Current Events in May 2013

State Farm is looking for 5,000 people to download and test its RightLane Android app, a smartphone app that the company is developing.

The first 5,000 volunteers will get a $50 gift card and State Farm promises that none of the information collected will influence your insurance premiums.

The testers need only to have an Android phone running version 4.0 or greater and Bluetooth factory installed in their car. The test period is 120 days and requires at least 500 miles of driving over 25 of those days.

State Farm says that for now, it's testing the feasibility of using smartphones to gather widespread data that can be used in its research.

Most insurance companies recruit volunteers to install plug-in devices in their cars, with possible rate discounts if the device shows them driving safely. State Farm is trying to see if an app can do the same thing without requiring a separate device.

Consumers who've posted reviews on Google Play seem pleased so far. 

"The app works perfectly now," said Tom Lendy, who said there had been some initial glitches that the app's developers worked through. "In fact I would say that it is pretty impressive, especially for being a Beta. It has a nice, simple to use interface. It is simple to understand as well."

"Love that Bluetooth was automatically configured/active... HATE that I could NEVER turn it off. Thanks for the money!" said Jaymes Williams. 

Interested? You can download the app from Google Play.

There are some drugs that are best not used by pregnant women.

To that list you can ad valproate products for the prevention of migraine headaches. Among them are valproate sodium (Depacon), divalproex sodium (Depakote, Depakote CP, and Depakote ER), valproic acid (Depakene and Stavzor) and their generics.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns that these medications cause decreased IQ scores in children whose mothers took the medication during pregnancy.

“Valproate medications should never be used in pregnant women for the prevention of migraine headaches because we have even more data now that show the risks to the children outweigh any treatment benefits for this use,” said Russell Katz, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

Multi-use meds

Valproate products have several FDA-approved uses including: prevention of migraine headaches; treatment of epilepsy (seizures); and treatment of manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder).

These medications already have a boxed warning for fetal risk, including birth defects. The recently published Neurodevelopmental Effects of Antiepileptic Drugs (NEAD) study found further evidence of the IQ risk, leading to the strengthened warnings.

The strengthened recommendations are based on the final results of the NEAD study, which showed that children exposed to valproate products in utero had decreased IQ at age 6 when compared to children who were exposed to other antiepileptic drugs.

The difference in average IQ between the children who had been exposed to valproate and the children who had been exposed to other antiepileptic drugs varied between 8 and 11 points depending on the antiepileptic drug.

It is not known if there is a certain time period during pregnancy when valproate exposure can result in decreased IQ. The women in the NEAD study were exposed to antiepileptic drugs throughout their pregnancies.

Label changes

The FDA is working with the manufacturers to make changes to the drug labels to reflect this new information and to change the pregnancy category for prevention of migraine headaches to category X (the drug's risks outweigh the drug's benefits for this use) from category D (the drug's benefits outweigh the drug's risks for this use).

For its other approved uses -- bipolar disorder and seizures -- valproate may have some value in pregnant women, but it should only be taken if other medications have not controlled the symptoms or are otherwise unacceptable. Women who can become pregnant should not use valproate unless it is essential to managing their medical condition.

What to do

Women who are pregnant, or who become pregnant while taking one of these medications, should talk to their health care professional immediately. They should not stop taking their medication without this consultation because stopping treatment suddenly can cause serious and life-threatening medical problems for the woman or the developing fetus.

Women of childbearing age taking valproate products should use effective birth control.

The folks at Social Security have come up with a new smartphone tool for checking in with the agency.

The next time you use your smartphone (Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and Windows devices) to visit visiting the Social Security website, you'll be sent to a new mobile-friendly site. Once there, you'll be able to access a mobile version of Social Security’s Frequently Asked Questions, an interactive Social Security number (SSN) decision tree to help identify the documents you needed for a new/replacement SSN card, and mobile publications which you can listen to in both English and Spanish right on your phone.

“We are committed to meeting the changing needs of the American people and the launch of our new mobile site helps reinforce our online presence and adaptability to advances in technology,” Acting Commissioner Carolyn W. Colvin said. “I encourage all smartphone users looking for Social Security information to take advantage of our new mobile site.”

A multitude of tasks

Visitors to the new mobile site can also learn how to create a personal my Social Security account to get an online Social Security Statement, learn more about Social Security’s award-winning online services, and connect with Social Security on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest.

If you're unable to complete your business online or over the telephone, there's now a new mobile field office locator. It has the capability to provide turn-by-turn directions to the nearest Social Security office based on information entered by the person.

“With significant budget cuts of nearly a billion dollars each year over the last few years, we must continue to leverage technology and find more innovative ways to meet the evolving needs of the American public without compromising service,” said Colvin.

More than 35 million Social Security web page views come via smartphones each year.

Williams-Sonoma has agreed to pay a $987,500 civil penalty, resolving charges that it failed to report immediately a defect involving Pottery Barn wooden hammock stands.

The San Francisco-based retailer of home furnishings and gourmet cookware imported the wooden hammock stands between March 2003 and July 2008, and distributed them exclusively through Pottery Barn and PBteen catalogs and websites, and Pottery Barn Outlet stores. The hammock stands were sold nationwide for approximately $300.

Deteriorating wood

When used outdoors, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff alleged, the wood in the hammock stands can deteriorate over time and break. Because the deterioration was occurring inside the metal bracket and was hidden from view, there was sometimes no outward indication to consumers that the wood was rotting until a consumer sat in the hammock and the beams broke. This posed fall and laceration hazards to consumers.

