Consumer Confidential: Wal-Mart, phone hacks, bad bottles

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Here’s your fleetingly Friday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- Say what you will about Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer is trying to walk the walk when it comes to going green. The company says it will cut 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by 2015. In other words, if businesses want to be in bed with Wal-Mart, they’ll have to do their share to help safeguard the planet. That’s not the total answer to our climate-change problems, but it’s a step in the right direction. Props to our friends from Bentonville, Ark.

-- We all know that hackers are a constant threat to PC users. But did you know they’re busy assaulting your smart phone as well? Computer scientists at Rutgers University say they’re seeing more evidence of hackers trying to sneak viruses and other malware into people’s BlackBerrys and iPhones in hopes of accessing data or even listening in on calls. Something to keep in mind the next time you download a nifty new app.

-- Heads up: Starbucks, in conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, is recalling glass water bottles that can shatter when you open them. There have been at least 10 reports of either the stopper or the bottle shattering, and eight reports of people’s hands being cut. I’m thinking: glass bottles? Are you people nuts? That’s like asking for trouble.

-- David Lazarus