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America’s
biggest bank is having second thoughts about its controversial plan to
begin charging a $5 monthly fee to customers who use a debit card. Bank
of America may lower minimum account balance requirements to
avoid the fee, and direct deposit and credit card customers could have
the fee waived. The move comes as other big banks are backing away from
plans for debit card fees. Source Link
It
will be a November without NBA basketball. The league has cancelled all
of its games for the month as a player lockout continues amid
slow-going talks over a new labor agreement. Owners want a 50-50 split
of revenues, while players are only willing to cut their share from the
current 57% to just over half of revenues. Source Link
Mother
Nature’s weather trick is no treat for millions of people in the
Northeast who are facing a Halloween without electricity after a massive
snowstorm hit the region over the weekend. The heavy snow fell on trees
still full of leaves,causing more limbs to come crashing down on power
lines. Parts of Connecticut and Massachusetts are digging out of more
than two feet of snow. Source Link
She
may be celebrating her 125th birthday, but this famous lady still looks
great, and now everyone can enjoy the view. The Statue of Liberty is
getting a high-tech upgrade with the installation of five webcams in its
torch. The cameras will allow people everywhere to see views of New
York harbor 24 hours a day and look down on parts of the famous statue.
Source Link
Health
experts say trick-or-treat night can be a scary one for the little
ghosts and goblins, as children are four times more likely to be hit by a
car on Halloween than on any other night of the year. To safeguard
kids, parents should avoid masks that block children's vision and
costumes that could cause them to trip, and make sure youngsters stick
to the sidewalks and obey traffic signals. Source Link
Are
you considering buying a new smartphone, e-reader, or tablet computer?
You’re not alone. In fact, so many people are in the market for
touchscreen and mobile devices that it will to lead record sales for
consumer electronics this year. At the same time, TV sales are falling
as nearly nine out of ten households say they already have at least one
digital television. Source Link
Could
next year’s hot holiday gift be a television made by Apple? There are
reports that the software engineer who created iTunes is now working on a
TV set for Apple that could be on the market by late 2012. The “Apple
TV” was said to be the last major product that co-founder Steve Jobs
shepherded before his death. Source Link
Being
on the cutting edge of automotive innovation can mean getting nicked
occasionally. Ford Motor Company has dropped out of the Top Ten in this
year’s Consumer Reports reader survey of auto reliability amid
complaints about Ford’s new touchscreen dashboard technology and its
automated manual transmissions. Japanese nameplates took the top nine
spots in the survey and Chrysler was the top-ranked American brand at
Number 13. Source Link
Soon
it will be easier for Americans to pay down some of the estimated $1
trillion in outstanding college loans. Starting next year, low-income
graduates with federal loans can make monthly payments equal to just
10-percent of discretionary income, with total loan forgiveness in 20
years. And easier loan consolidation could allow others to save money on
monthly payments. Source Link
The
smart phone and the tablet have become a parent’s go-to gadget to
occupy little hands and minds. A new survey says more than half of
children under the age of 8 have access to a mobile device with
applications. The report also points to an “app gap” with children in
affluent families three times more likely to use interactive apps than
youngsters in lower income homes who mainly watch TV. Source Link
If
you’re the kind of person who uses hand sanitizer frequently and avoids
touching door handles in the rest room, you may want to extend that
habit to the gas station. A new study found that gas pump handles are
the filthiest surface that Americans encounter on the way to work. Also
near the top of the dirty list were handles on public mailboxes,
escalator rails and ATM buttons. Source Link
The
defending American League champions can finally win it all with just
one more victory tonight in the 2011 World Series. The Texas Rangers
take their three games-to-two lead over the Cardinals into St. Louis for
Game Six of the Fall Classic. Last year, the Rangers managed only one
win in the 2010 World Series that was won by the San Francisco Giants.
