Aimed at kids aged six and up, DIY is an online community for kids that strives to give them a place to collect and share everything they make as they grow up. Animal avatars protect kids’ privacy, but there’s ample opportunity to show off creations so that family, friends and grandparents can respond. “Recognition makes a kid feel great, and motivates them to keep going. We want them to keep making, and by doing so learn new skills, use technology constructively, begin a lifelong adventure of curiosity, and hopefully spend time offline, too,” the California-based site explains. By providing an online space dedicated to showcasing kids’ creations, and a place where they can receive positive feedback, DIY could help boost children’s self-esteem from a young age.

Eventually, DIY plans to let kids customize their avatars with tools and clothes for an even more unique and creative identity. Though the site is currently free to use, paid memberships will ultimately offer extra features. How could your brand cater to the “maker kids” of the world?

Website: www.diy.org
Contact: zach@diy.org

Presented at the Wörthersee tour in Austria on 16 May, the prototype of the bike aims to replicate technology featured on motorcycles without negatively affecting the weight or design. Using a 2.3kW electric motor, the bike has a motor-assisted pedaling mode enabling speeds up to 50MPH, and it can travel at 31MPH on the motor alone. A battery is located inside the frame, which powers the touchscreen computer fitted onto the bike, and the seat can be lowered or raised at the press of a button to help the rider perform tricks and stunts. The vehicle has several cycling modes which aid the user in completing their chosen task, such as Power Wheelie mode, which can be used by beginners to help them achieve the trick. Users are able to connect their smartphones to the computer through WLAN, receiving challenges and advice if they have trouble completing them, as well as reviewing their route cycled and tricks achieved. Audi has also created a helmet with a built-in microphone and camera to record video of any attempts to complete a challenge, which can then be uploaded onto the internet and shared with others. An online point-rewarding platform will be developed to enable users keep track of successes and compare their achievements with fellow e-bike users. The video below demonstrates the bike in action:

The Audi e-Bike Wörthersee seeks to be a machine that will actively improve users’ skills through gamification. It also hopes to build a community among users. How else could gamification be used to bring fresh life to an older invention?

Website: www.audi.co.uk
Contact: info@audi-mediaservices.de

Having already easily passed its funding goal on Kickstarter, the kit consists of crocodile clips, a USB cable and pre-built chip board. One of the crocodile clips is connected to the user and the other to any object (providing it is able to conduct a very small amount of electricity – the developers suggest any types of metal, anything wet, food, animals and even people). The chipboard is then connected to a computer via the USB cable and depending on how the circuit is set up, touching the object performs an action on the computer. Jay Silver and Eric Rosenbaum, who are both currently researching at the Michigan Institute of Technology, have already come up with light-hearted suggestions such as a play dough games controller, an alphabet spaghetti keyboard and a banana piano (using one piece of fruit for each key), although it is easy to see how more practical innovations could come into being once the kit is in the hands of the public. The set is available to pre-order on Kickstarter for USD 35, or USD 45 to include international shipping. The video below offers a demonstration of the product:

MaKey MaKey provides both novices and experts with the technology to turn anything into a digital switch or controller, empowering innovators and providing a tool for educative purposes. One for inspiration!

Website: www.makeymakey.com
Contact: silver@media.mit.edu

Spotted by: Katherine Noyes

Not everyone owns a washing machine, of course, yet we all need to do laundry. With that premise in mind, La Machine du Voisin is free both for owners of machines and for those in search of one to use. Owners simply add a description of their machine along with their location and key details such as the machine’s capacity and the fee they’d like to charge for using it. Those in need of one, meanwhile, simply enter their city, and the site indicates all those listed within 500 meters of their location along with profiles and reviews of their owners. From there, potential borrowers can sign up to use one on a particular date and time; payments are made directly between renter and owner.

More than 1,000 machines are already listed on La Machine du Voisin, which currently serves numerous regions throughout France. What other items would be suitable for sharing to benefit both owners and renters?

