Aside from the cost of buying 3-D TV sets, the glasses required to watch them are a major hindrance, according to a study released today by The Nielson Co. about consumer attitudes toward 3-D televisions.
Fifty-seven percent of people surveyed cited the glasses as a reason they were not likely to buy a set. Nearly nine in 10 people worry that it will constrain them from multitasking while the TV is on, the survey said. Get the full story »
A trifecta of bad news has sent coffee futures soaring 44 percent since June, and companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Green Mountain and Maxwell House are passing on those costs. Bad weather in South America is threatening crops. Brazil and top exporter Vietnam are talking about hoarding their stocks. And U.S. stockpiles are reportedly at 10-year lows. Get the full story »
Employees talk outside the scene of a workplace shooting at the Kraft facility in Philadelphia. (For the Daily News/ Joseph Kaczmarek)
Minutes after a woman was suspended from her job at a Kraft Foods Inc. plant and was escorted out, she returned with a handgun and opened fire, killing two people and critically injuring a third before being taken into custody, police said.
The shootings occurred shortly after 8:30 p.m. Thursday inside a northeast Philadelphia plant where workers for the nation’s largest food manufacturer, headquartered in Northfield, makes cookies and crackers. Get the full story »
Starbucks Corp. said it isn’t just dropping its small-sized drink from its drive-through locations throughout the country, it’s preparing for the future.
In addition to removing the 12-ounce “tall” from its drive-through menus, the Seattle-based coffee chain has added images of some newer items. Starbucks maintains the changes are in response to consumer confusion over its many offerings, from hot chocolate to oatmeal, as well as highly customizable coffee beverages. Get the full story »
Capitol Hill staffers have made progress stitching together cybersecurity proposals into a huge bill, aides said, with Senate leadership putting it on their short list for passage this year. Get the full story »
EBay Inc. on Thursday won a lawsuit over Craigslist Inc.’s move to deprive the online auction giant of its seat on the online classifieds group’s board. Get the full story »
Some say the wave of bank consolidation seen in the last two decades is over, but an outspoken analyst who developed a formula for identifying banks that could be takeover targets on Thursday listed 17 he says are ripe, including Chicago-based MB Financial. Get the full story »
CBOE Futures Exchange LLC said early on Thursday that it will launch its first weekly options on its volatility futures contract, which would expand the exchange’s portfolio of derivative contracts tied to market volatility. Get the full story »
The state of Illinois has awarded HMO operators Aetna Inc. and Centene Corp. contracts to provide medical care services to 40,000 seniors and adults with disabilities in suburban Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Lake and Will counties beginning next year. Get the full story »
Sweepstakes contest organizer Publishers Clearing House will pay a total of $3.5 million to Illinois, 31 other states and Washington, D.C. to cover their investigative costs as part of a new settlement that also toughens solicitation practices.
The settlement, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, stemmed from a probe into Publishers’ “marketing practices of misleading consumers to believe purchasing magazines and other products will increase their chance to win the jackpot,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement. Get the full story »
Ford Motor Co. will host a meeting for its Lincoln dealers in early October to discuss its plans for re-energizing a brand that has long trailed luxury market competitors such as Cadillac and Mercedes. Get the full story »
Apple Inc. is easing restrictions for building iPhone and iPad applications, a move that should allow for the use of third-party tools such as Adobe Systems’ Flash software and could ease the tension between the two companies.
Shares of Adobe surged over 12 percent at mid-afternoon on Nasdaq Thursday, after Apple announced the changes.
Apple’s about-face follows a high-profile spat with Adobe last spring that saw Steve Jobs sharply criticize Flash technology. Get the full story »
Consumers will get a newly detailed look at exactly what’s in common household cleansers, as regulators plan to start enforcing a nearly 40-year-old state law that would force manufacturers to reveal their products’ contents.
The move comes amid growing scrutiny of the chemicals that make up consumer goods. Possibly the only measures of their kind in the country, the 1971 New York law and related regulations call for manufacturers to provide ingredient lists and research on the products’ health and environmental effects.
Food and Drug Administration says five electronic cigarette companies are violating federal laws by making unsubstantiated claims about the product and for poor manufacturing practices. Get the full story »
