2012

Autonomous vehicles have been all over the news recently, and this blog is itself no exception.  But a new article takes a look at some of the interesting hurdles that must be overcome before such technology becomes commonplace. The writer of the article points to social acceptance as being one of the biggest challenges that… read more

Police across the entire country are doing whatever they can to cut down on distracted driving, and the state of North Carolina is no different. The entire month of June is now being considered No Texting, Just Driving education month.  The No Texting, Just Driving campaign aims to spread awareness about the dangerous practice of… read more

A good majority of people out there have probably been plagued by mosquitoes and their bites at some point, and numerous persons are probably resigned to the fact that mosquito bites are simply a fact of life.  But this might not be the case if a team of scientists has their way. A British biotech… read more

The Food and Drug Administration has some serious concerns about the safety procedures that a pharmaceutical giant has in place for handling complaints. The McNeil division of Johnson & Johnson has been the recipient of a warning letter from the safety agency.  The FDA believes that this division failed to properly look into hundreds of… read more

A new report concerning autonomous cars paints a pretty picture for those hoping that such technology could have an impact on their wallet. The report, which was released by the Celent consulting firm, is called “A Scenario:  The End of Auto Insurance:  What Happens When There Are Almost No Accidents.”  Although there are a lot… read more

More attention is being heaped upon metal-bristled grill brushes, this time by elected officials concerned about public safety. A United States senator is asking the Food and Drug Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission to look into the safety of grill brushes with metal bristles.  Last week, Consumer Reports brought citizens word of two… read more

According to a statement issued by the United States Food and Drug Administration, websites are selling drugs falsely labeled as Adderall, a prescription drug used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy. The FDA warns that the drug offered for sale in 30 milligram doses is not the controlled substance Adderall, which has been… read more

State inspections conducted at the Wal-Mart in Monticello, New York, have revealed several signs of a widespread mouse infestation, including thousands of rodent droppings, according to a Consumerist report. The infestation puts the store at risk of being shut down by the state’s health department. Reports of a mouse infestation in the store were being… read more

Toys “R” Us Incorporated, a national toy store chain headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, has announced a voluntary recall for an estimated 24,000 units of the Imaginarium Five Sided Activity Center because it poses a potential choking hazard for small children.  The Imaginarium Five Sided Activity Center is equipped with a xylophone element that employs… read more

The voluntary recall issued by River Ranch Fresh Foods Limited for various varieties of its bagged salad mixes potentially contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, has been expanded to include additional varieties of salad mixes. The organism Listeria monocytogenes is a contaminant known to cause severe and even deadly illness in young children, the elderly, and others… read more

At the request of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, Crary Industries Incorporated has issued a voluntary recall for an estimated 120 of its ECHO Bear Cat log splitters, due to a potential defect that could pose an injury hazard to consumers. The hydraulic cylinder end cap of certain ECHO Bear Cat log splitters… read more

With texting while driving becoming more and more prevalent, all eyes were on New Jersey when a lawsuit was brought against someone who sent a text message that allegedly distracted a driver and caused an accident.  One of the first cases of its kind, the case could have far reaching implications for anyone who texts,… read more