Consumer Confidential: Apple scores, Verizon goes naked, stinky airline food
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Here’s your monster-mash Monday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:
-- What Apple Inc. doesn’t need is more free press. But it’s hard not to give the company props for selling more than 1.7 million of its latest iPhone model in three days, making this the most successful product launch in the history of a company that kind of writes the book on successful product launches. It was such a boffo release that Apple-in-chief Steve Jobs had to apologize to all those customers who couldn’t get one of the devices. I stopped by an Apple store over the weekend and saw the buzz for myself. Say what you will about the company’s hype machine, but they sure know how to draw a crowd.
-- In case you’ve been pondering a switch from cable, Verizon is offering its FiOS TV service without a long-term contract. The company used to charge an extra $20 a month for no-contract service. Now, new users can sign up for FiOS for $99 monthly for TV and broadband Internet access with no additional hit, even if they choose to forgo contractual marriage. The move is smart one: Verizon has about 3 million FiOS customers, compared with about 62 million cable customers nationwide. Since cable service typically comes without a contract, it’s hard for upstart providers such as Verizon if they try to apply their old phone-service thinking to newfangled offerings.
-- As if flying couldn’t get any worse: The Food and Drug Administration says it checked out the kitchens of three major airline caterers and found that conditions were unsanitary and could cause passengers to get sick. The caterers are LSG Sky Chefs, Gate Gourmet and Flying Food Group, which operate 91 kitchens and supply U.S. and foreign airlines at U.S. airports with over 100 million meals every year. Their food turns up on many of the major airlines, including Delta, American, US Airways and Continental. The caterers and airlines say they have high quality-control standards. But the FDA says its inspectors found cockroaches, flies and mice in some kitchens. Yuck.
-- David Lazarus
