Fwd: Turning Video Game Addicts into Philanthropists

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: "The Daily GOOD" <hello@goodinc.com>
Date: Nov 30, 2011 6:37 PM
Subject: Turning Video Game Addicts into Philanthropists
To: "GOOD Readers" <technologiclee@gmail.com>

Your good thing today. WeTopia Transforms Online Gaming Addiction Into Social Good TODAY'S GOOD 20% fun 20% games 60% more than fun and games  #gethooked Know any Farmville addicts? About 30 million people spend time on the game every day, pruning digital trees or exchanging cash for virtual tractors.While social gaming may be fun, there's something absurd about buying fake goods. But what if all that energy and economic activity went to something productive in the real world instead? That's the value proposition behind WeTopia, a new social game from Sojo Studios that lets gamers directly fund initiatives to improve the lives of children. When you sign in to the game, it may remind you of one of Zynga's creations: players manage a mini-civilization comprising cartoony buildings. The twist is that gamers earn "joy" from their properties, which they then pass on to nonprofits of their choice. WeTopia plans to make money off ads and corporate sponsorships, and pledges to donate at least 20 percent of revenue (or 50 percent of profits if they turn one) to its nonprofit partners, dividing it up proportionally by the amount of joy donated.  While users contribute to a cause just by playing for free, "We allow people to buy a virtual good in the game that has a one-to-one relationship with something in the world," says CEO Lincoln Brown. If you buy a tree or vitamins or medicine in the game, a partnered nonprofit will donate the item to the community they work with in Haiti or the United States. WeTopia's started with 12 different nonprofit partners including Save the Children, buildOn and Children's Health Fund, and Brown says they're hoping to add more soon. Each nonprofit gets its own project page to tell the story of the direct impact each donation makes. Brown says this feedback loop, complete with images of dollars at work and blog posts, "feels more real than knowing that you gave money to Haiti" without seeing where it went. Brown says he never wanted to get into the social gaming business, considering it a "bizarre phenomenon." But as a long-time backer and volunteer for Haitian causes, he began to see the potential of social games as a tool to keep supporters of a cause engaged, integrate giving into their daily lives, and avoid the constant, nagging fundraising 'ask' that can be the bane of a giver's existence. And it helps that the markets for philanthropy and social games are aligned: "The demographic that plays social gaming is the demographic most likely to engage with a cause," says Brown: women between 35 and 50.  WeTopia launched a preview version in the United States yesterday, but a beta version has already entertained 50,000 gamers in 20 countries worldwide. Funds raised thus far support the construction of a school in Haiti and a literacy program in Kentucky. Are social gaming and philanthropy a great match? Join the discussion on GOOD.is → Popular on GOOD Go to the GOOD Homepage → Poll Finds Fox News Is Worse Than No News at All New Organization Helps Libraries Get Artsy to Support Local Communities Why Stanford's Free Online Education Experiment Is Booming The $25 Handheld Computer That Could Transform Technology Education People Are Awesome: This Teenager Asserted Her First Amendment Rights Against Her Governor Go to the GOOD Homepage → Tell us what's GOOD: Send us tips Sign Up for The Daily GOOD Get more GOOD: Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr

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Fwd: Design electronics from the comfort of your throne room

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From: "Upverter" <support@upverter.com>
Date: Nov 30, 2011 3:45 PM
Subject: Design electronics from the comfort of your throne room
To: <technologiclee@gmail.com>

Create, view, and edit projects on your favourite tablet. Special care has been taken to optimize the experience for touch. You have received this email because you have created an Upverter account. If you don't want to receive any emails from us you can go ahead and unsubscribe.

Fwd: Singularity Hub Daily Newsletter for 11/30/2011

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From: "Singularity Hub" <singularityhub@gmail.com>
Date: Nov 30, 2011 3:04 PM
Subject: Singularity Hub Daily Newsletter for 11/30/2011
To: <technologiclee@gmail.com>

11/30/2011 New Startup Romotive Turns Your Smartphone Into A Robot (video) Nov 30, 2011 10:54 am | Peter Murray How awesome is Romo the Smartphone Robot? Without knowing anything about it, you simply have to look at the robot's ... comments | read more      Get More Hub! Debate Central Video Central Advertise With Us Send us a Story Tip Feedback We want to hear from you!  You are encouraged to send us feedback about the newsletter or our website. About Singularity Hub The impossible is becoming possible.  The future that you thought would not come in your lifetime is coming sooner than you thought.  Singularity Hub is here to tell you about it. Forward to a Friend Follow on Twitter Friend on Facebook Unsubscribe Update Subscription Preferences View Email In Browser Copyright © 2011 Singularity Hub, LLC All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website on http://singularityhub.com Singularity Hub, LLC 806 seale ave Palo Alto, CA 94303