Current Events in September 2012

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is mailing more than 93,000 refund checks totaling nearly $2.3 million to consumers who allegedly were charged hidden fees tied to a bogus work-at-home product. 

In July 2009, the FTC took action against the online marketers behind “Google Money Tree,” which also operated under names including “Google Pro” and “Google Treasure Chest,” alleging that they had charged hidden fees to consumers’ credit card and bank accounts. 

Consumers scammed 

By deceptively using the name and logo of the Internet search company Google Inc. and falsely promising that consumers could earn $100,000 in six months, the FTC charged, defendants lured consumers into divulging their financial account information to pay a modest shipping fee for a work-at-home kit. 

Many consumers were unaware, however, that the fee for the kit would trigger recurring monthly charges of $72.21, because the defendants did not adequately disclose the charges, according to the FTC’s lawsuit. Moreover, the defendants were not affiliated with Google Inc., and their work-at-home product did not provide a method for earning the income promised, the FTC alleged. 

'Negative option' ban 

Under a settlement agreement with the FTC, the defendants are banned from selling products through “negative option” transactions, in which the seller interprets consumers’ silence or inaction as permission to charge them, and are also prohibited from making misleading or unsupported claims while marketing or selling any product or service. 

The settlement also required the defendants to surrender cash and other assets, and these are now being used by the FTC to refund consumers who bought the “Google Money Tree,” “Google Pro,” or “Google Treasure Chest” products. 

The checks will be mailed by an administrator working for the FTC. Consumers who made purchases from “Google Money Tree,” “Google Pro,” or “Google Treasure Chest” will receive approximately $24.50. Consumers who have questions, or who have not yet filed a complaint with the FTC and wish to do so, should call the Redress Administrator, Gilardi & Co. LLC, toll free, at 1-877-226-2847. 

Checks went into the mail today and must be cashed on or before November 12, 2012.  

Microsoft, which is unveiling more new products than ever this year, doesn't want to miss out on the holidays. It's expanding its brick-and-mortar retail footprint with the addition of more than 30 new locations for the holiday season. That will add to its current roster of 23 retail stores across the U.S.

Microsoft is hoping that there'll be a lot of demand for the many new Windows 8-enabled devices it's introducing this fall. The theory behind the stores is that Microsoft can train its own employees to do a better job of explaining its products than third-party vendors.  Apple pioneered the idea years ago, emphasizing its on-site service by trained "geniuses" who can help consumers solve problems.

Microsoft said it will launch its holiday stores nationwide, with locations planned from New York City, San Francisco, Canada, and more.

Qualitest, a subsidiary of Endo Health Solutions has issued a nationwide retail level recall for one lot of Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets, USP 10 mg/500 mg. 

The recall includes the following product lot: 

• Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets, USP 10 mg/500 mg, NDC 0603-3888-21, 100 count, Lot Number C1440512A, expiry date 12/13. 

It is possible that some tablets from lot C1440512A exceed the weight specification and could be super-potent for the ingredients Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen. 

Bottles from the affected lot may contain tablets that have a higher dosage of acetaminophen, and as a result, it is possible that consumers could take more than the intended acetaminophen dose. Unintentional administration of tablets with increased acetaminophen content could result in liver toxicity, especially in patients on other acetaminophen containing medications, patients with liver dysfunction, or people who consume more than 3 alcoholic beverages a day. 

The product label warns consumers that acetaminophen overdose can potentially cause severe liver damage, at times resulting in liver transplant or death. Taking a higher dose of hydrocodone than intended could result in an increase in the severity or frequency of side effects, such as sedation or respiratory depression, particularly in patients who are elderly, have severe kidney or liver impairment, or are also taking interacting medications, for example other sedating medications or certain antidepressants. 

No injuries have been reported to date. 

Hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen 10 mg/500 mg tablets are indicated for the relief of moderate to moderately severe pain. The affected lot, C1440512A, was distributed between May 14 and Aug. 3, 2012 to wholesale distributors and retail pharmacies nationwide. The lot number can be found on the side of the manufacturer’s bottle. Hydrocodone Bitartrate and Acetaminophen Tablets are approximately 16.51 mm in length, pink, capsule-shaped tablets, with "3600" debossed on one side of the tablet and "V" on the other. 

Consumers who have lot C1440512A should contact Qualitest at 1-800-444-4011. Consumers who are unsure if they have the affected lot number should consult their pharmacy or health care professional. 

For more information, contact Qualitest at 1-800-444-4011; Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST. Reports of adverse reactions or quality problems can also be reported to Qualitest at 1-800-444-4011; Monday through Friday between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST. 

Adverse reactions or quality problems experienced with the use of this product may be reported to FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either on line, by regular mail, or by fax.

