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 Going gay 
Coffee shops become kidsplay
Digital bodyguard
Aging consumers live a variety of lifestyles. When choosing where to retire-or not retire-active seniors seek worry-free homes, facilities and cities that boost independence, control and convenience. And those with more health concerns and mobility challenges look for the same, along with a generous dose of at-your-fingertips healthcare. Forget the red carpet. Roll out a gold carpet and gain a stable customer base by collaborating with retirement communities. Follow the money, er, retiree. Credit a burgeoning senior population accustomed to having it their way. Within each community category, developers are competing for seniors by erecting tricked-out facilities serving specific sub-cohorts. In 2007, ground breaks on Skyline at First Hill, a 26-story Seattle Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) featuring a nine-story health facility. Also in 2007, builders start erecting Fountaingrove Lodge, a Santa Rosa, California, CCRC featuring a country store, hair salon, movie theater, five restaurants, a bank, and maid and limousine services. Other niche communities include those designed for grandparents, ethnic cohorts and seniors interested in living near college campuses. Along with abundant niceties, Jubilee at Hawks Prairie, a Lacey, Washington, Active-living Retirement Community, offers the choice of 14 floor plans and an on-site design center for customizing abodes. In Newville, Pennsylvania, the Green Ridge Village CCRC lures retirees with luxury arts and crafts-style homes. And the Sioux Valley Mid-Dakota Long Term Care facility touts freedom of nursing home resident choice, from choosing wall color to when to eat lunch, all to instill a sense of control and create a community of happy residents. Others are carving niches by serving the actual facilities. Duke University Health System struck a deal to supply The Cardinal, a North Carolina CCRC, with physicians and healthcare services. Some retailers are finding opportunity via on-site shops and pharmacies. Florida's Village Pharmacy runs stores inside three retirement communities. The possibilities are endless and we foresee great opportunities for hospitality, dining, entertainment and other lifestyle businesses to integrate their offerings into these communities and to discover that getting old in the future is very different than getting old in the past.
Tastoria, the U.S. offshoot of a British company called Virtual Wine Limited, holds hour-long, live wine tastings online. Now that's a fun webcast! Participants log on, drink up and email questions to a panel of wine experts. Some wine shops have begun selling Tastoria kits, which include a pass code for the event, six bottles of scheduled wines and recipes for food pairings. Fans of Tastoria cite the convenience and comfort level; many use the tasting as an excuse to throw a party. Boning up on wine knowledge need not be an intimidating or inconvenient experience. Both newbie and experienced wine connoisseurs will appreciate the ease and anonymity of a service like Tastoria. Combining both virtual and real-world elements into one combined experience opens up endless possibilities to engage customers in new and unique ways.
The modern church already makes ample use of technology. Now the high-tech offering plate has landed in the house of worship. SecureGive's giving kiosk works just like an ATM, except the faithful deposit money rather than withdraw it. Depending on the church, the kiosks can be set up to be debit or credit card compatible; some avoid the latter, fearing increasing personal debt. Churches also can set up various kiosk funds for tithing or for specific church activities, like missionary work. Another nicety: a receipt for taxes. SecureGive was noodled by a pastorpreneur who, like many consumers, carries less cash but more plastic. Technology already helps spread the good word and torques the in-church experience. Enlisting tech to replace the offering plate brings giving convenience to faithful churchgoers. It also has the potential to enable people to step up in time of need—imagine hundreds of these kiosks deployed in high traffic locations post-Katrina, enabling people to easily and immediately give to a select charity.
Consumer review communities go queer with the Pink Choice gay travel review site. Structured like a mainstream travel review site, TripAdvisor or the user reviews on Travelocity, Pink Choice enables travelers to dish on the gay-friendliness of accommodations or any other aspect of the travel experience. The site also will sponsor an annual Pink Choice Award, given to the best hotel in each of four price bands, based on the property's reviews during a given calendar year. Gay travelers are on the hunt for reliable intel on the gay-friendliness of destinations. Candid info from consumers with similar needs and wants gives gay travelers confidence to book accommodations.
We know some eateries are showing kids the door. But they're more than welcome at Play Café and Tumble and Tea, two California startups serving moms, dads and Gen We's with combo coffee shops, cafés and play areas. Both shops offer similar niceties: adult and kids' menus, comfy chairs for parents, extra-large footprints to accommodate big play areas (think ball pools, mini towns and costumes for playing dress-up) and birthday party services. Tumble and Tea distinguishes itself with classes like baby yoga and CPR certification, while Play Café offers free WiFi and an on-site toy store. Unfettered fun does come with an entrance fee, but customers usually stay for several hours. Open just a year, Play Café is already profitable, as is the newer Tumble and Tea. And both shops plan to expand. Coffee shops are great gathering places. But hot beverages, sharp edges and tights spaces aren't toddler-friendly. Dropping by a kid-ready hangout keeps wrath and harm at bay while parents and tots indulge in fun and relaxation.
Gizmo addicts, meet the Bodyguard, a device that uses transmitter tags to track laptops, cell phones, iPods and the like, warning users when those gadgets get left behind (or lifted). Tracking tags stick or clip onto gizmos (or other valuables! Or your children!) and sound an alarm when those gadgets get too far away. Can't be more than 30 feet from your celly? Cool. Think you can survive at distances of up to 100 feet? That'll work, too. Of course, you still have to keep track of the Bodyguard itself. And since each Bodyguard monitors only the sticky attached to one gizmo, you might need multiple Bodyguards to track your cell phone, iPod, laptop, PDA and camera. The value we place on our gizmos (in both personal and financial terms) is on the grow. And that means we're devising more ways to make sure our device investments don't vanish. | | 
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