Consumer Confidential: Apple tablet, texting drivers, quake scam

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Here’s your whoppingly Wednesday roundup of consumer news from around the Web:

-- The Apple tablet ... oooooooooooh!

-- The federal government has banned texting by commercial drivers. Of course, some people will wonder why truckers and delivery guys would be boneheaded enough to send text messages while behind the wheel. But that’s beside the point. The point is that it’s now illegal. And we’ve all seen how well such prohibitions work with ordinary drivers ....

-- I guess we shouldn’t be surprised, all things considered, but officials are warning of scams targeting families of Haitian quake survivors. The victims are contacted with an offer to cut through bureaucratic red tape in helping loved ones. All it will cost is $500. But the documents you receive are bogus, and there’s no special flight to whisk family members to safety. Best advice: Always make sure you’re dealing with an honest-to-goodness government agency. Accept no imitations.

-- David Lazarus