Philippe Matthews Show Guru Advice, Author Reviews, Tech Reviews, Entertainment News

I recently attended a speech by Gary Hoover , founder of BOOKSTOP and Hoovers, Inc.

Will applying the lessons learned making computer chips to solar panels result in really cheap solar power? Solar startups often have impressively big ideas about how they're going to scale up the next revolutionary technology, but few get the job done

As a business owner, you have to work within a lot of confines—a small (or no) staff, a limited budget and only so many hours in the day. If you’ve made your business a success, you’re probably a master of saying “no” to tasks that aren’t important or should be handled by someone else, or some outside service. But saying “no” is about more than delegating and declining tasks

1. Microsoft is poised to announce , maybe later this morning, that the rumored acquisition of Skype is actually true. New hints suggest the price may have pushed as high as $8.5 billion, and Microsoft is obviously imagining how Skype will plug into its enterprise offerings

Christina Norman told the audience at our Innovation Uncensored event last week how she was visibly unsure about joining OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network as its CEO. Even a star-powered, deeply funded network is a lot like a small startup, full of twists and turns. In the latest twist a week later, Norman herself has been let go.

Though Apple's taken a pretty conservative line with the hardware refresh for its iMac desktop PCs, it turns out that the guts of the machines harbor some juicy secrets. Apple's brand new iMacs, while having the expected spec bump in terms of raw processor power and graphics capabilities, were about as conservative as you can get in terms of adjusting the actual look and feel.

Think you've honed your 4H chops with hours of online agriculture? You can now control a real British farm to see how you do. God save the cows

Why do Managers shy away from giving performance feedback, both positive and negative? Constructive feedback is crucial to career development, employee satisfaction, employee retention and employee motivation. Employee feedback should be given as frequently as possible; both formally through the annual performance review forms and ensuing discussions, but also informally through ongoing conversations and coaching

As applications for the 2011 Inc.

You’ve probably heard bosses, parents and peers say it time and time again, “Time is money, let’s get moving.” For some, it’s difficult to equate the intangible concept of time to the concrete touch and feel of the almighty dollar bill. But this simple phrase, when taken at its word, just may be the answer to your financial woes.

More than two years ago Inc. covered the “ Unconference ” trend

"As game designers," MIT's Scot Osterweil says , "we're convinced that game playing is a lot like science: There is problem-solving, exploration, collaboration, hypothesizing, testing and learning from your failures.” Osterweil, research director of MIT’s Education Arcade, is one of the masterminds behind a new science game made for the Smithsonian Institution.

1. What disruptive forces threaten our business? Every business faces external forces that are disruptive or threatening to success or, even, viability

You know those solar backpacks they sell?

Civil servants are widely denounced for being neither civil nor offering much in the way of service. Drivers trying to replace lost licenses and companies seeking permits for underground storage tanks don't normally encounter a lot of beaming faces inquiring, "How may I delight you today?" The state of Michigan wants to raise its service game, and it is turning to entrepreneurial businesses for help.