You’re just strolling along, feeling fine and looking good in your new, $60 Madewell sandals when suddenly, you trip and fall. It’s not you — or at least, it might not just be your own personal clumsiness — the J. Crew-owned company says 50,600 pairs of sandals it sold in the U.S. and Canada have a metal shank that can dislodge from the inside of the shoe and break through the bottom of the outsole, posing a fall hazard. [More]
Transportation & Infrastructure
Senators Call For Recall Of All Vehicles With Takata Airbags
By 8.20.15
Because it could take some time for federal investigators to determine the cause of a ruptured Takata airbag in a Volkswagen — a carmaker that hadn’t been part of any earlier exploding, shrapnel-shooting airbag recalls — some lawmakers are calling for a recall of all vehicles equipped with airbags made by Takata. [More]
Uber Defends Robocalls, Claims They Were Legitimate Political Messages
By 8.20.15
A week after Uber was sued for allegedly spamming non-customers with text messages, the ridesharing service faces another complaint claiming intrusive telephonic behavior. This time, the plaintiff says Uber is violating federal and New York state laws with pre-recorded calls urging consumers to contact their local lawmakers. But Uber says the calls were political in nature, thus exempt from the robocall rules. [More]
Regulators Open Investigation Into American Airlines Flight’s Rough Landing Because Of Wind Shear
By 8.20.15
Federal regulators will investigate an incident in which an American Airlines flight collided with approach lights at the Charlotte Douglas Airport in North Carolina while attempting to land during a sudden change in wind patterns on Saturday. While dramatic shifts in wind are exceedingly rare when it comes to affecting an aircraft’s landing, it turns out the incident last week is the second in less than two months for the carrier. [More]
Uber Debits $1,537 From Passenger’s Checking Account For 6-Day Ride That Didn’t Happen
By 8.19.15
This story should teach two lessons to any Uber passenger: First, always check to make sure that your ride is concluded when you get out of the car. Second, don’t do anything that directly links your checking account to Uber. It’s a lesson learned the hard way for a Virginia woman whose account was hit for more than $1,500 because of a glitch with the ridesharing service. [More]
Why Don’t Huge Privacy Flaws Result In Recalled Smartphones?
By 8.18.15
When a car has a major flaw, like a potentially lethal airbag, it gets recalled. Same for a coffeemaker, or a surfboard, or a prescription drug. But when that major flaw is in a product’s software — like a huge exploit that puts literally a billion consumers’ privacy and personal data at risk — there’s no universal process out there for remedying the situation. Do we need one? And if so, how can we get one? [More]
IKEA Recalling 442,000 Nightlights Over Shock Risk
By 8.18.15
Ah, the nightlight: that beam of hope that cuts through the dark and soothed us when we were young and afraid. Or you know, old and also still not cool with complete blackness. In either case, you might want to check if your nightlight is one of the 442,000 IKEA is recalling after a child received a minor electrical shock when handling one. [More]
Exploding Airbag In Volkswagen Under Investigation
By 8.18.15
For the past year, federal regulators have been investigating shrapnel-shooting airbags, linked to at least eight deaths and hundreds of injuries. These devices, made by Takata, are used by 11 different automakers, but until this week, Volkswagen had not been part of the investigation. [More]
Uber Updates App To Show The Difference Between Hailing A Ride And Ordering Lunch
By 8.18.15
Following a bit of consumer confusion related to rolling its ride-hailing and food ordering options into the same app back in June, Uber has finally pushed out an update aiming to ensure people looking for a ride don’t order a sandwich instead. Along with now prominently displaying separate buttons for requesting a ride and ordering via UberEATS, the update includes an expansion of the food delivery service to San Francisco. [More]
Blue Bell Says Ice Cream Will Be Back In Some Stores On Aug. 31
By 8.17.15
The nightmare is over, Blue Bell fans: four months after a recall linked to a listeria outbreak saw the ice cream disappear from shelves, months filled with speculation over when the company would start churning out dessert again, Blue Bell will be returning to select stores starting Aug. 31. [More]
More Recalls Under A More Watchful Eye Is The “New Normal” For Auto Regulators
By 8.17.15
Back in January, newly appointed chief of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Mark Rosekind predicted that 2015 could see even more recalls than the recallapalooza that was 2014.While, the 32.4 million cars recalled in the first eight months of the year still pales in comparison to the more than 63 million called back last year, Rosekind wasn’t completely off on his forecast – namely that the agency would take a less forgiving approach to possible safety defects. [More]
Volkswagen Recalls 420,000 Vehicles Over Non-Deployment Of Airbags
By 8.14.15
Automakers have recalled more vehicles for airbag issues in the last year than many of us can keep track of. Today, Volkswagen joined the long list, calling back some 420,000 sedans equipped with airbags that may not deploy. [More]
Judge Dismisses Suit Accusing Uber Of Misrepresenting Services, Racketeering
By 8.14.15
Uber scored a victory in one of the many legal battles it’s party to on Thursday, when a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by 15 Connecticut taxi and limousine companies that aimed to stop the ride-sharing service from operating in the state. [More]
Britax Recalls 213,000 Car Seats Because They Might Not Secure The Child
By 8.14.15
Britax Child Safety Inc. initiated a recall this week of more than 213,000 car seats after finding buttons on the safety devices could fail, leaving a child essentially unsecured. [More]
Charleston Uber Driver Accused Of Kidnapping, Rape
By 8.12.15
A Charleston, S.C. Uber driver has been charged with kidnapping and forcible rape, after a female passenger accused him of demanding sexual favors as payment for her trip. She told police he then sexually assaulted her and kicked her out of the vehicle. [More]
Truckloads Of Blue Bell Ice Cream Heading To Stores
By 8.12.15
Stay strong, Americans in southern states: it might be almost the end of summer, but your frozen dessert salvation may be soon at hand. The Blue Bell ice cream plant in Sylacauga, Alabama, which was never officially linked to any cases of listeriosis, began producing test batches in July and gained approval to distribute their products last week. [More]
Takata Plans To Launch Airbag Recall Notification Campaign
By 8.12.15
Three months after Japanese auto parts maker Takata bowed to regulatory pressure and recalled 33.8 million vehicles equipped with shrapnel-shooting airbags responsible for at least eight deaths and hundreds of injuries, the company is launching an awareness campaign to ensure owners of affected vehicles are aware of the massive recall. [More]
NYC Car Service Companies Launching Their Own Smartphone Apps To Compete With Uber
By 8.11.15
In the pre-Uber days of New York City, if you needed a ride to show up at a certain time and location, you’d call a car service in your neighborhood (everyone had their favorites) and arrange for a livery driver to pick you up, instead of risking it and trying to find an available yellow cab. Some of those local car service companies are now turning to their own new technology, introducing smartphone apps to try to compete with the growing presence of Uber. [More]
