Consumer Reports articles from February 2007

Consumer Reports archives from February 2007

Our kids should be safer.(Have You Heard?)
February 1, 2007... My own children are grown and many years past riding in infant car seats, but yours might not be, so the images I saw of our latest tests filled me with dread: Dummies tumbled like Raggedy Anns, seats flew across the lab, plastic bases cracked,...

A rose is a rose. Or not.(up front)
February 1, 2007... Order roses for Sweetie, Pookie, Honeypie, or even Mom, and you want them to look perfect, especially if you're paying up to $128 plus delivery. But recent tests of four online flower deliverers revealed thorny issues: bruised petals, wrong...

How to buy a flat-screen TV.(QUICK TIPS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... People looking to supersize their Super Bowl might be thinking of buying a big flat-panel HDTV. To take advantage of the deals: * Read an ad's fine print. There could be time limits or a limited choice of models you might want. * Ask...

How Dunkin' Donuts cookies stack up.(up front)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Dunkin' Donuts introduced a new vice earlier this winter: cookies. Two of the three types we tasted earned high praise (descriptions are below). Now the unfortunate news: They have 480 to 590 calories each--about one-fourth of what most people...

Storing food the high-tech way.(CLAIM CHECK)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The claim. To protect food, Heritage Lock & Lock Airtight uses latches and a "space-age silicon seal"; Rubbermaid Stain Shield uses an "exclusive dual material storage lid"; Sharper Image Fresher Longer uses polypropylene that's impervious to...

Chocolates for your sweet: dandy candy.(up front)
February 1, 2007... Our trained tasters have identified eight of the most delectable gift-boxed confections you'll find. Each is unique, but they share just-made freshness, smooth chocolate, hints of real butter and cream, and fruit fillings and herbal infusions...

Can you curl up with a good Sony Reader?(up front)
February 1, 2007... The Sony Reader, $350, is the latest attempt to make the paperless book a best seller. Roughly the size of a trade paperback, this 64MB device (9 ounces minus cover) can hold about 80 full-length books. To turn a page, you press a button,...

Wipe hype.(CLAIM CHECK)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... The claim. The boast for Lysol Sanitizing Wipes is "now 50% stronger and cleans better than Clorox Wipes on tough grease!" Both Lysol and Clorox wipes say they contain disinfectants, and both cost about 7 cents per wipe, which makes them a...

Product: Hyundai Santa Fe * Full report: May 2007.(first look)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Hyundai continues to introduce better, more competitive cars, including the Azera sedan, Entourage minivan, and new Santa Fe. Redesigned for 2007, the Santa Fe is based on the current Sonata platform and is built in Alabama. It's a bit larger...

Energy policy.(Your Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... I agree with your December Viewpoint headline, "Needed: A bold policy on gas consumption." However, I think the "bold policy" that is needed to reverse this country's excessive gas consumption is simply to reverse the old policy of cheap gas....

Wine.(Your Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... Regarding your December story on wine, you missed the mark on your advice about corking open bottles. It's the amount of air left in the bottle relative to the amount of wine in the bottle that matters. For instance, if there is one glass of...

Electric shavers.(Your Letters)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... I agree with your assessment of the men's foil electric shavers (Up Front, December), specifically for the "cheap shave" Titanium Turbo T2. It certainly is not the highest performer for the usual early morning shave. However, where I found this...

Correction.(Correction notice)
February 1, 2007... In November's report "Home-theater audio," we noted that all three Quick Picks, the Onkyo TX-SR504, Pioneer VSX-1016TXV, and Yamaha RX-V659BL, offer the ability to receive HD radio multichannel broadcasts. We should have said those receivers...

Clarification.(Correction notice)
February 1, 2007... In the November report "Eyeglasses: Score spectacular savings," we implied that Eyemart Express and LensCrafters charge extra for making glasses quickly. They do not.

Editor's note.(Your Letters)
February 1, 2007... We reported in "Handy hatches" in the September issue that electronic stability control was not available for the Dodge Caliber. While this was true at the time we bought our tested car, ESC is now available on all versions of the Caliber...

A Kolcraft Tiny Steps baby walker is Not Acceptable.(Recalls & Safety Alerts)
February 1, 2007... Baby walkers are supposed to be designed so that they don't allow your child to topple down the stairs. Most manufacturers use friction strips on the bottom of the walker that act as a brake when the leading wheels drop over a stair edge. ...

DeWalt framing saws and circular saws.(HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Lower blade guard can fail to close, leaving the blade exposed and presenting a laceration hazard to consumers. Products: 97,000 framing saws sold 1/03 through 8/06 for about $170 and 37,000 circular saws sold 5/06 through 9/06 for between...

Troy-Bilt/Craftsman gasoline chain saws.(HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Chain saw's plastic front handle can break during operation. If this occurs, saw would be difficult to control and would pose risk for lacerations. Products: 76,000 chain saws sold 1/04 through 6/06. Troy-Bilt brand sold at independent...

