Credit-Card Rage

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August 28, 2008
Insider Newsletter A weekly summary of the best in BusinessWeek and BusinessWeek.com

NEWS  THIS WEEK'S TOP STORY Credit-Card Rage Debt-strapped consumers vent their frustration with banks as they root for new rules to rein in card rates and fees

Editor's Memo Credit-card companies heap insult upon injury, and consumers have had enough. In our Top Story, "Credit-Card Rage" see whether proposed regulations will defuse the situation. Remember when back to school meant a Walkman and a new calculator? Well, tech waits for no freshman. We feature two stories from BusinessWeek.com?s special report on Back to School Tech: "Universities Try Out New Digital Devices" and "Students Will Help Save Apple." And you can head from there to other tech stories to kick off your (or your children?s) fall. In the Featured Column this week, Tech & You takes you by the hand and leads you through the digital-TV woods. There?s nothing to fear, so don?t go all Y2K. And we have a slide show on Coke?s new branding direction and advice on holding on to your second home. -- Katherine Davis

FROM THIS WEEK'S ISSUE OF BUSINESSWEEK BOOK EXCERPT Book Excerpt: The Numerati by Stephen Baker By building mathematical models of its own employees, IBM aims to improve productivity and automate management IN DEPTH Medical Bills You Shouldn't Pay In a controversial practice known as "balance billing," health-care providers are going after patients for money they don't owe NEWS Wall Street's Big Sell-Off Even after deep discounting, Lehman Brothers' assets may go without buyers. Is an S&L-style bailout in the offing?   FROM BW.COM'S TECHNOLOGY CHANNEL BACK TO SCHOOL TECH Universities Try Out New Digital Devices From iPods and video cameras to the high-speed Internet2, schools experiment with ways to improve how teachers teach and students learn BACK TO SCHOOL TECH Students Will Help Save Apple The tech company may look vulnerable to an economic downturn, but back-to-school shoppers should help it keep up a strong financial performance INTERNET Amazon Beefs Up Kindle Franchise Purchases of startups including Web site Shelfari could harness the e-reader's success and bolster the online retailer's share price   FROM BW.COM'S SMALLBIZ CHANNEL TOP NEWS CEOs Get Fewer Perks New SEC rules requiring companies to disclose perks that cost more than $10,000 lead to a decline in swanky extras Business, and Startups, in Second Life Whether they're designing eco-homes or a new mass transit system, entrepreneurs are finding virtual worlds provide them with an inexpensive, low-risk launching pad   FROM BW.COM'S ASIA & EUROPE CHANNELS INDIA For Tata in India: Industry vs. Farms Is he a hero for bringing affordable cars to the masses or a villain for stealing land for his factories? Ratan Tata's fortunes are changing SPORTS BUSINESS London Games 2012: Lessons from Beijing The British capital can't match China for spending or flash. It aims instead to emphasize fun at the 2012 Summer Olympics   FROM BW.COM'S LIFESTYLE CHANNEL AUTOS Drive an Expensive Import? You Probably Lease It Leases are falling out of favor, which is bad for import brands. They depend on leases to put people in cars they otherwise couldn't afford REVIEWS Chevy Corvette ZR1: GM's Ferrari Who says America can't build a supercar? You wouldn't if you drove this insanely great Vette   FROM BW.COM'S INNOVATION & DESIGN CHANNEL Coke's New Design Direction Coke's New Design Direction INSIGHT • From Design Management Review Designing the Future of Business Forget total quality. Forget top-down strategy. Design is the engine that can transform a company into a powerhouse of nonstop innovation   FROM BW.COM'S INVESTING CHANNEL BREAKING NEWS Manufacturing: Where's the Slowdown? An export-driven jump in U.S. durable goods orders for July confounds economists' expectations of weakness YOUR MONEY • From S&P The Vacation-Home Dilemma The soft economy may be prompting thoughts of dumping that second home, but there are plenty of reasons to consider renting it out instead BREAKING NEWS Housing: Is the Slowdown Slowing Down? A relatively upbeat Case-Shiller reading and the slowing pace of home price declines point to hope that the housing market is nearing its bottom  BW MALL   SPONSORED LINKS Online Forex Practice Account  Experience the excitement of trading live. Risk-Free. Try Now. Earn From 3.04% to 3.35%  with AAA rated, GE Capital Corp. Not an offer of securities for sale Get up to $500k HSBC Term Life Ins. at HSBCusa.com  Apply online today. No medical exam. No agent visit. Get instant coverage if you qualify. Hosted BlackBerry® services from Apptix  Helps your business be more productive - affordably, securely, effectively. Award Winning Wine DVD  For those who get dispirited when selecting wine. A simple solution is the "Wine Fundamentals" DVD. Buy a link now! This newsletter is a FREE service provided by BusinessWeek.com. To sign up for other newsletters, cancel delivery, change delivery options or change your e-mail address, please go to our Newsletter Preferences page. If you need other assistance, please contact Customer Service or contact: Wanda Cooper BusinessWeek Customer Rights Communications Data Services 1995 G Avenue Red Oak, IA 51566 Phone: 1-800-635-1200 View our corporate privacy policy. To learn more about how BusinessWeek.com applies this policy, you can contact our Marketing Department. Copyright 2008, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved. Terms of Use | Privacy Notice

FEATURED SLIDE SHOWS > > Fizzing Up Coke's Identity Soccer League Records Mouth-Watering Salaries   Advertisement   Reader Poll: Special Issue Trouble at the office? In surveys, blogs, polls, and social media, BusinessWeek collaborated with readers to identify problems at work. Together we found answers.     IN YOUR FACE: U.S. HEALTH CARE, THE REAL FISCAL NIGHTMARE Reader Rick Hendricks Writes: "Our health-care system is a mishmash of shadowy insurance plans and government regulations that place the patient last." Read the story and tell us what you think. >   Featured Blog I have been predicting that Medvedev's performance will lead to his replacement on the 2012 presidential ticket. Putin surely won't tolerate a leader indecisive at the moment of truth, and will find someone else to run. Steve LeVine Other BusinessWeek Blogs The Auto Beat Globespotting Blogspotting Brand New Day Byte of the Apple Deal Flow Economics Unbound Eye on Asia Fine On Media Games, Inc. Getting In Green Business Hot Property Investing Insights Management IQ The New Entrepreneur NEXT: Innovation Tools & Trends NussbaumOnDesign The Oil & the Glory Recession in America The Tech Beat What's Your Story Idea? Working Lunch Working Parents READ MORE > ADVERTISEMENT Generate Serious Income in Turbulent Markets In today's market, there's more to trading covered calls than just buying a stock and selling a call. With a complimentary 3 month subscription to Bernie Schaeffer's "Covered Call Plus", you'll learn how to maximize income without limiting your upside while still reducing downside exposure.   FEATURED VIDEO Laptops and Cell Phones for Students BusinessWeek correspondent Cliff Edwards gives readers the low-down on some of the best new computers and mobile phones aimed at returning students this fall.   Advertisement   FEATURED COLUMN Digital TV: Rough on Rabbit Ears What to expect when the analog signal goes dead on Feb. 17—and how to get ready