State of the Art: Many Ways to Plug in to Tech Savings. When every $100 counts, here are a few suggestions for using high-tech gadgetry to save you money.

John Lee, Editor and Mentor, Dies at 78. Mr. Lee was a reporter and editor for The New York Times who oversaw the expansion of its business coverage during a tumultuous era in the financial world.

World Briefing | The Americas: Venezuela to Resume Oil Aid. Citgo Petroleum Corporation said Wednesday said that it would resume shipments of free oil for about 200,000 low-income Americans.

U.S. Fashion’s One-Woman Bailout?. Seventh Avenue hopes Michelle Obama will be the lifeline to revive the fashion industry in a recession.

Connecting Gadgets Is Theme at Electronics Show. Nearly everything at the Consumer Electronics Show is a little computer that wants to connect to other computers.

Higher Co-Payments a Bar for Seniors Needing Mental Health Care. The elderly are less likely to receive follow-up care for mental illness when their out-of-pocket costs are higher than for other medical care.

World Business Briefing | Asia: China: Government to Help College Graduates. China announced a series of measures aimed at helping millions of recent college graduates find work amid the deepening impact of the global financial crisis.

World Business Briefing | Asia: Thailand: Airline Seeks Delay on Airbus Order. Thai Airways International will ask Airbus to delay delivery of six A330 planes because its cash is running low after an eight-day shutdown of the country’s main international airport.

Bank of America Raises $2.8 Billion. Bank of America sold part of its holding in China Construction Bank, sending shares in China’s big banks skidding.

Lenovo Cuts 2,500 Jobs. The Lenovo Group, China’s biggest personal-computer maker, will cut about 2,500 jobs, or 11 percent of its work force, amid a worldwide economic slump.

Breakingviews.com: Buying IndyMac at a Bargain Price. The F.D.I.C. may have been too soft on the private equity firms buying IndyMac, the failed California-based bank.

Marks & Spencer Plans Job Cuts and Closings. Marks & Spencer is the latest British retailer to be hit by the country’s worst downturn in more than 17 years.

Wal-Mart Names an Overseas Chief. Wal-Mart Stores named Doug McMillon, the president and chief executive of its Sam’s Club warehouse division, to fill the same roles at its expanding international unit.

Advertising: As Consumers Try to Cut Back, Tropicana Promotes Quality and Value. Tropicana, the juice brand, is undertaking a major makeover of its advertising, marketing and packaging in a new $35 million ad campaign.

F.D.I.C. Head Seen as Likely to Keep Job. Sheila C. Bair will most likely be kept in her job by the Obama administration, two senior advisers to the Obama transition team said on Wednesday.

Paulson Sees Changes for Freddie and Fannie. Resumption of their old operations is no longer an option, the Treasury secretary said.

New Rules for Fuel Economy Will Have to Wait. The Bush administration said Wednesday it would not finish implementing new fuel-economy rules for vehicles, leaving the issue to the incoming Obama administration.

Shares Swoon on Dim Earnings Forecast. Wall Street lost nearly all the gains stocks had made since Jan. 1, amid worries of corporate losses and soaring unemployment.

As Sales Picture Worsens, Intel Trims Forecast Again. Intel said that its sales for the fourth quarter would fall short of previously reduced forecasts by about $500 million.

NBC’s Matthews Won’t Run for Senate. Chris Matthews, the host of the MSNBC program “Hardball,” told his staff on Wednesday night that he would not run for the Senate in 2010 in Pennsylvania.

MarketPlace: A Time Warner Deal That Keeps Going Downhill. The owner of CNN and Time magazine said that it expected to record a fourth-quarter $25 billion write-down that would lead to an operating loss for the period.

Gentler Tax Laws Urged on Debt Default. The Internal Revenue Service’s watchdog agency calls on Congress to ease some tax laws regarding defaults on consumer debt.

The Amish Flock From Farms to Small Businesses. The move into commerce by a religious sect that has determinedly kept the modern world at bay has been more out of necessity than desire.

In Europe, Mounting Signs of a Rapid Slowdown. Negative business sentiment, a hard-hit banking system and a global downturn are working their way through Europe with a vengeance.

Quest Acknowledges Errors in Vitamin D Tests. Quest Diagnostics provided possibly erroneous results to thousands of people who had their vitamin D levels tested in the last two years.

British Regulator Starts Madoff Investigation. The Serious Fraud Office in Britain announced Thursday that is opening an investigation into the business operations of Bernard L. Madoff.

Madoff Sent 16 Watches and Jewelry. Bernard L. Madoff violated his bail agreement by sending jewelry to his friends and family, prosecutors argued.

Talks Fail to Resolve Gazprom Dispute. A meeting between the top Gazprom executive and his Ukrainian counterpart to resolve a conflict that has halted Russian gas exports through Ukraine ended without agreement.

Financial Scandal at Outsourcing Company Rattles a Developing Country. Satyam Computer Services, one of India’s largest outsourcing companies, significantly inflated earnings and assets for years, the chairman said before resigning.

Asian and European Markets Drop. Stocks fell after profit warnings from major technology companies and continued economic gloom in Europe.

Wal-Mart December Sales Disappoint. The world’s largest retailer said Thursday that it was cutting its earnings forecast for the fourth quarter.

News Analysis: A Crisis Trumps Constraint. Economists and politicians across the political spectrum say Congress should spend whatever it takes to rescue the economy.

Bank of England Cuts Rate to New Low. The Bank of England on Thursday cut its benchmark interest rate by half of a point to try to bolster the deteriorating economy.

China Losing Taste for Debt From U.S.. As the global downturn has intensified, Beijing is starting to keep more of its money at home, which could have painful effects for U.S. borrowers.

For Pittsburgh, There’s Life After Steel. The city’s reinvented economy, driven by health care and education, is proving resistant to downturns.