Consumer Reports articles from March 2009

Consumer Reports archives from March 2009

Raise the roof-crush standard.(VIEWPOINT)
March 1, 2009... ONE MORNING seven years ago, Patrick Parker was driving to work on a rural Texas road when a deer jumped in front of his truck. He steered to avoid it but hit a second deer that appeared from the median. Parker's truck flipped up and rolled...

Web sites that work.(FROM OUR PRESIDENT)(federal government web sites )(Website list)
March 1, 2009... At Consumers Union, we often turn to federal government Web sites in our research. Like you, we depend on the facts to be not just accurate but also easily accessible. All too often, though, government Web sites are difficult to penetrate....

Company perk.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Your January report "Best Cell-Phone Service" should have advised readers to ask about discounts based on the company they work for. Most cell-phone carriers offer a cooperative discount to employees of a variety of companies. When I discovered...

Not so smart.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Your January 2009 report on cell phones misses an important point about smart phones: Those used as a PDA must be synched with a computer, and not all smart phones do so easily. For example, Palm's "hot sync" feature doesn't support the new...

Hidden sodium.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... It's not just food that has hidden sodium ("Shake Salt from Your Diet," January 2009). Each tablet of Alka-Seltzer Plus Cough & Cold Formula has 415 mg of sodium, and the dose is two tablets every 4 hours. And a tablet of Alka-Seltzer Plus...

Mortgage mess.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... Reading "A Rescue Plan for the Rest of Us" (January 2009), I was surprised to see a reference to mortgage problems in Hobart, Indiana, since I assumed the mortgage market was relatively sound in this area. Then I was dismayed to see the parents...

Lose the ads.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... In "Cars" (January 2009), you describe pop-up ads on a Garmin GPS as a minor annoyance. Minor annoyance? If a GPS I bought showed ads, it would be returned posthaste. This would be the same as buying a cell phone and having ads inserted into...

13 for the road.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
March 1, 2009... In your excellent Up Front article "12 for the Road: What to Keep in Your Car" (January 2009), you didn't include what can be a lifesaver: a small tool that allows you to break glass or otherwise escape should you become trapped. A friend's...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
March 1, 2009... The Viewpoint page in the February issue gave an incorrect Web address. State laws concerning payday loans can be found at www.paydayloaninfo.org. In "A Rescue Plan for the Rest of Us" (January 2009), we wrote that if you borrowed money...

Ask our experts.(shellfish and cholesterol)(high definition televisions)(water heaters)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... I love shellfish, but it contains a lot of cholesterol. I have high cholesterol; should I avoid shrimp and the like? Marilyn Baratto Brooklyn, NY [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] People who are being treated for high cholesterol (240 mg/dl...

Oops! Americans report risky behavior.(Up front)
March 1, 2009... Last month, we noted that 27 percent of Americans never wear sunscreen when outdoors for a long time, and 70 percent don't use hearing protection when mowing or leaf blowing. Part Two of our nationwide survey on risky behavior, conducted by the...

Virtual watchdog.(CLAIM CHECK)(Rex Plus )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The claim. Rex Plus is the "Electronic Watchdog That Never Sleeps." You put this little box behind a partition (door, wall, curtain) and it detects movement on the other side, playing one of three sounds in response: a barking dog (described as...

Clear windows, unclear warnings.(UP FRONT)(glass cleaners' safety)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Glass cleaners make it easier to see through windows, but you might strain your eyes to read their warnings about children and pets. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Glass-cleaner manufacturers aren't required to put such information on the...

Debit-card dilemma.(GOTCHA!)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Debit-card purchases for 2008 are expected to have risen by 13 percent, but those cards have downsides, including a growing appeal to thieves. Using a technique called skimming, thieves set up devices that capture magnetic-stripe and keypad...

7 tips for clean dishes.(UP FRONT)(List)
March 1, 2009... Family members who bicker over how to load the dishwasher should know that some procedures help ensure that dishes emerge safely and gunk-free: 1. Load large items at the sides and back so they don't block water and detergent from other...

What does that car's button mean?(QUIZ)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... You're driving an Audi A4 and want to change your tunes. What button do you push? No peeking at the owner's manual--you're driving, remember? Well, you can hit the switch that seems to show a man with bad breath (above), which is a voice...

Laptop cases to fly with.(UP FRONT)(Buyers guide)
March 1, 2009... When you're going through airport security--kicking off shoes, removing a belt, and holding your ticket in your teeth--wrestling a laptop from its case can be the last straw. We inspected several cases designed to go through security with the...

Q&A vets weigh in on Fido's food.(UP FRONT)(pet food)
March 1, 2009... Americans might be spending less on themselves, but not on their furry friends. In a survey conducted by the Associated Press in December 2008, just one in seven pet owners said they had curtailed spending on their pet during the past year,...

