http://www.post-gazette.com/businessnews/ All Business, Auto News en-us Copyright 2012, post-gazette.com. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:40:01 -0500 15 http://www.post-gazette.com/includes/2007design/images/150x30pg_now_logo.gif http://www.post-gazette.com/ 144 39 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210667-100.stm?cmpid=business.xml GNC Holdings Inc., parent of GNC Nutrition Centers, today reported fourth-quarter revenues of $509.6 million, a 16.9 percent increase over the same period a year earlier. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:55:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210521-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml Toyota Motor Corp. led automakers with the fewest problems reported by owners of its 3-year-old cars, while Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. brands were among the most improved, according to J.D. Power and Associates. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:02:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210524-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml WASHINGTON -- U.S. factories boosted output in January, and December ended up being their best month of growth in five years. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:02:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210520-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml Also in today's headlines: Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210523-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. -- Don't tell Michael W. McLanahan that manufacturing in the United States is dead. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210528-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml While it's not the flashiest ride on the road, the Toyota Sienna minivan shines brightest for drivers looking for the biggest bargain on car insurance. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210563-84.stm?cmpid=business.xml SAN FRANCISCO -- The address book in smartphones -- where some of the user's most personal data is carried -- is free for app developers to take at will, often without the phone owner's knowledge. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210591-53.stm?cmpid=business.xml A small contingent of South Side residents and business owners gathered on Wharton Street on Wednesday night to discuss ways to promote a possible new neighborhood tax. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210633-96.stm?cmpid=business.xml E-readers are functional right out of the box. But when consumers start using them, many find that they are craning their necks awkwardly, constantly wiping the screen with their sleeves, or holding some readers to the light at night while straining to read others in the sun. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210634-96.stm?cmpid=business.xml "OMG! Did you see Brad Pitt's post on Digglr last night?" Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12047/1210635-96.stm?cmpid=business.xml Movie-editing software is probably among the most underused technologies on the consumer market. Powerful programs like Adobe's Premiere and Apple's iMovie often come preinstalled on desktop computers, but many people never use them. Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210167-28-0.stm?cmpid=business.xml After driving 400 miles on a crowded interstate highway, I've been thinking about changing lanes in an SUV. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:11:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210150-28-0.stm?cmpid=business.xml One local company that will be all over the Pittsburgh International Auto Show won't have even have a booth. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:49:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210332-100.stm?cmpid=business.xml MSA said today fourth-quarter profit jumped 44 percent and that profit for the full year nearly doubled. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:24:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210229-28-0.stm?cmpid=business.xml PeoplExpress, the no-frills carrier that failed in the 1980s, is preparing a comeback and is counting on Pittsburgh Int'l to help. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:48:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210151-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml With a product like the automobile, which has been around for more than a century, there aren't a lot of dramatic changes most Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210154-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml Despite the influx of new vehicles into the small- and budget-car marketplace, the Honda Fit remains on top in Consumer Reports' list of Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210159-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml I was once mock-charged by an elephant while on safari in South Africa. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210160-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml A freak snowstorm frosted over the Northeast in October when I was testing the 2012-model Jeep Wrangler. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210161-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml On a racetrack, there's something that could be called the art of the slide. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210162-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml We've driven Nissan's Versa hatchback in the past and enjoyed it as an affordable subcompact. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210163-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml NORTH WINDHAM, Vt. -- A few years ago, Land Rover found itself in a quandary. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210165-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml Toyota Camry buyers have come to appreciate its quintessential qualities: a quiet cabin, a comfy ride and extreme reliability. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210168-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml The redesigned Audi A6 has been significantly improved and now ties the Infiniti M37 for the top spot in Consumer Reports' midsized Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210207-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml Also in today's headlines: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210210-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml Pittsburgh area homes sales are off to a solid start so far this year. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210211-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml BEIJING -- A Chinese company said Tuesday it will ask customs officials to ban imports and exports of Apple's iPads due to a dispute over ownership of the trademark. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210242-82.stm?cmpid=business.xml A team of European and U.S. mathematicians and cryptographers have discovered an unexpected weakness in a worldwide encryption system. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210147-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml MELVILLE, N.Y. -- At 86, retired doctor Sidney Austein of Merrick, N.Y., is typical of his age group in at least one respect: When he Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210148-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml Free websites to help you choose your next car and dealer: NADA Guides: An excellent shopping tool, with list prices, photos, Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210149-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml If you have one eye on your growing family and the other on gas prices, consider the freshened Mazda5 microvan rather than a traditional Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210152-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml Location: David L. Lawrence Convention Center Date: Friday, Feb. 17- Monday, Feb. 20 Hours: Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210153-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml The BMW X3, which originated the compact luxury SUV market, handily outpointed its European rival, the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque, in Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210155-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml After Fiat's being out of the U.S. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210156-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml The Ford Focus is the small car that promises big things and, in our time with it, mostly delivered. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210157-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml If one of your New Year's resolutions was to be more honest and you just bought Honda's new 2012 CR-V, you may be up a creek without a Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210158-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml Pssst: Wanna know how to get a $100,000 executive sedan for 40 percent off? Buy a Hyundai. More specifically, buy a Hyundai Equus. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210164-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml Revamped for 2011, the Chrysler 300C scored an "Excellent" overall road test score of 80 in Consumer Reports' recent tests of four Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210166-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml Ford's F-150 pickup has been the bestselling vehicle in America for more than three decades. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210169-185.stm?cmpid=business.xml The recipe for Subaru's compact Impreza is getting a rewrite for 2012. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210209-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml For many, the distinctive grating screech that accompanied millions of dial-up Internet connections back in the 1990s has softened to a barely audible buzz as they go online. But in a surprising number of households, the sound of dial-up tones can still be heard loud and clear. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210236-54.stm?cmpid=business.xml An international computer hacker network claimed Tuesday to have shut down the website of a Mercer County company. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210302-96.stm?cmpid=business.xml Correction Appended Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12046/1210303-96.stm?cmpid=business.xml SAN FRANCISCO -- A team of European and American mathematicians and cryptographers have discovered an unexpected weakness in the encryption system widely used worldwide for online shopping, banking, e-mail and other Internet services intended to remain private and secure. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12045/1209971-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml Investors shook off their worries about Greece on Monday and got back to their routine of little-by-little gains. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:10:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12045/1209972-28-0.stm?cmpid=business.xml West Penn Hospital's emergency room department reopens at 8 a.m. today, featuring a renovated entry, 23 patient beds, a fast-track triage system and several technology upgrades, including a state-of-the-art CT scanner coming next month. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:10:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12045/1209968-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml NEW YORK -- Mike Trang likes to use his iPhone 4 as a GPS device, helping him get around in his job. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:01:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12045/1209967-53.stm?cmpid=business.xml Old arenas die hard. Or at least this one does. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12045/1209970-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml High-yield dividend-paying stocks used to be seen as risky investments. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12045/1210049-84.stm?cmpid=business.xml Responding to a growing outcry over conditions at its overseas factories, Apple said Monday that an outside organization had begun to audit working conditions at the plants where the bulk of iPhones, iPads and other Apple products are built, and that the group would make its finding public. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12045/1210050-84.stm?cmpid=business.xml DES MOINES, Iowa -- McDonald's Corp. said Monday that it will require its U.S. pork suppliers to provide plans by May to phase out crates that tightly confine pregnant sows, a move that one animal rights group predicted would have "a seismic impact" on the industry. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12045/1210092-96.stm?cmpid=business.xml Apple's announcement on Monday that an outside monitoring group, the Fair Labor Association, has begun inspecting its suppliers' factories in China rekindled a debate over how effective the group has been in eliminating labor abuses. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12045/1210093-96.stm?cmpid=business.xml American and European antitrust regulators on Monday approved Google's acquisition of the cellphone maker Motorola Mobility without formal conditions, paving the way for the search giant to compete directly with its new archrival, Apple. Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12044/1209379-28.stm?cmpid=business.xml In early January, the two Democrats on the National Labor Relations Board issued a decision that concluded that employers may not force employees to sign, as a condition of employment, an agreement requiring the arbitration of disputes if the agreement includes a waiver of the ability to bring a class claim over wages, hours or other working conditions because such a prohibition runs directly Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12044/1209818-60.stm?cmpid=business.xml BOX OFFICE: Estimated ticket sales in millions for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12044/1209907-96.stm?cmpid=business.xml SAN FRANCISCO -- Technology used to be so simple. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12044/1209908-96.stm?cmpid=business.xml Facebook's pending initial public offering gives credence to the argument that personal data is the oil of the digital age. The company was built on a formula common to the technology industry: offer people a service, collect information about them as they use that service and use that information to sell advertising. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500 http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/12044/1209909-96.stm?cmpid=business.xml BERLIN -- European lawmakers, who two years ago capped fees for mobile data roaming within the European Union at €50 a month, want to expand the protection to cover the whole world. Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0500