Consumer Reports articles from June 2006

Consumer Reports archives from June 2006

Let's stop skirting privacy issues.(Video Voyeurism Prevention Act of 2004 )
June 1, 2006... About a year ago, Congress passed a bill that made it a federal crime to videotape up a woman's skirt without her consent. The Video Voyeurism Prevention Act of 2004 focused on "circumstances in which the individual has a reasonable expectation...

Insect repellents: which keep bugs at bay?(up front: News/ Trends/ Advice)
June 1, 2006... Bzzzzzzzz... swat! If those words made you wince, read on for results of our tests showing how well 18 repellents ward off mosquitoes and ticks. Some kept the little beasts away for at least 12 hours; others barely worked. How we tested....

Three pool alarms 'not acceptable'.(SAFETY ALERT)
June 1, 2006... On average, more than 300 children under the age of 15 drown in swimming pools every year, according to federal data. Pool alarms are designed to raise an alert if people enter the water when they're not supposed to. But in our tests, only two...

Now hear this: good headsets for Bluetooth cell phones.(up front: News/ Trends/ Advice)
June 1, 2006... Bluetooth, the technology that lets you use a cell phone with a wireless headset, is coming on strong. More Bluetooth phones are available, at prices that start around $130. Bluetooth headsets cost as little as $30, and many are smaller than...

Barbecue sauces: Kraft-y shoppers should buy KC.(up front: News/ Trends/ Advice)
June 1, 2006... The word "barbecue" dates from about 1700, and the debate about how the sauce should taste seems to have raged ever since. Tomatoey? Vinegary? Mustardy? And how sweet? We're not going to wade into that discussion, but after tasting eight...

The picnic-plate challenge.(Bambu Veneerware All-Occasion plates)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... The claim. New disposable Bambu Veneerware All-Occasion plates, made of bamboo, "will not bend or buckle under the weight of food." The test. We pitted Bambu plates against plates of coated paper (Dixie Ultra), foam (Hefty Everyday Strong...

Grease-powered cars.(first look)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... On the eve of summer-travel season, lots of people are looking to save money on gas. One sure (if unusual) way is to run a diesel car on leftover frying oil. Our experts converted a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta diesel to a "grease car." We also tested...

Sugar-free Oreos are still a no-no.(up front: News/ Trends/ Advice)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Recently, Nabisco added Sugar Free Oreos to its ever-expanding lineup. Can they help prevent an ever-expanding waistline? We compared the nutrition and taste of sugar-free, reduced-fat, and regular Oreos. (According to the boxes, a serving of...

Some gas cans pose spill risk.(up front: News/ Trends/ Advice)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... Anyone with gas-powered yard equipment knows that it can take a deft touch to fill a tank without spilling. We tested four gas containers that promise to shut off gas flow automatically when the level reaches the nozzle tip: the Blitz, the...

Hybrids.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... You allowed a basic accounting error into your calculation of the five-year extra cost of owning a hybrid car in April's "The Dollars & Sense of Hybrids." You included both the purchase price premium and the extra depreciation. Any accountant...

Top picks.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... Your April report "Top Picks: The Best Models in 10 Categories" doesn't help our economy during this traumatic time for our U.S. car manufacturers. I'm not employed by an automaker; however, I live in Michigan and am affected by the sad state...

Replacement tires.(Letter to the editor)
June 1, 2006... I read your April Up Front article about replacement tires and new-car tire options, "Sticker Shock: Replacement Tires Can Be Costly." Most of the original equipment high-performance tires on sporty cars are totally unsuitable for driving in...

Editor's note.(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... In the February report on treadmills we rated an early version of the Evo by Smooth Fitness FX30, but alerted you that we would test the later version when it became available. Based on tests of the newer version and a correction in our scoring...

Lead in toy Reebok charm bracelet is linked to first fatality.(Recalls & Safety Alerts)
June 1, 2006... The Feb. 22, 2006, death of a 4-year-old Minneapolis boy, who swallowed part of a heart-shaped Reebok charm bracelet, is believed to be the first such death linked to toy jewelry, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The...

Smart moves for arthritis.
June 1, 2006... Myths, misconceptions, and outright untruths surround arthritis, America's No. 1 cause of disability and one of the most painful and frustrating chronic conditions. Anyone can be at risk for developing it, and an estimated one-third of adults...

Joint replacement: 1,001 patients tell you what your doctor can't.(SMART MOVES FOR ARTHRITIS)
June 1, 2006... Each year, more than 600,000 Americans with injured or diseased hips or knees go under the knife for the ultimate treatment: a joint replacement. While researchers have lavished attention on the surgery itself, we know much less about the...

Joint supplements: brands to try and brands to avoid.(SMART MOVES FOR ARTHRITIS)
June 1, 2006... Consumers spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year on dietary supplements to relieve osteoarthritis symptoms, says the Nutrition Business Journal, which tracks the industry. But our analysis of the research and our interviews with arthritis...