Source Link
The
nation’s biggest retailer is raising the stakes in the battle to win
your holiday shopping dollars. Wal-Mart says it will match competitor’s
low prices on items sold between November 1st and Christmas Day, even if
the lower price comes after you buy the item from Wal-Mart. The
difference will be paid in a store gift card and the holiday price match
does not include online merchants. Source Link
The
old saying “garbage in, garbage out” could apply to media and kids. A
new study points to a link between TV shows and games that use foul
language and children who swear. The study found that middle school
students who watched programs and played games with bad language were
more likely to use profanity. Source Link
A
vivid reminder of the power of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami
earlier this year is on its way to America. There are reports that up to
20 million tons of debris sucked out into the ocean, including
furniture and household appliances, is speeding across the Pacific. The
disaster remnants could arrive on the shores of Hawaii within two years
and might reach the U.S. Pacific coast in three years. Source Link
Steve
Jobs delayed surgery for his pancreatic cancer until it was too late to
contain it, according to the authorized biography of the co-founder of
Apple that hits bookstores today. Over the protests of his family, Jobs
tried alternative medicine treatments for nine months and the cancer
spread to other organs. The new biography draws from dozens of
interviews with Jobs by author Walter Issacson, with the last one
completed just before Jobs died. Source Link
New
research says there’s no link between the use of cellphones and brain
cancer. The study from Denmark looked at over 300,000 people and found
no difference in the percentage of brain cancer cases with those who
used cell phones and those who did not. Earlier this year, the World
Health Organization said cellphone use should be classified as "possibly
carcinogenic.” Source Link
If
you want to find America’s safest drivers, head for the Rockies. A new
report by Allstate Insurance names Fort Collins, Colorado as the
American city where drivers are least likely to have an accident. In a
ranking of cities over one million people, drivers in Phoenix Arizona
get the top rating, but there’s little brotherly love behind the wheel
in Philadelphia, where drivers are 60% more likely to have an accident.
Source Link
Planning
to post to Facebook or tweet something today? You’re not alone. A new
study says Friday is one of the most popular days for social media
interaction. That’s because people are mentally changing gears from the
work week to personal time. For businesses, the trend also means that
Friday may not be the best day to use social media to reach customers.
Source Link
When
it comes to new cars, an analysis says that between men and women, guys
go for the looks while ladies look for a better bottom line.TrueCar.Com
reviewed the 8 million car purchases last year. They found that women
are more cost-conscious and purchased fuel-efficient vehicles while male
buyers preferred big and brawny, like a large truck, or a high-priced,
high-performance vehicle. Source Link
If
you think hard work won’t kill you, you might want to think again.
Researchers say working long hours should be added to the list of risk
factors for heart disease. Their study showed that working more than 11
hours a day increased the risk of heart disease by 67%, compared to the
typical 8-hour work day. Many workaholics also don’t make time for
exercise or heart-healthy meals. Source Link
The
price of a postage stamp is going up. The U.S. Postal Service says it
will add a penny to the cost of a first-class stamp, raising it to 45
cents beginning in January. The Postal Service is dealing with a
financial crisis that also led the agency to ask Congress for permission
to end Saturday delivery service. Source Link
When
it comes to TV viewing for infants, the nation’s pediatricians say
“turn it off.” The American Academy of Pediatrics says watching
television programs or DVDs could harm speech development for babies
younger than 2. The warning does not include interactive video games.
