In brief: Four RadioShack stores to close in Inland Northwest
Four Inland Northwest RadioShack stores are on the list of locations to be closed, the electronics retailer announced.
Those are the stores at Northpoint Plaza and the NorthTown Mall in north Spokane; the store at 4808 E. Sprague Ave.; and one at 3134 E. Mullan Ave. in Post Falls.
The Fort Worth, Texas-based company recently sought bankruptcy protection. Company officials also announced that they would sell up to 2,400 stores to RadioShack’s largest shareholder, General Wireless. Sprint has a deal to open a store-within-a-store in up to 1,750 of those stores, according to earlier published reports.
RadioShack also operates stores in Spokane Valley, Lincoln Heights and on East Francis Avenue in Spokane, and a store in Coeur d’Alene.
Washington grape harvest up
YAKIMA, Wash. – The 2014 wine grape harvest in Washington totaled a record 227,000 tons, an 8 percent increase over the year before.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reported last year was the third record harvest in a row.
The industry organization, Washington State Wine, expects 2015 should be another record year, if the weather cooperates.
Apple to construct solar farm
SAN FRANCISCO – Apple has committed nearly $850 million to help build a solar energy farm that will generate power for its California facilities, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced Tuesday.
Speaking at a technology conference hosted by Goldman Sachs, Cook revealed Apple is partnering with First Solar to construct the 1,300-acre plant, which he hailed as one of the tech giant’s most ambitious projects. Apple’s two campuses, data center and all 52 Apple Stores in the state will draw power from the facility, which will be built in Monterey County, Cook said.
Speaking to an audience of financial professionals, Cook noted the project will drive savings for Apple, which is committing $848 million for a 25-year lease on 130 megawatts of solar power, enough to power 50,000 homes.
Samsung revisits TV warning
SEOUL, South Korea – Watch what you say in your living room. Samsung’s smart TV could be listening. And sharing.
At least that’s what you’d conclude in reading Samsung’s privacy policy for smart TVs. Voice recognition technology in Samsung’s Internet-connected TVs captures and transmits nearby conversations. The policy warns, “Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party through your use of Voice Recognition.”
In a blog post Tuesday, Samsung said it is removing that sentence and clarifying the policy “to better explain what actually occurs.”
Disney discrimination alleged
ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orlando woman has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that white employees at Disney World subjected her to racial discrimination, harassment and criticism about her high heels and ‘updo’ hair style.
In the lawsuit, Monica Shaw alleges she conformed with Disney’s dress code and appearance standards while working as a contract administrator.
But Shaw, who is black, alleges that she was singled out by an executive who claimed she was violating the standards, which Disney refers to as the “Disney Look.” According to the suit, the executive called the shoes “spiked pumps” but Shaw disagreed and said they were shoes that were allowed under the dress code.