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Asthma sufferers have long relied on inhalers for relief from wheezing or coughing attacks. But as of Dec. 31, Primatene Mist -- the only available over-the-counter asthma inhaler -- was taken off shelves because of its adverse effect on the environment. Other inhalers are available, but these require a doctor's prescription. Some people with asthma aren't happy about the change, but lung doctors and asthma specialists agree that Primatene Mist wasn't the best option for patients anyway.

Video-on-demand services usually come into play toward the end of a film's life span — either to follow a theatrical run or to take a movie straight to video. For the website Prescreen, however, VOD is the launching pad. Prescreen, which debuted in September, offers users a curated selection of independent films, most available for 60 days and many exclusive to the site. A single film is spotlighted in a daily email, and most rentals cost $2 to $8 for a 48-hour viewing window.

The most ambitious federal mortgage program to date aimed at millions of underwater homeowners is poised to take off in the coming two weeks, yet some key issues could hinder borrower participation. One of them involves something most owners know nothing about: Who was your mortgage insurer on your underwater loan? Though it was announced by the Obama administration late last year, "HARP 2.0" — the second version of the Home Affordable Refinance Program — will finally hit full stride around the middle of this month, when Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac finish tweaking their automated underwriting systems to accept applications, and lenders and mortgage insurance companies start handling large volumes of requests.

Visitors to the Golden Gate Bridge often pose a strange request: They want some of the bridge's International Orange paint. During construction, consulting architect Irving Morrow chose the color. He thought it would reflect nicely off the waters of the Golden Gate Strait below and blend well with the Marin headlands to the north. "I get asked all the time, 'Can I have a little bit of that paint? I want to paint the fence in front of my house,'" said Mary Currie, public affairs director for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which operates the bridge.

Two massage parlors may lose their licenses after employees were arrested on suspicion of prostitution in recent weeks. The South Pasadena City Council, which in recent years has wrestled with concerns about a proliferation of massage parlors, scheduled hearings regarding the businesses for March 7. South Pasadena police arrested Massage Villa owner Ling Ling Kuo, 44, of Alhambra on Feb. 10 on suspicion of operating a disorderly house....

If you're gearing up to roast coffee at home, here are some of the growing number of websites that sell home roasting equipment and green coffee beans: Seven Bridges , a Santa Cruz cooperative, sells home beer brewing equipment but also offers a selection of organic green coffee beans from Central America, South America, Africa and Asia, as well as roasting equipment. http://www.breworganic.com Burman Coffee Traders sells green coffee beans in 1-, 2-, 5- and some in 50-pound quantities, along with a variety of home roasting equipment.

The cyber-security industry is on Defcon 1 high alert. The recent rash of attacks on dozens of websites including those of the CIA, the FBI and even PBS is roiling the security industry and increasing demand for cyber-defense experts. "Every time one of these breaches makes the news, I will tell you, my phone rings off the hook," said Chris Novak, a manager of Verizon Communications Inc.'s Investigative Response Team, which now has nearly 100 members, more than double from a year ago. With the surge in attacks in recent months, Novak sees the team tripling in size this year.

It seems you can surf the Internet and check your email from virtually anywhere these days — in coffee shops, hotel lobbies, airport terminals and airplane cabins. More places are making it easier to turn on your laptop or tablet computer and connect to the Internet through free public WiFi hot spots. But much like leaving your diary on a park bench, connecting to the Internet using a public WiFi allows anyone with the right software to see what you are doing. Worse, you risk being hit with malware and other virulent programs that can turn your computer into botnets controlled by hackers to attack websites.

Southern California designer jeans maker True Religion Apparel Inc. has won a $864-million court judgment against online Chinese counterfeiters, but actually getting that money will be a battle. The Vernon company, whose jeans can go for nearly $500, sued 282 websites originating from China and accused them of lifting company trademarks and peddling fake goods. The websites had names such as TrueReligion4Cheap.com and ForTrueReligionJeans.com. The defendants were a no-show in court, so the New York federal judge handed down a default judgment this month.

USC student Elizabeth watched the season finale of HBO's lusty vampire drama "True Blood" along with about 5.4 million television viewers. But the 19-year-old junior didn't see it in a way that would yield ratings points for Time Warner Inc.'s premium cable channel. She caught the final episode on her laptop using Megavideo, one of a growing number of websites in the vanguard of a new wave of Internet piracy. At least 1.25 million others did the same thing, according to estimates from one firm that monitors online traffic.

