Challenger has retro attitude

The trek to a yogurt less sweet

May 19, 2013 4:00 am

WHITE PLAINS, N. Y. — Dannon yogurt had a secret it didn’t want you to know. Until recently. Its Danimals Smoothies, a line of yogurt drinks in Technicolor packaging for the pint-sized set, have gotten a little bit healthier. Since....MORE

Review

Challenger has retro attitude

May 19, 2013 4:00 am

The 2013 Dodge Challenger lives up to the muscle car standards it has been setting since the 1970s, starting with the retro-styled exterior and, depending on the model, a beast of an engine under the hood. Among its cool design features are a....MORE

Consumer sentiment up to post-recession peak

May 18, 2013 4:00 am

WASHINGTON — Consumer sentiment perked up in May to its highest level in more than six years, according to a survey released Friday, helped by falling gasoline prices, a rising stock market and firmer housing prices. The preliminary May reading ....MORE

Today’s retirees face declining standard of living, study says

May 18, 2013 4:00 am

The retirement crisis is deepening, with recent generations of Americans less financially prepared for their golden years than their parents or grandparents, according to a new study. The study by the Pew Charitable Trusts suggests that people who....MORE

J.C. Penney board re-elected

May 18, 2013 4:00 am

NEW YORK — Ron Johnson’s job at J. C. Penney Co. ended after his attempt to overhaul the retailer wiped out a quarter of its sales and about half of its market value. The board members who hired him are staying. Investors voted to re-elect ....MORE

Data trove now guides drug company pitches

May 17, 2013 4:00 am

In the old days, sales representatives from drug companies would chat up local pharmacists to learn what drugs doctors were prescribing. Now such shoulder-rubbing is becoming a quaint memory — thanks to vast databases of patient and doctor....MORE

Facebook, Twitter announce apps for Google Glass

May 17, 2013 4:00 am

SAN FRANCISCO — Google says it’s still figuring out the best ways to use Glass, but the company announced Thursday that Facebook, Twitter and several other media firms have built their own applications for the futuristic-looking wearable ....MORE

Google wants to read minds

May 16, 2013 4:00 am

Google keeps trying to read our minds. The company revealed some new search tools Wednesday at I/O, its annual developers conference in San Francisco. Taken together, they are another step toward Google’s trying to become the omnipotent, human-....MORE

Household debt drops to ’06 level

May 15, 2013 4:00 am

U. S. households reduced debt during the first quarter by 1 percent to the lowest level since 2006, resuming a deleveraging trend in the wake of the financial crisis, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Household debt fell to $11.2....MORE

Google to launch music service

May 15, 2013 4:00 am

Google is set to introduce a subscription music feature to compete against fast-growing streaming services like Spotify, according to several people briefed on its plans. Google is planning to introduce the new service as early as Wednesday at Google ....MORE

Research

Engineering a $325,000 burger

May 15, 2013 4:00 am

MAASTRICHT, Netherlands — As a gastronomic delicacy, the 5-ounce hamburger that Mark Post has painstakingly created here surely will not turn any heads. But Post is hoping that it will change some minds. The hamburger, assembled from tiny bits....MORE

Sharp limits on salt are questioned

May 15, 2013 4:00 am

In a report that undercuts years of public health warnings, a prestigious group convened by the government says there is no good reason based on health outcomes for many Americans to drive their sodium consumption down to the very low levels....MORE

2014 Audi A8L Review

Luxurious sedan simply sips fuel

May 12, 2013 4:00 am

“Forget the hotel. I’m never leaving the Audi," I texted to one of the friends I was meeting for Jazz Fest in New Orleans when the spacious and luxurious 2014 Audi A8L TDI Quattro diesel luxury sedan arrived at my house. The A8L....MORE

Chevy Silverado smells of antifreeze on outside

May 12, 2013 4:00 am

Q: I am the original owner of a 2002 Chevrolet Silverado pickup with the 5300 V-8 gas engine. After driving it, there is a distinct smell of antifreeze when you are outside the vehicle. There are no apparent leaks and the fluid level remains fairly....MORE

