Pop star Justin Bieber this week introduced mRobo, a robot from Vietnamese company TOSY Robotics. The mRobo Ultra Bass, unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, is a speaker-meets-Transformer, allowing users to upload as many as 500 songs and play them with a remote. When the music starts playing, the mRobo sprouts a head, arms and legs and begins dancing to the beat. It will be available this fall for about $200.
Apple’s next designer phone
Apple Inc. may use new touch-panel technology for an iPhone 5 with a thinner body than previous models and might introduce the product by June, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty said. Apple is also considering new casing materials for the iPhone, its best- selling product.
Only in California
California will require cellphones, tablets and hundreds of other electronic devices to have energy-efficient battery chargers beginning next year. Despite objections by consumer product makers, the California Energy Commission voted 3-0 on Thursday to regulate the power-sapping chargers that waste as much as 60 percent of the electricity they consume. The regulations are the nation’s first to impose standards on chargers.
Big Lots recall
Classic Quarters Five Light Floor Lamps imported and sold exclusively at Big Lots stores nationwide from April 2010 through November 2011. The lamps stand about five feet tall and have a gunmetal- or chrome-colored metal pole and five adjustable lights mounted on flexible metal tubes at the top. The wiring for the lamp’s light sockets can become exposed, posing a risk of electric shock. Use of the recommended standard 40 watt light bulbs can generate excessive heat, which can melt the double plastic shades over the bulbs. More information: 866-244-5687 or www.biglots.com
New Schwab fund
Investors are becoming more price conscious. In response to the increased pressure to lower 401(k) costs, alternatives to traditional mutual fund investments that offer significantly lower fees are growing in popularity.
The latest offering is an all-index 401(k) plan announced by Schwab Retirement Plan Services Inc. The investment choices for the Schwab Index Advantage plan are limited to index funds, which are designed to track established market indexes such as the S&P 500.
source: kansascity.com
