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by Matt Asay

What would Google look like if you took it offline and forced it to set up in physical space?

Google's tens of thousands of commodity Linux servers would need to be scattered around the globe so as to collect and then aggregate consumer interest. A lot like Path Intelligence, in other words.

Tim O'Reilly invested in Path Intelligence back in 2007. After lunching with Path Intelligence CEO Toby Oliver Friday in London, I can see why. The idea is to set up receivers in shopping malls and other retail areas to collect mobile data and analyze consumer behavior to help optimize lease rates, retail setups, etc. It's a big idea. Huge, even.

But it's what comes after this initial phase that has my brain hopping.


Path Intelligence Mobile Receiver
(Credit: Path Intelligence)

Path Intelligence's initial phase could prove somewhat costly, as it seems to require a sales force and hardware development/assembly to gain a critical mass of property owners to adopt its service. (The software, based on the open-source GNU Radio project, is free, which helps to keep costs down.)

But once Path Intelligence has a reasonable amount of distribution, the network effect of its business is absolute manna from heaven.

Just like Google.

Importantly, Path Intelligence is highly useful to retailers and others that want to optimize physical space (for retail, conferences/exhibitions, or whatever), even if the company never acquires another customer. If I'm an asset manager and want to know the most highly trafficked location in my shopping malls (e.g., so that I know where to charge the highest rent), I can easily get that data from Path Intelligence's service.

It dawned on me, however, that once a critical mass is attained, Path Intelligence can start selling subscriptions for the data to marketers everywhere, and could even start offering targeted advertisements to consumers while they're shopping. If I'm Ralph Lauren, I want to know that customers at Nordstrom who stop at the Faconnable display never make it to my displays, and then negotiate with Nordstrom to change my position.

And if I'm shopping at The Gap, I'd love to get an SMS ad that suggests I head to H&M for $10 off (perhaps sparked by data in the Path Intelligence system suggesting that a significant percentage of shoppers who go to The Gap later move on to H&M). It's good for me, and good for the retailer.

If this sounds like a privacy nightmare, Path Intelligence isn't blase about the issue. All information collected is anonymous and Oliver told me the company refuses business with organizations that may want to take a Big Brother approach to the data.

Google's advertising machine works because users constantly tell Google what they want. Path Intelligence, in physical space, is much the same.

It's a Very Big Idea, and very similar to Google. At scale, Google is unbelievably powerful because of the data that powers it. At scale, Path Intelligence could be the same.

Importantly, however, Google is useful to companies that simply want to search their internal documents or Web sites, just as Google Desktop is useful to individuals who want to unlock the clutter on their machines. Path Intelligence is immediately useful to retailers and property managers, but it becomes even more powerful once it has a sufficient body of data coursing through its servers.

Path Intelligence has just started raising its next round of funding. It's still in its early stages, but that's what makes it so exciting.

By Matthew Murray

If you're running a company of any size, you'll need accounting software to help you track your income, expenditures, customers, and so on. But if your outfit is small, one thing you don't need to do is pay for that software—there are solid options out there that can get you the functionality you need without having to go through your AP person (or, more likely, your own wallet). These three free accounting software packages will help you keep your money and your focus where they belong: on building your business.

Our favorite—and our Editors' Choice—is Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2009 It gives you all the basic general ledger, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, online banking, sales tracking, inventory management, and reporting capabilities you need. It also integrates very well with Microsoft Office (its interface even resembles Outlook's), which makes it even easier to get your work done. You'll have to contend with a fair number of advertisements and some general sluggishness, but these minor conveniences are worth it, considering all you get.

If you don't need functionality quite that advanced, take a look at Intuit QuickBooks Simple Start Free Edition 2009 Intuit's app focuses strictly on managing money (whether coming in or going out), and is simple to use, even if you have limited knowledge of accounting concepts. It allows just 20 customers, so it's only right for very small businesses, but this easy-to-use software could be a good way to help you get your company off the ground.

Outright.com is still pretty new and lacking in some features—you can't deal with state taxes, manually enter invoices created elsewhere, or export to other tax programs—but it's got a super-clean interface that helps demystify the sometimes complicated processes of tracking income and expenses, and meeting tax obligations.

Each of these apps provides a good jumping-off point for your just-starting-out business, and will definitely help you establish yourself—and good record-keeping practices—from the get-go. When you outgrow them, or in case you already have, check out our recent roundup of for-pay midrange accounting software to help you take your business—and your profits—to the next level.

