, few things are more important than knowing what one's assets are worth. One to partner with or emulate in the eBay market near you? (Related: Secondhand store showcases previous owners — Jobs site estimates each candidate's worth.) Website: www.valuemystuffnow.com Spotted by: Jonathan Kyle |
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For the die-hard sports fan, half the fun of supporting a favourite team is explaining to unenlightened friends and relations why the teams they've chosen aren't the right ones. Toward that end, RivalGrams offer a new way to remind such ill-informed acquaintances of the fundamental superiority of one's own pick. Using a predetermined combination of live or automated phone calls and emails, RivalGrams will make it plainly clear to stubbornly unaccepting friends why their team is not the right one. Recipients of RivalGram's USD 1.25 package No. 1, for instance, must endure one automated call with the sender's team's fight song or chant; a dollar extra will buy an additional live call. USD 2.99 buys two live calls plus an automated call, while for USD 9.99, fans can inflict upon their acquaintances the RivalGram-inator, including a live call and an e-mail each day for up to 20 days before the big game. Packages can be purchased in support of any team — including college, NFL, NBA, MLB even NASCAR — while calls can be customized or kept anonymous. What's another name for consumers' collective itches? Opportunities to scratch, of course. What could *your* brand do to further a little good-hearted rivalry among friends...? (Related: Santa calls friends and family for gift ideas — Nagging service for dieters.) Website: www.rivalgrams.com Spotted by: Eric |
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Simplicity in packaged foods is a phenomenon we've looked at before, such as in the Häagen-Dazs Five brand of ice creams. Now adding a fair-trade twist to that clutter-minimizing concept is German LemonAid, which aims to use its bottled drinks to help effect social change. LemonAid is an organic drink made entirely of a few organic, fair-trade ingredients. The company's fresh, organic juice, for example, comes from a small farming cooperative in Brazil called Coagrosol; its sugar cane, meanwhile, is derived from a cooperative in Paraguay called La Felsina. Not only does LemonAid pay its suppliers higher prices on account of their fair-trade practices, but it also donates a major share of its yearly revenue to further support small, locally based grassroots projects in the developing world. Specifically, for every bottle of LemonAid sold, a share of the proceeds is donated back to the countries from which its ingredients derive. So far, LemonAid has been sold in outlets throughout Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland. Retailers in other parts of the world: one to bring to the ethical consumer masses near you...? (Related: Café creates NGO to ensure fair trade with coffee farmers — Buy a bottle of wine and donate clean water — Made in South Africa, fair trade bracelets for Dutch soccer fans.) Website: www.lemon-aid.de Spotted by: Lori Webb |
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As the baby boom generation ages, there's a growing need for support services among senior citizens. Just recently we profiled Florence Henderson's FloH Club for remote computer support, and since then we came across Tree Rings, a company that provides telephone support for seniors — and by seniors — on a variety of topics. Arizona-based Tree Rings was founded with the goal of hiring baby boomers to help provide support services for companies that target retirees and senior citizens. The company is building state-of-the art, IP-enabled micro-call centers in small strip malls bordering large retirement communities across the US, beginning in Arizona. Its call centers in Scottsdale and Sun City, for example, draw upon a highly educated senior market demographic of 200,000. Tree Rings specializes in simple outbound appointment setting, inbound customer service, simple Level One technical support, help desk, back-office data-processing and sales-related services. Target industries include telecommunications and new media, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, travel, banking and insurance. Tree Rings is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ashesi Global Services. Anyone still doubt the market power of the 1.5 billion or so seniors worldwide who are expected to make up the market by 2050? We didn't think so. How can *your* brand do a better job of serving and marketing to seniors...? (Related: Home enhancement service focuses on senior citizens — Being spaces for seniors — Health and wellness shop focuses on seniors — Helping seniors relocate — Driving service for seniors — Supermarkets for seniors.) Website: www.treeringsllc.com |