A primer on electronic stability control

May 12, 2013 4:00 am

Q: I want to learn about stability control, which my new car supposedly has. How exactly does it work? How do I know what it is doing? Will it improve the way I can take corners?— Paula H. A: Electronic stability control, or ESC, has been....MORE

TV’s new stars: Small businesses

• Business, family drama brings profit for stars of ‘Duck Dynasty,’ ‘Pawn Stars’ • Business, family drama bring profit for stars of ‘Duck Dynasty,’ ‘Pawn Stars’

May 12, 2013 4:00 am

NEW YORK — There’s no business like small business. Mix the high stakes of running a small business with a dash of family drama and throw in a camera crew and you get hit reality television shows such as “Pawn Stars," “Welcome ....MORE

All that glitters is gold on Mother’s Day

May 12, 2013 4:00 am

ORLANDO, Fla. — Whitney Court usually buys her mom flowers for Mother’s Day, but this year she’s selected a gift that won’t wilt: a silver necklace. It cost $165, about double the price of a dozen roses delivered. But Court, a ....MORE

Student debt a drag on workers

May 11, 2013 4:00 am

The anemic economy has left millions of younger working Americans struggling to get ahead. The added millstone of student-loan debt, which recently exceeded $1 trillion in total, is making it even harder for many of them, delaying purchases of....MORE

High tariff could hurt U.S. denim producers

May 11, 2013 4:00 am

There’s a wrinkle in the outlook for expensive women’s designer jeans. Europe has more than tripled a tariff on the high-end denim creations, which could snag the boom for pricey pants. This month, the European Union duty on women’s....MORE

Dispatches

May 10, 2013 4:00 am

• Bend Pilates has moved to a new location at 155 S. W. Century Drive, Suite 104. The larger space has an area for group classes and a private room for individual sessions. To learn more, call 541-647-0876 or visit www. bendpilates. net.•....MORE

Glasses let deaf moviegoers see what they’ve been missing

May 10, 2013 4:00 am

Raymond Smith Jr. has been trying for nearly two decades to make the movie industry listen to the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing. This month, the senior executive at Regal Entertainment Group will come closer to his goal. His company, the....MORE

Startup event sees depth of ideas

• Startup Weekend in Bend draws interest from investors in innovative companies

May 10, 2013 4:00 am

While one business emerged as the winner of Bend’s second Startup Weekend, investors saw potential in several others, said lead organizer Larry Jacobsen. Easyhealth, an application that allows users to book and pay for dental appointments....MORE

In focus: garment factories

Facing pressure, clothing retailers reveal more

May 9, 2013 4:00 am

The revolution that has swept the food industry is expanding to retail: origins matter. With fair-trade coffee and organic fruit now standard on grocery shelves, consumers concerned with working conditions, environmental issues and outsourcing are....MORE

Target partners with Facebook

May 9, 2013 4:00 am

In its boldest foray into digital retailing, Target on Wednesday launched a test version of Cartwheel, an ambitious collaboration with the world’s largest social network that will allow users to earn savings via Facebook and then use their....MORE

Coke unveils anti-obesity push

May 9, 2013 4:00 am

In a sign of how health concerns have shaken the beverage industry, Coca-Cola Co. used a boisterous anniversary celebration on Wednesday to pledge to make low-calorie drinks and clearer nutritional information more available across the world. Coca-....MORE

Report: State lacks transparency

• Information on business subsidies is not publicized in a timely manner, OSPIRG says

May 9, 2013 4:00 am

The state of Oregon is keeping critical details about millions of dollars in business subsidies from the public, according to a report released Wednesday.“Revealing Tax Subsidies 2013," published by the Oregon State Public Interest Research....MORE

Is your soap safe?