Intuit QuickBooks Simple Start Free Edition 2009

QuickBooks Simple Start Free 2009 can be a terrific tool for small businesses with fewer than 20 customers and no need to create item records. It's highly usable, strong at tracking income and expenses, and even eases you into accounts receivable and payable chores via an intuitive interface and everyday language.

Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2009

Combining an exceptional interface with capable financial management and effective integration with other programs and services (ranging from standard Microsoft Office apps to eBay and PayPal), Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2009 is an outstanding tool for small or home-based businesses.

Outright.com

Outright.com is very new and still needs development, but it's made a good start at implementing an interesting concept: It tracks income, expenses, and tax obligations, relying heavily on integration with online applications like FreshBooks, Shoeboxed, and oDesk. We just wish it were as friendly with more third-party solutions.

If the Cash for Clunkers program has you toying with the notion of buying something new this summer, forget downsizing to just a sedan--that's so half-hearted.

Instead, you could opt for a total downsize, something along the lines of the Lotus Elise or Mazda MX-5 Miata. The cars are about 13-feet long, and you and a few friends could probably lift one of these cars into a tight parking spot.

Novelty aside, there are genuine advantages to owning a small car: high fuel efficiency, fewer emissions, nimble handling and, often, impressive speed on straightaways and around corners.

In other words, just because a car is small, doesn't mean it's gutless.

Behind the Numbers To determine our list, we added the length, width, height and weight of 2009 models on sale in the U.S., then took the average of those measurements and ranked the cars according to their score. We did not include models that may hit U.S. showrooms in the future, like the Tata Nano or the Fiat 500, or out-of-production vehicles such as the Dodge Neon. We also excluded neighborhood electric vehicles and three-wheeled cars like the ZENN and Aptera 2e.

Not all the cars that made our list are coupes. The Pontiac G3, for example, has four doors and a hatchback--not to mention 30-mpg combined fuel economy, a reasonable price tag at $14,335, and seating for five.

Some small cars have heft under the hood as well. The $47,250 Elise, for instance, goes 0 to 60 miles per hour in under five seconds. It uses a 4-cylinder engine to get 189 horsepower and hit a top speed of 150. The $22,500 Miata uses a 4-cylinder engine, too, eking out 167 hp and 140 lb-ft of torque.

Other small cars are following suit, says Jon Linkov, managing editor of autos at Consumer Reports. Turboboosted 4- and 6-cylinder engines work well to ramp up performance without adding the weight and appetite for fuel of a larger engine. Ford engineers estimate that their "ecoboost" turbochargers--available now on the Lincoln MKS, MKT and Taurus SHO--improve fuel efficiency by 20%.

Manufacturers also are focusing on lightening the load as a way to improve efficiency--something the tinker toys on our list are all about. The lightest is the $11,990 Smart Fortwo, which weighs in at well under one ton.

"Weight reduction is big," Linkov says. "Once you start stripping out weight, you take out the nine-way power seats and the 15-speaker stereos, plus the navigation system wiring and all that other stuff, that goes a long way."

Indeed, weight kept otherwise compact numbers like the Audi TT (3,252 pounds) and Volvo C30 (3,201 pounds) off our list. Their length, width and height are solidly middle-of-the-pack, but they are two of the heaviest vehicles in their segment.

Size Vs. Safety It goes without saying that safety is a key consideration for anyone considering a small car. Let's face it: In a head-on crash, a one-ton coupe is no match for a 5,000-pound SUV.

"The general things that make vehicles unsafe would include small size and vehicles that have not yet adopted state-of-the-art crash-protection technologies," says David Zuby, senior vice president of vehicle research at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

But he adds that size shouldn't be the only consideration--the strength of the safety cage makes a big difference: "Unfortunately, a consumer can't tell by looking at a vehicle if it's got a strong structure. They would have to consult crash-test ratings."

Some ratings, like roll-over and side-impact scores, can be compared across size and weight categories. The Smart Fortwo, for example, received higher side-impact ratings from IIHS than much-larger models like the Ford Explorer and Chevrolet Trailblazer.

Small-car proponents argue that tiny cars are actually safer than large ones because of several intangibles: they fit shorter and smaller drivers better, which makes them safer; and they are more nimble than SUVs and crossovers, which helps them effectively avoid crashes. There's also the fact that all the size in the world can't prevent whiplash or road rash.

Zuby says he hasn't seen statistical evidence to support those claims, although they may have anecdotal merit.

