Federal stimulus money has sometimes gone to private companies to hire workers, instead of being used for public projects.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=16eb7a1489837e0915ae442132e19ff9&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=16eb7a1489837e0915ae442132e19ff9&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Business&partnerID=167&key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Business.16142,cat.Business.rss"/>

The government plans to sell only minority stakes in the companies, retaining control while letting investors share a larger part of the risks and profits.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=63ad5e061e8c59e8c9afb6795b686314&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=63ad5e061e8c59e8c9afb6795b686314&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Business&partnerID=167&key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Business.16142,cat.Business.rss"/>

Amazon.com, the maker of the Kindle e-reader, is introducing two new smaller, lighter versions with high-contrast screens and crisper text.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=37f5040c5fbde25b6543478afc60b393&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=37f5040c5fbde25b6543478afc60b393&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Business&partnerID=167&key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Business.16142,cat.Business.rss"/>

The Swiss drug giant will give away up to 250,000 bottles of a liquid medicine to woo parents frustrated by the recall of liquid children’s Tylenol.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=9ea24c2d1be7387d825f2a2aab008d78&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=9ea24c2d1be7387d825f2a2aab008d78&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Business&partnerID=167&key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Business.16142,cat.Business.rss"/>

Regulators in Washington State are attempting to stem what some see as the excessive use of prescribed narcotics.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=cc95fcff1c312632a81619cf79929f1c&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=cc95fcff1c312632a81619cf79929f1c&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Business&partnerID=167&key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Business.16142,cat.Business.rss"/>

After banks refused loan requests, some small businesses in the United States turned to microloans like those offered in the third world.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=18c95f9866bd8df612938afd42fa7121&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=18c95f9866bd8df612938afd42fa7121&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Business&partnerID=167&key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Business.16142,cat.Business.rss"/>

President Obama and the Democrats are vying with Republicans for the right to claim they are the true friends of small-business owners.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=8c8d863e3b92ee6779dbf9fee179cc39&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=8c8d863e3b92ee6779dbf9fee179cc39&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Business&partnerID=167&key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Business.16142,cat.Business.rss"/>

The Pentagon is slowing spending, but orders for commercial airlines are recovering.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=b2cc2753af75f63cfebecf5ee791b7a5&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=b2cc2753af75f63cfebecf5ee791b7a5&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Business&partnerID=167&key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Business.16142,cat.Business.rss"/>

At least $28 billion owed to survivors of fallen soldiers is held by insurers that are receiving interest on the money.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=165c416c56d48516dc7c9fc2dd31c99b&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=165c416c56d48516dc7c9fc2dd31c99b&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Business&partnerID=167&key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Business.16142,cat.Business.rss"/>

The Avis offer, which amounts to $46.50 a share, challenges Hertz’s $1.2 billion deal to acquire Dollar Thrifty.<br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <br clear="both" style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=a3a8aec8346161b698e94249385ada97&p=1"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://ads.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=a3a8aec8346161b698e94249385ada97&p=1"/></a> <img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://segment-pixel.invitemedia.com/pixel?code=Business&partnerID=167&key=segment"/><img alt="" height="0" width="0" border="0" style="display:none" src="http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-8bUhLiluj0fAw.gif?labels=pub.29518.rss.Business.16142,cat.Business.rss"/>

<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100729/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_hacker_conference_hacking_atms"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100728/capt.0c9d2a2ffa614520a1d63ea6489a2734-0c9d2a2ffa614520a1d63ea6489a2734-0.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=pRM5dDQFpHdno85N.Gau7g--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="Barnaby Jack demonstrates an attack on two automated teller machines during the Black Hat technology conference in Las Vegas on Wednesday, July 28, 2010. The attacks demonstrated Wednesday targeted standalone ATMs. But they could potentially be used against the ATMs operated by mainstream banks. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)" border="0" /></a>AP - A hacker has discovered a way to force ATMs to disgorge their cash by hijacking the computers inside them.</p><br clear="all"/>

<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100729/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_amazon_new_kindle"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100729/capt.7279d649d48c4f2b9b7774d4f58ee325-7279d649d48c4f2b9b7774d4f58ee325-0.jpg?x=130&y=107&q=85&sig=1Sdejm6FD.pwj2dUXrx2mg--" align="left" height="107" width="130" alt="This product image provided by amazon.com Inc., shows the new Kindle 3 reader. (AP Photo/amazon.com Inc.) NO SALES" border="0" /></a>AP - Jeff Bezos isn't just confident you'll want a Kindle e-book reader. The CEO of Amazon.com is bracing for a future in which you'll also want ones for your kid heading to college, your spouse in a book club and perhaps even Grandpa.</p><br clear="all"/>

