The Consumer Memo, 8/24: Weight-loss drugs linked to liver injury

Updated with ESPN 3-D test, Apple's Snow Leopard debut
Popular weight-loss drugWeight-loss drugs made by GlaxoSmithKline and Roche Holding were linked to at least 32 reports of serious liver injury from 1999 to October 2008, U.S. regulators said.

Consumers taking Glaxo’s over-the-counter drug Alli or Roche’s prescription Xenical should consult a doctor if they experience weakness, fever, jaundice or other symptoms of liver injury, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday.

The agency doesn’t recommend that patients or doctors stop using these medicines.

Both medicines contain orlistat, a chemical that blocks the intestines from absorbing fat when taken as many as three times a day with meals. The FDA approved Xenical in 1999 for weight loss and weight management in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet. Alli, half the dose of Xenical, was cleared for non- prescription use in 2007.

ESPN's triple option
Early 3D testESPN says it will test its ability to televise football games in 3-D with a special screening of the game between No. 4 USC and No. 6 Ohio State at three theaters on Sept. 12.

Tickets will be given away to fans listening to ESPN radio affiliates in Los Angeles, Dallas and Columbus, Ohio, later this week.

Apple's Snow Leopard debuts Friday
New operating systemApple Inc.’s latest operating system software, Snow Leopard, will go on sale this Friday.

The Mac OS X version 10.6 software will debut at Apple’s retail stores and authorized resellers nationwide. Apple’s online store is now taking pre-orders.

Snow Leopard’s release comes days before its promised September launch. It precedes by two months the launch of Microsoft Corp.’s next operating system, Windows 7.

Among Snow Leopard’s improvements is built-in support for Microsoft’s Exchange Server software, so Apple programs for e-mail, calendars and contacts could become more useful in corporate settings.

New mortgage fraud task force
Fraud squadTen state attorneys general -- including Missouri's -- and four federal agencies have announced the formation of a task force to combat mortgage fraud.

According to a statement issued by Washington state Attorney General Rob McKenna, targets of the enforcement effort include equity skimming, bogus foreclosure rescue, straw purchases and unethical lending practices.

The group is headed by McKenna and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. Other members include the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Nevada, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Missouri and Ohio, as well as representatives from the Department Justice, federal treasury, Department of Housing and Urban Development and Federal Trade Commission.
Multitaskers beware
Multitaskers who jump from text messaging to scanning computer screens to watching videos, all while listening to their iTunes, remember less of what they read or see than people who do one thing at a time, a study found.

Researchers at Stanford University surveyed students about their media consumption habits and classified them as either heavy or light multitaskers. Then the students took computer- based tests that required them to remember details presented to them rapidly and with frequent distractions. The findings were published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Yahoo to retool
Yahoo! Inc. will redesign its e-mail service.

The new version makes it easier to attach photos and increases the size limits for attachments, Yahoo said Monday.

Nintendo settles trade dispute/strong>
Game onNintendo Co., the maker of the top- selling Wii video-game console, settled a U.S. trade fight that could have resulted in a U.S. import ban of the popular gaming systems.