A Florida law firm suing Stryker Orthopaedics over its Rejuvenate and ABG II hip implant systems says it has added seven more plaintiffs in the case. The plaintiffs are from Florida, Minnesota and Arizona.

"We have reached a decisive stage in this litigation as legitimate claims are now proliferating nationwide," said Cal Warriner, a shareholder at firm Searcy Denney, representing the eight total plaintiffs. "The Rejuvenate System has only been on the market since 2009, yet, just a few years later, an overwhelming number of patients have suffered heavy metal toxicity."

On July 6 Stryker announced the voluntary recall of its Rejuvenate and ABG II modular-neck stems.

“While modular-neck stems provide surgeons with an option to correct certain aspects of a patient’s anatomy and hip biomechanics, given the potential risks associated with fretting and corrosion at the modular neck junction, Stryker Orthopaedics decided to take this voluntary action,” said Stuart Simpson, Vice President and General Manager, Hip Reconstruction at the company, at the time of the recall.

Not an improvement, suit claims

The suit claims the hip implants were marketed as improvements over other when they were not.

“In fact these systems have caused significantly more severe injuries than comparable systems on the market," Warriner said.

Warriner said the July recall amounts to “a clear admission that the product is defective and dangerous.” Stryker says it ordered the recall as a result of “post market surveillance data” that suggested a troubling trend.

In July Stryker said it had notified healthcare professionals and regulatory bodies of this voluntary recall. Patients who received a Rejuvenate Modular or ABG II modular-neck stem were encouraged to contact their surgeon.

Stryker's Rejuvenate System, which features a chrome cobalt neck and titanium stem, is designed for patients in need of primary total hip arthroplasty or replacement, often due to painful joint diseases caused by non-inflammatory degenerative arthritis.

Common procedure

Hip replacement is becoming a much more common procedure in the U.S., especially as the baby boomers age. Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the entire or portion of the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. It's generally performed to either relieve the pain of arthritis or as the result of a hip fracture.

“People with hip joint damage that causes pain and interferes with daily activities despite treatment may be candidates for hip replacement surgery,” the National Institutes of Health says on its Website.

Currently hip replacement is the most common orthopaedic operation in the U.S.

Forever Cheese is recalling all Ricotta Salata Frescolina brand, Forever Cheese lot # T9425 and/or production code 441202, from one specific production date due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination. 

The cheese was sold to distributors for retailers and restaurants in CA, CO, D.C., FL, GA, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, VA, WA between June 20 and August 9, 2012. Products were sold to supermarkets, restaurants and wholesale distributors. 

The cheese in question is Ricotta Salata brand Frescolina from one production date coded 441202 on the original wheel. There have been 14 reported illnesses in 11 states that may be related to this. 

The potential for contamination was noted after illness was reported in connection with eating cheese. Each and every distributor and retailer are being contacted in an effort to recall any and all remaining product in the marketplace. 

If you believe you have purchased any of this cheese, contact your distributor or retailer for a full refund. Consumers with questions should call Jeff DiMeo of Forever Cheese at (888)930-8693from 9 am – 5pm EST and mention recall.  

If you were trying to access a favorite Website Monday and found you couldn't, you can blame an anonymous hacker. Maybe.

A hacker using the Twitter handle Anonymous Own3r claimed responsibility for taking down the hundreds of thousands of Websites and domains hosted by GoDaddy.com. The sites were unavailable for about four hours, company officials said.

GoDaddy has posted this notice at the top of its main page:

“At 10:25 am PT, GoDaddy.com and associated customer services experienced intermittent outages. Services began to be restored for the bulk of affected customers at 2:43 pm PT. At no time was any sensitive customer information, such as credit card data, passwords or names and addresses, compromised. We will provide an additional update within the next 24 hours. We want to thank our customers for their patience and support.”

Not sure what happened

The technology Website CNET quotes a GoDaddy spokeswoman as saying she could not confirm that a particular hacker was responsible for the outage. She said company officials were working to determine the exact nature of the problem and what caused it.

During the time the system was down, Web users were unable to access sites hosted by the service, most of which are operated by small businesses. Neither could customers access email that is hosted on GoDaddy servers.

GoDaddy is one of the largest hosters of Websites and is the largest domain registrar. Technology experts say Monday's outage likely affected millions of Websites.

The company is known, in part, for its advertising scantily-clad women. It usually airs a commercial during the Super Bowl.

As for Anonymous Own3r? The owner of that handle tweeted that he or she took down GoDaddy because, basically, they wanted to demonstrate how easy it was.

If you live in the city, you probably already know this. 

