Wisconsin dealer group agrees to pay $1.1M to settle accusations of junk fees, discrimination
The FTC and the state of Wisconsin accused Rhinelander of charging for add-ons without customers' consent and of unfairly marking up the transactions of American Indian customers. Though it agreed to the settlement, Rhinelander denies wrongdoing......»»
Bioengineers develop a new environmentally friendly adhesive polymer
A team of bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, has developed a new kind of environmentally friendly adhesive polymer. In their study, published in the journal Science, the group used an electrophilic stabilizer to prevent a certain.....»»
GM"s Cruise agrees to supply robotaxis for Uber rides
Once the multiyear partnership between Uber and Cruise begins, an Uber rider requesting a qualifying ride will have the option of choosing a Cruise autonomous vehicle......»»
Google avoids “link tax” bill with deal to fund California journalism and AI
Critics say Google got off easy as it agrees to pay $55 million into news fund. Enlarge (credit: Getty Images | Josh Edelson) Google has agreed to fund local journalism and an artificial intelligence initiative in Califo.....»»
Migrant, refugee women face sexual harassment, racism and exploitation in workplace, finds Australian report
A new report from Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety (ANROWS) sheds light on the intersection of sexual harassment, exploitative work conditions and racial discrimination experienced by migrant and refugee women in workplac.....»»
Ford, VW could face fines for missing EU"s 2025 CO2 goals amid EV market slowdown
Geely and Tesla are below their EU-mandated targets. Toyota is the closest to reaching its goal, while Ford and VW Group face the biggest gap, according to a study......»»
Property insurance: Dealer hurdle over EVs
Zurich Insurance Group issues recommended best practices for dealerships servicing EVs that could add costs......»»
Why C-suite leaders are prime cyber targets
Senior executives are prime targets for cybercriminals, with 72% of surveyed cybersecurity professionals in the US reporting that cyberattacks have targeted this group in the past 18 months. This trend, highlighted in GetApp’s 2024 Executive Cybers.....»»
Killing giant ragweed just got harder for some Wisconsin farmers
When giant ragweed takes hold in a crop field, the towering weed reduces yield and sends plumes of its famously allergy-inducing pollen into the air. There are few tools available to thwart the menace, especially for farmers growing non-GMO soybeans......»»
AI exhibits racial bias in mortgage underwriting decisions, researchers find
Putting AI to use in mortgage lending decisions could lead to discrimination against Black applicants, according to new research. But researchers say there may be a surprisingly simple solution to mitigate this potential bias......»»
Pixel 9 phones: The Gemini AI stuff, reviewed
A newcomer dives into AI with the Pixel 9 Pro. Enlarge / I asked Gemini to "reimagine" the background of this Pixel 9 group shot (originally on beige paper) as "science fiction moonscape," and then used "Auto frame" to expand the.....»»
Do celebrity endorsements make a difference? 19% of young people admit they might
British pop star Charli XCX sent many young people's group text chats and social media feeds went wild when she endorsed Kamala Harris by playing off a term she coined in a song, and posted on X, that "kamala IS brat.".....»»
Newly discovered, free-living eukaryote is the first known to have lost its mitochondria
An international team of geneticists and molecular biologists has discovered the first-known, free-living eukaryote to have lost its mitochondria. In their study, published in Nature Communications, the group found the eukaryote while investigating t.....»»
Service tip: Use each customer"s data during phone calls to ensure meaningful engagement
Service-to-sales phone calls are a crucial touchpoint in any dealership's customer engagement strategy, says Kurt Philippsen, dealer relations manager at automotiveMastermind......»»
F&I tip: CarShield case a reminder to make sure customers understand service contracts
There's a lesson for dealerships in the $10 million CarShield settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, says Zeigler Auto Group COO Sam D'Arc: Make sure staff can explain what customers are buying......»»
2 FTC commissioners call dealership discrimination claim by agency an overreach
The Coulter Motor Co. case saw further debate among the Federal Trade Commission over the validity of the agency bringing discrimination claims using the FTC Act's unfair practices language......»»
"Masters of shape-shifting": How darkling beetles conquered the world
Large-scale genomic analysis of darkling beetles, a hyper-diverse insect group of more than 30,000 species worldwide, rolls back the curtain on a 150-million-year evolutionary tale of one of Earth's most ecologically important yet inconspicuous creat.....»»
Five things that can help autistic students settle into university
As the summer draws to a close, the start of your very first term looms if you are starting university. You will hopefully be looking forward to going, although you may be feeling a little apprehensive and may even be very nervous, especially if you.....»»
Five years later, the Apple Card is a huge but controversial success
On August 20, 2019, Apple officially launched Apple Card with any US citizen able to apply. Since then it's been a hit, but it's faced controversy over everything from low reward rates to alleged sex discrimination — and Apple's partner wanting to.....»»
New computational methodology to predict the complex formation of interesting nanostructures
Researchers from the group of Prof. Carles Bo at the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia (ICIQ-CERCA) have described a computational methodology that simulates complex processes involving different chemical species and diverse conditions. The.....»»
AMD signs $4.9 billion deal to challenge Nvidia’s AI infrastructure lead
Company hopes acquisition of ZT Systems will accelerate adoption of its data center chips. Enlarge (credit: CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Images) AMD has agreed to buy artificial intelligence infrastructure group ZT.....»»