By Yuri Kageyama
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: 07/14/08 6:37 AM
YOKOSUKA, Japan — Rolling your eyes to turn up the volume of a portable music player and tapping your fingers to turn on a DVD player are among technologies Japan’s top mobile carrier is testing for “wearable” gadgets.
By Peter Svensson
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: 07/14/08 6:37 AM
Q: I want to get rid of my landline phone service and go all wireless, but I don’t want to lose my home phone number. Can I transfer it to my cell phone?
By Chuck Myers
- McCLATCHY NEWSPAPERS Updated: 07/14/08 6:37 AM
Low interest rates may offer a good time to apply for a new, or even first, credit card. Several considerations, such as interest rate and fees, should come into play, however, before a consumer signs on to a new credit card.
By Marshall Loeb
- MARKETWATCH Updated: 07/14/08 6:37 AM
NEW YORK — This summer, the average household’s electricity usage will jump. Many people can thank their air conditioners for this. In an attempt to keep their houses cool, they blast the a/c which, in turn, causes a run up in their electricity usage.
By Marshall Loeb
- MARKETWATCH Updated: 07/14/08 6:37 AM
This summer don’t be surprised if your airline ticket causes sticker shock. The high cost of oil has driven up fares, in some cases two and even three times what they were just one year ago.
By Peter Svensson
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: 07/14/08 6:37 AM
NEW YORK — Polaroid is abandoning instant film, but if you’re going to miss the feel of getting a small print in your hand a minute after snapping a picture, the company has a solution: A battery-powered printer that fits in your pocket.
By Yuri Kageyama
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: 07/14/08 6:37 AM
TOKYO — Sony’s new flat-panel TV consumes less energy than comparable regular models without compromising image quality — the latest in Japanese manufacturers’ efforts to woo buyers with green products.
Prospective Social Security beneficiaries can apply for retirement benefits online. The process is quick, convenient and secure. Applicants can find information at www. socialsecurity. gov /r&m2.htm. They also can calculate their estimated benefits by going towww.socialsecurity.gov/planners/calculators.htm. File online and save a trip to the office. For more information, visit the Social Security Web site atwww.socialsecurity.govor call toll-free at (800) 772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
By Patrick McGroarty
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: 07/14/08 6:37 AM
BERLIN — Germany’s annual Bayreuth opera festival is going digital, streaming video and audio of its opening performance of “Die Meistersinger von Nuernberg” live via the Internet. The catch is the price — $77.
By Erin Conroy
- ASSOCIATED PRESS Updated: 07/14/08 6:48 AM
NEW YORK — Think only celebrities, high-ranking professionals and the wealthy can enjoy having personal assistants at their beck and call? Not necessarily.
By Shaun Conlin
- COX NEWS SERVICE Updated: 07/14/08 6:37 AM
Sure, you can live the plastic fantasy of rock hero with EA’s “Rock Band” or Activision’s “Guitar Hero” games, but if you actually want to learn something that boosts real musicianship potential, you’ll want the “Piano Wizard” by Allegro Multimedia’s Music Wizard Group.
