Good morning, All,

That’s what the WSJ called the ‘thundersnow’ storm that hit Manhattan on Boxing Day, which was Monday, for those of us playing the home version. Thunder and lightning in the midst of a blizzard (http://on.wsj.com/ejiMcf). It was wild, and nothing like ending the year with a bit of sonne et lumiere, eh, courtesy of Mother Nature and thanks for the show! And lest we forget, it was our second blizzard of the year – and we had three tornados, too. Now, back to our regularly scheduled weather and program.

First, something for the creative on the list: The Adobe/Motorola Video Contest. Motorola and Adobe are seeking original, inventive ideas to convey the exciting possibilities made possible with full web browsing on new mobile devices like the DROID smartphones by Motorola with Adobe® Flash® Player.

There are two contests available with different briefs – one for an ad and another for a short film. So get your creative juices working and get filming. You can enter both contests with as many different videos as you like. Grand Prize: A trip to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress. There will also be four runners-up prizes, and the deadline for entry is January 31, so get busy. All of the information is here: http://bit.ly/dLJQbO.

Next, the Vator Splash (SF) Feb 2011event. Vator Splash are currently making another “limited” batch of Holiday discounted tickets available. Be sure to grab them before they’re all gone or before they expire before the new year. Get your tickets here: http://vatorsplash.eventbrite.com/ As you may know, on the evening of February 3, 2011 at Cafe du Nord in San Francisco, 10 seed- to early-stage companies selected by their peers, and vetted by judges will have the opportunity to pitch the Silicon Valley elite. Finalists and winners will win a number of prizes. Demo tables are also available for a steep discount until Dec. 31st.

And December 30th is when the early bird rate for the next #140Conf ends. To register: http://nyc.140conf.com/register.

Next, InSITE is currently accepting applications for its Spring 2011 cycle at http://insiteny.org.

The application deadline is January 21. For those of you who are unfamiliar with InSITE, it provides early stage companies with pro bono consulting services to help raise Seed or Series A financing. InSITE companies have raised over $215 million in venture funding since 2000. Beyond mentoring services, the program also provides networking opportunities, speaker events, and a final pitch event featuring our affiliated VC and Angel partners.

Participating companies work with InSITE fellows drawn from Columbia and NYU Business and Law schools, as well as from several graduate-level science and engineering programs throughout NYC. Fellows are chosen through a highly competitive application and interview process and are focused on the enrichment of the New York startup ecosystem. Go for it!

Since there’s never any rest for the weary, come rain or snow or meteorological holy grail, holiday reading for you:

What’s Your Entry Strategy? There’s a novel thought, what, eh? Investors are fond of asking entrepreneurs about exit strategy. Ron Conway says he won’t do a deal unless he can think of 10 potential buyers for that startup in the future. But what’s your entry strategy?
How will you acquire users?
How will you, in a cost effective way, build awareness and engagement in a crowded online world?
If you distribute on an app store, how will you drive sustained acquisition rather than a short burst of interest?
What channels will you use for acquisition?
Why will people write about you?
The list goes on and worth a read: http://bit.ly/ie5DWc

When It’s Time For Plan B. Things don’t always go according to plan in the startup world and sometimes it’s necessary to (hope this is the last time we use this word this year) pivot. So what’s the Plan B? Sarah Needleman shares stories and advice in this WSJ article: http://on.wsj.com/eri4kh

When To Talk To Investors: Early And Often. Don’t wait until it’s time to raise money: Nothing builds confidence more than when you tell an investor what you’re going to do, then come back later having done what you said you would do. So, get out there and make it happen. Ok, maybe not this week, but soon, and often: http://bit.ly/fWZAat

Since so many companies are closed (maybe not in the startup world, but there are places on this very planet where people do have normal lives and unplug and well, the snow certainly went far in putting the breaks on an already quiet week) and since so many people are away this week – by choice or now – , we’re not going to do our usual postings, in all fairness to the people who have posts. But your posts will be back next week, so if you need something, or have something to offer, don’t be shy. Also coming back in January: Find A Cofounder! Details coming soon and yes, we do know that not all of you are looking for technical co-founders but rather business-building co-founders. So, yes, Virginia, we are planning another general SOS gathering so that you can all meet each other, and hopefully hook up and help each other out. Date and details coming soon, so stay tuned.

