Five times as many black women -- 36%-- use cell phones for three or more hours a day compared to other women, according to research by Time Inc.'s Essence magazine. Black women also spend more extended time using iPods, computers, high-definition TVs and DVD players. The findings defy an image of technology consumers focused on young men, says Carmen Bryant, director of consumer research for the magazine. Black women use technology to gain control over their lives, but also see it as a way to express style and personality, Bryant says. The survey found 42% of black women …

Apple could grab more share by trimming prices, but the more likely option is that it will cram more features into existing Macs or iPods. The smart money is on new iterations of Apple's MacBook Pro notebook line shortly. MacBooks accounted for about 60% of the computers Apple sold in fiscal 2007 but the MacBook Pro is essentially the same notebook that the PowerBook Titanium was when it first launched in 2001. The most likely place to look for change is in the display screen. Expect a multi-touch display similar to that found on the iPhone and the iPod …

A ban on toxins found in children's products agreed to by Congressional negotiators on Monday signals a crack in the chemical industry's ability to fend off federal regulation and suggests that the landscape may be shifting to favor consumers. A White House spokesman says that President Bush opposes the ban but that it is too early to say whether he will veto the measure, which is part of legislation to reform the Consumer Products Safety Commission. House and Senate lawmakers agreed to permanently ban three types of phthalates from children's toys and to outlaw three other phthalates from products pending …

A new insignia for Opel, General Motors' biggest-selling division in Continental Europe, shows more depth in its stylized lightning bolt. An overhaul of the badge for Vauxhall, Opel's equivalent in Britain, shows the brand's longtime mascot, a griffin, in a bigger, bolder way, zooming in on its upper body. The mythical beast appears more three-dimensional. The change in the Opel and Vauxhall logos has been accompanied by big changes in the product lineup, culminating in the introduction of the midsize Insignia, says Alain Visser, chief marketing officer for GM Europe. By giving the logos a more modern look, he …

Moderately priced apparel retailers from Europe, Asia and Canada are taking advantage of both the weak dollar and favorable terms on store leases in following high-end European designers to the malls of America. At many malls, developers looking for new concepts to excite shoppers are giving international retailers the deals traditionally reserved for top tenants. Sweden's Hennes & Mauritz AB, with 156 U.S. stores, calls the U.S. its "largest expansion market." Canadian yoga-wear retailer lululemon athletica Inc. plans to open 32 U.S. stores this fiscal year, almost doubling its U.S. presence to 66 stores. South Korea's Who.A.U hopes to …

Baz Luhrmann, the Australian director of the 20th Century Fox period piece "Australia" due out in November, has agreed to adapt the movie for an advertising campaign to lure tourists to the land down under. The movie features Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman driving cattle across the continent on the eve of World War II. Marketers are hoping the ad and movie combo will have the same effect that "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy had for New Zealand, and "Notting Hill" had for the London neighborhood: attract moviegoers swayed by the romance of the film. "It's a …