PerfectBusiness.com and Entrepreneur Media Inc. are unveiling INSIGHT, a Video Web Series for the next generation of entrepreneurs. The show has just launched on www.PerfectBusiness.com/video and on www.Entrepreneur.com.

Billed as Talk Soup for self-starters, “The show weaves expert insight with irreverent wit and features the gamut of today’s premier technologies, websites & business strategies.” says Amy Cosper, Editor-In-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine.

 
According to Dan Bliss, co-founder of PerfectBusiness.com, “INSIGHT bridges information and entertainment. Until now, nothing like this has ever been done for entrepreneurs.”

In addition to the Web Series, PerfectBusiness.com has also produced hundreds of inspirational interviews with some of the nation’s most innovative business people. Entrepreneur.com will showcase these interviews, which include the founders or leaders of Trader Joe’s, Kinko’s, World Poker Tour, Baywatch, LegalZoom, NBC and many other prominent businesses.

Let’s face it 2008 has been a miserable year for the economy.  Unemployment was up, single day drops in the Dow wreaked havoc, the mortgage industry dropped a deuce on the economy and gas was scarce in areas and unaffordable in most others.  We laid the groundwork for our segue into becoming a leading 3^rd world power this year. Below we list a few, just a few, of the indicators that we will look to for some kind of reprieve from this economic quagmire.   

Oprah:  Oh that “O”, she is a cog in the mechanism that drives our nation’s economy whether we want to admit it or not.  Write a book and get “O” to push it and duck as the books fly off the shelves.  Oprah as a brand has become bigger than most governmental agencies and for better or worse her King World Production camp has given us the hugely successful Rachel Ray and Dr. Phil.  Everything she touches turns to gold, hopefully her magic touch works on Obama this year, I might worship a golden President. 

Mobile Media: This is changing the way we operate as a nation, oftentimes for the worse, if legislation is any indicator.  We are no longer allowed to hold a phone to talk on and/or text while we drive, all it seems, for the greater good of man.  However, thanks to insane advances in technology we will soon be able to do almost anything that we would do on our PC on our phones.  If theories are correct expect everyone’s fingers to adapt to the growing trend and we will all have pinkie sized index fingers and thumbs by 2030.  I am very excited for that development.

Green Businesses:  It’s all the rage and the move to make all things green could have me recycling some relationships by year’s end.  The ungodly heat this summer left some calling global warming a “myth” and others saying that it will lead to melting ice caps and polar bears cannibalizing themselves.  I don’t know, I err to the side of caution as do others and it is BIG business.  Entrepreneurs that wish to improve their existing systems to emit less carbon dioxide and heat trapping gases will reap the benefits.  If there are no benefits to be reaped find solace in the fact that Al Gore would probably really, really like what you are doing. 

Telecommuting:  My sister does it and by mid 2009 some 14 million people will be doing it as well.  This will open up a whole new crop of services and programs to simplify the telecommuting process.  Telecommuting doesn’t necessarily mean the standard work- from- home practice.  With today’s technology, we can become work-from-anywhere warriors.  Coffee houses will no longer simply be the home to out of work screenwriters or people watchers. Predict more TPS reports getting fired off out of your local Starbucks.

Trust:  Lastly, we look to trust as it pertains to us as an indicator.  Let’s be honest, the Lehman Brothers fiasco, E-coli in our spinach and lead in our toys all sounds like the ingredients to a 3^rd world stew.   Want to add more ingredients?  How about a dash of Dubya and a government that has been more disappointing than 90% of the Oakland Raiders first round draft picks?  Yeah, we really went down a wayward path this year…let us not forget how Elliot Spitzer let us down….damn you Elliot Spitzer!!!  We are a forgiving nation and we love an underdog, why do you think Rocky plays on TNT every weekend?  But, if we are to rebound as a nation on any level we will have to again trust in our direction and begin to spend and invest. 

Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.  Until next time, start a business.

Am I the only person on Earth who needs some sort of tech advice every 24.9 minutes? If it’s not my iPhone, it’s my iPod. If it’s not my iPod, it’s my iMac. And i and i and i.

Maybe I just have an iProblem.

Either way, I always have a Britannica of tech questions that need answering. Plus, I just like to stay ahead of what’s happening on gadget island. I figure if I stay ahead now, I won’t end up as out-of-touch as John McCain when I turn 377.

Seriously though, if you’re a tech novice, you’ll definitely want to check my top five picks for gadgeteering. So sit down, brew up a mug of Joe and join your four-eyed brethren. Here’s where it’s at:

1. Gizmodo.com

Gizmodo is the Grandfather of gadgeteering. The first truly popular gadget site is still one of the most visited. Here, you’ll find a rumor-mill, tons of product reviews and breaking leaks. Gizmodo works because it’s a light-hearted, often funny source for otherwise dry tech information. I love it. Highly recommended.

2. Engadget

Created by the founder of Gizmodo, Engadget is Gizmodo’s serious younger brother. No jokes. No fun. No BS. Even despite its quirky ineptitude, Engadget is the more popular sibling, traffic-wise. If you can navigate through the advertising moshpit, you’ll find exclusive images of unreleased gear, breaking news and leaks. Boring, yet impressive. A fine number two.

3. TechCrunch

Primarily, TechCrunch covers Internet services and applications. In English, that means it tracks every flinched muscle of website kingpins like Yahoo, Google and FaceBook. However, it has increasingly become a follower of Internet-linked gadgets & software as well. It’s an amazing place to waste time and come to the realization that your early 2008 Dell is already an antiquity in the geekosphere.