A new study of noise pollution in Fulton County, Georgia, suggests that many residents are exposed to high noise levels that put them at risk of annoyance or sleep disturbance. And that can have serious health consequences. The research is published in the October issue of American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 

"Our research estimated that the percentage of the overall populations at risk of high annoyance is 9.5%, and highly disturbed sleep at 2.3%," says co-investigator James B. Holt, PhD, of the Epidemiology and Surveillance Branch, Division of Population Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Long-term exposure to noise could increase the risks of heart attack and high blood pressure. Nighttime noise can reduce sleep quality and increase morning tiredness and insomnia." 

Heavy traffic 

Fulton County is a highly urbanized area incorporating the city of Atlanta and surrounding communities. Interstate Highway 285 runs around the heart of the county, and the area inside 285 has a complex high-density road network. Investigators collected a number of data sets to estimate road traffic noise exposure levels, including topographical information, vehicle volume and speed, and the mix of vehicle types. 

The US Federal Highway Administration's Traffic Noise Model was used to produce road traffic noise maps for daytime and nighttime. They calculated metrics to indicate the probability that certain percentages of the population, exposed to certain levels of road traffic noise, would be highly annoyed or have high levels of sleep disturbance, at a given point. 

High-impact areas 

Three cities -- Atlanta, Sandy Springs and Alpharetta -- contributed to 79% of the estimated total number of people who were highly annoyed by noise in Fulton County. Atlanta, Sandy Springs, and Roswell contributed to 78% of sleep disturbance. These cities also have the highest populations in the county. In terms of prevalence, the smaller city of College Park was the city most negatively affected, with 11.3% of its daytime population and 3.7% of its nighttime population estimated to be at risk for experiencing annoyance or sleep disturbance. Most of the people affected appeared inside the I-285 corridor and contributed 68% and 64%, respectively, to the populations estimated to be at risk of experiencing high levels of annoyance and sleep disturbance. 

In a US Census Bureau survey, the city of Atlanta had the lowest percentage of households among 38 metropolitan areas reporting the presence of road traffic noise. "It may be assumed that even more people would be affected in other densely populated areas of the US," notes Dr. Holt. 

Dr. Holt suggests that more studies are needed to gain insights into the severity of road traffic noise in US urban communities. "We believe it is time to begin extensive traffic-related noise research and establish up-to-date policies to control and abate noise problems for our communities," he says. "Adequate restful sleep and mental well-being are as essential to good health as adequate nutrition and physical activity. Assessing and alleviating environmental noise is an essential element for improving or creating healthy communities where adults and children can play, work, and live."

Just because an auto manufacturer turns out lots of high-mileage cars, it doesn't mean consumers buy them. Like the sticker on a new car that shows the vehicle's miles per gallon (MPG) rating, “actual mileage may vary.”

The good news, however, is that U.S. drivers appear to be opting for vehicles that get better mileage. Light vehicle auto sales from August show MPG increased to 23.3 from 21.7 MPG in August 2011, according to TrueCar.com.

Mileage was also up from 23.1 MPG in July. In August 2008, average MPG was 20.3.

"Relatively higher gas prices and attractive incentives helped improve the market share of small cars and small SUVs, resulting in an improved overall TrueMPG for the industry," said Jesse Toprak, Vice President of Market Intelligence at TrueCar.com.

Hyundai leads the pack

Hyundai was the most improved brand in August when it comes to raising MPG from year-over-year levels. Ford also posting significant gains especially due to higher EcoBoost engine.

Sales of foreign brands contributed to the improvement. European manufacturers increased their average fuel economy for vehicles sold in the U.S. from 21.3 MPG to 23.6 MPG. Japanese manufacturers recorded an increase from 23.3 MPG to 24.6 MPG and South Korean automakers increased their average fuel economy from 26.2 MPG to 28.1 MPG.

Automakers are required to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency. It's based on the average fuel economy of all the vehicles the company sells.

TrueCar says it bases its ratings based on estimated and/or actual monthly automotive sales-weighted data.

The government's CAFE standard for light vehicles was recently set for 54.5 MPG in 2025, roughly double what it is now.

You probably know what a prenup is. A rich actor, getting married for the third time, asks his bride-to-be to sign a document that limits her settlement in the event of a divorce.

But now “postnuptials” are coming into vogue. In fact, more than half of divorce attorneys in a poll of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyer (AAML) members, say they have seen an increase in postnups during the last three years.

A postnuptial agreement is a written contract executed after a marriage or civil union, to settle the couple's affairs and assets in the event of a separation or divorce. The primary difference between it and a prenup is it takes place after the marriage. It can cover a wide variety of issues, including possible conflicts over finances, property, assets, children, support and probate matters.

And interestingly enough, the lawyers say it's the wives who want the agreement. Thirty-six percent of the lawyers in the survey said they had noted an increase in women initiating the request for a postnup.

"Postnuptial agreements are becoming a valuable tool to avoid trouble spots from escalating into serious conflicts that can jeopardize a marriage," said Ken Altshuler, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. "It is interesting to note the increase in wives requesting postnups, because often one of the most common motivators for these agreements is a dramatic change in the financial status of one or both partners during the marriage."

