Check Out NTM on the Radio

Last weekend, I was interviewed for a radio show called "Tech Talk." The host, Craig Peterson, wanted to know how small businesses combat low productivity in the summer. I had a few thoughts,which you can listen to here . I think the thing we do best is manage...

How to Get More Stuff

Women are famous for their ability to talk up their favorite products and services. We often tell our clients that women don't just like to talk about good experiences; they feel compelled to spread the word. If we have a great experience at a store, we can't wait to...

41 New Business Innovations

From feeder businesses to solar/hybrid lawn mowers that use as little power as a lightbulb, here is a list of TrendWatching's 41 innovative business ideas. Some of these businesses are not in the U.S. but in this global world, a trend across the pond can quickly...

More Dancing (Fun on a Friday Part II)

Here's a routine from earlier in the season that may still be my favorite dance so far. It's about a young man called off to war. Several "wow" moves and a beautiful story line. I love it when Joshua does this handstand thing, but Katee pulls him back by his foot and...

Vista Sucks — even Intel Thinks So

Terri has complained about her Vista machine since she bought it. It's the computer she wants to love because it's loaded with other great, fun tools, but Vista has given her so many fits she just can't open her heart completely. She's not alone. People have been...

Fun on a Friday: Introducing Wordle

Check out Wordle, a new tool that generates beautiful word clouds (similar to "tag clouds") from any text that you submit. The image to the left is a Wordle created from a poem I uploaded that I wrote when I was 11 years old. The shapes and colors Wordle cranks out...

Seth Godin’s Genius Ideas For the Kindle

If you're an Amazon shopper, then you've probably been hit by a home page promotion for their reading device, the Kindle. It's a bit pricey -- around $400 -- but full of promise. I love the idea of downloading any book I want on demand, but am not convinced yet that...

The Pop vs. Soda Page (it’s a Coke Y’all!)

Here in Atlanta, no matter what soft drink you order, the generic term is "coke," as in, "Wanna coke?". When I lived up north, it was "soda," or "pop" (or "soda pop" in some places). This map plots the preferred term regionally. It's a fun little distraction on a...

Amazon rings up shopping via text-message

Amazon has just made comparison shopping easier. Now if you're out and about shopping in the "real" world (but really, who has time for that any more?), and find yourself wondering if you can get that same product cheaper on Amazon, all you have to do is send Amazon a...