What pet-food labels really mean.(TALK THE TALK)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Pet food is regulated at the national level by the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine. Much of what you see on pet-food labels is defined by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which sets...

Should you refinance?(UP FRONT)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... With fixed-mortgage rates hovering near 5 percent, now is a good time to refinance. If you're under water on your mortgage--you owe more than your home is worth--you won't be able to do that. But if you have sufficient equity in your home as...

Energy monitors.(CLAIM CHECK)(Kill A Watt and Watts Up watt meters)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The claims. "Learn which appliances are costing you the most!" says the maker of Kill A Watt P4400, below left. Watts Up, below right, offers "a convenient way to monitor and project energy costs." The devices work in much the same way:...

Is that tax preparer really qualified?(MONEY)
March 1, 2009... IF YOU'RE AMONG the 60 percent of Americans who use a tax preparer to fill out your annual return, tens of thousands of them are vying for your business. But the industry is largely unregulated; only three states--California, Oregon, and...

Just say no to refund loans.(CLOSE UP)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... If you use a tax-prep company for your returns, refuse pitches for "refund anticipation loans." Promoted as a way to get your tax refund immediately, they are loans secured by your expected refund and can carry effective annual percentage rates...

When your belly hurts.(5-MINUTE CONSULT)(sudden onset of abdominal pain)
March 1, 2009... SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I received two middle-of-the-night phone calls within minutes of each other. Both calls were from men in their 40s. Each complained of abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting, and each had undergone an appendectomy. There the...

Ginkgo might not be a brain saver.(CLOSE UP)(ginkgo biloba )(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Americans spent about $107 million on ginkgo biloba supplements in 2007, according to the Nutrition Business Journal. They're probably hoping to enhance memory and increase mental focus, claims often made for ginkgo. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

New ban on plastic chemical.(SAFETY ALERTS)(phthalates)
March 1, 2009... NEW CONSUMER SAFETY RULES now ban certain children's products that contain a class of chemicals called phthalates. Commonly used as plastic softeners, phthalates might pose longterm risks to the development of the reproductive system and...

Crossed wires.(SAFETY ALERTS)(Taunton Press book recall)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... THE TAUNTON PRESS, publisher of "Wiring a House," 3rd Edition, and "Wiring Complete: Expert Advice from Start to Finish," has recalled 64,000 copies of those books because they contain several errors in the technical diagrams. Those errors...

Home & yard products.(RECALLS)(Toro power sweep electric blowers and Bagi Shumanit grease remover)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Toro power sweep electric blowers Blower's rotating component (impeller) can break and pieces could fly out, posing risk of serious injury. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PRODUCTS: 900,000 blowers sold at dealers and mass retailers from...

Children's products.(RECALLS)(Evenflo Majestic high chairs)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Evenflo Majestic high chairs Plastic caps and metal screws on sides can loosen and fall out, which poses risk of falls and choking. PRODUCTS: 95,000 high chairs sold at juvenile and mass merchandise stores from 1/06 through 5/07 for...

Great old appliances: readers tell us about ancient stoves, washers, and toasters that still work.(FEATURE)
March 1, 2009... Talk about growing old gracefully: Sue Hughes' 1930 refrigerator still keeps her ice frozen and her cold cuts cold. When we recently asked readers to tell us about old appliances that still get the job done, we received almost 400 love stories...

Coffee: our top-rated Colombian brew is also a CR Best Buy.(FEATURE)(Table)
March 1, 2009... FOLGERS, MAXWELL House, and Starbucks are America's best-selling ground coffees. But all three were iced by Eight O'Clock Colombian coffee in our taste tests. As for Starbucks, it didn't even place among the top regular coffees and trailed...

... then tweak your setup.(All digital TV)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... UHF signals are sensitive to interference, and trees and buildings can obstruct signals, so don't expect to get all digital channels on the first try. If a specific station doesn't come in, reorient the antenna and run another channel...

Digital dead zones.(All digital TV)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... You might be unable to get some stations--or any at all--no matter what you do. In many areas, the "contour," or footprint, of digital coverage differs from the analog version, so digital broadcasts might not reach all the areas that got the...

Beware of marketing ploys.(All digital TV)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Watch out for marketers trying to cash in on the digital-TV transition. One of our consumer advocates reported that stores were telling Spanish-speaking customers that they needed to buy a converter box along with a new DTV, which is untrue....

5 ways to cut cable costs.(All digital TV)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Though the DTV transition does not affect cable service, you might want to trim your bill. Here are a few ideas: 1 Ask for deals. The cable company might match or beat a deal for satellite or phone-company TV, especially for an...

Best new digital cameras.(Lab tests)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... THE LATEST CAMERAS have grown up as fast as the kids whose pictures you loved to snap. Many are packed with features that were rare on past point-and-shoots, such as face-detection technology. Our Select Ratings lists 15 models, many of which...

