Consumer Reports articles from February 2006

Consumer Reports archives from February 2006

Vocation, vocation, vocation.(Have You Heard?)(financial advisors)
February 1, 2006... A piece of land in a friend's neighborhood was sold to a developer, and before long a McMansion cast a shadow over the charming view. Soon after the new owners moved in, leaky windows had to be replaced and the stucco coating of the garish...

Higher insurance premiums: blame climate change?(up front: News / Trends / Advice)(home, motor insurance)
February 1, 2006... Coming soon to your mailbox: higher bills for home and auto insurance, larger deductibles, and more restrictions, courtesy of global climate change. That's the conclusion of a recent report commissioned by Ceres, a coalition of institutional...

The hitch in 'no hassle'.(Capital One No Hassle Miles Rewards card)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The claim. On those ubiquitous TV ads, David Spade (below) says no to customers' every request to cash in credit-card miles for airline tickets. That isn't supposed to happen with Capital One's No Hassle Miles Rewards card, which promises,...

Airborne takes off, but why?(herbal medicine)
February 1, 2006... "There's a natural way to boost your immune system to fight the germs and viruses that cause colds," says a press release for Airborne, an "effervescent health formula" whose ingredients include herbal extracts, vitamins, electrolytes, amino...

Straight talk on cell phones for children.(up front: News / Trends / Advice)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2006... Now that more than one-third of 11- to 14-year-olds have their own cell phones, marketers are targeting younger kids with phones that lack a keypad but have speed-dial buttons for parents and 911. Parents preset who their child can call and...

Best sweets for your sweet.(up front: News / Trends / Advice)
February 1, 2006... Although giving a box of chocolates isn't the most novel way to play Cupid, our trained tasters found six confections so fresh and flavorful that your beloved will forgive your lack of originality. The handmade chocolates in the Ratings...

Beating inflation just got easier.(up front: News / Trends / Advice)
February 1, 2006... With inflation taking bigger bites out of investment returns in recent months,more people are snapping up Series I savings bonds, yielding a tempting 6.73 percent. In early December, that rate was well above those of other cash...

Vehicle: Audi A3.(first look)(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2006... Vehicle: Audi A3 Full report: Late 2006 Despite the popularity of hatchbacks in Europe, Americans haven't been keen on them, perceiving them (somewhat unfairly) as cheap runabouts. Hatchbacks that were more than economy cars have...

Which sweets for your sweet? The best chocolates for Valentine's Day.(Buyers Guide)
February 1, 2006... Although giving chocolates might not be the most novel way to play Cupid, we found six confections exploding with so much fresh flavor and melt-in-your-mouth goodness that your beloved is certain to forgive any lack of originality on your...

Company pulls out of furnace-pipe replacement program.(Recalls & Safety Alerts)
February 1, 2006... One of two manufacturers of plastic pipes used to vent toxic emissions from home-heating systems into the atmosphere will no longer pay its share of the repair costs, thus burdening consumers with hundreds of dollars in out-of-pocket...

'05-06 Scion TC with sunroof assembly.(VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Road debris could damage and shatter wind-deflector glass when it's in the upward-tilted position, possibly falling onto and injuring vehicle occupants. Models: 71,392 cars. What to do: Have dealer install protective laminate to wind...

Nikon digital SLR camera battery packs.(HOME ELECTRONICS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Could overheat, melt, and burn skin. Products: 710,000 rechargeable lithium-ion batteries model EN-EL3 sold since 5/04. Nikon has received four reports of batteries overheating, none resulting in injury. Of all the batteries involved,...

Haier oscillating electric tower fan.(HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Poses fire hazard. Products: 150,000 fans, model FTM140GG, sold 2/04 to 11/05 at discount department stores nationwide for $20 to $30. Gray tower fan has three speed settings and a 120-minute shutoff timer. "Haier" is printed on silver...

Safety 1st and Kid Trax by Safety 1st battery-powered ride-on toy vehicles.(CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... A malfunction in circuit board, battery connector, or both, could cause components to melt and smoke, posing fire and skin burn hazards. Products: 141,000 toys made by Dorel Juvenile Group USA from 1/04 to 8/05 and sold at major toy and...

When it pays to buy organic.(Start the year right)
February 1, 2006... Which apple? The decision doesn't end once you've figured out whether to buy, say, the McIntosh or the Red Delicious. In many food stores across the country, you're also faced with the more vexing question of buying organic or conventional,...

