Consumer Reports articles from March 2002

Consumer Reports archives from March 2002

Back to the rabbit's foot.('Good Luck Money Ring')(Selling It)(Humor)(Column)
March 1, 2002... When the Deer Creek catalog informed us that the Good Luck Money Ring "draws money to you like a magnet," we knew we had to try it. Did the ring possess "the mystic power to make money come to you--big money!"? We paid $25, including postage,...

Selling it.(dubious ads, labels)(Humor)(Column)
March 1, 2002... Not the chamber-pot model. We were intrigued by the amenities offered by XtraJet International's Hawker Jet. Stand-up headroom, seating for seven, and coast-to-coast range certainly seem as if they're worth advertising. But about that...

Luxury cars or fancy family sedans? Five good cars. But you can do better for less.(Upscale Sedans - Road Test)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... To create a luxury car that more people can afford, many automakers turn to high-volume family sedans in their line-ups, change the styling and suspension tuning, add features and a more prestigious nameplate, and raise the price by thousands...

Printers.(Product Updates)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2002... WHAT'S NEW * Laser printers get cheaper, smaller, and faster. Two of the tested models cost only $200, narrowing the price gap between lasers and most inkjet printers. Lasers are more compact than their predecessors, with some as small as...

VCRs.(Product Updates)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2002... WHAT'S NEW Falling prices for VHS models. The newly tested RCA VR651HF, Symphonic SL260B, and GE VG4250 join a growing number of VCRs that deliver good performance for under $100. Some basic units cost as little as $50 or so. Expect prices...

DVD players.(Product Updates)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2002... WHAT'S NEW More capability for less. Many standard, single-disc DVD players now cost less than $200. Spend $200 to $250, and you can buy models that hold as many as five discs. Some in that price range also offer progressive-scan...

Video options: VCR/DVD player combos.(Product Updates)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2002... WHAT'S NEW Combination models are a trend. A VCR/DVD player combo is only slightly larger than most VCRs. Like separate units connected to the same TV set, a combo allows you to watch a DVD or listen to a CD while the VCR records. DVD...

Recalls: sports equipment; household products.(Directory)
March 1, 2002... * Diving Unlimited Int'l. scuba devices Overpressure valves used with buoyancy control system could stick in open position and cause diver to drown. Products: 3,500 buoyancy control systems sold 11/97 to 11/01 by authorized Diving...

Moving ahead with stock funds.(Investing For Tough Times)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2002... Constructing a nicely performing portfolio of mutual funds is an investor's first--but not only--task. Every year, you have to give your investments a tune-up to make sure that they can get you where you want to go. In the last two years,...

Shoring up your 401(k).(Investing For Tough Times)(Cover Story)
March 1, 2002... After the battering your portfolio took last year, you have to think about regrouping for safety and diversification. Below, you'll learn how to get the most out of your 401(k) and other retirement savings. In the report starting on page 40, we...

Cultural affairs: we tested more than 40 yogurts, some aimed at kids.(Yogurt - Ratings)(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... Yogurt makers have been as active as the cultures in their products over the past few years, coming up with a host of new creations, packaging, and pitches. Dannon launched la Creme, a premium full-fat yogurt "for people who don't like yogurt."...

The 'everywhere' computer.(Laptops - Test)(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2002... Increasing numbers of computer buyers are choosing a laptop not just for travel, but as a direct substitute for a home desktop. During the first nine months of last year, while desktop sales plummeted, laptop sales soared. Over the past three...

Direct-view TVs: ratings.(conventional sets; HD-ready sets)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... For many consumers, a TV set that measures 27, 32, or 36 inches is big enough for enjoyable viewing yet small enough to fit in a modest-sized room. In this report, we rate 60 direct-view (nonprojection) TVs in those three sizes. We found very...

TV titans: projection TVs - test.(Buyers Guide)(Cover Story)
March 1, 2002... Looking for a TV set that will let you view movies at home in a size and shape that rivals your local theater? Eager for an up-close-and-personal view of the gridiron action? The prospect of enjoying a virtual front-row seat at a movie or...

Abdominal exercises.(Cover Story)
March 1, 2002... Treadmills and ellipticals are designed mainly to strengthen the heart and cardiovascular system, but other muscles need attention, too. Strong abdominal muscles can not only help improve your looks in a bathing suit, they can also prevent or...

Elliptical exercisers - ratings.(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... Elliptical exercisers represent the marriage of a stair climber and a cross-country-ski machine. Your feet, on pedals, move in flattened circles; your arms, grasping handlebars, move back and forth (you can choose instead to grasp fixed...

Stay fit!(treadmills - ratings)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... Treadmills are the best-selling home exercise machine in the U.S. for good reasons. A study that compared exercisers who worked out equally hard for the same time on several different types of machines found that they generally burned the most...

iFIT: your trainer is on the line.(treadmills - ratings)(Icon Fitness software workouts)(Cover Story)(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... For more motivation, or more entertainment, than a conventional programmed workout can offer, you might consider iFIT, from Icon Fitness, maker of most low- and mid-priced treadmills, including the Reebok, Image, HealthRider, ProForm, and...

What to do if the lights go out: home safety.(Home Front)(Column)
March 1, 2002... Homeowners can make blackouts more bearable by connecting a portable gasoline-powered generator into their home's wiring system. Models from Coleman, Generac, Honda, and other makers that supply the 5,000 watts or so needed for heating systems...

As seen on TV: a claim that doesn't hold water; this roller is a 'pro' all right: a problem.(Front Lines)(Column)(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... Leak Ender 2000, a $19 spray can containing aluminum paste, bills itself as a "miracle sealer" for everything from gushing gutters to holey hoses. We sprayed two coats inside rain gutters, carefully focusing on cuts we'd made. The Leak...

Quicker pasta, but only so-so.(Taste Test)(Front Lines)(Prego Pasta Bake Sauce and instant pastas)(Product Information)(Column)
March 1, 2002... There's big news in prepared foods for all those people too busy or unskilled to even boil water: Don't bother. Just pour Prego Pasta Bake Sauce and a little water over uncooked ziti or rotini, pop the dish in the oven, and you've got dinner,...

Stick-'em-up paints.(Front Lines)(Column)(Evaluation)
March 1, 2002... Walls can take on a magnetic personality when coated with paints that contain iron filings. Two or three applications and the surface becomes fair game for magnets and anything you want to stick up without making holes: drawings, lists, photos,...

Allergy-free gardens.(Front Lines)(Column)
March 1, 2002... Just because you have asthma or allergies doesn't mean your landscaping must be limited to silk flowers in window boxes, little white pebbles, and statuary. You can plant a wide range of big, showy flowers, shrubs, and trees that won't...

Energy: there ought to be a law.(Memo To Members)(Editorial)
March 1, 2002... While Congress has focused on more immediate concerns, energy issues have been on the back burner. But as last year's energy crisis in California--and the current war on terrorism--are teaching us, a lot rests on how we handle our energy...