Current Events in November 2014

There are, as the old saying goes, days when you just can't win for losing. That pretty well sums up the situation facing automakers, consumers and regulators as millions of recalled but unrepaired cars continue rolling down the roads.

General Motors is, of course, the most obvious example of the many things that can go wrong in a safety recall campaign. GM has been struggling to complete its recall of about 2 million cars equipped with defective ignition switches that can cut off unexpectedly.

It's estimated that at least 1 million of the recalled cars are still out there somewhere, presenting a continuing danger to everyone on the road. In some cases, owners have not responded to the recall or haven't received the notice, while in others consumers say their dealer either doesn't have the parts or just hasn't been able to work them in yet.

That's what happened to Brittany Alfarone, 25, who was killed when her Chevrolet Cobalt crashed nearly Yonkers, N.Y. Oct. 9, The New York Times reported. Alfarone's mother said she had tried to have her car fixed twice but had been turned away twice by dealers. 

Others have had annoying but far less tragic experiences. Denyz of Tucker, Ga., said that, prior to the recall, she paid to have the ignition problem fixed in her daughter's Cobalt after a series of problems with the ignition. 

"When I got message from GM that ignition was being recalled, I was happy thinking I would finally get issue resolved; not so. Keys are still being locked in ignition and the dealer quickly motioned that this was not part of the recall. Started quoting me prices and labor fees," Denyz said. 

Social media

GM has started a social media campaign to lure reluctant motorists and is offering $25 gift cards to Starbucks and other retailers as an incentive. It has also started sending letters, notifying owners that parts are now available and urging them to make an appointment with their dealer.

The social media campaign includes personalized online ads on Facebook and other sites. The company said it is matching its database of owners with members of social sites.

Most recall campaigns don't achieve more than about a 75% completion rate but GM CEO Mary Barra has said she wants all of the recalled cars fixed, so the company is pulling out all the stops trying to reach everyone.

Despite rising dissatisfaction with banks in recent years, fewer consumers are going without banking services these days.

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), which surveys unbanked and underbanked households every 2 years, has found the percentage of households with no bank accounts fell from 8.2% in 2011 to 7.7% in 2013. The share of underbanked households remained essentially unchanged at 20%.

What's responsible for more consumers returning to the bank? The FDIC speculates that an improving economy has something to do with it, along with changing demographics.

Turned off by fees

Millions of consumers dropped out of banking when banks began to rely more heavily of fee income. Consumers living on the margin decided banks were unaffordable when they had to pay a monthly service charge on their checking account and overdraft fees when they overdrew their accounts.

Three years ago a grassroots effort urged fed up consumers to move their accounts from large mega-banks to credit unions and small community banks that charge fewer fees, an event that was declared “bank transfer day.”

However, the banking climate appears to have improved a bit since then. Recent changes in the banking rules have allowed consumers to opt out of automatic overdraft fees and banks face stricter requirements in the way they debit charges, meaning there are fewer cases in which an account is overdrawn.

1.5 million more now use a bank

Working with the U.S. Census Bureau, FDIC determined that 9.6 million households – about 25 million people – were unbanked in 2013, about 1.5 million fewer people than in 2011. About 24 million households were underbanked in 2013, representing about 68 million people.

When asked why they didn't use a bank, 35.6% said the main reason was not having enough money to keep in an account or meet minimum balance requirements.

Alternatives

There are also a growing number of alternatives to banks when it comes to managing money. Some may be as expensive as banks in the long run but might be more convenient to use.

Learnvest, a financial planning firm, notes that online financial institutions like Ally, Capital One 360 and Charles Schwab offer most of the same services as brick-and-mortar banks with less red tape and lower fees. They also tend to pay higher interest rates on savings.

Prepaid cards have emerged as another popular alternative to banks. The debit card can be reloaded with cash, including taking direct deposits, and payments can be made online.

While some cards have more fees than banks, others are very competitive. American Express and Walmart have teamed up on a money card called Bluebird, which has won praise for its modest fees.

The FDIC survey found that prepaid cards are, in fact, popular with people who have no bank. More the 1 in 5 unbanked households – 22% – reported using a prepaid money card in the prior 12 months.

Still turning to payday lenders

On a discouraging note, the survey found that 25% of unbanked and underbanked households used a payday loan or check cashing company in the last year.

