Consumer Reports articles from March 2006

Consumer Reports archives from March 2006

Your medical data, in bits & bytes.(Have You Heard?)
March 1, 2006... Hindsight is 20/20, and foresight can be, too. The latest example: the promise and peril of electronically storing all the data in your private medical records. The federal government is working right now to convert bulging drawers of...

GE Monogram professional-style gas ranges pose fire hazard.(Recalls & Safety Alerts)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... GE is recalling thousands of its Monogram 36- and 48-inch stainless-steel gas ranges because of a flaw that could lead to an unexpected fire. The problem, affecting as many as 6,600 ranges, stems from worn insulation on electrical connectors,...

'05 Kawasaki Brute Force ATV.(VEHICLES)
March 1, 2006... Wear or severe impact could cause front wheel to separate from steering components, resulting in loss of control and, possibly, crash. Products: 21,900 all-terrain vehicles sold 6/04 to 11/05 including Brute Force models KVF750-A1 and...

Children's metal necklaces and zipper pulls.(CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS)(Product defects and recalls of Stravina Operating Co. LLC)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... Contain high levels of accessible lead, posing serious risk of lead poisoning to young children. Products: Approximately 6 million metal necklaces and zipper-pull attachments made in China for Stravina Operating Co. LLC, and sold 3/02 to...

Graco "Aspen 3-in-1" wood crib with wood mattress support.(CHILDREN'S PRODUCTS)(Product defects and recalls of simplicity Inc)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... Some cribs were shipped with wrong-sized wood screws, which could come loose and allow part of mattress to fall, posing suffocation hazard to child. Products: 104,000 cribs sold 8/03 to 5/05 at department and juvenile products stores for...

Dell notebook computer batteries.(ELECTRONICS)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... Could overheat and catch fire. Products: 22,000 batteries sold 10/5/04 to 10/13/05 with various notebook computers, separately for $100 to $180, or provided as replacement part by service technicians during repair calls. The recalled...

LCD TVs: your guide to HDTVs.
March 1, 2006... CR Quick Recommendations The Ratings list models by performance. Quick Picks highlights models that you might want to consider based not only on how they scored but also on factors such as price and features. None of the 37-inch LCD...

Plasma TVs: your guide to HDTVs.
March 1, 2006... CR Quick Recommendations The Ratings list models by performance. Quick Picks highlights models that you might want to consider based not only on how they scored but also on factors such as price and features. We have enough survey data to...

Rear-projection TVs.(YOUR GUIDE TO HDTVs)
March 1, 2006... CR Quick Recommendations The Ratings list models by performance. Quick Picks highlights models that you might want to consider based not only on how they scored but on factors such as price and features. The Samsung (6) and Mitsubishi...

DVD players & recorders: watch for some big changes.
March 1, 2006... Great picture and sound quality plus relatively low prices made the digital video disc one of the most successful consumer-electronics formats ever. But conventional DVDs may soon seem quaint as high-definition (HD) television programming...

Computers: from den to living room.(upgrading the computers)
March 1, 2006... Now that they have a firm foothold in dens and home offices, computer makers have designs on another part of the house: the living room. The idea is to create an integrated, all-digital home-media center, with one user-friendly interface. Some...

Vacuums: new choices, new problems.
March 1, 2006... Sweepers, stick vacuums, hand vacs, and even $1,500-plus robotic models try to compete with conventional upright and canister vacuums. But our latest tests show that some new vacuum choices and a record number of familiar ones aren't doing...

Canada extra: information from Consumer Reports for Canadian readers.
March 1, 2006... canada extra INFORMATION FROM CONSUMER REPORTS[R] FOR CANADIAN READERS How to use the Canada Extra section Canada Extra provides Canadian pricing and availability information about products tested for this issue of Consumer Reports...

The Oyster Awards: CR's picks for America's hardest-to-open packages.
March 1, 2006... Too often, today's packages force consumers to fight tooth and nail to get at what's inside. Make no mistake, we're talking literally teeth, fingernails, knives, wire cutters, pliers, hacksaws, ice picks--whatever it takes to get the job done....

The coffee can evolves.(Nescafe Taster coffee can upgrade)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... The originals Old metal canisters required an opener, creating an ultrasharp lid and razorlike burrs inside the can, which you then covered with a plastic top. For years, instant coffee lived inside a glass jar with a screw-off lid....

Washers & dryers: savings at a price.
March 1, 2006... Tougher new energy standards for 2007 have helped spawn more energy-saving washers at stores now. But many of these frugal new models are pricey, and some deliver relatively little savings for the money. Beginning next January, all washing...

New heart dos and don'ts How to cut your risks.(CR Health)
March 1, 2006... Get to the gym on a regular basis, eat less fat, lose weight, stop smoking: That has been the usual advice for protecting the heart without medicine. Here are five lesser-known steps, based on the latest scientific research, that may help keep...

Vicks VapoRub might help fight toenail fungus.(Did you know?)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... Applying Vicks VapoRub to fungus-infected toenails can clear up the notoriously hard-to-treat condition. Michigan State University clinicians found that applying the product daily to the infected nail cleared the condition in 32 of 85 patients,...

Hoodia: lose weight without feeling hungry?(Hoodia Supreme dietary supplement)(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2006... Helps "burn stored fat" when combined with "diet and lifestyle changes," and "research shows dramatic appetite suppression." So said radio ads for Hoodia Supreme, a dietary supplement costing $39.95 for 60 capsules of powdered African cactus....

Family values: family sedans: we test variations on a common automotive theme.(Buyers Guide)
March 1, 2006... An infusion of new and redesigned vehicles has helped make the family sedan segment a wide-ranging one. Consumers have many options in terms of price, size, fuel economy, and power. As a result, this month's group comprises affordable sedans,...

Chevrolet Monte Carlo V8.(Product/Service Evaluation)
March 1, 2006... [RECOMMENDED [check]] Highs: Acceleration, transmission,V8 power and sound. Lows: Ride, fuel economy, fit and finish, visibility, access, torque steer. The large, front-wheel-drive Monte Carlo, based on the Chevrolet Impala,was...

What is wrong with these pictures.(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)
March 1, 2006... An accident waiting to happen [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] And her gift is an inability to dance [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Time for a new clock [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Small head or big blooms? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

A new wrinkle in marketing.(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)
March 1, 2006... This truck inspired a few quips from the reader who spotted it in California last year. Our favorite: "You are supposed to show the after' sample, not the 'before.'" On the other hand, maybe the dent was a good ploy; it got some attention,...

Hand-me-downs we'd rather not think about.(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2006... A Florida reader marveled that everything he looked up on Amazon .com seemed to be offered as new or used. Finally, he checked on the ultimate one-use item. Yep, there it was: Trojan condoms, offered "used & new." (Fortunately, there were none...

A black hole award.(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)
March 1, 2006... ... goes to whoever packed the Incase neoprene sleeve we ordered for an Apple PowerBook. Incase's symbol: a leaf. Interesting choice, considering how much vegetation must have gone into making that pile of paper. (We're hoping it's recycled.)...