U.S. Business

According to iMore, the updated version of the Apple iPhone 5 - the iPhone 5S - is likely to get an August 2013 release. Furthermore, another rumor making the rounds is that around the same time, a slightly "lower cost" device may also be released.

The iPhone 5S will not be a complete overhaul of the iPhone 5, and like the iPhone 4 and 4S, it will likely have some minor improvements. This may mean a slightly improved processor and camera and a thinner body. There are also rumors that it may include a fingerprint sensor.

Computer World has collected another set of specs that suggest a low-cost device launched with a "$0 with 2-year carrier contract" pricing attached. Typically this is reserved for the third-in-line device, which in this case would be the 4S once the 5S is revealed, but the rumored specs suggest something entirely new.

The compact car market has really expanded in recent years to offer some small, but nice and feature-packed cars, and the Dodge Dart is no exception. The 2013 Dodge Dart ranks among the best compact cars available today, and is considered a worthy competitor of the Chevy Cruze, Ford Focus, and Hyundai Elantra.

Starting at around $16,000 for the base model, the Dart is Chrysler's first compact sedan since the Neon in 2005. It was pitched last year as the car to redefine the compact segment, but it has to date failed to achieve that in the highly competitive segment. It does, however, offer the consumer a lot of choice with a variety of models including SE, SXT, Rallye, Aero, and Limited. At G/T version is also expected to be released later this year.

The Dart is the first vehicle to be jointly developed by Chrysler and its Fiat SpA parent company, and is the first vehicle to feature the UConnect Touch 8.4-inch touchscreen multimedia center, which will next be available on the 2014 SRT Viper.

Depending on the model chosen, the Dodge Dart gets about 27 to 32 combined miles per gallon, including 40mpg highway with the Aero. It's also loaded with innovative technology, class-leading safety features, as well as some clever functionality.

Beer loves from across the United States are accusing Anheuser-Busch of watering down several of its brands of beer, including Budweiser, Michelob, and others, in several class-action law suits seeking millions in damages.

Suits were filed in Pennsylvania, California, and other states, all of which claim that consumers were cheated out of the alcohol content stated on the beers' labels. Both Budweiser and Michelob claim 5 percent alcohol content, while some "light" varieties claim about 4 percent alcohol.

The lawsuits are based upon information obtained from former employees at the company's 13 American breweries. Some of these sources were reportedly in high-level plant positions.

The lead lawsuit states that the alcohol content is mislabeled on the brands: Budweiser, Michelob, Michelob Ultra, Hurricane High Gravity Lager, King Cobra, Busch Ice, Natural Ice, Bud Ice, Bud Light Platinum and Bud Light Lime.

The lead lawsuit was filed in federal court in San Francisco on Friday. Attorneys for the plaintiffs state that their lawsuit could affect tens of millions of consumers of products from the world's largest brewer, Anheuser-Busch.

Josh Boxer, one of the attorneys behind the legal challenge, said:

'We learned about the mislabelling from a number of former employees of AB (Anheuser-Busch) at breweries throughout the United States,' Boxer said. 'And some high-level guys at the brewery level all told us that as a matter of AB corporate policy, these target brands are watered down."

Launched in 2009 in South Korea, the Kia Cadenza (or Kia K7 in S. Korea) will finally be made available to North American consumers beginning with the 2014 model year to go on sale beginning in the second quarter of 2013. It's not available to purchase yet, but you can check it out at the Cleveland Auto Show, which is going on now at the International Exposition Center in Cleveland, OH. It's also been on display at other auto shows across the country. Unlike many of Kia's other model vehicles, the Cadenza is aiming for the North American premium sedan market and the buyers who are looking for a car that's somewhere between mainstream and luxury.

The launch of the Kia Optima and Sorento cross-over has helped slowly move Kia up the ranks and away from their start as an economy automaker. The launch of the new Cadenza will only help to move them along further towards that goal of being seen as more than just a cheap automaker. Kia describes the Cadenza as having elements of European design, which will help in defining itself in the higher-end market. It will also be available with Kia's most powerful V-6 engine.

The Cadenza features 3.3-liter, V-6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission that includes a manual shift model as well as paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Designed to run on regular unleaded gasoline, the Cadenza produces 293 horsepower.

Kia is launching the Cadenza with some premium features that they've never before made available with their vehicles here in the U.S. Standard features on the Cadenza include leather seats, a navigation system, Kia UVO, alloy wheels and Bluetooth. Some of the premium features being offered with the 2014 Cadenza include a backup camera and warning system and a 550-watt 12-speaker audio system, amongst other options. For example, one of the premium packages includes a 7-inch LCD instrument cluster, premium leather seats, and a full-length panoramic sunroof.