"The findings of this survey add to our understanding of the challenges facing unbanked and underbanked households and underscore the value of the FDIC's partnership with the Census to do this survey every two years," said FDIC Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg.

The FDIC concludes that new government strategies could help consumers renew banking relationships as well as support new consumer-friendly alternative banking services.

McDonald's wants you to know that, despite preliminary reports suggesting the hamburger chain would supplement its decade-old ad slogan “I'm lovin' it” with the complementary slogan “Lovin' beats hatin',” the company is not – repeat, not – actually planning to adopt “Lovin' beats hatin'” as its new slogan.

Instead, the new slogan is to be “Lovin' is greater than hatin',” also spelled out mathematically as “Lovin' > Hatin'.”

The Wall Street Journal blog first reported the incorrect “Lovin' beats hatin'” rumor last week, but only yesterday did BurgerBusiness.com discover that the actual intended catchphrase is slightly different: last week, McDonald's filed U.S. federal trademark registrations for “Lovin' is greater than hatin'” and “Lovin' > hatin'.”

Overwhelmingly negative

In other news, American students continue to score below the worldwide average on mathematics proficiency tests. So maybe McDonald's could promote its new campaign as an attempt to increase kids' familiarity with mathy concepts, but at what cost to proper writing skills?

Of course, it might not actually matter. Given the overwhelmingly negative response to both reported ad campaigns, and given also that the theoretical purpose of advertising is supposed to be “Make people like your company enough to spend money there,” McDonald's might eventually decide to abandon the campaign after all. Advertising professionals must surely know it doesn't bode well for any promotional campaign, when a search for the slogan on Twitter brings up typical remarks like this:

.@McDonalds's new "Lovin' > Hatin'" slogan to reach Millennials might as well be "I'm a cool mom, right?!

It used to be thought that smoking cigarettes would help keep you thin. Some people may still believe that, but a new study finds that, in fact, the reverse is true: exposure to cigarette smoke can cause you to gain weight -- and secondhand smoke is even more likely to do so.

“For people who are in a home with a smoker, particularly children, the increased risk of cardiovascular or metabolic problems is massive,” said Benjamin Bikman, professor of physiology and developmental biology at Brigham Young University and the author of a study published in the American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Bikman and BYU colleague Paul Reynolds’ interest in cigarette smoke is tied to metabolic function: they wanted to pinpoint the mechanism behind why smokers become insulin resistant. To carry out their study, they exposed lab mice to side-stream (or second-hand) smoke and followed their metabolic progression.

Sure enough, those exposed to smoke put on weight. When they drilled down to the cellular level, they found the smoke triggered a tiny lipid called ceramide to alter mitochondria in the cells, causing disruption to normal cell function and inhibiting the cells’ ability to respond to insulin.

“The lungs provide a vast interface with our environment and this research shows that a response to involuntary smoking includes altering systemic sensitivity to insulin,” Reynolds said. “Once someone becomes insulin resistant, their body needs more insulin. And any time you have insulin go up, you have fat being made in the body.”

Half the country

The finding is significant, since it's estimated that half of the U.S. population is exposed at least once daily to secondhand cigarette smoke and approximately 20% of young children live with someone who smokes in the home. Every day, almost 4,000 young adults smoke their first cigarette and 1,000 become habitual smokers.

It might at first appear that the situation is relatively hopeless, since children and other relatives of smokers often don't get to choose their families.

But in fact, Bikman and his team found that there is a way to reverse the effects of cigarette smoke by inhibiting ceramide. The researchers found the mice treated with myriocin (a known ceramide blocker) didn’t gain weight or experience metabolic problems, regardless of their exposure to the smoke.

However, when the smoke-exposed mice were also fed a high-sugar diet, the metabolic disruption could not be fixed. Now Bikman and his team are in a race with other researchers to find a ceramide inhibitor that is safe for humans.

“The idea that there might be some therapy we could give to innocent bystanders to help protect them from the consequences of being raised in a home with a smoker is quite gratifying,” he said.

And what about the smokers themselves? Bikman said that one is easier said than done.

“They just have to quit,” he said. “Perhaps our research can provide added motivation as they learn about the additional harmful effects to loved ones.”

Could your retirement plan use a little help?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) says low- and moderate-income workers can take steps now to save for retirement and earn a special tax credit in 2014 and years ahead.

