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You have to pay a premium if you’re a Mac owner. A Macintosh computer costs significantly more than similarly spec’d PCs. But does this premium end after purchasing the hardware? Apparently, not. As it seems that Orbitz hotels booked by Mac users tend to be of the pricier variety than those booked by PC users (depending on a few factors). Orbitz Worldwide investigated a hunch that Mac users spend a lot more on average for hotel rooms than PC users, reports The Wall Street Journal....

President Obama recently signed into law the America Invents Act, a patent reform legislation that does away with the old “first to invent” rule. What does the patent reform mean for small businesses? Most notably, the new legislation pushes Americans toward a “first to file” system, meaning that those who file for a patent first will get awarded the rights. So is this change in the patent rules really a boon for entrepreneurs - or is it a bust?...

A judge has slapped down a prosecutor who was apparently trying to teach some teens what they felt was an unwelcome lesson regarding sexting. In short, however, sexting is the practice of sending sexually suggestive messages or images via cell phone or on the Internet. Teens under 18 distributing nude or semi-nude photos of themselves and their friends have been facing increased instances of prosecution under child pornography laws, raising concern and commentary that such laws are being used in a manner that was not intended when they were written....

Does working hard make us sick? Would we be happier and healthier if we had more freedom? Some workers in Gothenburg, Sweden are finding out. They are part of an experiment with a 30-hour work week meant to improve worker morale and productivity. The 6-hour work day experiment operates on the assumption that working smarter, not harder, improves quality of life and work. American employees reportedly work an average of 47 hours a week, according to a 2014 Gallop poll....

Arbitration and mediation are effective tools that can help quickly resolve your injury case well before you’d ever see a jury. Arbitration is basically a less formal trial that happens outside of court. In place of a judge, a neutral arbitrator issues a decision after hearing the evidence and arguments from both sides. Below are the Top 5 questions injury victims ask about arbitrating or mediating their claims. Arbitration clauses appear in contracts and can restrict your access to the courts....

A suspected Walmart shoplifter died during a struggle with store security officers in an incident that could lead to a lawsuit. Security officers at a Walmart in Covina, Calif., caught the man allegedly trying to steal clothes and body wash – a haul totaling less than $950, the Associated Press reports. Walmart security staffers chased the man, who has not yet been identified, into the store’s parking lot where a fight broke out....

As a small business owner, you’ve probably weighed the pros and cons of hiring independent contractors or full-time employees. And you’ve also hopefully considered the possible penalties for misclassifying workers as independent contractors when they’re really employees. The IRS has been consistently cracking down on independent contractor use, but they’re not the only organization you need to be wary of. Here’s what can happen to employers that misclassify employees as independent contractors....

If you’re unable to work because of an injury or a debilitating illness, you may be wondering what disability insurance is and whether you’re covered by it. The answer can depend on many factors including the type of injury you suffered, where the injury occurred, and what type of disability insurance you or your employer may have. For a general overview of how disability insurance works, here are three frequently asked questions about disability insurance:...

Schools are entrusted with more than just the education of their students, they are entrusted with the safety of the children they seek to educate. When a student is injured due to a school’s failure to keep the student safe, the student will likely have an injury claim that can be brought against the school. School injuries can occur for many different reasons. Most injuries tend to be the result of school sponsored sports....

A Georgia woman who was impaled by a tree limb and had to get a leg amputated is set to collect a $9.5 settlement from the city of Savannah. The case demonstrates that successfully suing the government is no easy feat. But when you’re severely injured on public property, it is possible. The road to legal recovery, however, can be an arduous one. From defective sidewalks to falling tree limbs, many legal claims stem from injuries on public property....

If you’ve suffered a slip and fall on an icy sidewalk and are considering a lawsuit, something called the storm doctrine could impact the way your case plays out. In states with a “storm doctrine” on the books, the law can limit the ability of plaintiffs to sue businesses for slip and fall accidents that occur on their property during a storm. A recent case in Iowa reveals the contours of the continuing storm doctrine and fleshes out what exactly counts as a “storm....

Many people have difficulty managing money in life and don’t give much thought to what will happen to their assets when dead. But obviously, you don’t want to wait until it’s too late to make a will. A last will and testament is simply an expression of your final wishes, legally preserved to protect your beneficiaries. After you make a will, you will still need to update it whenever circumstances in your life change....

You may have heard the term ‘drug mule’ – a person who, wittingly or not, transports illicit drugs across the border. You may not, however, have heard of a ‘money mule.’ These folks set up bank accounts to funnel ill-gotten money from U.S. business to international scam artists. Being a money mule can be incredibly easy, unbelievably lucrative, and most definitely illegal, as over 20 Floridians indicted for a laundry list of federal financial crimes recently found out....

Small businesses often switch things up over the summer. You might open up a patio, add some outdoor seating, or sponsor or host some outdoor events. You may also be a small business – like a camp – that functions primarily in the summer. Either way, your business must comply with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for accessibility year-round. So how can you make sure you’re ADA-compliant this summer? Here are a few keys to consider....

If your business conducts cash transactions, you’ve probably had to wait for countless customers to count out exact change to the very last penny. You may have even had plenty of customers pay an entire bill in loose change. While this can be annoying, most business owners would agree that getting paid in cash, coin, credit, or check, is still getting paid, and is still a good thing. There are, however, rare circumstances, like this attention-seeking grown man-child, where allowing a customer or debtor to pay in coinage just seems horribly inefficient....

Criminal charges have been filed in the Florida toddler daycare death case against the driver who left 2 year-old Haile Brockington unattended for hours in a hot van. 31 year-old Amanda Inman has been charged with aggravated manslaughter after failing to check all the seats of the van, and ultimately leaving Brockington in the van for over six hours before she was finally discovered. Additionally, Haile Brockington’s family has filed a civil suit against the daycare company and Inman....

If you have been in a car accident, you will need to show evidence of what happened for insurance to coverage the damages. Or, if insurance won’t suffice and the accident is severe, you may end up involved in a lawsuit. Whether or not you have a witness to the accident, you can still prove your claim or case. Witnesses are not the only way that proof is presented, whether a matter is being handled administratively through an insurance claim or legally in a lawsuit....

CNN reports that the popular social networking site Facebook plans on working with five internet safety groups in order to create a board that will decide Facebook policy on kids and safety. A vice president of Facebook, Mr. Elliot Schrage released a statement this past Sunday that read: “We believe that the only way to keep kids safe online is for everyone who wants to protect them to work together.”...

The tragic Ferris wheel death of 11-year-old Abiah Jones in New Jersey has encouraged stricter rules on amusement park rides and has also spurred her family to hire an attorney. The new rules are now mandating that riders in Ferris wheels be at least 54 inches tall in order to ride without supervision. The New Jersey Carnival and Amusement Ride Safety Unit are also encouraging that each car have at least two riders, reports CNN....

The Empire State may have become the largest in the nation to approve same-sex marriages on Friday, but how long will it last? And is a NY gay marriage lawsuit coming soon? Given the fact that most successful campaigns for same-sex marriages have led to court challenges (Prop 8, anyone?), these are valid and important questions. This is even more true in the state of New York, where Governor Cuomo gave religious objectors a bit more ammo than usual....