One of our members sent us a holiday card of aphorisms. Admittedly, we have a fondness for aphorisms and since it is a quiet week, and we do believe in leaving you with a chuckle and maybe something to think about, we’re going to share some of our favorites and hope you enjoy them. And yes, we choose them with you all in mind:

“Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.” – Mark Twain
A few from the ever-quotable king of malapropism, Yogi Berra:
“You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.”
“You can observe a lot by just watching.”
“A nickel ain’t worth a dime anymore.”
“I never said most of the things I said.”
“It is not the clear-sighted who rule the world. Great achievements are accomplished in a blessed, warm fog.” – Joseph Conrad
And finally -
“Don’t be afraid of competition. Remember: the kite rises against, not with, the wind.” – Hamilton Wright

And because this is just too good to miss: The Worst Part Of Coming Home For Christmas: http://gizmo.do/gKMEkJ

It’s quiet on the event front this week, so we hope that you’re all home and warm and safe and enjoying these last few days of 2010 – or finishing up what you need to get done. We wish you the very happiest of new years. See you next year and remember: we’re always here to help…

Good morning, All, and we told you there’d be a holiday party!

Apologies for the late notice, but it’s been a bit hectic lately and actually, Hans Zaunere gets all of the credit for organizing the event and thank you, Hans! RSVP: http://www.bootup.io/holiday-party/rsvp and if you’re in NYC, hope you can find the time to stop by and raise a glass of cheer!

Last week we attended VatorSplash, and kudos to Henry Blodgett, CEO, Editor-in-Chief and co-founder of Business Insider for his 10 Commandments (for entrepreneurs). It’s as close as we plan to get to an end of the year Top Ten list, and there’s some very good advice here, beyond the obvious (1. Build something you care about). One that hits particularly close to home: Don’t “be an entrepreneur” — Build a great product and company. Lots of people can go to events like Vator Splash and come up with ideas and say “I am an entrepreneur,” but a brilliant entrepreneur will focus on nothing but building the business. Reduce other activities “to the exact amount of time that is helpful.” Right. For the complete list: http://bit.ly/eVDSCg. Also worth checking out: the pearls of wisdom from blip.tv founder Mike Hudack, who changed his original business model before it was even de rigueur to pivot, (http://vator.tv/n/14e3)and boxee founder Avner Ronen (http://vator.tv/n/14e6), who refused to take no for an answer.

Oh, and hopefully, once we move into twenty eleven (or are we going to call it twenty ones? Just a thought), can finally move on from ‘pivot?’ Getting dizzy. Any guesses as to what the next industry buzzword will be and let’s not forget that we started the year with ‘lean.’ Thoughts? Drop us a note. Curious to hear what you think.

As promised, the Fast Company piece (Pearls of Wisdom From Bootstrapping Entrepreneurs ) that featured three of the SOS startups who responded to our press query a few weeks ago. Congrats to you guys and thanks! Here’s the link,(http://bit.ly/eKv5Kd) – but you do have to be logged in).

Pieces we like this week:
How To Close An Angel Round: http://bit.ly/dVFO3J. Roger suggests you ask two things of this angel: (1) can you use their name and hard commitment when speaking to other investors; and (2) might they leverage their networks on your behalf as part of your fund-raising efforts. We’d add a third: Is this angel someone with the industry connections to help you move your company forward in other ways besides financing. Again, just a suggestion.

How to Run Better Presentations & Improve Results. Sage advice from someone who has sat through more than his fair share of presentations and of course the bottom line is always the same: know your audience. http://bit.ly/hG21e7

15 mistakes young entrepreneurs make, but don’t have to. [Part I ]http://bit.ly/hwYIV0. It’s just the first 5 of 15, but we’ll report them as they become available. And it’s a countdown. You’ll have to wait for the #1 reason. Guess it’s just that time of year…

Finally, in light of the groupon/google non-starter we all just witness ($6 billion, Gracie?) there’s How I Screwed Up My Google Acquisition. http://bit.ly/ev0qcO. No editorial here. Can you say ‘dodgeball.com’? A location based service that GOOG acquired – and pretty much let die on the vine. Shut it down when they launched Google Latitude. So, dodgeball.com co-founder Dennis Crowley finished his obligation and seems to be doing much better, sans Google, with Four Square. Three sides to every story.

