If buying the new Apple iPhone isn't enough of a status symbol, try having someone else do it for you. You'll still be paying, of course--probably double, since many "stand-ins" are charging as much as the cost of the phone for their services--but at least you won't have to wade through an endless line of anxious Apple enthusiasts to do it.

Over the past few weeks, Craigslist has become overrun with listings offering stand-in-line services for those who want iPhone status without the fuss. Buyers seeking stand-ins have several options to choose from as everyone from schoolteachers to high-school students are prepared to offer their services. Many highlight special line-standing techniques, such as policing the line for cutters, which they say will help them stand out among the competition. The practice has even become a part-time business for some, as popular releases, such as the Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3, mean major bucks for stand-ins.--Kim Orr 

In the near future, a clear gelatinous blob may help solve America's obesity problem and save dieters from daily laments on the bathroom scale. The National Research Council's Institute for Composite and Biomedical Materials in Naples, Italy has created a pill from a cellulose hydrogel compound that is powdery when dry, but plumps up to resemble Jell-O when wet. The pill can soak up 1,000 times its own weight, or nearly one liter of liquid. Dieters would swallow the pill, barely bigger than a lemon drop, and drink about two glasses of water at the first sign of hunger. Absorbing the water, the pill balloons to the size of a tennis ball and quells one's most gurgling stomach rumbles. 

According to the project's lead researcher, Luigi Ambrosio, the plumping is not unpleasant. "The effect is like eating a nice plate of pasta," he said. 

Ambrosio and fellow researcher Luigi Nicolais had been developing super-absorbent materials for a Swedish paper-product company when they noticed the ample waists of Americans during a trip the U.S. in the '90s. They struck upon the idea of using the hydrogel to produce an effect similar to gastric banding surgery and began researching. Along the way, the two also discovered that the pill was also very useful in slow-watering plants.--Joanne Yao

Great Place to Work Institute Inc. is compiling its 2008 list of "Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America," to be published in HR Magazine. Using extensive employee and management team surveys, the institute can provide a detailed report about employees' level of trust, pride and camaraderie within the office. Management teams can use it to see how company policy and workplace practices affect office environment, while companies can use it to see how their practices stack up next to the nation's most-contented offices.

To be eligible, companies must have between 50 and 999 U.S.-based, full- and part-time employees for the duration of the process. Feel like your biz is a great place to work? Nominate online at www.greatplacetowork.com/smenomination by August 15, 2007.--Joanne Yao

In May, we blogged about Yahoo!'s "Ultimate Connection" contest for small-business owners hoping to market themselves better online. After the top five companies were chosen from more than 10,000 entries, the winners have officially been revealed. And the winners are: Kids Crooked House, based in Windham, Maine; AlphaGrip, Inc., based in Lorton, Virginia and Made in Heaven By Missy, based in Laguna Beach, California. Now, all three companies will attend the ultimate power lunch on July 10 above New York Harbor. The guest of honor, Ivanka Trump, will attend, as will Yahoo! executives. The luncheon is just part of the prize package the winners will receive, including $25,000 in keyword advertising from Yahoo! Search Marketing, advice from marketing experts with American Express and a website makeover.

Many Americans are working beyond the 9-to-5 grind, and entrepreneurs in particular have a level of career commitment that inevitably melds personal and business life. A new trend in dating reflects that lifestyle change. You've heard of the working lunch; now meet the working date. A rendezvous may begin with dinner and a glass of wine, but end with both parties typing away on their laptops.

Work ethics are becoming a pseudo-compatibility test for career-minded singles. However, super workaholics can be a turnoff even to fellow office obsessors. Nobody likes to be interrupted by a business call during dinner.

Oddly enough, though, True.com and Match.com, two popular dating sites, have experienced an increase in users who list their "workaholic" qualities as assets. Will commitment to work become the new gauge of quality companionship? We'll see.--Joanne Yao

For decades, Apple has been the brand of choice for chic-geeks, while PC makers have approached the style component with shirts tucked in and pocket protectors intact. Now the PC makers will challenge Apple's monopoly on hip hardware.

