Speed-sale site gives shoppers four seconds to grab a bargain

It's commonplace for “deal a day” sites to set a time limit on the opportunities they present, but it's safe to say that few go as far as Swedish site Speedsale does. In fact, visitors to Speedsale get just one fleeting chance to grab each bargain on the site; once those four seconds have elapsed, the opportunity is gone forever. READ MORE...

In South Africa, cardless ATM withdrawals via mobile phone

The virtual ink had scarcely dried on our story about South Africa's upcoming Mahala Free Banking Platform last week when we received word of yet another mobile banking innovation in the country. Customers of Johannesburg-based First National Bank (FNB) can now make withdrawals from an ATM without a bank card using just their mobile phone. READ MORE...

Project management platform hosts architects’ advice

As anyone who has undertaken renovation or construction in the past will know, the world of architectural specifications and planning permissions can be an overwhelming prospect. Hoping to offer a guiding hand through that world we recently came across Pet Architect — an online platform launched last week to facilitate better relationships between clients and architects. READ MORE...

Pay-as-you-go easyGyms offer no-frills workouts

Regular readers of Springwise may remember our article on Jetts Gym, the no-frills gym that was able to offer cheaper rates as a result of its "bare-necessities" approach. Taking the idea a step further, this summer easyGym will be launching their first two stripped-back gyms – operating on a pay-as-you-go system. READ MORE...

Cultural initiatives benefit from crowdfunding model

We’ve seen numerous industries employing the crowdfunding model to help projects get their feet off the ground, from social enterprises to breweries to telecommunication and web startups. We’re now seeing that same model applied to cultural startups, through Swedish CrowdCulture. READ MORE...

T-shirts with a story and a cause, accessible via QR code

Much the way Rosa Loves raises funds for charity by selling t-shirts emblazoned with the individual stories of those in need, so Tees at Risk does much the same thing for needy teens by selling t-shirts featuring artwork created by the youths themselves. READ MORE...

Bicycle lock can be safely worn around the waist

Cyclists can transport their locks in a variety of ways while they're riding, but most approaches involve inherent disadvantages for safety, flexibility or style. The Hiplok, on the other hand, is a brand-new alternative from UK-based Plus 8 Industries that can be simply worn around the waist when it's not being used. READ MORE...

'Social ideation' platform taps the crowds to help develop new ideas

Even the best ideas are rarely perfected alone, and technology continues to offer ways of bringing creative minds together. Focusing on what it calls “social ideation”, Ahhha is a brand-new crowdsourcing platform that aims to help innovators bring their ideas to life. READ MORE...

At Melbourne festival, multivendor cafe opens for 11 days

Hard on the heels of our coverage of the temporary stores launched by Podio and Playtype comes news of yet another pop-up venture. This time, though, it's not a store but a cafe — one that was designed by Broadsheet to showcase numerous Australian coffee vendors. READ MORE...

New startup incubator focuses on innovation in the health sector

In recent years, our digital pages have featured a number of organizations that are dedicated to nurturing startups, particularly those with a tech focus. New startup catalyst Rock Health however, feels that the health sector is lagging behind other industries when it comes to tech-related creativity, and is hoping to set things straight. READ MORE...

Location-aware album creates unique listening experience

Innovations in the music industry continue to come thick and fast. No sooner had we finished our article on DATAROCK’s new USB single, held inside a diamond shaped toy figurine, than we heard about US-based Bluebrain’s latest endeavor. The Washington duo’s new album — The National Mall — will take the form of a location aware app for the iPhone. READ MORE...

Typeface designers launch pop-up font store

It was only recently that we wrote about Podio, the digital software creator that had taken an unexpected leap into the world of physical pop-up retail. Now we see another example of an unexpected venture onto the street, this time with typeface design. Playtype have recently launched their pop-up store for all things font-related in Copenhagen. READ MORE...

News site highlights analysis by academic and research experts

As the news industry has struggled to redefine itself in recent years, it seems fair to say that the majority of the new approaches we've seen tested out have focused on incorporating the work and views of citizen reporters. A new online publication — The Conversation — recently launched in Australia, however, takes quite a different tack by placing the spotlight on academic and research experts instead. READ MORE...

Norwegian band releases USB single inside a toy figurine

As bands and labels continue to fight against the current downturn in the music industry, we recently found an example of a band really upping the ante. Norweigan dance rockers DATAROCK have just released their new “single”, which comes in the form of a designer toy loaded with a wealth of extra media. READ MORE...

Helping home chicken farmers manage & share their eggs

Urban chicken farming has been featured on our virtual pages on several occasions already, including Rentachook's “try before you buy” approach and Just Us Hens' chicken-sitting service. The latest spotting? Eggzy, a Philadelphia-based site that aims to help promote home-based and small-scale egg farming in the United States. READ MORE...