Overall, 51 percent of AAML members have cited an increase in the number of postnuptial agreements during the past three years, while 46 percent said they found no change.

Postnuptial agreements only came into wide use in the U.S. within the last 30 years or so. Their use began to rise in the early 1970s, along with the divorce rate.

Though there is enough power in the earth's winds to be a primary source of near-zero emission electric power for the world, large-scale high altitude wind power generation is unlikely to substantially affect climate. 

That's the conclusion of a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory climate scientist and collaborators who studied the geophysical limits to global wind power in a paper appearing in the Sept. 9 edition of the journal, Nature Climate Change. 

"The future of wind energy is likely to be determined by economic, political and technical constraints rather than geophysical limits," said Kate Marvel, lead author of the paper and a scientist in the Laboratory's Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison. 

Plenty – but not enough 

Airborne turbines that convert steadier and faster high-altitude winds into energy could generate even more power than ground- and ocean-based units. The study examined the limits of the amount of power that could be harvested from winds, as well as the effects high-altitude wind power could have on the climate as a whole. 

Turbines create drag, or resistance, which removes momentum from the winds and tends to slow them. As the number of wind turbines increases, the amount of energy that is generated increases. But at some point, the winds would be slowed so much that adding more turbines will not generate more electricity. This study focused on finding the point at which energy generation is highest. 

Using a climate model, Marvel, along with Ben Kravitz and Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution Department of Global Ecology, estimated the amount of power than can be produced from both near-surface and high-altitude winds. 

The group found that wind turbines placed on the earth's surface could extract kinetic energy at a rate of at least 400 terawatts, while high-altitude wind power could extract more than 1800 terawatts. Current total global power demand is about 18 terawatts. 

At maximum levels of power generation, there would be substantial climate effects from wind harvesting. But the study found that the climate effects of extracting wind energy at the level of current global demand would be small, as long as the turbines were spread out and not clustered in just a few regions. 

At the level of global energy demand, wind turbines might affect surface temperatures by about 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit and affect precipitation by about 1 percent. Overall, the environmental impacts would not be substantial.  

Since shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, officers of a newly created security agency, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), have been conducting screenings at U.S. airports.

It has changed the nature of air travel, with passengers taking off their shoes and in some cases submitting to full body scans before boarding an airplane. Not surprisingly, travelers are not all that fond of the process. A new survey suggests they aren't all that fond of TSA either.

The survey of frequent flyers, conducted by Frequent Business Travelers magazine, found that 90 percent of frequent flyers think the TSA is doing either a poor or fair job in performing security screenings at the nation's airports.

The respondents weren't asked about the hassle, only what they perceived the overall effectiveness of the screening process to be. It found 76.1 percent said the TSA screening procedures are either not effective or not too effective at preventing acts of terrorism on an aircraft; 19.1 percent said they were somewhat effective; 4.1 said very effective; and 0.6 said extremely effective.

The survey included responses from 1,852 people from August 10 through August 31, 2012. It was conducted in partnership with FlyerTalk, an online travel community.

Room for improvement

"The survey clearly indicates that substantial improvements are needed at America's airport security checkpoints," said Jonathan Spira, editorial director, Frequent Business Traveler. "Frequent Flyers are under the impression that the current screening process is largely security theatre."

A majority of those questioned -- 56.9 percent -- said they were not satisfied with their last security experience. Only 18.5 percent said they were either satisfied, very satisfied, or extremely satisfied.

But there is one segment of frequent flyers that appears to be more satisfied. Roughly a quarter of the respondents said they have used PreCheck, the TSA trusted traveler security lanes. Of those, 72.9 percent said they were either satisfied, very satisfied or extremely satisfied with the experience.

PreCheck is a program that allows frequent flyers to be pre-screened once. From then on, they go through an expedited boarding process.

The next time you’re at a concert and you whip out your iPhone to record  the excitement, you may notice it doesn’t work. During the show you keep trying to turn it on but for some reason it just won't light-up.

But miraculously when you go outside when the concert is over, your phone all of a sudden works again. This can happen to you at the next concert you attend or maybe inside the next movie theater you go to.

Apple has received a patent that would allow the company to turn off its mobile devices in areas that are deemed inappropriate for recording or taking pictures. The new technology would also have the ability to shut down communication functions in devices, so people couldn’t text or make phone calls if they’re in areas that are considered sensitive.

Here’s what's written on the patent:

“This policy enforcement capability is useful for a variety of reasons, including for example to disable noise and/or light emanating from wireless devices (such as at a movie theater), for preventing devices from communicating with other wireless devices (such as in academic settings), and for forcing certain electronic devices to enter ‘sleep mode’ when entering a sensitive area.”