Website: www.lamachineduvoisin.fr
Contact: www.lamachineduvoisin.fr/pages/contact

Spotted by: Lamia Aloui

Customers have an initial interview with the company to discuss plans for the wedding and to allow specialists to meet the dog. Dog-sitting services are available at any time during the organization of the big day and pets will be taken care of throughout the duration of the wedding itself. To ensure the pooch is part of the celebrations, a dog photographer will be on hand to capture images of newlyweds with their pet to be included in an album produced with input from the couple. Weddings & Dogs also has a team of grooming professionals that will prepare the animal and fit it out in clothing that matches the theme chosen by the husband and wife. Finally, the service offers accessories such as handmade wedding favors, invitations, and cake toppers which are designed around the family pet.

We’ve already seen a slew of pet-oriented services – from dog-friendly hotels to social networks for pet-sitters. Is there any canine niche still to be filled?

Website: www.dogwedding.it
Contact: info@dogwedding.it

Spotted by: Gabriella Piergianni

According to the Japanese company, the laptop is the first to feature technology that cleans the air around it. The nanoe unit, which was developed by Panasonic, is capable of reducing the levels of airborne fungi, smells, viruses and allergens in the 1m sq surrounding the notebook using negative ion particles. The idea behind the feature is that those using their notebooks in public can eliminate bad smells, secondhand smoke, or particles to which they may have a bad reaction — enabling them to work in comfort. Fujitsu tested the nanoe’s performance with common airborne particles – including hinoki cypress, orchard grass and ragweed pollen – and found a reduction of 99 per cent or more after a period of between one and four hours. The LIFEBOOK AH78/HA is on sale in Japan for JPY 131,300, although the Fujitsu Webmart is currently offering a 15 percent discount at JPY 111,605.

By mounting the purification unit on a notebook, Fujitsu has taken the nanoe and made it handily mobile, making it effective at protecting from odors and allergens wherever the user may be. Are there technologies you could combine with your product to make the user experience more pleasurable?

Website: jp.fujitsu.com
Contact: www.azby.fmworld.net/inquiry/ac

With the slogan ‘Who needs money, beautiful people travel free!’, the site pairs up men with money and women with looks as a new twist on online dating. Founded by Brandon Wade, who has previously launched SeekingMillionaire.com and WhatsYourPrice.com, Miss Travel acts as a platform for “generous” travel-lovers who are looking for company on their trips and who are willing to donate their frequent flyer points to enable those less wealthy to join them. Users of either gender can sign up as an Attractive Traveler or Generous Traveler — although the site generally assumes that women will make up the former and men the latter. Attractive Travelers can use all of the site’s features for free, while Generous Travelers must pay when they want to communicate with another user. Daters can fill out their information on their profiles, as well as details about their traveling plans or wishes. The concept invites users to chat about destinations as a conversation starter, before they decide on a trip together. While the focus is on romantic relationships, the site can also be used by those looking for friendly company. The video below explains the service:

The company are keen to stress that this service is not for escorts, and is trying to position itself as a genuine dating/friendship service. The service is sure to be controversial despite this, and is there room for yet another dating site?

Website: www.misstravel.com
Contact: press@misstravel.com

Due onto the Japanese market in early June, the COCOROBO is an automatic household vacuum cleaner in the vein of the existing iRobot Roomba. In order to distinguish the device, Sharp has opted for a number of extra features – some functional and some quirky. The cleaner has a timer operation and can be automatically set to cover the entire room or concentrate on a small part (down to a one-meter diameter circle), much like its Roomba counterpart. However, it also comes with a Plasmacluster Ion Generator, which de-humidifies rooms by spraying a high concentration of ions into the atmosphere above it.

Using speech recognition technology developed by RayTron, the COCOROBO reacts to spoken commands and is also able to respond in three languages – English, Chinese and Japanese – with one of 36 pre-loaded greetings and comments such as “I understand”. The idea is that the device becomes more like a pet than a piece of machinery, changing its behavior depending on the quality of interaction with its owner. In the developers’ own words: “If you use COCOROBO every day, or speak to it every day, it gets in a good mood.” On top of this, the high-end version of the robot cleaner is equipped with a 1.3-megapixel motion camera and wireless internet connection. When the user is out of the house, they can connect to the device through their smartphone and control COCOROBO to check on the state of their home. The COCOROBO will be available in two versions – the RX-V100, which will have full features and will be priced at JPY 130,000, and the RX-V80, a basic version without a camera, priced around JPY 90,000. DigInfo has posted the below video, which shows the device in action:

COCOROBO comes with some tailored technology that sets it apart from its competitors, but it will remain to be seen if consumers want the potential hassle of having to check their vacuum cleaner is happy. Could new, more human, technologies be integrated into your product in a similar way?