The saver’s credit helps offset part of the first $2,000 workers contribute to IRAs and 401(k) plans and similar workplace retirement programs. Also known as the retirement savings contributions credit, the saver’s credit is available in addition to any other tax savings that apply.

It's not too late

Eligible workers still have time to make qualifying retirement contributions and get the saver’s credit on their 2014 tax return. You have until April 15, 2015, to set up a new individual retirement arrangement or add money to an existing IRA for 2014.

However, elective deferrals (contributions) must be made by the end of the year to a 401(k) plan or similar workplace program, such as a 403(b) plan for employees of public schools and certain tax-exempt organizations, a governmental 457 plan for state or local government employees, or the Thrift Savings Plan for federal employees.

Workers who are unable to set aside money for this year may want to schedule their 2015 contributions soon so their employer can begin withholding them in January.

The saver’s credit can be claimed by:

• Married couples filing jointly with incomes up to $60,000 in 2014 or $61,000 in 2015;
• Heads of Household with incomes up to $45,000 in 2014 or $45,750 in 2015; and
• Married individuals filing separately and singles with incomes up to $30,000 in 2014 or $30,500 in 2015.

Filing status matters

Like other tax credits, the saver’s credit can increase a taxpayer’s refund or reduce the tax owed. Though the maximum saver’s credit is $1,000, $2,000 for married couples, the IRS cautioned that it is often much less and, due in part to the impact of other deductions and credits, may -- in fact -- be zero for some taxpayers.

A taxpayer’s credit amount is based on his or her filing status, adjusted gross income, tax liability and amount contributed to qualifying retirement programs. Form 8880 is used to claim the saver’s credit, and its instructions have details on figuring the credit correctly.

In tax year 2012, the most recent year for which complete figures are available, saver’s credits totaling $1.2 billion were claimed on more than 6.9 million individual income tax returns. Saver’s credits claimed on these returns averaged $215 for joint filers, $165 for heads of household and $127 for single filers.

The saver’s credit supplements other tax benefits available to those who set money aside for retirement. For example, most workers may deduct their contributions to a traditional IRA. Though Roth IRA contributions are not deductible, qualifying withdrawals, usually after retirement, are tax-free. Normally, contributions to 401(k) and similar workplace plans are not taxed until withdrawn.

The rules

Other special rules that apply to the saver’s credit include the following:

• Eligible taxpayers must be at least 18 years of age.
• Anyone claimed as a dependent on someone else’s return cannot take the credit.
• A student cannot take the credit. A person enrolled as a full-time student during any part of 5 calendar months during the year is considered a student.
• Certain retirement plan distributions reduce the contribution amount used to figure the credit. For 2014, this rule applies to distributions received after 2011 and before the due date, including extensions, of the 2014 return. Form 8880 and its instructions have details on making this computation.

Williams-Sonoma will pay a $700,000 civil penalty, resolving Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) charges that it knowingly failed to report immediately a defect involving Pottery Barn Kids Roman shades with exposed inner cords.

The San Francisco-based company Williams-Sonoma sold the Roman shades nationwide, through its Pottery Barn Kids brand, between January 2003 and November 2007, for $30 to $60. CPSC staff claimed the shades posed a strangulation hazard to young children.

Foot-dragging alleged

By the time that Williams-Sonoma filed its full report with CPSC, 7 consumers had reported that children had become entangled on the inner cords of the Pottery Barn Kids Roman shades. Williams-Sonoma ultimately recalled approximately 85,000 of the shades.

Federal law requires manufacturers, distributors and retailers to report to CPSC immediately (within 24 hours) after obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect that could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or fails to comply with any consumer product safety requirement enforced by CPSC.

In agreeing to the settlement, Williams-Sonoma neither admits nor denies CPSC staff’s charges.

Art is in the eye of the beholder and it works like that with dogs as well. Some people look at a piece of art and turn their neck upside down trying to figure out what it is. The next person comes to look at it and immediately sees a whole picture with an emotional story.

Same situation when it comes to dogs. Someone can go to a shelter and see a scruffy little dog all matted up with beady little eyes and the next person sees a beautiful little puppy with eyes that melt your heart. If you combine the two -- art and dogs -- you get the American Kennel Club Museum of the Dog in St. Louis.