Many believe this new patent could be a good thing, as it can remove the power from movie bootleggers or cut off communication from a group of up-to-no-gooders in an airport let’s say, but it could also harm the public’s ability to document wrongdoing.

Citizen journalists

Remember the kids who were pepper-sprayed at the University of California Davis during the Occupy Wall Street rallies? The students were sitting peacefully but were sprayed at close range, while hundreds of smartphones filmed the incident, which was eventually broadcast around the world.

Well, this type of amateur-video journalism could be halted, as certain entities could have the power to abruptly shut off your phone during protest marches, rallies or political gatherings. Those same entities could also just block off satellite signals so you couldn’t get smartphone access in certain places.

The federal government along with Apple could arbitrarily decide what areas or public functions would be considered sensitive or restricted. Some believe the amount of subjectivity that goes into making such a decision is as big as the sea, which is the reason they're concerned about this new technology.

Although the patent was granted, Apple would still need the okay from the  government to implement the technology, but the company is well on its way to using it in the near future.

Some have already expressed concern over not being able to monitor police action, especially during public protests.

Blackout conditions

"Covert police government operations may require complete ‘blackout’ conditions," said the patent. "The wireless transmission of sensitive information to a remote source is one of the examples of a threat to security. This sensitive information could be anything from classified government information to questions or answers to an examination administered in an academic setting.”

Apple also noted having the ability to shut off smartphones is ideal for professional and some social settings, where devices could easily bother many people at once.

“As wireless devices such as cellular telephones, pagers, personal media devices and smartphones become ubiquitous, more and more people are carrying these devices in various social and professional settings,” it says in the patent. “The result is that these wireless devices can often annoy, frustrate, and even threaten people in sensitive venues.”

Apple also says smartphones should be disabled within photography darkrooms and biological labs, where light can destroy what’s being worked on.

Apple also says the new technology can help drivers as they attempt to use their devices on the road. The company says the smartphone’s communication function could be temporarily deactivated when entering your car or when you're driving in certain areas. Devices would be manipulated by GPS signals and satellites.

Now just which entities will have the authority to deem areas sensitive remains to be seen. Whether it’s only Apple, areas of the U.S. government, or local police departments, setting up the technology nationwide is challenging, but extremely doable.

The fact that Apple has already been granted a patent by the governent, shows that having your smartphone manipulated by someone other than yourself could be happening sooner than you think.

Although I was born in the 70s, my memories of the decade are extremely foggy. However, by the time I reached six or seven years of age, I was able to document a few mental pictures from that time period, and luckily I still remember some of them today.

For example I recall my parents doing a lot of entertaining in our basement with their friends and our family members. And as I’m writing this story, I’m able to still see a few faded images of men with Afros and healthy-sized mustaches, along with women sporting loud-colored outfits and gigantic hoop earrings.  

What I also remember is our home bar being at the center of a lot of those parties. It was a long cumbersome-looking thing, and I also remember many of my friend’s parents having the same type of bar counters in their homes too.

But the 70s was a long time ago, and since then home bars have come a long way from the rectangular brown tabletops that a lot of us grew up with. For example take the Lighted Outdoor Bar Fiesta, made by the company Vondom.

The cool thing about this space-aged looking bar is that one: It’s movable so you can use it in or outdoors, instantly turning your basement or backyard into a local pub. And two: It lights up, so the illuminated circular bar provides a glowing ambiance for your family and friends to marvel at.

The lighted bar also allows you to use it outside at night, as it’ll give off its own sources of light that will add a level of intimacy and coolness to your gathering.

The Fiesta also has all the conveniences of a traditional home bar, with inside shelves for bottles and big storage spaces for kegs or coolers. It also comes with equally futuristic-looking bar stools.

This outdoor/indoor bar will hardly go unnoticed, and you'll definitely be the talk of the town the next time your guests sit around this neon-lit bar counter. 

Metallic bar

Zaha Hadid Architects, based in London, have also designed an extremely distinctive  home bar called the Metallic Bar. As a matter of fact, it may be one of the coolest looking bars you’ve seen to date.

Resembling part space ship, part futuristic car, the sheer look of the bar will have your guests trying to figure out what the thing really is. Its shiny grey surface, along with its base that lights up, is beautiful enough just to sit around without taking a drink, it’s that’s gorgeous.

Although the company hasn’t made this bar available to the multitudes just yet – as it was specifically designed for London’s Home House – consumers could potentially see the Metallic Bar for sale in the coming future.

Inebriator

But not only have room and patio sized home bars come a long way since the 70s, but so have portable bars like the Inebriator. This one is small enough to fit on your table or countertop and automatically not only pours drinks for you, but mixes them too with bartender accuracy.

