Toy safety at your fingertips

WASHINGTON - With the holidays just around the corner the newest iPhone app to hit the iTunes App Store offers shoppers-on-the-go quick and easy access to tips and information about toy safety.

The new Toy Safety app, brought to you by the Texas Public Interest Research Group, lets shoppers scroll through checklist-style facts about toy hazards, watch short video tips, check out the updated 2009 Toy Safety list and even report an unsafe toy – all on their phone while shopping

"We've made progress on toy safety, but dangerous products still slip through the cracks," said TexPIRG public health advocate Elizabeth McClellan. "Not only will our free iPhone app help consumers keep toy safety at their fingertips, it will enable them to report potential hazards to us."

The new app was developed by the same trusted consumer group that has produced the Trouble in Toyland report for 24 years, and this fall also launched a very popular interactive Web site which has already been used by more than 30,000 people since it went live on Nov. 24.

The iPhone app offers users even more features, connecting them with the most recent information on toy safety including breaking news, announcements, and updates from TexPIRG.

The app is easily shared with friends and family using a viral e-mail alert functionality so users can send an email to all of their contacts directly from the app. That way, even non iPhone users can stay connected with critical information about toy safety and hazards.