Consumer Confidential: Sling recall, mortgage help, Segway for two

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Here’s your whip-it Wednesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

--A couple of weeks ago, federal regulators warned that those over-the-shoulder baby slings can be deadly to little ones. Now San Diego’s Infantino LLC is pulling two of its slings -- the SlingRider and Wendy Bellissimo -- off the market. The recall affects more than 1 million slings. ‘Our top priority is the safety of infants whose parents and caregivers use our products,’ Infantino’s president, Jack Vresics, said in a statement. The deaths of at least three infants have been tied to slings.

--Banks have been criticized for dragging their feet when it comes to assisting homeowners having trouble with their mortgages. At last, Bank of America says it feels customers’ pain and is ready to start forgiving up to 30% of some people’s loans. The bank said its newfound generosity will apply to homeowners who owe more than 120% of their home’s value -- in other words, who could walk away at any time with minimal muss or fuss. The debt forgiveness begins in May.

--The much-ballyhooed Segway never quite caught on as the solution to urban transit woes. So General Motors in fiddling with the idea of a sort of Segway-built-for-two. The company unveiled an experimental version of a two-seat electric vehicle capable of navigating crowded streets. The vehicle can travel about 25 miles on a single charge and is being targeted at China’s market. Even so, GM says it may be another 10 or 20 years before a proper working model is available.

-- David Lazarus