понедельник, 31 января 2011 г.

Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm Story

Original: Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm Story

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Fri, 2011-01-28 11:32.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm

Milton Levine liked to give his customers advice from the Bible: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise."

Mr. Levine, who died Jan. 16 at age 97, knew whereof he spoke. He introduced the Ant Farm to America in 1956.

A mail-order entrepreneur, Mr. Levine said he came to the revelation at a Fourth of July picnic that included the inevitable uninvited insect guests.

Mr. Levine developed the narrow green plastic case with barn and windmill that became a toy sensation of 1957-58, when two million were sold.

Mr. Levine made no claims to have invented the formicarium, as homes for ants are formally called. A patent on one was issued in 1937 to a Dartmouth professor who made and sold "Ant Palaces" from a workshop in Hanover, Vt.

But Mr. Levine, who knew a lot about ants despite lacking formal training, insisted the formicarium was older still. "They're about as old as glass itself," he told The Wall Street Journal in 1958.

The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Mr. Levine was born in Pittsburgh. His father was a dry cleaner, and Mr. L evine's main contact with ants came on visits to his uncle's farm, where he gathered them into mini-terrariums he constructed in Mason jars.

After serving in the Army in World War II, he and his brother-in-law, E. Joseph Cossman, started a mail-order business selling toy soldiers through ads in comic books. Later, they sold novelties like shrunken heads and spud guns.

The Ant Farm was initially sold by mail and later through retailers nationwide. Each Ant Farm came with a coupon for a vial of ants that was mailed separately, since ants don't have a long shelf life.

The ants themselves—red ants known as Pogonomyrmex californicus—were collected in the desert by workers armed with shovels and vacuums. At first they were paid a penny per ant, and the Christian Science Monitor reported in 1967 that the most productive of them made $3,000 weekly.

In 1965, Mr. Levine bought out Mr. Cossman, who went on to become a marketing consultant and author of "How I Made A Million In Mail Order."

Mr. Levine renamed his company Uncle Milton Industries—he said it was "Uncle" Milton because people often asked him if he was in the ant business, where was the uncle?

In a 1970 book Mr. Levine wrote, "Ant Facts and Fantasies," he explained that "this writer is of the opinion that ants are truly socialist. After all, their life is truly a communal one."

As the Cold War was winding down in 1989, Uncle Milton Industries sent rep

A Safer Water Skiing Handle

Original: A Safer Water Skiing Handle

Marketplace creates 'trade rings' for group swaps

Original: Marketplace creates 'trade rings' for group swaps

We've been writing about swap initiatives for years, including efforts for exchanging books and CDs, furniture, clothing, and even homes. Whereas most of these efforts focus on exchanges of like-valued items between two people, we've now spotted Finnish Netcycler, which opens up swaps to "trade rings" involving multiple people and unevenly matched goods.

Netcycler is a service for giving away and acquiring secondhand goods without exchanging any cash. To participate, users list what they'd like to give away, along with something they'd like to get in return. Those "wishes," as the site calls them, needn't match the commercial value of the items being given away. Using a unique matching technology, Netcycler then sets up "trade rings" that can include multiple people whereby each gets a wished-for item and is able to get rid of something too. Each resulting swap is different as a result; one, for example, might include an MP3 player, children's clothing and a bookshelf — not equivalent in commercial value, perhaps, but evenly matched in satisfying the wishes of the participating users. Swaps on Netcycler are free; the company's revenue comes from additional services, such as an integrated shipping option.

Netcycler currently operates sites in Finland and Germany, with a UK version now in closed beta. One to help bring to your neck of the cash-free woods...?

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

Spotted by: Murray Orange

воскресенье, 30 января 2011 г.

Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm Story

Original: Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm Story

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Fri, 2011-01-28 11:32.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm

Milton Levine liked to give his customers advice from the Bible: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise."

Mr. Levine, who died Jan. 16 at age 97, knew whereof he spoke. He introduced the Ant Farm to America in 1956.

A mail-order entrepreneur, Mr. Levine said he came to the revelation at a Fourth of July picnic that included the inevitable uninvited insect guests.

Mr. Levine developed the narrow green plastic case with barn and windmill that became a toy sensation of 1957-58, when two million were sold.

Mr. Levine made no claims to have invented the formicarium, as homes for ants are formally called. A patent on one was issued in 1937 to a Dartmouth professor who made and sold "Ant Palaces" from a workshop in Hanover, Vt.

But Mr. Levine, who knew a lot about ants despite lacking formal training, insisted the formicarium was older still. "They're about as old as glass itself," he told The Wall Street Journal in 1958.

The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Mr. Levine was born in Pittsburgh. His father was a dry cleaner, and Mr. L evine's main contact with ants came on visits to his uncle's farm, where he gathered them into mini-terrariums he constructed in Mason jars.

