uSalt Labels Could Appear Next To Menu Items In NYC’s Chain Restaurants As Soon As Decemberr

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  (reallyboring)

  It’s been a little more than a month since New York City’s Department of Health unveiled a proposal that would require all chain restaurants to add a salt shaker symbol (or something similar) on the menu next to items that contain more than the recommended daily limit of 2,300 milligrams of sodium, or about 1 teaspoon of salt. Though there’s been plenty of pushback, that proposal could become the law of the land as soon as December.

  If Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposal does end up going through, it would make NYC the first city to have such a requirement regarding salt. The measure was the hot ticket at a public hearing yesterday at NYC’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene in Queens, reports the Wall Street Journal, ahead of a Board of Health vote on the proposal slated for September.

  Restaurant groups are not pleased with the idea, calling the proposal overly burdensome, as it would require businesses to overhaul their menus. This, after many restaurants had to redo their menus to add calorie counts recently in the city. New federal menu-labeling standards will also go into effect in 2016, meaning some restaurants would have to redo their printed menus again.

  “I think the idea that here we go again, with special boards and menus in New York City, is very frustrating,” Melissa Fleischut, president of the New York State Restaurant Association told the WSJ.

  There’s also some confusion over whether the icon would be required on items that usually feed more than one person, like a pizza. An entire pie would require the salt label, for example, but a single slice might not.

  On the other hand, health advocates applauded the proposal, though some said it doesn’t go far enough.

  Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, called it a “groundbreaking public-health initiative.” But, he said, “it’s an extraordinarily conservative approach.”

  A spokeswoman for the mayor defended the measure, saying that the warning label is part of de Blasio’s strategy to lower the city’s premature mortality rate by 25% by 2040.

  “Excess sodium intake is dangerous and linked to increased blood pressure and risk of heart disease and stroke,” she said. “With this warning label, we can increase awareness about the risks.”

  If the Board of Health approves the measure, the new rule could go into effect as soon as Dec. 1, though penalties wouldn’t be imposed for the first six months.

  New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Salt Proposal Shakes Things Up [Wall Street Journal]

  
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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uAlcohol-Serving Taco Bell Will Abide By Hour Restrictions, Staff Security Guardsr

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  (Mike Mozart)

  Don’t even think about getting a bit unruly at the soon-to-open boozy Taco Bell, because you’ll be under the watchful eye of a security guard.

  DNAInfo reports that the operators of the alcohol-serving fast food restaurant – set to open in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood later this summer – recently agreed to a few restrictions amid concerns from area residents.

  In addition to staffing a security guard at the door from 9 p.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday, the restaurant will stop selling liquor at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at midnight on Friday and Saturday.

  Alcohol must be consumed on the premises and the staff will include workers over the age of 21 who have completed training to serve alcohol — which will come in a different style of cup to set it apart from non-alcoholic drinks.

  The restrictions were settled upon after a community group expressed concerns in June about underage drinking, late hours and customers leaving the restaurant with open containers.

  A lawyer for the operator – who owns 34 other Taco Bell restaurants in the area – said they felt the restrictions were reasonable. However, he notes that the plan can be amended or extended after nine months, depending on how things are going at the location.

  The president of the Wicker Park Committee tells DNAInfo that the group welcomes the new establishment.

  While both the Taco Bell owner and community group have agreed to the new plan, it still must be approved by the city’s Liquor Commissioner.

  A spokesperson for Taco Bell tells DNAInfo that they expect the new location to open in August.

  “Our franchisee is thrilled with the positive feedback from city officials and the Wicker Park Community on this newly designed Taco Bell,” he said, noting that a similar booze-serving restaurant is set to open in San Francisco in September.

  Back in June, the fast food restaurant confirmed earlier rumors that it would sling boozy at the location.

  Guests shouldn’t expect the same ol’ Taco Bell, as meals will be served in baskets. In addition to serving beer, wine or “mixed alcohol freezes” – that come with one shot of rum, tequila, or vodka  – to their meals, customers can order appetizers that aren’t currently available at other locations.

  First Taco Bell to Sell Alcohol Agrees to Have Bouncers [DNAinfo]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

uMortgage Servicer To Pay Back $1.5M To Screwed-Over Homeownersr

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  (jetsetpress)

  Residential Credit Solutions is a mortgage servicer specializing in delinquent loans and “credit-sensitive” (read: high-risk for default) residential mortgages. But after allegedly screwing over homeowners by, among other things, not honoring loan modifications on mortgages transferred from other servicers, RCS is on the hook to pay $1.5 million in restitution and a $100,000 penalty to federal regulators.

  The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has reached an agreement [PDF] with Residential Credit following an investigation into a variety of complaints about the company’s unfair and potentially illegal business practices.

  The first alleged violation involved loans transferred to RCS that had already been granted modifications by the previous servicers. According to the CFPB, it was RCS’s “general practice not to honor previously agreed upon In-Process Modifications.” RCS would only honor those existing modifications after doing its own review of the complete application packet filed with the previous servicer.

