uOlive Garden Adding Tablets For Ordering And Paying At All U.S. Restaurantsr

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  (JeepersMedia)

  
  
  
  Because we’re all constantly staring at one screen or another, Olive Garden is giving customers the chance to skip talking to a real person when ordering and paying by adding new tablets added to all its restaurants’ tables.
  

  The Darden Restaurants chain announced today that it’ll be installing Ziosk tablets at all of its roughly 800 U.S. restaurants by year’s end, reports the Associated Press, allowing patrons to order and pay by touch screen.

  
  

  The chain started using the devices at some restaurants already last year, and says that those locations have had faster dining times and upped tip percentages for wait staff (just wait until the computers start bringing out the food…).

  
  

  “We’ve been focused on improving the dining experience at every touch point, and we’re excited to give our guests the ability to customize their visit by leveraging the technology of Ziosk’s tabletop tablets,” Dave George, Olive Garden president, said in a statement.

  
  

  Let’s hope people are wiping off the Alfredo sauce first, am I right?

  
  

  Olive Garden adds tablets to tables at all U.S. restaurants [Associated Press]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uThe Long-Awaited Net Neutrality Lawsuits Are Finally Herer

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  (Vincent Verdult)
  

  
  
  
  
  
  As it was foretold, so it has come to pass: with the Open Internet Rule finally entering the Federal Register yesterday, lawsuit season is now officially open. And as promised, threatened, and endlessly discussed, the trade groups representing all of the big broadband providers have vaulted into action right on cue, asking the courts to stop this piece of consumer protection before it can happen.
  

  The big ISPs all began their saber-rattling back in November, when — thanks in part to a very public statement from the White House — Title II classification suddenly began to look like it could really happen. It did indeed happen at the end of February, and officially became the law of the land yesterday.

  
  

  When the Federal Register printed the rule (which formally goes into effect on June 12), that kicked off a 10-day window in which opposing parties can try to stop it. And industry trade groups — the NCTA, the CTIA, USTelecom, and the American Cable Association — are very opposed indeed. USTelecom (which filed earlier just in case) got their petition into court yesterday, and was joined by the other three groups today.

  
  

  The petitions for review, as the filings are formally known, are comparatively short and sweet documents. They’re only a few of pages long, and basically they kick off the process.

  
  

  As predicted, the trade groups are attacking on basically every possible front at once: procedure, authority, and substance. That is, they claim that the FCC did it wrong; that even if the FCC didn’t do it wrong, that they didn’t have the authority to do it; and that even if they did have the authority to do it and didn’t do it wrong, that the details are all rubbish and need to be thrown out.

  
  

  USTelecom (PDF), the CTIA (PDF), and the NCTA (PDF) all ask exactly the same thing, in exactly the same words:
  

  
  

  [The organization seeks] review of the Order on the grounds that it is arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion within the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act …; violates federal law, including, but not limited to, the Constitution, the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and FCC regulations promulgated thereunder; conflicts with the notice-and-comment rule making requirements [of the US code]; and is otherwise contrary to law.
  
  
  
  

  [USTelecom/CTIA/NCTA] respectfully requests that this Court hold unlawful, vacate, enjoin, and set aside the Order, and that it provide such additional relief as may be appropriate.

  
  

  
  

  The American Cable Association’s request (PDF) is the Cliffs Notes version, saying: “ACA seeks relief from the FCC’s Open Internet Order on the grounds that it is arbitrary, capricious, in excess of the FCC’s statutory authority, contrary to the Constitution, and otherwise not in accordance with law.”

  
  

  Once the courts do their thing and bundle all of these petitions together, the four organizations will begin the much lengthier and more detailed process of trying to prove that the FCC is behaving in an arbitrary, capricious, and unconstitutional manner. That process is likely to take years.

  
  

  FCC chairman Tom Wheeler, however, has long anticipated the lawsuits and basically dared the industry to bring their challenges. Since the rule’s passage in February, Wheeler has repeatedly stated that the final version was very carefully crafted, because the FCC expected court challenges and wanted net neutrality to withstand them.

  
  

  Courts are not the only challenge to the open internet protections; Congress is also doing its thing, threatening the FCC’s funding and pitching purely symbolic resolutions to block the rule.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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by Kate Cox via Consumerist

uTwo TSA Screeners Fired For Allegedly Working Out System To Grope Attractive Male Passengersr

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  (zieak)

  
  
  
  When travelers are going through any airport security checkpoint, there’s an expectation that yes, the experience might be annoying, but that at least Transportation Security Administration screeners are going to behave professionally. A new report out of Denver says that expectation was not upheld by two screeners accused of working out how to tweak the system so that one worker could grope the genitals of attractive male travelers.
  

  CBS4 in Denver says it obtained law enforcement reports that detail the alleged scam at Denver International Airport, leading to the termination of two TSA employees.

