uFiat Chrysler CEO: Forget About All That GM Merger Talkr

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  A month after Fiat Chrysler said it would drop its hostile bid to merge with General Motors, the carmaker’s chief executive says he’s officially shelved talks of consolidating with any other manufacturer for the rest of his tenure at the company.  

  Sergio Marchionne announced on Monday that FCA had “abandoned” efforts to consolidate the auto industry after just about everyone said “no, thanks,” The Detroit News reports.

  “We’ve had expressions of interest from more than one party over the fact that they were interested in pursuing the discussions,” he said during a panel at the opening of the 2016 Detroit auto show. “We had to make a choice as to whether they offered us enough of an upside to engage.”

  That apparently didn’t happen, as Marchionne noted that FCA wasn’t going to enter into anything “as long as there are better alternatives out there than the ones we were being offered… that we should not be considering what I consider to be sub-optimal choices for the industry going forward.”

  So basically, it seems as if FCA doesn’t want to get into bed with just anyone. They really wanted General Motors.

  While Marchionne says he’s ditching merger thoughts for now, he still believes consolidation is inevitable in the auto industry. However, any future plans will have to be handled by his successor, as Marchionne says he’ll only lead the company until the end of its five-year plan, ending in 2018.

  For now, instead of pursuing “sub-optimal choices” the carmaker will focus on its plan, which began in 2014.

  “The achievement of the plan in ’18 will create a car company that is fundamentally different than the one we are looking at today, and it will put it in position to have a different type of dialogue with people who may have been otherwise not interested,” he said. “It will give us the credibility, I think, which is highly important, in being able to reopen the discussions.”

  Marchionne abandons FCA consolidation efforts [The Detroit News]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uSome Drivers Don’t Want Insurance Companies Tracking Them, Even If It Means Discountsr

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  A longstanding complaint against auto insurance is that it sometimes lumps in drivers based on things — like location, type of car, and age — that may have little-to-nothing to do with a particular driver’s behavior or history. In recent years, some insurers have begun offering drivers a way to get more personalized rates by allowing the insurance company to track their vehicular movements, but many American consumers simply aren’t willing to share that information.

  Progressive has been one of the more vocal proponents of the idea with its Snapshot tracker that plugs into your car, but others — like Allstate and State Farm — are also trying to get customers to let themselves be tracked for more personalized rates.

  The insurers aren’t just seeing where you drive, how often, and how quickly. They are also measuring things like how hard you press on the brakes. Repeated hard-braking is apparently an indicator of risky behavior, while the lack of this sort of reactionary braking demonstrates that the driver is following at safe speeds and distances, and paying attention to the road.

  Being tracked and having good habits could mean significant discounts (upwards of 30%) for some drivers, but the Wall Street Journal reports that a lot of drivers simply aren’t willing to take the insurers up on the offer to be tracked for potential savings.

  For example, while Progressive claims that 80% of its customers could benefit from Snapshot, only about 25% participate, even though you only need to use the tracker for six months. Likewise, Allstate tells the Journal that the adoption rate of its newer, smartphone-based tracker is around 30%.

  Part of the reason for the reluctance is that, for all the possible savings, being tracked could also result in higher insurance costs for drivers whose behavior indicates a higher risk. Until 2014, Progressive had not penalized drivers with subpar Snapshot results, but now the company change add on upwards of 10% in some states for customers who demonstrate risky behaviors.

  Then there are the people who may or may not be risky drivers, but just don’t want yet another company knowing everything they do.

  We already have every advertiser (and every data broker that sells to advertisers) following our virtual footsteps online. Your bank and credit card companies know where and when you shop, and sometimes what you buy. To some Americans, just getting on the road and driving is an escape from all that (if they can avoid electronic tollbooths, red light cameras, and license-plate scanners).

  Then you throw in the idea that it’s an insurance company — not exactly the most beloved industry — that wants to follow your movements, and you’ve got a hard sell.

  “Insurance is not something where people say, ‘I trust you,’ ” Progressive CEO Glenn Renwick admits to the Journal.

  While Progressive doesn’t sell the data it collects on drivers, it could be used to resolve insurance claims. Another insurer or driver could also try to subpoena that information in a legal matter.

  Car Insurers Find Tracking Devices Are a Tough Sell [WSJ.com]

  
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by Chris Morran via Consumerist

uReport: Amazon Debuting Cheaper, Portable Echo Speaker Soonr

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  Amazon is reportedly getting ready to expand the Echo Speaker family, with plans to debut a new, smaller, cheaper, and portable version of the voice-activated device in a few weeks.

  Amazon is expected to release the new version of its tabletop speaker soon, according to sources cited by The Wall Street Journal.

  The current speaker rests on a tabletop and has to be plugged into an outlet. Beyond playing your favorite tunes, the Echo acts as a voice-activated assistant, making shopping lists and answering questions when asked. This new version — code named Fox — is designed to fit in the palm of a user’s hand, sort of like a beer or soda can, and is expected to sell for less than the $180 price of the current model.

  It can also be charged on a docking station instead of having to stay plugged in. To preserve battery life, you’ll have to turn on the voice-command function with a button.

