Singer Prince Being Sued by Perfume Maker

The singer Prince is being sued by a perfume company named Revelations Perfume and Cosmetics Inc. that claims that he and his music publisher didn't honor a contract to help market a fragrance named after the album "3121." The company says that it licensed Prince's name, likeness, and the "3121" album to market the fragrance. The company says that it spent $2.5 million and agreed to pay Universal half of the net profits from the sales of the perfume but Universal and Prince haven't participated in promotions since the fragrance launched in July of 2007.

New and Faster iPhones Available

This month a new version of the iPhone will be available on the market. The iPhone 2.0 will have 3G wireless technology that will allow faster Internet access and surfing capabilities. It will allow users to download more business applications and social-networking programs. It will be available in the middle of June.

GM Introduces New Hybrid Pickups

General Motors will introduce a new hybrid full-size pickup and a concept hybrid truck this week at the Chicago Auto Show. The company says that the 2009 GMC Sierra hybrid gives 25 percent more in fuel economy and you don’t have to lose anything in performance. The Sierra is also the next large GM vehicle to get the new two-mode hybrid system. The GMC Denali XT concept gives 50 percent more in fuel economy than most other small pickups. The SUV hybrids are suppose to be on the market early this year and the Sierra is suppose to be on the market at the end of 2008.

Two-mode hybrid cars run without the gas engine at low speeds and at higher speeds the electric motor gives more power. A two-mode system is good for towing.

Hybrid vehicles initially cost more but drivers can driver longer distances before the car needs to be refueled so you can save money in the long run. Small businesses can take advantage of the government tax breaks for hybrids.

New Cases of Bird Flu

It is reported that three new cases of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu has been found on poultry farms in the west African nation of Togo. New cases were found in dead birds on farms in the Lacs, Golfe, and Zio regions east of the capital Lome.

Testing confirmed the presence of the virus in late June in Togo. About 8,000 poultry birds were killed in the area and local poultry markets were closed. They also took more control over poultry imports. Last October, Togo banned the import of live poultry and poultry products from countries affected by the virus.

Since 2003, the virus has killed 191 out of 313 infected people worldwide. The death toll could multiply quickly if the virus mutates and would become easily transmitted between humans.