Consumer Reports articles from July 2003

Consumer Reports archives from July 2003

We've made some changes. (Have you Heard?).
July 1, 2003... In 1933 an electrical draftsman named Harry Beck designed a new map for the London Underground. He simplified the twists of color that represented the subway lines and gave the public a map that, 70 years later, is still an easy-to-read,...

Phony health insurance. (Scam Alert).
July 1, 2003... Dozens of companies selling bogus health insurance plans have left tens of thousands of people without coverage and with millions in unpaid medical bills. They target the self-employed and small-business owners desperate for affordable...

First look. (Update).(Volvo XC90 T6 sport-utility vehicle )(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2003... Product: Volvo XC90 T6 Full report: October 2003 This much-anticipated vehicle, Volvo's first genuine sport-utility, appears to be a very competitive new entry. Ours cost us $44655, typically equipped. So far, it has performed...

Dare you drink from a garden hose? (Up Front).
July 1, 2003... We'd answer that question by saying it's OK to drink from a hose only if it's labeled safe or if you flush it first. Otherwise, the water standing inside may contain worrisome amounts of lead and other chemicals that leach from the hose itself....

Wal-Mart's $300 computer. (Up Front).(Microtel Sysmar742)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2003... Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, now offers a line of 9 desktop computers through walmart.com that are noteworthy on two counts: They're among the cheapest, with some priced around $200, and they're the first widely available machines...

The best way to really clean carpets. (Up Front).
July 1, 2003... The last time we tested deep-cleaning machines for carpets, we found that most machines were mediocre at best. Our advice then: "Before you shell out a couple of hundred dollars. be sure a deep-cleaner is what you need. Rent first." Things...

Satellite Radio comes home. (Up Front).(Delphi XM SKYfi Radio)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2003... The XM Satellite Radio service, which has been available since autumn 2001 in vehicles, can now be used at home. The hardware costs about $200; a subscription for programming runs $10 a month, It's worth considering if you want more than local...

Did long-distance 'slamming' get easier? (Up Front).(federal appeals court rules against Federal Communications Commission )(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... A federal appeals court has ruled that the Federal Communications Commission went too far with regulations designed to protect consumers from the federal crime of "slamming"--having your long-distance service switched to a different company...

Phone calls without the phone company. (Up Front).(Vonage Internet phone service)
July 1, 2003... For some time, technical cognoscenti have been able to use a computer as a type of telephone or walkie-talkie, in a rather clumsy arrangement for voice calls. Things are simpler now. With an adapter that lets you connect a phone to the...

Claim check.(Minute Maid's Hi-C Flashin' Fruit Punch lives up to claim of not staining fabrics and surfaces)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The claim: "Now! Won't Stain most fabrics and Surfaces**" is the new boast from Minute Maid's Hi-C Flashin' Fruit Punch. (Colored fruit juice is an especially tough stain.) The asterisks lead to this: "With prompt cleaning, Hi-C will not stain...

Your letters.(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2003... SAFETY SEATS The May report on child car seats said that parents should use a convertible seat in the rear-facing position for infants, forward-facing when the child is 1 year old and at least 20 pounds. This does not emphasize the...

You can get VW and Audi ignition coils replaced. (Recalls & Safety Alerts).
July 1, 2003... We reported in the May Recalls column that Volkswagen would replace the ignition coils in some 530,000 VW and Audi vehicles. Several readers complained that dealers weren't following through. Volkswagen of America says it has also heard...

Veterinary care without the bite. (CR Investigates).
July 1, 2003... If you've been to the vet lately, you may have walked out wanting a distemper shot for yourself. Since 1997, veterinarians have been biking prices at more than twice the rate of overall inflation. At the same time, great leaps in veterinary...

Best meals best deals. (Chain Restaurants).
July 1, 2003... If you're like most people, you're probably cooking less and eating out more. Many of your meals out might be at familiar restaurant chains like Applebee's, Denny's, or Red Lobster. Those aren't bad choices, but you could do better--in some...

The plane truth. (Airline Seats).
July 1, 2003... Getting stuck in a lousy seat on a long flight is no picnic. Squeezed between fellow passengers like the filling in a DoubleStuf Oreo, prevented from reading or eating by the person whose seatback lies in your lap, and bathed in fumes from the...

