2 dead, 1 wounded in S. Calif. car rental shooting

Police say a shooting that killed two men and wounded a third in a desert town near Palm Springs was a murder-suicide.

0

0

Fighting travel companies that fudge the numbers

Across the travel industry, companies are adopting clever definitions of everything from “day” to “year” — all with the apparent intent of keeping your money, or just bringing in a little more.

1

3

ConsumerMan: Rental car insurance

If you’ve ever rented a car, you have no doubt heard the pitch about insurance. Many experts advise consumers to just say no. But for some of us, it may be wise to reconsider.

7

37

Crunch time at the rental-car counter

U gotta be kidding me.

2

17

5 creative new car rental fees to avoid

Look out for cancellation penalties. Beware of energy surcharges. And watch for facilities fees.

0

4

5 travel traps lurking in the fine print

Your cruise ship may not be seaworthy. Your airline isn’t responsible for your checked luggage. And if something’s stolen from your room, good luck getting the hotel to cover your losses.

0

0

4 days when you’re better off staying home

You probably already know about Spring Break, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Thanksgiving.

2

0

8 things travelers should expect in 2008

Travelers deserve a break in ’08. Too bad they won’t get one.

0

0

Kentucky Man Finds Python in Rental Car

The next time Dan McBride rents a car, he may want to inspect it not just for dings and dents but also for snakes. The assistant athletic director at Eastern Kentucky University found a two-foot-long ball python in his rental car this week as he left the Ohio Valley Conference baseball tournament in Paducah.

2

1

As one of the central fixtures at New York's semi-annual Fashion Week and all the stylish commotion that ensues, the Bryant Park Hotel is introducing a new partnership that, naturally, spotlights fashion.

0

0

Instead, he takes a job to help pay the bills while the families try to get back on their feet.

3

3

Fox has ordered distributors to stop providing Redbox with new DVD releases, joining Universal in its attempt to prop up its ailing DVD business. Redbox is awaiting a ruling on its lawsuit against the studios over what the rental firm describes as their anticompetitive practices.

4

5

Blockbuster to challenge Redbox with kiosk outlets

(from industry sources)

3

2

Investing in energy efficiency can reduce greenhouse gas emissions even while saving money on energy bills. It seems like a no-brainer. Yet the one-third of northwesterners who live in rental housing actively avoid investing in energy efficiency.

1

1

As the real estate market shows signs of softening, many Americans are adopting a wait-and-see attitude about home buying. And those in need of housing are turning to the only viable alternative - rentals.

0

1

On The O'Reilly Factor, Karl Rove falsely claimed that Rep.

1

1

THE Housing Board has tightened criteria governing who is eligible for its heavily subsidised rental flats. Eligibility tests include assessing not just a tenant's income but also assets such as savings.

0

0

SAN FRANCISCO — In a significant step toward vanquishing the local video store and keeping couch potatoes planted firmly in front of their televisions and computers, Amazon.com will introduce a new online store of TV shows and movies on Thursday, called Amazon Video on Demand.C …

2

1

Whether the accident is your fault or the other driver's, make sure you go to an appropriate repair shop -- and ask for what you require.

2

0

Dear Netflix: An Important Message from a Paying Customer

On June 19, 2008, thousands of Netflix subscribers received the following notice via email: We wanted to let you know we will be eliminating Profiles, the feature that allowed you to set up separate DVD Queues under one account, effective September 1, 2008.

56

74

California apartment complexes could be declared smoke-free zones under legislation that's scheduled to be considered this week by a state Senate committee. Sen. Alex Padilla says his bill would ensure that owners of rental housing have the option to ban smoking.

3

1

A class-action lawsuit is brewing over Facebook's controversial Beacon tool and Blockbuster's involvement with it.

1

1

A dog is supposed to be for life - but can now be for only a weekend or even just a day thanks to a new pet rental service. Dog lovers who do not have the time or space to keep a full-time pet can hire a part-time one with Flexpetz, an American company setting up in the UK.

3

4

The Madison City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday night requiring landlords to provide or make available upon request photographic evidence of damage charged against a tenant's security deposit.

2

1

Netflix customers expecting a little red package soon may be disappointed. The largest online video-rental service has suffered a technical glitch that has knocked out its Web site as well as its logistics and delivery systems, according to a Steve Swasey, a company spokesman.

3

1

Being a Netflix subscriber, I had been checking the site all day to see if it is back up and running. There has been coverage of this throughout the day and the site is finally back up, but I have noticed a fairly glaring problem: Netflix's movie ratings are broken.

1

1

With larger hard drives and faster bandwidth, a future in which players are downloading a majority of new releases isn't all that unimaginable since eliminating a retail middle man could make the prospect very enticing for publishers and developers.

2

0

CouponMountain.com is one of the easiest sites to navigate because it is also one of the few that don't require registration or a lengthy sign-up process in order to access coupons.

1

0

Time Warner Cable's new billing scheme, a test to charge users by bandwidth consumption, could crush Steve Jobs's hopes and dreams for Apple TV.

6

3

It's easy to wonder whether the recently improved online video feature from Netflix will be hurt by the promotional blitzkrieg that Apple will launch for its iTunes movie rental service.

0

0

SAN FRANCISCO — Steven P.

1

1

Major motion picture studio Warner Bros, which was reported earlier this month to be mulling a deal with Apple to offer up its catalog for a new iTunes rental service, is now said to have inked a deal with the iTunes operator that will see its films available through the service  …

1

0

California health officials issue a new guideline and health warning about unsafe hot tubs offered at hundreds of vacation rentals in California. No one knows if or when the local counties will force owners to remove the unsafe hot tubs from their properties.

1

0

As Blockbuster bails, the online DVD service sees strong third-quarter profits; but margins are slim. Will video downloads make the difference? It never hurts when a key rival cuts back on advertising in a two-dog race like the online movie rental business.

1

1