• Safety of Triclosan, an antibacterial soap ingredient, still being reviewed by the FDA

May 5, 2013 4:00 am

WASHINGTON — It’s a chemical that’s been in U. S. households for more than 40 years, from the body wash in your bathroom shower to the knives on your kitchen counter to the bedding in your baby’s bassinet. But federal health....MORE

HARP 2.0 hits stride

• Federal refinance program becomes a success — finally

May 5, 2013 4:00 am

The Obama administration’s Home Affordable Refinance Program is at last helping legions of American homeowners with upside-down mortgages. Nearly 1.1 million homeowners with little or no equity were able to refinance last year under HARP, which ....MORE

Ford hybrid sales are soaring

May 4, 2013 4:00 am

Ford Motor Co., seeking to challenge Toyota Motor Corp.’s dominance in gasoline-electric vehicles, said it will pass its full-year record for U. S. hybrid sales this month on demand for its Fusion and C-Max models. Hybrid deliveries for Ford....MORE

PepsiCo cuts ties with Lil Wayne

May 4, 2013 4:00 am

PepsiCo is cutting its ties with Lil Wayne after the rapper made a crude reference to civil rights martyr Emmett Till in a song. Lil Wayne, one of the biggest stars in pop music, had a deal to promote the company’s Mountain Dew soda. Earlier....MORE

Syrian regime buys Dell products

May 4, 2013 4:00 am

Large amounts of computer equipment from Dell have been sold to the Syrian government through a Dubai-based distributor despite strict trade sanctions intended to ban the selling of technology to the regime, according to documents obtained by The....MORE

Cyber warriors

• Whiz kids are on the front lines of high-stakes cybersecurity

May 4, 2013 4:00 am

He’s 26, likes industrial and electronic music, has a bleached-blond Mohawk haircut and sometimes, Mikhail Davidov said, he starts his day “at the crack of noon."The late hours are in front of a computer, working on reverse engineering,....MORE

U.S. Cellular to get Apple products

May 4, 2013 4:00 am

U. S. Cellular Corp., a Chicago-based provider of mobile-phone service, expects to get Apple products later this year, joining the country’s four largest carriers in offering the devices. Apple’s iPhone, the best-selling smartphone in the....MORE

EU officials warn of grim outlook

May 4, 2013 4:00 am

A deteriorating economy in the European Union is expected to drive unemployment to new highs this year in countries including Spain and Portugal that already are feeling acute pain, the Union’s top economics official warned Friday. The outlook....MORE

Habitat seeks families

May 3, 2013 4:00 am

The Bend Area Habitat for Humanity is seeking families to apply for its homeownership program, and has scheduled two information sessions for later this month. Interested families must attend a session to receive a homeownership application,....MORE

Car dealer to consolidate

May 3, 2013 4:00 am

Murray & Holt Motors in Bend will be shrinking the space for its dealership to make room for a new Walgreens pharmacy at the corner of Northeast Third Street and Northeast Franklin Avenue. With its store and parking lot, Walgreens plans to fill....MORE

Tiny apartments have neighbors unhappy

May 3, 2013 4:00 am

SEATTLE — Judy Green was well-suited to move into a 10-by-10-foot apartment in Seattle’s University District. Green spent the previous decade on a boat before finding a home in one of the nearly 50 microhousing buildings that have sprung....MORE

Consumer comfort hits high

May 3, 2013 4:00 am

WASHINGTON — Consumer sentiment climbed last week to its highest level in more than five years as Americans felt the most upbeat about spending since before the recession began. The Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index improved to minus 28.9 in the ....MORE

Dispatches

May 3, 2013 4:00 am

• Steele Associates Architects LLC in Bend is working on the design for a new 65,000 square-foot hangar at the Madras Airport. The hangar will be used to support Erickson Group’s air-tanker fleet operations and also a collection of....MORE

Program to ensure produce for seniors

May 3, 2013 4:00 am

Almost 30,000 low- income seniors in Oregon will get $32 worth of locally raised fruits and vegetables this summer thanks to a program that uses federal money to help meet some of the most vulnerable Oregonians’ nutritional needs.....MORE