Easy PC fixes.(COMPUTER EXCLUSIVE)
June 1, 2006... Does this sound familiar? Your PC malfunctions, you wait (seemingly endlessly) on the phone to get help from the manufacturer's tech-support service, only to find it can't help you fix the problem. Finally, you do what you considered doing...

Desktops & laptops.(COMPUTER EXCLUSIVE)(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2006... As a result of Apple's decision to switch to Intel processors in Macintosh computers, most Macs now use the same brand of chips as Windows PCs. In fact, new limited-time beta software at Apple's site lets you install your own copy of Windows XP...

Monitors.(COMPUTER EXCLUSIVE)(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2006... CR QUICK: Recommendations Prices for LCD monitors continue to fall, making them (especially in their 17-inch size) the best choice for most people. Choose a model 19 inches or larger if you have poor vision and prefer a larger screen,...

Paints & stains: long-lasting finishes.(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2006... Paints and stains are being reformulated faster than ever. It's too soon to know how these new products will perform. But if you're painting your house this year, our latest tests show that exterior paint generally outlasts stain and that you...

Best bikes: performance & comfort.(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2006... We took to the streets and hills on 19 bicycles, including an intriguing new type called a performance road bike, to find which models offer the best performance for different kinds of riders. The performance road bike is aimed at cyclists...

Canada extra.
June 1, 2006... canada extra INFORMATION FROM CONSUMER REPORTS[R] FOR CANADIAN READERS How to use the Canada Extra section Every month, Canada Extra provides Canadian pricing and availability information about products tested for that issue. The Ratings...

The end of privacy? Tiny devices attached to everything you buy could put you under extensive surveillance.(CR INVESTIGATES)
June 1, 2006... Oh for the good old days when Big Brother merely watched you. Soon he'll be coming home with you in what you buy, wear, drive, and read. Radio Frequency Identification-a wireless technology that allows objects and people to be tagged and...

Gas grills: spend less, get more.(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2006... Fine cooking performance, free assembly, and more features make now a good time to buy a grill. While you could easily pay more than $1,000, our tests show that spending more than $500 rarely buys better grilling. Sales of gas grills...

Hedge trimmers: safer, powerful electrics.(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2006... The top gasoline-powered hedge trimmers are still fastest at buzzing through thick, dense shrubs. But this year's best plug-in trimmers perform nearly as well, cost far less, and offer more safety features. Wider gaps between the blade...

Lawn tractors: a new top performer.(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2006... Better tractors with tighter turning, larger decks, cup holders, and other amenities are cutting a wider swath through power-equipment dealers and home centers. But some models from familiar brands aren't what they seem. One of John...

Fat-blocking drug: should you use it?(Health)
June 1, 2006... What if weight loss were as simple as popping a pill that limits your body's ability to absorb fat from food? By marketing such a drug over the counter, the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline is wagering that it can snag a chunk of the $41...

Liquidation sales: not always a deal.(Money)
June 1, 2006... The next time you pause at a strip-mall furniture store, tempted by banners proclaiming "Everything must go," you should don your flimflam detector. Going-out-of-business, or liquidation, sales promise tantalizingly deep discounts. But you...

Cheap thrills: sporty cars: the Mazda Miata and Volkswagen GTI top the charts, while the Pontiac Solstice disappoints.(Buyers guide)
June 1, 2006... The Pontiac Solstice, along with its twin, the Saturn Sky, is the much-anticipated roadster that General Motors hopes will bring some affordable flash to its lineup. But we found that it doesn't match up to the redesigned Mazda MX-5 Miata. ...

Uniformity for food act is uniformly bad.(View point: THE CONSUMERS UNION PERSPECTIVE)
June 1, 2006... If you suspect it was something you ate, you are not alone. More than 76 million cases of food-borne illness occur each year, 325,000 people are sick enough to be hospitalized, and five thousand people actually die. But most of us just suffer...

Guest the test.(View point: THE CONSUMERS UNION PERSPECTIVE)
June 1, 2006... For 70 years, CONSUMER REPORTS has tested just about everything you can think of, including the kitchen sink. (And if there isn't a device to test a product, we create one.) For the rest of our aniversary year, we'll invite you to look at a...

Lost in translation.(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... FROM A VISOR A California reader was given this cap while sightseeing with a busload of tourists in the Canadian Rockies. As for interpreting the instructions? "Good luck!" he says. It's not news that foreign-made merchandise has spread...

The power of pictures.(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... This "special invitation" to the Celebrity Conference in Atlanta promised attendees "secrets and strategies" from "some of the wealthiest self-made multimillionaire experts in America." There was Donald Trump's photo on each ticket enclosed....

G.I. Joy.(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... "I know they're referring to the TV show," a reader wrote about the catalog copy selling this costume kit, "but, ahem, it was about a war." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Is there a Dowry?(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... OK, everybody sing: "Here comes the Internet phone adapter." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Make up your mind.(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)(Brief article)
June 1, 2006... In CR's January 2006 article about testimonials, we said we'd seen the woman at right in two different ads. One was for anti-wrinkle pads, in which she was called Dhyana Dahl; the other was for face-saving procedures such as Botox injections,...