"A really, really poorly designed or insufficiently designed large- or medium-sized car may be more or less protective than the best designed small car, but that's something that you're not going to be able to tell just by looking at crash-test ratings," he says.

All things being equal, going from a clunker to a tiny car might be the smartest trade-in of all.

Has this ever happened to you? You are sitting at your desk – either at home or at work – and the telephone rings. The caller asks you to write down his number. You apologise : “Just a minute while I find something to write with” Searching for a pencil, you start rotating stacks of junk around your desk… piles of medical receipts, airline tickets, insurance policies, pizza cartoons, nose drops, coffee cups and old newspapers. “Sorry to keep you waiting, there’s a pencil here somewhere…”

You plough into the drawers amongst torch batteries, tooth picks, golf tees, weight loss brochures, wedding photos, loose change from Hong Kong, a kid’s crayon. A crayon! You scribble the number in lemon yellow and hang up.
You think to yourself : “now that I’ve found those insurance policies, I’ll put them into a folder.” Then you file the airline tickets under “travel” and the coffee cups in the dishwasher. Before you know it, you’re on a roll… erasers into the top drawer, telephone books onto the shelf, pizza cartoons into the bin. You even wipe the chocolate caramel off the telephone.

Suddenly you have a vision... “I could have a tidy office.” You feel a surge in your chest and you begin to plan : “I’m going to make fresh files with color coded labels, I’ll have a special jar for ball-points. I’ll even empty my waste basket every week!” now you’re in a mission that’s bigger than writing utensils. You’re creating the world’s cleanest workspace! By midnight you’re found a dozen pencils, but does it matter? No! you’re having to much fun with the vacuum cleaner.

This is the office cleaning principle, and it applies to writing reports, digging ditches, doing your tax, washing the car. You get excited about doing things after you start. You take the plunge, and then you feel the energy and excitement.

We often make mistake by saying : “when I got energy, I’ll begin jogging every morning!” No! you start first. “When I’ll feel more enthusiastic, I’ll do my homework.” Wrong!. “When I get energy, I’ll start my own little business!”
No!.

You get the energy and enthusiasm for the job AFTER you begin. You get the energy as a RESULT of your involvement. The secret is to make a start.
Another thing about starting things… you will never ever be absolutely ready for anything!. For example, a public speech? Are you ever one hundred percent prepared for a speech? No. No matter how many times you rewrite it, no matter how long you spend learning it, you will be telling yourself: “if I had a little more time…”
You prepare as best you can, and then you take a deep breath and jump it.

“You get motivated by doing things, not thinking about them. Action gets you excited and action reveals opportunity. Take the plunge!”

No. 10: Austria

Population: 8,205,533
Life Expectancy: 79
GDP Per Capita: $38,400

With a high standard of living, first-rate schools, and some of the best alpine real estate in Europe, this home of musical talents ranging from Mozart to the Von Trapp Family ranks happily at No. 10 in the world. Once the seat of the Hapsburg Empire, which reached as far east as Ukraine and Transylvania and as far south as Bosnia, Austria today supports a heterogeneous mix of people. Thousands of Hungarians and Croats live within its borders, as well as Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and Jews, making Austria one of the most pluralistic nations in Western Europe.



No. 9: Canada

Population: 33,212,696
Life Expectancy: 81
GDP Per Capita: $38,400

Hard winters and a mind-numbingly vast expanse of land don't get the world's ninth-happiest people down. A member of the Group of Eight industrialized countries, Canada has enjoyed a rapidly growing economy since the early 1990s. Equalization payments are spread among richer and poorer provinces to maintain a balance in federal administration. Strong nationalism, ethnic and religious tolerance, and a welcoming atmosphere for immigrants and refugees also factor into Canada's status as one of the world's happiest countries.


No. 8: Netherlands

Population: 16,654,313
Life Expectancy: 79
GDP Per Capita: $38,500

Europe's most densely populated country, the Netherlands' famously liberal approach to recreational drugs, prostitution, homosexuality, abortion, and euthanasia make it the most socially tolerant society in the world—a factor that may contribute to its ranking as the eighth-happiest. Religion, on the other hand, plays little role: Fewer than 20% of people go to church in what has become a largely secular country. Unemployment is the lowest in Europe, and the U.N. Children's Fund ranks the Netherlands first in the world for child well-being.