Oh, and since it’s that time of year: 5 Sure-Fire Ways to Enjoy Every Day of Your Life. Because it’s gotta be done: http://bit.ly/dGOjde

Chuckle of the day: if you missed the First Round Capital holiday card, happy to share the video of guys who would never otherwise have a shot at making it into an Old Spice commercial, and we love you all just the same: http://bit.ly/dKxMM0

And now it’s that time again. Happy Holidays to one and all and before the fat guy sings – or at least makes his way down the chimney – help is one the way…

Good morning, All,

In Boston: Over 40 VCs will gather for The New England Venture Summit,™ dedicated to showcasing early stage VCs, corporate investors, and angel investors committed to funding early stage and emerging companies. Good time and place to get on their radar! More than 50 top innovators will be presenting, and whether you’re a startup seeking capital and exposure or aninvestor seeking new deals, this is one event you won’t want to miss, and it’s happening tomorrow, December 15, in Boston, presented by youngStartup Ventures. Register online now and take advantage of the special $100 SOS discount. Click on http://www.youngstartup.com/newengland2010/overview.php and enter discount code “sos”. To register by phone or inquire about group rates, call Rivka at 718.447.0009 and mention “sos”.

Tomorrow in NYC: Vator Splash NY. Vator (short for ‘innovator), will spotlight 10 promising startups across New York City’s hotbed of emerging technology companies – and we have an SOS discount! Go to: http://vatorsplashny.eventbrite.com/, enter the discount code: “SOS25″. In addition to general admission tickets, 25% discounted demo tables (including 3 admission tickets) are available to startups who missed the competition deadline. Enter code “Vator25″ when registering. Avner Ronen, CEO of Boxee. will be there to talk about launching in the highly competitive set-top box space and Blip.tv co-founder and CEO, Mike Hudack, will talk about how his attempt at knowledge management software resulted in Blip.tv. Keynoting will be Henry Blodget, Founder and CEO of Business Insider, an up-and-coming business news site. Doors open at 5:00pm, Program begins at 6:00pm.

VatorSplash is also looking for some volunteers to help out – good way to meet investors for free, which is worth the price of admission. Oh, wait, that is the price of admission. The evening also ends with a great party, so if you’d like to volunteer, email lauren@perksconsulting.com ASAP and thanks! Remember: the event is tomorrow and should be good fun!

Speaking of which: our thanks to those who responded to our request to participate in a press opportunity. We know at least two SOS startups will be featured and, provided that we’re kept in the loop, we will let you know when the pieces do appear in Fast Company.

Ok, so since we’re getting to that time again, when everyone does their year in reviews, we’ve decided not to do that. Instead, a few interesting pieces that take a look at the entrepreneurial landscape to give you something to think about – and hopefully help you to move forward:

A Look at the Demographic Data for Who’s Seeking Startup Funding. Interesting results from chubbybrain.com’s early beta Funding Referral Engine data. http://rww.to/bwG6as

Which U.S. States Are the Most Entrepreneurial? http://rww.to/eg14oe You might be surprised. Maybe not.

Entrepreneur DNA (http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/entrepreneur-dna/). Mark Shuster’s Top Twelve most important attributes of the entrepreneur. He places tenacity first and foremost. Integrity was dead last, but happy to see that it made the list. Whew!

Accelerate Your Startup: Get the Right Product/Market Fit. First, what is a PMF?
A set of customers excited enough about your product to pay for it. Usually, that payment is cash, but sometimes it’s time. As Facebook, Twitter and Google have proven, if you can get enough customers spending time with your product, there’s usually a way to monetize it.
A customer base large enough to create a viable business. Here’s a VC and five-time entrepreneur’s take on the subject, including, two common mistakes being made by startups: Companies spend too much attempting to grow the business when it’s not ready for such growth; or companies don’t spend enough money when the business is ready to scale. Full story is here: http://bit.ly/hf1pkP

And in that same vein and to help the process along: A Basic Primer for Product-Market Fit: http://slidesha.re/ecNFAS

Finally, yes, Virginia, there is another war for talent (10% Unemployment, Yet Every Startup in NYC is Struggling to Hire: http://bit.ly/evMLPb) and it’s been going on for quite some time. In fact, that’s what inspired us to start this newsletter in the first place, over a year ago. On that front, we will have some big news to share with you in the new year (we have a feeling you’re going to like it!) and our next Find A Cofounder is being scheduled for January. Patience: it’s not that far off.