4. Geek

Speaking of geeks, this is the culmination of all-things-geek. Video games, reviews, gadgets, new technologies, scientific experiments, etc. Geek is the mothership of technological “stuff.” Some of the writing is funny, which I like. Some of the content is too obscure, which I don’t like. But the sum of its parts is greater than the whole. Get on it.

5. TUAW

iConfess. TUAW is strictly an Apple thing. But you can’t talk gadgets without at least burping Apple. Here, you’ll get everything from news to rumors to an update on Steve Jobs’ alleged health woes. And yes, TUAW is upgrade-friendly.

-This week’s addition to the PB Blog is provided by an author who wishes to remain anonymous.

Traveling between LAX and the Bay Area was always easy.  Whether flying into Oakland or SFO, the flight is only an hour and with Southwest there are numerous flights.  When Richard Branson opened the new Virgin America terminal at SFO I did not think the airline would be able to compete for my dollar with Southwest simply because they do not have as many flights and they do not allow you to change your flight time without incurring a $75 fee.  Still, my friend flew from SFO to Las Vegas on Virign and insisted I try the airline for my regular flights to the Bay.  After flying with them once, I have yet to book a flight on Southwest. 
 
First, and I cannot emphasize this enough, the Southwest terminal is apparently the ghetto of the airport.  In both LAX and SFO the Southwest terminal has limited shopping and dining options and is jam packed with Bluetooth displaying business commuters.  (Really?  You have so many phone calls you have to wear that while sipping clam chowder at the bar?)  I love McDonalds and Starbucks as much as the next person, and I am sure Hollywood sign teeshirts are very popular, but themore health conscious traveler has limited options in the Southwest terminal, especially at LAX.
 
In contrast to the Southwest terminal, the first time I stepped into the Virgin terminal at SFO I had a very “Dorothy wakes up in OZ” moment.  The terminal has an entire section of designer makeup and accessory stores, including Coach, Burberry, Gucci, and Prada.  If spending a lot of money is not your thing, there are plenty of less expensive shopping options.  Ther terminal is pristine clean and contains a section used to display cultural art.  At this time, they have a collection of ancient sculptures of Buddha.  Best of all, the bathroom has a Dyson hand dryer that dries your hands in seconds, or at least it would if you did not play with it for ten minutes like I did.  The Virgin section of LAX also beats southwest by having an amazing candy and toy shop and cleaner restrooms.  Hands down, the Virgin terminal wins.
 
Now for service:  Southwest just cannot compete with Virgin’s service or amenities.  Virgin has hired sweet, friendly and hip employees who are well aware that their planes are cleaner and their prices lower than their competition at Southwest.  Virgin’s planes are brand new and have a lighting system that bathes its customers in warm neon light for night flights.  They play soft, ambient lounge music while the plane is loading and unloading, which reduces my general level of obsessive compulsive discomfort as I wait for the plane to fill.  The seats are comfortable and best of all, equipped with a media system Virgin calls “Red.”  Red is a touchscreen entertainment system that can be used to watch movies, television shows, play games, or communicate with other passengers in the plane.  I have sometimes had technical issues with Red, especially with sound, but even so it is vastly more entertaining the the back of Southwest’s tired old seats.  Even the safety film played on Red is more entertaining than the canned speeches given by Southwest’s personnel.  (Watch out for the matador and the bull–so cute!)  You can use Red to order food and drinks, and it obviates the need to embarass yourself by buying People magazine to entertain yourself during the flight, although you can always cover People with the Economist, like I do.  Southwest does give you peanuts, which Virgin does not, but I will gladly take Red over peanuts any day. 
 
The only advantage Southwest has over Virgin is the number of flights and their flexibility.  For the business traveler just trying to get back home for dinner, Southwest has far more flights than Virgin and does not usually charge you a fee to change your flight.  Virgin, on the other hand, charges you $75.  That is ridiculous, but it has forced me to choose my flight times more carefully.  Still, flexibility comes at a cost, because right now Virgin flights are significantly cheaper than Southwest’s due to a flight sale. 
 
So the question is, would you rather have peanuts and less money in your pocket but be able to fly home earlier if you want to do so, or would you rather fly in style, have a more cerebral and entertaining experience, and save a few dollars.  Hands down, fly with Branson, as long as he is not piloting the flight.

I can honestly say I learned more from my first internship than I did in my entire college career.  I landed a gig at Ruffhouse/Columbia Records and worked for free for almost two years.  In that time, I cut my teeth on the some of the most popular music of our generation.  Money aside, I was fortunate.  I knew the right people and that leg-up ultimately launched my career.  I waited tables to supplement my income and spent the rest of my time hitting the books.  

We recently posted a poll question on PerfectBusiness regarding compensation for interns.  Should all interns be paid or does it depend on the situation? Some of the responses opened my eyes and made me think about the socio-economic impact of intern hiring practices.  

Non-paid internships are oftentimes joked about as “free labor”. Is it okay? Should interns at least get some kind of a stipend to cover their life expenses?  The poll on PerfectBusiness essentially agreed that interns should be paid outright, with 60% of people polled saying they should.  If we can stop asking those who can least afford to work for free, to work for free, we might be able to diversify our workforce. At least in-part.

In turn, kids without the support of Mommy and Daddy can focus on studying and getting the top job.

As it stands today, the best unpaid internships often go to the financially endowed. But does it matter?