That Calls for a Carlsberg: “Big beer” is making a concerted effort to enter the digital age, but one major brewer instead attempted an old-fashioned prank to capture attention. Carlsberg challenged a few young men to call a friend in the middle of the night, claiming they needed money lost in an underground poker game. To deliver the cash, the friends called upon had to surpass a series of staged obstacles—among them, a fistfight and a wok spewing fire. Those who loyally persevered to help a friend in need were ultimately surprised with a cheering squad and a cold Carlsberg, their reward for bravely “standing up for a friend.”

The Ultimate Speed Date: French automaker Renault gave new meaning to speed dating upon crashing one such event, staged at the notoriously challenging race track Spa-Francorchamps. A handful of speed daters were pulled from the safety of the indoor dining room and paired with Caroline, a comely single who preferred to conduct her date on the track…and who turned out to be a professional racer. Her queasy suitors may not have found love on their high speed dates, but perhaps walked away with a favorable impression of the Clio R.S. model Renault was covertly promoting. In March, Pepsi pulled a similar stunt with help from pro racer Jeff Gordon.

The Bus Shelter: Options for enhanced weather forecasts abound, so it makes sense that The Weather Channel—associated as it is primarily with the elderly—might take drastic measures to stand apart from competitors. To promote its new app for Android, which reveals the exact time it’s meant to rain, TWC rigged a bus shelter to downpour on unsuspecting individuals waiting inside it—except, that is, for one prepared person (presumably an actor) whose TWC app alerted him that he needed to break out his umbrella. The app has been downloaded tens of millions of times and is favorably reviewed, though some Scrooges deemed the stunt obnoxious.

Healing Environments: Ambient music pioneer Brian Eno has designed two innovative “healing environments” that will test the therapeutic properties of ambient sound for the recently opened Montefiore Hospital in the UK. Each was created to provide a serene atmosphere with restorative effects for the hospital’s patients. The first space, called simply “Quiet Room for Montefiore,” is an empty room characterized only by its ambient generative music, providing a respite for patients who need a moment to themselves amid the chaotic, impersonal hospital environs. The second, “77 Million Paintings for Montefiore,” features more generative music as well as a light installation (presumably of the therapeutic, non-theatrical variety).

Christine Sun Kim: Last year, a spate of gadgetry sought to give the blind augmented vision capabilities. A similarly inspired effort to “reclaim sound,” conceived of by hearing-impaired artist Christine Sun Kim, is featured in a recent video short from The Selby. Kim investigates the physicality of sound by translating noise into kinetic phenomena in order to experience it through its visual and bodily effects—such as sound vibrations, a visceral, internal way for the deaf to process sound stimuli. The resultant works feature brightly colored strings strapped across pulsing speakers, paint splattered by shocks of sound from a microphone, and ongoing feedback loops that rattle physical space.

BioAid: Researchers at the University of Essex have developed an algorithm that could transform smartphones into nouveau hearing aids. Like similar software that harnesses and perfects ambient noise, BioAid uses the smartphone’s internal processing power to amplify too-quiet noises and diminish too-loud ones. This trick essentially mimics the biological processes that occur in a healthy ear to deliver clearer, more comprehensible sound to the hearing impaired. Such a hearing aid app could ultimately lower barriers of cost and inconvenience that may prevent one from seeking auditory treatment. The algorithm is currently available for free download in the iTunes App Store.

SaveCAP: Airbags are no longer just for car passengers. In fact, they’re now used to protect houses from earthquakes, hikers from avalanches and, thanks to Dutch car company TNO, cyclists from cars. Research has found that when a car hits a bicycle, the rider typically lands on the windshield with their head and shoulders leading. TNO developed an airbag system, called SaveCAP, which inflates on a car’s exterior between the bottom edge of the front windshield and the hood. A forward-facing camera under the rearview mirror connects with software that identifies oncoming pedestrians or cyclists, and activates its “alert” mode to deploy the windshield airbags.

The Safest Bike on the Road: Lawyer and bicycle safety advocate Josh Zisson built what he describes as “the safest bike on the road.” His custom concept bike features an internal rear gear hub that allows cyclists to switch gears at a dead stop, enclosed drum brakes capable of handling all weather conditions and, most significantly, a comprehensive focus on visibility. Indeed, LED headlights, daytime running lights, brake lights, and a complete coating of reflective sealant make the bicycle nearly impossible to miss. Several cycling veterans contributed to the project, including a handmade frame by Ted Wojcik Custom Bicycles, handlebar grips from Portland Design Works, and assembly through Hub Bicycle.