After serving in the Army in World War II, he and his brother-in-law, E. Joseph Cossman, started a mail-order business selling toy soldiers through ads in comic books. Later, they sold novelties like shrunken heads and spud guns.

The Ant Farm was initially sold by mail and later through retailers nationwide. Each Ant Farm came with a coupon for a vial of ants that was mailed separately, since ants don't have a long shelf life.

The ants themselves—red ants known as Pogonomyrmex californicus—were collected in the desert by workers armed with shovels and vacuums. At first they were paid a penny per ant, and the Christian Science Monitor reported in 1967 that the most productive of them made $3,000 weekly.

In 1965, Mr. Levine bought out Mr. Cossman, who went on to become a marketing consultant and author of "How I Made A Million In Mail Order."

Mr. Levine renamed his company Uncle Milton Industries—he said it was "Uncle" Milton because people often asked him if he was in the ant business, where was the uncle?

In a 1970 book Mr. Levine wrote, "Ant Facts and Fantasies," he explained that "this writer is of the opinion that ants are truly socialist. After all, their life is truly a communal one."

As the Cold War was winding down in 1989, Uncle Milton Industries sent rep

A Safer Water Skiing Handle

Original: A Safer Water Skiing Handle

Text notifications warn customers away from restaurants at risk

Original: Text notifications warn customers away from restaurants at risk

The NYC Big Apps competition is now in its second year, offering USD 20,000 of prizes encouraging developers to produce applications that "Help New York City become more transparent, accessible, and accountable." One recent entry caught our eye for its innovative concept and integration with Foursquare.

DontEat.at aims to warn users when they check in to a New York restaurant that is in danger of being closed for health code violations. Max Stoller, a computer science student that developed the service, notes that there are 1660 restaurants in the city that scored 28 points or more on their graded inspections without being closed. These establishments are targeted by the Health Department for extra checks, but Stoller aims to give diners the information they need to avoid them altogether. To do so, users sign in to the website with their Foursquare login — giving the system access to their registered mobile phone number. They will then be sent a warning message if they check in to a poorly-rated restaurant.

Max Stoller has already recognized the nationwide appeal of his concept, and is in the process of expanding it to other cities. We have no doubt that a similar service would achieve success in increasingly health-conscious cities around the globe. How can you harness the growing pool of publicly-available data to present the masses with genuinely useful information?

Website: www.donteat.at
Contact: @maxstoller

Spotted by: Katherine Noyes

суббота, 29 января 2011 г.

Text notifications warn customers away from restaurants at risk

Original: Text notifications warn customers away from restaurants at risk

The NYC Big Apps competition is now in its second year, offering USD 20,000 of prizes encouraging developers to produce applications that "Help New York City become more transparent, accessible, and accountable." One recent entry caught our eye for its innovative concept and integration with Foursquare.

DontEat.at aims to warn users when they check in to a New York restaurant that is in danger of being closed for health code violations. Max Stoller, a computer science student that developed the service, notes that there are 1660 restaurants in the city that scored 28 points or more on their graded inspections without being closed. These establishments are targeted by the Health Department for extra checks, but Stoller aims to give diners the information they need to avoid them altogether. To do so, users sign in to the website with their Foursquare login — giving the system access to their registered mobile phone number. They will then be sent a warning message if they check in to a poorly-rated restaurant.

Max Stoller has already recognized the nationwide appeal of his concept, and is in the process of expanding it to other cities. We have no doubt that a similar service would achieve success in increasingly health-conscious cities around the globe. How can you harness the growing pool of publicly-available data to present the masses with genuinely useful information?

Website: www.donteat.at
Contact: @maxstoller

Spotted by: Katherine Noyes

Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm Story

Original: Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm Story

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Fri, 2011-01-28 11:32.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm

Milton Levine liked to give his customers advice from the Bible: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise."

Mr. Levine, who died Jan. 16 at age 97, knew whereof he spoke. He introduced the Ant Farm to America in 1956.

A mail-order entrepreneur, Mr. Levine said he came to the revelation at a Fourth of July picnic that included the inevitable uninvited insect guests.

Mr. Levine developed the narrow green plastic case with barn and windmill that became a toy sensation of 1957-58, when two million were sold.

Mr. Levine made no claims to have invented the formicarium, as homes for ants are formally called. A patent on one was issued in 1937 to a Dartmouth professor who made and sold "Ant Palaces" from a workshop in Hanover, Vt.

But Mr. Levine, who knew a lot about ants despite lacking formal training, insisted the formicarium was older still. "They're about as old as glass itself," he told The Wall Street Journal in 1958.

The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Mr. Levine was born in Pittsburgh. His father was a dry cleaner, and Mr. L evine's main contact with ants came on visits to his uncle's farm, where he gathered them into mini-terrariums he constructed in Mason jars.