Website: www.sharp.co.jp/cocorobo
Contact: www.cs.sharp.co.jp/inq_form/form?formid=smail001

Ad agency JWT São Paulo created the Virtual Fridge Lock for Meta Real, a client that offers what it calls “an eating reeducation program.” The magnetic device — which is distributed to Meta Real customers when they sign on with the program — attaches to the side of the refrigerator. Then, every time the fridge is opened late at night, the device sends an alert about the raid to the user’s social networks, effectively telling all his or her friends about the transgression. The video below explains the premise in more detail:

In recent weeks we’ve also seen a gym app that imposes financial penalties on those who don’t stick with their exercise plans. How could your brand use negative reinforcement to help consumers do the right thing?

Website: www.jwt.com/brasil
Contact: ezra.geld@jwt.com

Spotted by: Regina Gauer

Aherk! operates on the basis that pressure encourages people to get things done and that this sense of urgency is lacking when it comes to personal goals such as exercise, household chores and other daily tasks. To begin, users set themselves a challenge to complete, along with a deadline. They also upload an embarrassing photograph of themselves – known as the ‘bomb’ – which Aherk! will post to their Facebook profile if they fail their task. The decision of whether or not they have failed is passed over to the user’s Facebook friends, who have three days to cast their vote. If there are a greater number of ‘fail’ votes, or an equal number of friends voting for ‘pass’ and ‘fail’ then the challenge is considered to be lost, and the photo will be posted. The aim of the app is to playfully use a threat to dissuade procrastination, but to also add an element of fun and social engagement to task completion.

Aherk! have found a light-hearted way to motivate the masses, while also including a social element. How else could social pressure be harnessed to achieve positive and beneficial outcomes?

Website: www.aherk.com
Contact: aherk@aherk.com

Caine built the arcade out of cardboard boxes in his father’s store mainly as a way to pass the time during a long summer break. The result, however, was meticulously built and elaborately well-planned. When customer Nirvan Mullick happened upon the arcade by chance one day, he was inspired to help Caine get the recognition he deserved. Accordingly, he tapped Facebook and the internet to organize a flash mob and make a documentary film, shown below:

Not only that, but USD 60,000 was raised for a scholarship fund within a day of the film’s posting; a week later, the Goldhirsh Foundation offered a matching dollar-for-dollar seed funding grant of USD 250,000 to help start the Caine’s Arcade Foundation to help innovative kids.

Caine’s Arcade may not be a traditional tale of entrepreneurial success, but if it’s not a testament to the power of passion, creativity and persistence, we don’t know what is. Aspiring entrepreneurs, both young and old: this one’s for you!

Website: www.cainesarcade.com
Contact: cainesarcade@gmail.com

Having run just twice so far, the Petite Etiquette program targets children between five and ten years of age with dinner etiquette instruction. Specifically, the free hour-long classes are designed to help parents by teaching kids a variety of “easy-to-learn tips and tricks,” the hotel says. Manners expert Jean Broke-Smith is the instructor, and she offers pupils guidance on matters including posture, how to hold a knife and fork properly, and the importance of “please” and “thank you,” according to a recent Telegraph report.

The Kensington Hotel plans to host its Petite Etiquette classes on a regular basis during school half-terms and holidays subject to demand, it says. Hoteliers around the globe: how about you?

