Every month, millions of Americans bemoan the size of their cable bills. It’s quite enraging, too: a cable company like Comcast or Verizon may advertise a certain monthly price for cable, but when you get the bill in the mail, you end up paying a lot more due to all...
Millennial Money: 4 Must-Do's if Your Order Arrives Damaged
NEW YORK — Nowadays, consumers shop online for just about everything. So you've likely experienced the stinging disappointment when a TV, piece of furniture or something else you ordered finally arrives on your doorstep — damaged. Here's what you should do if your delivery comes in less-than-optimal shape. 1. Examine the Item...
UPS Gets Government Approval to Become a Drone Airline
DALLAS — UPS has won government approval to operate a nationwide fleet of drones, which will let the company expand deliveries on hospital campuses and move it one step closer to making deliveries to consumers. Many regulatory obstacles remain, however, before UPS — or other operators who are testing drones...
Welcome to Orcland: Lord of the Rings to Film in New Zealand
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Amazon announced Wednesday it will film its upcoming television series "The Lord of the Rings" in New Zealand, marking a return of the orcs, elves and hobbits to the country they became synonymous with over the course of six movies directed by Peter Jackson. Amazon Studios...
Walmart Rolls out Grocery Delivery Subscription
NEW YORK — Walmart is rolling out a grocery delivery subscription service this fall as it races to gain an advantage in the competitive fresh food business. The service will charge an annual membership fee of $98 for subscribers to access unlimited same-day delivery, which will be offered in 1,400...
Apple Apologizes for Use of Contractors to Eavesdrop on Siri
SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is apologizing for allowing outsiders to listen to snippets of people's recorded conversations with its digital assistant Siri, a practice that undermined its attempts to position itself as a trusted steward of privacy. As part of the apology posted this week, Apple reiterated an earlier pledge to stop...
One Empty Chair at G-7 Climate Meeting: Trump's
BIARRITZ, France — U.S. President Donald Trump skipped a discussion on climate with other world leaders at the Group of Seven summit in France, leaving an empty chair as global power brokers debated how to help the fire-ravaged Amazon and reduce carbon emissions. Trump was scheduled to attend Monday's session on climate,...
Privacy Questions as Humans Reviewed User Audio at Facebook
NEW YORK — Facebook has paid contractors to transcribe audio clips from users of its Messenger service, raising privacy concerns for a company with a history of privacy lapses. The practice was, until recently, common in the tech industry. Companies say the use of humans helps improve their services. But...
District 2 Candidates Aim to Make Fresno More Business-Friendly
OK, let's have a show of hands: Is Fresno City Hall not sufficiently business-friendly? That was the question posed to four men who want to represent northwest Fresno on the city council. All four raised a hand at a July 31 candidate forum presented by GV Wire and CMAC. It's...
Editorial: Fresno Needs Tax Incentives, Not SB 531
In a perfect world, Fresno and other inland California cities would not need tax-sharing incentives to convince major companies such as Amazon and Ulta to build distribution centers in their locales. But, as we know, the world isn't perfect. And in California — where the poverty rate is among the...