Doctors say instead of TV watching, parents should talk to infants and
encourage independent play. Source Link
For
the first time, a national poll shows that half of all Americans would
favor full legalization of marijuana. The Gallup survey found the
biggest support for legalization was among those under the age of 30 and
in areas of the West, Midwest and East. Previous polls have shown that
70-percent of Americans believe marijuana should be legal for medical
use. Source Link
The
world’s first commercial spaceflight terminal is open. Spaceport
America located in the southern New Mexico desert is a joint effort of
state government and British billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin
Galactic. While the terminal is ready, the space plane that will take
passengers on sub-orbital flights for $200,000 a ticket may not be ready
to launch until 2013. Source Link
Call it a drunk tax that we all pay -- federal health experts say the
costs associated with binge drinking equal about $2 a shot, or a total
tab of over $200 billion a year for society. The CDC report says that
includes the cost of lost work, property damage from car crashes,
expenditures for alcohol-associated medical problems, and money spent on
jailing drunk drivers and criminals using alcohol. Source Link
Baseball’s
Fall Classic gets underway tonight as the defending American League
champions try to win it all in the 2011 World Series. The Texas Rangers
are the first team in over a decade to have back-to-back appearances in
the World Series. From the National League, the St. Louis Cardinals
return to baseball’s championship for the first time since winning in
the World Series in 2006. Source Link
Cell
phone users will soon be getting get a heads-up before they head over
their monthly limit for calls, text messages and data usage. America’s
cell phone companies have announced a plan to alert customers as they
approach their limits. Millions of Americans have experienced cell phone
“bill shock” with additional charges from usage that’s priced much
higher when it’s over the plan limit. Source Link
The
Beatles classic might have had it right -- money can’t buy me love. A
new study of married couples found those who say money isn’t important
to them scored up to 15 percent better for marriage stability and
relationship quality. For the one out of five couples in which both
partners admitted a strong love of money, finances were often a bigger
source of conflict. Source Link
From
canned comedy stars to flamboyant singers and upset avians, this year’s
hottest Halloween costumes have a current pop culture theme. The
costume retailer Spirit Halloween says the Charlie Sheen mask and the
Lady Gaga outfit are popular choices for adults. For kids, expect to see
lots of Angry Birds at the door begging for candy come October 31st.
Source Link
When
you look at the numbers, it’s clear that Americans love their mobile
devices. There are now more mobile subscriptions than people in the
United States, and those 328 million devices include 96 million smart
phones. Data usage doubled in the first six months of 2011 versus last
year, and we talked a lot too, using about 1 trillion minutes and
sending 1 trillion text messages. Source Link
Both
marriage and divorce can lead people to put on a few pounds, but which
one adds to the scale differs between men and women. A new study shows
that for men, the risk of weight gain increases after a divorce, but for
women, it’s most likely after marriage. Researchers say married men get
a health benefit from marriage, and they lose that benefit when they
divorce. Source Link
The
ultimate playground for wizard wannabes is taking shape in England as
the studio where the Harry Potter films were made is being transformed
into a tourist attraction. The giant sets used in the filming of the
popular movies will be open to the public. The Warner Brothers Harry
Potter Studio Tour opens next spring, but ticket pre-orders are being
taken now. Source Link
Americans don’t think that the Great Recession is a
great time to start a family or add to one. New figures show that the
nation’s birth rate began to decline in 2008, the first year of the
economic downturn. In a state-by-state breakdown, those states that took
less of an economic hit had a higher birth rate. Experts think the
downward rate will rebound as the economy turns around. Source Link
The
insurance industry’s own safety agency says its testing shows that half
of all child booster seats can’t ensure a proper fit to protect
children in car crashes. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says
there are no federal guidelines to evaluate how booster seats fit with
seat belts. Children between the ages of 4 and 8 are 45% less likely to
be injured in a crash when using a properly-fitted booster seat. Source Link
It’s
the big day for Apple fans as the new iPhone 4S goes on sale for
Verizon, AT&T and for the first time for Sprint customers. Up to one
million pre-orders were taken for the smart phone that looks just like
its predecessor the iPhone 4 but has a better camera, a more-powerful
processor and a new feature -- a digital personal assistant called Siri
that answers voice questions and manages your schedule. Source Link
Getting
smarter may be as simple as going to sleep. New research has shown that
people may be learning while they sleep and dramatically improving
their memory. This sleep memory ability isn’t fully understood and isn’t
found in every person, but it’s known that the brain processes
information during sleep and this ability may contribute to better
memory when you’re awake. Source Link
We
know that college can be expensive, but how about spending a
quarter-million dollars to earn a four-year degree? That’s what it will
cost incoming freshmen at the nation’s priciest school -- Sarah Lawrence
College outside New York City. The top five most expensive colleges
ranked by Forbes Magazine are all above $50,000 a year in tuition, room
and board and books, and include the New School in New York, the
University of Chicago, Washington University in St. Louis and Columbia
University in New York. Source Link
Move
over Blu-Ray and say “hello” to a new hue in the world of entertainment
media. The first “UltraViolet” version of a Hollywood film release is
on sale this week. “UltraViolet” is the name for a new feature to make
viewing more portable that lets you watch an online streaming version of
the movie on your computer, smart phone or tablet. Source Link
The
tip-off of the new NBA season has been put off as the league has
cancelled the first two weeks of games in the face of a continued labor
impasse between the owners and the player’s union. The league claims
that two out of three NBA teams are losing money and it needs
concessions from the players in a new collective bargaining agreement.
