Isn’t it everyone’s dream to work from home? You can just roll over in bed, grab your computer and you’re ready to go.

Well, it’s not so easy. While working from home does give you that luxury once in awhile, overall you actually have to make more of an effort to get things done than if you were going to an office job.

It can be very easy to get lazy and be unproductive at home. You have to get organized and stay motivated day in and day out.

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 economic stimulus was an unfocused series of compromises that had a modest stimulative effect on economic activity. Indeed, no matter how haphazardly you dump a trillion dollars on the US economy, it will goose employment, industrial production, retail sales and GDP. Its hard to spend that much money and not have an impact.

The limitation of most of these spending increases and tax cuts was that they had a temporary effect: As long as the money flowed, they were stimulative. Once the spending stopped, the stimulus stopped also.

On a recent TechZing podcast, for example, hosts Jason Roberts and Justin Vincent asked Gabriel Weinberg, founder of the search engine DuckDuckGo if being in the same realm as Google "isn't that, like, crazy?" But as Weinberg points out, he's able to "do things that Google can't copy easily." For example, DuckDuckGo is able to delivery more satisfactory search results than Google, contends Weinberg, because he can actively address questions of spam without facing charges of censorship or anti-trust - something Google can't do because of its size.

Whу іѕ іt thаt ѕοmе business owners јυѕt сrеаtе a mediocre business whіlе οthеr саn develop multiple businesses thаt аll skyrocket tο success? Well іt’s simple really. Thеу hаνе one major bυt distinct dіffеrеnсе. It’s thеіr mindset.

Thе entrepreneurs thаt seem tο hаνе “Thе Midis Touch” аnd everything turns tο gold аnd thеіr businesses always seem tο јυѕt boom look аt life аnd look аt business іn a particular way. Thеу see things differently thаn thе masses οf people аnd οthеr entrepreneurs; thеу hаνе a trυе entrepreneurial mindset.

Now whу іѕ thаt? Wеrе thеу born wіth a сеrtаіn way οf looking аt life? Nο, thеу hаνе spent time аnd spent energy developing themselves tο hаνе a particular set οf beliefs аnd tο thіnk a сеrtаіn way. Thеу hаνе developed thіѕ mindset.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) selected five projects to build and strengthen what it calls “innovation ecosystems” designed to accelerate the movement of new energy technologies from university laboratories to the market. This is the first time DoE has funded this type of university-based commercialization.

The ecosystems will bring together universities, the private sector, the federal government and DoE’s national laboratories to identify and develop new clean energy technologies and help them succeed in the marketplace. The projects will receive a total of $5.3 million in federal funding over three years, which are expected to be supplemented with grantee investments, for a total of $9 million.

The innovation ecosystem awards are led by universities or nonprofits based in five states, and include a total of 80 project partners from across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors. DoE says the projects listed below were selected to help nurture and mentor entrepreneurs, pursue intellectual property protection for technological innovations, engage surrounding businesses and venture capital investors, and integrate sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation across university schools and departments.

Since the late 1990's, many of Greater Philadelphia's leaders and key thinkers have focused on what has become the great challenge of cities and regions in an increasingly horizontal and globalizing economy: the attraction and retention of top college students and highly skilled young professionals.

Today, Campus Philly represents the merger of several programs launched in the past decade to maximize the connections between colleges, students, business, and our communities. This work is made possible with $1M grant from the City of Philadelphia's Department of Commerce, building off the activities of what had been known as the Knowledge Industry Partnership (KIP).

The second cohort of Saltire Fellows arrived on Babson's campus on September 13 to begin a 14-week program designed to develop their entrepreneurial leadership skills, including their sales and marketing capabilities and general business aptitude. These 10 individuals were carefully selected through a rigorous screening process based on their potential to make a significant economic and social contribution to Scotland's future.  

The Saltire Fellowship is a world-class, year long program that equips the Fellows with the skills and attitude required to take a leadership role within Scottish business. It blends an intensive learning opportunity at Babson College, the #1 ranked business school in the world for entrepreneurship, with an international assignment at a major, global company followed by a second job placement at a Scottish high-growth small- to medium-sized enterprise.

“I’m thrilled to welcome the 10 new Saltire Fellows to Babson College for what promises to be a transformational experience for the individuals and a huge opportunity for Scotland's future,” said Les Charm, Faculty Director and Entrepreneurship Professor.

More information about Saltire Fellowships can be found at http://www.saltirefoundation.com/fellowship/

Anyone who deals with the business community in the Atlantic provinces has heard it before — there is a gigantic need for venture capital to help support local entrepreneurs, and there just isn’t enough money to go around.

In reality, the drought in venture capital in Atlantic Canada has improved considerably over the past few years but, when it comes to having a pool of money to support new business ventures, this region can’t have too much of a good thing.

A private investor who has the means to provide capital for promising businesses is often referred to as a venture capitalist. It may be that the Atlantic region is poorer than most in Canada and therefore the wealth that exists here is often spread thin. But, historically, fledgling companies in Atlantic Canada have had a difficult time coming up with the necessary capital to make their businesses succeed.

We've added this "Best of the Web" feature to highlight inspired talks on sites other than TED.com. Enjoy, rate, comment and tell us what you think.

Seth Godin at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

Dan Shapiro's HOW TO READ A PATENT is superb, a wonderful demystification of one of the most obfuscatory, potentially harmful instruments in contemporary law. Also, it's funny.