After serving in the Army in World War II, he and his brother-in-law, E. Joseph Cossman, started a mail-order business selling toy soldiers through ads in comic books. Later, they sold novelties like shrunken heads and spud guns.

The Ant Farm was initially sold by mail and later through retailers nationwide. Each Ant Farm came with a coupon for a vial of ants that was mailed separately, since ants don't have a long shelf life.

The ants themselves—red ants known as Pogonomyrmex californicus—were collected in the desert by workers armed with shovels and vacuums. At first they were paid a penny per ant, and the Christian Science Monitor reported in 1967 that the most productive of them made $3,000 weekly.

In 1965, Mr. Levine bought out Mr. Cossman, who went on to become a marketing consultant and author of "How I Made A Million In Mail Order."

Mr. Levine renamed his company Uncle Milton Industries—he said it was "Uncle" Milton because people often asked him if he was in the ant business, where was the uncle?

In a 1970 book Mr. Levine wrote, "Ant Facts and Fantasies," he explained that "this writer is of the opinion that ants are truly socialist. After all, their life is truly a communal one."

As the Cold War was winding down in 1989, Uncle Milton Industries sent rep

A Safer Water Skiing Handle

Original: A Safer Water Skiing Handle

пятница, 28 января 2011 г.

Entrepreneurial Retiree’s

Original: Entrepreneurial Retiree's

Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm Story

Original: Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm Story

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Fri, 2011-01-28 11:32.
Posted in: Crazy Money
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You



Uncle Milton Uncle Milton Giant Ant Farm

Milton Levine liked to give his customers advice from the Bible: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways and be wise."

Mr. Levine, who died Jan. 16 at age 97, knew whereof he spoke. He introduced the Ant Farm to America in 1956.

A mail-order entrepreneur, Mr. Levine said he came to the revelation at a Fourth of July picnic that included the inevitable uninvited insect guests.

Mr. Levine developed the narrow green plastic case with barn and windmill that became a toy sensation of 1957-58, when two million were sold.

Mr. Levine made no claims to have invented the formicarium, as homes for ants are formally called. A patent on one was issued in 1937 to a Dartmouth professor who made and sold "Ant Palaces" from a workshop in Hanover, Vt.

But Mr. Levine, who knew a lot about ants despite lacking formal training, insisted the formicarium was older still. "They're about as old as glass itself," he told The Wall Street Journal in 1958.

The son of Russian Jewish immigrants, Mr. Levine was born in Pittsburgh. His father was a dry cleaner, and Mr. L evine's main contact with ants came on visits to his uncle's farm, where he gathered them into mini-terrariums he constructed in Mason jars.

After serving in the Army in World War II, he and his brother-in-law, E. Joseph Cossman, started a mail-order business selling toy soldiers through ads in comic books. Later, they sold novelties like shrunken heads and spud guns.

The Ant Farm was initially sold by mail and later through retailers nationwide. Each Ant Farm came with a coupon for a vial of ants that was mailed separately, since ants don't have a long shelf life.

The ants themselves—red ants known as Pogonomyrmex californicus—were collected in the desert by workers armed with shovels and vacuums. At first they were paid a penny per ant, and the Christian Science Monitor reported in 1967 that the most productive of them made $3,000 weekly.

In 1965, Mr. Levine bought out Mr. Cossman, who went on to become a marketing consultant and author of "How I Made A Million In Mail Order."

Mr. Levine renamed his company Uncle Milton Industries—he said it was "Uncle" Milton because people often asked him if he was in the ant business, where was the uncle?

In a 1970 book Mr. Levine wrote, "Ant Facts and Fantasies," he explained that "this writer is of the opinion that ants are truly socialist. After all, their life is truly a communal one."

As the Cold War was winding down in 1989, Uncle Milton Industries sent rep

More donations to charity via rounded-up credit card purchases

Original: More donations to charity via rounded-up credit card purchases

The virtual ink had barely dried on our story about SwipeGood when we received word of Pennies, a like-minded UK contender. Billed as "the electronic charity box," Pennies aims to provide an "easy, affordable, private and secure way for people to donate between 1 penny and 99 pence to UK charities, big and small, as they shop and pay by card," in the site's own words.

Originally launched last November with the support of Domino's Pizza, Pennies gives shoppers the option to donate a few pennies — whatever it takes to round up their purchase total — when they pay by debit card, credit card or electronically. Using the service involves tapping just a single button on the Chip or PIN machine in-store, or clicking once on the mouse for an online purchase. Shoppers who approve the donation can, however, make a big difference, the site maintains. If just half of the UK's card holders approved just 8 pence a week in donations, for example — the full amount of which goes to the designated charities — it would generate an additional GBP 89 million every year, Pennies says. Most — roughly 75 percent — of donated funds go to the charities retailers have nominated. The rest goes to supporting children, the elderly, the sick or disabled and generally anyone who needs a helping hand. Shoppers can always view the selections of participating retailers and approve their donations.