Consumers increasingly want to personalize their computers as more and more of them enter our kitchens, living rooms and bedrooms, according to a new report from Forrester Research. "Right now we think about laptops and desktops," said J.P. Gowner, the study's main author. "But by 2012, we'll be thinking about five or more categories of PCs--maybe laptops, desktops, touch screens, home theater PCs, ultra-mobile PCs and furniture PCs." The prevalence of computers in our lives, in particular, the laptop, is sparking a style revolution in the computer industry similar to what happened in the automotive industry when people began paying premiums for stylish Porsches and well-constructed Lamborghinis.

The report coincides with Dell's announcement to offer 10 new colors and an increased selection of sizes and functionalities for its laptops. In addition, the new line will be augmented with a multi-million-dollar ad campaign, just a small portion of the more than $2 billion PC makers are expected to spend in 2008 on advertising alone. Of course, not everyone cares about having a designer computer. However, judging by the way Sony and Dell have begun offering customizations, computer couture may be just around the corner.--Joanne Yao

It may take economists and financial experts to tell us where the economy is going, but today's consumers aren't as predictable as some experts presume. A recent study conducted by BIGresearch, a Worthington, Ohio-based research firm specializing in consumer, retail and economic studies, decided to forgo expert opinions in favor of 7,500 consumers' outlooks on their own economic situation.

The findings highlight the ever-present concerns of today's consumers about the future of gas prices, as well as female consumer's unrest about the current economy. According to the study, women have the least amount of confidence in the economy over the next six months, and 32.3 percent plan on decreasing spending over the next three months. Shopping trips are also on the decline; 41.9 percent of consumers say they're taking fewer shopping trips because of gas prices, and 72.9 percent think gas prices will go up by July 4.

There is a glimmer of hope for today's consumers, though. The study highlights an upward trend in future purchase intentions for items including computers, furniture and digital cameras, which may mean more spending in the third and fourth quarters of the year.--Kim Orr

While many businesses are hurting from the current airfare situation--oil prices have made inexpensive flights hard to come by--those with business connections in the Middle East may soon find a little relief. On Thursday, United Airlines will launch extended services between Washington, D.C. and five Middle Eastern countries including Qatar, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The new service, part of a codeshare agreement between United and Qatar Airlines, was spurred by the success of United's Kuwait service, which began in October 2006.

Despite the region's unstable political situation, its growth as one of the world's foremost business and economic centers makes it a popular destination for business travelers, who often complain about minimal service options. As part of the new agreement, United Mileage Plus members will be able to redeem and accrue miles when traveling on Qatar's fights, which also connect to destinations in South and Southeast Asia. And travelers can expect additional services beginning January 2, 2008, although United hasn't yet reported what those services will be.--Kim Orr

Drivers soon can be rid of their permanent stash of parking meter quarters, thanks to a new plan to install credit and debit card-friendly meters across the country. The high-tech parking meters--called PhotoViolationMeters (PVMs)--do virtually everything, except park your car for you. Some of the more notable features include the No-Fine option, which automatically charges your credit card at timed increments, and a phone alert system, which warns you when you're low on time and lets you pay for more over the phone. You may even want to arrive at your destination a little early to surf the internet using the free wireless service provided by each meter.

Parking officials are apparently just as annoyed by the age-old meters as drivers--Washington, DC reports more than $1 million in unpaid parking fines--so PVM creators included a few features for ticketers as well. The meters are set to photograph the license plates of offending cars and offer on-site payment options for drivers. And every meter is equipped to accept 12 coin types, credit cards, debit cards, smart cards and pay-by-phone.

