Because there is nothing more important for GM to improve with their vehicles, the car company has begun testing a functionality that would allow Facebook-addicted drivers to tell everyone “I can’t believe Prince Poppycock made it through to the finals on America’s Got Talent!!!” without having to take their hands off the steering wheel. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Black & Decker Recalls 192,000 Orbit Sanders Over Unintentional Flying Objects
By 9.9.10
Earlier today, Black & Decker and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of 192,000 Black & Decker Random Orbit Sanders after several reports that the plastic disc that holds the sandpaper to the sander can fly off and hurt the hell out of you or anyone around you. [More]
Hartz Dog Treats Recalled Over Salmonella
By 9.6.10
Don’t reward your dog a Hartz Naturals Real Beef Treat from a bag stamped with lot code BZ0969101E, says the FDA, unless you want a potentially confused dog. Hartz says salmonella has been found in at least one bag from that lot, so it’s recalling nearly 75,000 bags. So far no one has reported any sick pets, but if you have questions you can call Hartz at 1-800-275-1414. [More]
Geek Squad Gets Some Sweet New Wheels
By 9.3.10
Sick and tired of seeing Geek Squadders rolling in those tired old VW Beetles? Then you’re in luck. Ford says they just made a deal to deliver around 1,000 new vans for use by the Best Buy nerd herd. [More]
$230,000 Ferraris Recalled For Being So Hot They Could Burst Into Flames
By 9.2.10
The Ferrari 458 Italia is a hot car. Too hot. So hot that at least 5 of them have burst into flames because of a design flaw, leading the Italian luxury car maker to recall more than 1,200 Italias, each worth around $230,000. [More]
FDA Finally Inspects Tainted Egg Farms, Discovers They're Unsanitary
By 8.31.10
Conditions at the two salmonella egg farms in Iowa are so bad that you’d think they were Tylenol factories, according to recent FDA inspections. Wait, I mean the first and only inspections. [More]
8,500 Lbs. Of Ground Beef Recalled From BJ's Wholesale Clubs In 8 States
By 8.30.10
A few tons of ground beef from a meat processor in Pennsylvania have been recalled over fear of possible E. coli contamination. As of early Monday morning, the only retail outlets identified as possibly having received the ground beef were BJ’s Wholesale clubs in Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and Virginia. [More]
Toyota Recalls 1.13 Million Corolla and Matrix Vehicles
By 8.26.10
It almost seems like Toyota is gradually recalling every vehicle it manufactured over the last decade. The latest — 1.13 million 2005-2008 Toyota Corolla and Corolla Matrix vehicles have been recalled to “address some Engine Control Modules (ECM) that may have been improperly manufactured.” [More]
Garmin Recalls 1.3 Million GPS Devices For Fire Hazard
By 8.26.10
So you’re driving down the highway, looking for the exit that will lead to the secluded cabin where you and your long-lost twin have arranged to meet for the first time. The turn-by-turn directions intoned by your Garmin Nuvi are a welcome threshold to cling to as anxiety churns through your stomach. Then, there it is, the offramp, its emerald sign throbbing gently as your headlights trace over it. Relief washes through your veins, just as your GPS unit explodes into a ball of flames, instantly turning you and everything inside your car to ash!
Nothing like that has been reported in the 1.2 million Garmin Nuvi devices recalled for battery overheating that increases the risk of fire hazard affecting model numbers 200W, 250W, 260W, 7xx and 7xxt where xx is a two digit number, but man, if it did, what a story that would be.
190 Tons Of Walmart Deli Meat Recalled Over Potential Listeria Contamination
By 8.24.10
A New York company called Zemco Industries has recalled 380,000 pounds of deli meat that it distributed to Walmart under the Marketside label, because it might be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Although nobody has reported any illness and healthy people aren’t usually in danger, listeriosis can kill old people, infants, and others with weak immune systems. [More]
What A Salmonella Outbreak Looks Like To The CDC
By 8.21.10
The CDC has released a graph that compares the recent salmonella outbreak associated with eggs to the number of cases of the disease that would be expected without an unusual amount of tainted food on the market. [More]
Read Egg Carton Codes
By 8.20.10
For those who are visual learners, this graphic breaks down how to read an egg carton’s codes. Useful for telling if your eggs were part of the 228 million recalled for salmonella, for instance. [More]
$400 Strollers Recalled Because They Might Unexpectedly Collapse
By 8.19.10
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced a recall of Zooper Tango Double Strollers, manufactured by Lan Enterprises LLC, over concerns that a latch on the stroller’s frame could fail and cause the stroller to collapse. [More]
13 Brands Of Eggs Recalled For Possible Salmonella Contamination
By 8.18.10
Hey, before you crack that egg into your morning hair-of-the-dog, you might want to take a look at the brand on the carton. An egg producer in Iowa has issued a massive recall that affects 13 brands of chicken eggs sold nationwide for fear they might be tainted with salmonella. [More]
Should Seat Belts Be Required On The Bus?
By 8.17.10
Riding the bus is a relatively safe way to get from point A to B, but a new proposal under consideration by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration would seek to make it even safer by requiring new motorcoaches — as opposed to municipal or school buses — to provide seat belts for all passengers on board. [More]
Should Kids Under 2 Be Required To Have Their Own Seats On A Plane?
By 8.12.10
Children under 2 years of age are currently allowed to travel in planes on the lap of an adult. However, it’s a practice the National Transportation Safety Board hopes the FAA will put an end to. [More]
GM Makes Profit, Loses CEO
By 8.12.10
Earlier today, General Motors announced the good news that it turned a profit of $1.3 billion last quarter — oh, and CEO Ed Whitacre will be leaving at the end of the month. [More]
Ford Sends $50 Gift Card To Make Up For Delayed Fiesta
By 8.12.10
Leslie has been waiting for her Ford Fiesta for quite a while now. She’s been patient and not too sad, but was still delighted when the automaker sent her a letter apologizing for the delay, including a $50 Mastercard gift card. “Fifty dollars is no lottery win,” she writes, “but hey, it beats a poke in the eye with a sharp stick any day.” Very wise, Leslie. [More]