Travelodge and UK-based Zizzi Pizza are the latest retailers to partner with Pennies. Other retailers and charities around the globe: How about you?


Website: www.pennies.org.uk
Contact: info@pennies.org.uk

Spotted by: David Lundholm

четверг, 27 января 2011 г.

Don't Sell Pizza, Teach How To Make One!

Original: Don't Sell Pizza, Teach How To Make One!

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Thu, 2011-01-27 09:47.
Posted in: Odd Numbers
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://pizzaacasa.com/

Last year The Village Voice declared Mark Bello's pizza one of the three best in New York City. And it is sensational: a thin, crisp crust paved with the ideal balance of cheese and sauce, finished with fresh basil and a drizzle of top-grade olive oil.

But you can't buy it. You have to make it. And this in a city with more than 1,800 pizzerias.

Bello is the founder of Pizza a Casa, a "pizza self-sufficiency center" on the Lower East Side where he passes on what he's learned over a lifetime obsessing on the perfect pie. Students spend four hours and $150 learning how to make something they could buy--in cheesier form--for about $2 on most street corners. The classes, offered three days a week, sell out so fast he recommends signing up two months in advance; demand is so strong he has started offering pasta sessions as well.

Bello, who is self-taught, had been giving pizza classes around the city and in his own apartment in Chinatown for five years before he decided to literally set up shop, with a kitchen classroom and pizza equipment to sell, from peels to wheels. Student reaction to his personality and his itinerant classes had been so enthusiastic--both word-of-mouth and on online survey sites like Zerve.com--that last April he opened with a waiting list.

Pizza a Casa is a niche business, but Bello notes that more and more Americans are willing to pay to learn to cook at home, especially in this economy. And hands-on is a better way to learn than watching television or reading a cookbook. "Simple food is not easy, and aspiring pizza-makers know that," he says.

Using his arts background--he has a master's degree in sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago--Bello designed every inch of the stylish 450-square-foot space. There's a trestle table down the center outfitted with a marble slab for each of as many as 16 students and a tiny station in one corner where he can demonstrate his "deejay-twist" action to stretch dough and have it telecast by "dough cam" onto the overhead screen next to the home-style ovens.

Bello opened on a Manhattan shoestring: less than $150,000 from a furniture business he started after grad school and turned over to a partner. He also says he was "not afraid to pick up a power tool" or to barter like crazy. One example: "I wanted to show you can make pizza in any oven," so he presented his business plan to the Viking appliance company and persuaded it to donate equipment.

Bello chose the right location, too, on the same block as the famous Kossar's Bialys shop and the Doughnut Plant, which draws tourists even from Japan. Then he let former students and friends in the media spread the word.

More than 1,000 students have baked th

Tackling Small Business Taxes

Original: Tackling Small Business Taxes

Dutch solar cycle path generates electricity

Original: Dutch solar cycle path generates electricity



The drive for sustainable energy has seen solar panels embedded in everything from phones to window panes to insect traps. However, the government of North Holland is now planning to install solar panels on a cycle path near the town of Krommenie, near Amsterdam.

The Solaroad project has been developed by the TNO research institute alongside the Province of North Holland, the Ooms Avenhorn Group and Imtech. The design was unveiled at concept stage yesterday and is scheduled to be installed in 2012. The modular system consists of thick concrete blocks covered in a 1cm thick layer of silicon solar cells, which are then protected by toughed glass. It is expected to generate 50 kWh per square meter per year — electricity that can then be used for street lighting, traffic systems, or for household use.

The wave of solar innovations shows no sign of slowing down. Meanwhile, governments and businesses around the world are clamoring for a piece of the solar pie. Where does your brand fit in?

Website: www.tno.nl/solaroad
Contact: infodesk@tno.nl

среда, 26 января 2011 г.

Solar Cinema

Original: Solar Cinema

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Tue, 2011-01-18 09:31.
Posted in: Odd Numbers
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.thesolcinema.org/

Cinemas around the world are faced with the challenge of recapturing the public's imagination, creating a compelling experience to drag customers away from their smaller-screen rivals. The latest attempt we've spotted has taken a micro approach, creating a tiny cinema from a 1960s caravan to showcase films from the local area.

The Sol Cinema seats just 8 adults or 12 children in quirky surrounds, featuring two tiers of plush seating and an LED projector. A dedicated usher sells tickets and shows the audience to their seats. Furthermore, the entire operation is powered by a 120W solar panel and lithium batteries. The cinema is part of a non-profit project and is available to organisations wishing to showcase short films in their local community. It has already toured a number of music and arts festivals in the UK.

The Sol Cinema has been attracting a lot of attention for its novel approach in the UK. Combining an intimate auditorium with local content and an eco-twist seems to be a winning formula. What lessons can you learn and apply in your local market...?