<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100728/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_digital_life_tech_test_hulu_plus"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100728/capt.4866166d5b9f43e09c8290290d86d673-4866166d5b9f43e09c8290290d86d673-0.jpg?x=127&y=130&q=85&sig=WRI8oWCkN9SE_TsKl15.jg--" align="left" height="130" width="127" alt="FILE - In this Nov. 11, 2009 file screen grab, the home page of Hulu.com, is shown. (AP Photo/Hulu)**NO SALES**" border="0" /></a>AP - Hulu, the popular website with TV shows, now comes as a subscription-based application for iPhones and iPads. Although it isn't perfect, it works well enough that it may make you wonder if the TV's reign as the center of family life is coming to an end.</p><br clear="all"/>

Christopher Null - Now we know why the current Kindle suddenly became unavailable earlier this week, with no date listed for stock to be replenished: It&rsquo;s because Amazon is launching a new-model Kindle, one that&rsquo;s smaller, lighter, faster, and easier to read.

Ben Patterson - Sure, Netflix and Redbox may rule the U.S. DVD rental market, but it turns out that the nation&rsquo;s public libraries are loaning more DVDs each day than Netflix rents to its by-mail subscribers.

<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100729/tc_nm/us_amazon"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20100729/i/r2729436492.jpg?x=130&y=97&q=85&sig=y0qsSIz3R8tdrEgufDsexg--" align="left" height="97" width="130" alt="A box from Amazon.com is pictured on the porch of a house in Golden, Colorado July 23, 2008. REUTERS/Rick Wilking" border="0" /></a>Reuters - Amazon.com launched a cheaper, wireless-only Kindle on Wednesday, betting that the $139 price will turn its latest electronic reader into a mass-appeal device as Apple Inc's iPad gains ground.</p><br clear="all"/>

<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100728/ap_on_hi_te/afghanistan_wikileaks"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100727/capt.069ea7534801486fa43e134b339725a3-069ea7534801486fa43e134b339725a3-0.jpg?x=130&y=92&q=85&sig=RgjwPsMKVCBj7Wi8sv6TlA--" align="left" height="92" width="130" alt="Founder and editor of the WikiLeaks website, Julian Assange, faces the media during a debate event, held in London Tuesday July 27, 2010. On Sunday, the online whistle-blower website WikiLeaks released some 90,000 leaked U.S. army and intelligence documents relating to the war in Afghanistan, which have been highlighted as potentially putting American military lives at risk, although Assange says there is 'no reason' to doubt the reliability of the leaked documents.(AP PHOTO/Max Nash)" border="0" /></a>AP - WikiLeaks' editor-in-chief claims his organization doesn't know who sent it some 91,000 secret U.S. military documents, telling journalists that the Web site was set up to hide the source of its data from those who receive it.</p><br clear="all"/>

AP - Your smart phone applications are watching you &mdash; much more closely than you might like.

AP - KINDLE GETS UPDATED: Amazon will start selling a smaller, lighter version of its Kindle electronic reader that can download books wirelessly over 3G cellular networks and over Wi-Fi for $189. A Wi-Fi-only version will cost $139.

Reuters - Twitter is for more than just tweeting.

President Eisenhower signs the National Aeronautics and Space Act, creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/fqlL46ZcqaN4AriZz98lGpyHZBU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/fqlL46ZcqaN4AriZz98lGpyHZBU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/fqlL46ZcqaN4AriZz98lGpyHZBU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/fqlL46ZcqaN4AriZz98lGpyHZBU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/index/~4/i2yvMG-qZm8" height="1" width="1"/>

Amazon will ship the third generation of its Kindle e-book reader on Aug. 27, offering a cheaper, Wi-Fi only version for just $140. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos also offers some optimistic predictions about the future growth of e-book sales. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/nYrWRJYLJXjsFe52Idcf85TPX0M/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/nYrWRJYLJXjsFe52Idcf85TPX0M/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/nYrWRJYLJXjsFe52Idcf85TPX0M/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/nYrWRJYLJXjsFe52Idcf85TPX0M/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/index/~4/KUhaSCB1kuM" height="1" width="1"/>