The company did not file its full report with CPSC until September 11, 2008. When the recall of 30,000 wooden hammock stands was announced the following month, Williams-Sonoma was aware of 45 incidents involving the hammocks, according to CPSC staff, including 12 reports of injuries requiring medical attention for lacerations, neck and back pain, bruising, and one incident involving fractured ribs.

Under federal law, manufacturers, distributors, and retailers are required to report to CPSC within 24 hours of obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or fails to comply with any consumer product safety rule or any other rule, regulation, standard, or ban enforced by CPSC.

Kumho Tire U.S.A., is recalling nearly 12,000 Kumho Solus KH25 passenger car tires, size 225/45R17, produced in the weeks of August 21, 2011, through June 23, 2012.

The affected tires could develop cracking in the sidewall, which could result in air loss. Rapid air loss while the vehicle is in use may result in a tire failure that could cause a crash.

Kumho will notify owners by mail, instructing them how to return the tires and receive reimbursement. The safety recall is expected to begin on May 6, 2013.

Owners may contact Kumho at 1-909-428-3999.

For a good number of people, caffeine is a big part of their day to day routine.

Whether they get their caffeine fix in a cup of coffee or an energy drink,  a lot of folks look forward to that time of day when caffeine takes them from low to high energy.

In fact, it's such a big part of many people's lives, that companies are making all kinds of products with caffeine in them, not just beverages.

Today, consumers can purchase caffeinated breakfast foods, potato chips and even jelly beans. And in North Carolina a scientist has figured out how to add caffeine to donuts and bagels.

As we reported last week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will take a closer look to determine if products like these are actually safe, especially for children. FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine Michael R. Taylor said these caffeinated products have agency very concerned.

"One pack of this gum is like having four cups of coffee in your pocket. The proliferation of these products in the marketplace is very disturbing to us," he said in a published interview.

Intensely bitter

After learning about Alert Energy gum, I had to see if it really had the strength of four cups of coffee, so I picked up a pack at a local 7-Eleven.

I've never had caffeinated gum before, so I wanted to see how well Alert worked, in terms of waking me up and how good it tasted. Because it's still a piece of gum, so it should taste good or at least be tolerable, right?

So over the weekend, I waited for the afternoon, because that's when I usually experience a little fatigue and have a crash like a lot of people do.  I popped in a piece of the gum, which came in a pack of eight for $2.99. I chose "fruit" flavor because it seemed it would be the tastiest.

I must say, right off the bat, the gum tasted horrible. 

Within the first couple of chews, I was instantly hit with an intensely bitter flavor that seemed to be part stale cup of black coffee, part licorice. The two flavors definitely didn't make for a winning taste combination.

The piece of gum itself is quite big and is sort of a rounded hexagon shape.

And when chewed, it filled up my mouth like a big piece of bubble gum, which may be too much for people who are used to chewing smaller pieces of minty flavored gums like Dentyne.   

As far as the fruit flavor, it was non-existent and it definitely didn't help the flavor of the gum, and it seemed the longer I chewed, the harder it was to keep it in my mouth. 

Energy boost

But Wrigley, the creator of Alert Energy caffeine gum, isn't using taste to attract consumers. It's using its energy boost.

On the futuristic-looking package, it says one piece of gum is equal to a half cup of coffee, suggesting you get more jolt with less caffeine.

So I first started to chew the gum at 2:30 pm on a Saturday afternoon and waited to see how long it would take for the energy to kick in. 

In my experience, a cup of coffee takes about 30 minutes before I actually feel its effects. But since I use energy drinks more than coffee, I'm used to feeling a jolt in about 5 to 10 minutes, so I was eager to see how well the gum worked.

At around 3:15 pm, I did notice a slight energy boost.

It wasn't a drastic boost in energy like a 5-hour Energy drink gives. It was closer to what a cup of coffee does, as the caffeine seemed to slowly wake me up. So Alert gum did provide the energy it promised.

But the biggest challenge with the gum was keeping it in my mouth long enough for the caffeine to kick in, because it tasted awful. Once I blocked out the taste, I was fully awake and alert about 45 minutes after I started chewing.

And how long did the energy boost last?

For me, a cup of coffee doesn't last long, so I usually have to drink two cups a day to avoid a crash. Energy drinks can give you a boost for hours, but if taken too late in the day they can sometimes keep you awake at night or not allow you to get a good night's sleep. But with the Alert gum, the jolt only lasted for about 2 hours until I started to feel it wear off a bit. 

The good thing is that I didn't experience a crash of any kind and once the jolt did wear off, I was still a little more awake than before I chewed the gum.

The verdict

So overall how did Alert Energy do?

If you can stand the bad taste and don't feel like having an energy drink or a cup of coffee, it's not bad. In terms of crashing, it was similar to coffee in that the effect wore off gradually. 

And compared to energy drinks, the caffeine feeling came on more gradually, which can be nice if you don't like that intensely awake feeling right out of the gate.

But because of the bad taste, you might want to stick with your morning coffee, because it's hard to keep the gum in your mouth. If you do chew it, it will only be for the jolt not the taste.

Lastly, it's important to keep the stuff away from children, because pieces can be easily confused with normal pieces of gum, because they look so similar. So be sure not to leave Alert in the reach of a child or have it mixed up with your other gums or candies. 