Website: www.doylecollection.com/locations/london_city_hotels/the_kensington_hotel/stay/petite_etiquette
Contact: kensington@doylecollection.com

Spotted by: Florent Lesauvage

Created by a brother-sister team from Washington, D.C., Stitchtagram hand-sews its 15-inch pillows to feature customers’ best and favorite Instagram photos. Users begin by logging in via Instagram and choosing the photos they’d like included; a layout tool makes arrangement easy. From there, photos are digitally printed on a linen-cotton canvas, with an envelope-style dark navy fabric for the pillow’s backing. The company explains: “It’s a shame when great and memorable photos fall off your Instagram feed, never to be seen again. Our pillows let you keep your photos alive by bringing them out into the real world, to be enjoyed every day. These are going to last longer than your iPhone, and are much more comfortable to take a nap on.” Pricing on Stitchtagram’s pillows is USD 95.50 plus shipping.

Consumers may now spend a significant bulk of their time online, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to integrate that online world with their offline lives. What can your brand do to help?

Website: www.stitchtagram.com
Contact: www.stitchtagram.com/contact

Binchotan active charcoal — sometimes known as “white charcoal” — has been used in Japan as a water purifier since the 17th century, Black+Blum says, and is useful for reducing chlorine while mineralizing the water and balancing its pH. The sustainably sourced and rechargeable charcoal filter in the bottles can be used for up to six months, and is recyclable after that. After placing the filter in the bottle, users simply fill it with tap water and wait six to eight hours for filtration to take place. Priced at USD 20, the Eau Good bottle is made from BPA-free Tritan plastic, cork, stainless steel and silicon, and it comes with one Binchotan active charcoal filter, which can also be purchased separately for USD 3.70. The video below illustrates the concept in more detail:

Black+Blum’s first batch of the Eau Good bottle sold out “within hours,” it says, but a restocking is scheduled for May. Retailers around the world, time to get in line?

Website: www.black-blum.com/products/eau-good-filter-water-bottle
Contact: design@black-blum.com

miCoach is a suite of devices and software built into sports apparel that monitors the performance of athletes — such as heart rate, movement and goal achievements — in real time while they are training or in competition. Hardware includes the SPEED_CELL — a device which can be attached to the bottom of footwear to give data on speed, pace and distance, the HEART RATE MONITOR and the PACER Bundle, which monitors cardio performance and provides post-workout analysis. Each of these can be used in conjunction with the Mobile App or Sport App for mobile devices, which produce visualizations based on the data from the hardware. Still in development, adidas will be trialling the equipment at the 2012 AT&T Major League Soccer All-Star Game in Philadelphia on July 25th as well as throughout the rest of the MLS season. Coaches will be able to use the suite to analyze player positions and performance, and can then make strategic changes based on the data. miCoach will be rolled out to the public once it has been successfully tested. The video below demonstrates the suite in action:

Just as educators have been able to act on the progress of their students with innovations such as Kickboard, adidas hopes to implement a similar monitoring system for professional sports. Could live action monitoring technology be useful in other industries?

Website: www.adidas.com/com/micoach
Contact: global_public_relations@adidas.com

Currently in beta mode, the site is member-owned, meaning that each user has the chance to gain a stake in the business as well as make suggestions on how the site should be run and the features that should be included. Users are encouraged to refer their friends to the network with the reward of vShares, which grow in value as the site grows in size. As it is starting out, Zurker is currently managed by ‘custodians’, but their role will be gradually handed over to the community. The site has a policy of making its accounts completely transparent, listing each separate income and outgoing with details of the transaction on the site. It also has plans to make its coding open to all once the facilities are in place to co-ordinate such a project.

Although still very much in development, the group behind Zurker have lofty aims to beat Facebook and Twitter out of the marketplace in the years to come. But with social networking being such a competitive market, will this ownership-based twist be enough to compete with the major players?

Website: www.zurker.eu
Contact: www.facebook.com/ZurkerZ

Spotted by: Dietfried Globocnik

There’s no “snooze” button in easy reach on the Ramos clock, which has been in development for years, Sammut says. “Ramos is a clock I made after I got tired of constantly oversleeping,” he explains. “I needed something that would force me out of bed.” No surprise, then, that the Ramos can only be turned off when the user gets up and enters in a code on a separate wireless defuse panel, which Sammut suggests be placed in the kitchen or bathroom. “You’ll have to use your brain a bit more, which will help wake you up,” he notes. “Best of all, after you turn off the alarm you’ll find yourself in your bathroom or kitchen, away from the evil alluring bed and ready to start your day.” An optional snooze mode will be included, but users won’t be able to exceed the number of “snoozes” they preset in advance.