Step 2: Skip the drawings

Patent drawings are mostly similar to high school notebook doodles except that they cost $5,000. They're generally impossible to read and only indirectly have a bearing on the enforceability of the patent. The occasional exception exists: the incredibly edifying flowchart. the drawings that look like a giant gummy bear (because the invention is, actually, a giant gummy bear) and sometimes a picture is simply worth a thousand words (particularly when that picture depicts the inventor, one Mr. Edward L. Van Halen, demonstrating proper use of his invention).

Ensuring that people have access to safe and affordable water supplies will be a major challenge for many developing countries as populations grow and agriculture and industry expand over the coming decades.

One of the greatest threats to water security is simply scarcity, where demand outstrips supply. This can result from geography, overexploitation or inadequate infrastructure, and climate change will put further pressure on the availability of freshwater in many parts of the world.

Nations or regions that are suffering from scarcity can achieve water security by the dual strategy of increasing water availability (such as with improved water storage, wastewater recycling or desalination) and cutting demand (such as with more efficient irrigation or food imports).

Kentucky has produced many innovations, including the first remote-operated traffic signal in 1922, the first industrial robot in 1954, and the first human hand transplant in 1999. Today, our scientists and engineers continue to work at the forefront of many technologies, from life science and information technology to advanced materials and alternative energy.

In support of this research and development, Kentucky offers high-tech companies a variety of public funding and business support programs. From pre-seed, seed and commercialization funds, to tax incentives and other programs, Kentucky has the resources and infrastructure in place to help innovators and entrepreneurs succeed at every stage.

Animal flocks, be it honeybees, fish, ants or birds, often move in surprising synchronicity and seemingly make unanimous decisions at a moment’s notice, a phenomenon which has remained puzzling to many researchers.

New research published today, Wednesday 15 September, in New Journal of Physics (co-owned by the Institute of Physics and German Physical Society), uses a particle model to explain the collective decision making process of flocks of birds landing on foraging flights.

Using a simple self-propelled particle (SPP) system, which sees the birds represented by particles with such parameters as position and velocity, the researchers from Budapest, Hungary, find that the collective switching from the flying to the landing state overrides the individual landing intentions of each bird.

This is the second article in a series on what it takes to be a great angel investor (and why this should matter to entrepreneurs).  Part 1 – Access to Great Deal Flow – is here.

I have talked extensively about “social proof” in fund raising in the past.  But the problem is that most deals – even really promising ones – fail.  Just ask the people who poured money into once “hot” companies like RazorGator or Friendster.  And we all know that Ron Conway is considered the savviest of angel investors and yet by definition not all of his investments succeed.

So being buddies with “all the right people” clearly isn’t enough to be successful.  AngelList – as great and innovative as it is – does not guarantee success for investors.  Obviously.  In fact, sometimes seeing social proof (e.g. lots of brand names piling on) can lead to group think and price creep.  I personally try to avoid many of these club deals.  I like to invest where I have a personally strong connection with the entrepreneur and/or a strong intuition on the market from prior experience.  I like to be early – usually first or near enough to it.

I believe the rise in angel investing is here to stay and the professionalization of this class (aka “super angels” or “micro VC”) is a good thing for the VC industry and for entrepreneurs. It is basically a return to the type of VC that was done 20 years ago long before the craziness of the Internet boom that skewed things so greatly.

But with its growth and success it will encourage many people to enter the market who will lack 5 critical success criteria for earning positive returns.

This is exactly what happened in the broader VC industry between 1999-2001 as many people without the requisite skills entered the industry. I believe that if you have 5 distinct skills you have a good chance at making great returns. I will publish what I believe the five are in a series of articles.

It is so fascinating that everywhere I go in China this week, people are trying to sell me the Chinese versions of iPhone, iPad and other iThings that Apple has yet invented. I was really interesting to get my hands on the Apple Skin, the nickname of a Chinese original (yes, original, patent cleared) add on device that turned an iTouch into an iPhone but unfortunately they were taken off the market, so I went for an iHaircut instead. Not bad at all, there is really no risk for me here, it is not like buying an iPhone here in China. You never know what you’ll get.

One guy showed me how it works; it was working really well when I used it to make a test call. That’s a real innovation that Apple missed. You can make calls and send text with this silicone rubber case with a SIM card slot and a dock connector. It is produced by a start-up Yosion Technology and was selling for RMB 388 (US$57) apiece. The gadget was invented by a 24-year-old Chinese graduate who felt it “inconvenient to have a mobile and an iPod Touch at the same time, and decided to solve the problem himself. We need more people like him.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania (BFTP/NEP) approved the investment of $480,300 in regional companies. BFTP/NEP is an award-winning, state-funded economic development organization that links early-stage technology firms and established companies with experts, universities, funding, and other resources to help them prosper through innovation.

Since beginning operation, BFTP/NEP has helped to create 14,301 new jobs and retain 21,236 existing jobs, to start 408 new companies, and to develop 948 new products and processes. The Pennsylvania Ben Franklin program returns $3.50 to the state for every $1.00 invested.

If you’re in the mood for a really enjoyable film, I recommend Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes.

In it, the director uses the latest movie-making technologies to animate 19th century London in all its dark immensity and brooding menace — from the elegant halls of parliament to the ornate rooms of masonic temples to the labyrinthine sewers beneath the city. The sets and staging in and of themselves are a masterpiece and are simply breathtaking.

I came to this film with a sensibility that I did not have when I first encountered Holmes as a young boy reading Conan Doyle. I was of course neither an entrepreneur nor an early-stage investor. Not surprisingly, this time, soon after leaving the theater something I had never considered before really hit me. I was struck by the realization that Sherlock would have made an amazing venture capitalist!