C-Affeinated kids.
July 1, 2003... True or false: A cup of Haagen-Dazs coffee ice cream has more caffeine than a can of Coke. Reward yourself with a spoonful of ice cream if you said "true." We discovered that fact during a recent analysis of the caffeine content of 25...

Omega-3 oil fish or pills?
July 1, 2003... A flood of scientific findings on fish oil points to a startling conclusion: Certain omega-3 fatty acids in the oil, consumed either from fish or fish-oil capsules, appear to offer as much protection against dying from coronary heart disease as...

Watch for consumer reports on TV.
July 1, 2003... Watch for Consumer Reports on TV Did you know your local TV station has exclusive reports featuring Consumer Reports testing and unbiased product Ratings? Watch any of the stations listed below during their local newscasts and you'll see...

PDAs power in hand.
July 1, 2003... PDA makers are blurring the distinctions between the two main types, Palm OS and Pocket PC models. Choosing between the two is now a matter of deciding which you need more: Palm OS's compatibility with a wide variety of software that runs...

Radios small boxes, sound.
July 1, 2003... About 10 years ago Bose made a splash with its Wave Radio, a high-priced model designed to produce "rich, full sound with remarkable clarity and deep, natural lows." Now other companies are offering table radios promising big sound from small...

Air conditioners cool choices.
July 1, 2003... A competitive market has put window air conditioners among life's lower-priced luxuries. Models sized for small rooms now begin at just over $100, while larger units start at about $200. Large, high-volume retailers such as Wal-Mart, which...

Blenders smooth operators.
July 1, 2003... Highfalutin food processors may hog the spotlight on TV cooking shows, but plain old blenders beat them hands down if you're making frozen drinks or fruit smoothies, crushing ice, or pureeing vegetables for soup. Blenders cost anywhere...

Refrigerators expanding options.
July 1, 2003... There are more ways than ever to get design flair in your choice of refrigerators at something that approaches middle-market prices. Once installed, "cabinet depth" models will be almost flush with your cabinetry. It's the "built-in" pro look...

Aspirin for everything? (Health).(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... The daily low-dose aspirin (81 milligrams) that doctors have long recommended for people at risk for a heart attack may also help prevent other devastating diseases. In the past few months alone, researchers have reported that a daily low...

No silver bullet for sars. (Names & Claims).
July 1, 2003... "With the spread of the SARS virus, it makes sense to use colloidal silver regularly as a preventive and immune system booster." So says the Web site of Elixa Ltd., one of a number of sellers touting the ability of colloidal silver--a...

5 tips for buying that new car.( Consumer Reports New Car Price Service)
July 1, 2003... Expert advice from David Champion, Director of Auto Testing and The Consumer Reports New Car Price Service [1] Learn the lowest cost Get the Consumer Reports Wholesale Price Here's the real key to your deal: you must find out what...

Steer clear of online job scams. (Money).
July 1, 2003... Being unemployed is bad enough. But job seekers have a new worry: falling victim to criminals and con artists prowling Internet job-posting services. Online recruiting sites such as Career Builder.com, Hotjobs.com, and Monster .com have...

Car video watch your movie!
July 1, 2003... Exorbitant in price and limited in availability only a few years ago, car video systems let kids watch recorded movies from the backseat. Now the systems have become more widespread, and some are also quite affordable. Built-in DVD-based...

Get sporty: two untraditional American cars top this group of upscale sedans. (Sports Sedans).(Product/Service Evaluation)
July 1, 2003... American luxury cars have long been synonymous with plush comfort and a cushy ride. In the past few years, however, two most prominent luxury brands-Cadillac and Lincoln--have introduced cars intended to go head to head with some of the best...

Fighting media monopolies. (The Consumer Union Perspective).
July 1, 2003... To keep up with the news in your community you may read a daily newspaper, watch the news on a local TV station, or visit a Web site owned by one of them. Local media outlets help people stay informed about what's happening in their towns and...

The bigger chill. (Then & Now).(freezers and refrigerators)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2003... We sized up refrigerator shelves In 1951 using the milkman's quart bottles; today we use gallon jugs and portly three-liter soda bottles. We still load freezers with frozen food and wire them--and the refrigerator--with special...

God bless Ad-merica. (Selling it: Goofs\Glitches\Rip-offs).
July 1, 2003... Faith Popcorn, a marketing consultant and trend expert. predicted that the war and its aftermath would bring on "a new kind of flag-driven marketing." Well, we're here to say that the flag-driven future has arrived, and it's not always pretty...