Quick pickup sticks and hand vacs.(LAB TESTS)(vacuum cleaners)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Although small messes can lead to big aggravations, the cleanup doesn't have to be a big deal. For this report, we tested new handheld and stick vacuums and compared them with the best previously tested models. The results? New top...

Get all charged up.(CLOSE UP)(cordless vacuum cleaners)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Though cordless vacuums are convenient, you'll have to live with a downside: You can only count on them to hum along for as little as 10 minutes, sometimes not enough time to complete your cleanup job. And the NiCd batteries in cordless vacs...

New direction in GPS.(LAB TESTS)(cell phone GPS)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Cell-phone GPS services can provide an alternate route to getting navigational help. They have most of the same core features and functions as dedicated GPS devices. But overall, cell-phone GPS services aren't quite as convenient. ...

Net-worthy notebooks.(LAB TESTS)(laptop computers)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... If you have shoulder aches and pains from lugging around a large laptop, a new category of mini-laptops can lighten the load and get you online. These computers weigh in at just 2 to 3 pounds, compared with about 6 pounds for a...

Interior paints: our new tests reveal surprises about what paint makers claim and what you get.(LAB TESTS)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... GREEN IS HOT for paint companies, and we're not talking about color. "Good for your family, better for our world," proclaims the Freshaire Choice label. "0% Toxic. 100% Smart," Mythic Paint says. "An ideal choice for rooms such as nurseries,"...

One store, two very different paints.(CLOSE UP)(Behr Premium Plus Enamel and Freshaire Choice )(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Substantial performance differences exist between high- and low-scoring paints. Consider the standout Behr Premium Plus Enamel and the less impressive Freshaire Choice low-luster paints, both sold at Home Depot stores. The top-rated Behr...

Sewing machines: our tests of 18 models found seven standouts.(LAB TESTS)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... SINGER, synonymous with sewing, leads in sales but not in our tests. Sewing machines from Brother, Bernina, and almost everyone else did better. TV shows like "Project Runway" and "Trading Spaces" have introduced sewing to a generation...

A 'Runway' model with star qualities.(CLOSE UP)(Innov-is 40 sewing machine)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... It's not every day that a sewing machine upstages a supermodel. But the consumer version of the Brother machine used on "Project Runway" turned heads in our test labs. On this popular TV show hosted by supermodel Heidi Klum, aspiring fashion...

Vacuums: we found CR Best Buys for as little as $170.(LAB TESTS)(vacuum cleaners)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... SOME OF THE BEST VACUUMS cost the least, based on our tests of almost 60 models. But you'll still see a plethora of pricey vacs as big brands scrape for profits. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Superb carpet cleaning--our toughest test--helped...

Scooters and motorcycles.(Cars)(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... LAST YEAR, sales of motor scooters and small motorcycles skyrocketed as consumers went looking for economical transportation. Readers, too, have been clamoring for information, so we decided to conduct our first evaluation of two-wheelers since...

Subcompact cars: the redesigned Honda Fit tops other cars in this group.(Product/service evaluation)
March 1, 2009... THE HONDA FIT became a hot-selling vehicle when gasoline prices topped $4 per gallon. A redesigned and slightly larger Fit arrived in the fall, and it improves on the space-efficient formula that made the last one such a hit with buyers. ...

Toyota Corolla: manual vs. automatic transmission.(CLOSE UP)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... In past tests, we've found that opting for a manual transmission over an automatic can save you 1 to 2 mpg with the same make and model. Fuel mileage for the automatic-equipped Toyota Corolla we tested in July was as good as some smaller...

Ka-ching!(SELLING IT)(lattes)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... As two readers point out in separate snapshots, lattes have become an expensive habit. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Black-hole award.(SELLING IT)(pasta products)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The pasta all but vanished when we flipped the box. A cutout revealed plenty of air. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Boost that malpractice insurance.(SELLING IT)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Apparently, these braces will sue the orthodontist who attaches them. (The correct term is "self-ligating.") [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The price of freedom.(SELLING IT)(golf membership fees)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... "Period" usually means "that's it"--no caveats or disclaimers. But read on, and you see that the golf is far from free. There might be no initiation, cart, or greens fees, but you have to join the club--for at least $299 plus tax per month. ...

Bathroom humor.(SELLING IT)(portable toilets)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... "Fully loaded" just doesn't seem like a selling point for a portable toilet. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Parcel postcard.(SELLING IT)(vacation package)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... You might assume that this card (marked "first class-high priority" on the flip side) announced an important package. Not so fast. The "parcel" was a vacation package--a stay in the Pennsylvania Poconos that the reader could get only after...

Grandma loses weight.(SELLING IT)(bread)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Both packages guarantee freshness until the same date, and each costs 59 cents. But there's a difference. The Grandma's with the "Fresh New Look!" has a fresh new size: 2 1/2 ounces compared with 2 3/4 ounces. "With the economy the way it is,"...