Safer Urban Lorry: Some cities are focusing on bike lanes, but the London Cycling Campaign (LCC) has developed a vehicle design that eliminates trucks’ blind spots thereby reducing the danger they pose to cyclists. The concept, called the Safer Urban Lorry, takes inspiration from the open cab design of modern garbage trucks, touting a 360-degree early warning camera system, lower seating position, and large bus-like windows to improve visibility. The project follows an initiative that the organization launched last year, Safer Lorries, Safer Cycling, which called upon council members to take a pledge insisting on cyclist awareness training for drivers and use of the latest safety technology.

Aqua Studio: Aqua cycling is already an established exercise movement in Europe, but it’s just catching on in the US. Aqua Studio is a recently opened NYC cycling space that offers classes in which up to 15 people (women only, currently) ride metal bikes submerged in four feet of water while also working on core and arm strengthening. Riders, rather than adjusting the bike’s resistance throughout the 45-minute class, choose from three pre-set levels, with water making the workout even tougher than a typical spin session. The studio boasts that class participants burn cellulite and up to 800kcal per hour, but won’t feel soreness afterwards.

Aqua Yoga: The number of Americans who practice yoga reached 20.4 million in 2012, up from 15.8 million in 2008. Among the numerous hybrid versions that have emerged is aqua yoga, which puts less stress on the joints than regular yoga. The water also provides greater resistance, enabling participants to burn calories faster. Guests at LA’s The Hotel Wilshire, through a partnership between Kimpton Hotels and Lululemon, can now take aqua yoga classes led by the apparel brand’s yoga ambassadors in the hotel’s rooftop pool. As Kimpton rolls out new fitness initiatives across its properties, it may offer this class at more locations in the future.

Aqua Zumba: Zumba, the wildly popular dance fitness craze, has spun off Aqua Zumba, a new wrinkle that has been making a splash worldwide. Instructors stand outside the pool to best demonstrate the choreography, which combines aerobics, dance, and lap exercises. Some of the moves and dance styles are modified since they work better on land, but by adding water to the workout, participants can enhance their aerobic endurance, flexibility, and joint mobility. This virtual “pool party” shows no signs of sinking, as an Aqua Zumba by Speedo collection, consisting of swimsuits, aquatic footwear and fitness accessories, will hit stores next year.

Knowhow Shop:  Furniture designers are embracing 3D printing technology with remarkable results, yet many still prefer tactile methods of construction. LA’s Knowhow Shop, a fabrication lab and design studio in Highland Park, offers project-based workshops suitable even for those who’ve never handled a jigsaw. Aspiring woodworkers can sign up for one-day studio boot camps from which they’ll bring home a finished creation and a working knowledge of key tools. Upcoming sessions include a Garden Bench Workshop appropriate for beginners, a Wooden Utensils Workshop, and a freeform symposium with artist Fred Rose for those who wish to take a more right-brained approach to the craft.

Rebuilding Exchange: Chicago’s Rebuilding Exchange has been promoting reclaimed building materials for the past three years, keeping perfectly usable construction supplies out of landfills and, instead, offering them for reuse through its retail warehouse. Among its efforts to further foster local sustainability is an in-house curriculum of public workshops designed to equip community members with applicable upcycling expertise. Its ‘Make It Take It’ series invites aspiring carpenters to learn basic woodworking skills through the construction of furniture pieces suitable for both home and garden. Upcoming options include utilitarian crates, planter boxes, benches, and rustic mirrors, while four-day intensives teach more advanced skills.

What is Wood?: The studio and art space formerly known as The Intercourse was one of the innumerable casualities of Hurricane Sandy in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Coinciding with its recovery is its reinvention as Pioneer Works. The facility retained its prior artists-in-residence program, but now offers unconventional art education opportunities that are open to the public. Next month’s ‘What is Wood?’ invites creative treehuggers to learn about the “properties, possibilities and history of [the] versatile medium.” The class, taught by sculptor Thomas Beale, isn’t grounded entirely in the science of wood, though. Rather, it will impart its participants with insights gleaned from the artist’s unique personal perspective.

Velopresso: Velopresso is a mobile coffee tricycle that keeps the java flowing as long as the wheels are turning. Designers Amos Field Reid and Lasse Oiva, the Royal College of Art graduates who conceived of and constructed the device, wanted to put a spin on the classic coffee cart while maintaining a silent, energy efficient business via pedal power. Aiming to minimize its carbon footprint, the Velopresso’s gears have been rewired to push the cart forward and power the coffee grinder, while the water is heated through a small, gas-powered camping boiler to brew steaming cups o’ joe on the go.

Peddler’s Creamery: Hand-churning is a fairly common bragging right among ice cream companies, but Los Angeles-based Peddler’s Creamery boasts the distinction of producing small batch frozen desserts using pedal power. Owner Edward Belden started out selling ice cream from the back of his bike, and recently hung up his helmet to open a store in downtown LA. At the new shop, the bike is stationed in the front room, but the power it generates is funneled to a churn in the back. Exclusively using premium quality, locally sourced and organic ingredients, it takes Belden only around 20 minutes of pedaling to create a five-gallon batch.

