Daniel Cook brings us another great piece following up on his previous prototyping articles, of things that you need to look out for when it comes to Prototyping your project.  There are common pitfalls that a prototype can suffer from and Daniel has gone and tackled some of the major ones to help you realize the incredibly high value that a solid prototyping phase represents to any development. Title: “Prototyping Pitfalls “ - Original Article Written by: Daniel Cook (www.lostgarden.com ) Read aloud by: Ryan Wiancko on January 5th, 2009 Bookmark Less

Brent Leary is Co-founder and Partner of CRM Essentials LLC, a CRM consulting/advisory firm focused on small and mid-size enterprises. Leary has over 15 years of IT and management consulting experience working on projects for PricewaterhouseCoopers, BellSouth, Compaq, the IMF and World Bank. Leary received CRM Magazine's 2004 Most Influential Leader Award along with his business partner Michael Thomas. crm | profit | sales | reselling Less

With Keynesianism on the march, are you wondering how Austrian Economics fits into today’s financial situation? I regularly listen to both the EconTalk and Bloomberg on the Economy podcasts. I recommend that you listen to these two particular episodes: 1. Bloomberg on the Economy, 12/24/2008: Tom Keene interviews Gerald O’Driscoll (or subscribe in iTunes) 2. EconTalk, 1/5/2009: Russ Roberts interviews Peter Boettke (or subscribe in iTunes) These are worth paying close attention to when you have a quiet couple of hours. Both hosts Tom and Russ are very knowledgable interviewers. They bring out what we need to know from their guests. Tom interviews O’Driscoll who is with the CATO Institute. O’Driscoll talks about the need for a “commodity standard” as being a possible substitute for a gold standard. I say it is an interesting notion, but neither wheat nor some of the other things in the basket qualify as being money. On EconTalk, Roberts interviews Boettke and asks, “What would have happened if the government allowed Bear Stearns to go bankrupt?” Would the complete financial system have collapsed? Should the free market be allowed to work? addthis_url = 'http%3A%2F%2FMadMoneyMachine.com%2F2009%2F01%2F05%2Ftwo-informative-podcast-espisodes%2F'; addthis_title = 'Two+Informative+Podcast+Espisodes'; addthis_pub = ''; Less

In the first RWW Live of 2009, we tackle an issue that is of vital importance to all startups right now - how to navigate through the choppy waters of the current economy. Joining the ReadWriteWeb authors, our special guests on our live podcast show are entrepreneurs from BrightKite and Zoho, two startups that were recognized by ReadWriteWeb in our annual end of the year awards: Zoho won ‘Best Little Co’ and BrightKite won ‘Most Promising Little Co’.   In the podcast, we discuss the lessons our guests have learned over the last year and how they plan to continue growing in 2009. Here are the details of our guests in this show: Sridhar Vembu, CEO, Zoho Raju Vegesna, Evangelist, Zoho Martin May, co-founder, BrightKite Brady Becker, co-founder, BrightKite Hope you enjoy this episode of ReadWriteWeb Live!   Less

The mental enema series continues with the return of my friend who I call the "Quiet Millionaire". We discuss the deeper aspects of how our world really works and what you can do if you wish to LIVE and not just EXIST in it.....IT'S ALL ABOUT POWER BUSINESS | POLITICS | religion | money | self hellp Less

Obama's stimulus plan seeks tax cuts; Property taxes on the rise; Slumping automakers spend less on ads; The problems with a fiscal stimulus; Laws do little to curtail sex slavery; Panel questions how SEC missed Madoff; Eating green saves workplace green; When people cheat on Wall Street Less

Tax cuts included in Obama plan; Regulators target credit default swaps; Brits bid 'Woolies' a sad goodbye Less

In this free ebook, we will look at what Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is, and the ways in which it can be used. Through this ebook, we will provide you with the basics on using Search Engine Optimization in order to improve traffic flow to your site. By many people, SEO is considered to be a part of search engine marketing. It is often used when people are describing a process for improving the amount of traffic that goes to a website from various different search engines. Many site owners will engage in using SEO in an attempt to obtain qualified visitors to their site. The quality of these visitors will often be measured by what specific keywords they are using in order to reach the desired result they want, such as making a purchase, or it could just viewing or downloading a particular page on that site. It may be that the visitor just requests some further information, or they sign up to a newsletter. Search Engine Optimization is a marketing strategy which can often generate a good return for the site. But what must be remembered is that search engines are not actually paid for the traffic they send to a site from a natural (organic) search. Plus, they will regularly change the algorithms that they use for these searches to be carried in an effort to improve the results for people using their search engine. In fact, there is no guarantee that using this system is successful in either the long or short term for any website. Because of this, SEO is often compared to traditional forms of PR (Public Relations), while PPC (Pay per Click) advertising is more closely associated with traditional forms of advertising. However, even if you do find you have increased traffic to your site because of SEO, if your site is unprepared for this increased traffic, it may in fact be detrimental to your site, as visitors will go away feeling dissatisfied and will not return. But though SEO can be considered as a marketing tactic which is a law unto itself, it is often considered to part of the bigger picture by many industry experts. Less