In addition, you may want to wait until we hear what the FDA says before you start buying boxes of the stuff.

Somewhere during the last couple of decades the process of creating music has gone extremely digital.

At one time in order to learn an instrument, you had to take lessons. There was really no other choice, unless you taught yourself. 

For example, I have a friend who taught himself to play bass guitar and he was able to join a prominent local band in just a few months, so it is possible to teach yourself to play by just grabbing an instrument.

But for most of us, learning to play an instrument, at least well, can take several years. And sometimes the long amount of time it takes is what finally leads us to quit or to put off learning in the first place.

But these days, things are a bit different and if you don't want to take music lessons the traditional way, you don't have to. 

There are a bunch of apps that have been created to make it really easy for you to learn the piano, guitar, drums or just about any other instrument you can think of.

Jump right in

Like the app Playground Sessions that allows you to learn the piano while  playing some of today's most popular songs. The app was made for those people who don't have either the patience or desire to learn things like music theory or scales. And it allows folks to pretty much jump into playing right away.

In addition, the app keeps score of your progress and provides feedback in real time, so you know how much you're progressing.  The idea behind keeping score and providing feedback is to make learning an instrument sort of like a game, so learning is easier and more fun, its creators say.

Playground Sessions gives tutorials by famed pianist David Strides, so beginners won't feel totally alone while they're learning how to play. In addition, the app was co-created by legendary producer Quincy Jones, for whatever that's worth.

Then there's the app Percussive that allows you to learn five instruments if you want. Users can learn how to play xylophone, kalimba, glockenspiel, marimba and vibraphone, which all fall in the group of instruments called idiophones.

Each instrument comes up virtually on the app and looks like the real thing, so it feels like you went to the music store and actually purchased an idiophone.

And according to the reviews on Percussive, the virtual instruments sound like the real thing and are great for learning hand-eye coordination, which is always needed when learning an instrument.

Golden arms

The next app is DigiDrummer for all you percussion enthusiasts.

DigiDrummer allows you to create your own drum patterns if you're interested in making beats for yourself or other artists. It comes with eight drum kits, a built in sampler and a recording feature so you can hear back what you've created.

The app allows you to save your creations in its "Beat Library" as well.

DigiDrummer follows the current trend of producers taking bits and pieces of drum sounds to create entirely new drum patterns, which gives users an infinite number of sound possibilities to play with.

And the best part about the app is it's free, so it won't cost you a penny to bang around on the virtual drum pads and try to create the next musical masterpiece.

The next app, called PianoBall, is great for kids.

Rather than being a serious app that gives serious lessons, it's more like a toy that teaches kids music and colors at the same time.

Users can select the instrument they want to learn. Choose the song they want to play and follow along. But they can choose "auto" mode too if they want the app to do most of the playing.

The app uses "magic balls" to teach instruments and each ball allows users to paint the keyboard different colors, so kids can learn notes and colors at the same time, which is pretty cool.

Learn to read music

The app Learn Music Notes is a game that allows users to, well, learn music notes. So there wasn't too much creativity used on the name I guess? 

Here's how it works:

Music notes will appear on the screen and users will have to select the correct button to indicate the note. 

If you select the right note, the same note plays again so you can memorize it and ultimately lock it into your brain. If you choose the wrong note, your smartphone will vibrate and tell you what the correct note is. 

Users can take a one-minute test to see how much they've learned on the app or take a test with no time limit at all.

Furthermore, Learn Music Notes will save all of your tests so you can gauge how much you're learning and how much you've improved.

So today if you want to learn an instrument, do a quick download of an app. But you should probably expect a few dirty looks from musicians who learned an instrument the traditional way.

Musicians are like that sometimes.

Back in August 2011, San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee signed an ordinance aimed at protecting the consumer’s right to know about the potential risks of cell phone radiation. 

Proclaimed the first of its kind nationwide, the ordinance required retail shops to display posters and distribute fact sheets to inform cell phone buyers about cell phone radiation and how to reduce their exposure to those emissions.

“San Francisco and Burlingame [which adopted a similar ordinance] are true leaders in consumers’ rights,” said Renée Sharp, director of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) California office said then. “We hope this movement will spread throughout the state and nation. Cell phone users everywhere have, at the very least, a right to be informed about their potential exposure to radiation and how they can minimize it.”

Well, that didn't happen.

Instead the cell phone industry's trade association, the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA), sued the city, claiming the ordinance violated retailers' free speech rights.

Fight ends tomorrow

The legal fight dragged on but is expected to end officially tomorrow when the San Francisco Board of Supervisors accepts a settlement that lets it off the hook for $500,000 in legal fees the CTIA ran up litigating the suit.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled on Sept. 10, 2012 in favor of the industry and the city has basically thrown in the towel. 

"We are disappointed that residents of San Francisco will not have access to important public health information about radiation emissions from wireless devices at the point of sale," EWG's Ms. Sharp said. "We strongly believe consumers have the right to know about the potential health effects of cell phone radiation and how they can reduce their exposures." 

“The decision by 9th Circuit was deeply flawed. If the nation’s experience with tobacco taught us anything, it is that it is dangerous to wait until there is scientific consensus about a potential health threat before providing consumers with information on how they can protect themselves," she said. "Unfortunately, the court ruled that the city could not require retailers to provide consumers with balanced precautionary information.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is finally getting on the stick.

The agency says vets who have waited for a year or longer to hear something about their claims for compensation will see some movement at long last.

