Making it as straightforward as possible for young people to get checked out, a London council has initiated a new Chlamydia testing system. The service, offered by NHS Hounslow in West London, lets residents between 16 and 24 go online to request a free self-testing kit by post. In their own time and space, users provide a urine or swab sample and post it off to a laboratory. The results are delivered by text message or post, depending on the user's preference.
The service began in February 2009, announced using less high-tech systems: 19,000 of the borough's residents aged 16-24 received a letter announcing the scheme. Despite such wide reach, the text messaging service will not be automated. Real people will write the initial text messages and will provide text responses to queries, giving users the personalised advice and information they need without the awkwardness of speaking to someone over the phone. By choosing less engaging types of communication, the council expects to engage more users. Which is a smart example of tailoring your approach to your audience's needs. One for others to follow, in healthcare and beyond?
Website: www.tdlpathology.com/hounslow
Travelling by air is fraught with uncertainties, from delays to cancellations to lost bags. Savvy travellers can already use Delaycast to assess their chances of having to wait longer than they'd planned, and now another brand-new service helps them notify the people who matter to them once they finally land safely on the ground.
ArrivedOK, a new service from Texas-based Eyeline Communications, lets air travellers automatically alert others that they've arrived at their destination. Users of the service, which just entered public beta, begin by scheduling their flight with the destination airport and expected arrival time, along with the phone numbers or emails of the contacts they'd like to be notified once they arrive. They can also compose personalized messages to be sent to different groups of recipients. They turn off their mobile phone during the trip, as generally required; then, when their plane lands and they turn it back on, ArrivedOK tracks their cell phone in the mobile network and instantly sends those tailored 'Arrived OK' messages to the designated recipients via SMS, email, Twitter or the user's blog. (Recipients must subscribe to a GSM/UMTS network for phone notification.) ArriveOK's technology is even smart enough to discern when a user turns on their phone much earlier than expected-indicating a problem-or when they turn it on in a country other than the one that was planned; in both cases, recipients are not notified, and the user receives an error message instead. The overall result? Not just a simpler and easier process on the traveller's part, but also a much less expensive one, since ArrivedOK alerts are three to eight times cheaper than calling or texting from abroad, Eyeline says.
ArrivedOK is being beta-tested in 10 countries-Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Russia, South Africa and Spain-through the end of May, and is free during that time. One to try out, partner with, or otherwise get involved in?
Website: www.arrivedok.mobi/helloContact: andrey.deriabin@eyeline.mobi
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Consumers have been able to book taxis by cell phone for some time now, but a new, Virginia-based service aims to expand that capability with a comprehensive-and nationwide-paperless approach that includes mobile ride tracking and payment as well.
RideCharge allows consumers to book a ride, follow the taxi's progress toward their location and then pay the fare using their mobile phone. Users of the service can schedule their ride either online or via a mobile application available for iPhone, Blackberry and Windows Mobile. To do that, they enter the time and place they'd like to be picked up along with where they'll need to be dropped off; RideCharge then displays options offered by participating taxi, sedan, limo and shuttle services in the area that meet the user's criteria. (In areas that don't yet have an affiliated company, phone numbers for local transportation companies are displayed instead.) After comparing options and making a selection, users can then view the status of their ride both online and in the mobile application, and a reminder is sent an hour before the pickup is due to take place. Finally, at the conclusion of the ride, users can pay both fare and tip with their mobile device and download an e-receipt, eliminating the need to keep track of paper receipts for reimbursement. Included in the charge is RideCharge's own fee of USD 1.50 per trip, according to Forbes.com.
Aimed at business travellers, RideCharge promises to help
corporate travel managers track and control ground travel expenses
with a unified, electronic approach to what has been a highly
fragmented and paper-based service. Currently, however, it serves
only major US cities; one to partner with or emulate in other parts
of the world?
Contact: info@ridecharge.com
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There's no doubt the internet has transformed the way people communicate; what's less clear is that people are willing to let the old methods disappear. We've already seen companies that transform emails into paper letters; now, an Australian contender has resurrected none other than the classic telegram.
Focusing on the role telegrams have long played as historical records documenting significant events, Telegram Stop provides novelty telegrams with a classic look and feel that's designed for posterity. Users simply type their message online-up to 400 characters are allowed-and then preview the resulting telegram, which includes the traditional "stop" in place of periods. Both domestic and international service is available for a single, set price of USD 4.70; delivery takes 4 to 6 business days.
The more things change, the more they stay the same, as they say-particularly when consumers are willing to pay a price for nostalgia. One to emulate on a niche basis, such as birth announcements or wedding invitations....?
Website: www.telegramstop.com
Contact:
www.telegramstop.com/Contact.mvc.aspx
A Dutch car insurer for women recently launched a useful new service. As soon as weather warnings are issued about conditions that could make driving hazardous, Onna-onna sends its clients a text message advising them to be extra alert or even stay off the road. The company relies on weather reports from the National Meteorological Institute, and provides the text messages free of charge to clients who have signed up for them.
Aiming to reduce the number of accidents caused by heavy winds, icy roads and severe thunderstorms, the warning service is part of Onna-onna's wider efforts to promote road safety. Which isn't a purely philanthropic gesture, of course-lower accident rates are good for any insurer's bottom line. Onna-onna is planning to trial the service for a year before evaluating and potentially adding other SMS-based perks.
For companies trying to build their brand and forge meaningful relationships with their customers, text messages offer a relatively inexpensive way to keep in touch. And a powerful one, if used to share information that's both relevant and useful. What would your customers like to hear from your brand, in 160 characters or less?
