Toyota recall raises questions about costs, design changes
But whether it will cost Toyota Motor Co. dearly or lead to mandated design changes of mats or other components is still unknown. The problem is a pretty simple fix that won't likely exact a huge toll on Toyota's bottom line, an analyst told the Associated Press. "It's making big headlines because of the big numbers, but in terms of the company's profits, it is not likely to have a big impact," said Mamoru Katou, an auto analyst with Tokai Tokyo Research.
Warren Buffett weighs in on Bernanke, Obama, China and oil
In the videos, Buffett fields questions on interest rates, investing in China, the future of energy and the Obama administration's efforts to revamp financial regulation. It's tempting to say Buffett didn't make news -- except, well, practically everything the man says is newsworthy to his legions of followers.
Green is good again: Cleantech venture funding continues its rebound
The improvement was fueled by a wave of big venture capital financings, and the successful IPO of battery company A123 Systems (AONE) helped the cleantech sector continue to rebound in the most recent quarter. The U.S. stimulus package also helped VCs make up their minds when placing big bets.
Young and old alike object to online ad tracking
Think that young people don't mind having their behavior tracked across web sites? Think again. According to a new study, more than half of 18- to 24-year olds don't want ads tailored to their behavior.
The study, written by five professors from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of California, Berkeley, found that two-thirds of Americans, regardless of age, object to marketers tailoring ads to their interests. And while there's a belief that young consumers are more open to marketers using behavioral targeting -- the use of information gathered from a consumer's web-browsing and even offline activity -- that's simply not true, the study found.
Sanofi-Aventis to finally probe link between cancer and insulin use
Sanofi-Aventis (SNY), the maker of diabetes drug Lantus, said Tuesday it will launch a massive research program to probe a possible link between cancer and insulin. Such a link has been the subject of extensive debate in the scientific and medical communities.
The most recent uproar was in June when European studies published in Diabetologica suggested just that -- an association between cancer and Sanofi-Aventis' diabetes treatment Lantus. But the results were inconclusive and Sanofi said it "stands behind the safety of Lantus."
Retailer Kohl's opens 37 stores, plans more for 2010
The global recession may turn out to be a boon for Kohl's Corp. (KSS), the nation's fourth-largest department store chain.
Kohl's opened 37 stores Wednesday, mostly in California, bringing its 2009 total to 56 new locations. Expansion might seem like an odd strategy for a retailer right now, with consumer confidence flat and Halloween sales expected to be down. But the Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin-based company, is one of several American corporations fattening up during the downturn.
Gangster's ATM: New 'Trojan horse' opens your bank account to crooks
Call it an ATM for cyber-crooks -- and the cash could come out of your account.
Web security sleuths have found a new type of "Trojan horse" that steals your bank log-in name and password, then proceeds to drain money from your account -- while you're logged in.
The new Trojan, called URLZone, features a number of innovations not widely seen in Internet crime. For example, the Trojan can estimate precisely how much money to steal based on how much dough you have in your account, and can even siphon money in small increments to evade detection.
Media World: NPR CEO takes pay cuts, works for free
Her stress had only begun. Her predecessor, Ken Stern, who had pushed NPR into new areas of media including satellite radio, was fired because, an NPR story on the matter explained, he had not convinced local stations "that he saw a clear and healthy role for them in the digital future."
Massucci's Take: Jon & Kate is about money, not love
It's curious that both items were announced on the same day: Jon gets demoted in TV-land, and he says he may want to be invited back into the house that has all those cameras rolling, in the name of love and family. The plan to turn the show into single-mom-raises-eight-kids may get kiboshed by Jon, who supposedly wants to reapply for full-time dad and high-income TV-star status.
The disappearing toxic TV: Sales of lead-laden boob tubes plunge
The EPA estimates that of the 704.9 million CRT televisions sold in the U.S. since 1980, roughly 42.4 percent are still in use, reports Popular Mechanics. But as U.S. owners replace them with newer, sleeker models, only 10 percent of these discarded CRTs are recycled. Disposing of those toxic TVs has been a huge problem in the U.S. and abroad. And in the developing world, sales of cheaply made CRT televisions have remained strong despite the environmental concerns. Now, CRT sales are plunging fast and it finally appears that the end of the CRT era is close at hand. Soon, we will mark the passing of one of the worst contributors of lead contamination to the environment in the age of consumer electronics.