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Picnics are a basic pleasure that's all too rarely enjoyed these days — as, indeed, is the whole concept of the workday lunch hour, for most of us. Dallas-based Three Blind Ants is aiming to reverse both of those trends with the Boxsal, a new, eco-minded spin on the age-old picnic basket. Each Boxsal measures 20 inches wide by 15 inches tall by 5 inches deep, for a total of 1.15 cubic feet of storage space. What sets the Boxsal apart from the traditional wicker picnic basket, however, is that it is made of Sustainable Forest Initiative (SFI)-grade recycled paper and printed with earth-friendly inks. Three design variations on the Boxsal theme are available, including “Urban Picnic” — which looks like a boombox — “Office Escape,” featuring a briefcase design, and “Today's Date,” a paint-by-numbers version aimed at romantic get-togethers. Priced at USD 24.99, each Boxsal includes four compostable trays, utensil sets and cold cups; 8 compostable bowls and recycled napkins; and one compostable trash bag. Each Boxsal can be reused an average of 10 or so times, the company says. Three Blind Ants is currently seeking retailers to carry the Boxsal; alternatively, how about offering it as a perk or paid extra for guests at your eco-minded hotel? Custom-branding is available. Either way, looks like it's time to help resurrect the picnic in the hills, dales and urban landscapes near you! (Related: Pressed leaves transformed into disposable dishes — Reusable lunch kit for kids — Reusable lunch box napkins — Stainless steel lunch containers — Disposable coffee cup is fully compostable.) Website: www.boxsal.com Spotted by: Ana Camargo |
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Much the way IndieBound aims to encourage consumers to buy from independently owned bookstores rather than national chains, so Oregon-based Supportland is using incentives to reward them for choosing local businesses when they buy products and services of any kind. Now in beta, Supportland has developed a rewards card that works at any of the company's network of some 50 locally owned Portland-area businesses. Using the free card, consumers are rewarded with points every time they make a purchase at one of those business. Those points, in turn, can be used toward the purchase of specific products or services at any participating businesses. Locally owned Poppy Massage, for instance, offers a one-hour massage for every 500 points earned at any business or businesses in the Supportland network. Following its official Portland launch in January, Supportland hopes to expand across the US, with points transferable among regions — the entire infrastructure has been packaged, in fact, so that it can be completely re-branded wherever it’s implemented, the company says. An iPhone app, meanwhile, is also in the works. One to partner with, emulate or otherwise get involved in? Website: www.supportland.com Spotted by: Sarah Anne Jackson |
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With a few notable exceptions, most household cleaning products today still walk a fine line between cleaning power and toxicity. Fortunately, there are more and more exceptions. Our latest spotting? Activeion, which uses electrolysis and electroporation to offer industrial-strength cleaning without any risky chemicals. Minnesota-based Activeion's Ionator was designed to bring laboratory-style cleaning to everyone via a compact, hand-operated device that uses plain tap water. When the trigger is pressed, water flows through a cell that applies a slight electrical charge; from there, the water passes through an ion exchange membrane that separates it into an oxygenated mixture of positively and negatively charged nano-bubbles. Then, before the water exits the nozzle, a slight electric field is applied, allowing the water to carry it to the surface being sprayed. So, when sprayed directly on a surface, the ionized water helps lift the dirt like a magnet, enabling it to be wiped away. When used as directed, the health-safe Activeion device kills more than 99.9 percent of harmful germs without leaving any residues behind, the company says. Suitable for use on glass, stainless steel, wood, stone, marble, carpet and clothing, the Ionator is available in a home version for USD 179.99. A larger professional version costs USD 369. The Ionator is available online from Activeion as well as from Amazon and a variety of other U.S. retailers — including Green Irene, the eco-consulting company we covered last year. One to help bring to the rest of the chemical-weary world? (Related: Cleaning products in cartridges, to be diluted with tap water — Starter kits for homemade cleaning products.) Website: www.activeion.com Spotted by: Ana Camargo
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Personalized travel guides figured prominently on our virtual pages back in late 2008, what with our coverage of Offbeat Guides, Tripwolf and Traveldk.com. Now, borrowing a page — so to speak — from these other offerings, Norwegian Stay.com is a social platform where users can create and share their own, custom guides. Users of Stay.com begin by entering their destination city, prompting the site to draw from more than 150,000 attractions, restaurants and hotels in more than 50 cities to suggest a variety of venues and activities. Content reportedly comes from a range of online sources, including TripAdvisor and OpenTable. From there, users can zero in on just the spots they care about in their custom guides. For additional input, they can share their guides with others via Facebook and Twitter; they can also ask for advice, give recommendations and discuss travel experiences. An assortment of personal guides created by other users, meanwhile, can provide inspiration. In the end, users get a free, personal and compact guide that includes maps and meaningful details about the selected attractions, such as prices, operating hours, contacts, descriptions and pictures. Guides can be saved on the site and accessed online from any device with an Internet connection; alternatively, they can be downloaded as a PDF and printed on paper. Stay.com lets users book hotels as well. Now in beta, Stay.com is surely working on expanding its reach to more cities around the globe. It also might consider offering a professional printing option for travellers who want their guide to serve as a keepsake as well. It's clearly a crowded arena — one more to watch or partner with! Website: www.stay.com Spotted by: Bjorn Verbrugghe |
