Consumer News & Alerts   |   October 2, 2006

YOUR NEXT HOME
The three pigs, you'll recall, experimented with various building methods -- straw, sticks and bricks. In today's terms, that would correspond to mobile homes, modular homes and stick-built homes. Or would it?

Our Joseph Enoch examined building methods and found that, while mobile homes are still poorly rated, many builders now regard modular or factory-built homes as superior to the custom, or stick-built, variety. Major problems for traditional, or custom, builders include finding skilled carpenters, dealing with bad weather and avoiding bankruptcy in the middle of a building project. Factory-built homes avoid all these risks. If you're thinking of building a new home, Enoch's Your Next Home: Custom or Modular? is a must-read.

SONY'S BATTERY HEADACHE
Dell, Apple, Toshiba, Toshiba, Fujitsu, Lenovo and IBM are among the big computer manufacturers who've recalled laptops using Sony lithium ion batteries. Just in case anyone hasn't gotten the word, Sony has added a few additional batteries to the recall roster, bringing the total to more than 10 million. Simply put, the batteries can overheat and start a fire. In the most dramatic example, a pick-up truck burned to the ground in Nevada over the summer, setting off ammunition in the glove compartment and stranding two hunters in a desolate desert area.

Obviously, if you have a laptop, you should check the battery recall notices. But even if your batteries are not on the recall list, it's important to remember that laptops can get very hot and should not be left unattended on a flammable surface, like a bed, couch or car seat.

PANASONIC SEES THE LIGHT
We'd need a very wide screen to project all the complaints we've received about lamp failure in Panasonic LCD projection TVs. This is no 60-watt light bulb -- it's a special-order part that can cost a few hundred dollars. Now, in a class action settlement, Panasonic has agreed to extend the warranty on certain lamps, reimburse some consumers and replace TVs that have failed three or more times. See our story for more details.

So Does PayPal In a settlement of a lawsuit filed by 28 states, the popular online payment service promises to be more explicit about its policies, so that customers don't get unexpectedly locked out of their accounts. PayPal will also pay about $5 million to selected consumers and to the states to cover the costs of the suit.

Canon Judge Doesn't Although no one denies that Canon digital cameras are subject to a snafu known as the "e18" error that renders the camera useless, a federal judge in New York has refused to certify a class action case filed on behalf of affected consumers. Unfortunately, as this case illustrates, the federal courts, where Congress has decreed most class actions must now be heard, are packed with conservative, pro-business judges, making it much harder for consumers to get their day in court.

AT&T GETS ITS WAY
Consumers may get short shrift but AT&T gets action. Although nearly no one can offer any reason why AT&T's acquisition of BellSouth helps consumers, the Federal Communications Commission is moving quickly to get out of the way. FCC chair Kevin Martin is in such a hurry that he's put the deal on the commission's agenda for its Oct. 14 meeting, even though the Justice Department has not yet completed its review of the merger. Don't want to keep the big guys waiting, you know.

HYBRID FEVER
Japanese automakers have Detroit on the run and, now that consumers are demanding fuel-efficient vehicles, the lead is likely to widen. Toyota and Nissan are moving aggressively to step up hybrid production while Honda is pushing ahead with its clean diesel engine. While this may be good news for consumers, it also means fewer jobs for UAW members in the U.S., not to mention minority auto suppliers, who say they get five times more business from GM than from Toyota. Toyota says it will try to do better.

Saab Stories Saab has always been a niche auto brand in the U.S., appealing mostly to skiers in a hurry to get to the slopes. Now that it's owned by GM, Saab has been playing up its aeronautical heritage, comparing its cars to jets. But many of the Saab owners we hear from say the odd-looking cars are more like tramp steamers, prone to expensive and frequent breakdowns. Moral of this story? Like other highly-tuned performance machines, Saabs can be temperamental -- not necessarily the best choice for those seeking a mellow daily driver.