VA claims raters are now making provisional decisions on the oldest claims in inventory, allowing veterans to begin collecting compensation benefits more quickly, if eligible. Vets will be able to submit additional evidence for consideration a full year after the provisional rating, before VA issues a final decision.

“Too many veterans wait too long for a decision, and this has never been acceptable,” said VA Secretary Eric Shinseki. “That is why we are implementing an aggressive plan to eliminate the backlog in 2015. This initiative is the right thing to do now for veterans who have waited the longest.”

Provisional decisions

Provisional decisions will be based on all evidence provided to date by the vet or obtained on their behalf by VA. If a VA medical examination is needed to decide the claim, it will be ordered and expedited.

“Issuing provisional decisions not only provides veterans with applicable benefits much more quickly, but also gives them an additional one-year safety net to submit further evidence should it become available,”said Allison Hickey, Undersecretary for Benefits. “Our door will remain open and if a veteran has additional evidence, their case will be fast tracked.”

If any increase is determined to be warranted based on the additional evidence received, benefits will be retroactive to the date the claim was initially filed. The initiative protects the veteran’s right to appeal the decision. If no further evidence is received within that year, Board of Veterans' Appeals (VBA) will inform the veteran that his rating is final and provide information on the standard appeals process, which can be found here. 

Special attention

Throughout this initiative, VA says it will continue to prioritize claims for homeless veterans and those claiming financial hardship, the terminally ill, former Prisoners of War, Medal of Honor recipients, and veterans filing Fully Developed Claims. Fully Developed Claims information is available here.

Claims for Wounded Warriors separating from the military for medical reasons will continue to be handled separately and on a priority basis with the Department of Defense through the Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES). Wounded Warriors separating through IDES currently receive VA compensation benefits in an average of 61 days following their separation from service.

Slowdowns and speedups

As a result of this initiative, the process used to track benefits claims will experience significant fluctuations. The focus on processing the oldest claims will cause the overall measure of the average length of time to complete a claim -- currently 286 days -- to skew, rising significantly in the near term because of the number of old claims that will be completed.

Over time, as the backlog of oldest claims is cleared and more of the incoming claims are processed electronically through VA’s new paperless processing system, VA’s average time to complete claims will significantly improve. In addition, the average days pending metric -- or the average age of a claim in the inventory -- will decrease, since the oldest claims will no longer be part of the inventory.

While compensation claims are pending, eligible veterans are able to receive healthcare and other benefits from VA. Veterans who have served in recent conflicts are eligible for 5 years of free healthcare from VA. Currently, over 55% of returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are using VA health care, a rate of utilization greater than previous generations of veterans.

A Cornell University study's findings can be boiled down into a few words: Don't go shopping when you're hungry.

“Even short-term food deprivation can lead to a shift in choices such that people choose less low-calorie, and relatively more high-calorie, food options," Researchers Brian Wansink, Ph.D., and Aner Tal, Ph.D., said. "Given the prevalence of short-term food deprivation, this has important health implications.” 

The researchers studied 68 particiants who were asked to avoid eating five hours prior to the study. A follow-up field study tracked the purchases of 82 participants at different times of the day when they were most likely to be full or hungry.

The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

According to the results, hungry laboratory participants chose a higher number of higher-calorie products but there were no differences between conditions in the number of lower-calorie choices and the total number of food items selected.

Field study shoppers who completed the study at times when they were more likely to be hungry (between 4-7 p.m.) bought less low-calorie food relative to high-calorie food options compared with those who completed the study when they were less likely to be hungry, the results also indicate.

As we reported last year, technology gurus say 3-D printing could be the biggest thing since the Internet, but Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) doesn't think that's necessarily a good ting.

Schumer says terrorists, felons and spousal abusers could use the new printing technology to make guns that would be detectable by metal detectors, allowing them to sneak their guns onto airplanes, into sporting events and courthouse.

"We’re facing a situation where anyone -- a felon, a terrorist -- can open a gun factory in their garage and the weapons they make will be undetectable. It’s stomach-churning," Schumer said at a news conference, according to WCBS 880. "Only metal part of the gun is the little firing pin and that is too small to be detected by metal detectors, for instance, when you go through an airport."

Schumer wants to renew a previous ban on undetectable weapons while adding a ban on plastic high-capacity magazines and specifically outlawing weapons made on 3-D printers.

The nonprofit group Defense Distributed recently built a 3-D handgun and said it would upload the plans for the gun to the Internet, Schumer said.

A gun expert last year used the technology to print a copy of a .22-caliber pistol that managed to fire real bullets. The maker of the duplicated gun used a 3-D printer to build the outside of the pistol, and combined it with metal parts on the inside, so it was capable of carrying and firing actual bullets.

The gun's owner, who goes by the username HaveBlue, fired over 200 rounds of ammunition with the cloned pistol, and said the gun held up just fine.

To make the weapon, HaveBlue used an older model 3-D printer (the Stratasys), and was able to create the necessary shell of the gun in a small amount of time for about $30, not including the metal parts he added.

Another kind of 3-D printer called The Contour Crafting is said to be able to print an entire house in about 20 hours.

Okay -- you get out and play a little golf or tennis on the weekends or maybe ride your bike for a few miles. But is that really enough exercise?

According to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, adults should get at least 2½ hours a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity such as walking, or one hour and 15 minutes a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity, such as jogging, or a combination of both. The guidelines also recommend that adults do muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups, sit-ups, or activities using resistance bands or weights. These activities should involve all major muscle groups and be done on two or more days per week.