The NBA season was scheduled to start on November 1st. Source Link
For
millions of Americans who suffer from migraines, there’s new hope for
relief that doesn’t involve drug treatments. A new study showed that 40
minutes of exercise three days a week was as effective as relaxation
therapy or prescription drugs for relief from the symptoms of migraine
headaches. Some migraine sufferers avoid drug treatments because of
unpleasant side effects. Source Link
While
consumers and technology mavens look forward to next month’s debut of
the new Amazon Kindle Fire tablet computer, there’s evidence of just how
big a challenge it will be to unseat the current King of the Tablets. A
new report says 97% of web traffic from all tablet computers comes from
the Apple iPad. In fact, the iPad does more web browsing than all the
iPhones in America. Source Link
After
a backlash of customer anger, Netflix has dropped a plan to re-name and
spin-off its DVD-by-mail service. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said
there’s a difference between moving quickly and moving too fast, and
that’s what happened in this case. The plan would have forced Netflix
customers to use a separate web site called Qwikster to order DVDs.
Source Link
Even
though this year’s flu virus is a repeat from last year, experts say
your kids should still get a flu shot, as immunity can drop up to 50% in
a year. And children who didn’t get a flu shot last year should have
two doses of the vaccine. There’s good news if your youngsters don’t
like shots; kids over the age of 2 have the option to use the flu
vaccine nasal spray. Source Link
Being
hooked on the Internet could be a good thing for teenagers, depending
on where they’re spending their time online. One study suggests shows
that using social networking, Twitter or news sites can help young
people define their own identities and their place in the world. The
risks of Internet overuse come with online activity that is isolating or
unhealthy, such as gambling or gaming. Source Link
A
government health panel says there’s no reason for healthy men to
undergo routine testing for prostate cancer. The controversial
recommendation is based on evidence that the tests do not save lives but
detect cancers that are very slow-growing and lead to procedures and
surgeries with serious side effects. Most deaths from prostate cancer
occur after the age of 75. Source Link
Looking
for a real bargain on a tablet computer? How about a $60 price tag?
That’s how much people in India will pay for what’s being called the
world’s least expensive tablet. The touchscreen computer can handle
email, social networking, Web surfing, online banking and instant
messaging. A government-subsidized student version of the tablet will
sell for $35. Source Link
The
Steve Jobs story will be coming to the big screen. There are reports
that Sony Pictures has purchased the rights to the Jobs biography to be
published later this month. The book that was authorized by Jobs and the
film hope to take advantage of the great public interest in the life
story of the co-founder of Apple who died last week at the age of 56.
Source Link
As
America marks ten years of conflict in Afghanistan and Iraq, a new
survey shows a disconnect between the public at-large and those who have
fought those wars. More than eight out of ten veterans feel the public
doesn’t understand the problems that the military faces. Only one-half
of one percent of the population has served in the military in
Afghanistan and Iraq. Source Link
If
you want to play video games and DVDs and watch cable TV programming
all on one box, the folks at Microsoft have the answer. Their XBox Live
online service will now include channels with programming from HBO and
other cable providers. But you can’t cut the cord completely, as you’ll
still need to be a cable TV subscriber to get those channels through
your XBox 360. Source Link
One
national weather forecaster says if you live anywhere from the Great
Lakes to the Northern Plains, get ready for a repeat of Snowmageddon.