  “If the consumer was unable to provide a complete packet, [RCS] treated the In-Process Modification as if it never existed,” explains the CFPB. And even in cases where the homeowner did provide the full application packet, it was left up to RCS’s own interpretation whether that modification should have been granted in the first place.

  And if RCS refused to recognize that agreed-upon modification, it would treat the homeowners as if they were in default, making collection calls, assessing late fees, and sending default/delinquency notices, or offering the option of applying anew for yet another loan modification.

  Since the previous modification wasn’t being honored, homeowners were forced to pay the higher, original monthly payments. If they tried to remit the lower amount as agreed-upon with their previous servicer, RCS would reject the payments.

  So it’s perhaps not a surprise that a number of homeowners lost their properties to foreclosure as a result.

  Another allegation made against RCS is that the company misled homeowners about funds in their mortgage escrow accounts.

  RCS sent a number of delinquent homeowners annual escrow statements indicating that there was a surplus — of anywhere from $80 to $10,000 — and that this amount would be refunded within 30 days. But in fact, says the CFPB, these homeowners did not have a surplus and no refunds were forthcoming.

  The final violation alleged by regulators involves RCS’s payment plans for homeowners who fell behind on their loan payments.

  In order to sign up for one of these plans — which were often a final option for borrowers to keep their homes — the homeowners had to agree that “[i]n the event of the cancellation of this Payment Plan and the continuation of foreclosure proceedings, you agree to waive any and all defenses, jurisdictional and otherwise, associated with the continuation of the foreclosure proceedings and possible subsequent public auction of your property.”

  The borrower also had to agree “not to file any opposition to a motion for relief from the automatic stay filed on behalf of RCS” in any bankruptcy. The CFPB says these agreements go too far in stripping homeowners of their legal rights.

  RCS has been ordered to pay $1.5 million to consumers whose in-process loan modifications were not honored. Receiving these refunds does not prevent affected borrowers from bringing their own civil claims against the company.

  The servicer must honor those previously agreed-upon loan modifications and must contact affected borrowers to offer them loss mitigation options. If RCS is currently pursuing foreclosure actions against an affected customer, it must stop.

  “By failing to honor loan modifications already in place, Residential Credit Solutions put consumers through more headaches but in some cases cost consumers their homes,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray in a statement.

  
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by Chris Morran via Consumerist

uGroupon Launches Online Food Ordering Service To Compete With Seamless, GrubHubr

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  (Mark Turnauckas)

  There’s a new player in the arena of online food ordering: Groupon launched its own online food service for customers who want to either pick up their chow or have it delivered — but it’s only in Chicago for now. Eventually, as the service expands, Seamless and GrubHub (which are owned by the same company) could have a rival in the competition to fill customers’ empty bellies with the touch of a button.

  Groupon To Go launched today in Chicago, with about 500 restaurants available for orders. The Verge reports that Groupon plans to expand the service pretty quickly, expanding to Austin and Boston this fall and nationwide eventually.

  Currently, Groupon is working with restaurants that already have their own delivery services in places, but could eventually introduce the option to have Groupon To Go handle the deliveries. Some of the restaurants currently involved in the program include: Quiznos, Popeyes, Subway, and Papa John’s as well as Chicago restaurants like Ditka’s Restaurant, Al’s Beef, Adobo Grill, BIG & little’s, Freshii, Rosati’s Pizza, Star of Siam, and Wishbone.

  So what makes Groupon To Go different from the other food-fetching businesses out there? The company says it will save customers up to 10% on every order, bringing the lure of a “savings” aspect to the service.

  Sean Smyth, VP and GM at Groupon To Go, told TechCrunch that the idea for the service grew out of what customers already want from Groupon — food and drink is a popular category, and the company already works with a lot of restaurants trying to promote their own takeout and delivery options. That led Groupon to offer more of an “end-to-end” user experience, Smyth says.

  Groupon is already be in the online ordering game in about 40 cities through its recent acquisition of a platform called OrderUp earlier this month. Though company will continue to use that moniker in “midsize” markets, it will use the Groupon To Go brand for major cities like Boston.

  “It’s one thing to promote menus and get order, but how do you get that last mile? It’s that last mile that really inspired us to look at a company like OrderUp,” Smyth told TechCrunch.

  Though the system is pretty basic and requires restaurants to do their own delivering, eventually Groupon might offer to handle delivery services for businesses, and add features like the ability to schedule delivery and takeout orders for a specific time.

  Groupon takes on Seamless and GrubHub with online food ordering service [The Verge]
  Groupon Launches Its Own Food Delivery Business, Groupon To Go [TechCrunch]

  
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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uHacker Claims To Be Able To Take Control Of Any General Motors Car With OnStarr

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  The “OwnStar” device allegedly intercepts communications through the OnStar app.

