Currently only advertising jobs in east coast US, the website takes a job seeker’s LinkedIn profile and Myers-Briggs Personality test score — a psychometric test taken by the majority of freshmen in US colleges — and combines this information to search for suitable positions that suit their character as well as their professional expertise. Users can also copy and paste their resume straight from a word document. Those who don’t know their Myers-Briggs Personality type can take the test at a discounted rate of USD 29.95 through a link on the ApplyApp.ly website.

Employers can advertise job vacancies by paying a subscription fee — USD 99 for one month, USD 249 for three months, USD 399 for six months, or USD 599 for one year. The company believes that the incentive for employers to post job ads on the board lies in the well-matched candidates they can identify using Semantic Intelligence technology, which analyses the content of job descriptions, not just job titles. The job-matching software Apply App.ly provides can also be linked up with existing company databases so that current employees can also be directed to job openings that might suit them.

The site works on the premise that the best kind of job is one that matches not only a person’s skill base, but also their temperament. As people spend increasing amounts of their time at work it seems only natural to search for a job taking personality type into account. What other industries could benefit from initiatives with a similar approach, providing personalized services that adapt to personality types?

Website: www.applyapp.ly
Contact: support@applyapp.ly

Spotted by: Katie Farrell

ExactTrak’s Security Guardian is a secure USB device that encrypts and tracks the user’s mobile data. Integrated GPS and GSM modules are designed to give users complete control of where and how their mobile data is used. Available with storage capacities from 16GB to 250GB, the SIM-agnostic device comes equipped with an internal battery along with remote “over the air” update facility, according to the company. Perhaps best of all is that in the event the device is lost or stolen, users can delete their data without an internet connection and regardless of whether the device is currently connected to a computer.

The Security Guardian is currently aimed primarily at compliance-minded corporate and government users, in particular. How else could additional features improve security on the wealth of mobile products in use everyday?

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

Spotted by: Gabriella Piergianni

Roughly 44 percent of unsolicited mail in the US ends up in landfills each year without ever being opened, according to Seattle-based Readabl. Aiming to help address that problem, the company’s PaperKarma app enables users to simply snap a picture of an unwanted piece of junk mail and press “send” to become unsubscribed from the mailing list that generated it. The company explains: “We work closely with the source companies to help you unsubscribe from catalogs, magazines, credit card offers, etc. and optionally – i.e., if you explicitly choose to – convert you to the corresponding online (email) versions.” Launched earlier this year, the free PaperKarma app is now available for Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone.

Of course, unwanted mass mailings aren’t just a problem for consumers — such fruitless effort also represents a significant waste for the companies that send them. How can your brand help to reduce the many resources wasted this way?

Website: www.paperkarma.com
Contact: human@readabl.com

Originally conceived to provide surfers with weather condition information at their favorite beaches, Spotfav aims to help travellers avoid a disappointing day out by enabling them to see the weather in real time. Users can create a ‘spot’ for any destination they like. Once a location has its own profile on the site, users can become a fan and post their own weather reports when they are there through the Spotfav app. Locations which have a meteo station installed will feature information about temperature, wind speeds, and general conditions on the page, while a high-definition webcam feed can also be accessed if a camera is present. What’s particularly interesting about Spotfav is that users are given five ‘favs’ upon signing up to the site, which can be used to vote to get a webcam installed at a destination of their choosing. When a location reaches the required number of favs, Spotfav will begin the process of procuring a HD camera to install. The site is aiming for quality, so low-standard cameras are not allowed, creation of new spots is moderated and users cannot post weather reports if they are not physically at the location. Custom privacy settings are also featured, allowing users to limit who will receive their updates.

Spotfav aims to provide weather reports for locations around the globe, but as it is currently still in its infancy the service mainly features Spanish destinations. One to partner with?

Website: www.spotfav.com
Contact: webmaster@spotfav.com

Spotted by: Wences Garcia

On/Off paint is grayish in color and is designed to serve as an undercoat on virtually any medium beneath traditional paints or wallpapers. Once applied, it enables touch-based control of electronic devices such as lamps or alarms. Including both paint and a hidden electronic device, the On/Off system is expected to hit the market this year, according to a report on e-lab, while Futura-Sciences reports that prices will be between 30 and 40 euros per liter.

On/Off paint could potentially remove the need for light switches around the home, controlling virtually any kind of electronic device and even acting as a dimmer switch when users touch with different pressures. Tech-savvy entrepreneurs: one to get involved in?

Website: www.peinture-interrupteur-on-off.com
Contact: nicolas.triboulot@wanadoo.fr

Spotted by: Francois Lavaste

The company claims that StyleShoots includes all the hardware and software needed to produce product images ready for marketing purposes quickly and with ease. Items are placed onto the 69in x 45in backlit photo table and a preview of the shot can be viewed on the iPad and pre-loaded app that comes with the suite. After tweaking the image for correct brightness settings, a camera positioned above the table then takes multiple shots. The device produces a high-resolution image with a plain white background, allowing for precise cut-outs and custom backgrounds. The video below demonstrates in further detail how the device could be used:

Fashion companies can purchase the suite or lease it from iShopShape on a monthly basis. With the list of clients already boasting Garcia, Malboro Classics and Tommy Hilfiger, is this one to partner with?

