Google is going to begin deleting old Gmail and photos on Dec. 1. That’s tomorrow folks, so it’s time to take action. An inactive Google account is one hasn’t been used in two years. This policy applies to your personal Google account. This policy doesn’t apply to any Google account that was set up for you through your work, school, or other organization. Read more →

World Against Toys Causing Harm announced its 51st annual nominees for the “10 Worst Toys” of the year. Although intended for fun and entertainment, many toys contain hidden hazards unnecessarily putting children at risk of harm. Making safe toys needs to be the top priority in the design, manufacture, and marketing of children’s playthings. Read more →

It’s important to consumers to watch for announcements from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in addition to the agency’s recalls. The CPSC is warning consumers about the risk of fire from Toos Elite 60-volt electric scooters after two people died in a fire tied to the scooter’s lithium-ion battery. Read more →

On Thursday, I wrote about recent tests by Consumer Reports on high levels of lead and cadmium found in some milk chocolate products. Earlier tests last year by the advocacy organization found that a number of Hershey’s dark chocolate bars had some of the highest levels of lead or cadmium of all brands it tested.  Read more →

Cocoa-containing foods – such as cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and milk chocolate bars – contain concerning levels of cadmium or lead in a third of the products tested, according to Consumer Reports. The organization is calling on the Hershey Co. to step up its efforts to reduce the levels of heavy metals from its chocolate products after its latest tests. Read more →

On Saturday, I wrote about One Health Day. I hadn’t heard of it before, but it’s a global campaign that recognizes the close connection between the health of people, animals, and the environment and the role this connection plays in the spread of diseases. Several times, I’ve written that people shouldn’t allow pets to sleep in bed with them. Read more →

Are you celebrating Halloween this year? More than 70 percent of Americans are going about it today and estimates are they’ll be spending an average of $108 per person. About a third will be hosting or attending a party, nearly half will carve a pumpkin, and more than half will be decorating their homes. Fifty percent plan to dress in costumes. Read more →

Fortress is recalling about 61,000 gun safes because the locks, opened with a fingerprint, can be accessed by unauthorized users. One of the reported breaches allegedly left a 12-year-old boy dead. Consumers think they’ve programmed the lock when it actually remains in the default to open mode, which can allow unauthorized users to access the safe. Read more →

After years of delays and despite intense lobbying by manufacturers, a federal safety agency finally adopted a window covering rule that eliminated the dangers from cords on custom window coverings in November 2022. However, almost immediately after the CPSC finalized the rule, manufacturers filed a lawsuit challenging the agency’s rule. Read more →

Today is the last day of Fire Prevention Week. I almost didn’t write anything because it upsets me so much every time I learn about a death in a fire. I’ve been writing about it for years. And, I’m not the only one. Still, deaths keep happening. From 2012 to 2021, the 10-year trend in the fire death rate per million population increased 18 percent in the United States. Read more →