Missing the mark

But, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), just 20% of U.S. adults are meeting both the aerobic and muscle strengthening components of the federal government's physical activity recommendations. The data are based on self-reported information from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an annual phone survey of adults aged 18 and over conducted by state health departments.

Overall, nearly 50% of adults nationwide are getting enough aerobic activity and about 30% are engaging in the recommended muscle-strengthening activity.

"Although only 20% of adults are meeting the overall physical activity recommendations, it is encouraging that half the adults in the United States are meeting the aerobic guidelines and a third are meeting the muscle-strengthening recommendations,"said Carmen D. Harris, M.P.H, epidemiologist in CDC's physical activity and health branch. "This is a great foundation to build upon, but there is still much work to do. Improving access to safe and convenient places where people can be physically active can help make the active choice the easy choice."

State rates

The rates of adults meeting the overall guidelines ranged from 27% in Colorado to 13% in Tennessee and West Virginia. The West (24%) and the Northeast (21%) had the highest proportion of adults who met the guidelines. Women, Hispanics, older adults and obese adults were all less likely to meet the guidelines.

CDC currently provides money to 25 states to address nutrition, physical activity, obesity and other chronic diseases. The agency also works with these states to design and improve communities so people can more easily fit physical activity into their lives. Additionally, CDC's Community Transformation Grants program is working to create places that provide safe, accessible ways to be physically active.

In a recent interview on CNBC, Revlon Chairman Ron Perelman disclosed the company had moved to deploy about a third of its advertising and promotional budget to social media. Just another sign that the world is changing -- and not for the better -- for traditional media.

Craigslist has already taken a huge toll on the nation's newspapers, cutting into the lucrative classified advertising trade. Now it appears that real estate advertising could be next.

Today, real estate brokers are not only using Craigslist but social media like Facebook as well. N-Play, a company that develops real estate apps for Facebook, has just launched a new social platform for real estate professionals and consumers who want to buy or sell homes.

The new real estate applications and services on Facebook include an agent-based app, the Real Estate Agent Directory, a free directory, with more than 180,000 real estate professionals as members. Directory members create agent profiles that pop up during directory searches.

A study by Postling, a social media research firm, found that 79% of real estate professionals are using Facebook to promote both themselves and their listed properties. It found 48% are using Twitter and 29% are using LinkedIn.

Getting listings through Facebook

One of N-Play's current services is IDX Home Search, which allows agents in select markets to import their Multiple Listing Service (MLS) listings to Facebook business pages. Prospective home buyers can do their shopping online by going to the agent's Facebook page. Unlike other online real estate portals, the Facebook system allows agents to see who has clicked on their ads.

Agents have been experimenting with Facebook as a real estate marketing tool for several years now. Some say it's a softer way to connect with potential buyers and sellers. An email from a business can be cold and impersonal. Connecting on Facebook, some say, is more personal.

Mixing business with personal

In fact, some agents mix their business account with their personal list of friends. Amid the vacation photos are occasional new listings and inside information about the local real estate market -- information that people not currently in the market might find interesting.

Using Facebook is free, while newspaper ads are costly. Purchasing ads on Facebook is also an option and, while there is a cost involved, it can be significantly less than print advertising.

Facebook, which is under growing pressure to produce revenue since it became a publicly-traded company last year, has stepped up efforts to sell advertising. It uses a model similar to that of Google's AdWords.

Facebook provides an advertisement or sponsored content that shows up on the Facebook pages of people within certain geographic areas that you have chosen. If you operate a pizza restaurant, for example, your ad only appears on the pages of Facebook members who live within the distance you have set.

Global becomes local

This allows a global company like Facebook to sell local advertising, supplanting local print publications and radio stations, at least the few local radio stations that remain.

According to Facebook, the advertiser is only charged for the number of impressions or clicks the ad receives. The amount you pay is set by your daily or lifetime budget. This type of pricing makes social media -- and Internet advertising in general -- very attractive.

Don't think businesses, from Revlon to the corner pizza restaurant, haven't noticed. ZenithOptimedia, a marketing company, predicts global advertising expenditure will grow by 3.9% in 2013, reaching $518 billion by the end of the year. At that rate, it says online ad spending could surpass print advertising by 2015.

Most of us probably buy a car more often than we do a piece of jewelry. But just like a car, jewelry can be a major purchase and you need to know what you're doing.

When you break it down, jewelry is all about the metal, the stones and the quality of the design and production. The higher the quality of all three, the more you should expect to pay. Since dollars are at stake, a consumer needs to be armed with solid information before spending a lot of money on jewelry.

The metals used in most jewelry are gold, silver and platinum. You'll hear terms like "solid gold," or "gold-plated." You'll also hear gold referred to in karats. Pure gold is 24 karat (24K) but is very soft. To make it more durable it's mixed with other metals. The larger the quantity of other metal the lower the karat of the gold.

18K gold

When a piece of jewelry is marked as 18K gold, that means it is 18 parts gold mixed throughout with 6 parts other metal. A 4K gold piece is 14 parts gold mixed throughout with 10 parts other metal.

Each piece of gold jewelry should have the karat quality mark stamped somewhere on it, though you may need a magnifying glass to read it. Near the karat quality mark, you should see the name or the U.S. registered trademark of the company that will stand behind the mark.