It's a 14,000-square-foot facility in a beautiful location and if you are thinking about a wedding where dogs can be invited this is a natural selection. It is available as a rental space for any life event. There are over 700 original works of art drawings, watercolors, prints, sculptures, bronzes, and porcelain figurines, and a variety of decorative arts objects, all with a focus on man's and woman's best friend, the dog.

The museum, which draws about 10,000 visitors per year is totally self-supporting from admission feeds, memberships and donations, said executive director Stephen George. Although it carries the AKC in its name the AKC does not sponsor it.

The art that is housed has been given by bequest or donated by people while they are alive. Currently, they have a porcelain dog sculpture exhibit that contains 150 pieces of art donated by the Glen Twiford estate. Twiford was a Collie breeder, artist and AKC judge.

Dog library

Art comes in many forms and the museum houses a library with over 3,000 books and dog-related publications. If you are doing any kind of canine history it's probably sitting on these shelves. It contains classics and not just "Rin Tin Tin," but also "The Illustrated Book of the Dog," dated 1890, by Vero Shaw, and "Dogs and All About Them," dated 1910, by Robert Leighton. The Hope A. Levy Memorial Library is open by appointment only.

The museum is unique as it supports not only the masters in dog art but artists all over America that can do portraits of your dog. They have an artist registry with a biographical listing of more than 250 artists available by commission for dog portraits and dog-related art.

Each week from March through October the museum has a celebrated guest on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The guest is a dog who greets visitors as they arrive. 

You never have to go it alone if you want to go to this extraordinary museum because your dog can accompany you.

"The Museum provides doggy treats, fresh water, and a place for Fido to exercise. And, of course, Queeny Park offers an ideal setting for dog walking on a warm, sunny day. Dogs must be obedience trained and on leash."

For more info on the museum you can go to their site http://www.museumofthedog.org/index.html

As a gardener you may have some old seeds lying around your tool shed or in the garage and you may wonder if you can pop them in the dirt and watch them grow. 

There are expiration dates on your packages. They should be stamped "Packed for 2013" or whatever year the seeds were sold at retail. Seeds that are only a year or so old and whose packets are still unopened generally germinate very well.

If they are older than 5 years and the packs were opened or the seeds were stored where the temp and the humidity add up to more than 100 when combined its a no-grow.

Your garage or basement is a great place to store seeds, because they are typically dark, cool and dry. The temperature remains pretty constant. Most seeds stay viable longer if stored at a constant temperature of 40 degrees or lower.

There is a 10-day germination test you can do to see if they have any growing power whatsoever.

Place some sample seeds inside moist paper towels and slide the towels into a plastic bag. Mark the type of seeds on the front, but don't seal the bag. Let them sit out in the warmest room of your house and check them at Day 5 and every day thereafter. Viable seeds should sprout by Day 10. If they don't, or if less than a third make it, get fresh seed.

If you have a flower or fruit that bloomed just perfectly and you are hoping the seeds from the plant will get you a repeat, make sure the seeds are totally dry before you store them. Put them in a single layer on a paper towel on the counter so they can dry out. You can then put them in an envelope, date it and label it and drop them in a jar. You do need to shut it tight so no air gets in.

Now next time you're ready to plant your seeds are waiting and ready to grow.

Home prices nationwide posted a year-over-year increase of 5.6% in September 2014, making 31 months of consecutive year-over-year increases in home prices nationally. However, the rate of growth slowed from the 6.4% year-over-year rate posted in August.

On a month-over-month basis, prices dropped from August by 0.1%.

“Home prices continue to rise compared with this time last year but the rate of growth is clearly slowing as we exit 2014,” said Anand Nallathambi, president and CEO of CoreLogic. “With more positive macro-economic trends emerging in the U.S., we are forecasting moderate price growth for 2015.”

How the states did

At the state level, all states showed year-over-year home price appreciation in September, with Michigan and Montana, showing double-digit growth. Another 28 states and the District of Columbia were at or within 10% of their home price peak.

According to CoreLogic, a property information provider, its Home Price Index (HPI) reached new highs in 5 states: Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Texas.

The CoreLogic HPI Forecast indicates that home prices will increase 0.1% month-over-month from September 2014 to October 2014 and, on a year-over-year basis, by 5% from September 2014 to September 2015.