Moberi: Rose City Food Park cart Moberi utilizes an exercise bike with spindles attached to blenders to engineer Portland’s first bike-powered smoothie bar. The interactive food cart lets customers hop on the bike to make their own smoothies, juices and health shots. Recently, the company has turned to Kickstarter in hopes of growing the business, including the addition of a bike blender suitable for use by kids under 10. Owner Ryan Carpenter developed the concept after being inspired by Maya Pedal, a Guatemalan NGO that turns old bikes into machines for community use, like husking corn and blending drinks.

Heineken Ignite: Last month at Milan Design Week, Heineken unveiled a prototype of Heineken Ignite, a smart bottle that illuminates when drinkers clink their bottles together or take a sip. A reusable module, which snaps on the base of the bottles, contains eight bright LEDs, an 8-bit microprocessor, a motion detector, and a wireless network transceiver that synchs the light with music. This isn’t the first time LED technology has been mixed with alcohol, but Heineken Ignite promises to enhance the overall nightlife experience…when it’s available. Alas, the high-tech bottle is still being tested, and Heineken has yet to say when it will be released.

Budweiser’s Buddy Cup: Among the many initiatives designed to make drinking even more social is Budweiser Brazil’s The Buddy Cup, a Facebook-integrated beer glass that sends drinkers friend requests when their cups touch. By scanning a QR code on the cup, users activate a microchip that links to their Facebook profiles. While the concept puts a digital spin on becoming friends when toasting, research reveals that Gen Ys are stressed when they have too many Facebook friends, so clinkers are advised to be selective. Nevertheless, after a successful pilot event in São Paulo, Budweiser plans to use the cups at brand-sponsored events such as concerts and festivals.

Strongbow Gold’s StartCap: Heineken-owned cider brand Strongbow Gold worked with London-based creative agency Work Club to develop a prototype for StartCap, the world’s first digital bottle cap. A tag embedded in the protected cap sets off RFID scanners placed in bars or at events, which then trigger celebratory surprises such as music, water fountains, confetti cannons or, curiously, automatic Foursquare check-ins. The RFID tags connect to an antenna to read a radio signal that communicates with a computer to produce the unexpected wonders. Thus far, StartCap has only been used at launch events in Europe, but an online teaser video is already building buzz.

What is Apothecanna? How did you come up with the idea for it? 

Apothecanna makes functional skincare products using plant-based ingredients. We get a great deal of attention because we are licensed to use medical cannabis in our product formulations. Cannabis has been used around the world for centuries in topical applications and was commonly prescribed in the US prior to prohibition. The products we make do not cause the psychoactive effects associated with cannabis, but locally target pain and are effective in treating a variety of skin, nerve and muscular ailments.

I moved to Colorado in 2009 to help a friend start one of the first medical marijuana dispensaries in Boulder. My background is in product development and branding; so, I was a good fit to help move cannabis into the mainstream. After spending a bit of time researching the industry and beginning to understand the type of clientele that came through the shop, I knew there was an emerging market that was looking for more than a recreational high. I saw firsthand the benefits that cannabis provided to people with chronic pain, and decided to try a few formulations of topical products infused with cannabis. The products worked so well after the initial test that I decided to dedicate my full attention to developing what would become Apothecanna.

If you had to choose one word or phrase to describe Apothecanna, what would it be? 

A modern application of traditional medicine.

How do you define success for your enterprise? 

Success for me is the continued creation of novel ideas. Not just on paper, but having the ability to commercialize new ideas that will captivate an audience. We have created that structure in Colorado with Apothecanna. Our facility is a fully licensed medical marijuana kitchen that employs over 20 people and produces and distributes around 100 different products. We provide the structure and regulatory oversight for new technologies and manufacturing techniques to develop within the cannabis industry. What we have the ability to develop and produce in the future is very exciting.

What is the one thing you wish you knew before you founded Apothecanna?

Success does not come overnight; it requires a great deal of patience and dedication to an idea. Some things take time to develop, and I wasted a lot of time and resources trying to force things. I wish that I knew there was no rush, that good things would come eventually by sticking with the plan. I feel like I would be in the same place today, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as stressful to get there.

What is the one thing you never want to hear (or, most want to hear) from a customer/user/client?

It makes me very happy when we’ve exceeded someone’s expectations. Many of the people that try our products have literally tried everything on the market (prescription and OTC), and write to tell us that what we make actually works. My greatest fear is to be looked at as a gimmick or empty marketing. I still get terribly nervous when someone tries our products for the first time. This is why I am so obsessed with using the highest quality ingredients available.

What companies (other than your own) are you inspired by, and why? 

