CEO: Airbnb to reveal all checkout fees

Anyone who has rented a home on Airbnb knows the price you see is not the price you pay. At checkout time, cleaning fees and other charges are added. CEO Brian Chesky, noting that renters “feel like prices aren’t transparent,” said Airbnb will add a filter showing the total price of a rental including fees but before taxes.

Airbnb will also crack down on so-called final chores. “You shouldn’t have to do unreasonable checkout tasks, such as stripping the beds, doing the laundry or vacuuming,” Chesky said. But he added it’s reasonable for hosts to ask departing guests “to turn off the lights, throw food in the trash and lock the doors.”

Vonage pays $100M fine

Likening it to the Eagles’ Hotel California where “you can never leave,” the Federal Trade Commission fined Vonage $100 million because it said the internet phone provider “set up roadblocks” to prevent small businesses and consumers from canceling their service. The FTC said Vonage would cancel service only if the customer spoke with a “retention agent” — who were difficult to contact.

Study finds video games may boost kids’ cognition

Can playing video games be beneficial to young children? A study published in the medical journal JAMA Network Open concluded that 9- and 10-year-olds who played video games displayed “improved cognitive abilities” and had better “working memory” than kids who didn’t play games. One caveat: The study noted that past research has linked video gaming to ‘increases in aggressive behavior in children.”

New EV charging stations coming

Hundreds of new electric vehicle charging stations will open next year along highways nationwide as part of a multibillion-dollar federal plan to deploy fast-charging systems for a growing fleet of electric cars. EV charging ports will be available every 50 miles along interstates with at least four fast chargers that can recharge a battery in 15 to 45 minutes.

The Washington Post