Multivitamins: what to avoid, how to choose.(Nutritional aspects of Multivitamins)
February 1, 2006... You can generally rely on major brand-name and store-brand multivitamins, our past tests have found. But what about the super-cheap multivitamins in close-out and dollar stores? Our November 2004 report found problems with other products...

Treadmills: a better run for your money.(Start the year right)(Buyers Guide)
February 1, 2006... More Americans regularly work out on treadmills than on any other piece of exercise equipment. If steep prices have been the only thing holding you back, now may be the time to hop on. Our latest tests of treadmills turned up four models...

Surgically slim: a cure for obesity, and why it's risky.(Start the year right)
February 1, 2006... Medical science has yet to come up with a diet, exercise, or drug guaranteed to make fat people thin, but there is one reliable solution: surgery, in the form of gastric bypass or banding. It can take weight off immediately, can cure type 2...

Bargain: financial advice.(Start the year right)
February 1, 2006... You don't have to spend a fortune to manage a fortune, or at least one in the making. Yes, you can now find good, inexpensive advice, even if your nest egg is hummingbird-sized. In our investigation of 10 low- and no-cost financial plans,...

What you need to know about: Medicare Part D.(program's new prescription drug benefit)(Medicare Advantage Plans)
February 1, 2006... Since mid-November, some 260 companies have been wooing the nation's 43 million Medicare participants to sign up for the program's new prescription drug benefit, known as Part D. For many seniors who have struggled to pay for their...

Microwave ovens: still best at the basics.(kitchen technology)
February 1, 2006... The microwave oven, that space-age miracle of kitchen technology, is now 50 years old. Today's models are more versatile than their predecessors, thanks to the addition of built-in sensors, convection modes, and the like. Several in our...

Dishwashers: tougher take on grime.(Buyers Guide)
February 1, 2006... More brands are daring you to put your worst baked-on messes in their machines, with some adding special cycles. We met the grime challenge with a new baked-on brownie test (see CloseUp on facing page). While you'll have to stay tuned for...

Your to-do list for a more prosperous year.(Money)
February 1, 2006... New Year's resolutions are made to be broken. By hour 14 of 2006, you have already abandoned those vows to establish financial goals, to spend as wisely as Benjamin Franklin, and to channel money into investments as efficiently as Wal-Mart...

Staying well 10 tips for a healthful 2006.(Health)
February 1, 2006... Successful aging--living without the burden of major disease--depends in part on healthful lifestyle choices that are within your power to make. Here are tips that can help you prolong the good years. 1 Break out of the exercise rut. ...

Satellite radio is it worth the money?(FM to Sirius)
February 1, 2006... The signals have never been stronger for satellite radio, the subscription service that beams hundreds of "stations" to your car or home. Shock jock Howard Stern has just moved from FM to Sirius, one of the two satellite providers. And Bob...

Economy class: small sedans: the redesigned Civic fares well against some capable rivals.(Product/Service Evaluation)
February 1, 2006... At one time, small cars were often classified as low-end models that traded refinement and luxury for frugality. However, the Honda Civic and the Volkswagen Jetta have always defied that notion by offering a stylish interior, and ride and...

Fighting for a strong 'organic' label.(View point: THE CONSUMERS UNION PERSPECTIVE)
February 1, 2006... Competition is fierce for a sliver of the lucrative organic-foods pie. Witness the stream of efforts, including a recent change in the law, to weaken the "organic" label's meaning, mainly on processed food. After years of wrangling, the...

Radio waves.(satellite radio)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... In the spring of 1948, we said that FM radio was no longer just "a hope for the future." The technology, invented in 1933, had started to fulfill its potential, though on a limited scale and only in particular cities. Unlike AM broadcasting,...

How long is a lifetime? Sometimes, quite short.(lifetime guarantee)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... LIFETIME GUARANTEE A Wisconsin reader found that a pair of his socks had holes at the heels. Happily, they came with a lifetime guarantee. But when he tried to return them, our reader told us, the manufacturer said that the guarantee...

Heckuva quote, brownie.(Hurricane Katrina)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Last August, before Hurricane Katrina had hit even a radar screen, a North Carolina reader sent us a promotion he had received for flood insurance. Our reader was annoyed about the pitch, period. But what struck us was what it said and who...

All together now: no kidding!(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... We're getting tired of this type of empty boast, which seems to be migrating to more and more packages, including this one, a 16.7-ounce box of Special K from a big brand that should know better. Hey, Kellogg's, how about touting "over 25%...

Highest price, guaranteed.(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)
February 1, 2006... "With a pledge like that," wrote the Pennsylvania reader who saw this guarantee online,"why shop around?" [ILUSTRATION OMITTED]