We asked for your help to show BP how to improve upon their terribly Photoshopped oil-cleanup images, and you delivered some awesome images. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HD_4o3g375Vb4z4ekb-ZfxL3-yU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HD_4o3g375Vb4z4ekb-ZfxL3-yU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HD_4o3g375Vb4z4ekb-ZfxL3-yU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/HD_4o3g375Vb4z4ekb-ZfxL3-yU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/index/~4/aRtA6axlRNg" height="1" width="1"/>

The most deadly weapons in Iraq and Afghanistan aren't AK-47s or grenades -- they're roadside bombs made out of gas cans, garage door openers and fertilizer. Here’s how the U.S. military is fighting back. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/QtwA4f6MwYNh22s3sqztJGUF05k/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/QtwA4f6MwYNh22s3sqztJGUF05k/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/QtwA4f6MwYNh22s3sqztJGUF05k/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/QtwA4f6MwYNh22s3sqztJGUF05k/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/index/~4/6wyox0fO_gM" height="1" width="1"/>

The rich are adding to their millions with pre-IPO stock, but today's internet stock rockets are social networks built by their members -- so shouldn’t Regular Joes get a cut, too? <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pIcL_-3kv9OQ8jqwaNZmOd3Gbfw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pIcL_-3kv9OQ8jqwaNZmOd3Gbfw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pIcL_-3kv9OQ8jqwaNZmOd3Gbfw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/pIcL_-3kv9OQ8jqwaNZmOd3Gbfw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/index/~4/0rm5wOqvhnI" height="1" width="1"/>

The investment arms of the CIA and Google are both backing a company that monitors the web in real-time -- and says it uses that information to predict the future. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Hj8uSwDckrl1bTt7s7jyojiDlgw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Hj8uSwDckrl1bTt7s7jyojiDlgw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Hj8uSwDckrl1bTt7s7jyojiDlgw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Hj8uSwDckrl1bTt7s7jyojiDlgw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/index/~4/mrd1d1jXS_8" height="1" width="1"/>

Rankings of the best and fastest ISPs in U.S. cities are now available, thanks to stats from Speedtest.net. And while the country is far from leading the world, the nation's tubes aren't nearly as bad as many suspect. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Y0TVcE-IQYRkhUGPb36eiBP7oI4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Y0TVcE-IQYRkhUGPb36eiBP7oI4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Y0TVcE-IQYRkhUGPb36eiBP7oI4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/Y0TVcE-IQYRkhUGPb36eiBP7oI4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/index/~4/ntzTjlMG8ec" height="1" width="1"/>

Want to find out how magically terrible your web code is? Just ask the Unicorn. The web's governing body has launched a new validation tool called Unicorn that checks the quality of your website's code against multiple web standards simultaneously. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UXvmbRP_hTLR_94Xw4KWpZ-RWPw/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UXvmbRP_hTLR_94Xw4KWpZ-RWPw/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UXvmbRP_hTLR_94Xw4KWpZ-RWPw/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/UXvmbRP_hTLR_94Xw4KWpZ-RWPw/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/index/~4/zOkpmPFQ62U" height="1" width="1"/>

A federal appeals court orders Virginia's attorney general to back away from threats of suing a woman for posting elected officials' Social Security numbers. The reason: The government published the private data first. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/vRqBmCKxvI_LKa6f6UGR-RS-fa0/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/vRqBmCKxvI_LKa6f6UGR-RS-fa0/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/vRqBmCKxvI_LKa6f6UGR-RS-fa0/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/vRqBmCKxvI_LKa6f6UGR-RS-fa0/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/index/~4/uL1mlSU8LRY" height="1" width="1"/>

A storm of <cite>Star Wars</cite>-themed jokes hit Twitter, mimicking WikiLeaks' recent disclosure of U.S. military memos. Only this stuff is funny. Greg "Storm" DiCostanzo shares techniques he used to get the #wookieeleaks hashtag to take off. <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/hP_jNr0lTb7iVnwvnMkZg89Tv24/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/hP_jNr0lTb7iVnwvnMkZg89Tv24/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/hP_jNr0lTb7iVnwvnMkZg89Tv24/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~at/hP_jNr0lTb7iVnwvnMkZg89Tv24/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wired/index/~4/D4inaW43xTI" height="1" width="1"/>