DETROIT -- Ford said Wednesday it earned a profit of $2 billion during the second quarter, a 4 percent increase from the same period a year ago as profits from the company's North American region helped it record better-than-expected results.

In North America, the Dearborn, Mich., automaker is still churning out profits thanks in part to its ...Read more

MENLO PARK, Calif. -- Facebook isn't having any trouble selling itself to advertisers.

Fueled by mobile ad dollars, the tech firm reported second-quarter earnings and revenue on Wednesday that beat Wall Street's expectations.

"Many people have been expecting that Facebook's revenue growth would start to decline because the News Feed is running...Read more

WASHINGTON -- The Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged Wednesday and conveyed a tad more concern about recent inflation trends, clouding the prospects for when the next rate hike might come.

At the same time, the central bank said after its two-day meeting that U.S. economic conditions looked good, with job growth solid and consumer ...Read more

ATLANTA -- Coca-Cola said it is rolling out a new recipe, name and look in North America to replace one of its most successful products -- Coca-Cola Zero.

The Atlanta beverage giant announced the new version during its second-quarter earnings report. It will be called Coca-Cola Zero Sugar. The new cans and bottles, to roll out in August, will ...Read more

In a recent article, I described how a larcenous online firm billed me for a purchase I didn't make, using a credit card number of mine that it found from an earlier online purchase. The responses to the article suggested that small-amount scams using unauthorized card numbers are widespread and that multiple defenses are available to prevent ...Read more

You'll never forget your work badge if it's implanted in your flesh.

That's the thinking at Three Square Market, a Wisconsin vending machine software firm offering to inject microchips into employees so they can open office doors, log in to computers, share business cards and even buy snacks with just of a wave of the hand.

Chief Executive ...Read more

What are you doing to further your business knowledge?

One way entrepreneurs keep their skills sharp is reading, and not just books that directly relate to their business.

Studies prove that reading fiction and nonfiction enhances your brain functions and keeps you sharp as you age. Reading helps improve your analytical thinking and also ...Read more

It's not unusual to imagine that flipping houses would be fun. You might start by thinking that this could be the way to easy profits.

It's an exciting venture, without a doubt, and one that, if done correctly, can bring you the kind of return on investment that you have been seeking. But buying a house, renovating it quickly, and then selling ...Read more

Q: We were planning to move to another state for a new job and listed our house for sale with a real estate agent who found us a buyer. We are set to close in about a month, and I just found out that the job fell through so there's no reason to move. Can we get out of the deal? -- Adrianne

A: Chances are that you can get out of this, but it ...Read more

When Hulu's live TV service first launched, I was, to put it nicely, underwhelmed. There were some pretty colors and a few intriguing design choices, but there were so many shortcomings.

The biggest, of course, was that you couldn't use Hulu with Live TV on the two most popular streaming platforms around: Roku and Amazon.

Last week, Hulu has ...Read more

Q: I think I accidentally changed something in my Windows 7 PC's advanced settings, and now the PC's directory can't see my external hard drive. I can't restore my computer to an earlier date because it can't see the external hard drive on which I backed everything up. What should I do?

--Pierre Girard, Golden Valley, Minn.

A: First, let's ...Read more

A new federal regulation that would make it easier for Americans to bring class-action lawsuits against banks and other financial institutions might be scrapped before it ever takes effect.

Republican lawmakers had vowed to kill the rule, released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau just two weeks ago, and took the first step toward ...Read more

Two of the technology industry's most powerful leaders are at odds when it comes to artificial intelligence.

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk has a pessimistic view of the risks associated with such technology. "I keep sounding the alarm bell," Musk told the National Governors Association in June. "But until people see robots going down the street ...Read more

SAN FRANCISCO -- Uber added a 24-hour phone help line and a slew of new features and policy changes Tuesday in an attempt to appease drivers, who have long complained the San Francisco ride-hailing company doesn't do enough to support them.

The move is part of what Uber is calling its "180 Days of Change" -- a campaign launched after a string ...Read more

CHICAGO -- McDonald's fancy $5 burgers are proving to be a hit with the $1 menu crowd.

The world's largest burger chain on Tuesday reported a 28 percent jump in second-quarter profit, thanks to sales of its new Signature Crafted line of burgers and $1 drink promotion. McDonald's shares jumped on the news, climbing $7.22, or 4.8 percent, to ...Read more