The chuckle of the day has nothing to do with technology, although we did find it on wikiquote.org and wondered how this one got by the censors. Season 1 ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ Ted just told Natalie – on her birthday – that he wants to break up with her…again:
Natalie: It’s my birthday, and you’re telling me I’m not the one for you?
Ted: It’s no big deal. It’s odd, like you lost the lottery-
Natalie: Oh, so dating you’s like winning the lottery? [Ted stammers] So what’s the problem?
Ted: I can’t explain.
Natalie: Try!
Ted: Well, it’s just ineffable.
Natalie: Oh, so I’m not ‘F-able’?

Gotta love the English language. Speaking of which, time for communications from you and yes, help is on the way…

Not yet: this is a big month in the startup world!

Good morning, All,

First, application deadline for SXSW Accelerator is this week: December 10, and we all know that South By is one of the biggest showcases of the industry. And Accelerator provides an outlet for early stage companies to present their new online Entertainment products, Social networking applications, News-related technologies, Music-related technologies, Health technologies, or Innovative web-based technology services to a panel of industry experts, early adapters, and representatives from the Venture Capitalist community. It all happens March 14-16, 2011 in Austin, Texas and we’d love to see some of you there. As finalists, we mean. Or, just there. Apply at http://sxsw.com/interactive/accelerator or if you’re a music technology company: http://sxsw.com/music/accelerator

Also this week: December 7-8, isTEDxTribecaWomen : a live webcast and series of events built around the TEDWomen conference in DC. This event is one of over 70 local, self-organized events that will take place across the globe to spark discussion and connection in a small group around TedWomen and “ideas worth spreading.” We’ll be streaming all 5 sessions of the conference – 25+ live speakers, performers, tech demos and more, over the span of 2 days. Hosted by Tipping Point Partners and Perks Consulting. The complete list of simulcast locations are below.

Next up: Whether you’re a startup seeking capital and exposure or an investor seeking new deals, The New England Venture Summit™ presented by youngStartup Ventures – is one event you won’t want to miss, and it’s happening next week on December 15, in Boston.

The New England Venture Summit™ is dedicated to showcasing early stage VCs, Corporate investors, and angel investors committed to funding early stage and emerging companies. This exclusive summit will feature a distinguished line up of more than 40 VCs on interactive panels; presentations bymore than 50 Top Innovators; and high-level networking opportunities. It’s an impressive line-up of investors – and an amazing opportunity to have access to them all in one place. We’re even including a partial list of those confirmed to speak at the bottom of this newsletter. Just too many to list here. Best for last: Register now and take advantage of the special $100 SOS discount. Click on http://www.youngstartup.com/newengland2010/overview.php and enter discount code “sos”. To register by phone or inquire about group rates, call Rivka at 718.447.0009 and mention “sos”.

Also on December 15, this time at Webster Hall: Vator Splash NY. Vator, a leading platform for innovators and entrepreneurs to connect and learn from each other, and a provider of news and information through VatorNews, will spotlight 10 promising startups across New York City’s hotbed of emerging technology companies – and we have an SOS discount!

Following an intense online voting competition and judging round, 10 finalists will be presenting to some of the hottest NYC startup peers, VCs, and tech community. In addition, Avner Ronen, CEO of Boxee will talk about launching in the highly competitive set-top box space and Blip.tv co-founder and CEO, Mike Hudack, will talk about how his attempt at knowledge management software resulted in Blip.tv. Keynoting will be Henry Blodget, Founder and CEO of Business Insider, an up-and-coming business news site. Purchase your ticket now: http://vatorsplashny.eventbrite.com/ with the discount code: “SOS25″. In addition to general admission tickets, 25% discounted demo tables (including 3 admission tickets) are available to startups who missed the competition deadline. Enter code “Vator25″ when registering. Doors open at 5:00pm, Program begins at 6:00pm.

Entrepreneurs Roundtable is Monday, December 13th, from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM at HodgsonRuss (1540 Broadway). This month’s special guest investor is Jeffrey Stewart (http://www.urgentspeed.com/about.html) and our own Emily Lutzker (openinvo) is one of the entrepreneurs selected to pitch. For those of you who’ve never attended an ER, here’s the drill:
Introductions, Q&A, 5-minute pitches from 5 startups and
5-minute feedbacks from our speaker and the community.
To pitch, please apply here (only 5 startups will be selected to pitch): http://goo.gl/zFRxU. To hear about future events, feel free to sign up at http://eroundtable.net

So, since we’re so focused on competitions/pitches today, and the judges are investors, here’s an article we thought might shed some insight as to what investors’ thought process is – if that’s at all possible: VC insanity, explained …or, why VCs do what they do. VC behavior sometimes looks insane, but generally it’s just sound economics: if you know how a VC gets paid, you can pretty much read their mind. Full article here: http://bit.ly/cJXgU2

