Microsoft on Wednesday seized on Google’s privacy flap as an opportunity to tout its own services as better for consumers. In a national ad campaign to launch today, Microsoft says that it offers greater choice to its users and that it isn’t as interested in collecting data for behavioral advertising. Read full article > >

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Microsoft ads to slam Google on privacy

The amount of non-mortgage borrowing held by consumers fell in December by the largest amount on record, £377m, the Bank of England says.

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Record fall in personal borrowing

The amount of non-mortgage borrowing held by consumers fell in December by the largest amount on record, £377m, the Bank of England says.

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Record fall in personal borrowing

AT&T’s hike in data plans by at least $5 in most cases may come back to hurt the telecom giant as consumers turn to competitors, analysts say. The firm announced that starting Sunday its lowest smartphone data plan will begin at $20 for 300 megabytes of data, compared to $15 for 200MB of data. Read full article > >

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AT&T increases data plans for smartphones, tablets

Automakers are flooding the Detroit auto show with new hybrid and plug-in models, but the combination of gas prices below $4 a gallon and higher upfront costs for the cars is not attracting consumers.

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Wanted or Not: Alternative-Fuel Cars Flood Auto Show

When I wrote a story last week about Congress quietly closing health reform’s Consumer Assistance Program, Wonkblog readers and health-care economists alike quickly seized on one crucial detail: the program’s price tag. Thirty-five states received a total of $30 million to help consumers find affordable coverage, answer health insurance queries and appeal denied claims. I led the story with Texas, which received a $2.8 million grant and, with it, hired nine employees who have handled about 6,000 phone calls. Read full article > >

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The cost of shopping for health insurance

Microsoft, long ridiculed as the tech industry dullard, has surprised critics with its Windows Phone software. But will consumers be tempted enough to try it?

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Microsoft, Defying Image, Has a Design Gem in Windows Phone

The Federal Reserve took another step in its gradual march toward greater openness by agreeing to disclose its board members’ expectations about future interest rates, according to newly released minutes of the Fed’s December meeting. The measure is designed to increase certainty and predictability about the Fed’s current policy of low interest rates — and thus encourage economic activity among investors and consumers. Read full article > >

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Federal Reserve will start disclosing officials’ quarterly projections

More than a billion apps were downloaded during Christmas, with UK consumers proving to be big enthusiasts.

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Apps hit record high in December

Intel and Kraft are rolling out vending machines that analyse consumers’ age and gender before offering treats.

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Smart vending kiosks study public

Federal investigators are probing allegations that Carrier IQ software found on about 150 million cellphones tracked user activity and sent the information to cellphone companies without informing consumers, according to government officials. Executives from Carrier IQ traveled to Washington on Tuesday and met with officials at the Federal Trade Commission , which is responsible for protecting consumers and enforcing privacy laws. The executives also met with the Federal Communications Commission . Read full article > >

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Carrier IQ faces federal probe into allegations software tracks cellphone data

A bill passed by the House would allow consumers to give one-time blanket consent for a company to share their video viewing habits.

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Slipstream: Bill Would Let Video Consumers Disclose All Their Choices

Is it possible to create a simple credit-card agreement, one that doesn’t give you a migraine as you struggle to understand the terms and conditions that, if violated, could put you into decades of debt? I have my doubts. But the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is giving it a try. The agency has released a prototype of a simplified agreement as part of its “Know What You Owe” campaign to help consumers understand the consequences of the debt they take on. Read full article > >

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Gobbledygook or not, it’s still credit

The UK’s largest retailer, Tesco, saw UK sales fall in the third quarter as consumers reined back spending.

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Tesco sees UK sales fall by 0.9%

Verizon Wireless has reached an unorthodox deal with three major cable companies that could transform the way consumers get access to TV, cellphones and the Internet, setting up a consortium of firms with enormous power over mobile and home entertainment. The agreement among the former rivals immediately drew concern from regulators, according to a person familiar with the matter. Advocacy groups said the alliance could limit choices for consumers. Read full article > >

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Verizon Wireless makes marketing, airwave deal with three cable companies