No. 7: Switzerland

Population: 7,581,520
Life Expectancy: 81
GDP Per Capita: $41,100

A stable government and a tradition of neutrality in the historical wars of its neighbors have helped make Switzerland a stronghold of banking and one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Its fairy-tale alpine setting offers breathtaking views at the top of the world. And its mixed population is an accepted facet of life: German, French, and Italian are all national languages, and two women have been elected president there since 1998. The Swiss also enjoy an unmatched degree of "direct democracy," whereby citizens are able to directly petition the government to hold referenda that can topple laws passed by parliament.


No. 6: Ireland

Population: 4,156,119
Life Expectancy: 78
GDP Per Capita: $43,100

"Luck o' the Irish" aptly summarizes the surprising optimism that pervades life in this sixth-ranked country, where the pub lies at the heart of cultural, social, and political life. Ireland's starkly beautiful maritime scenery and captivating, lyrical language may explain some of its happiness, but economics likely play an even bigger role. Only a century ago, the Irish were fleeing famine and poverty by the millions. But since the 1990s, the "Celtic Tiger" has roared to life, turning Ireland into the second wealthiest country per capita in the world, behind only Japan. The change has brought hundreds of thousands of new workers from Eastern Europe and Asia to a place that now offers relative political stability and free education at all levels, as well as a focus on traditional values.


No. 5: Northern Ireland

Only 10 years ago, Northern Ireland was wracked by grisly religious violence known as "The Troubles" that killed thousands of Catholic Nationalists and Protestant Unionists. Now, thanks to peace, Northern Ireland—officially a "constituent country" of Britain—has emerged just ahead of Ireland to occupy fifth place among the world's happiest countries. Since the start of ceasefires in the 1990s, millions of British pounds have been invested in the regeneration of Northern Ireland's infrastructure, and a newfound pride and optimism is keeping young talent from emigrating. Like Ireland, the strengthening economy also is attracting foreign labor.


No. 4: Iceland

Population: 304,367
Life Expectancy: 81
GDP Per Capita: $38,800

It's not as icy as its name suggests. No. 4-ranked Iceland, an island nation at the edge of the Arctic Circle, is home to a happy community of coastal residents who enjoy almost unparalleled economic and civic freedoms. Priding itself on egalitarian values, Iceland elected its first female head of state in 1980, and in 1996, Parliament passed legislation to create registered partnerships for same-sex couples, covering nearly all the rights and benefits of marriage. Additionally, with 99% fuel independence and no standing army, Icelanders appear confident about their future security.


No. 3: Colombia

Population: 45,013,674
Life Expectancy: 73
GDP Per Capita: $6,700

Today it's the world's third happiest country, but "cocaine" and "cartel" are traditionally more easily associated with Colombia than "carefree" and "contented." The change: Surging tourism and economic growth have accompanied the South American country's efforts in recent years to reassert control over its decades-old rebel violence and lucrative drug operations. Even though per capita income is far lower than in the top 10 countries, Colombia's literacy rate is 94%, well above the world average. And the ethnically tolerant country supports thriving coastal communities of Arabs, Jews, Italians, Germans, French, Portuguese, and Roma descendants.


No. 2: Puerto Rico

Population: 3,958,128
Life Expectancy: 79
GDP Per Capita: $19,600

With the U.S. rated at a disappointing 16th on the list of happiest countries, the World Values Survey saw fit to separate Puerto Rico, an American territory that's culturally closer to its Latin American cousins. The result: The self-described "Island of Enchantment" ranked No. 2 in the world, despite having per capita income lower than Mississippi and receiving less than 15% of the Medicaid funding it would be allotted as a state. But Puerto Ricans, who enjoy permanent summer weather, a vibrant musical heritage, and idyllic emerald beaches, pay no federal income taxes.


No. 1: Denmark

Population: 5,484,723
Life Expectancy: 78
GDP Per Capita: $37,400

The center of world happiness is neither an Alpine fantasy getaway nor a topaz Caribbean paradise. It's a cold, windy, maritime nation on the North Sea that Vikings once called home and which was the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet. The Danes proudly attribute their status as the world's happiest country to a balance in managing a free and powerful economy, high standards in education, social safety nets, and wide acceptance of outsiders. Kate Vial, an American expat who has lived in Denmark for more than 30 years, says that the attitude among Danish people is summed up in one word—"hygge" (pronounced hooga). Difficult to translate and even harder to comprehend, hygge roughly describes a cozy, convivial sentiment that involves strong family bonds. "The gist of it is that you are not supposed to have anything to do except let go," Vial says.