This week’s pieces we like:
If you’re about to pitch – or putting together your pitch or deck, here’s a good exercise for you: the Y Combinator application form, or a few points from it, anyway:
What is your company going to make?
What do you understand about your business that other companies in it just don’t get?How long will it take before you have a prototype? A beta? A version you can charge for?
Who are your competitors, and who might become competitors?
Who do you fear most?
Why would your project be hard for someone else to duplicate?
What might go wrong? (This is a test of imagination, not confidence.)
Here’s a link to the dropbox application (http://files.dropbox.com/u/2/app.html), courtesy of Dave Winer. Good general exercise for you.

From the he said/she said department:
Mashable Video: Inside Tips from Entrepreneurs and Investors. http://bit.ly/e5qfyE
The Top 10 Lies Entrepreneurs Tell VCs…and the top 3 lies VCs tell entrepreneurs (our faves: We’ll be cash positive in 12 months/ I love your company, I just can’t get it through our partners. http://on.wsj.com/9YtE1f
And to remind you why we keep going forward, in case you need reminding: 14 Reasons Why You Need to Start a Startup #1 Reason: You will have the time of your life. And of course, the caveat: “Doing this may be hell at times…” Ya think? http://bit.ly/aggU1S

Finally, for a bit of fun: The Top Ten Daily Consequences of Having Evolved. This one is from the Smithsonian Institute and just goes to show you that technology isn’t the only thing that screws up. From hiccups to wisdom teeth, the evolution of homo sapiens has left behind some glaring, yet innately human, imperfections. Personally, we would have put #5 in the #1 spot: the trachea being so bloody close to the esophagus? That was just unforgivably bad engineering. Full story and the complete list is here: http://bit.ly/e9uS9P

It’s that time again. Time to hear from you and not to worry: help is on the way…

Good morning, All,

Ok, so it’s official: The New York Observer reported that Techstars NY is more selective than the Ivy League (579 applications mean 1.7% will be accepted) http://bit.ly/higFLV, so time to shift your focus – and we mean startups everywhere – to SXSW Accelerator, which returns for its third edition to showcase some of the web’s most exciting innovations, which can include companies like yours! The application deadline is December 10, 2010. SXSW Accelerator provides an outlet for companies to present their new online Entertainment products, Social networking applications, News-related technologies, Music-related technologies, Health technologies, or Innovative web-based technology services to a panel of industry experts, early adapters, and representatives from the Venture Capitalist community. Past judges have included Guy Kawasaki, Paul Graham (Y Combinator), Tim Chang (Norwest Venture Partners), Robert Scoble, Jeff Pulver (140 Conference), Chris Shipley (Demo) and Tom Conrad (Pandora). We invite your company to join us for this incredible event, as we highlight the technology market’s most impressive new innovations. The application deadline is December 10, 2010. Happening March 14-16, 2011 in Austin, Texas. Apply at http://sxsw.com/interactive/accelerator or if you’re a music technology company: http://sxsw.com/music/accelerator

Speaking of deadlines coming up – Founder Labs: Mobile Edition (Menlo Park) is this January and deadline to enter is December 1, 2010. Click here to apply, and it’s open to men and women, despite the fact that it’s a Woman 2.0 event: http://bit.ly/cctiqX.
How is Founder Labs different:
- We are focused on rapid prototyping.
- You work hands-on with potential team members.
- You don’t have to quit your day job or drop out of school. Come with enough energy to burn the midnight oil after work/school hours.
- There is no formal curriculum.
More information here: http://bit.ly/bmf2X0

The deadline for vatorsplashNY is December 2 – and it’s free to enter. Vator is looking for the most promising startups to present onstage at Webster Hall in New York City on December 15. We know that New York, and the East Coast in general, is becoming a hotbed for emerging companies — and venture capitalists are seriously taking notice. RRE Ventures is backing Vator Splash NY to ensure that the event is one that rocks the house: open bar from 4 pm to 11 pm to ensure it’ll be a great event, onstage and off. If you’re a startup that’s under three years old, or looking for a stage to launch, be sure to apply: http://bit.ly/cJAXnC (information and registration info there as well). Ten finalists will make the stage and get in front of venture capitalists from RRE Ventures, Polaris Ventures, Greenhill SAVP, Venrock, TechStars, DBJ Capital, and NY Seed.

