Lockheed Martin

The simple USB port has had a huge impact on our business computing lives. It's comforting to know we can swap the cables around, plug and play, and just simply have things work. That ubiquity has attracted some creative minds to the USB arena -- maybe a little too creative. Here are five mobile-worthy USB devices bound to either fascinate you, make you shake your head, or both. You may find yourself wanting them, rationally or irrationally.

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Will the iPad transform your business? Probably not. But the much-hyped, soon-to-be released supertablet could lighten your business travel load and provide a one-stop shop for editing documents, delivering presentations, and Web browsing on the go.

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If a friend comes to you with a dumb business idea, what should you do? Should you be honest and crush their dreams, or lie and potentially seem them take big losses? Read on to hear experts weigh in on why that dumb idea might actually pay off.

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Seems the ultimate TV mom of the 1970s has the pulse on a hot market for 2010: tech for seniors. Making the leap from The Brady Bunch to entrepreneurship, Florence Henderson has started the FloH Club, a membership-based telephone tech support service for seniors.

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In 2003, Avon Products Inc. spun off its youth-focused beauty line Mark into a Web 1.0 world. The company -- and brand -- has evolved to be anything but. Just as the Internet has transformed, so has Avon, jumping fearlessly into social networking and successfully redefining "Avon Ladies" for a whole new generation.

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With market research firm Gartner predicting that every third cell phone sold will be a smartphone by 2013, it's no surprise that wireless service packages will be constantly changing. Here's how to make sure you're getting the right plan for your business.

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The questions about how much federal government contracting money is actually being spent with real small businesses continue. Much of it is going to large businesses that shouldn't actually be eligible for the SBA's help.

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Small business lending dropped dramatically last year, as a consequence of the banking crisis. Not surprisingly, many small businesses are turning to plastic to ride things out until credit is flowing again. But before you sign up for a card, Peter Pham, CEO of BillShrink.com (which just launched BillShrink for Business to help small companies save money), has some tips to keep in mind.

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Maybe there's no such thing as a free lunch, but there is such thing as free office space. If you're just starting out, you might be a perfect fir for a "business incubator" -- shared office space specially designed to get you on your feet easier.