Business2Blog: The folks at Mars have now made it possible to print (nearly) anything on your M&Ms. Go to their site, pick a color, and type out a message. Yes, it has a censor, and the kids at BoingBoing have already had their dirty fun. Gift boxes (2oz.) for $4.25 and a less impressive 8-oz. sack for 9.49. So that’s, […]

Entrepreneur: The vibrant and ever-changing world of franchising is one where anything is possible. And every year, without fail, strong patterns emerge, revealing the industries that hold promise for the year to come. This year is no different. After months of careful research, we are pleased to present the franchise segments that have caught our attention and promise strong growth […]

USA Today: Gillette announced Thursday its strategy to go after a bigger cut of the women’s shaving market this spring, including two new products in its successful Venus line and — in an unusual move in personal care products — equality with similar men’s products in price. The company will roll out a battery-powered Venus Vibrance shaver, similar to its […]

Business 2.0: The second Internet boom is quietly taking shape — and this one looks like it’s going to last. Here’s how six innovative businesses learned from the past and have begun to make the Web work for them. How to Make Money on the Net [Business 2.0]

BusinessWeek: Remember when the ultimate in personalizing a gift was adding a monogram? Today inscribing initials on luggage or towels seems quaintly old-fashioned compared to what’s available on the Web. Thanks to improvements in software that display customized goods online, guide users through the selection process, and automate production, individualizing a gift has gotten far more sophisticated — and, dare […]

The New York Times: Thanks to the breakneck growth of residential cable modem and D.S.L. services, this is the first year when most Internet users do not have to rely on their workplace for high-speed connections. Instead of hiding the Amazon checkout page when the boss approaches, more shoppers are logging on after work and sparing their nerves. As a […]

The Indianapolis Star: Bargain hunters such as Harmon are making resale stores one of the fastest-growing segments in retailing, according to the National Association of Resale & Thrift Shops, a trade organization. These stores no longer are dingy places where shoppers on shoestring budgets sift through mountains of musty-smelling clothes and junk to find one valuable item. Most resale stores […]

Influx: For sometime, there’s been something of a gap between the technical nature of skateboarding and the sophistication of skate shoes; most skate shoes have incredibly simple designs, they are almost anti-science and technology. With the recent success of Nike in the category, a company who put the science into footwear, other manufacturers have been forced to adapt to the […]

Popgadget: Frequent travelers who don’t want to do laundry in the sink or pay for expensive hotel laundry services can just take along several packs of OneDerWear disposable underwear. OneDearWear is 100% cotton, 100% biodegradable, and comes in several styles for men and women, from boxers to thongs. The fabric is very thin, so they won’t last through more than […]