Springwise for March 30, 2011 | This week's best new business ideas

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Denmark's new digital postage stamps
	The inevitable replacement of 'snail mail' by free, instant online communication has seen postal operators around the world struggling to maintain relevance. However, in Denmark at least, the post office is not giving up without a fight, with hopes that digitizing their stamp system and enabling mobile payment will modernize the service. READ MORE...

Pop-up store helps launch new software platform
	Pop-up retail is a trend we've been covering for years, but it wasn't until recently that we had seen it put to work for software. Sure enough though, part of Danish software firm Podio's strategy for publicly launching its online work platform last week was a pop-up store on the streets of San Francisco. READ MORE...

Butler rental service provides catered picnics in Amsterdam
	We've covered numerous innovations designed to enliven and re-imagine the picnic experience, from balloon delivered pizza picnics to picnics on snow covered mountain slopes. Now, however, Butler For Hire is aiming to make the traditional picnic altogether less stressful. READ MORE...

Butterflies raised sustainably for release at special events
	Celebrants at outdoor events can already enjoy Sky Orbs as a relatively eco-friendly demonstration of exuberance, but recently we came across another — and perhaps even eco-friendlier — alternative: Butterflies, raised sustainably by Spanish Mariposeando specifically to add an element of natural beauty to special occasions large and small. READ MORE...

Designer lets users create their own dresses from scratch
	Regular readers of Springwise may remember our article on Typeface, the personalized font creator designed by Mary Huang. Now we've discovered Huang's latest efforts have lead her away from typography and into the world of fashion, though still with an emphasis on personalization. Continuum is her new fashion label of "computational couture", based entirely on user-generated design. READ MORE...

Online platform helps couples with relationship management
	Couples in troubled relationships can already turn to the crowds for help resolving their disputes, as we noted a few years ago. A newer option, however, is to use technology to help prevent such disagreements from ever arising. That's the premise behind Tokii, which bills itself as the world's first relationship management platform. READ MORE...

New building block design serves multiple purposes

Sustainable and reclaimed building materials have been featured on our virtual pages numerous times in recent years, but never before have we had occasion to write about something so seemingly esoteric from the architectural world as a "space truss geometry." Until now, that is. Israeli designer Dror Benshetrit recently unveiled a new design for just such a thing, with the potential to change the way buildings, bridges, furniture and even emergency shelters are built. READ MORE...

Yale Law Library loans therapy dog to stressed students

Student care has been a high priority for many Universities for some time now, with increasing importance placed upon personal tutors and campus counselors to care for overall well-being. It goes without saying that traditionally such services have been provided by humans. That is, until now. Yale Law School's library will today be making the library terrier Monty available to take out on loan, in an effort to reduce students' stress levels. READ MORE...

Free mobile banking network launched in South Africa

In South Africa, an estimated 13 million people — 27% of the population — are currently without bank accounts. Simultaneously, 94% of the adult population possess a cell phone. Just as M-PESA realized the potential for mobile technology to bring banking to the masses at low costs, the Branson Centre of Entrepreneurship and Forus Financial Transaction Services will similarly be launching the Mahala Free Banking Platform in May 2011. READ MORE...

Mobile app enables in-seat concession ordering at sports events

It's not unheard of for sports fans to be able to order concessions from the comfort of their seats for delivery during a game — those in special seating areas at San Francisco Giants games, for example, can reportedly do so using a paper-based ordering system. A new mobile app just rolled out by the neighboring San Jose Earthquakes soccer team, however, brings such capabilities to all game attendees with Apple or Android phones. READ MORE...

Online marketplace showcases African artists and their stories
	Regular Springwise readers are already well-acquainted with the power of a good product life story, a big part of which can derive from the person or company behind it. Much the way Crop to Cup, Naked Wines and Shokay all highlight the people who make the products they sell, so African Cartel aims to do something similar for African street artists. READ MORE...

Bracelet features built-in GPS and security alarm system
	As we saw with Hollaback, the mobile app blowing the whistle on street harassment, technology is increasingly coming to the aid of women's wellbeing and security. In a similar vein, we recently came across PFO, a new line of bracelets with built-in GPS defense systems. READ MORE...

App facilitates communication for users unable to speak
	Regular readers of Springwise may remember our article on the LookTel Money Reader app, which can announce the value of paper currency to blind users. In another example of app-based technology coming to the aid of disabled users, we recently came across Verbally, an iPad app which speaks typed sentences and words for users who are unable to talk. READ MORE...

Image tagging service pays users to connect with brands
	Having enough cut-through to get brands noticed by the masses can be tough, which means it's all the more important to make a brand clearly identifiable when it's on show. Enter EmmaActive, an image tagging service that pays users to act as advertisers for brands and products. READ MORE...

Airport perfumes capture cities' scents as travel mementos
	For many travelers, sharing the memory of their trip is as pleasurable as the experience itself. However, while photos, food, music and art can give a flavor of foreign climes, capturing the smell of a city has remained somewhat more problematic. Enter Scent of Departure, a new perfume sold in airport duty-free shops that aims to capture a city's fragrance in a bottle. READ MORE...

Tesco recruits children for new advisory board
	It was less than a year ago that we featured Tesco's experiments with drive-through delivery, but recently we came across a reason to feature the UK grocery retailer again. The innovation this time? The Tesco for Schools & Clubs program, which is now recruiting UK kids to serve on a brand-new advisory board. READ MORE...