Consumer Catch-up: Jeep Wrangler line finished, Google launches Android for appliances, menu calorie counts now required

Jeep stops production on current Wrangler line

It's the end of an era for the current model Jeep Wrangler. The last Wrangler in what the company calls the "JK" line was just finished at a plant in Ohio.

The JK model has been in production for more than a decade.

Jeep fans, the Wrangler is not going away for good. Instead, a new "JL" model is on the production line now.

Jeep says the new Wrangler combines "tried-and-true features with updated design and materials." Jeep also says the Wrangler JL has new lights, including LED headlamps and taillamps.

Google launches Android Things

Just before Google's annual developer conference kicks off Tuesday, the company has a new tool - Android Things.

The platform is for developers who want to create smart devices, like refrigerators or robots.

Google says Android Things gives developers a trusted platform to build these connected devices, or IoT (Internet of Things). The company also says it helps cut down on the up-front costs involved in production of new ideas and inventions.

Any developer can use the tool, which is billed for "a wide variety of consumer, retail, and industrial applications."

Restaurant menu calorie counts

Starting today, chain restaurants must officially post calorie counts on their menus.

The requirement means the restaurants must post caloric information on menus and on menu boards in the restaurant.

In a statement from the FDA, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., says Americans consume a third of their calories away from home.

He says studies have shown that customers choose items with fewer calories when the amounts are posted, and applauded those restaurants who are already in compliance with the new rules.

The regulations impact, among others, chain restaurants with 20 or more locations. Restaurants must also provide more detailed nutritional information when asked, such as levels of sodium, sugars, saturated fat, or protein in the menu item.

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