Once you place your glass on the moving cube, you select your drink of choice, and the glass automatically moves underneath each bottle, perfectly mixing your selection. The cube and glass even light up a cool blue color to let you know your drink is finished. The Inebriator also comes with drink information and tips to maximize use of the machine.

Then of course there’s the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Limited Edition Private Bar, made by Porsche Design Studio. It actually looks more like a narrow refrigerator than a bar, and it's made of both titanium and blue leather.

Standing six feet tall the Johnnie Walker bar opens and electronically spins 180 degrees and opens to reveal the bottles, glasses, tongs and other needed bar items. The words ‘limited edition’ in the name of the bar, is due to the company only making 50 when it first created the design. At that time it went for about $150,000.

Whether more of these vertical bars will be built and sold in the future remains to be seen, but we thought it was certainly cool enough for us to pass along and share.

Evolution

We also want to let you know about the Evolution Mobile Bar that folds up into a suitcase with wheels, and allows you to bring the party wherever you’d like.

For about $2,000 you could buy the mobile bar online, which is ideal for tailgate parties or moving gatherings to different areas of your house with no hassle.

The bar on wheels looks to hold about 14 bottles along with several glasses, and comes in different colors and designs that you get to customize. Also, the entire bar only weighs about 60 pounds so it’s not difficult to lug around from place to place.

So the next time you’re in the market for a home-bar, you can either go old-school and get the solid wood type like my folks did in the 70s, or you can look for one that has a little more pizazz in its design.

Either way, today offers way more cool looking bars to choose from and hosts your gatherings with. Party on!

The Federal Trade Commission has filed deceptive advertising charges against two  marketers of remedies for bed bug infestations, charging that the companies allegedly failed to back up overhyped claims that they could prevent and eliminate infestations using natural ingredients, such as cinnamon and cedar oil.  One marketer also allegedly made misleading claims that its products were effective against head lice.

In one of the two cases, RMB Group, LLC and its principals have agreed to settle the charges  relating to their “Rest Easy” bed bug products.  In the case against Cedarcide Industries, Inc. and others, challenging their marketing of “Best Yet!” bed bug and head lice treatments, the defendants have not settled, and the FTC is beginning litigation against them.

Bed bugs have been a growing public health pest in recent years, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Consumers plagued with bed bugs experience considerable stress, discomfort, and expense in attempting to rid themselves of these pests, and many are unaware of the complex measures needed to prevent and control them, according to the EPA. 

Consumers concerned about bed bugs also should see the FTC publication,   “Good Night, Sleep Tight, and Don’t Let the Bed Bugs Bite . . . Your Wallet,” which urges caution about advertisements that offer quick solutions, and provides advice to consumers for treating bed bug infestations.

Head lice

Also, as children head back to school this fall, the FTC urges parents to carefully research products that claim to treat head lice infestations.    

In both cases, the FTC charged the marketing companies – as well as the individuals behind them – with deceptive advertising for claiming that their products can  stop and prevent bed bug infestations.  The Cedarcide defendants also are charged with making deceptive claims that their product can stop and prevent head lice infestations, and that the federal government endorses and is affiliated with their product.

The Cedarcide Industries, Inc. defendants market BEST Yet!, a line of cedar-oil-based liquid products they claim will treat and prevent bed bug and head lice infestations.  The defendants sell the product to consumers nationwide.  They also sell it to hotels and other commercial establishments for treating bed bugs, and to school districts for treating head lice. 

Consumers can buy the product online, by phone, at the Cedarcide website, and at Amazon.com.  The cost of the products ranges from $29.95 for the quart-sized spray bottle to $3,394.95 for a hotel-motel bed bug eradication kit.

Unsupported claims

One radio advertisement for the product stated:

“In light of the recent bed bug media frenzy that has all of us nervous, you need to know that bed bug prevention and eradication relief are available.  So let’s not all freak out.  All you need is Best Yet from CedarCide.com. . . .  Best Yet was developed at the request of the USDA for our military, as a solution for killing sand fleas. But guess what, it’s equally deadly to bed bugs, larvae and eggs.”

The FTC complaint charges that the Cedarcide defendants make:

• unsupported claims that Best Yet!is effective at stopping and preventing bed bug infestations and that it is more effective than synthetic pesticides at doing so;
• false claims that scientific studies prove Best Yet!is effective at stopping and preventing bed bug infestations, and that it is more effective than synthetic pesticides at doing so;
• a false claim that the Environmental Protection Agency has warned consumers to avoid all synthetic pesticides for treating bed bug infestations;
• unsupported claims that Best Yet!is effective in stopping and preventing head lice infestations, killing head lice eggs, dissolving the glue that binds head lice eggs (known as nits) to hair, and killing head lice and their eggs in a single treatment; and
• false claims that scientific studies prove Best Yet! is effective in stopping and preventing head lice infestations.
• false claims that Best Yet!was invented for the U.S. Army at the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and that the USDA has acknowledged the product as the number one choice of bio-based pesticides.

