Google providing better view of personal data

  MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) -- Google is offering a new privacy control that will make it easier for people to see some of the information being collected about them.
  The "Dashboard" feature unveiled Thursday pulls together all the data that pour into Google's computers whenever Web surfers log in to one of the company' services.
  That includes summaries of an individual's e-mail, search requests and viewing habits on Google's video site, YouTube. Before, a user would have to check multiple places for all that.
  The snapshot doesn't include any activity that occurs when a person isn't logged into a Google service.
  Dashboard represents Google Inc.'s latest step to give its users more control over their personal information and appease privacy watchdogs.

  (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)
  Posted 6:09 AM on November 5, 2009

Clunker pickups traded for new pickups

  WASHINGTON (AP) -- An analysis by The Associated Press is raising questions about many of the deals made under the government's Cash for Clunkers program.
  The idea of the program was to encourage motorists to trade in their gas-guzzling vehicles for more fuel-efficient ones. The government spent $3 billion to achieve that goal.
  But the AP analysis of federal data found the most common deals under Cash for Clunkers involved replacing old Ford or Chevrolet pickups with new ones that got only marginally better gas mileage. The single most common swap involved Ford 150 pickup owners who traded their old trucks for new Ford 150s.
  In at least 145 cases, mostly involving trucks, the government reported consumers bought new vehicles that had the same or worse mileage as the trade-ins.
  The government says it's investigating these and other questionable deals.

  (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)
  Posted 3:25 PM on November 4, 2009

New group helps US monitor swine flu shot safety

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Independent health advisers will begin monitoring the safety of the swine flu vaccine Monday.
   Specialists aren't expecting problems with the shot, because it's made the same way as the regular winter flu vaccine.
   But the government is taking extra steps to track the health of millions of Americans, to spot any problems quickly and explain false alarms when common disorders coincide with inoculation.
   The specially appointed group of experts will hold private meetings to raise the red flag if the government misses anything.
   The group Monday will hear government and manufacturers' data from studies of the vaccine in more than 10,000 people.
   A summary of the data says there's nothing to suggest any issues from the shot, but it cations that the studies aren't large enough to rule out any very rare risk.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)
  Posted 7:02 AM on November 2, 2009

Ground beef recalled over E. coli illnesses

  ASHVILLE, N.Y. (AP) -- A New York meat company has recalled almost 546,000 pounds of ground beef because, according to health officials, contaminated meat has caused illness and one death.
  The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Saturday the meat sold by Ashville, N.Y.-based Fairbank Farms was linked to cases of E. coli-related illness in Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts. New Hampshire health officials say one person died and two others became ill.
  The federal agency says the ground beef was sold at numerous retail stores. Each package carried the number "EST. 492" on the label.
  In addition, ground beef packaged under the Fairbank Farms name was distributed to stores in Maryland, Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, and was likely repackaged for sale.
 
  (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)
  Posted 9:34 AM on November 2, 2009

Consumer spending falls in September, incomes flat

  WASHINGTON (AP) -- One private economist says it's going to be a "struggle" for consumers to increase spending -- because incomes are "so soft."
  The comment from Ian Shepherdson of High Frequency Economics comes as the government reports that consumer spending fell by the biggest amount in nine months last month.
  The decline reflected the end of the government's Cash for Clunkers program.
  But with incomes flat, chances of a rebound in spending in the next few months are considered shaky.
  And economists are worried that if households cut back on spending to cope with continuing financial pressures, the economic recovery could falter.
  The concerns have sent stocks lower today, with stocks erasing yesterday's big gains in afternoon trading.
  Just yesterday, the government reported that the economy grew at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in the summer. But the concern is that much of that growth stemmed from temporary government programs like the auto sales initiative.
  Some economists think consumer spending will slow sharply in the current quarter, lowering GDP growth to perhaps 1.5 percent.
  And analysts say they can't rule out the possibility of a double-dip recession over the next year.

  (Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)
  Posted 2:29 PM on October 30, 2009