Accuweather.Com is predicting heavy snow and extreme cold in the north
central United States this winter. The Southeast can expect more
flooding rains, and the Mid-Atlantic is also in for more snow and ice.
The Southwest will stay mild and dry. Source Link
The
man whose vision and innovation brought us the Mac computer, the iPod,
the iPhone and the iPad has died. Steve Jobs passed away Wednesday from
complications of pancreatic cancer. He was 56. Jobs co-founded Apple in
1976 and was the driving force behind the company’s renaissance as the
21st Century’s premier technology company. Citing health concerns, Jobs
stepped down as Apple CEO just two months ago. Source Link
Four
million -- that’s how many Americans admit to driving when drunk. A new
CDC report says there were 112 million incidents of drunk driving in
the United States last year. About 8 out of 10 drunk drivers were men
and were binge drinkers, and one-third were under the age of 34. And
those who don’t wear seat belts were four times more likely to take
other risks behind the wheel, like driving while drunk. Source Link
Is
America’s animated first family of television hanging it up after
nearly a quarter-century on the air? Fox Television says it may have no
choice but to cancel “The Simpsons” unless the actors who together make
millions of dollars a year voicing the show’s characters take a 45% pay
cut. The studio says it needs an agreement by December, in order to have
time to write a series finale, if necessary. Source Link
For
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, “no” means “no” when it comes to
running for President in 2012. Christie is ending the speculation,
saying now is not his time to seek the presidency. Christie had been
encouraged to join the race by some who fear that no one in the current
slate of GOP candidates can beat President Obama next year. Source Link
If
you ask some doctors, the problem with American health care isn’t that
there’s too little of it. In a new survey, about half of doctors
questioned say their patients get too much care, with more tests, more
drugs and diagnosing more people for diseases who have never have
experienced any symptoms, all adding to the growing price tag for health
care in America. Source Link
It
isn’t the high “5” that some had hoped for, but the new iPhone 4S does
have more to offer to more cell phone customers. The 4S has new
operating software that will allow it to sync content wirelessly without
connecting to a computer. And it will be available for the first time
to customers of Sprint, the nation’s third-biggest cell phone carrier. The new iPhone goes on sale October 14th. Source Link
Is
there room for another hat in the ring for the GOP presidential
nomination? Observers say New Jersey Governor Chris Christie needs make a
final decision soon about a White House bid. Publicly, Christie has
repeatedly denied that he wants to run for president, but some in the
Republican Party says there’s still a chance that he’ll join the race.
Source Link
Just
how many new iPhones will be unveiled today? The world will be watching
when Apple offers the first look at the new iPhone lineup. Some
speculation has the company unveiling two phones, including a lower-cost
version of the current iPhone 4 that would be available for no-contract
phone services, to help Apple pick up more market share versus Android
phones. Source Link
A
new government report says one in five Americans are smokers, but the
percentage varies widely depending on age, job and education, with the
younger and less educated more likely to smoke. Only 10% of teachers are
smokers, but nearly one-third of construction workers smoke. The report
says the best way for employers to help smokers quit is to ban smoking
in the workplace and cover the cost of smoking cessation programs.
Source Link
Customers
are the paying the price as banks find new ways to make up for lower
debit card fees being charged to retailers. Bank of America says it’s
adding a $5 a month fee when a customer uses a debit card. New
government rules taking effect this month have capped the fees that
banks can charge to stores for each debit card transaction. Source Link
On
the eve of the world’s first look at the next iPhone, there’s news that
Apple has a lot of them to sell to catch up with Android. A new survey
shows the Android system is running about four out of ten smart phones
in America versus the iPhone at 28-percent, and six out of ten new smart
phones being sold are Android. That margin should narrow as the new
iPhone 5 goes on sale later this month. Source Link
Is
it true that fatherhood is good for your heart? A new study involving
140,000 men found that married men who have no children have a higher
risk of dying from cardiovascular disease after the age of 50 than men
with two or more children. Some think the health benefit may come from
the fact that men can be more active while helping to raise children.
Source Link