This is important. The trademark may be in the form of a name, a symbol, or initials. If a piece of gold jewelry does not have a trademark along with the karat mark, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises you not to buy it.

Understanding terms

When a piece of jewelry is described as "solid gold," that doesn't mean pure gold. It simply means it isn't hollow inside. Gold plated means the jewelry has been coated with gold by mechanical plating, electroplating, and other processes. Eventually, gold plating wears away.

Jewelry can also be described as ”gold filled,” “gold overlay,” and “rolled gold plate (RGP).” That means the piece has a layer of at least 10 karat gold that has been mechanically applied to a base metal. These items should be marked with the term or abbreviation and the karat quality of the gold used, such as 14K gold overlay or 12K RGP.

Silver

”Silver” and ”sterling silver” describe jewelry that contains 92.5% pure silver. Silver products sometimes may be marked 925, which means that 925 parts per thousand are pure silver.

Just like "gold plate," some jewelry described as ”silver plate” has a layer of silver applied to a base metal. ”Coin silver” is used for compounds that contain 90% pure silver. According to the law, quality-marked silver also must bear the name or a U.S. registered trademark of the company or person that will stand behind the mark.

According to the FTC, platinum jewelry is rarely 100% pure platinum. It's usually mixed with similar metals or non-precious base metals. A good rule of thumb is the higher the percentage of pure platinum, the higher the value of the jewelry. If a piece of jewelry is labeled "platinum," it usually means it is 95% platinum.

Stones

There are more than two dozen precious stones used in quality jewelry and each has unique characteristics. You should get familiar with those of the stones you are considering.

Among the most-used stones in jewelry is the diamond. The diamond is a hard, mostly colorless stone prized for its durability and beauty. It's most often used in rings -- most notably an engagement ring.

Four features largely classify a diamond's price point -- the cut, clarity, color and carat. And when we use carat in this instance, we're referring to weight, not purity.

Size doesn't always matter

One thing to keep in mind about diamonds -- size doesn't always matter. Most diamond experts will tell you that the cut of a diamond will have the biggest impact on its price. Unfortunately, that's the one area where a consumer is least-equipped to make a judgment.

However, if a large carat diamond is priced the same, or even less than a similar but smaller diamond, chances are the smaller diamond has a better cut and will have more value. A quality cut diamond will also seem brighter and have more sparkle.

Where you buy a piece of jewelry is important. While you can make purchases online, most want to actually handle the piece before they buy. Also, you should make the purchase from a trusted, reliable source that will stand behind the sale.

Before finalizing a purchase, ask about the store's return policy, especially if the jewelry is a gift. It's also a good idea to make sure your sales receipt includes any information you relied on when making your purchase, like the gemstone’s weight or size. You should ask the jeweler to provide a grading report from a gemological laboratory.  

More about jewelry

Can a multivitamin really prevent various diseases? Bayer claims that its One A Day multivitamins  "support" breast, heart, eye, and joint health, as well as physical energy, immunity, healthy blood pressure, bone strength, and metabolism.

But the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) says that claim has never been proven and that it will sue Bayer unless it removes the claims from its packaging and advertising. 

The non-profit consumer group quotes literature from Bayer that recommends women conduct breast self-exams, get annual mammograms and eat a healthy diet to reduce their chances of getting breast cancer.

Bayer's final tip? "Take One A Day Women's multivitamins formulated with a high level of vitamin D to support breast health."

Inconclusive evidence

But CSPI says the evidence that vitamin D plays a role in preventing breast cancer is inconclusive and, even if it weren't, supplement manufacturers are prohibited from making disease-prevention claims altogether.

"Bayer is literally putting One A Day multivitamins on a par with mammograms," said CSPI litigation director Steve Gardner. "Bayer is saying: 'Take these pills and you'll reduce your risk of breast cancer.' And elsewhere, when the company says it 'supports breast health,' it knows full well that cancer is far and away the top breast health issue for women."

Labels and marketing copy for several One A Day multivitamins also claim that the product is formulated to "support heart health" or "support healthy blood pressure," basing such claims on the presence of vitamins B, C, and E. But in the same way consumers interpret "supports breast health" as "prevents breast cancer," consumers interpret these claims to mean that the pills prevent heart disease or lower blood pressure, according to CSPI. There is inconclusive evidence that those particular nutrients do either.

It's not the first time Bayer's claims have been challenged. In 2007, the company paid a $3.2 million fine as part of a consent decree reached with the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice over weight-loss claims on One A Day.

In October 2009, CSPI filed suit against Bayer over its claims that One A Day Men's multivitamins with selenium might reduce the risk of prostate cancer. In fact, the largest prostate cancer prevention trial ever conducted was abandoned once it became clear that selenium was no more effective at reducing prostate cancer risk than a placebo. In October 2010, Bayer settled a suit brought by several states, accusing Bayer of deceptively leveraging fear of prostate cancer in order to market One A Day to men.

"By positioning One A Day as a preventive for breast cancer, heart disease, and other conditions, Bayer is thumbing its nose at the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and a dozen or so state attorneys general—continuing a decade-long spree of irresponsible and sometimes felonious behavior," Gardner said. "There's nothing wrong with selling—or taking—a daily multivitamin. But you can't sell something you can't deliver."

It's the middle of the night and the baby starts to cry; it's feeding time. If you're the daddy, there's a pretty good chance you won't react the same way as the mommy.

