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

Xobni, which makes a free Microsoft Outlook plug-in that helps you manage your inbox, has launched the Xobni Gadget Store . If you already have Xobni installed, you can visit the store and download “gadgets” from a variety of services, including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Bing just took over maps and search on your BlackBerry as part of Microsoft's crazy-quilt strategy to gain a toehold in the smartphone game. But fallen giant RIM makes for an odd partner. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer took to the stage at the BlackBerry World Conference today to announce a partnership with Canada's RIM, bringing MS tech to key parts of the BlackBerry smartphone experience.

Each day, Inc.'s reporters scour the Web for the most important and interesting news to entrepreneurs. Here's what we found today. Your start-up, Julia Child-style.

1. Hot rumors are circulating this morning that Apple has bought the domain name iCloud.com from network cloud storage firm Xcerion in Sweden. Inside sources say Xcerion sold the name to Apple for about $4.5 million--and it's rebranded its system to CloudMe.

Critics of RIM's BlackBerry and PlayBook tablet say the devices are falling behind the technological curve.

For years, PCs were often referred to as Wintel machines. The "tel" coming from Intel's role as Windows's preferred chipmaker-in-chief

Each day, Inc.'s reporters scour the Web for the most important and interesting news to entrepreneurs. Here's what we found today

Many of our Most Innovative Companies appear to want to weaken an element of patent law. But don't patents protect innovation?

1. Nintendo's Wii changed the gaming world, but the firm hasn't, to date, suggested any information at all about its successor--much needed, as the Wii looks very aged. But now multiple sources are suggesting that the Wii's follow-up console is in advanced prototyping stages, and the firm is showing it to game publishers.

1. As the military battle for Libya goes on, a different battle has been won behind the scenes: Rebel forces have successfully hacked Gadhafi's mobile network, and have used it to establish their own communications grid. Gadhafi shut the networks and Internet down weeks ago, to confound the rebels

Which tech giant is winning the hearts and minds (but maybe not the wallets) of students? The past weekend saw two similar events at two very different companies.

Fifty years ago today Yuri Gagarin became the first human ever to journey into space --a symbolic moment that psychologically, technologically severed the human race into those who lived before that moment, and after it. Google has a special Doodle for the occasion, and Gagarin-mania and space-themed posts will be everywhere today. Poyekhali ! 1.

It's down to the final four in the U.S. nationals of the Microsoft Imagine Cup, in which student entrepreneurs develop apps and other products using Microsoft software. They all got there with a little help from what Microsoft called "academic evangelism." Alex Ryu, now a senior at Penn, was doing an internship in the healthcare field in India when he noticed two things: that many women forgot to come in for certain appointments, and that mobile technology was ubiquitous, even in rural areas.

Planes, trains, automobiles--and ferries.

A few key strategies to make the most of brand monitoring can help your reputation in a big way.