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day -

If variety is the spice of life, then most of us live a fairly bland existence on our desktop computers, whose background wallpaper we tend to leave the same, day after day. Enter Wallcast, a new application that transforms desktop wallpaper into a dynamic photo collage featuring a rotating selection of the user's favorite pictures.

To get started, users of Wallcast — which is now in beta — create an online account, upload at least five pictures and download the free desktop application. Wallcast then turns the user's static desktop background into an array of photos that's refreshed every three hours, or however often the user requests. Users can select a background image from among various options offered by Wallcast. Meanwhile, each Wallcast account gets a unique email address, so pictures can be added online, by email or via a separate iPhone app. Even friends and family can be invited to contribute photos to a user's Wallcast account, and Wallcast will detect and display those new photos automatically. Wallcast is available as a free download for PC and Mac; its iPhone app is available through Apple's App Store.

Created by Canadian LimeFlag, Wallcast may well end up serving ads if its terms of service are any indication. If that's the case, then an even better approach might be to offer consumers something like this as a brand butler service instead, with no ads to spoil the personalized effect. How could your brand help consumers personalize their computers even more...? (Related: Digital photo booth uses free photos as brand marketing toolCollaborative photo books help groups tell storiesOnline portal gathers wedding photos from guests.)

Website: www.wallcast.com
Contact: wallcast@limeflag.com

Spotted by: Marie Asselin

Samuel Adams Helping Fund Small Businesses With Microloans

Original: Samuel Adams Helping Fund Small Businesses With Microloans

вторник, 25 января 2011 г.

Finger Free Denture Removal

Original: Finger Free Denture Removal

Solar Cinema

Original: Solar Cinema

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Tue, 2011-01-18 09:31.
Posted in: Odd Numbers
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.thesolcinema.org/

Cinemas around the world are faced with the challenge of recapturing the public's imagination, creating a compelling experience to drag customers away from their smaller-screen rivals. The latest attempt we've spotted has taken a micro approach, creating a tiny cinema from a 1960s caravan to showcase films from the local area.

The Sol Cinema seats just 8 adults or 12 children in quirky surrounds, featuring two tiers of plush seating and an LED projector. A dedicated usher sells tickets and shows the audience to their seats. Furthermore, the entire operation is powered by a 120W solar panel and lithium batteries. The cinema is part of a non-profit project and is available to organisations wishing to showcase short films in their local community. It has already toured a number of music and arts festivals in the UK.

The Sol Cinema has been attracting a lot of attention for its novel approach in the UK. Combining an intimate auditorium with local content and an eco-twist seems to be a winning formula. What lessons can you learn and apply in your local market...?

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day -

Musical bands can benefit in myriad ways from the online world, whether through analytics tools, fan recruitment or crowdfunding help. Now, Canadian Viinyl is a site that offers bands a unique URL for every song.

Currently in private beta, Montreal-based Viinyl gives musical bands an attractive landing page for each song they create. There's currently no cost to bands, and each site comes with lyrics, artwork, videos, notes, various download options, promotional tools, analytics, and more. The site explains: "The viinyl platform turns your song into an interactive website — a digital version of the 45rpm single with artwork and videos. Viinyl sites are optimized to travel the web, engage fans, grow market demand for your band and increase customer loyalty using marketing techniques for the web."

Music fans increasingly discover and share their favorite artists online. Viinyl has developed a compelling new platform, what can you offer...? (Related: Online tool gives musicians one-stop band managementAn iPhone app for every band.)

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

Spotted by: Kevin

понедельник, 24 января 2011 г.

RIP Rich Whittle

Original: RIP Rich Whittle

Your voice, transformed into a work of art

Original: Your voice, transformed into a work of art

There's nothing like a lasting representation of one's life to create a sense of immortality, which is why we've seen gravanity services such as You Look Like a Million Dollars and Requiem for You for the very rich, and life-caching offerings such as Sentemental for everyone else. The latest spotting? VoicePrints, which transforms the unique sound of the human voice into a visual work of art.

Customers of Toronto-based VoicePrints begin by choosing the color and size of the print they'd like to order. They then upload a recording of the voice or voices they'd like to immortalize. Recordings can be of an individual's voice or the combined sounds of a couple or group; ideally, the people included should be saying between one and five words. A baby's first utterances, a couple's wedding vows, a team cheer or even a cherished pet dog's bark are examples listed by VoicePrints. Pricing starts at USD 120 for an 8.5-by-11-inch print on canvas; acid-free paper options begin at USD 129. Shipping is free within North America.

If consumers are interested in seeing their likeness on everything from miniature dolls to wrapping paper to M&Ms candy, it seems safe to say they'll value seeing other aspects of themselves immortalized as well. Nonprofits: VoicePrints is currently seeking a charity to partner with. All others: How can your brand tap into this perennial human need...?