“There has been a clear bifurcation in home price growth for lower-end versus upper-end properties in 2014,” said Sam Khater, deputy chief economist at CoreLogic. “As of December 2013, both lower-end and upper-end property prices were up 9.7% on a year over year basis. As of September, lower-end prices were up 9.4% but upper-end prices were up only 4.5%.”

September highlights

• The 5 states with the highest home price appreciation were: Michigan (+10.3%), Montana (+10%), Maine (+9.6%), Massachusetts (+8.8%) and California (+8.5%).
• The peak-to-current change in the national HPI (from April 2006 to September 2014) was -12.6%.
• The 5 states with the largest peak-to-current declines were: Nevada (-36.6%), Florida (-34.1%), Arizona (-29.6%), Rhode Island (-27.9%) and Maryland (-21.2%).
• The U.S. has experienced 31 consecutive months of year-over-year increases; however, the national average is no longer posting double-digit increases.
• Ninety-six of the top 100 Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs) measured by population showed year-over-year increases in September 2014. The four CBSAs that did not show an increase were Rochester, N.Y.; Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Ark.; New Haven-Milford, Conn. and Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, Conn.

Nissan North America has issued a pair of recalls for Infiniti hybrids with transmission and electric motor problems.

The first involves 817 model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 hybrids manufactured October 16, 2013, to January 27, 2014, and Infiniti Q70 hybrids manufactured November 7, 2013, to December 10, 2013, that may have been assembled with transmissions whose housings were damaged during their manufacturing.

The damaged housings could crack and fracture, creating road debris and disabling the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission assembly and replace it if cracks are found, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in mid-November 2014.

Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1- 800-647-7261.

The second recall is for 5,412 model year 2014 Infiniti Q50 hybrid vehicles manufactured December 10, 2012, to June 25, 2014, and Infiniti Q70 hybrid vehicles manufactured November 7, 2013, to May 7, 2014.

Due to a software error, the electric motor may stop working while the vehicle is being driven using the electric motor only. The stall-like condition that occurs may increase the risk of a crash.

Nissan will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the motor inverter software, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in mid-November 2014.

Owners may contact Nissan customer service at 1-800-647-7261.

Taylor Farms New Jersey of Swedesboro, N.J., is recalling 1,510 units of Wawa garden rotini salad.

The product may contain fish, wheat and egg, allergens not listed on the label.

There have been no reported adverse reactions to this product.

The recalled product, which was sold to Wawa stores in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Virginia and Maryland, has the code date of “sell by” 11/04/2014 TFNJ 303 1 5:00am found on the top the container.

The salad is packaged in an 8-oz. plastic container, and was distributed to stores on 10/30/2014

Consumers who have purchased the recalled product should discard it and contact the Wawa call center at 1-800-444-9292 24 hours a day 7 days a week for a full refund.

Consumers with questions may contact Taylor Farms New Jersey at 856-294-4181 Monday through Friday between 8am and 4pm EST.

Hyundai and Kia will pay $100 million in penalties for overstating fuel-economy standards on 1.2 million vehicles -- the largest civil penalty ever imposed for Clean Air Act violations.

"Because they used inaccurately low numbers to demonstrate compliance with emissions standards – cherry-picking data and conducting tests in ways that did not reflect good engineering judgment – Hyundai and Kia calculated higher fuel economy and lower greenhouse gas emissions than these vehicles actually have," Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., said at a Washington news conference today. 

"The companies then reported the lower greenhouse gas emission numbers to the EPA in their applications.  They claimed more ... emission credits than they were entitled to.  And they touted these inaccurate fuel economy statistics to consumers," Holder said.

The models involved are Hyundai's Accent, Elantra, Veloster and Santa Fe vehicles, and Kia's Rio and Soul vehicles, mostly from the 2011-13 model years.

Hyundai said it was "pleased to put this behind us."

"Acted transparently"

“Hyundai has acted transparently, reimbursed affected customers and fully cooperated with the EPA throughout the course of its investigation,” said David Zuchowski, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “We are ... gratified that even with our adjusted fuel economy ratings, Hyundai continues to lead the automotive industry in fuel efficiency and environmental performance.”

Besides the fine, the Korean automakers will forfeit $200 million in greenhouse-gas emission credits that they received for claiming lower emissions than their cars actually achieved.