Website: www.onna-onna.nl
Contact:
www.onna-onna.nl/klantenservice/contact
As if phones didn't already do enough, one of the latest mobile apps transforms iPhones and iPod Touches into portable charge card terminals. ProcessAway plugs into Authorize.net's payment processing platform, allowing entrepreneurs to accept credit card payments anywhere they can access the internet.
After downloading the app and (separately) setting up a merchant account with Authorize.net, clients can use ProcessAway like a traditional charge card terminal: enter the amount, input the card number, expiry date and verification code, and process. There's even a tip option for service businesses. Customers receive an email receipt for each transaction, and merchants can view transactions and process refunds on the fly. Aware that consumers might be weary of having their credit card details punched into a phone, ProcessAway stresses that's a secure application: information is never stored in the phone and the program won't connect to anything other than the terminal.
If it can gain trust and acceptance, ProcessAway could be particularly useful for those who need to process and authorise payments on-the-go, like on-site consultants or handymen. It's also useful at venues that don't have fixed terminals: antique shows, market stalls and music merchandise stands.
ProcessAway is available from Apple's App Store for USD 19.99, and Authorize.net collects its usual transaction fees. ProcessAway isn't the only one playing this field: Innerfence released its slightly more basic Credit Card Terminal app late last year. Although both programs are currently only available in the US, they could be a valuable tool for minipreneurs in other parts of the world.
Website: www.processaway.net
Providing a new solution to an old problem, ReadyPing lets restaurants notify guests by text message when their table is ready. The system aims to improve on restaurant pagers, which require a substantial upfront investment plus maintenance costs, and have a limited range. Restaurants don't need to purchase new hardware to use ReadyPing; all that's required is an internet connection and a computer. ReadyPing charges a flat monthly fee of USD 35, which includes sending an unlimited number of 'pings'.
To use the system, hosts enter a party's name, number of guests,
and their mobile number. When their table is available, the host
clicks a button to send a customizable text message. Launched in
January 2009, ReadyPing is currently only available in the United
States, but it definitely has potential in other time-strapped
parts of the world. Of course, there's no reason why similar
systems couldn't be used by other types of businesses. One to
brainstorm on?
Website: www.readyping.com
Contact:
www.readyping.com/about/contact-us
If wine tastings can be conducted via Twitter, it should come as no surprise to find a wine-recommendation service that's accessible by SMS. Sure enough, Hello Vino is a new wine pairing and suggestion tool that can be accessed both via the web and from any mobile device.
Users in search of wine advice merely visit Hello Vino online or text the word HELLOVINO to 368266. The tool then guides them through a simple question-and-answer process, asking first if the wine they seek is for with a meal, for an occasion, of a specific taste or style or from a particular region. Depending on their choice they are then asked a few additional questions, the ultimate result of which is a short list of specific wines that could fit the bill, including for each the vintage, region and price.
California-based Hello Vino just launched a few weeks ago, and
it's not yet clear exactly how its revenue model will work.
Partnerships with local merchants or vintners seem a likely
possibility, however, since that would also help complete the
picture with information-currently missing from the service-on
where to buy the wines that are recommended. One to test out,
partner with, and take to the next level!
Website: www.hellovino.com
Contact: hello@hellovino.com
Finding an ATM in an unfamiliar city or neighbourhood can be a real hassle. So it's no surprise that various applications have been developed for the iPhone and other mobile devices, that use built-in GPS to map the nearest cash machines. ING Wegwijzer, a new application built for the T-Mobile G1 (Google) phone, takes the concept a step further. The G1 phone has a built-in compass, which means that it can not only determine where users are, but also which direction they're facing. Which gets interesting when combined with the phone's camera, which is what the Dutch bank's new tool does.
How that works? A cash-seeking user opens Wegwijzer, selects the camera mode, and holds the phone as though to take a picture. Layered over the live image of what's in front of him, is a label showing where the nearest ATM is, literally pointing to the building that houses the machine. Which, for most people, is a far more intuitive way to find an object than by looking at a map; it's the phone equivalent of asking a human and having them point to what you're looking for.
Another application that uses augmented reality in a similar way is the Wikitude AR Travel Guide, which taps into location-based Wikipedia content to give travellers details on landmarks they view through their Google phone.
ING Wegwijzer was launched today and is available for free
through Android Market, the Google equivalent of Apple's iPhone App
Store. As mobile devices become increasingly well-equipped,
opportunities abound for brands and entrepreneurs that can help
consumers find whatever it is they're looking for. Time to start
brainstorming and hiring developers!
Website: wegwijzer.ing.nl
Consumers longing to try out the latest mobile devices-whether for fashion or for function-must typically wait for their current contract to expire before trying something new. Aiming to make it possible to sample both more widely and more often, Rentobile provides a wide selection of the latest cell phones for rent on a monthly basis.
Users begin by deciding if they want to become a Rentobile member or simply rent as a guest. Membership rates begin at USD 5 per month; in exchange, members enjoy the site's lowest rental rates and other privileges. They then browse Rentobile's collection-including sections for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon as well as unlocked models-and choose which they'd like to try out first. All models are either new or in like-new condition, Rentobile says, with monthly rental rates beginning at about USD 15. Consumers can rent the device of their choice for as little as a month or as long as they want. A USD 9.95 round-trip shipping charge is assessed up front, so when they're ready for something new, they simply return the item for free and tell Rentobile what to send next.
Launched last year, New Jersey-based Rentobile brings the Netflix model to cell phones, joining a long list of companies that have already brought it to toys, books and snacks, among other goods. All of which should please transumers, consumers who crave opportunities to experience products without contracts or ownership. One to bring to other parts of the world!
Website: www.rentobile.comContact: info@rentobile.com