Website: www.voiceprintsart.com
Contact: www.voiceprintsart.com/media/contact-us.html

Spotted by: Susan Johnston

Solar Cinema

Original: Solar Cinema

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Tue, 2011-01-18 09:31.
Posted in: Odd Numbers
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.thesolcinema.org/

Cinemas around the world are faced with the challenge of recapturing the public's imagination, creating a compelling experience to drag customers away from their smaller-screen rivals. The latest attempt we've spotted has taken a micro approach, creating a tiny cinema from a 1960s caravan to showcase films from the local area.

The Sol Cinema seats just 8 adults or 12 children in quirky surrounds, featuring two tiers of plush seating and an LED projector. A dedicated usher sells tickets and shows the audience to their seats. Furthermore, the entire operation is powered by a 120W solar panel and lithium batteries. The cinema is part of a non-profit project and is available to organisations wishing to showcase short films in their local community. It has already toured a number of music and arts festivals in the UK.

The Sol Cinema has been attracting a lot of attention for its novel approach in the UK. Combining an intimate auditorium with local content and an eco-twist seems to be a winning formula. What lessons can you learn and apply in your local market...?

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day -

воскресенье, 23 января 2011 г.

Crowdfunding investment for social enterprises

Original: Crowdfunding investment for social enterprises

We've featured many crowdfunding efforts in recent years, from software projects to breweries. Meanwhile, online lending platform Kiva has sourced millions of dollars in small loans to developing countries. Now, combining elements of both, we've spotted a new platform that will enable small to medium sized social enterprises to raise funds from people around the world.

Due to launch in February 2011, 33needs operates in much the same way that Kickstarter does for the creative community, but instead turns the focus entirely on social enterprises — allowing ordinary people to invest, make a social impact, and earn a return. Social entrepreneurs begin by applying to the 33needs investment committee, providing information and an introductory video to their project. If they are accepted then they can select a 30 or 60 day period within which to raise a chosen amount, using built-in sharing tools to promote their cause. If the goal is reached, then funding pledges are transferred into investment, minus 5% for 33needs. If the fundraising falls short of its target, then no money changes hands. 33needs sidesteps restrictive US securities legislation by offering a revenue sharing agreement to investors rather than an exchange of security.

The site has already received applications from over 700 enterprises keen to be featured. Clearly there's a healthy demand from entrepreneurs, and there's certainly a growing mass of socially-conscious consumers out there to provide the necessary funding. What can you do to bring the two together?

Website: www.33needs.com
Contact: josh@33needs.com

Solar Cinema

Original: Solar Cinema

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Tue, 2011-01-18 09:31.
Posted in: Odd Numbers
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.thesolcinema.org/

Cinemas around the world are faced with the challenge of recapturing the public's imagination, creating a compelling experience to drag customers away from their smaller-screen rivals. The latest attempt we've spotted has taken a micro approach, creating a tiny cinema from a 1960s caravan to showcase films from the local area.

The Sol Cinema seats just 8 adults or 12 children in quirky surrounds, featuring two tiers of plush seating and an LED projector. A dedicated usher sells tickets and shows the audience to their seats. Furthermore, the entire operation is powered by a 120W solar panel and lithium batteries. The cinema is part of a non-profit project and is available to organisations wishing to showcase short films in their local community. It has already toured a number of music and arts festivals in the UK.

The Sol Cinema has been attracting a lot of attention for its novel approach in the UK. Combining an intimate auditorium with local content and an eco-twist seems to be a winning formula. What lessons can you learn and apply in your local market...?

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day -

суббота, 22 января 2011 г.

Crowdfunding investment for social enterprises

Original: Crowdfunding investment for social enterprises

We've featured many crowdfunding efforts in recent years, from software projects to breweries. Meanwhile, online lending platform Kiva has sourced millions of dollars in small loans to developing countries. Now, combining elements of both, we've spotted a new platform that will enable small to medium sized social enterprises to raise funds from people around the world.

Due to launch in February 2011, 33needs operates in much the same way that Kickstarter does for the creative community, but instead turns the focus entirely on social enterprises — allowing ordinary people to invest, make a social impact, and earn a return. Social entrepreneurs begin by applying to the 33needs investment committee, providing information and an introductory video to their project. If they are accepted then they can select a 30 or 60 day period within which to raise a chosen amount, using built-in sharing tools to promote their cause. If the goal is reached, then funding pledges are transferred into investment, minus 5% for 33needs. If the fundraising falls short of its target, then no money changes hands. 33needs sidesteps restrictive US securities legislation by offering a revenue sharing agreement to investors rather than an exchange of security.

The site has already received applications from over 700 enterprises keen to be featured. Clearly there's a healthy demand from entrepreneurs, and there's certainly a growing mass of socially-conscious consumers out there to provide the necessary funding. What can you do to bring the two together?