It's long been suspected that women’s brains are hard-wired to respond to the cries of a hungry infant. And now, researchers at the National Institutes of Health say there's evidence to back that up.

The researchers asked men and women to let their minds wander, then played a recording of white noise interspersed with the sounds of an crying baby. Brain scans showed that, in the women, patterns of brain activity abruptly switched to an attentive mode when they heard the infant cries, whereas the men’s brains -- well, you know.

The mommy instinct

“Previous studies have shown that, on an emotional level, men and women respond differently to the sound of an infant crying,” said study co-author Marc H. Bornstein, Ph.D., head of the Child and Family Research Section of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), the institute that conducted the study. “Our findings indicate that men and women show marked differences in terms of attention as well.”

The earlier studies showed that women are more likely than men to feel sympathy when they hear an infant cry, and are more likely to want to care for the infant.

Previous studies have shown differences in patterns of brain activity between when an individual’s attention is focused and when the mind wanders. The pattern of unfocused activity is referred to as default mode, Dr. Bornstein explained. When individuals focus on something in particular, their brains disengage from the default mode and activate other brain networks.

For about 15 minutes, participants listened to white noise interspersed with short periods of silence and with the sounds of a hungry infant crying. The patterns of their brain activity were recorded by a technique known as functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Parents vs. nonparents

The researchers analyzed brain images from 18 adults -- parents and nonparents -- and found that when they listened to the typical infant cries, the brain activity of men and women differed. When hearing a hungry infant cry, women’s brains were more likely to disengage from the default mode, indicating that they focused their attention on the crying.

In contrast, the men’s brains tended to remain in default mode during the infant crying sounds. The brain patterns did not vary between parents and nonparents.

Different cries

Babies cry because they are distressed, hungry, or in need of physical closeness. To determine if adults respond differently to different types of cries, the researchers also played the cries of infants who were later diagnosed with autism. An earlier study found that the cries of infants who develop ASD tend to be higher pitched than those of other infants and that the pauses between cries are shorter. In this other study, both men and women tended to interrupt their mind wandering when they heard these cries.

“Adults have many-layered responses to the things infants do,” said Dr. Bornstein. “Determining whether these responses differ between men and women, by age, and by parental status, helps us understand instincts for caring for the very young.”

In an earlier study, Dr. Bornstein and his colleagues found that patterns of brain activity in men and women also changed when they viewed an image of an infant face and that the patterns were indicative of a predisposition to relate to and care for the infant.

Such studies documenting the brain activity patterns of adults represent first stages of research in neuroscience understanding how adults relate to and care for infants, Dr. Bornstein explained. It is possible that not all adults exhibit the brain patterns seen in these studies.

Dr. Bornstein collaborated with Nicola De Pisapia, Ph.D., Paola Rigo, Simona DeFalco, Ph.D., and Paola Venuti, Ph.D., all of the Observation, Diagnosis and Education Lab at the University of Trento, Italy, and Gianluca Esposito, Ph.D., of RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Japan.

Their findings appear in NeuroReport.

A marketer of pre-paid phone calling cards accused of short-changing its customers is being barred from making deceptive claims.

The company, DR Phone Communications, markets and sells prepaid calling cards in grocery and convenience stores, and at kiosks in other retail establishments. The cards are especially popular with members of immigrant communities, many of whom depend on prepaid cards to stay in touch with family overseas.

Testing the product

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) , the company delivered substantially less than promised in its marketing, advertising and promotions. The agency bought samples of the defendants’ cards in September 2010 and November 2011, and of the 169 card tested, all failed to deliver the number of minutes prominently advertised on their point-of-sale posters.

In all, the FTC complaint says, the defendants' cards delivered on average only 40 percent of the minutes promised, with 52 cards delivering less than 25 percent of the minutes advertised, and 25 cards delivering less than five percent of the minutes advertised.

Based on these results, the FTC charged the defendants with violating the FTC Act by misrepresenting the number of calling minutes the cards would provide, and failing to disclose adequately fees that would reduce the cards’ value, and in turn the number of calling minutes they provide.

What to do

Thinking about buying a pre-paid phone card. Here are some tips from the FTC.

Building and selling cars isn't all that profitable. But writing loans and leases and selling expensive add-ons like extended warranties can be very lucrative -- and can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to the price of a new vehicle.

With car sales starting to boom after years of desultory sales, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is taking a look at whether all these high-priced add-ons are being adequately disclosed to consumers, The Wall Street Journal reports today.

The newspaper says the bureau has issued subpoenas to several large auto lenders seeking information on sales practices, pricing and disclosure.

The add-on products are legal. The question is whether consumers are being properly informed of the cost of the products and the terms of the transaction.

Many consumers complain that they are promised their extended warranty will cost only a few dollars a month while covering nearly anything that could go wrong with their cars, only to learn otherwise when problems occur.

"I was pressured into buying a [AAA] Great Choice plan which they told me would cover everything I needed on my vehicle," said Ronnie of Baltimore in a ConsumerAffairs posting. "Well, after almost a year, I had a problem and nothing was covered. My mechanic told me the claims process in itself was the worst he had ever seen and that this was something called a product warranty which I don't know what that means but my mechanic made it sound like it wasn't a real warranty."

Discriminatory lending

The Justice Department, meanwhile,  is probiing auto dealerships that make their own loans to customers with poor credit, charging interest rates that may be much higher than a bank or auto lender would charge. The Journal said Jon Seward, deputy chief of the department's housing and civil enforcement section, made that disclosure at a panel discussion at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., earlier this week.