Two of New York’s sharpest entrepreneurs will also be there to share their nuggets of wisdom about entrepreneurship. Fresh off the Boxee launch, Avner Ronen, CEO of Boxee will talk about launching in the highly competitive set-top box space against Apple, Google, Roku etc. and Blip.tv co-founder and CEO, Mike Hudack, will talk about how his efforts to build knowledge management software resulted in Blip.tv.

There’s also still time to sign up for Business Insider IGNITION: Welcome To The Future of Media. It’s Thurday and Friday of this week and we have a 20% off SOS discount (code: Startup2010) For more information and to register: http://bit.ly/bmf2X0

The first @BrandsConf will also be taking place in on December 2, at the 92nd Street Y: exploring the ‘Humanizing of Brands.’ Jeff Pulver introduces BrandsConf: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4SFGym02fY and register here for your 30% off SOS discount: http://140.vg/StartupOneStop is the link to share for the 30% discount.

Next week, December 7-8: In the spirit of “ideas worth spreading,” we are excited to announce TEDxTribecaWomen: a live webcast and series of events built around the TEDWomen conference in DC. Our event is one of over 70 local, self-organized events that will take place across the globe to spark discussion and connection in a small group around TedWomen. We’ll be streaming all 5 sessions of the conference – 25+ live speakers, performers, tech demos and more, over the span of 2 days. So everyone can attend! Hosted by Tipping Point Partners an Perks Consulting.

Next up: We’ve been getting a lot of mail from you lately, and two themes in particular:
1. Can you post anonymously and how does that work. Answer: yes, you can. There is a field you check off if you wish to post anonymously. Responses come to us, and we happily forward them along to the poster. Yes, you still have to fill in the line for email address so that we know where to send them.
2. We’ve been posting more articles of (potential) interest to entrepreneurs, and it seems to be a hit, so yes, we will continue to do so, and if any of you come across an interesting piece you want to share with the list, please feel free to do so or send the link to hello@startuponestop.com, and we’ll happily include it in the newsletter.

Pieces we like this week:

28 Entrepreneurs give the advice they wish they had starting off: http://bit.ly/arpIlW. The question was: If you were only allowed to offer an entrepreneur one piece of advice, what would it be and why?

How much are startup options worth? Which includes a few tools you can use to take a swag at that value. More importantly, it gives you a checklist of key questions to pummel your potential new employers with that will simultaneously put you in a position of much greater knowledge, and make them think you’re a badass negotiator/know what you’re talking about. http://bit.ly/foocSW

Investor Pitches Do’s and Don’ts. Always helpful. http://www.startupcfo.ca/2010/11/investor-pitches-dos-and-donts/ Speaking of which, Union Square Ventures has posted office hours, so go test what you’ve learned. Sign up here: http://bit.ly/f7leMb

How To Pitch Your Startup To The Press. Pay attention to who writes interesting things in your industry. If someone is regularly writing about your competitors, that person is presumably interested in what you do. Pitch a story, not your company. http://read.bi/f1f417

Speaking of press ops: if you’ve been bootstrapping a startup and have an interesting/unusual story to tell, email us (hello@startuponestop.com) quickly. We have a request from the press.

Ok, in the ‘things that make you go hmmm’ category, two pieces to get you thinking. Questions about the future of the browser: interesting piece on, Rockmelt the new social media connected browser (“With RockMelt we’ve re-thought the user experience because a browser can and should be about more than just navigating Web pages. Today, the browser connects you to your world. Why not build your world right into your browser?” http://bit.ly/hZnHxK) and a piece by Tim Berners-Lee (oft-credited creator of the web) who claims that social network sites like Facebook and Linkedin represent one of the several threats to the future of the world wide web (Facebook Is A Trap: http://bit.ly/dSGePY), citing that “social networking sites that do not allow users to extract the information they put into them is a ‘problem’ that could mean the web is ‘broken into fragmented islands.’ The more you enter, the more you become locked in… Your social networking site becomes a central platform – a closed silo of content, and one that does not give you full control over your information in it.” Not editorializing. Just giving the he said/she said.

But we will leave you with a chuckle: Yes, it’s time for the Winners of the Ig® Nobel Prize, for achievements that first make people LAUGH, then make them THINK. http://improbable.com/ig/winners/ Ok, last year’s winner for Public Health Prize – a brassiere that, in an emergency, can be quickly converted into a pair of protective face masks. Worldwide shipping available. And, as always, help is on the way…