Website: www.33needs.com
Contact: josh@33needs.com

Solar Cinema

Original: Solar Cinema

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Tue, 2011-01-18 09:31.
Posted in: Odd Numbers
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.thesolcinema.org/

Cinemas around the world are faced with the challenge of recapturing the public's imagination, creating a compelling experience to drag customers away from their smaller-screen rivals. The latest attempt we've spotted has taken a micro approach, creating a tiny cinema from a 1960s caravan to showcase films from the local area.

The Sol Cinema seats just 8 adults or 12 children in quirky surrounds, featuring two tiers of plush seating and an LED projector. A dedicated usher sells tickets and shows the audience to their seats. Furthermore, the entire operation is powered by a 120W solar panel and lithium batteries. The cinema is part of a non-profit project and is available to organisations wishing to showcase short films in their local community. It has already toured a number of music and arts festivals in the UK.

The Sol Cinema has been attracting a lot of attention for its novel approach in the UK. Combining an intimate auditorium with local content and an eco-twist seems to be a winning formula. What lessons can you learn and apply in your local market...?

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day -

пятница, 21 января 2011 г.

Small Businesses Sold In California On The Rise

Original: Small Businesses Sold In California On The Rise

Solar Cinema

Original: Solar Cinema

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Tue, 2011-01-18 09:31.
Posted in: Odd Numbers
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.thesolcinema.org/

Cinemas around the world are faced with the challenge of recapturing the public's imagination, creating a compelling experience to drag customers away from their smaller-screen rivals. The latest attempt we've spotted has taken a micro approach, creating a tiny cinema from a 1960s caravan to showcase films from the local area.

The Sol Cinema seats just 8 adults or 12 children in quirky surrounds, featuring two tiers of plush seating and an LED projector. A dedicated usher sells tickets and shows the audience to their seats. Furthermore, the entire operation is powered by a 120W solar panel and lithium batteries. The cinema is part of a non-profit project and is available to organisations wishing to showcase short films in their local community. It has already toured a number of music and arts festivals in the UK.

The Sol Cinema has been attracting a lot of attention for its novel approach in the UK. Combining an intimate auditorium with local content and an eco-twist seems to be a winning formula. What lessons can you learn and apply in your local market...?

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day -

Consumers may be able to store their digitized memories along with their DNA at high-security Swiss DNA Bank, but UK-based Sentemental now offers a somewhat more accessible approach to preserving life's most treasured moments. Through Sentemental, consumers can upload all the kids' drawings, Christmas cards, photographs, personal notes and other mementos they've collected over the years for preservation and sharing online.

Users of Sentemental begin by signing up with the site and uploading whatever materials they want to preserve; any they can't digitize themselves can be sent to Sentemental, which will do it for them. Uploaded materials are then kept safe in a private area of the site that's easily accessible to the user. Materials can also be shared with friends and posted via Facebook and Twitter. It is free to set up an account and share materials via Sentemental, while scanning services begin at GBP 9.99 for up to 50 items.

Today's 'transumers' are increasingly averse to ownership in general, so why not help them divest themselves of all those dusty, paper-based souvenirs once and for all? One to partner with or emulate locally! (Related: For parents, a life caching service targeting young childrenVoice mail to voice quilt.)

Website: www.sentemental.co.uk
Contact: www.sentemental.co.uk/content/contact-us

Spotted by: Allan Brown

четверг, 20 января 2011 г.

Rollerblade Inventor Peddling New Ideas

Original: Rollerblade Inventor Peddling New Ideas

Rounding up credit card purchases creates a monthly donation to charity

Original: Rounding up credit card purchases creates a monthly donation to charity

It makes sense that reducing the effort involved in donating to charity should increase donations overall. That's part of the premise behind Method's clothes-collecting laundry truck, and it's also inherent in online donation-generators such as ProcrasDonate. Now, San Francisco-based SwipeGood aims to accomplish something similar, this time harnessing consumers' use of credit cards.

Users of SwipeGood begin by signing up with the service and selecting the charity they'd like to help. They also register the credit card they'd like to use toward that end. Once that's done, they simply go about their normal daily routine, using the designated credit card as they normally would. The only difference is that for each purchase made using that card, SwipeGood rounds up the amount spent to the nearest dollar, donating the difference to the user's chosen charity at the end of each month. On average, just that simple rounding up process amounts to about USD 20 per month, SwipeGood says, though users can also set an upper limit. Participation in SwipeGood is free for charities; donors pay a fee to the service of 5 percent of each monthly donation.

As an interesting side note, SwipeGood's management and advisory teams include founders of Blippy and Supercool School, both of which have appeared on our virtual pages in the past. Charitable organizations: one to get involved in!