Polly Pocket magnetic play sets by Mattel.(CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
February 1, 2007... Small magnets found inside the dolls and accessories in these play sets can be swallowed or aspirated, or put in the nose or ears by young children. Products: 2.4 million Polly Pocket play sets sold in the U.S. (and another 2 million...

What if this were your child? Most infant car seats fail our new front- and side-crash tests.(SAFETY ALERT)
February 1, 2007... You'd think that in a car crash, infants in their cozy car seats would be the most protected passengers of all. But you'd be wrong, our tests reveal. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cars and car seats can't be sold unless they can withstand a...

A seat sold abroad outperforms U.S. models.
February 1, 2007... The Cosy Tot and the Companion are infant car seats made by the same company, Britax Childcare Group LTD based in Andover, England. But the similarities end there. The Cosy Tot is sold only in Europe; we bought ours in England. It was...

10 easy steps to the simple (financial) life.
February 1, 2007... Your desk is littered with bills, fund prospectuses, tax forms, and credit-card offers, and you don't know where to start. You have no idea how your investments are doing or whether you're on track for retirement. And you just learned, six...

60 funds you can count on: our exclusive Money Lab tests reveal the most consistently successful stock mutual funds in 6 categories.
February 1, 2007... Many people choose their mutual funds by consulting a table in their favorite finance publication and buying whatever has the best recent record. Bad idea. Sure, that might simplify fund picking, but it can lead to a real mess later on. As...

What to watch for in '07.
February 1, 2007... Should you redo the kitchen, take a vacation, or save money for retirement? Those decisions aren't easy unless you have a personal fortune-teller who can predict whether your finances will be roiled by high fuel prices or inflation. ...

Internet service: fiber joins the fray.
February 1, 2007... Cable Internet service has met its match. In our latest survey of more than 34,000 subscribers--our first to assess the new kid on the block, fiber-optic broadband--readers gave Verizon's fiber-based FiOS service top marks across the board. ...

Broadband gotchas.(Q & A)
February 1, 2007... Special deals on Internet service are enticing and may in fact be good buys. But don't be mesmerized by lowball prices and impressive speed numbers. Consider the fine print, which, if overlooked, can leave you with bigger bills than you...

Printers: darkroom on a desktop.
February 1, 2007... With today's inkjet printers, printing top-notch photos at home is a snap. You don't even have to turn on your computer thanks to a growing list of photo-friendly features. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] One-button editing on some printers...

Get better care from your doctor.
February 1, 2007... Sure, you love your doctors. But your visits to them might be more rushed than you realize, and you might not be following their instructions as well as you think you are. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Those are some of the findings of the...

Getting personal 10 embarrassing questions.(CR Health)
February 1, 2007... Troublesome smells 1 What's causing my flatulence? It might be your diet. Intestinal bacteria ferment the undigested remnants of certain carbohydrates, producing gas. Likely culprits include beans and other legumes, bran, whole grains,...

Treadmills: fancy footwork.
February 1, 2007... Treadmills are stepping up in the world with options like built-in TVs and fans. But defects in some of the ones we tested show that quality control remains an issue. The 18 models cost $1,000 to $3,500, a large enough outlay to make an...

Ranges: features that pan out.
February 1, 2007... Larger ovens, quicker cooktops, and speedier self-cleaning are a few of the features you'll hear about as manufacturers woo busy cooks. Some features can slice the time you spend over a hot stove. But others promise more than they delivered in...

Microwave ovens: trade-offs of trading up.
February 1, 2007... Sales-hungry manufacturers are heating up their product lines with greater capacity, convection cooking, and other features aimed at homeowners who want a second oven without having to remodel. But when it comes to performance, not every model...

GPS navigators: features increase; prices fall.(CR Cars)
February 1, 2007... Many new portable GPS navigators are less bulky, have more features, and cost less than earlier models. Recent marketplace changes have prompted us to change our Ratings of six months ago to reflect current performance and features. We tested...

Small SUVs: the sleekly redesigned Honda CR-V bests a group of 5 car-based vehicles.(OUT OF THE BOX)(Product/service evaluation)
February 1, 2007... In just 10 years, the small, car-based SUV segment has grown from one vehicle, the Toyota RAV4, to a category that includes dozens of models and has redefined what consumers think of as an SUV. Small, car-based SUVs have become mainstream...

Consumers' to-do list for the new Congress.(THE CONSUMERS UNION PERSPECTIVE)
February 1, 2007... The November elections were like a starter's pistol for Consumers Union and other groups that work on consumer issues. Not that CU had slowed its pace, but the power shift in Congress may enable some hurdles to be cleared that have, until now,...

Winner of the December contest.(guess the test)
February 1, 2007... Over the years, CONSUMER REPORTS has tested just about everything you can think of. Below, at left, is a photograph from our archives. Send us your best guess as to what we were testing. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Oven mitts, egg cartons,...