Now, if only buying gas was that simple.--Kim Orr

American Express' OPEN credit division for small business has just launched Openforum.com. With a growing article database, regularly updated business stories, event postings and industry forums, the new social networking site for small business owners is worth bookmarking. AE is kicking off its launch on June 26 with a panel of well-known directors, writers and producers who will share how they used "power networking" to make it in the entertainment industry. You can  sign up for the live webcast  taking place at 7:30 p.m. PST or check it out live at the L.A. Film Festival.--Joanne Yao

Wondering how to target the teen and tween market? Look no further than social networking sites. According to a study from Alloy Media & Marketing, 71 percent of teens and tweens going online connect to a social network weekly. And almost half of them engaged with a brand in cyber space within the last month. Overall, about 96 percent of teens and tweens have used social networking technologies. The executive VP of strategic marketing at Alloy, Samantha Skey, said the best way to advertise to this generation is to meet them on their own terms. "They're saying, 'Enhance or facilitate my social-networking experience. Offer me utilities to enhance my production process or tools to help me better express or engage myself," said Skey.

As for what they're checking out online, the majority of teens and tweens are, not surprisingly, into entertainment and technology, though the study found a larger number of female respondents were also interested in personal-care products. Skey recommended marketers attach themselves to services kids would be interested in. "Straightforward, old-school reward systems are attractive and enable choice," she said.

Small businesses, which have seen a steady decline in angel investment funding since 2000, may now have something to look forward to with the introduction of a new act designed to encourage investment in small business causes. The ANGELS Act, introduced by House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Nydiá Velazquez, aims to help small businesses grow by offering a tax break of up to $250,000 per venture for investors who take part in small business causes.

The new legislation comes as a refreshing change for small businesses, which are finding it harder and harder to locate willing investors. Along with the establishment of an Angel Investment Program within the SBA, the act calls for the creation of a "searchable database" of angel investors. Once created, the database could become a valuable tool for small businesses, connecting them with various investors from across the country and providing them with the tools needed to build their businesses.--Kim Orr

Remember when the first oxygen bar popped up in your city? "O2 bars," a Japanese creation popular with stressed out students and businesspeople, quickly found a place in American cities, and now pop up everywhere from health clubs to airports and tradeshows. O2 bars essentially allow enthusiasts to inhale oxygen above the atmospheric level of 21 percent. Some believe the extra O2 strengthens the immune system, alleviates hangovers and boosts concentration, although no official studies have been done. 

Now the new way to get "aerated" may begin with opening your cabinet. Companies such as BigOx are selling canned oxygen for domestic consumption. The 93 percent concentrated product comes in what look like colorful whipped cream cans and are available in equally colorful flavors, such as Polar Rush or Tropical Breeze. Will a can of air replace the daily latte? Well, maybe not quite yet.--Joanne Yao

With Apple's much-anticipated iPhone hitting shelves in just four days, predictions about the imminent craze surrounding its release are becoming as prevalent as Nicole Ritchie jokes. The iPhone seems to have "everything but the kitchen sink," according to Reed Richards, a spokesperson for BetUS.com, the largest sportsbooking site in the country. Yet new technology can often be defect laden and buggy. BetUS.com has posted odds on some of the things that might go wrong:

• Initial iPhones get recalled: 30/1  
• The screen breaks/cracks like the first-generation iPod nano: 150/1
• There are mass reports of the battery life being less than the promised eight hours: 10/1 
• Someone is trampled while trying to get an iPhone: 20/1
• And our favorite--iPhone spontaneously combusts: 150/1 

Here are the odds on some other categories:

• Consumers are reported camping out waiting for an iPhone: 3/1
• iPhone sells at least 12 million units in 2008: 5/6
• Apple's stock jumps at least 10 percent in value in regards to the price on June 30: 1/2

Consumers pay at least three times the original price ($1,500) on eBay: 2/1--Joanne Yao

TGI Friday's is waiting to see if less food translates into more profit. Its new "Right Portion, Right Price" menu has become popular with diners because it offers smaller portions for less money, leading to an a 1.4 percent increase in customers and a 2.5 percent increase in sales within the last 16 months. Most offerings, such as ribs with fries, are smaller, full-fat versions of regular entrees, rather than portion-controlled, low-fat platters.

Casual dining hasn't recovered from a long-term slump, so when the average check dropped by 4 percent in the first weeks after the menu was introduced, the restaurants' management became a little alarmed. But now, with the increases in customers and sales, the "Right Portion, Right Price" menu is slated to become permanent.--Joanne Yao