Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Digest

GM to focus on crossovers, ditch minivans

By TIMES WIRES
Published November 23, 2006

General Motors Corp. on Wednesday said it is walking away from plans to develop a new family of minivans due to a shift in product strategy that has the automaker focusing intently on the growing crossover segment. While the automaker now sells minivans under various brands, sales of those models are on the decline and the vehicles are scheduled to be phased out later in the decade. The company had been working on a plan to launch a completely redesigned series of minivans in 2009 that would have shared an architecture with new full-sized crossover SUVs that are just now hitting the market.

Man law campaign goes multimedia

The December issue of FHM magazine carries the first installment of a campaign that seeks to translate into print the current series of "man law" television commercials for Miller Lite beer. In the TV campaign, well-known male role models like actor Burt Reynolds and rodeo champion Ty Murray sit around a square table and discuss a new code of conduct that manly men are meant to live by (example: Don't put lime - or any fruit - in your beer). Readers can take part in a contest on a special Web site (fhmus.com/manlaws). The best entries from the contest will be compiled in a 16-page booklet to accompany the May issue of FHM.

Group: Avoid kids' toys with magnets

The Consumer Product Safety Commission called Tuesday for warning labels on toys with magnets after more than 4-million Mattel play sets were recalled over injuries to several children who swallowed magnets that fell off. The group announced the recall of magnetic Polly Pocket sets and urged shoppers to avoid buying toy sets with small magnets for children younger than 6. The recall doesn't include Polly Pocket play sets now on store shelves. The commission received 170 reports of the small magnets falling from Polly Pocket dolls and accessories. Three children swallowed more than one magnet and suffered intestinal perforation that required surgery.

Cingular to sell Treo e-mail phone

Palm Inc. said Cingular Wireless LLC will be the first wireless carrier to sell a new consumer version of its Treo e-mail phone, part of Palm's effort to win market share from rival products such as the BlackBerry Pearl. Cingular, the largest U.S. provider of mobile-phone service, will start selling the Treo 680 today for $200 with a contract, said Tara Griffin, a Palm vice president. The phone, unveiled last month, is Palm's least-expensive model and has a music player and camera.

[Last modified November 22, 2006, 21:29:23]