  Any other details or photos will have to wait, as Amazon is staying mum on the WSJ’s report thus far.

  Amazon to Release Portable Version of Echo Speaker in Coming Weeks [Wall Street Journal]

  
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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uRaiders Of The Lost Walmart Are Planning A Game Boy Advance Karaoke Partyr

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• Back in 2003, MP3 players were relatively new and rare, and an interesting device hit the shelves at Best Buy: a Game Boy Advance peripheral that would turn your handheld gaming device into a handheld music and recording device. It went off the market at some time, probably around the same time that the Game Boy Advance itself did. Like all discontinued and long-obsolete electronics, though, it lives on…at Walmart.

  

  

  The Raiders of the Lost Walmart are the brave retail archaeologists who comb big-box stores all over the world to look for retail antiquities, which are usually electronics of some sort.

  This is probably a very fine device, and we’re sure that it was very respectable in 2003. The 32 MB CompactFlash card that it comes with could probably hold a whole dozen or so songs.

  We are kind of surprised that someone apparently just recently dug it out of a distant shelf or a warehouse: that new price tag was just added in 2015. Some clearance.

  

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uRingling Bros. Elephants Being Granted Early Retirementr

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  Last March, Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus said they would be retiring all of their elephants by 2018. But today, Feld announced that all the elephants will be done with their circus careers this spring.

  The remaining elephants in the Ringling touring company will head to their permanent home at the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in Florida by May 2016.

  “Our company and our family’s commitment to save the majestic Asian elephant will continue through our breeding program, research and conservation efforts at the Center,” says Executive Vice President with Feld Entertainment.

  As mentioned last year, the decision to phase out the use of Ringling’s signature pachyderms comes amid both growing public concern about animal rights and increased local regulations on the use of elephants for entertainment purposes. Rather than fight these ordinances, the company realized it was easier to put those resources toward caring for the animals.

  
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by Chris Morran via Consumerist

u‘Tis The Season For High Energy Bills: Tips To Keep Warm And Lower Costsr

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  Unless you enjoy living in a dark icebox, the winter months can be a real drain on your wallet, especially if you’re still reeling from holiday shopping. But keeping warm doesn’t mean you might as well throw money on a bonfire (seriously, don’t do that). Our colleagues at Consumer Reports, along with the Department of Energy, have the following energy-saving tips that could save you money while keeping the heat and lights on.

  • Replace Your Most-Used Lightbulbs: Consumers who replace just five of their most frequently used lightbulbs with energy-saving ones can save up to $75.

  According to CR, LED bulbs save the most money and prices are coming down now that the technology is more widely used.

  • Use A Smart Thermostat: Households that use a programmable thermostat to raise or lower the temperature depending on occupancy can save at least 10% a year on heating and cooling costs.

  To recoup those savings, owners should turn the heat down when they aren’t home or in parts of their homes that are less frequently used.

  • Let The Sun In: Just because it might be a frozen tundra outside, doesn’t mean the sun isn’t still providing warmth. CR suggest opening your curtains during the day to let the sunshine in.

  Of course, the amount of sunlight that makes it inside a home depends on your windows. Those that are dirty or may have air leakage can deplete that extra warmth.

  Still, CR found that energy star-qualified windows can lower your energy bill by 7% to 15%.

  • Keep Air Moving: Always keep your heating and cooling systems in running order by checking your furnace filter monthly and replacing it every few months.

  • Replace Old Appliances With Energy Star Models: While replacing an appliance just to save a few dollars on your energy bill isn’t exactly productive, if your appliances are outdated or simply stop working, CR suggests you look into energy efficient options.

  Appliances account for nearly 20% of electric bills, so taking advantage of energy-saving machines – which can use 10% to 15% less energy and water than standards devices.

  Keep Energy Costs Down When Temperatures Drop [Consumer Reports]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uPolice: Shoplifter Bit Off Finger Of Walmart Worker Who Confronted Her For Stealingr

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  While it’s surely upsetting to be caught shoplifting, one Walmart shopper accused of trying to steal condoms, lubricant, and underwear took things to an extreme when she allegedly bit off the finger of a store employee who attempted to stop her.

  According to police in Myrtle Beach, SC, a 23-year-old woman </awas confronted by two loss prevention officers as she was leaving the store on Sunday afternoon. The workers had approached her “after they observed her conceal merchandise,” the Smoking Gun reports.

  She allegedly fought with the two staffers, punching one woman in the head and causing her to bleed. That’s when, police say, she bit down on one of the worker’s fingers, “causing a portion of [the employee’s] finger to be bitten off.”

  Police say she also fought with a shopper who had dropped her phone while dialing 9-1-1, pulling her hair. The shopper allegedly responded by punching the shoplifting suspect in the face.

  When law enforcement arrived on the scene, they noticed that a a piece of a finger belonging to the worker was ah, present, and though it was rushed to EMS workers, it “was not able to be reattached.”

  The suspect was arrested after police retrieved her from a minivan parked in the parking lot. She’s been charged with aggravated assault, a felony, simple assault, and larceny, and is being held without bond in advance of a court hearing next week.

  Cops: Shoplifter Bit Off Walmart Worker’s Finger [The Smoking Gun]

  
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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist