Beechcraft puts bankruptcy behind, has military focus
WICHITA, Kan. – Kansas plane maker Beechcraft, formerly Hawker Beechcraft, emerged Tuesday from bankruptcy protection freed from much of its debt and its unprofitable business jet operations.
It’s now focused on its turboprop and piston aircraft and its military work – but the country faces potentially massive defense cutbacks.
The prospect of the government’s defense retrenchment comes at a crucial time for the Wichita, Kan., company, as it competes for a $354 million U.S. government contract to build aircraft for use in Afghanistan. The high-stakes “light air support” contract could ultimately be worth nearly $1 billion, depending on future orders.
Beechcraft is exiting bankruptcy with roughly 5,400 employees worldwide, including about 3,300 at its headquarters.
More overdue on credit card
LOS ANGELES – Ramped-up holiday season spending typically keeps some borrowers from making timely payments on their credit cards in the last three months of the year, and 2012 was no exception.
The rate of credit card payments at least 90 days overdue jumped to 0.85 percent in the fourth quarter from 0.78 percent a year earlier, credit reporting agency TransUnion said today.
That’s an increase of about 9 percent. The rate also climbed 13 percent from the third quarter, when it was 0.75 percent, the firm said.
Infections hit Apple offices
NEW YORK – Apple says a small number of Mac computers at its offices were infected by malicious software, in an attack similar to the one Facebook acknowledged last week.
In both cases, computers were infected through software downloaded from a site for software developers. The attacks took advantage of flaws in the Java plug-in for Web browsers.
Neither company said that there was any evidence that the attackers gleaned any data from their attacks.
The Java vulnerability is well-known, and Apple has taken measures to disable the plug-in on all Macs. It says it would release an update malware removal tool to remove infections.
In January, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommended disabling Java in Web browsers to avoid hacking attacks.
Hackers send Jeep tweets
DETROIT – A Chrysler spokesman says someone hacked into the Jeep brand’s Twitter account Tuesday afternoon, making false tweets for about an hour until the company that handles its social media regained control.
Hackers posted that the Jeep brand had been sold to Cadillac because employees had been caught using pills. They also posted that there would be no more Jeep production.
Chrysler spokesman Ed Garsten said the company’s social media agency got help from Twitter to regain control of the account.
Sam Adams beer to try cans
For Sam Adams, it’s in the can.
The Boston Beer Co. will sell Samuel Adams Boston Lager in a can for the first time beginning this summer.
The company says beer fans can take cans to places where glass bottles may not be allowed, like parks, beaches and sporting events.
The Boston company says cans will be available in 12-packs nationwide by early summer. It suggests a price range of $14.99 to $17.99.