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U.S. auto sales jump 13 percent in 2012

"US auto sales jumped 13.4 percent in 2012 to their best performance since the crash of 2008, as better economic times, hot new models and the need to replace ageing vehicles drew consumers to showrooms. It was the biggest yearly gain since 1984. Toyota, Honda and Chrysler outpaced their rivals with sales gains that blew past 20 percent while Ford and General Motors posted modest growth Thursday that led their market share to shrink significantly." Continue reading →

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Flipping Off Police Officers Constitutional, Federal Court Affirms

"A police officer can't pull you over and arrest you just because you gave him the finger, a federal appeals court declared Thursday. In a 14-page opinion, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit ruled that the 'ancient gesture of insult is not the basis for a reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or impending criminal activity.' John Swartz and his wife Judy Mayton-Swartz had sued two police officers who arrested Swartz in May 2006 after he flipped off an officer who was using a radar device at an intersection in St. Johnsville, N.Y." Continue reading →

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The world’s first airborne Mexican food delivery system

"Earlier this year, the world was brought to its knees when it was cruelly teased with the promise of tasty Mexican treats being delivered via quadcopter. We believe everyone deserves carne asada when they want it and so today, we make that dream a reality. We’re proud to introduce: Burrito Bomber -- truly the world's first airborne Mexican food delivery system." Continue reading →

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The top 10 tech ‘fails’ of 2012

"In 2012, we saw big tech advances. Smartphones got bigger. Tablets got smaller. Social media played a role in everything from a presidential election to disaster relief. But with advances come clunkers. When you're in a field that demands near-constant innovation and unprecedented levels of creativity, sometimes even the most successful players are going to shoot and miss. So, at the risk of playing Scrooge in this season of good will, here we come to wallow in it. Because, let's face it: The Internet loves a good fail. Behold the top 10 tech 'fails' of 2012, with wishes for happier days ahead to all involved." Continue reading →

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Five big tech stories to watch for in 2013

"We were dazzled by an array of smartphones. We were fascinated and then disappointed by Facebook's initial public offering. And we held our breaths as we awaited the verdict in the Apple v. Samsung trial. But all that's so 2012. Let's talk 2013. Will we still be paying attention to patents, smartphones, and IPOs? The answer is 'yes, yes, and yes,' but not in the way you might imagine. The great thing about writing about the high-tech industry is its constant march forward. New companies get built on the bones of old companies, and new faces emerge while others fade. It's what keeps us going and sitting on those hard, wooden courtroom benches." Continue reading →

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FTC Settles Google Antitrust Investigation

"After a high-profile 20-month investigation, the federal government announced today its dropping an 'exhaustive' antitrust probe into Google, the world's largest search engine. Google escaped the investigation without paying a fine, but it will voluntarily change some of its practices to be more open to competitors, the FTC said. The FTC's investigation focused on two main allegations from rival companies: first, that Google favored its own Internet search results while burying links to competing sites; and second, that the company stifled competition by not allowing access to its mobile device patents." Continue reading →

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State Department criticizes Google CEO’s North Korea visit

"The US State Department criticized Thursday a trip by Eric Schmidt, the executive chairman of Internet giant Google, and senior colleagues to visit North Korea’s isolated totalitarian regime. 'Frankly we don’t think the timing of this is particularly helpful,' spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said, stressing the executives were traveling as private citizens. 'They are not carrying any messages from us.'" Continue reading →

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Google’s Android smartphones make up 53.7 percent of U.S. market share

"Apple and Google extended their dominance in the US smartphone market as 2012 neared its close. The share of smartphone service subscribers relying on Google’s Android software inched up to 53.7 percent in the three months leading up to December, while Apple’s portion grew to 35 percent from 34.3 percent, comScore reported. The most popular mobile phones were made by South Korean consumer electronics titan Samsung, whose handsets were used by 26.9 percent of US telecom service subscribers, according to comScore." Continue reading →

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U.S. fines Transocean $1.4 billion over Gulf oil spill disaster

"The United States hit drilling rig operator Transocean with $1.4 billion in criminal and civil fines Thursday for its role in the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Nearly two months after oil giant BP was fined $4.5 billion for its leading role in the disaster, Transocean agreed to plead guilty to violating the Clean Water Act and pay the fines, the Justice Department said. The firm was ordered to pay $400 million to resolve criminal charges and another $1 billion in civil penalties, partly to fund spill prevention and environmental restoration in the five states hit by the three-month-long spill." Continue reading →

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ADP Jobs Number Blows Through the Roof

"The just released ADP jobs report shows a 215, 000 increase in private sector jobs in December. That's 50% higher than the 140,000 that was expected. Bernanke money printing manipulation of the economy upward. Unfortunately, because it is a manipulation, it will crash down the road, but not now, For now, happy days are here again. And most of the jobs gains are in the capital goods sector, as would be expected based on Austrian Business Cycle Theory." Continue reading →

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