Excess emissions

The case was based on the car companies' sale of close to 1.2 million vehicles that will emit approximately 4.75 million metric tons of greenhouse gases in excess of what the automakers certified to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Automakers earn greenhouse gas emissions credits for building vehicles with lower emissions than required by law. These credits can be used to offset emissions from less fuel-efficient vehicle models or sold or traded to other automakers for the same purpose. The greenhouse gas emissions that the forfeited credits would have allowed are equal to the emissions from powering more than 433,000 homes for a year.

“Greenhouse gas emission laws protect the public from the dangers of climate change, and today’s action reinforces EPA’s commitment to see those laws through,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “Businesses that play by the rules shouldn’t have to compete with those breaking the law. This settlement upholds the integrity of the nation’s fuel economy and greenhouse gas programs and supports all Americans who want to save fuel costs and reduce their environmental impact.”

"Safeguards endangered"

Holder said the misrepresentations endanger "key safeguards that preserve fair and open competition in the marketplace by putting other car makers at a competitive disadvantage."

"Companies that comply with the law may spend more to achieve emission characteristics than those that misrepresent the performance of their vehicles.  They may see their sales affected by the claims of other companies regarding, for example, better fuel economy.  More importantly, all consumers have the right to know that the cars they buy actually have the characteristics that are represented to the EPA – a basic compact that Hyundai and Kia flagrantly violated in this case," Holder said.

Owners of the affected vehicles have already been reimbursed as part of a voluntary adjustment of fuel economy ratings announced in November 2012, affecting about one-quarter of the automaker's 2011-13 model year vehicles. 

Numerous violations

The complaint was filed jointly by the federal government and the California Air Resources Board in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It alleges that the car companies sold close to 1.2 million cars and SUVs from model years 2012 and 2013 whose design specifications did not conform to the specifications the companies certified to EPA, which led to the misstatements of greenhouse gas emissions. These allegations involve the Hyundai Accent, Elantra, Veloster and Santa Fe vehicles and the Kia Rio and Soul vehicles.

Additionally Hyundai and Kia gave consumers inaccurate information about the real-world fuel economy performance of many of these vehicles, overstating the fuel economy by 1 to 6 miles per gallon -- depending on the vehicle. Similarly, they understated the emissions of greenhouse gases by their fleets by approximately 4.75 million metric tons over the estimated lifetime of the vehicles.

In order to reduce the likelihood of future vehicle greenhouse gas emission miscalculations, the companies have agreed to reorganize their emissions certification group, revise test protocols, improve management of test data and enhance employee training before they conduct emissions testing to certify their model year 2017 vehicles.

In the meantime, Hyundai and Kia must audit their fleets for model years 2015 and 2016 to ensure that vehicles sold to the public conform to the description and data provided to EPA.

Who can hear better than a dog? Why, a cat of course. Dog owners might not like hearing that but facts are facts -- cats have Bose speakers when it comes to hearing.

Those little pointy ears can detect a larger range of sounds than most ever thought -- a not too shabby 11 octaves, to be precise, which is two octaves more than a human, and one octave more than a dog.

Cats need supersonic ears so they can hear a mouse when he comes around or a bird lands nearby and starts scratching a log. It's all in the name of being a hunter. If you watch a cat you can see him listening when his body is quite still and you see only his ears move back and forth.

Very cool cats

This past week some very cool cats were given the treat of listening to music that human ears could not hear with shrill, high-frequency cat-only versions of Jay-Z, BackStreet Boys and the "Back to the Future" soundtrack.

The cats seem to like it but if you have ever had a cat, you know that they aren't big on being exuberant so not a ton of emotion was displayed. The piano that they heard it on was built so humans could hear the sounds as well but the cats were listening via the cat mode -- rocking out to the ultra-high frequencies.

The keyboard for cats was made as part of the viral protest called  “The Pussycat Riot.” The protest, known also as #ThePussycatRiot on social media, is part of a campaign against countries such as Russia and China that censor the internet.

"It is imperative we recognise and challenge the powers that restrict not only the public’s access to the simple joy of funny cat content, but to information as a whole," their website says, continuing: 

Freedom is knowledge. Knowledge is power. Cats know everything.
From the very heart of the Internet we raise our banner with #ThePussycatRiot: a new protest movement to unite the cats of the world and their owners in opposition to cyber censorship. We aim to raise awareness of the oppressive regimes preventing people from freely enjoying the boundless wealth of mankind’s innovation and creativity... And cat videos."

Who doesn't love a good cat protest?

