I was recently asked to answers 3 about the economy and eLocomotive. You can see the questions and answers at Texas Startup Blog.

I created my first Google Gadget today. Nothing too complicated but it gives you access to your Zoho Creator applications through a gadget that can be used on a web page, your iGoogle start page , or your desktop via Google Desktop.

If you haven’t spent much time with Google Gadgets and Yahoo! Widgets, it’s time to start. These types of tools do 2 things for me, you, and your customers:

1. Granular Features: Instead of a full blown application, many of these gadgets are small applications that do something very specific. Instead of using 20% of the software, you’re likely to use 100% of the gadget.
2. Personal Delivery: One great benefit of gadgets/widgets is the ability to incorporate them easily with the tools you already use. You can build a start page with the tools you use (mine has my e-mail, remember the Milk tasks, my Grand Central voicemail, and my Zoho application). If I prefered, I could just as easily have each of these running on my desktop.

Companies need to start thinking about how they can deliver specific features in this manner. If Quickbooks could let me see my AP/AR information or my budget, I’d never have to open the full application. What would your customers like to see?

I don’t announce a lot of random sites but I’m pleased to see SkyGrid’s (www.skygrid.com) approach to news aggregation. With the distributed nature of blogs and news on the web, it’s difficult to keep track of what people are saying about your company or product. The Press clippings binder just isn’t adequate anymore. At $500 per month, it’s not for everyone but the idea is right on.

“SkyGrid emerges from stealth mode this week with a search tool that sifts through hundreds of web and mainstream media to show you just one thing: whether the balance of the news on a public company is good or bad, and how the “mood” is changing.”

The company: www.skygrid.com
A more thorough article: http://gigaom.com/2008/02/13/skygrid/