Amazon.com Inc (AMZN) is in talks with media companies regarding a new online subscription service that would let viewers watch TV shows and movies over the Internet.
Amazon has spoken to companies including NBC Universal, Time Warner (TWX) and News Corp., (NWS)The Wall Street Journal reported without naming its sources. Amazon wants to begin by streaming older TV shows and movies.
The move would be a challenge to Netflix Inc (NFLX), which is working to corner the market in online TV and movie watching.
The new Amazon service would be available on a Web browser, or through devices like Blu-ray players and the Xbox 360 videogame console. Amazon hopes to launch the new service in time for the holiday season.
Sure, it’s adorable, but the 2007 New Beetle is also trouble-prone. Owners who responded to the Consumer Reports reliability survey reported problems with the fuel and electrical systems, the suspension, brakes, power windows, and other power equipment. The convertible model sells on dealers’ lots for $17,055, according to Kelley Blue Book at kbb.com.
Small Used Car Alternative: Ford Focus
It may not be as stylish as the Beetle, but it’s a lot more reliable. In fact, the Focus got the J.D. Power award as most reliable compact car. Owners of the 2007 Focus who responded to Consumer Reports reported no major trouble spots. And it’s much cheaper than the Beetle. The Kelley Blue Book dealer price is $10,905.
Mid-Size Used Car to Avoid: Chrysler Sebring
Courtesy of Chrysler
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The 2007 Sebring sedan not only got just two circles from J.D. Power, Consumer Reports reported a laundry list of problems: engine cooling, minor transmission problems, the drive system, suspension, brakes and more. The low $12,365 dealer price isn’t worth it.
Mid-Size Used Car Alternative: Buick LaCrosse
Winner of the J.D. Power dependability award in this category, the 2007 LaCrosse got an above-average used-car rating from Consumer Reports. It’s a good value at a dealer price for the CX version at $14,430.
Small Used SUV to Avoid: Jeep Wrangler
Courtesy of Jeep
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King of the off-road, the 2007 Wrangler can climb over almost any obstacle except a reliability test. Owners of the two-door version responding to Consumer Reports reported major transmission problems and issues with the electrical system and brakes. And it’s selling on dealer lots at a relatively expensive $19,850.
Small Used SUV Alternative: Honda CR-V
A lot less noticeable than a Wrangler, the Honda CR-V is a lot less trouble, too. It won the J.D. Power dependability award in this category and is rated by Consumer Reports as a well-above-average used car prospect. As a used-car buyer, you are on the wrong side of Honda models’ strong ability to hold their value. But at a dealer price of $20,980, the four-wheel-drive version of the CR-V is still a decent value.
Mid-Size SUV to Avoid: GMC Acadia
Courtesy of GMC
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The 2007 Acadia is a good example of the time-honored rule to avoid buying the first year of a model. It not only got a below-average two circles from J.D. Power, it received a much-worse-than-average used car rating from Consumer Reports. CR readers who owned the 2007 reported problems with the drive system, suspension, body integrity and power equipment. In addition, the all-wheel-drive version on dealers’ lots is priced at an expensive $28,435, according to Kelly Blue Book.
Mid-Size SUV Alternative-Honda Pilot
One of a handful of mid-size SUVs to get four circles from J.D. Power, the Pilot is rated well-above-average by Consumer Reports. (Its corporate stablemate, the Accord Crosstour, actually won the J.D. Power award. But many reviewers find its modified-sedan style not big enough to provide true SUV cargo or passenger room.) The Pilot is selling for $23,395-some $5,000 less than the GMC Acadia.
Used Minivan to Avoid: Nissan Quest
Courtesy of Nissan
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Never a strong contender in this category, the Quest gets a below-average used car rating from Consumer Reports and two circles from Power. Owners of the 2007 reported problems with the fuel and climate system, brakes and body integrity. The Quest is selling at $17,395.
Used Minivan Alternative: Toyota Sienna
This van gets four J.D. Power circles and an above-average CR used car rating. Not part of the Toyota sudden-acceleration recall, the Sienna is selling at a dealers’ price of $20,280 for the CE trim level.
LAS VEGAS – Smoke wafting from a Cadillac Escalade on the Las Vegas Strip ignited Paris Hilton‘s latest legal troubles late Friday, when a motorcycle officer who suspected the smell was marijuana stopped the vehicle and police say a bag of cocaine fell out of the 29-year-old socialite’s purse.
It’s the second time this year Hilton has been arrested on drug possession allegations, although authorities in South Africa dropped marijuana charges earlier this summer. In 2007, Hilton pleaded no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. Continue Reading »
Not so long ago, most people viewed the hallmarks of success as something along the lines of a house, a white picket fence, two weeks vacation, two children and the ability to send those kids to college. Today, the middle class is a vanishing breed according to nearly every survey and statistic on the topic. Its disappearance is of such grave concern to the fabric of American society that the U.S. government launched a task force to explore the issue. Despite all of the attention to the subject, defining “middle class” remains a challenge, as everyone wants to be in the middle regardless of their income. Instead of focusing on the dollars, let’s take a look at the lifestyle benchmarks that define middle class status. Continue Reading »
Having trouble figuring out your guy’s level of interest in you? Sometimes, the proof is in his body language. To understand what your honey’s movement, eye contact and even posture reveal about his true feelings for you, check out these hints from Greg Hartley, former Army Special Forces interrogator and author of I Can Read You Like a Book: How to Spot the Messages and Emotions People Are Really Sending With Their Body Language. Continue Reading »
A fire that destroyed a car and carport at Autologic, 1001 W. Crawford, early this morning is being investigated as an arson.
A 2005 Chevrolet Aveo valued at $5,000 and the carport valued at $1,900 burned between 12:30 and 1:40 a.m., said Salina Deputy Police Chief Carson Mansfield. A police officer who observed the carport on fire saw that the car had a dent and pry marks on the driver’s side and punctures in the roof, he said
Los Angeles police have arrested a senior citizen who has been plastering the metro in the city with the message “Who Is John Scott?” We suppose most folks think that sticker taggers tend to be college kids on graphic design courses (or owners of social media start ups) but Mr Scott seems to have been spreading this message for over three decades. He also has been selling branded fabric patches, baseball caps and T-Shirts. The LA Times reports:
Deputies involved in a saturation patrol this morning at the downtown 7th and Metro Center subway station encountered the septuagenarian suspect, later identified as 74-year-old John Scott of Los Angeles, as he was putting slap tags in one of the main stairwells at the transit hub.
“Up until this year, the oldest guy we had arrested was 36,” said sheriff’s Lt. Erik Ruble. “We knew our guy was older, but not 74.”
Ruble said Scott was caught with stickers in his pockets as well as a black brief case, which appears to be similar to a case that is pictured on the whoisjohnscott.com website.
Investigators said they were not sure how long Scott had been vandalizing buses or the particulars of his life story. But Ruble said deputies believe Scott was driven to tag by the same motivation as his younger cohorts: “fame and notoriety.”
This retro-style diner in the Green Mountain State is a crunchy granola advocate of the burgeoning localvore movement: founder Tod Murphy’s mantra is “Food from Here.” So his short order cooks only use ingredients (milk, eggs, bacon, cheese, and even tofu) sourced from regional farms and purveyors. Naturally, real Vermont maple syrup and sweet Cabot butter comes with an order of the Gleason Grain’s organic wheat flour buttermilk pancakes. Ask for a cup of Vermont Liberty Tea Company’s fruit-lavender brew or, during harvest season, a cold glass of Champlain Orchard’s apple cider.
