Author: Joseph Pisani
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Barbie’s companion Ken gets new looks: Man bun, beefy bod
NEW YORK — He’s been overshadowed by Barbie for decades, but now Ken is finally getting some attention. Mattel is introducing 15 new looks for the male doll, including different skin tones, body shapes and hair styles. Barbie had a similar makeover more than a year ago, both part of the toy company’s plan to…
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Starbucks turns to customers for annual holiday cup designs
NEW YORK — Instead of looking to its creative team, Starbucks turned to its latte-sipping customers to design its latest holiday red cups. The company asked people to post their designs on Instagram last December, and 1,200 ideas came in from customers who’ve made it clear on social media they care about the holiday cups…
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Boutique fitness studios growing fast in U.S.
NEW YORK Slim one-room gyms are in, and the low cost of starting them is turning gym rats and workout instructors into entrepreneurs. There are no Olympic-sized pools, rows of treadmills or steam rooms in these small fitness studios. Instead, devotees sweat through hourlong classes in tiny spaces, swinging heavy kettlebells or practicing yoga poses.…
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Fitness tracker charts Fido’s activity level
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Bad news for lazy dogs: A new device, called Whistle, lets pet owners track how much exercise – or sleep – their four-legged friends are getting. Whistle is similar to popular activity trackers designed for humans. It wraps around a dog’s collar and syncs with a smartphone app, collecting data on how much activity and…
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Reality TV’s new stars: Small businesses
NEW YORK There’s no business like small business. Mix the high stakes of running a small business with a dash of family drama and throw in a camera crew and you get hit reality television shows such as ‘Pawn Stars, ‘ ”Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s ‘ and ‘Duck Dynasty. ‘ Turning small business owners into…