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

Spotted by Troy Tessalone

Solar Cinema

Original: Solar Cinema

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Tue, 2011-01-18 09:31.
Posted in: Odd Numbers
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.thesolcinema.org/

Cinemas around the world are faced with the challenge of recapturing the public's imagination, creating a compelling experience to drag customers away from their smaller-screen rivals. The latest attempt we've spotted has taken a micro approach, creating a tiny cinema from a 1960s caravan to showcase films from the local area.

The Sol Cinema seats just 8 adults or 12 children in quirky surrounds, featuring two tiers of plush seating and an LED projector. A dedicated usher sells tickets and shows the audience to their seats. Furthermore, the entire operation is powered by a 120W solar panel and lithium batteries. The cinema is part of a non-profit project and is available to organisations wishing to showcase short films in their local community. It has already toured a number of music and arts festivals in the UK.

The Sol Cinema has been attracting a lot of attention for its novel approach in the UK. Combining an intimate auditorium with local content and an eco-twist seems to be a winning formula. What lessons can you learn and apply in your local market...?

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day -

среда, 19 января 2011 г.

Solar Cinema

Original: Solar Cinema

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Tue, 2011-01-18 09:31.
Posted in: Odd Numbers
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.thesolcinema.org/

Cinemas around the world are faced with the challenge of recapturing the public's imagination, creating a compelling experience to drag customers away from their smaller-screen rivals. The latest attempt we've spotted has taken a micro approach, creating a tiny cinema from a 1960s caravan to showcase films from the local area.

The Sol Cinema seats just 8 adults or 12 children in quirky surrounds, featuring two tiers of plush seating and an LED projector. A dedicated usher sells tickets and shows the audience to their seats. Furthermore, the entire operation is powered by a 120W solar panel and lithium batteries. The cinema is part of a non-profit project and is available to organisations wishing to showcase short films in their local community. It has already toured a number of music and arts festivals in the UK.

The Sol Cinema has been attracting a lot of attention for its novel approach in the UK. Combining an intimate auditorium with local content and an eco-twist seems to be a winning formula. What lessons can you learn and apply in your local market...?

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

Link of the day -

It makes sense that reducing the effort involved in donating to charity should increase donations overall. That's part of the premise behind Method's clothes-collecting laundry truck, and it's also inherent in online donation-generators such as ProcrasDonate. Now, San Francisco-based SwipeGood aims to accomplish something similar, this time harnessing consumers' use of credit cards.

Users of SwipeGood begin by signing up with the service and selecting the charity they'd like to help. They also register the credit card they'd like to use toward that end. Once that's done, they simply go about their normal daily routine, using the designated credit card as they normally would. The only difference is that for each purchase made using that card, SwipeGood rounds up the amount spent to the nearest dollar, donating the difference to the user's chosen charity at the end of each month. On average, just that simple rounding up process amounts to about USD 20 per month, SwipeGood says, though users can also set an upper limit. Participation in SwipeGood is free for charities; donors pay a fee to the service of 5 percent of each monthly donation.

As an interesting side note, SwipeGood's management and advisory teams include founders of Blippy and Supercool School, both of which have appeared on our virtual pages in the past. Charitable organizations: one to get involved in!

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

Spotted by Troy Tessalone

RGJ’s Entrepreneur Of The Year

Original: RGJ's Entrepreneur Of The Year

вторник, 18 января 2011 г.

Solar Cinema

Original: Solar Cinema

Submitted by Dmitri Davydov on Tue, 2011-01-18 09:31.
Posted in: Odd Numbers
Link of the day - If You Sell Links On Your Site, I Will Buy Them Off You


http://www.thesolcinema.org/

Cinemas around the world are faced with the challenge of recapturing the public's imagination, creating a compelling experience to drag customers away from their smaller-screen rivals. The latest attempt we've spotted has taken a micro approach, creating a tiny cinema from a 1960s caravan to showcase films from the local area.

The Sol Cinema seats just 8 adults or 12 children in quirky surrounds, featuring two tiers of plush seating and an LED projector. A dedicated usher sells tickets and shows the audience to their seats. Furthermore, the entire operation is powered by a 120W solar panel and lithium batteries. The cinema is part of a non-profit project and is available to organisations wishing to showcase short films in their local community. It has already toured a number of music and arts festivals in the UK.

The Sol Cinema has been attracting a lot of attention for its novel approach in the UK. Combining an intimate auditorium with local content and an eco-twist seems to be a winning formula. What lessons can you learn and apply in your local market...?

For more unusual ways to make money, visit this site.

[Via - Springwise]

The Million-Dollar Idea in Everyone: Easy New Ways to Make Money from Your Interests, Insights, and Inventions

IdeaSpotting: How to Find Your Next Great Idea

How to Make Millions with Your Ideas: An Entrepreneur's Guide by Dan S. Kennedy

101 Businesses You Can Start With Less Than One Thousand Dollars: For Stay-at-Home Moms & Dads

Make Your Ideas Mean Business

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