A decade or so ago, consumers thought of the Internet as a way to download music. Today, thanks partly to pioneer Pandora, it's seen as a way to listen to streaming music.

Spotify, one of the newer streaming services, has been taking a bite out of Pandora's growth, even though it's a little unusual in that it requires the user to download a program that runs on their PC or Mac computer. Linux users are sort of on their own.

But now, reports say Spotify is about to launch a browser-based version of its service, making it more like Pandora, MOG and other streaming services.

The action comes none too soon. As we reported yesterday, Apple's iTunes is said to be planning to convert its downloaded service to streaming, posing a big threat to Pandora, Spotify, MOG and the others.

In addition to allowing users to access their Spotify accounts from any Web-connected device with a browser, the revamped Spotify will also reportedly include an increased focus on discovery, with more suggestions for artists and albums and a greater emphasis on following various individual’s playlists.

There may also be a change in price plans, with the premium option dropping from $9.99 to $8 per month.

This should make Spotify more attractive and competitive

Acne is often thought of as the bane of a teenager's existence but the skin condition, marked by pimples and red splotches, can affect adults as well.

While consumers spend millions of dollars on skin medications to treat it, dermatologists say some simple changes to a person's skin care routine can have dramatic results.

“It’s very common for patients with acne to scrub their skin and to use harsh products, yet doing so often makes acne worse,” said Amanda Friedrichs, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in private practice in Sycamore, Ill. “In order for acne to improve, people with acne must be gentle when touching their skin and use gentle products, such as those that are alcohol-free.”

Clearer skin without medicine

Friedrichs has come up with seven tips that she says can lead to clearer skin for most people:

1. Wash twice a day and after sweating. Perspiration, especially when wearing a hat or helmet, can make acne worse, so wash your skin as soon as possible after sweating.
2. Use your fingertips to apply a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser. Using a washcloth, mesh sponge or anything else can irritate the skin. Do not use skin care products that irritate the skin, which may include astringents, toners and exfoliants. Dry, red skin makes acne appear worse.
3. Rinse with lukewarm water.
4. Shampoo regularly. If you have oily hair, shampoo daily.
5. Let your skin heal naturally. If you pick, pop or squeeze your acne, your skin will take longer to clear and you increase your risk of getting acne scars.
6. Keep your hands off your face. Touching your skin throughout the day can cause flare-ups.
7. Stay out of the sun and tanning beds. Tanning damages your skin. In addition, some acne medications make the skin very sensitive to ultraviolet (UV) light, which you get from both the sun and indoor tanning devices.

There are other reasons to avoid tanning beds. They can increase your risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75 percent, and the risk increases with each use.

“Make an appointment to see a board-certified dermatologist if your acne makes you shy or embarrassed, the products you’ve tried haven’t worked, or your acne is leaving scars or darkening your skin,” Friedrichs said. “Today, virtually every case of acne can be successfully treated.”

A subsidiary of diet plan marketer Medifast Inc. will pay a $3.7 million civil penalty to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated a previous agency order by making unsupported claims about its weight-loss program.

Medifast unit Jason Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has agreed to settle FTC charges that weight-loss claims in the company’s advertisements for meal replacement products violated a 1992 FTC settlement order, which barred it from making any unsupported claims about users’ success in achieving or maintaining weight loss or weight control.

Jason Pharmaceuticals sells Medifast-brand low-calorie meal substitutes.  Its most advertised plan is the Medifast “5 and 1” plan that consists of 800-1,000 calories per day.  Filed on the FTC’s behalf by the Department of Justice, the complaint against Jason Pharmaceuticals alleges that the company made unsupported representations since at least November 2009 in radio, television, Internet, and print advertisements that consumers using Medifast programs and products would lose two to five pounds each week. 

The company also represented that the experiences of consumer endorsers featured in the advertisements were typical, and that consumers would lose more than 30 pounds, according to the complaint.

One such ad stated:
“Why Medifast?  Three great reasons.
Cynthia Lujan lost 73 lbs on Medifast! Cindy Daniels lost 43 lbs on Medifast!
Jennifer Lilley lost 70 lbs on Medifast!
You can lose up to 2 to 5 pounds per week on Medifast.”

Under the new settlement order announced today, Jason Pharmaceuticals is prohibited from misrepresenting that consumers who use any low-calorie meal replacement program, including the Medifast “5 and 1” plan, can expect to achieve the same results that an endorser does, or can lose a particular amount of weight or maintain the weight loss. 

Such representations must be non-misleading and backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence that consists of at least one adequate and well-controlled human clinical study of the low-calorie meal replacement program, or a study that follows a protocol detailed in the settlement order.