  As we saw last week, the ability to remotely take control of a vehicle is a very real concern. While Fiat Chrysler recalled nearly 1.4 million vehicles and issued a patch related to some of its internet-connected cars, another automaker is now sitting in the precarious spot of potential hijack victim, as a hacker claims he can commandeer any of the company’s vehicles as long as they come with the OnStar system.

  A hacker named Samy details in a new video the creation of a gadget – he’s calling it “OwnStar” – that allows anyone to locate, unlock, and start a car using the OnStar system.

  The hack works by intercepting the communications between an opened OnStar mobile phone app and the OnStar service itself.

  Once the car is in range of the OwnStar device – Samy doesn’t specify what the range of the device is – the hacker is able to gain access to a user’s credentials, allowing indefinite access to the vehicle.

  Samy points out in the video that the vulnerability actually lies in the mobile software utilized by the service and not the actual General Motors vehicle.

  Additionally, he notes that both General Motors and OnStar have been receptive of his concerns and have already started working on a resolution.

  A spokesperson for the car maker tells Tech Insider that a remedy for the issue has already been put in place.

  “GM Product Cybersecurity representatives have reviewed the potential vulnerability recently identified by [Samy], and a fix has already been implemented to address this concern. No additional action is required by our customers,” the spokesperson said.

  Despite GM’s assurance that everything has been fixed, Samy suggests users of OnStar refrain from opening the app in their vehicle until they explicitly receive an update.

  [via Tech Insider]

  
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by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist

u5 Things You’ll Find On Sale During Augustr

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  (Gerard Stolk)

  Our deal-hunting colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports don’t just keep track of which products perform the best in their tests, but they also track prices on items to figure out what’s the best time to buy. What do they say are the best things to buy during the month of August? It’s a great time to pick up an air conditioner, a backpack, a dehumidifier, or a snow blower. Wait, a snow blower?

  • Backpacks (and other school and office supplies)
  • Air conditioners
  • Dehumidifiers
  • Patio furniture
  • Snow blowers

  Yes, thanks to the seasonal cycles of merchandise, August is a fine time to pick up both an air conditioner and a snowblower. The downside of shopping for items like outdoor furniture or air conditioners in August is that some stores might have few or none left, and you won’t have your choice of models.

  Snow blowers, though: are those even in store in August? They are, and there are surprisingly good deals that you can find in some places, though CR notes that you’ll be able to find the best deals at retailers that haul last year’s models out of the warehouse to sell.

  5 products on deep discount in August [Consumer Reports]

  
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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist

uScuba Divers Return Guy’s Lost iPhone Months After It Fell To The Ocean Floorr

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  (ehtnaerokyug on Imgur)

  It’s one thing to lose your phone on the street, in the back of a cab or anywhere on dry land where a good Samaritan might come by and decide to help find its owner. But after one guy watched his phone sink to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean back in March, he figured that thing was gone for good. Enter: scuba divers going for a swim who just happened to find his device in the waterproof bag it had sunk in.

  That waterproof bag turned out to be the key to getting his phone back — obviously, if the phone had been water damaged, it’s unlikely its rescuers would’ve been able to turn it on and connect with the owner.

  Imgur user ehtnaerokyug posted his story this week of the prodigal iPhone 6 Plus he took with him on a kayaking trip in Monterey Bay back in March. He’d purchased a waterproof bag just for the trip, and took photos with the case hanging around his neck.

  At some point, he fell into the water, and panicked when his foot got caught in the seaweed. Despite the scare, he made it back onto the boat, only to fall again. That’s when the iPhone slipped away.

  “I pulled myself back onto my boat and I heard something snap but thought it was my life vest,” he writes in the description. After he got back to the shore he removed his life vest and realized the iPhone had slipped away in the water, likely never to be seen again. He put the phone in lost mode, logging in to the “Find My iPhone” app for a week before giving up.

  Fast forward to early May, when he gets a notification that his phone had been turned on.

  “It turns out the person who found my phone tried to put their number but I declined through my notification on my new iPhone (the replacement) and contacted the person,” he writes, adding that at first he came off as a jerk because he wanted his phone back, and someone else had it. But the finders arranged to meet with him and hand it over.

  When he got to the meeting spot, he found his phone was in the same waterproof bag, and worked perfectly fine, with no water damage. The iPhone’s saviors? A couple who’d also been in Monterey Bay to go kayaking and scuba diving.

  “They found the phone in the bottom of the ocean near a rock still in the pouch. I was baffled. I had no words to explain my feelings,” he wrote. “I didn’t know what to say or do. I couldn’t have thanked them enough.”

  The lessons here? Don’t go kayaking without a waterproof case for your phone… and there are decent humans out there.

  “There’s amazing people out there who are willing give back your possession if you’re nice and not a jerk to them,” the happy guy noted.

  
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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist