If you’ve got one of those infant motion seats intended to soothe a baby with gentle swaying or bouncing, you probably want to pay attention: Fisher-Price is recalling 63,000 Soothing Motion Seats over a potential fire hazard. [More]
Despite New Safety Rules, Family Says Two Of Its Hoverboards Caught On Fire
By 10.24.17
While the craze surrounding hoverboards may have died down, that doesn’t mean the self-balancing scooters are any safer. To that end, a Wisconsin family says they recently experienced not one, but two hoverboards that caught on fire. [More]
25 States Urge Betsy DeVos To Not Let Student Loan Companies Sidestep The Law
By 10.24.17
Since Betsy DeVos took over as Secretary, the Department of Education has been — to put it mildly — generous to the student loan industry. Through DeVos, the Trump administration has stopped cooperating with federal financial regulators to rein in unscrupulous loan servicers, and announced its plan to put all federal student loan accounts into the hands of a single company. But several states are letting it be known that they will not go easy on student lenders and servicers, even if they ask nicely. [More]
McDonald’s Gets A Boost From Cheap Drinks, McPick Menu
By 10.24.17
All of those $1 drinks from McDonald’s continue to add up, boosting the fast food giant’s bottomline for a second quarter in a row. [More]
Facebook Tests Limiting News Feed Access To Just Advertisers
By 10.24.17
While lots of people still get their news by regularly reading certain sites, doing searches to find stories of interest, or through any of the countless aggregating platforms, Facebook has increasingly become many content producers’ most important source of traffic. And while some sites pay to have their stories inserted into Facebook users’ news feeds, others are reaping the benefit of social sharing without paying Facebook a dime. In a move ostensibly intended to declutter users’ feeds, but seen by some as a way to strong-arm content companies into advertising, Facebook is now looking to possibly limit primary news feed access only to those sites that pay to be there. [More]
Amazon Wine Marketplace Closing Dec. 31
By 10.24.17
If you buy wine through the Amazon Wine marketplace, you might want to stock up: The e-commerce giant will close its online wine store Dec. 31. [More]
Sears Stops Selling Whirlpool Appliances, Ending 100-Year Relationship
By 10.24.17
Sears, once the place to purchase home appliances, will soon have a smaller inventory to offer the few customers it has left: After a nearly century-long relationship, Sears and Whirlpool have cut ties. [More]
Scientists Genetically Modify Pigs For Leaner, Crispier Meats
By 10.23.17
Soon, instead of leaving your bacon in the frying pan — on the verge of burning — in order to get that crispy, crunchy meat, you could just buy crispier bacon from the get-go. Scientists say they have developed genetically modified pigs meant to reduce costs for farmers, while providing consumers with leaner meat. [More]
Betsy DeVos Delays Student Loan ‘Borrower Defense’ Rule Until At Least 2019
By 10.23.17
Despite the pleas — and legal actions — of lawmakers, consumer advocates, and students, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos quietly announced Friday that the Department of Education will further delay, by nearly two years, rules intended to prevent students at unscrupulous schools from being left with nothing but debt if their college collapses. [More]
Someone Donated An Urn Filled With Ashes To A Salvation Army
By 10.23.17
Bargain-hunters and rarity collectors love going to Salvation Army shops because there’s a decent chance that someone has unwittingly donated a valuable dress, pair of boots, books, toys, or record collection. What they don’t expect to find are the cremated remains of another human being. [More]
Google Looking Into Pixel 2 XL Screen Issues
By 10.23.17
Google’s new Pixel 2 phones are the tech company’s latest and greatest attempt to crack the smartphone market largely dominated by Samsung and Apple. However, Google is now having to investigate and explain to some Pixel 2 XL owners why their screens are apparently malfunctioning. [More]
Target’s Holiday Plan: Fewer Sales, More Focus On Everyday Low Prices
By 10.23.17
From “doorbusters” to “advance deals” to hourly specials all through Black Friday weekend (not to mention Cyber Monday), the holiday shopping season is a continuous barrage of retail promotions varying in quality and value. In an attempt to rein things in, Target says it plans to offer fewer sales this holiday and hope that customers will be won over by everyday lower prices. [More]
Fiery Dishwasher Recall Expanded To Cover 557,000 Total Machines
By 10.23.17
More than two years after 149,000 dishwashers from multiple major brands — including Bosch and Kenmore — were recalled following reports that power cords could overheat and burst into flames, the safety campaign has been expanded to cover another 408,000 dishwashers. [More]
T-Mobile & Sprint May Have To Delay Their Halloween Wedding Until Closer To Thanksgiving
By 10.20.17
If you were eagerly planning to fete the rumored Halloween elopement of T-Mobile and Sprint, you might want to hold on to your candy corn. The corporate nuptials may now be delayed a few weeks, with the telecom lovebirds announcing their “I do”s closer to Thanksgiving. [More]
Some Cities Vying For New Amazon HQ Haven’t Learned From Past Mistakes
By 10.20.17
It’s like the Olympics for corporations: Cities all over the country have put themselves into the running to be the home to Amazon’s planned second headquarters, and many of them are offering huge tax breaks and other incentives. But just like the Olympics, cities may regret making such a deal, and several places vying for Amazon’s attention have apparently not learned important lessons from themselves and others that were overly eager to court a new corporate HQ. [More]
5 Ways To Make Sure You Have A Safe Halloween
By 10.20.17
It’s nearly Halloween, which means costumes, candy, parties, pumpkins, and — again — candy. But just because you’re all jacked up on a sugar high — or by the mere thought of your eventual sugar high — doesn’t mean you and your family can’t be safe this Halloween. [More]
Taco Bell Testing Quesadillas Filled With Kit Kats, Twix Bars
By 10.20.17
Taco Bell is basically a deep-fried stick of butter away from being a food booth at your local state fair. The latest result of the Bell’s plan to wrap any recognizable junk food inside a tortilla has resulted in two dessert quesadillas stuffed with either Twix bar pieces or Kit Kats. [More]
Could A Laptop Ban Be Coming For Checked Luggage?
By 10.20.17
Given the possibility of theft, damage, and loss, packing your laptop in a checked bag is not a good idea to begin with. Even so, travelers continue to stow their computers and other large electronics in their checked luggage. But that could come to an end, now that the Federal Aviation Administration has urged airlines around the world to stop this practice, citing the fire and explosion risk posed by the batteries in these devices. [More]