  
  

  According to that information, the workers pulled off their scheme about a dozen times. A male TSA screener allegedly told a female coworker in 2014 that he “gropes” men coming through the screening area using a plan he developed with another colleague.

  
  

  “He related that when a male he finds attractive comes to be screened by the scanning machine he will alert another TSA screener to indicate to the scanning computer that the party being screened is a female. When the screener does this, the scanning machine will indicate an anomaly in the genital area and this allows (the male TSA screener) to conduct a pat-down search of that area.”

  
  

  TSA apparently learned of the allegations on Nov. 18, 2014 by way of an anonymous tip from another TSA worker, but it appears nothing was done for three months. In February, a TSA security supervisor was observing employees and says he caught the screener in the act.

  
  

  “At about 0925 he observed (the male TSA screener) appear to give a signal to another screener … (the second female screener) was responsible for the touchscreen system that controls whether or not the scanning machine alerts to gender- specific anomalies,” according to the law enforcement report cited by CBS4.

  
  

  The report says the TSA supervisor then saw a male passenger enter the scanner, and watched as the female agent pressed the screening button for a female. The anomaly alert went off, and the investigator witnessed the male screener patting down “the passenger’s front groin and buttocks area with the palm of his hands, which is contradictory to TSA searching policy.”

  
  

  During an interview later with the female TSA agent, the supervisor says she “admitted that she has done this for (the male TSA officer) at least 10 other times. She knew that doing so would allow (the male TSA officer) to perform a pat down on a male passenger that (the male TSA screener) found attractive.”

  
  

  “These alleged acts are egregious and intolerable. TSA has removed the two officers from the agency,” the agency said in a statement. “All allegations of misconduct are thoroughly investigated by the agency. And when substantiated, employees are held accountable.”

  
  

  CBS4 Investigation: TSA Screeners At DIA Manipulated System To Grope Men’s Genitals [CBS4]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uApple Bans Selfie Sticks Ahead Of Its Next Big Eventr

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  (josepqr)

  
  
  
  One might think that any product that’s designed to enhance the utility of a smartphone, say perhaps an iPhone, would be totally cool with Apple. Not so, as instead it appears that selfie sticks are as annoying to the company as they are to anyone who dislikes getting whacked in the head by an eager, selfie-ing stranger in public. As such Apple has issued a ban on the poles ahead of its upcoming developers convention in June.
  

  Joining such establishments as various Smithsonian Museums and other cultural institutions, as well as the Kentucky Derby, music festivals and the Palace of Versailles, Apple is not about to let a whole slew of people swing poles around at WWDC.

  
  

  “You may not use selfie sticks or similar monopods” at the event, Apple’s policy reads (via CNNMoney), without stating why exactly they’re prohibited. “Any attendee conducting these activities may be removed from WWDC.”

  
  

  There’s also a ban on professional photography and wearable GoPro cameras, though as long as you’re not waving a selfie stick in the air, personal shots and selfies are fine. You know, for that moment when you want to show everyone a bunch of heads facing forward while you take a close-up of your face.

  
  

  Apple bans selfie sticks [CNNMoney]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uKentucky Investigators Say There’s New Evidence In Case Of Stolen Bourbon Barrelsr

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  (Franklin County Sheriff’s office)

  
  
  
  Lest you think the state of Kentucky is takes bourbon theft lightly, state officials say they’re not content with going after the one person already arrested after five barrels of Wild Turkey bourbon were pilfered from a warehouse, and that more booze may have been pilfered than previously believed.
  

  The case could now result in multiple indictments, says the sheriff at the head of the case looking into who lifted the heavy barrels from Buffalo Trace Distillery, reports the Associated Press.

  
  

  Several law enforcement agencies are now looking for possible accomplices, according to Franklin County Sheriff Pat Melton.

  
  

  “There are several people that are suspects that are involved in it, and we would anticipate moving forward with this case,” he said.

  
  

  He called off a news conference planned for today, saying investigators had uncovered a new lead that will delay the original case from going to the grand jury, but did say it would head there as soon as next week.

  
  

  “We just had a major development today that has opened up a couple more doors for us, and we’re going to follow up on that,” the sheriff said.

  
  

  One suspect who worked for Buffalo Trace Distillery has been arrested in connection to the theft, and he pleaded not guilty to offenses including receiving stolen property worth more than $10,000.

  
  

  Each barrel stolen was valued at around $3,000 each, and were found abandoned behind a shed with spray paint covering each label. The owner of Wild Turkey said it didn’t appear that anyone had broken into the warehouse where the bourbon was aging, before it was slated to become Wild Turkey 101.

  
  

  This isn’t the first time the state has had to deal with bourbon thievery — though the case of a famous Pappy Van Winkle theft back in 2013 still remains unsolved.

  
  

  New lead delays sending Wild Turkey bourbon theft to grand jury [Associated Press]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist

uVerizon: You Should Love Your Mobile Data Cap Because It’s Good For Your

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  (Mike Mozart)

  
  
  
  
  
  Nobody likes data caps. They’re an aspect of the mobile era that we all grudgingly accept, but everyone basically hates them. Enter Verizon Wireless! The mobile behemoth has hired an analyst to rescue us — but not, alas, by removing data caps. No, no: Verizon’s analyst is here to tell us why we should actually love them.
  

  Verizon Wireless published the analysis on their website last Friday, and it’s a gem. Or at least, a highly polished turd.

  
  

  The analyst’s real, actual argument is this: if data caps went away, everyone would use more data. If everyone used more data, mobile companies would have to upgrade their networks. If mobile companies upgraded their networks, they’d have to spend money. And if they had to spend money, they’d recoup it by upping customers’ bills.

  
  

  So you see, data caps are for you, the customer, to prevent your monthly wireless bill from its inevitable upward creep.

  
  

  “While unlimited data may sound attractive,” the analyst concludes, “there is no practical effect of data limits on the majority of users.”

  
  

  That last part is in fact true. Most users don’t come anywhere close to maxing out their mobile data plans. Pretty much everyone flicks their phone over to wifi the second they get home, and again any time they are hanging out someplace with a wifi hotspot. Not only will it save money for the cost-conscious customer, but also wifi networks are generally faster and more reliable than mobile ones, even as 4G LTE buildouts continue.

  
  

  But if those data caps don’t actually affect anyone, why do we need them again? Consumers already aren’t using that data, so removing limits that to most people are hypothetical anyway will somehow… magically increase the use of data?

  
  

  Realistically, we have data caps because they generate revenue, of course. Not only in overage costs for low-limit plans, but also in monthly costs for high-limit plans that cautious consumers buy and then don’t really use the bulk of.

  
  

  Wireless broadband is still a more limited and more easily-congested resource than wired, it’s true. Mobile companies do need to have smart policies in place for making sure all their customers can access the services they pay for. But data caps are neither smart nor responsive policies; they’re money-making tools and marketing gimmicks.

  
  

  Mobile companies’ own actions show just how pointless their data caps are. AT&T joined Verizon years back in killing unlimited data plans, only to provide them again on a limited basis to new customers.

  
  

  T-Mobile unveiled a data rollover plan late last year, with AT&T following suit in January. (Verizon has no intention of following suit.) Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile have all been falling over themselves to increase the data available to their subscribers.

  
  

  Yes, all of the mobile companies are consistently building out their networks — but none of them have magically doubled the available spectrum capacity. They’re just all finding new ways to attract customers with promises of data that only a small fraction of consumers will ever actually use.

  
  

  Verizon is not only a fan of data caps not only on their wireless service, but also on residential wired broadband — even though the usage management case is much less strong there. Cable industry execs are even on the record saying that home service it’s explicitly not about easing congestion, but about making more money.

  
  

  Meanwhile, the high costs and low data caps applied to mobile broadband still prevent it from being a truly competitive option for most consumers. If mobile is going to be the competition savior that everyone keeps claiming it is, we’re going to have to get beyond the data cap world.

  
  

  [via Ars Technica]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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by Kate Cox via Consumerist

uRadioShack Consumer Data Might Be Back Up For Auctionr

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  (Phillip Pessar)

  
  
  
  When the venerable electronics retailer RadioShack declared bankruptcy earlier this year and prepared to sell off its assets and its business, they quietly announced one item that was legally problematic but potentially lucrative: tens of millions of pieces of customer contact information that it has collected over the years. After the Attorney General of Texas objected to such a sale, the Shack explained that selling that information was off the table. Now it could be back on.
  

  The customer mailing lists are part of a planned auction in May of RadioShack’s intellectual property. You can see those assets listed on the website of liquidator Hilco Streambank: their intellectual property, in this case, includes things like the RadioShack brand name, the RadioShack.com e-commerce platform and a few hundred associated domain names, the chain’s proprietary brands, their product-sourcing relationships in Asia, their network of around 1,000 dealers and franchisees, and their patents and patent applications. Oh, yeah, and then there’s “Over 13MM E-Mail Addresses” and “Over 65MM Customer Name and Physical Address Files.”

  
  

  There’s an independent consumer privacy ombudsman appointed for this auction, and her job is to evaluate the implications of a possible sale of that customer data. The attorney general of Texas, current home state of RadioShack, is way ahead of her on that, though: his office called the world’s attention to the possible sale of customer data, and has now brought it back to the court’s attention even though the company hasn’t yet announced that the data is for sale. It could be for sale, raising privacy issues for consumers and possible legal issues based on the Shack’s privacy policy at the time the data was collected.

  
  

  RadioShack still plans to sell customer personal data despite state objections [PCWorld]

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


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by Laura Northrup via Consumerist