(Written by guest contributor Sarah Beek) Sometimes the simplest idea is also the best. The winner of the BetaCup Challenge was announced this week. The BetaCup Challenge was a contest sponsored by Starbucks (along with others) to find a sustainable alternative to the ubiquitous disposable paper (or worse) coffee cup. The winning idea wasn't a coffee cup at all, but rather a very simple tool with the goal of motivating people to bring their own... Continue Reading

Where Are You Now? Location-based services like Foursquare, Gowalla, and BlockChalk are all the rage these days, possibly because they're still so new, but probably also because they offer users the ability to turn their mobile phone addictions into something that can have very tangible real-world benefits in terms of building and maintaining relationships. And while a lot of the attention has been on how these services can facilitate impromptu run-ins with your friends, there... Continue Reading

There’s something to be said for monopolies. Obviously, they’re great when you own one but they have another advantage too. They make life easier. They don’t make life better. But they do make life easier. Just think how much time you’d save if you were to walk into a supermarket and find only one type of bread and one brand of laundry powder and one sort of breakfast cereal. The bread might taste like chalk... Continue Reading