Mfarhanonline Social Media News: The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark . If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here . Each weekend , Mfarhanonline selects startups we think are building interesting, unique or niche products. This week we chose three companies with online innovations for staying in shape, avoiding fraud in online purchases and sharing with social networks. Gym-Pact uses mobile check-ins and cash to hold you accountable for your exercise plans. WeGoLook sends someone to verify potential online purchases in person, and Qwips adds your voice to any social content. Gym-Pact: An Accountability App for Exercise Quick Pitch: Gym-Pact rewards users who stick to their fitness goals with cash. Genius Idea: Swapping cash for badges. Mfarhanonline’s Take: Badges might be good motivation for buying an extra cup of coffee or exploring new restaurants, but Gym-Pact founders Yifan Zhang and Geoff Oberhofer thought exercise required something better. Like cash. Gym-Pact users make a pact with the startup to exercise a certain number of times every week and name a price they’ll pay if they don’t follow through. When they don’t meet their goal, they pay up. When they do, they earn a portion of the money other less-diligent users paid for not exercising. The startup verifies exercise through a mobile feature that lets users check-in at the gym. It’s the sort of idea that would be cooked up in a Harvard behavioral economics class (and it was). The startup makes money by taking a transaction fee from the rewards collected by people who don’t meet their goal and paid to the people who do. In other words, its business model relies on people not working out. Genius. WeGoLook: A Service for Verifying Potential Onl! ine Purc hases Quick Pitch: WeGoLook checks out your online purchases in person to avoid fraud and misrepresentation. Genius Idea: Building a large network of “lookers” that can be dispatched just about anywhere in the U.S. Mfarhanonline’s Take: Is that sublet on Craigslist really “sunny and spacious?” And just how “used” is that car on eBay? It’s usually not worth the airfare to go check it out yourself. But WeGoLook offers to send someone for you. The company has signed up more than 7,000 “lookers” that can be dispatched to go check out your potential Internet purchase before you add it to your shopping cart. For as little as $49, you get a report that includes 10 photos and answers to your custom questions. You can request similar service at a better price from a peer-to-peer flexible market such as Zaarly or TaskRabbit . But you’ll loose the background checked status of “lookers” and the quality control WeGoLook provides. Qwips: An App That Puts Your Voice in a Tweet Quick Pitch: Qwips makes it easy to share voice clips through social media. Genius Idea: Adding a voice to social content. Mfarhanonline’s Take: Qwip takes anything you might share on Facebook or Twitter — a photo, a comment or your location — and adds up to 30 seconds of your self-recorded audio to it. Voice is an important communication tool, so it’s no surprise that Qwip isn’t the first company to think of adding it to the social web. Social voice apps have safely entered the pick-your-flavor category. Fotobabble adds voice to photos, and TinyVox lets users record up to 30 minutes of shareable audio through an old-school tape recorder interface. Qwips is just as valid a flavor as any other (and, hey, MC Hammer is using it ). Image courtesy of iStockphoto , mbortolino Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark , a startup program that! gives y ou three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today . More About: Gym-Pact , Qwips , WeGoLook For more Business coverage: Follow Mfarhanonline Business on Twitter Become a Fan on Facebook Subscribe to the Business channel Download our free apps for Android , Mac , iPhone and iPad Social Media reviews series maintain by Mayya
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