Posts Tagged ‘springwise’

Opinionaided

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

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Erin Hearn


What is it: A mobile phone app that allows users to asks opinions of their contacts on various topics. The app has been up and running for about a month where its users can seek advice on a wide range of public topics, including: “Would you wear teal, fuschia or purple yoga pants?”, the questions can be accompanied by photo’s to illustrate the questions.

Why is it cool: New digital communication tools will change the way we do research. Sure, market researchers can already do surveys on mobile phones, but what functionality with apps bring? How must survey language change for the evolving research media? And what are the impacts on sampling of interviewing social clusters or cascades (e.g. cost, representivity). Exciting times!

Where to find it: here!

Submitted by: Erin Hearn

Who gives a scrap

Monday, June 28th, 2010

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Linley Barden


What is it: A compost service which collects leftover food from grocery stores, restaurants and coffee shops and turns it into organic soil conditioner. The gardens of Utah Valley are dining out!

Why is it cool: Next time you don’t eat everything on your plate, you can tell mum it’s ok the man will come collect it and trees will grow from it. It might not totally defeat her “just think of all the starving children in Africa” but it makes headway on doing something good for the world and innovative thinking. Also it holds up the golden virtues of  “waste not want not” and “making something out of nothing” – all cool too.

Where to find it: here!

Submitted by: Linley Barden

Seed bomb

Friday, April 30th, 2010

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Linley Barden

Oh, sorry, I thought you said 'sex bomb'

What is it: Old coin-op candy machines are being converted for use selling seed bombs – mixtures of clay, compost and seeds that can be thrown anonymously into derelict urban sites to (at least, temporarily) reclaim and transform them.

Why is it cool: There’s something poetic about obsolete candy machines (that are essentially trash) being repurposed to sell disposable “bombs” that can be “thrown away” …to bring growth and renewal.

Where to find it: here!

Submitted by: Linley Barden

Motormouthmeter

Friday, March 5th, 2010

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Hilde Swendgaard

I'll tell you "you talk to much", when you stop to take a breath

What is it: German-made Talk-o-meter identifies who is speaking in a dialogue and tracks the extent to which one or other is monopolising the discussion.

Why is it cool: Aside from the application being an opportunity to be more inclusive to the quieter members of a team whether an in-house meeting or a focus group (we can’t all be superstars!, it’s a great reminder about the importance of listening – communication is two-way!

Where to find it: here!

Submitted by: Hilde Swendgaard

Document your life

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

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Best of the Month, Dom McCarthy

What a time lapse reel of your life might look like

What is it: An auto snapping camera documents the wearers life. Users typically wear the camera on a cord around their neck, but it can also be clipped to clothing. Among its features are an accelerometer, a compass and a fish-eye lens to ensure that nearly everything in the wearer’s view is captured. The device can operate either on a timer—taking photos every 30 seconds—or it can be set to take photos automatically when triggered by internal sensors, which can detect body heat as well as changes in temperature, light and motion. Along with images, the camera also stores a time-stamped log file that can be enriched with GPS traces. It holds around 30,000 images, or approximately 6 days’ worth.

Why is it cool: Aside from the potential uses within research (hello first-person ethnography!), this steps eerily close to a truman-show-esque voyeurism.

Where to find it: here!

Submitted by: Dom McCarthy

Personalised newsletters

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

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Dom McCarthy

The journey of a thousand newsletters begins with a single click

What is it: News from YOUs is a Facebook application currently in the works that will automatically share users’ Facebook news and photos in a printed newsletter aimed at grandparents and other offline relations. Users will begin by logging onto Facebook and opening the News from YOUs application. They can edit content as they wish. Next, they indicate who they want the newsletter sent to, and Detroit-based News from YOUs will do the rest, printing the custom newsletter and putting it in the mail.

Why is it cool: There’s no word yet on News from YOUs’ pricing or availability, but it seems safe to say there’s still plenty more room for more apps to bridge the online and offline worlds.

Where to find it: here!

Submitted by: Dom McCarthy

Tame your wild monkey

Monday, December 14th, 2009

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John Cucka

What the mind of a tamed monkey might look like

What is it: Zen text editor is a multi-sensory tool to help people concentrate when writing.

Why is it cool: Recognising that the modern age is filled with distractions, and that distraction is the enemy of the focus and concentrated required, in particular, for writers, this text editor combats the information overload of our age. Much like the slow cow beverage of previous SCIOs, what other categories are ripe for counter-trend offerings?

Where to find it: here!

Submitted by: John Cucka

Bitcents

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

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Best of the Month, Dom McCarthy

Paying for online news content... looks simple on paper, doesn't it?

What is it: In an attempt to salvage the floundering news print media a company called Bitcents is trying to simplify payment options for online news content.

Why is it cool: While publishers are stressed out and trying to come to terms with the changing media consumption landscape one company is cashing in and providing the solutions to help them. The article also adds that there will be lots more opportunities out there in the (not too distant) future. Rather than navel gazing and dwelling on the problem, a little bit of outside of the box thinking has created yet another online e-commerce platform that has a greater chance of succeeding through progress rather than blocking through legislation.

Where to find it: here!

Submitted by: Dom McCarthy


Sellaband

Thursday, October 8th, 2009

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Best of the Month, John Cucka

What the band you just bought might look like...

What is it: Sellaband is a website that offers a way for crowds to fund a band’s first album. They’ve now expanded their service to include bands that are known, allowing fans to buy shares in the proceeds of an album, the money used to fund its production.

Why is it cool: Breaking the music industry monopoly on artists is only possible today with the relatively cheap availability of recording gear and the web’s ability to directly connect bands with their fans. Numerous artists have offered their albums directly for digital download in the past. But Sellaband expands that fan-band connection to include funding the projects as well. Eliminating the middle man of the music industry could have serious consequences, so expect PR and legal resistance from the corporations.

Where to find it: here!

Submitted by: John Cucka

Matching interests with passions

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

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Erin Hearn

What a passionate teacher might look like

What is it: (Un)classes is a website that connects people that want to learn to those that want to teach. It’s a form of community-powered learning, where people that are passionate about something sign up to pass on their knowledge to interested participants. It is a casual form of education that is participant driven. A great way of connecting people with the same interests.

Why is it cool: This form of leaning would seem to offer the best to both the teach and the student. Imagine applying this to a business setting, where employees that are interested in certain areas are matched with other employees that are good at, and passionate about, those areas.

Where to find it: here!

Submitted by: Erin Hearn

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