In March, the CFPB warned auto lenders about jacking up interest rates for consumers with less-than-stellar credit ratings, a practice that can result in more expensive loans for minorities.

“Consumers should not have to pay more for a car loan simply based on their race,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray. “[This] bulletin clarifies our authority to pursue auto lenders whose policies harm consumers through unlawful discrimination.”

Consumers could be losing tens of millions of dollars a year because of  discriminatory lending, the agency said.

The problem involves what are called "indirect" auto lenders, which often allow the dealer to charge the consumer an interest rate that is higher than the rate the lender gave the dealer -- typically called “dealer markup.” 

As a result, markups generate compensation for dealers while frequently giving them the discretion to charge consumers different rates regardless of consumer creditworthiness. Lender policies that provide dealers with this type of discretion increase the risk of pricing disparities among consumers based on race, national origin, and potentially other prohibited bases.

Not so, dealers say

Car dealers are fighting back. The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) said it and other industry groups "strongly oppose any form of discrimination in auto lending, and the CFPB guidance appropriately explains that unlawful discrimination has no place in the marketplace.”

“However, it is relying on a theory of discrimination that is based on a statistical analysis of past transactions — not intentional conduct — and the CFPB has not provided any information about how it is conducting its analysis," NADA said in a statement.

Ally Financial, formerly GMAC, confirmed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that it is one of the finance sources warned by the CFPB that it could face lawsuits.

“The CFPB has recently advised us that they are investigating certain [parts] of our retail financing practices,” read the filing. “It is possible that this could result in actions against us.”

The dealers group claims consumers often save money when they finance their cars through loans 

NADA said that data collected by the Federal Reserve Board and transaction data collected by J.D. Power and Associates demonstrate that  consumers who chose the indirect channel vs. direct saved, on average, $635.40 in 2008 and it said that in 2009, the average savings climbed to $779.40, then again to $1,162.20 in 2010. 

Unemployment remains stubbornly high with almost any job hard to come by. But if you could choose any job or profession, what would it be?

With rapid changes in the economy, some jobs are valued more than others, meaning if you can land one, there's usually higher pay and more perks. Meanwhile, some jobs that have traditionally been considered desirable have slipped toward the bottom of the heap.

With growing concern that the U.S. labor force is deficient in workers with science and technology skills, education now emphasizes what is known as STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Students are encouraged to choose a STEM field of study and the job market is currently rewarding those who do.

A recent Wall Street Journal report found that petroleum engineers can earn $93,500 a year as a starting salary. Computer engineers can start at $71,700. For chemical engineers, the starting pay can be as high as $67,600.

Compare that to new hires in educational services. In that industry starting employees earn an average of just under $40,000 a year.

The best to the worst

CareerCast.com recently released its list of the best and worst jobs in America, taking into account not only pay and benefits but working conditions as well. Topping the list is actuary, a numbers cruncher who measures the financial impact of risk and uncertainty – two things very prevalent in today's economy.

Want to be an actuary? The Society of Actuaries and Casualty Actuarial Society has an informative website that tells you not only what actuaries do but provides quite a bit of useful information for those seeking to enter this rather esoteric line of work. They even have a video.

The list also includes biomedical engineer, software engineer, audiologist, financial planner, dental hygienist, occupational therapist, optometrist, and computer systems analyst.

The worst job in America? According to the list, it's newspaper reporter, a profession once glamorized by movies, books and the Watergate scandal.

The job of newspaper reporter has been on the decline in the CareerCast list for a number of years, because of relatively low pay, tight deadlines and poor working conditions. With shrinking newsrooms, reporters now have to worry about losing this least-valued job.

Tony Lee, CareerCast.com's publisher, says journalism itself isn't so bad – it's just the fact that newspapers appear to be a dying industry.

As far as we know, there's no chirpy video that tells you all about becoming a newspaper reporter, but there is a satirical job listing for the Chicago Sun-Times that was put together by The Newspaper Guild, the union that represents reporters.  It includes such qualifications as:

-Ability to interview subjects anytime, anywhere as there is no newsroom. Candidate should have a car, as it may be your office. Familiarity with locations offering free WiFi a plus

-Must be willing to file stories from public locations such as coffee shops/libraries that will tolerate your presence. Candidate must be comfortable using public restrooms

Change with the times

"People who love to write can consider working for online publications or transition to advertising or public relations," Lee said. "Many jobs in communications offer better hours, greater stability, a work/life balance and a healthier hiring outlook than being a newspaper reporter."

Of course, there's more to being a reporter than writing. You have to cover events and try to pry information out of people who strongly dislike you. Almost everyone will tell you they could do your job better than you.

Also making the list of worst jobs in today's economy, just one notch above newspaper reporter, is lumberjack. Mail carrier, flight attendant, actor and enlisted military personnel are also on that rather eclectic list of worst jobs.

Of course, all of this is subjective. Some measure jobs differently. For example, U.S. News says being a dentist is the best job in 2013, citing a median salary of over $142,000. Last, on its list of 100 jobs, is telemarketer. No argument there.

If you are considering a career change, this information might prove useful. But if you are young, and headed off to college, it may help you choose a promising field. But be sure the craft you choose is one for which you have aptitude and one you think you'll enjoy.

You won't enjoy being an actuary if you really have your heart set on being a lumberjack.