The Ramos can now be preordered on Kickstarter starting at USD 160, with options including either an LED or nixie tube display and a variety of hardwoods and finishes. Specialty retailers around the globe: one to get in on early?

Website: www.paulsammut.com/ramos
Contact: paul@sammut-tech.com

Spotted by: Eric Tan

Launched earlier this year by Melbourne-based Fruition Consulting Group, WotWentWrong is a free web app that lets anyone send a low-key, customizable feedback request to a former date who has since disappeared from their life. WotWentWrong sends the request securely on the user’s behalf via email or — in the US and Canada — via text message. Those on the receiving end of such a request can then respond quickly and easily thanks to predefined categories to explain why they lost interest; if they want, there’s also the option to add personal details. Recognizing that exes may not be inclined to participate without some extra motivation, WotWentWrong promises to share the user’s own ratings of the ex on several key features in exchange for their feedback. Only the parties involved can see ratings and feedback relating to their own past relationship, and there’s an option to offer unsolicited feedback as well. The video below explains the premise in more detail.

Now in beta, WotWentWrong is planning to launch a section with aggregated and anonymized statistics summarizing various aspects of dating trivia. Time to help some lonely hearts learn from past mistakes in your part of the world with something similar?

Website: www.wotwentwrong.com
Contact: support@WotWentWrong.com

Spotted by: Zachary Love

The cuboid device can hold around one weekend’s worth of food for one cat and comes with a smart ID tag that is placed on the animal’s collar. When the cat pushes the door, the machine instantly reads the RFID tag, opens the door and provides a serving of food. When more than one pet is at home, Gatefeeder offers the right amount of nourishment to each cat based on their ID tags. To eliminate competitive eating, the device fits only one cat’s head and body through the door at once and all food is contained within the device to avoid mess. Medication can also be included in each serving and Gatefeeder’s creators claim that owners of small dogs could benefit from the machine as well. Gatefeeder is currently on sale for USD 249. The device is shown in more detail in the video below:

With many owners leading increasingly busy lifestyles, this could prove to be a useful device to ensure pets do not suffer if there is no-one home to feed them. One to replicate to cater for other animals?

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

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Targeted primarily at applications including food warehouses and wine cellars, the Tsubuyaku Sensor measures data including temperature, humidity or radiation levels and can then automatically broadcast it to Twitter, according to a recent TechCrunch report. Boasting a battery life of about a year when posts are made every minute, the device features a range of about 40 meters, though a repeater option is available to extend that further. Twitter broadcasts can be set for public or private viewing. Pricing is USD 560 for the base unit and USD 286 for each sensor.

Is there any end to the remote monitoring possibilities? We’re thinking not. One for inspiration!

Website: ts.uctec.com/tsensor
Contact: contact@uctec.com

Designed for events by New York-based Breakfast, the Instaprint device takes the form of a 6.5in x 6.5in x 2.5in printer that can be positioned on any vertical surface. Each printer has a wifi connection and organizers can set the devices to print images tagged with the correct location, or a specific hashtag set up for their event, via the Instaprint website. When a new photo is added to the correct tag feed, it is automatically printed using photo-sensitive paper that requires no ink – saving users the cost of replacement cartridges. Attendees can take hard copies home as mementos, and all collections will have their own gallery on the Instaprint site. The product has already been demoed at the Grammys and hiring Instaprint is available as a pre-order on Kickstarter. Hoping to ship from September, the company is offering four rental packages, ranging from USD 399 to USD 1449, as well as two additional framed print collage options costing USD 49 or USD 99. However, technical and design specifications are subject to change.

Instaprint is currently in the prototype stage and the brand will be investigating its options for mass production depending on funding. Event organizers – one to partner with?

Website: www.instaprint.me
Contact: tiffany@breakfastny.com

Spotted by: Eric Tan