Don't even think about fudging on your application for a mortgage by inflating your income a tad, checking the box to indicate you're going to live there when you're really not or exaggerating your job description. Not long ago, people could get away with lies like these to obtain financing. But not anymore. Nowadays, the tools are in place to nab fibbers who just want to buy a house, as well as out-and-out perjurers looking to bilk lenders out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The gig: Mike Alfred is co-founder and chief executive of BrightScope Inc., a financial information company in San Diego that analyzes 401(k) retirement plans and publishes disciplinary records and other information on financial advisors. The company rates 46,000 retirement plans, assigning each a numerical ranking from 0 to 100. The ratings are available free on its website, at http://www.brightscope.com . Alfred, 30, started the company with his younger brother, Ryan, and another partner.

Americans spend upward of 30 hours a month staring at their computer screens, shopping and browsing and seeking. We relish the efficiency, the expanse of information, the anonymity and the freedom. But we are social creatures and as such, can't seem to stop gathering in various online communities to share music or photos of fabulous dinners or handbags. We come together when rumors circle over a Kim Kardashian-Kanye West courtship or the replacement for John Galliano is announced at Dior.

Want to get people to do all you desire? Try these resources: "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion," by Robert B. Cialdini (HarperCollins, 2006). "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive," by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin and Robert B. Cialdini (Free Press, 2008). workingpsychology.com, website of Kelton Rhoads of USC's Center on Public Diplomacy. http://www.influenceatwork.com , website of consulting company founded by Cialdini. - Chris Woolston 'Weapons of persuasion' from Robert Cialdini Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton are persuasive people -- but why?

Soon, anyone who wants to know how much a political candidate spent on a commercial will be able to find out with the click of a button. The Federal Communications Commission voted Friday to require local television stations to publish on their websites detailed information about political advertising, including the cost of specific commercials. Although such material is already required to be made available to the public, anyone seeking to know what candidates are spending, and on what programs, typically has to visit a local television station and make a request to see what's known as the "public files.

International Jazz Day Info: http://www.unesco.org/days/jazzday In Los Angeles: An evening of jazz music at Vibrato, 2930 Beverly Glen Circle, Bel-Air; 7 p.m. Monday; $20; (310) 474-9400, http://www.vibratogrilljazz.com

Want to get people to do all you desire? Try these resources: "Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion," by Robert B. Cialdini (HarperCollins, 2006). "Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive," by Noah J. Goldstein, Steve J. Martin and Robert B. Cialdini (Free Press, 2008). workingpsychology.com, website of Kelton Rhoads of USC's Center on Public Diplomacy. http://www.influenceatwork.com , website of consulting company founded by Cialdini. - Chris Woolston 'Weapons of persuasion' from Robert Cialdini Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton are persuasive people -- but why?

Here are some links for tracking flight cancellations, tourism alerts and other information regarding the situation in Japan: American Red Cross info on how to find missing family members due to earthquake and tsunami. U.S. State Department’s Japan Earthquake & Pacific Tsunami ” info page. LAX flight cancellations and other news for those going out of Los Angeles. Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau travel tips and updated information on the islands.

THE BEST WAY TO THE BIG ISLAND AND KAUAI From LAX, Delta, United and American offer nonstop service, and Hawaiian offers connecting service (change of plane) to Kauai and the island of Hawaii. Restricted round-trip fares to both islands begin at $852. TO LEARN MORE Slow Food: There are active conviviums of the Slow Food organization on the different islands, and their websites can be great resources for farmers markets and other local food places. http://www.slowfoodhawaii.org ; http://www.slowfoodkauai.blogspot.com ; http://www.slowfoodmaui.org ; http://www.slowfoodoahu.org . Edible Hawaiian Islands: This group of locally produced local food magazines has a strong edition in Hawaii that offers not only a printed magazine but also a good website ( www.ediblecommunities.com/hawaiianislands )

FORT WORTH — With pointy red gnome hats, a cruise giveaway and plenty of balloons, Travelocity turned sweet 16 last month. But it hasn't been all cupcakes and champagne for the travel website. Once considered a trailblazer, Travelocity has struggled for the last few years to keep up with competitors such as Expedia and Priceline. "We weren't moving as fast as we needed to," Chief Executive Carl Sparks said about newer, nimbler competitors. "We're 16 and so sometimes we think of ourselves as one of the elderly companies in the space because we were around since its inception.… Yet 16 is quite young for a multibillion-dollar company.