If a tablet is on your shopping list this year you might not have to wait until Black Friday to pick one up. Then again, it might pay to do so.

As retailers have begun to roll out their pre-Black Friday bargains, there haven't been that many tablets among them. Retail analysts have predicted attractive mark downs on tablets this holiday season as manufacturers make a strong push to reignite interest in these devices.

But judging by the offerings so far, sale-priced tablets may be older versions of popular brands, as well as off-brands that retailers would like to clear from their shelves.

New or old?

For example, the latest iPad is the iPad Air 2. The 16GB version retails for around $489. But if you can be satisfied with the model it replaces, you're likely to find it on sale.

BestBlackFriday.com has posted a scan of what it says is a Sam's Club ad promoting a one-day holiday sale Saturday, November 15. The ad features the older version, the iPad Air 16GB, at $100 off.

It's very possible that before all is said and done hyper competitive retailers will slash prices on the latest tablets, but if they do they are likely to save them for Black Friday itself, to create as much impact as possible.

In the meantime, shoppers can find tablets on sale that, while not the latest technology, could make a nice gift and help stretch your budget.

HKC 8" Tablet 8GB Memory Dual Core

The HKC 8-inch tablet is one of the lowest priced Android tablets around. Walmart has marked it down to $60. The 8-inch screen is ample surface for watching movies, reading books or surfing the web.

With Google Play users can access more than 700,000 apps and games, as well as a large collection of ebooks, music and movies.

Microsoft Surface 2 32GB

Microsoft's latest tablet, the Surface Pro 3, starts at about $1,000. You'll find this older version, the Surface 2 with 32GB of storage at a much lower price. Best Buy is selling it for $450.

The 10-inch Surface 2 tablet has a 1080p display and comes with Office. It's also lightweight, at just under 1.5lbs. 

Apple iPad mini 16GB Wi-Fi

The iPad mini 16GB with Wi-Fi provides the features of an iPad but in a smaller package. The screen is 7.9-inches and powered by an A5 chip. Walmart has marked it down to $239.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite Tablet With 7" Screen, 8GB

The Galaxy Tab 3 is another smaller tablet, featuring a 7-inch screen. It offers touch-screen functionality and runs Android Jelly Bean 4.2.

In addition to its Wi-Fi connectivity the device also connect via Bluetooth. It permits short range data transfers up to 30 feet. Office Depot has it on sale for $140.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 4, an updated version, also sports a 7-inch screen and runs Android's Kit Kat operating system. Amazon.com has marked it down to $163. It features a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 7-inch 1280x800 touchscreen LCD, 8GB internal memory, 802.11n wireless, 3-megapixel rear camera, 1.3-megapixel front camera, microSD card slot, and Bluetooth 4.0.

A Virginia state judge ruled last weekthat police can compel a criminal defendant to provide his fingerprints, though not his passcodes, to open his smartphones to police access.

The distinction drawn by Circuit Court Judge Steven C. Frucci is that a password is knowledge, which suspects cannot be required to divulge under the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination, whereas a fingerprint is more like requiring a DNA sample or an actual key, which the law does allow under certain conditions. Knowledge existing only in your memory is distinct from anything in the tangible, material world.

Fingerprint scanners aren't exactly new technology – Apple introduced the option in its iPhone 5S last year, and there's at least one brand of e-cigarette outfitted with a fingerprint scanner to ensure nobody except the e-cig's authorized owner can use it (which simultaneously prevents children from vaping and renders the device useless to any potential thieves).

Attempted strangulation

But this case, involving an Emergency Medical Services captain charged with trying to strangle his girlfriend, might be the first time American courts have addressed the issue of fingerprint scanners in a criminal case.

Prosecutors in Virginia Beach have charged David Baust, an Emergency Medical Services captain, with trying to strangle his girlfriend last February. They say that video equipment in Baust's bedroom might have recorded the incident, and the video recording might be on his phone.

Baust is expected to allow his finger to be put into the scanner sometime today. However, as of press time it's still not known whether that will be sufficient for prosecutors to see what is or isn't on Baust's phone; if the phone is also encrypted and password-protected then, under the ruling, prosecutors still wouldn't be able to access its contents.

Do you love your pets as much as your kids? If you're a mom, a new study says you very well may. Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers investigated the brain structures of women and how they were activated when they looked at images of their kids and images of their own dogs. They found very similar reactions.