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who defected from Google last year, has ruffled quite a few feathers after putting an end to a policy that allows some employees to work from home, and is now calling for all staff to return to the office.

While the move will impact only a small percentage of the company's entire workforce, it will have a significant impact on those it does affect, many of whom say that the flexible work arrangement was one of the reasons that they took the jobs in the first place and it will have a significant impact on their personal lives. Those affected are primarily those in customer service or who work in cities were Yahoo doesn't have an office.

Yahoo has not yet publicly commented on the matter, but employees anonymously disclosed the new policy to AllThingsD. Essentially, they are expected to "either comply without exception or presumably quit."

Abercrombie & Fitch, a favorite retailer of the teenage set, announced on Friday that it plans to close 40 to 50 of its U.S. stores this year after the company's shares took a nosedive following weak holiday sales.

Shares of Abercrombie fell 4.5% on Friday after the announcement.

Mike Jeffries, the Ohio-based company's chief executive, said that Abercrome would eventually close 180 of its underperforming U.S. stores by 2015. These include the ones that are relatively hidden away in dying malls.

Last year, Abercrombie & Fitch closed 71 of its U.S. stores, including 68 during the busy holiday shopping season.

Highlighting "a challenging U.S. retail environment over the holiday period", Jeffries said "Our profitability is not where it needs to be."

In an attempt to offset slow growth and weak sales in the U.S., Abercrombie has made a big push overseas. However the company's international segment performed even more poorly than its U.S. stores, which comparable store sales down 14 percent overseas, compared to comparable store sales down just 1 percent in the U.S.

The state of Nevada has passed what is being called a "historic" bill that makes it legal to play online poker within the state as well as with other players across the country. Bill AB114 was passed unanimously in both the Assembly and Senate on Thursday, before being signed into law by Governor Brian Sandoval.

The legislation states that interstate gambling is now permitted, but players from across the country will only be able to play legally once Nevada makes formal agreements with individual states.

Despite the fact that the Department of Justice has in the past cracked down on websites that allow people to gamble across states, Gov. Sandoval says that he is confident that Nevada is on firm legal footing.

Sandoval promised to communicate with the Justice Dept. on the language of the agreements made between states.

The bill had been declared an emergency measure, and the process was somewhat expedited as Nevada hoped to beat New Jersey, whose Gov. Chris Christie may sign a similar legislation next week.

Honda Motor Co. announced on Friday that it was creating Honda North America Services LLC, a new shared services company to be established effective April 1. As a part of the restructuring, as many as 50 jobs will be moved from California to Ohio.

The structural changes will bring support functions that are currently spread across North America, including legal services, corporate audit, and risk management, under one roof. The positions will move from American Honda Motor Co.'s offices in Torrance, Calif.

Honda's U.S. manufacturing operations are based in Marysville, Ohio, and operates the largest manufacturing facility in the Dayton, Ohio, region with its engine plant in Anna.

Just minutes ago, Google posted a new video on YouTube to unveil the new Chromebook Pixel, a gorgeous new laptop that also features a touchscreen display. Surprisingly, the Pixel is already available of purchase through the Google Play store with a hefty price tag of $1299.99.

The most striking features of the Pixel is the display, which Google touts as having the highest pixel density of any laptop available on the market now. It features 4.3 million pixels on a 12.85-inch screen, and 3:2 photographic format that's designed for the web.

The Chromebook Pixel is also a touchscreen laptop. It seems almost like the perfect melding of laptop and tablet. You can type on a regular keyboard, but can also touch the screen to play a video or move an object when the desire strikes. Of course, you can always be old school and use the trackpad or plug in a mouse, but I imagine the touchscreen will mostly eliminate any need for that.

Like all of Google's other Chromebooks, the Pixel doens't have a standard harddrive. It does include 32GB of flash storage though. This is a double edged sword as it requires people to take a leap of faith in relying completely on the "cloud" for a lot of their storage and application needs, but also enables the device to load up far more quickly than traditional laptops.

On Wednesday, Google posted a new video preview of its upcoming Google Glasses wearable headset product, finally giving consumers a look at what it's actually capable of doing. Google posted the video after announcing plans to expand the Glass pre-order program.

Last year, Google published a similar preview when it first announced Project Glass. However, this most recent video goes into a lot more detail about some of the functionality of the device, as well as a more accurate depiction of what it will look like.

According to the video demo, Glass will allow users to receive and execute on-screen directions, send voice-controlled messages, and search the web using speech commands. The user interface also includes voice controlled photos, and also hints that Google Glass will offer on-screen translation support. The on-screen translation feature is something that Google hadn't yet mentioned to date.

Previously Google said that it was aiming to launch Google Glass by early 2014, but they're already pushing out developer versions at $1,500 each, so it's possible that Glass could see a consumer launch earlier than anticipated.