I’m very inspired by brands that put the ingredient story at the forefront of their messaging. BluePrint Juice is a great example. I’m also a big fan of Gimme! Coffee’s single sourcing stories. I’m very drawn to brands that are able to tell their story by what goes into the product. I worked with Intelligent Nutrients and Horst Rechelbacher (founder of Aveda) a few years back. His uncompromising quest for the best, most functional ingredients was one of my greatest inspirations.

Apothecanna is clearly at the forefront of what’s poised to be a meaningful new industry. What other innovations in the cannabis space do you find exciting and why? 

Cannabis is a very complex plant with many different compounds. Only one of these provides a psychoactive effect (THC). With advances in genetics and extraction techniques, certain compounds are being isolated for their medicinal values. We are very interested in isolating cannabidiol, a compound found in cannabis that is an excellent anti-inflammatory. This compound works remarkably well when used in a topical preparation or when used internally, but does not get you ‘high.’ There is no reason that this type of cannabinoid should be regulated; it is an incredibly safe alternative to prescription anti-inflammatories and pain medication. I can see products containing these compounds being sold over-the-counter in the very near future. We hope to be one of the first companies to bring these types of product to mass market.

What’s next for Apothecanna?

We have quite a few exciting new topical products in the works. We are developing a highly concentrated serum designed to treat skin cancer, and we are also looking at a line of facial care products that help reduce the signs of aging (cannabis is a wildly powerful antioxidant). We’ve found that cannabis can also stimulate hair growth and scalp health, so a hair care line isn’t that far off.  We’re looking at expanding our operations into other medical marijuana states through licensing arrangements, and we recently launched a line of skincare products that do not contain THC that can be purchased online and at select retailers across the country.

Verbling: Y Combinator-backed startup Verbling helps people achieve fluency by providing conversation immersion via live video chats. Users, after having their skill levels assessed, are paired with native speakers in the desired languages they wish to learn. The platform suggests topics to aid conversation (e.g., “What kind of music do you listen to?”) and displays a five-minute timer that alerts participants when it’s time to switch languages. At the end of a session, students can “super-like,” “like,” or “dislike” the conversation to determine who they will be matched up with next time. Mutual good reviews allow learners to continue their multi-lingual dialogues.

Duolingo: Duolingo is a website, created by CAPTCHA inventor Luis von Ahn, which offers language learners real-world translation practice. Von Ahn conceived of the idea for it when he realized that student translations tend to be far superior to automated translation software and just shy of professional translators’ efforts. Individuals in need of a translated webpage or document upload their texts to the platform and crowdsource the translations from the Duolingo community. The students benefit by engaging in practice exercises that use actual text passages, rather than awkward workbook narratives, and the ad-free service generates revenue by charging clients a small fee for the finished work.

Livemocha: Livemocha is a freemium language education tool that combines straightforward instructional content with online practice and interaction with native speakers from around the world. Its community boasts more than 16 million members from 195 countries, plus a vibrant user base of language experts, instructors and multi-linguists to deliver collaborative conversational fluency. The cloud computing and crowd-sourcing model recently impressed even language software giant Rosetta Stone, which announced its acquisition of Livemocha last month. The purchase was made primarily to gain access to the service’s technology, however, and Livemocha will continue to exist as an independent subsidiary enhanced by Rosetta’s other products.

Goedzak: Too often, people throw away items in good condition rather than donating or selling them. To prevent this, Simon Akkaya of Dutch design studio Waarmakers created Goedzak, a translucent bag with a yellow stripe that signals to passersby that the contents have value. People are encouraged to fill Goedzaks (which means “do-gooder” in Dutch, and combines the words for “good” and “bag”), and leave them on curbs for others. Akkaya and his partner Maarten Heijltjes also are piloting a program with a chain of secondhand stores in Amsterdam, through which bags are collected and the items within them can be resold or recycled.

Trashswag: Trashswag is a Toronto-based website and app that crowdmaps items and materials that have been abandoned on curbs. Users upload photos of disposed goods, write accompanying descriptions, and pin them on a map. There’s also an option to report objects via email or Twitter with the hashtag #trashswag. By signing up for email alerts, users can discover what’s currently available in their areas. Founder Gavin Cameron came up with the idea when working on a project with artists who texted each other pictures and addresses of useful items left on the street. Cameron hopes to expand the “Craigslist for dumpster divers” to other cities.

ReBounty: ReBounty is an app that lets New Yorkers list and find items they no longer want or have spotted on the street. Much like with Trashswag, users can upload pictures and descriptions to the site, through the app, or via email. They also can receive alerts to stay informed about unwanted goods found by others. What sets ReBounty apart, however, is the ability to contact item owners directly, thereby allowing for a wider—and potentially more valuable—variety of objects to be posted. The app, still in beta, won Best App for City Crowdsourcing at Reinvent Green, a sustainability hackathon where it was created last year.