Website: www.styleshoots.com
Contact: info@ishopshape.com

Spotted by: Isabel Verhoeven

Similar in many ways to Stickybits, Open Label enables anyone to scan a product barcode and append their comments. Using the Open Label iPhone app — which is now in private beta — consumers simply scan a product’s UPC barcode to open its virtual “Open Label”. There, they can read what others have said about the product, and they can also attach their own comments as to why it is or isn’t worth buying, focusing in particular on topics such as the manufacturer or producers’ environmental, safety, health or animal rights records. If the product’s maker has a poor record for sustainability, for instance, users can note that on its Open Label. Conversely, users of the app can also ask questions about particular products, and — in Twitter-like fashion — they can “follow” the people and organizations they trust as well. The video below explains Open Label’s premise in more detail:

Brands around the world have been gaining favor with the public for some time by becoming increasingly transparent. Now it seems the crowds are taking matters into their own hands by drawing back the curtain on those that haven’t. With that in mind, how could you help boost your brands appeal through a little transparency?

Website: www.theopenlabel.com
Contact: scott@scandipity.com

Spotted by: Smith Alan

The philosophy behind the website is that too many children have been brought up to enjoy playing in the virtual universes of computer games instead of reaping the benefits of real-world activities with meaningful outcomes. Noting the educative and social aspects of the structure of games, HighScore House is encouraging families to sign up and set their own household challenges and rewards. Users set the number of points each task is worth and how many are needed to win a reward. The idea is that family members become incentivised to perform activities offline to gain prizes – turning washing the dishes or walking the dog into a fun challenge instead of a boring chore. Players can see how they are doing online or through the available mobile app.

Just as Leap enables groups of friends to create their own challenges, HighScore House adds an interesting layer of personalization to the gamification world. Could your customers become engaged by creating their own challenges to turn offline tasks into online rewards?

Website: highscorehouse.com
Contact: highscorehouse.com/contact

Spotted by: Katharina Kieck

Ninja Blocks are small, open source hardware devices backed by a web service called Ninja Cloud that allows each Ninja Block to talk to the user’s favorite web apps. Without having to write any code, users can configure a Ninja Block to take a picture of their front yard and save it to Dropbox when movement is detected, for example, or to turn on a lamp in the hallway when the baby cries. Underlying the technology is a “trigger” and “action” model much like what we saw last year when we wrote about ifttt. Each Ninja Block comes with an RGB LED and built-in temperature sensor and accelerometer; four expansion ports and a regular USB port allow users to add further inputs and outputs. Ninja Blocks will launch with support for Dropbox, Twitter, Facebook, Google Docs, SMS and phone, and Xbox Live; following in the future will be integration with Siri, RSS, weather and more. The video below explains the premise in further detail.

Having already surpassed the project’s funding goal, Ninja Blocks can be preordered on Kickstarter starting at USD 155 for estimated delivery in May. Time to start building some bridges of your own between the online and offline worlds?

Website: ninjablocks.com
Contact: ninjas@ninjablocks.com

Spotted by: Eric Tan

EVRYTHNG works by first creating Active Digital Identities (ADIs) for the physical objects it is going to manage. A camera, for example, could be given an ADI, which would then act as its online presence in much the same way as a Facebook page does for humans. These profiles, called Thngs, store textual, binary and geo-location information about their associated object, which can then be used to drive third party applications and services. EVRYTHNG provides developers with an API toolkit, which enables them to manage these Thngs, access the online data associated with the physical objects, and create new services, enabling objects to communicate with one another and with the user. The result is that users are able to interact with EVRYTHNG objects in a way that would have been previously impossible. For example, a user’s camera could be setup to recommend a good time and place for a photo shoot, or smart meters could be used to turn on a washing machine at the cheapest times.

Currently in private beta, open only for developers, EVRYTHNG will soon offer a free plan enabling users to create 1,000 ADIs with 100Mb of storage, while a paid Pro package will also be available for larger needs.

EVRYTHNG haven’t released any details on their product plans as yet, but the premise of the project should be of great interest to brands, manufacturers, developers, academics, marketeers, and service providers everywhere. As we continue to take steps towards an Internet of Things, this is definitely one to watch.

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

Hippensteel Funeral Service and Crematory in Layfette, Indiana is offering the transmitter disks and balls — provided by Memorial Markers — in the casket or grave of anyone buried or cremated at a 1.5 acre natural burial site called The Preserve. Hippensteel is the only company to have carried out eco-burials on the Preserve since 2008, and it is offering the new service free of charge as standard for all its burials on the site. A hand-held reader can be used to locate the marker disks or balls, which are roughly the size of a hockey puck. The readers can detect the markers up to a depth of five feet and will enable family members to find unmarked graves, or graves that have been damaged by natural disasters, weather conditions, or vandalism. It is also believed they will be used by staff when graves become buried in plants and grass.

Although the Daily Mail claims the system is based on GPS technology, the smart marker system in fact uses RF signals to locate the markers. For those in the industry, inspiration for more natural and eco-friendly burial services?

Website: www.hippensteelfuneralservice.com/naturalburial.php
Contact: staff@hippensteelfuneralhome.com

Spotted by: Smith Alan

The creation of Pittsburgh-based 4moms, the new Origami stroller’s main selling point is its ability to fold and unfold automatically, but it boasts a wealth of other features as well. The device houses a built-in generator in its rear wheels that charges the stroller as it’s pushed, as well as enabling parents to charge their cell phones. Daytime running lights and pathway lights are on board for safety, as are four-wheel suspension and child safety sensors in the seat, which ensure the stroller won’t fold by accident. An LCD in the handle bar, meanwhile, displays a thermometer, speedometer, and odometer. The video below offers a quick demo of the device in action:

Priced at USD 850, the Origami stroller is available online and at select stores. Retailers around the globe: one to add to your own high-end line of kid-focused offerings?

Website: www.4moms.com/origami
Contact: info@4moms.com

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann