Tim's heirs and contaminated lettuce: CBC's Marketplace consumer cheat sheet

Tim Hortons heirs cut benefits

Employees at a franchise owned by the children of the chain's founders say they're losing paid breaks and other benefitsin response to Ontario's minimum wage hike. Critics have suggested that moves like this are to be expected in the face of suddenly increased costs, but Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne called it "the act of a bully."

Why you should avoid romaine lettuce

Two people have died and dozens more have become ill since November because of consuming romaine lettuce contaminated with E.coli. One expert suggests avoiding the leafy green in grocery stores and throwing out any that's currently in your fridge.

Flawed phone and computer chips

It's being called "probably one of the worst CPU bugs ever found."

Researchers discovered a flaw that could allow hackers to steal sensitive data from nearly every modern computing device containing chips from Intel, AMD, and ARM. Software fixes are being released to mitigate the flaws.

New shingles vaccine coming

Advocates for older Canadians are calling on provincial governments to cover the cost of a new vaccine against shingles that will soon be available. Seniors are more susceptible to the painful illness which can have debilitating consequences.

What else is going on?

Remember our investigation into Ontario farmers markets? Now, several local producers say they're facing expulsion from the Peterborough, Ont., farmers market because of their campaign to increase transparency among fellow vendors.

RBC's online banking issues. Customers have reportedly been unable to log in to their accounts.

This week in recalls

• These sandwiches might not look or smell spoiled, but could make you sick.
• These limited edition NHL beer glasses can break while handwashing.
• These batteries for HP notebook computers and mobile workstations can overheat, posing a potential burn and fire hazard.

Also, Health Canada wants to see the results of tests on Claire's kids makeup following reports that asbestos was found in certain cosmetic products.

Shop online? Watch this first

Still looking for those post-holiday bargains? We expose price discrimination tactics online retailers use. Find out how to game the system in your favour to get the lowest price online.

We'll be back with a new episode on Friday and be sure to check us out on YouTubefor any episodes you might have missed.