‘Drink up’ is the message from bottled-water companies that are continuing to reduce prices in an effort to hold on to cost-conscious consumers, according to a news report today.

One might expect executives at Walt Disney to come down hard on a gay-themed video knock-off of a Miley Cyrus song. One might be wrong.

Looking for healthcare cost containment innovations? A rural Pennsylvania health care system found that by teaming doctors with nurses who keep tabs on the most chronically ill patients, emergency room visits were avoided and costs were reduced. On the other hand, implementing information technology, which is widely cited as a health care expense cutter, ended up costing more money — but improving quality.

Sony was first to market with an e-book reader using electronic paper — a thin, flat screen that looks like a printed page even in direct sunlight and consumes a fraction of the power used by traditional display screens. But now it’s playing catch up to Amazon’s Kindle.

New economic forecasts underscore the fact that the recovery in the United States will be slow and difficult.

The U.S. government received applications for $2.54 billion worth of vouchers for the program, which expires today. Auto dealers were reported to be scrambling to take care of last-minute shoppers aiming to take advantage of the $3,000 to $4,500 government rebates for trading in older-model vehicles for new ones that are more fuel efficient.

How can a consumer electronics giant create buzz for a 3-D TV? Hook up with the director of the buzz-rich 3-D movie, “Avatar.”

It has been a tough year for luxury retailers. But even in a good year it hurts when Neiman Marcus finds it may have to refund nearly $1,500 to customers who thought they were buying Manolo Blahnik boots trimmed with ocelot fur. The advertising copy on the high-end retailer’s web site was supposed to say the boots were trimmed with ocelot print goat fur.