To add insult to injury, BP has spent millions of dollars on a marketing campaign to improve their image in the public. These dollars would have been better served in the hands of the people that have been effected by this disaster. The best marketing campaign for the company would have been reacting quickly to the spill, refunding the lost wages of the small business owners that were impacted by the spill and showing a community that they actually care about them. The problem is they only care about the bottom line which according to many estimates looks great for the second quarter regardless of the oil spill.

In their efforts to spin the crisis in pathetic commercials, they have the nerve to act as if even though they destroyed the environment and jobs, they still should receive a pat on the back because they hired the people whose jobs they took to help clean it up! Seriously! This is all a result of poor planning by a global company that had plenty of resources to prevent this disaster in the first place. Hopefully the new CEO will do a better job of planning for future problems that may arise from offshore drilling. After all the people of the gulf coast need and deserve their lives back!

You see, he represents a company called Clear (I am in no way affiliated with Clear, this article represents my opinion).  Clear, as James eloquently explained, provides 4g speed mobile broadband that is affordable and unlimited.  For only $55.00 a month, you can get two wireless broadband modems or a combination of thier products.  There is a catch however, clear is a new company, so it may not be in your city yet.  For more information, visit Clear.com.   I believe this is a product worth looking at if you are looking for an affordable wireless solution as a small business owner.

There is something about knowing the place you attended to obtain a degree has respect in football and of course academics. Somehow the two are more connected than we realize. A college with great athletic programs is popular, which means potential students know about it and want to attend it. Popularity of a college/university also increases the value of their degree in the market place. It is a smart business decision for a college or university to build up their athletic departments.

What garners more attention in college athletics than any thing else? Bowl games! Bowl games bring in millions of dollars to universities that are fortunate enough to make it to them. Bowl games also hold the best kept secret in college football. Number one is not always number one. Number one is often the number one draw for financial purposes. There are many teams that have achieved undefeated seasons in years when a one lost team played for the national championship.

Why isn’t there a college playoffs much like the nfl? It doesn’t make financial sense. Bowl games create hype, hype creates anticipation and anticipation creates greater demand. This demand drives the ability of millions of viewers to watch the games around the holidays. This demand makes number one and number two of greater importance than who is the best team right?

Sometimes they get it right, or do they? We will never know until there is actually a college playoff system, but there will never be a college playoff system as long as it is more lucrative to place a one and two that will draw the biggest crowd on game day. Personally, I do not believe the University of Texas is any better than Boise State whose record of 14-0 is impressive. From a financial standpoint though Boise State vs. Alabama just doesn’t sound as good as Texas vs. Alabama. What is better than two states going at it!

Disclaimer: I am a proud Aggie and I will never believe that T.U. deserves to be in any bowl game especially since we almost embarrassed them in Kyle Field this year!

This made me wonder about other inventions that have become a part of business, popular culture and family entertainment, even though they did not exist in the 90s. Here is a list of innovations we believe have changed the way we interact all created in the first decade of the 21st century.

1. The iPod (launched 2003)
Steve Jobs is a genius…the iPod literally revolutionized the way we listen to music on the go. It became the “walkman” of the 21st century. In an effort to embarrass their competitors even more (such as the Zune for instance), they launched better models along the way with mobile media capabilities. The final morph of the ipod became the ipod touch. A WiFi enabled mp3 player, media player and revolutionary application housing machine. “There’s an app for that” is the new reality. The ipod has over 70% of the market and many companies have made lots of money simply by producing ipod apps. They didn’t stop there….

2. The iPhone (launched 2007)
Steve Jobs really is a genius…No one ever thought that an ipod could actually become a telephone as well. Steve Jobs and Apple did. This phone can do everything. It was such a great idea, as readers you already know about it and you are probably reading this article on one!

3. The Nintendo Wii (launched 2006)
The Playstation was the biggest thing since sliced bread when it came out and then Nintendo, in an effort to be competitive and regain market share, went to the woodshed and came out with the greatest family gaming system ever created. The Wii’s ability to mix virtual reality with reality through interactive gaming is unparalleled. Every family member participates in the Wii experience. Their market share is estimated to be between 40% to 50 % of the market. “Wii would like to play!”

4. Netbooks (launched 2007)
It all started with a valiant effort by an organization called One Laptop per Child to provide technology to developing countries through the use of a small laptop called the XO-1 laptop. They pioneered the idea of affordable small computers in my opinion.

Asus decided to offer an inexpensive small laptop for all consumers and started with the EeePc running the linux operating system. They sold this computer for under $400. It sold so well they added a windows version and then every other computer company jumped into the market. Could this be the first disposable laptop since you can get some now for around $325.00.

5. Skype (launched 2003)
Skype changed the way everyone viewed voice over IP technology. They added a chat function and made it free for everyone to use. The free version of Skype includes free long distance to any computer in the world with Skype, an ability to talk using a webcam on both sides of a call allowing individuals to see who they are talking to, and conferencing with multiple users. Skype also added some paid features that allow for an individual to have a phone number and make and receive calls from their computer. Major mobile phone carriers are offering VOIP services, but Skype’s technology is proprietary and closed source. Their longevity is often questioned.

6. Sirius/XM Satellite Radio (launched 2002)
Cable television has been a coveted luxury for the average consumer for years. People are willing to pay a premium every month for extra channels. Could this translate to radio? It did and it became so big that major car companies started offering it as a luxury option. Why not listen to exactly what you want to listen to all the time?

7. Hulu.com (launched 2007)
Hulu provides legal copies of tv shows and movies online all the time for free! There is a Hulu desktop application that may change the way we watch TV. If you missed your favorite show, you can visit Hulu.com and see an index with several episodes. Hulu is a joint venture between a private equity investment firm, Hulu employees, and several networks including NBC Universal (General Electric), Fox Entertainment Group (NewsCorp) ,and ABC (Walt Disney). Hulu is made in the USA and only offered in the USA currently. This is one of my favorite websites. They also offer classic shows that are no longer on TV in addition to the growing selection of movies.

8. The Redbox DVD vending machine (launched 2004)
You can purchase candy from a vending machine. You can purchase soda from a vending machine. There are vending machines for almost everything you can imagine. Why not offer DVD rentals from one? Redbox DVD rental machines are now everywhere. They are conveniently located in WalMart, at Walgreen’s, McDonalds and other places. How have they begun to trump the competition? It only cost a dollar to rent movies and new releases are added every Tuesday. I haven’t been back to Blockbuster, Hollywood video or used Netflix since I discovered these Redbox rental machines. There are other DVD kiosk renting companies, but Redbox is the leader of the pack. I like the idea that once you rent a movie, you can return it to any Redbox!

Which invention on this list do you think had the most impact in the first decade of the 21st century? Write a comment and let us know…