GOOD DAY FOR: Spare change, as financially strapped states are raising road, bridge, and tunnel tolls. Drivers in California, Indiana, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey are all facing toll hikes; New York is upping tolls by $2-$10 a pop. “People view highways as free, but they’re not,” says Patrick Jones of the International Bridge, Tunnel, and Turnpike Association. (USA Today)
BAD DAY FOR: Braille publishers, after Nokia, the National Federation of the Blind, and text-to-audio pioneer Ray Kurzweill unveiled a cell phone that can take a picture of any text and read it aloud. A joint venture, K-NFB Reading Technology, will start marketing the $2,100 phone in February. “It is the next step, but this is a huge leap,” said K-NFB’s James Gashel. (AP in BusinessWeek.com)
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
EastEnders at 40: are soaps still relevant?Talking Point Albert Square's residents are celebrating, but falling viewer figures have fans worried the soap bubble has burst
-
What will the thaw in Russia-US relations cost Europe?Today's Big Question US determination to strike a deal with Russia over Ukraine means Europe faces 'betrayal by a long-term ally'
-
Why Spain's economy is boomingThe Explainer Immigration, tourism and cheap energy driving best growth figures in Europe