A TAN WITHOUT THE SUN
Lots of light-skinned people think they just don't look right without a tan. Problem is, excessive exposure to the sun (or to tanning lamps) can cause all kinds of problems, most notably skin cancer. But scientists at the University of Kentucky are working on a new process that makes skin "think" it's outside, so that it produces extra melanin, in effect tanning itself. All this is still in the testing stage so don't look for it at the drugstore just yet.

NYC May Ban Trans Fats New York has certainly changed. First it cleans up Times Square. Then it makes the cabbies line up at Penn Station. Then it bans smoking just about everywhere. And now, the Big Apple is considering a measure to ban heart-clogging trans fats in restaurant food. The results would be felt far beyond the five boroughs. There are not only a million stories in the big city, there are 24,000 restaurants -- so many that national chains might well have to modify their recipes nationwide if the New York ban becomes law.

"Light" Smokers' Class Action Not all class actions have been derailed. A judge has given the go-ahead to a suit that could cost tobacco companies billions. It charges the cigarette makers cynically marketed their "light" cigarettes to appeal to smokers worried about their health. In fact, say the plaintiffs, internal tobacco company documents show that executives were aware that health risks from "light" brands were about the same as regular brands.

Cool but Deadly A new study finds that smokers of menthol cigarettes are less likely to kick the habit, and that African-Americans are more likely to smoke menthol brands. It has long been thought that menthol cigarettes were more harmful than non-mentholated; the new study demonstrates that menthol smokers are much less likely to quit smoking, possibly because the menthol flavor makes the harshness of the tobacco.

DATING CRACKDOWN
Finding suitable romantic partners has never been easy. While dating sites may help some, they also present some pretty serious hazards for the unwary. The feds haven't been eager to try policing the matchmakers, but now several states are considering legislation that would require tighter security and background checks. Whether this is constitutional is another matter, as attorneys for sites like MySpace are quick to point out.

Home Movies Is there nothing Congress won't tinker with? The Hill-dwellers are thinking of legislating protection for software that lets parents (and others) edit movies. Filmmakers are outraged but Congress, pretending to be concerned about morals, claims parents need to be able to censor the movies their kids watch.

Your editor cannot resist making the observation that, as one who has lived in both Hollywood and Washington, D.C., he is amazed that anyone would think Congress is more concerned with morality than Hollywood, but that's another story.

The HP Scandal The spy scandal involving Hewlett-Packard employing private investigators to acquire HP executives' cellphone calling records has led to renewed calls for Congress to pass legislation against "pretexting." But a "poison pill" introduced by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) may torpedo the legislation by tying it to the controversial NSA warrantless surveillance program.

GE Loses Laptop in Hotel Room In the latest lost-laptop snafu, GE says an employee lost a laptop containing data on 50,000 current and former employees. Congressman Tom Davis (R-Va.) has introduced a bill that would ostensibly provide better policies for government agencies to prevent data theft, but the bill was criticized for offering little in the way of actual solutions.

SCAMS & OUTRAGES

• Deceptive Ads Targeting Hispanics Task force finds 166 advertisers using doubtful claims for health, work-at-home and other products.

• Securities Fraud Firms defrauded Minnesotans out of millions, state charges.

• Fake Group Health Insurance Kentucky authorities say scammers falsely claim they are selling major companies' policies at bargain prices.

• Plaza Resorts Company makes over $200,000 in restitution payments.

AIRPORT RULES CHANGE AGAIN
It's getting so you need a calendar to know what you can bring on board with you. The TSA has lightened up on its earlier crackdown on liquids, gels and carry-ons. But confusion reigns in many instances as travelers and security personnel lose track of what's on today's list of verboten substances.

In other travel notes ...

• Registered Traveler Fee Hike TSA has backed off its demand for a $200 annual fee for the Registered Traveler program following complaints from airlines, airports, Congress, consumers and just about everyone else.

• China Air War American, Continental, Northwest and United are skirmishing for the right to add a route to China. Only one will prevail.

• Hotel Bathtubs Down the Drain Travelers will find upgraded showers and lots of extras ... but no tubs, we're told.

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