holiday

It's not paranoia -- you really are surrounded by Androids. Google's mobile OS is now running on 200 million activated gadgets, matching the number running Apple's iOS. And recently, the 10 billionth Android app was downloaded.

Are diamonds the ultimate recession buy? Recent data seems to suggest that our current economic turbulence is sending some Americans to the jewelers. Fine jewelry sales are expected to sparkle this holiday season, outshining much of the rest of the retail sector.

The origins of Memorial Day date to the aftermath of the Civil War, when people would decorate the graves of fallen soldiers to honor their service. The holiday still retains its reverential and patriotic spirit, but its economic consequences, though smaller than those of other holidays, cannot be overlooked.

The Christian season of repentance, Lent, is underway. And with the season comes an increased demand for seafood -- as traditional followers of Lent avoid meat on Fridays. That demand has caused some restaurants to alter their menus, and seafood retailers to consider their supplies.

Those energy-saving little LED bulbs advertised as eco-friendly -- and used in strings of holiday lights and in car headlights -- actually contain toxic lead, arsenic and some other bad stuff, new research shows. Alarming? Sure. But in a surprise twist, a study author says: Buy them anyway.

Retailers should be swooning this year: Spending for the lover's holiday is forecast to top $18.6 billion, a 5.8% jump in spending over 2010. That amounts to about $125 per person who buys a gift for that special someone.

U.S. shoppers piled up the presents under their Christmas trees, but retailers were still a bit disappointed. The Commerce Department's official tally shows what many suspected: Consumers did most of their holiday buying early this year.

U.S. consumers spent 5% less on consumer electronics during the last holiday season compared to a year earlier, according to a new report from NPD Group. Even at discounted prices, Americans bought fewer flat-screen televisions and desktop computers, as well as lower-end digital cameras and MP3 players, according to the report.

As more shoppers spend their money online, retailers are deciding where to put their e-marketing. According to a new ForeSee study, promotional emails were still far more effective at driving traffic to retail sites than social networks like Facebook this holiday season.

Hospitality analysts say this season's year-end celebrations are more numerous and a bit more lavish than the past several years. Champagne is replacing sparkling wine, and better food is getting served. Signs, they say, of an economy on the mend.