Saturday, September 30, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.How Young is Too Young for a Cellphone?
There is a debate as to at what age it is appropriate for a child to have a cellphone. Some say age 10 is too young. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.NYC May Ban Trans Fats in Restaurants Meals
New York City is considering a proposal to ban almost all trans fats from being served in city restaurants. These fats tend to raise one's bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.FTC Stops Firm From Emailing Questionable Checks
Wouldn't it be great if you could email money to someone from your checking account. A particular site that does that has been ordered by a court to take more precautions because it was not verifying who owned the checking accounts that it was drawing money from. So if a crook knew Uncle Sam's account number, he theoretically could email himself a nice fat check. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Homebuilder Sues Complaining Consumer for Libel
An unhappy home buyer complained online about leak problems in his newly built home. Now the company that built the home is suing him for libel. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Free Computer Security Software Has Drawbacks
You can get most things you need to protect your computer from viruses and spyware free online. The question is, should you? Some say that you are giving up valuable features by getting this software free. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Caller ID "Unavailable" is No Accident
When you see the words "out of area" or "unavailable" come up on your caller ID display, you don't know who is calling, and you presume the phone company is in the dark as well. It is not quite that way, for in most cases, the lack of caller ID information is a matter of the phone company not wanting to pay a database service to supply the name of the person originating the call. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Wal-mart to Offer $4 Generic Drugs
Beware of falling prices ... on prescription drugs. Wal-mart is testing the concept of offering nearly 300 generic versions of drugs for only $4 per prescription in Florida. If it works, they will roll it out nationwide. Target is matching the offer. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Is Your Home Contractor an Ex-Con?
Think about it. You give them free roam of your house, maybe even give them a key. But do you know if your home improvement contractor has a criminal past? CBS (NYC) found some are ex-cons who haven't changed their tune an awful lot. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.$2 Gas on the Horizon
Who would ever think we would rejoice at the sight of a gasoline price sign saying two dollars? After experiencing three dollars plus a gallon, two dollars seems like a bargain, and experts say we may hit that number soon. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.FDA Nows Says Don't Eat ANY Fresh Spinach
The Food and Drug Administration has now widened its caution on eating bagged spinach to include all fresh spinach. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Get Nutrition Info by Scanning McDonald's Wrappers
In Japan, McDonald's is wrapping their fast food in paper wrappers with barcodes that can be scanned by a cellphone. In turn, that will trigger display of the nutrition information for that particular item on the cellphone's screen. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Don't Eat that Bagged Spinach
The FDA is warning everyone to throw out any bagged spinach you may have at home because of an E. coli outbreak. What is unusual, and frankly suspicious, is that no particular brand is being singled out. Now if every brand of spinach came from the same place, then it makes sense. But if some comes from one company and region and some from another, how in the world could all of them be contaminated? For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Beware Scam Email Seemingly from the FDIC
A new scam is hitting inboxes. Don't fall for an email that looks like it is from the FDIC. It is a fake, trying to get your account information. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Device Scans Coupons at Home for Store Use
The days of paper coupons may be numbered. A new device in the planning stage will let you scan paper coupons at home and then you plug it in at the grocery store for downloading. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Class Action Filed Against Giftcard Promo Scheme
Do you ever sees those pop-ups after you place an online order promising a $10 giftcard? A new lawsuit claims the offer is bogus, and winds up costing consumers money, charged to their credit cards without permission. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.New US Passport Rules Just Months Away
Starting January 8, if you visit Canada or the caribbean and want to return to the US, you are going to need a passport. Lesser forms of ID were needed previously. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Pretexting Scams are Growing More Common
Pretexting scams, where someone calls up a bank or cell company trying to get personal information fraudulently, are growing. Cell companies tend to be the big targets for obtaining call records under false pretenses. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Texas Tops List for Trustworthy Doctors
Based on a survey of over 40,000 patients who visited their doctor twice in the past year, those who live in Houston and Dallas rated their doctors highest. Doctors in other large cities are also ranked. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.New Law Weakens Junk Fax Restrictions
It seems like the FCC has nothing better to do than add junk fees to our phone bills, and now, allow more junk faxes to tie up our fax machines. The new law, which went into effect in August no longer requires explicit written permission before a junk faxer can waste your ink and paper. Thanks, FCC. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
New Hi-Tech Gadgets Aim to Catch Shoplifters
Retailers are testing and deploying new high-tech systems to catch shoplifters. Smart cameras zero-in on suspicious movements. Shopping carts stop dead in their tracks. RFID tags alert security to the removoal of large quantities of items. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Monday, September 04, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Beware Police Charity Ripoff
Isn't it annoying to keep getting those phone calls soliciting contributions for the police or firefighters in your area? Here's a warning indicating that over 90% of the money collected by some of these professional fundraisers goes into their own pockets, rather than to the cause they are pitching. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Disney Parks to Scan Fingerprints
To help thwart ticket fraud, Disney theme parks are soon to fully implement a fingerprint recognition system. Privacy advocates are waving one finger. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Note: Some news links may expire one week after posting.Office Depot Offers $99 HP Computer
Office Depot has sunk (computer prices) to a new low. Starting September 3, they are offering an HP computer with minimal specs, but with a monitor and printer, for only $99 after four rebates. The catch (besides the crappy specs)? You have to pay $99 for shipping. For more consumer news, visit Consumer World.
