Consumer Issues

By MONICA HAYNES
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Shopper 1: Girl, that sweater is fabulous!

Shopper 2: You like it? I got this on sale. Thirty percent off. It's cashmere.

Shopper 1: Get out of here.

By ANNA WALLNER and
Thursday, November 09, 2006
We hate to say it but it's that time of year again _ time to pull out and put up the old umbrella! If yours is a little leaky, leaving you less than dry, it may be time to invest in a new one.

By ERIC SWEDLUND
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Tyler Ornstein started selling coffee door-to-door when he was 10, but it took getting behind the wheel to test-drive a sleek car to convince him it was time to expand and start his own business.

By JIM DOWNING
Thursday, November 09, 2006
This year is shaping up as one that California wine fans will remember fondly _ but that some of the state's wine grape growers would rather forget.

Late spring rains, a summer heat wave and a warm and dry October are yielding an average-size but top-quality wine grape harvest that some are predicting will be among the best vintages of the last quarter-century.

But an ongoing glut from the massive 2005 crop, changes in the federal law that governs the blending of different vintages and the growing presence of imports in the U.S.

By LEN BOSELOVIC
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Republicans are furious over the "October surprises" involving former U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, the Florida Republican author of indiscreet instant messages, and U.S.

By JA'RENA LUNSFORD
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Adam Cohen took a few deep breaths. He had to prepare himself mentally and financially for the task before him: booking a flight for Thanksgiving.

Cohen is among the thousands of travelers who will pay more to fly this holiday season.

By RYAN KIM
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
For years, smartphones had a look and a price only business users could love and afford. Until now.

In the past five months, manufacturers have rolled out a new breed of smartphones designed specifically for consumers.

By KARA MCGUIRE
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Judy Chies was too busy raising two boys to stop to think about finances. She always figured, "I'll think about it later. And now I'm 55."

LeeAnne Spurgeon of Maple Grove has also been putting it off.

By JUSTIN HOEGER
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Demons! Vampires! Zombies! Firestarters! These are the stuff of scary movies, but they're also packed into all manner of frightening video games - titles just perfect for playing late at night with the sound turned up and the lights turned down.

So in the spirit of Halloween, we offer a sampling of scary games to play in the dark.

By CHRIS CAMPBELL
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
("Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07." Platforms: Xbox 306, PlayStation 2, Xbox, PSP, PC. Genre: Sports. Publisher: EA Sports. ESRB Rating: E for Everyone. Grade: 4.5 stars out of 5.)

EA Sports seems to be having troubles updating its marquee franchises ("Madden" and "NBA Live"), but at least the other guys ("FIFA" and now "Tiger Woods PGA Tour") are getting fantastic improvements from year to year.

The new "Tiger Woods 07" is a massive upgrade from last year's version.