Under the settlement order, the company also is prohibited from making any other representation about the health benefits, safety, or side effects of any low-calorie meal replacement program, unless the representation is non-misleading and backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence that is generally accepted in the profession to yield accurate results.

The company also is prohibited from misrepresenting that any doctor, health professional, or endorser recommends a weight-loss product, program, service, drug, or dietary supplement.

Family life in the U.S. has undergone many changes over the last generation or two. One of the significant changes, researchers say, is the increasingly important role grandparents are taking in raising children

A new University of Chicago study, based on a National Institute on Aging survey, shows that 60 percent of grandparents provided some care for their grandchildren during a 10-year period, and 70 percent of those who did provided care for two years or more.

There were indicators of this trend present in the 2010 Census data. It showed that eight percent of grandparents live with their grandchildren, and 2.7 million grandparents are responsible for most of their grandchildren’s needs. That's compared with 2.4 million grandparents in 2006.

Major source

A Census survey also shows grandparents are the primary source of child care for 30 percent of mothers who work and have children under the age of five. The UChicago study drills deeper into the numbers, exploring the diversity in the kinds of care provided by grandparents.

“Our findings show that different groups of grandparents are likely to provide different types of care. Importantly grandparents with less income and less education, or who are from minority groups, are more likely to take on care for their grandchildren,” said Linda Waite, Professor in Sociology at UChicago and an expert on aging.

The study found that while minority, low-income grandparents were more likely to head households with grandchildren, most grandparents provided some kind of care for their grandchildren.

The researchers based their study on one of the most comprehensive surveys done on grandparenting, the 1998-2008 Health and Retirement Study supported by the National Institute on Aging. The longitudinal study interviewed 13,614 grandparents, aged 50 and older, at two-year intervals over the period to determine their level of care-giving.

African-American grandparents

The study found that grandparents take a more active child-rearing role in black families. African American grandparents are more likely to start a skipped generation household while Hispanic grandparents are more likely to start a multi-generational household.

Grandparents are less likely to provide care if they have minor children of their own at home but the least likely grandparents in child-care roles are those who are older, unmarried and not working.

The findings have implications for public policy, Waite says, as child welfare agencies are increasingly depending on family members, particularly grandparents, to provide care to children when parents cannot. The Census figures show that 60 percent of the grandparents caring for their grandchildren also are in the labor force.

“Day care assistance may be particularly needed by middle-aged grandparents who are juggling multiple role obligations -- as parent, a grandparent and a paid employee,” Waite wrote.

When it comes to retirement planning, Generations X and Y appear to be learning learned from the mistakes of their elders. The younger Generation Z, though -- not so much.

Survey findings released by TD Ameritrade show nearly 60 percent of Gen X and Gen Y make regular, automatic contributions toward their retirement savings, compared with 46 percent of non-retired Baby Boomers. And when it comes to getting a jump on their nest egg, younger generations are eager to get started; both Gen X and Gen Y started saving for retirement, on average, in their mid- to late-twenties. That's nearly a decade earlier than Baby Boomers who, on average, started saving at age 35.

"For even the most sophisticated investor, retirement planning can be a tough concept to grasp," said Carrie Braxdale, managing director, investor services, TD Ameritrade. "Gen X and Y have accepted the reality of the past few years, and rather than being discouraged, they are using what they've witnessed to their advantage by saving earlier and regularly. The hope is that tomorrow's investors -- Gen Z -- follow suit as they near retirement."

Gen Z naivety

For the teens and young adults of Generation Z (ages 13-22) who have grown up in households that struggled through the recession, the question remains as to whether they have been tainted by the gloom and doom or driven to be better.

According to the survey, Gen Z generally understands the importance of saving money -- over half said they have a savings account -- thanks to the influence of early conversations about money with their parents. But, those conversations have largely been about saving in general or saving for college rather than preparing for retirement. Just eight percent of Gen Z reported they are currently saving money for their “golden years.”

In fact, many Gen Z savers have a very different outlook on retirement saving strategies and timing when compared with their parents:

• Just 35 percent of Gen Z respondents believe they will not be able to count on Social Security when they retire, and therefore should save money for themselves, compared with 61 percent of parents who reported the same.
• Nearly 40 percent of Gen Z respondents believe they will have an inheritance, and therefore don't need to worry about saving for retirement, versus just 16 percent of parents who reported that they believed the same for their Gen Z children.
• Forty-three percent of Gen Z respondents believe that you can never start saving too early for retirement, compared with 71 percent of parents who reported the same.

"The good news is that Gen Z is starting off with a good understanding of the importance of saving," said Braxdale. "But that doesn't mean they should wait to become more educated on proper long-term savings habits. We encourage parents to talk to kids specifically about retirement savings to ensure they understand the importance of getting a head start and taking advantage of the power of compounding."