Business

Yes Virginia, There Is A Smartphone-Controlled Toilet

11:16am December 21, 2012

A Japanese company recently announced it has such a device. Using a smartphone app, you can flush without touching the handle. You can also raise and lower the seat, and there are built-in speakers.

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Plug Pulled On 'Plan B,' House Breaks For Christmas

11:16am December 21, 2012

by Tamara Keith

House Speaker John Boehner was dealt a major defeat Thursday night. After spending most of the week trying to round up votes for his "Plan B" to extend tax cuts for virtually everyone, he pulled the measure without a vote. The clock keeps ticking toward the end of the year, when automatic tax increases and spending cuts are set to hit.

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In this photo illustration, a Rock River Arms AR-15 rifle is seen with ammunition.

Financial Ties Bind NRA, Gun Industry

10:51am December 21, 2012

by Peter Overby

NRA leaders say that when they break their silence on the Sandy Hook shootings Friday, they will be speaking for the group's 4 million members. But they will also be speaking for the gun industry, which has close financial links to the association.

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Instagram was the target of a storm of outrage on Twitter and other sites after the company announced a change in its user agreement that hinted that it might use shared photos in ads.

The Day Instagram Almost Lost Its Innocence

3:16pm December 20, 2012

by Heidi Glenn

The wildly popular photo-sharing site Instagram nearly caused a user revolt when it revamped its terms of service and privacy policy to suggest it could allow uploaded photos to be used in ads without users' permission. Instagram later clarified its position in an effort to quell concerns.

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High school student Jon Ledbetter designs his own "NikeiD" sneakers. Ledbetter can post his designs on Nike's website, where other shoppers can also order them.

Economy

From Shoes To M&M's, Custom-Made Products Take Off Online

1:53pm December 20, 2012

by Kathy Lohr

The ability to customize products began with computers more than a decade ago. Now, you can create your own T-shirts, jeans, custom-blend cosmetics and candy. Even luxury brands like Burberry, Prada and Louis Vuitton now let customers design their own looks.

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Dentist Bribes Young People To Come In For Cleanings

11:37am December 20, 2012

A dentist in Sweden is offering $45 gift cards to give to 20-somethings who stop coming in for cleanings once they live on their own.

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Toyota Camry, Prius Downgraded On Crash List

11:37am December 20, 2012

Toyota's 2013 Camry received a crash-test rating of "poor" from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. This is a big change from last year when the 2012 model received top marks from the group. This time the organization implemented a more stringent frontal crash test. Toyota's 2013 V was also scored as "poor."

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Switzerland's UBS To Settle Rate-Rigging Scandal

5:44am December 20, 2012

UBS has agreed to pay some $1.5 billion in fines to international regulators following a probe into the rigging of a key global interest rate. UBS became the second bank, after Britain's Barclays PLC, to settle over the rate-rigging scandal.

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Credit Rating Upgrade Is Good News For Greece

5:44am December 20, 2012

by Joanna Kakissis

A day after eurozone lenders finally released about $45 billion in loans to Greece, a top credit agency raised its rating on the country by a six points. It's a rare piece of good news for Greece, which still faces Depression-level unemployment and at least another year of recession.

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Flowers, candles and stuffed animals make up a makeshift memorial in Newtown, Conn., on Monday. Much of the initial news coverage of Friday's events was later found to be inaccurate.

National

Coverage Rapid, And Often Wrong, In Tragedy's Early Hours

2:09pm December 18, 2012

by David Folkenflik

Much of what Americans learned from the news media Friday about the events in Newtown was wrong. Journalists know early accounts of crisis events are often misleading and incomplete, but often are compelled to pursue them without waiting for authoritative confirmation.

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