The findings don't come as a complete surprise, noted Lori Palley of the MGH Center for Comparative Medicine, co-lead author of the report and a doctor of veterinary medicine.

“Several previous studies have found that levels of neurohormones like oxytocin — which is involved in pair-bonding and maternal attachment — rise after interaction with pets, and new brain-imaging technologies are helping us begin to understand the neurobiological basis of the relationship, which is exciting,” she said.

The study consisted of two sessions involving 16 women.

The first session was done in the home with women who had at least one child aged 2 to 10 and one dog that had been in the household for 2 years or longer. They completed several questions about their relationship with their child and their pet.

The second session was carried out at MGH. It included an MRI of the brain and looked at levels of activation in specific brain structures by detecting changes in blood flow and oxygen levels as the women lay in the scanner and saw a series of photos. The pictures were of their kids and their dog as well as unfamiliar children and dogs.

They were asked questions about the photos and rated several images from each category on factors relating to pleasure and excitement. All the pleasure centers showed increased activity when the subjects saw images of their own children and dog.

“Although this is a small study that may not apply to other individuals, the results suggest there is a common brain network important for pair-bond formation and maintenance that is activated when mothers viewed images of either their child or their dog,” said Luke Stoeckel, MGH Department of Psychiatry, co-lead author of the study, which was published in the open-access journal PLOS One.

A few days ago, the news was Dish Network dumping CNN. Now it's DirecTV possibly putting a stake through the heart of "The Walking Dead," "Mad Men" and other popular AMC shows.

AMC says its contract with DirecTV has expired and it says the satellite channel “has not engaged in meaningful negotiations with us, which leaves us to doubt whether a timely renewal is possible."

But DirecTV says not to worry, promising that the risen dead series will live on for the rest of the season, saying that it intends to "renew our AMC partnership at a price that’s fair to our customers."

Translation: Both parties are playing hardball seeking the best deal they can get while preparing to shift the blame to the other party if negotiations fail.

"Great respect"

It's still fairly early in the process so both sides are trying to stay positive. AMC says it has "great respect" for DirecTV, which in turn is assuring its subscribers that it has their best interests in mind.

"You come first," says DirecTVPromise.com, a website where the network puts its spin on contract talks. "DirecTV is committed to bringing you the best TV experience at the most reasonable value."

For its part, AMC has been inserting adroit advisories in its popular shows and using its website to urge fans to contact DirecTV.

"You are at risk of losing AMC and your favorite series, including 'The Walking Dead,' 'Mad Men,' 'Better Call Saul' and much more," the AMC site claims.

But zombie enthusiasts should be able to rest in peace for the next few months. The current contract runs through the end of the calendar year and "Dead" is scheduled to take a mid-season break in Novembrr, resuming in February.

Industry watchers say that DirecTV is trying to avoid unnecessary controversy while the Federal Communications Commission and other regulators consider whether to give the go-ahead to its purchase by AT&T.

It is not an unfamiliar scene today to be caring for your kids as well as your parents. As Baby Boomers age the demands increase and they often find themselves double-parenting.

At some point in the process of caring for your parents you will have to make sure that they are taking their medications. It's all part of the drill and it can be exhausting especially if they don't live with you.

Of course, it's not just your parents. The number of Americans affected by at least one chronic condition requiring medication therapy is expected to grow from 133 million to 157 million by 2020.

That's a lot of people, and already nearly three out of four Americans report that they do not always take their medication as directed, a problem that causes more than one-third of medicine-related hospitalizations, nearly 125,000 deaths in the United States each year, and adds $290 billion in avoidable costs to the health care system annually.

A new product trying to find its way to market may be a partial answer to the problem. The Amiko is sort of a Fitbit for medicine packs. It fits around your medicine (starting with inhalers), measures how you are taking the meds, when you are taking them and if you need more – and it sends the info to your phone (or to your caregivers' phone). It provides instant feedback and eliminates errors. There is no additional self-reporting or other activities required. (Self reporting is usually the downfall of people who have to take medicine on a daily basis.)

If your parent is a little "old school" and a smartphone is just not for them there is something called the Amiko Hub. It will let them remind them when it's time for their medication and will also alert them if they get a message from you or one of their caregivers, pharmacists or physicians. 

As of now it is in the funding stages but the projected goal is to have a release by March 2015.