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

After a one-day course I teach on “influence,” participants often comment that they are surprised it took so long to get what they came for. They signed up to learn how to convince people, how to shape others’ perceptions, how to make more conversations go the way they want them to go.

Here's the short answer: buy one! There are lots of entrepreneurs out there (maybe you!) who have a great business plan that happens to have either an e-business part to it or all of it would be an e-business. Having the business acumen to come up with a rock-solid plan, dazzle investors, and maintain the determination to launch it are one thing. Having the tech chops to launch the online presence necessary (a website, a mobile website, an auction storefront on eBAy, etc.) is another set of, well, chops.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood got a spanking when he suggested one, but test programs have received positive responses from drivers. Like it or not, with gas tax revenue declining it may be the only option. As vehicle fuel efficiency increases and hybrids become more popular, governments are running into a problem: they're making less money from gas taxes.

Just in time for Hurricane Irene's arrival, a new survey from the Red Cross claims that social media is increasingly being used by Americans seeking information on natural disasters. A reliance on social media and text messages during emergencies has hidden dangers. When a major earthquake struck the east coast on Tuesday, residents were taken aback.

To help prevent pedestrian accidents, otherwise silent electric cars must emit a noise while they drive. What noise

Google+ has been in the wild for a few weeks now, and the reviews--like with any new product, especially from a major tech company--have been a mix of glowing praise and healthy skepticism . But whatever the reactions have been from the technorati, there's no doubt the public has been excited to try out the new social network. According to a new report out today by Experian Hitwise, Google+ is growing in multiples.

[Sound clip] That's the future sound filling city streets.

Many major cities have seen a decline in driving over the past few years.

Before we get self-driving cars and road-trains, MIT researchers think emergency co-drivers that only take control in dangerous situations are the near-future for robot driving. At least while we still have fallible human drivers driving around like maniacs. MIT's whiz kids have been busying themselves with a tricky problem--how to build a semi-smart car that could take control when the situation ahead of a human driver looks to dangerous to be left to our weak biological instincts

Expanding highways and roads increases congestion by creating more demand--and building more public transportation doesn't help the problem. A quick drive on one of Los Angeles's many freeways illustrates the fact that having more roads doesn't necessarily prevent traffic. Now a study from the University of Toronto confirms it: Expanding highways and roads increases congestion by creating more demand.

A short discussion with the man behind Hotspot Shield about web anonymizers, the Arab Spring, and why expats in Dubai aren't happy with firewalls. Fast Company recently had the opportunity to speak with David Gorodyansky, CEO of AnchorFree , on the use of his company's popular Hotspot Shield software during the Arab Spring. Although Hotspot Shield is best known as a product used to access services such as Hulu and the BBC iPlayer across national borders, it also played a crucial role in organizing uprisings in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya.

A Foursquare game for bribes, a Facebook page for traffic violators, and an app where police officers help reveal speed traps are powered by transparency--and shame. Mark Zuckerberg might serve as a better model than James Bond in the fight against corruption

The streaming movie service has grabbed over 30% of Net traffic into U.S. homes during peak evening hours.

The Fast Company reader's essential source for breaking news and innovation from around the web--updated all day. Twitter Prepares for Royal Wedding Traffic Onslaught Twitter CEO Biz Stone is shown prepping for the "Wills & Kate" traffic with its very own server. Even with all eyes on the royals , Bieber still has 3 times the server space.

For small business owners , choosing which vehicles you will drive or which cars to add to your commercial fleet can be tricky. On the one hand, you want cars that are comfortable and can accomadate the long hours your sales staff may spend in them, for example