Wells Fargo gets rid of its $3 debit card fee
Published 12:09 am Saturday, October 29, 2011
Wells Fargo and Co. said Friday it is cancelling its planned five-state pilot of a monthly $3 fee for users of its debit cards as a response to customer feedback the bank has received. Washington was among the five states, which also included Oregon, Nevada, New Mexico and Georgia. “As we adjust to changes in our business, we will continue to stay attuned to what our customers want,” a bank spokesman said in a statement.
CW’s shows will be added to Hulu lineup
Current season shows on The CW including “The Vampire Diaries” are coming to Hulu. The five-year deal announced Friday means that before the end of the year, the online video service will feature shows from five of the largest six broadcasters — ABC, NBC, Fox, The CW, and Univision. The only holdout left is CBS. Under the new deal, subscribers who pay $8 a month for Hulu Plus will get the five most recent episodes from The CW’s lineup the day after they are broadcast on television. The same episodes will then be available for free on CWTV.com three days later.
Target to open at midnight Black Friday
Target Corp. said Friday that its stores will open at midnight on Thanksgiving Day for the first time. That’s four hours earlier than last year. The stores will stay open for 23 hours and close at 11 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25. The change was a response to customers’ demands. Last year, retailers like Sears and Kmart stores were open Thanksgiving morning for the first time. Toys R Us stores opened at 10 p.m. Some stores in Gap Inc.’s Old Navy, Gap and Banana Republic chains also opened Thanksgiving Day last year.
Incomes stall as interest dwindles
Americans’ incomes have stagnated for three straight months. Yet they boosted their spending in September 0.6 percent — three times the increase in August. A close look at Friday’s report from the Commerce Department on September data suggests that people are cutting their savings because the interest they are earning has become nearly worthless. Consumers earned only 0.1 percent last month. After adjusting for inflation, their after-tax incomes fell 0.1 percent last month — the third straight monthly decline. Wages and salaries increased 0.3 percent in September.
Google TV upgrades, simplifies software
Google TV announced a software upgrade for its television sets Friday to make the interface simpler for users and add Android app functionality. Google TV launched in 2010, offering Sony televisions with the functionality embedded in the device and Logitech set-top boxes that work with other TVs. The service has yet to fully catch on, with Logitech reporting disappointing sales figures for its Revue set-top box earlier this year. Google said that the newest version of Google TV seeks to address some of the feedback from users.
From Herald news services
