Google is making another move to give consumers quick access to information about local places by rolling out Place Search, which clusters search results around specific locations.
For example, if a consumer searches for a museum in Los Angeles, the results will show each museum with relevant snippets of information and links from across the Web, making it easier to compare options. A red pin marks the location of each museum on a map.
A surge in demand for commercial aircraft lifted orders for big-ticket manufactured goods in September, but business spending weakened on products that signal expansion plans.
The Commerce Department says orders for durable goods rose 3.3 percent last month. Overall, it was the best showing since January. But excluding transportation, orders fell 0.8 percent after having risen 1.9 percent in August. Get the full story »
T-Mobile USA said it would be first to offer Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy Tab tablet-computing device, and plans to subsidize the price for those who sign up for a wireless contract.
T-Mobile USA, the U.S. wireless arm of Deutsche Telekom AG, plans to sell the tablet for $399.99 with a two-year service agreement, similar to the deal that will be offered by Sprint Nextel Corp. T-Mobile USA is scheduled to sell the device Nov. 10, a day before it is offered by Verizon Wireless, selling the Galaxy Tab at the unsubsidized price of $599.99, and four days before Sprint begins to offer it. Get the full story »
A well-known auto industry forecasting firm on Wednesday suggested that the heavily promoted battery-powered vehicles about to appear are headed for a much slower takeoff then some auto makers and industry analysts expect.
In a new study, J.D. Power & Associates said sales of electric cars are likely to remain low for several years and won’t make up more than a small slice of the global market even 10 years down the road. Get the full story »
Sales of new U.S. homes improved last month after the worst summer in nearly five decades, but not enough to lift the economy.
The Commerce Department says new home sales in September grew 6.6 percent from a month earlier to a seasonally adjusted annual sales pace of 307,000. Even with the increase, the past five months have been the worst for new home sales on records dating back to 1963. Get the full story »
Apple says the elusive white iPhone 4 will remain out of reach until spring.
Apple Inc.’s “Apple Store” iPhone app lets people reserve products to pick up at local Apple stores. On Tuesday, bloggers posted screen shots of the app appearing to offer the option to reserve a white iPhone 4. By late afternoon, that option was no longer available. Get the full story »
U.S. members of credit unions have a more positive view of their personal finances than people who don’t belong to one, according to a survey by Discover Financial Services
Most credit unions, which are member owned and nonprofit, didn’t engage in the kinds of speculative financial practices that hurt many banks. Get the full story »
U.S. for-profit education companies DeVry Inc. and Capella Education Co. warned of slowing enrollment growth in the face of an uncertain regulatory environment.
The industry has come under fire from regulators and the Obama administration — and faces possible tougher rules — for saddling students with big debts and not fully preparing them for jobs. Get the full story »
Potash Corp. on Tuesday filed an amended complaint in its lawsuit against unsolicited suitor BHP Billiton, offering fresh details from the court’s ongoing discovery process in the case. Get the full story »
U.S. prosecutors asked a federal judge to seal the courtroom for part of the upcoming criminal trial of a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. computer programmer, an effort to protect the secrecy of the bank’s high-frequency trading platform.
Prosecutors said in a court filing that there is a “compelling interest in favor of privacy” for Goldman in the trial of the former employee, Sergey Aleynikov. Get the full story »
The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 used in the Goldfinger and Thunderball films is displayed prior to being featured in the "Automobiles of London" rare car auction in Battersea Park in London. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
For the discerning driver, it’s got an ejector seat, machine guns, and a world-class pedigree. Problem is, it’s going to cost a truckload of dough.
One of the world’s most famous James Bond cars — the specially-equipped Aston Martin first driven by Sean Connery in “Goldfinger” — will be auctioned in London on Wednesday evening, and it’s likely to fetch one of the highest prices ever paid for an automobile.
The unique car, which also has rotating license plates and other spy gear, is expected to go for more than 3.5 million pounds ($5.5 million).
The silver Aston Martin DB5 coupe was used by Connery to elude various villains in both “Goldfinger” and “Thunderball” — generally regarded as early classics in Hollywood’s longest running and most successful film franchise. Get the full story »
Wintrust Financial Corp. reported a larger-than-expected increase in quarterly profit, helped by a lower provision to cover bad loans.
For the third quarter, net income was $15.2 million, or 47 cents a share, compared with $27.3 million, or $1.07 a share, in the year-ago period. Get the full story »
Merz Apothecary will close its store inside Macy’s on State Street at the end of the day Wednesday, and begin the week-long process of moving to the Palmer House a few blocks away.
The family-owned business, known for its homeopathic remedies and colorful bath products, plans to open at the historic hotel at 17 E. Monroe St. on Nov. 4. A grand opening is slated for Nov. 11.
The new location at the historic hotel — on the first floor near the bellhop and the Starbucks — will expose the Chicago retailer to thousands of tourists a day, said Anthony Qaiyum, owner of Merz. Get the full story »
Shares of Molex Inc. were down 7 percent in early trading Wednesday, a day after the Lisle-based company reported better-than-expected earnings bur warned that its second-quarter earnings would be below estimates. Get the full story »
