In Nigeria, recycling rewards via SMS
Online platforms such as France’s CitéGreen have enabled consumers to receive rewards for eco behavior, but what about regions where the internet isn’t so readily available? Wecyclers is a project based in Nigeria that aims to incentivize recycling through text message points that can be exchanged for everyday items. READ MORE…
Listings site aims to be Craigslist for disabled people
Disabled residents of London have already been kept aware of some of the stylish events happening at locations with access for wheelchair users through the Blue Badge Style platform. In a similar vein, New York-based Ability List is now hoping to become the Craigslist for less able people. READ MORE…
Marblar turns its hand to crowdsourcing civilian uses for military technology
Regular readers of Springwise may remember our coverage back in October of Marblar, the UK platform for helping scientists find alternative consumer uses for their medical patents and inventions. Now the company has announced a new partnership with Ploughshare Innovations – part of Britain’s Ministry of Defence – to put military innovations to good use for the rest of society. READ MORE…
Android smartphone app triangulates gunfire
We recently wrote about Vaporsens, the handheld electronic dog’s nose that can help police forces accurately detect illegal substances. Now, researchers at the Vanderbilt University in Nashville have developed a smartphone app that can detect the origin of gunfire. READ MORE…
Points-based supermarket tackles unemployment in Italy
The People’s Supermarket in London is one example of a grocery store that offers lower prices in exchange for a few hours work each month. Now the Portobello supermarket in Italy is hoping to use the business model to tackle unemployment and poverty in an area struck by the credit crisis. READ MORE…
Data analytics app provides detailed hyper-local information
We recently wrote about Homesnap – an augmented reality app that enables locals to bring up real estate data about any home in the neighborhood. Now BlockAvenue is bringing more data to the hyper-local level, offering detailed statistics about specific blocks in the US. READ MORE…
Government-created app suite aims to improve experience of Brazilian city
While Boston authorities are making their civic services mobile with its City Hall To Go scheme, the Brazilian city of Curibita is using a new suite of apps to benefit its residents. Passaporte Curabita features a range of apps that aim to improve users’ experience of the city. READ MORE…
NYPD launch citizen crime reporting app
Considering the increasing prevalence of smartphones in many countries, it’s no wonder that civic authorities are taking advantage of easier ways to connect with citizens. We’ve already seen Rio De Janeiro’s 1746 app – offering a convenient way for residents to lodge complaints – and now the New York Police Department has launched its own app, providing information and interactivity to those living in the city. READ MORE…
In Boston, a food truck-inspired roaming City Hall van
Government authorities have already experimented with new ways to connect to constituents, such as collecting civic complaints via a smartphone app in Rio de Janeiro. Now the City of Boston has launched its City Hall To Go scheme, which is bringing civic services to residents in their neighbourhoods. READ MORE…
In Canada, drivers’ Bluetooth transmissions used for real-time congestion info
Government innovations such as Egypt’s Cairo Transport App Challenge have seen the crowds tapped for solutions to traffic congestion. However, the City of Calgary is now making use of their citizens’ communication tools by trialling its Bluetooth traffic tracking program, harnessing data anonymously from drivers’ cell phones. READ MORE…