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Living well is the best revenge, or so the saying goes, and that's particularly true in the wake of a nasty breakup. For women, that can mean selling once-treasured tokens of affection for cash on ExBoyfriendJewelry.com; it could also mean using that extra cash for a little pampering and indulgence from Pink Kisses. Texas-based Pink Kisses aims to “help women through heartbreak with all sorts of fabulous pick-me-ups,” in the site's own words. Toward that end, it surprises its clients with a variety of chocolates, flowers, texts, emails and exclusive virtual gifts; there's even a life coach to help women set new goals and a “Diva for a Day” experience, including a personalized photo shoot. Packages on Pink Kisses range from USD 14 for “The Rebound” — including a 30-day “super goddess action plan,” 3 days' worth of encouraging text messages and two virtual gifts — to USD 272 for “The Diva,” which includes all of the above plus two life coaching sessions, two weeks of texts, flowers and “better than sex” truffles. Options in between include “The Rockstar,” “The Vixen” and “The Goddess.” Pricing on the “Diva for a Day” photo shoot is available from the Pink Kisses personal concierge. OK, so that's the female side of the equation taken care of. Now, who will provide something similar for all the heartbroken muchachos out there...? Alternatively, which partner vendors will offer some additional salve to all these broken consumer hearts...? Website: www.pinkkisses.com Spotted by: NY Daily News via Jim Stewart |
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It's not uncommon to see board games on display at restaurants and cafés, but they're typically used to prop up laptops at least as often as to provide hands-on entertainment. Aiming to re-create the offline interaction of days gone by, Toronto's Snakes & Lattes serves up not just coffee but also 1,500 board games available for the playing. Billed as “the first board game café in Toronto,” Snakes & Lattes dispenses with the free wifi; rather, it encourages its patrons to play games instead. For CAD 5 per person per visit, visitors can choose from the café's diverse collection, which includes staples like Monopoly as well as lesser-known offerings including Jumanji and Fireball Island, according to a report on BlogTO. Taking the concept even further, the shop's baristas serve as strategic advisors as well, dispensing instructions and tips for play along with the frothy beverages. Coming soon, reportedly, are themed nights, youth-focused initiatives and a rental system to let customers play the games at home. Given the ubiquity of wifi-enabled coffee houses around the world, unplugging and focusing instead on low-tech games is an interesting premise that could win the loyalty of legions of mass-mingling consumers. It's similar, in some ways, to Meet Joe's offline and personal approach to social networking. One to watch! (Related: Five online services for getting together offline — Online network for tweens requires offline introductions.) Website: www.snakesandlattes.com Spotted by: Cathy Ly |
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Bicycling may be a healthful and eco-minded activity for people of all shapes and sizes, but most bikes can't support more than 225 pounds. Therein lies a problem for plus-sized consumers — and the opportunity that spurred the creation of Super Sized Cycles. A variety of bicycles, electric bikes and tricycles are available from Vermont-based Super Sized Cycles, whose Zize brand includes models capable of supporting up to 550 pounds. Steel frames, wider tires, broad pedals and strong rims and spokes are among the features that make Zize bikes well-suited for heavier weights, as are wider, well-padded seats. All are fully guaranteed by the company; pricing begins at USD 699. In the United States alone, roughly one-third of the adult population is now considered obese, according to the CDC. What other products can be adapted in this way — particularly for enhanced health? (Related: Club Bounce caters to the big & beautiful set.) Website: www.supersizedcycles.com Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann |
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Natural disasters and other emergency situations are very much a local phenomenon, yet little has been done so far to take advantage of the mobile world's new location-based capabilities. Enter CiviGuard, a new mobile app service designed to help governments deliver timely and contextual emergency information to affected civilians. To make use of CiviGuard, federal, state and local command centers would begin by leveraging the technology to identify crisis zones when a disaster occurs. California-based CiviGuard then determines which cell phone towers represent those crisis zones and compiles a list of subscribers to its FIPS 140-2-compliant service who should be targeted with an emergency message. Those subscribers then receive notifications via SMS, push or email, alerting them to critical information including route plans, directions and other emergency warnings. The multitouch CiviGuard app currently supports iPhone, iPad and Android; coming soon are BlackBerry and Windows Phone. Pricing for government organizations is on a per-civilian, per-year subscription basis, and it includes deployment, command training, mobile device updates, 24x7 support and quarterly readiness testing. Emergency management agencies around the globe: one to try out on your own smartphone-savvy population? Alternatively, developers: how about delivering a scaled-down, functionall version for less developed parts of the world? (Related: Emails warn patients about health-changing weather — Car insurer alerts clients by text message when roads get icy.) Website: www.civiguard.com Spotted by: Doug Jost |
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Much the way Plancast lets friends share location-based social plans on the fly, so Poig aims to make it easier for people to socialize offline on the spur of the moment. Users of San Francisco-based Poig begin by signing up with the free service through Facebook Connect. From there, they can create and view “pings” with suggestions for something to do — grab a beer, for instance, or see a movie. Pings can be restricted to friends or shared with everyone on the site; they can also be broadcast via Facebook and Twitter. Pings are viewable by location as well, enabling users to look for ideas for something fun to do in their area. When a Poig user sees an idea they like, they can comment and indicate that they'll join the activity. Poig is currently working on SMS integration and a mobile app, it says. Meanwhile, it's rich with possibilities for highly targeted advertising and promotion, as noted on Killer Startups. A mass-mingling enabler to experiment with in your neck of the woods? (Related: Five online services for getting together offline — 'Social concierge' helps find new friends, not dates.) Website: www.poig.com Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann |
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Much the way Sähköautot–Nyt — now known as eCars-Now — aims to facilitate the conversion of standard Toyota Corollas into electric vehicles, so Shimano has developed a kit to help convert traditional bicycles into electric ones. The new STEPS (Shimano Total Electric Power System) component kit is designed to preserve the feeling of the traditional bike while adding the parts necessary for delivering electrical power. A 250W electric motor can take bikes up to 25km per hour, while a regenerative braking function focuses on recharging the 24V/4.0Ah lithium-ion battery, such as when riders travel downhill. The battery is removable for charging, requiring just an hour to juice up when empty, Shimano says; it can be recharged more than 3,000 times, or every day for roughly eight years. Electric switch buttons for riding mode, display mode and a light switch, meanwhile, are integrated into the 4-finger brake levers, and cables with slim 5mm plugs allow easy internal frame routing. A removable cycle computer, finally, offers a clear and quick overview of all e-bike functions, including riding mode, battery power, speed and odometer. Pricing on the STEPS kit has not yet been announced, but it's expected to become available in December. Bike-minded retailers around the globe: one to offer eco-minded commuters near you...? (Related: Folding electric two-wheeler offers new take on urban cycling — Lightweight electric bike targets urban commuters.) Website: cycle.shimano-eu.com Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann |
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When it comes to donating to charity, there's something not entirely satisfying about the uniform point-and-click experience most sites provide online. Makes perfect sense, then, to see Nadanu use a graphical interface that mimics the experience of giving in the real world. New York-based Nadanu offers giving platforms targeting the fundraising needs of charities, religious organizations and political candidates. eCharityBox, for example, provides a streamlined way for charities to collect donations across all major communication mediums. Modeled after a traditional charity coin box, donors drop virtual coins into their eCharityBox and watch it fill up; once the box reaches a predesignated amount the box is emptied, their credit card charged and an automated tax receipt is sent via email. eOfferingPlate, meanwhile, lets churches of all sizes receive offerings, tithes and gifts via mobile devices, Facebook and the web. Using the image of a real-world offering plate, the technology gives donors a visual experience every time they give, no matter where they are. Nadanu currently works with more than 400 charities across the United States and Canada. Pricing for charities and nonprofits starts at USD 49 per month. Social organizations around the globe: time to make giving feel real again? (Related: Recycled parking meters collect donations for Montréal's homeless — One-stop giving to a personal portfolio of charitable causes — Microcharity uses tangibility to target young donors.) Website: www.nadanu.com
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