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Consumer News & Alerts

August 26, 2007

By Martin H. Bosworth
ConsumerAffairs.com

COMCAST'S INVISIBLE BANDWITH BARRIER
More and more Comcast customers are finding their Internet service severely restricted or cut off altogether for violating Comcast's limitations on bandwith usage. The problem? Comcast won't tell anyone what the limit is. Joseph Enoch talks to Comcast customers past and present about their battles with the invisible bandwith boundary.

More Technology and Internet News...

• Another Dell Laptop Bursts into Flames Lithium-ion battery causes latest in series of explosive detonations.

• Webcasters, Record Industry Reach Accord Yet another agreement temporarily averts a shutdown of Internet radio stations.

ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION AFFECTS ALL AGES
It's the problem no man wants to talk about, but it's also the problem that affects far more men than you think. Erectile dysfunction isn't always cured by a wonder drug like Viagra, homegrown remedies from the Far East, or jogging while carrying wood logs, and it happens to men of all ages. Our Tom Glaister bravely explored his difficulties in the bedroom and found that all it took was honesty, communication, and some basic health practices to get his groove on once again.

More Health News...

• Common Virus May Contribute to Obesity Findings could lead to vaccine or antiviral treatment.

• High Blood Pressure Often Undiagnosed in Children, Teens Problem is growing as obesity epidemic intensifies.

• Autism Fad Treatments On the Rise Watch out for scam "cures" that may harm more than they help.

• Yoga May Help Control Blood Pressure Results comparable to drug therapy in many cases.

• Study Suggests Gastric Bypass Surgery Saves Lives New discovery finds surgery helps formerly obese individuals live longer.

• Study Favors Behavior Modification to Lose Weight UK research contradicts gastric bypass study.

• Soft Drink Sweetener Linked to Diabetes in Kids Researchers zero in on high fructose corn syrup.

• FDA Proposes New Sunscreen Rules But critics say the new rules don't go far enough.

• Feds Pressed To Probe Alcohol 'Energy' Drinks Caffeine and alcohol don't mix, state attorneys general argue.

WAL-MART QUIETLY PULLS PET FOOD
The world's largest retailer has been quietly removing brands of Chinese-made pet food from its shelves after the death of at least one pet was traced to toxic bacteria. Although the death happened in July, the details of the investigation were made public just last week. As Lisa Wade McCormick reports, The Food And Drug Administration claims that there's no trace of melamine in the pulled food brands but the investigation is continuing.

In Other Pet News...

• Krasdale, Red Flannel Dog Food Recalled Salmonella contamination a threat to dogs and humans alike.

• Rawhide From India? Pet Owners Should Think Twice Email solicitations from overseas pet product manufacturers raise doubts.

• Missing Pug Returns as Baltimore Cracks Down on Dogfighting Happy ending for Thomas the Pug owner as Charm City officials form task force to investigate illegal dogfights.

CLASS ACTION AGAINST MATTEL
After millions of Chinese-manufactured toys were recalled by Mattel over the usage of harmful lead paint in their creation, a Philadelphia attorney is leading a class-action lawsuit against the company. Jeffery Killino wants the toymaker to pay for medical testing for children who may have played with the toys.

STILL MORE TOYS RECALLED DUE TO LEAD PAINT HAZARDS Mattel's not the only toymaker in the hot seat over lead paint. The makers of SpongeBob SquarePants address books and spinning tops branded with Thomas & Friends and Curious George are recalling their products due to lead paint hazards.

More Legal News...

• Appeals Court Shreds AT&T Arbitration Clause Finds cell phone contracts that deny consumers the right to sue "unconscionable".

• Class Action Against eBay Suit alleges deceptive auction practices.

CAPITAL ONE SHUTS DOWN LENDING UNIT
The mortgage market meltdown has claimed yet another casualty, as Capital One announced this week it was shuttering its GreenPoint wholesale mortgage unit, which it bought less than a year ago, and will cut 1,900 jobs across the board. GreenPoint specialized in "jumbo" loans for big McMansions, often using less-than-prime loans to get people into homes they may not have been able to afford.

More Real Estate News...

• Foreclosures Surge 93 Percent In One Year One foreclosure for every 693 households last month.

• New Jersey Man Cited For Exploiting Foreclosure Victims Scam allegedly targeted consumers who had just lost their homes.

RED HOT TEXAS CAR-B-QUE
In Austin, Texas, a Ford Explorer spontaneously caught fire and destroyed itself and a car in the adjacent parking spot. It's one of the latest incidents in a nationwide series of fires involving Ford cars and trucks. "This being Texas, we're all talking about the car-b-que," said the reader who reported the blaze to us.

In other automotive notes ...

• Saturn Astra Named Safest Repackaged Opel gets plaudits as the safest U.S. model under $25,000.

• Feds Explore Interlock to Prevent Drunken Driving But non-drinkers may object to the devices.

• Honda's Immaculate Airbag Deployment Unexpected airbag deployments win 2006 Honda Civic the "Lemon Of The Week" award.

• New Airbag Rule on the Way Feds set to require side airbags, newspaper reports.

• GM Develops New High-Efficiency Engine HCCI engine sips fuel like a diesel, but without the sooty exhaust.

• Gas Price Decline Continues California's prices down more than 70 cents in 15 weeks.

SCAMS & OUTRAGES

• Seniors Targeted by Bogus 'Census' Scammer targets credit card information using fake mailer.

• Job Seekers Compromised By Monster.com Hack Hackers may have accessed data on 1.6 million resumes.

• Data Breaches Endanger NY, CA Retirees Consultant's bungling, printer's errors put retirees at risk.

• Feds Tackle Weight-Loss Patch Promoter Transdermal Products agrees to pay penalty, shut down sales.

• College Dorm Fires a Growing Danger Number of fires has nearly doubled in recent years.

• New Zealand Investigates Chinese Pajamas For Hazards Some pajamas may have 900 times more formaldehyde than allowed.

Recalls ...

INNOVATIONS & ITERATIONS
We thought August would be a nice slow month when we could make some technical refinements. It's turned out to be anything but, but we went ahead and fiddled with the knobs and levers anyway. The latest is a new "print this page" suite of programs, located in the lower right hand corner of our site. It has many new features and, we're assured, won't reject your email address, as the previous program tended to do.

We're also experimenting with a new email newsletter program. Blackberry addicts and WebTV users both tell us they're having problems with the newsletter links, so further adjustments are in order and will be forthcoming.

Several other projects are in the works, if we can keep the chipmunks sufficiently stoked with acorns. Enjoy what's left of summer. Next week's newsletter will be published on Tuesday, taking note of Labor Day.

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