Biotech, Devices, Instruments Luke Timmerman wrote: Agilent Technologies, the Santa Clara, CA-based maker of instruments for electronics and life sciences companies, is cutting 120 jobs at a plant in Liberty Lake, WA near Spokane, according to a filing with the state Employment Security Department. The layoffs are effective Jan. 30. Agilent (NYSE: A) announced on Dec. 17 it was cutting 500 full-time workers and 300 temporary positions. It has almost 20,000 employees worldwide. Comments | Permalink | Share |  E-mail UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS Less

Verizon Communications SVP Media Relations Eric Rabe goes On the Record...Online at the Digital Impact Conference in New York, June 9 & 10, 2008. Rabe counsels senior management, including day to day contact with COO and CEO of this Fortune 12 business and manages the national network of PR professionals in major markets served by Verizon [NYSE:VZ]. He has deep experience in crisis management including union-related issues. Rabe has also gone On the Record…Online about what it’s like serving as SVP media relations at Verizon. Show notes: 7:13 - Introduction to Eric Rabe. 7:45 - Rabe on crisis communications at Verizon. 8:37 - Rabe on how Verizon takes advantage of online communications.. 10:02 - Rabe on influential blogs like Gigaom. 11:30 - Rabe on online communications tools of the future like Twitter and Facebook. 13:17 - Rabe on the practice of blogger relations. 15: 07 - Rabe on how a company can use an “information leak” that Steve Rubel spoke on to their advantage. 16:44 - Rabe on the convergence of personal and professional communications in the mobile space. 18:41 - Rabe on the impact of the accessibility and affordability of social media on advertiser supported media. 22:41 - Rabe on Jason Falls’s recommendation of stepping up to the proverbial online water cooler. 28:28 - Rabe on taking sides on controversial issues, like those involving NARAL. 33:38 - Rabe on a future fourth generation carrier like AT&T. 37:05 - Rabe on deploying fiber optics and speed to Verizon customers. 39:11 - Rabe on when people will be able to use cell phones on an airplane. 40:47 - Rabe on how Verizon identifies blogs to follow using tools like Technorati. 42:20 - Rabe on building visibility and credibility through social media. 47:28 - End This podcast is hosted by Eric Schwartzman who is the founder of online news room management service iPressroom and creator of the New Media PR Boot Camp, which has been attended by over a thousand public relations and marketing executives from private, public, government and nonprofit sectors. Less

David Patton and Mathew Passy discuss the latest auto sales numbers. There are signs of optimism amid the still-large percentage declines. Plus, Hyundai's new program to ease buyers concerns about losing their job. Less

Peter Day talks to two brothers who are rarely in the same country at the same time about the legacy of the Puritan Gift Producer: Sandra Kanthal Editor: Stephen Chilcott Less

Biotech, Menopause, acquisitions Luke Timmerman wrote: Indevus Pharmaceuticals has reached the end of its road. The Lexington, MA-based biotech company (NASDAQ: IDEV) said today it has agreed to be acquired by Endo Pharmaceuticals for $370 million, or $4.50 a share in cash. The acquisition, approved by the boards of both companies, also has a sweetener clause which could kick in another $267 million, or $3 a share, to Indevus shareholders in the future if Endo (NASDAQ: ENDP) can reach certain regulatory and sales goals, the companies said today in a statement. Even without the sweetener, the offer represents a 45 percent premium for Indevus shareholders over today’s closing stock price of $3.10. Indevus is coming off a rocky 2008. The company lost two-thirds of its stock value on June 4 after it was slapped down by an FDA request for a new clinical trial before it would approve testosterone undecanoate (Nebido), a long-lasting testosterone replacement therapy for men who lack the hormone, suffering from so-called “male menopause.” The company said it was “very surprised and disappointed,” by the FDA’s decision. But Endo, a specialty pharmaceutical company in Chadds Ford, PA, sees an opportunity to expand its portfolio, and boost its profits in 2009. The company plans to focus on urology and endocrinology. “This merger reflects our desire to expand our business beyond pain management into complementary medical areas where we can be innovative and competitive,” said David Holveck, Endo’s CEO, in a statement. Endo said it expects to wring out $40 million in cost savings through the deal, although it didn’t say exactly how it would do that. Besides the testosterone replacement drug, Indevus sells histrelin (Supprelin LA) to treat precocious puberty. It has another drug in the final stage of clinical trials, octreotide implant, for acromegaly, a disease of excessive production of growth hormone. Comments | Permalink | Share |  E-mail Less

With the incoming Obama administration planning for a $700 billion economic stimulus, the question now is whether a wave of government spending will revive the economy. For answers, we turn to the example of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. If you're like me, you first encountered FDR in history class as the hero of the Great Depression. Lately, though, some people have renewed debate over whether FDR and the New Deal saved America or made matters worse. We'll start with historian Eric Rauchway, who considers a world in which FDR had done nothing. Less

Life Sciences, medical devices, people Bruce V. Bigelow wrote: San Diego’s Quidel (NASDAQ: QDEL), which specializes in rapid medical diagnostic tests, said in a filing today that CEO Caren Mason plans to retire on June 1. Quidel says the company’s board has initiated a search for her replacement. A statement released by Quidel chairman Mark Pulido hailed Mason for “double digit organic revenue growth,” building a strong balance sheet and securing a $120 million credit facility for expansion. Comments | Permalink | Share |  E-mail Less

Frank Curzio chats with Action Alerts PLUS Research Director Stephanie Link, who will discuss the economy and pharma stocks. Less