Consumer Reports articles from May 2004

Consumer Reports archives from May 2004

Can't do it without you.(have you heard?)
May 1, 2004... You may not realize how strongly you influence not only which products we test, but also how they fare. The fact is that an important component in our product recommendations comes not from our labs or our in-house experts, but from you. Just...

Phony Medicare drug cards.(Scam Alert)
May 1, 2004... The new Medicare-drug discount program begins in June. It's aimed at seniors and people with disabilities who have no other prescription coverage. Pharmacy chains, groups such as AARP, and other private organizations are expected to offer the...

People would pay more to get safer beef.(Up front: news / trends / advice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Mad cow disease, which was discovered in Washington state last December, raised immediate concerns about the safety of the beef supply in the U.S. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration have taken some steps to...

A man's washable suit.(Claim Check)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... The claim: JCPenney says its new Stafford Washable Suit is "a great-looking, classic, everyday suit that can be laundered at home" and look "fresh and crisp." It's a polyester/wool/spandex blend, with jacket ($140) and trousers ($60) sold as...

Mazda3.(first look)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Product: Mazda3 Full report: August 2004 The Mazda3, available as a sedan or four-door hatchback, replaced the Protege and Protege5. A 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, which we are testing, is standard in the sedan; a stronger,...

The fuel-economy shell game.(Up front: news / trends / advice)
May 1, 2004... When is a car a truck? When it suits an automaker's needs, at least where fuel economy is concerned. Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules require that a manufacturer's combined fleet of cars meet a 27.5-mpg average based on the...

Should this vacuum stay unplugged?(Up front: news / trends / advice)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Little cordless vacuums have been common since Black & Decker introduced the DustBuster in 1979. But until now. no one has matched the DustBuster with a full-sized cordless upright. The Westinghouse Unplugged WST1600 (from Salton) is the first....

Boards give toddlers a free ride.(Up front: news / trends / advice)
May 1, 2004... The BuggyBoard and KiddyBoard, two intriguing new stroller accessories, are wheeled platforms that allow a toddler to ride while an adult pushes the baby The KiddyBoard is intended for strollers with a rear axle. The BuggyBoard fits those...

Food wise.(Up front: news / trends / advice)
May 1, 2004... "An apple a day" is an age-old prescription, and a review published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in February indicates why it's still valid: Eating more fiber, especially fruit fiber, can help lower the risk of death from heart disease....

Cable vs. Satellite.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I read with interest your March report "Cable & Satellite TV: Which Is Better?" You omitted one potential concern about satellite: signal failure in severely inclement weather. Our signal died in a serious rainstorm last summer as the station...

Mutual funds.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... After reading the article entitled "Mutual Funds: The Other Big Scandal" in the March issue, I was disconcerted that you recommended the Vanguard Calvert Social Index fund. While this fund claims to be socially conscious, the holdings you...

Freshness labeling.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... In your March Up Front report "The Dating Game," you stated the consumer's frustration with not knowing whether items on their own kitchen shelves were still fresh. Every January I mark all food-shelf items with an X. During the year, I first...

Cell phones.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Your February issue drew conclusions about wireless-service quality based primarily on results from an online poll. Our independent field measurements of wireless carrier networks reveal substantial improvement industrywide in actual network...

Waste not.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... Your February report on garbage disposers didn't mention the most environmentally friendly way of disposing of food scraps: composting them using worms. Our family of three produces about 10 pounds of food scraps a week. That's a quarter-ton...

Corrections.(your letters)(Correction Notice)
May 1, 2004... * The March 2004 and December 2003 reports on LCD TVs incorrectly categorized as standard-definition sets three models from Panasonic: the TC-20LA1, TC-17LA1, and TC-14LA1. They are enhanced-definition sets. Their Ratings scores remain the...

Cell-phone batteries could overheat and erupt.(recalls & safety alerts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Kyocera is recalling more than 100,000 batteries used to power its Smart-phone cell phone/PDA combos because they could short-circuit, overheat, and possibly explode. One injury, a minor skin burn, had been reported as this issue went to press....

Apple iBook notebook computers.(Electronics)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Video images onscreen could appear distorted, scrambled, or otherwise flawed. Products: Various iBook computers made 5/02 to 4/03 that have serial numbers beginning with "UV220xxxxxx" to "UV318xxxxxx." Suspect computers may have been...

Fuji Power and A&T Fuji Power CR123A 3-volt lithium batteries.(Electronics)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Could overheat, leak, or rupture. Products: 20,000 batteries in Dorcy Spyder Tactical Xenon Light or Dorcy Xenon Tactical Light. The same batteries sold with Galls H.A.L.O. Tactical Flashlight--were recalled in Sept. '03 for the same...

'93-99 Chrysler Corp. cars.(Vehicles And Equipment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Even though key is out of ignition, shifter could be puffed out of Park, posing risk of vehicle roll and possibly crash. Models: 2.7 million cars made 4/1/92 to 7/31/99, including the following: '93-99 Chrysler 300M, Concorde, LHS, Dodge...

'96-98 General Motors cars.(Vehicles And Equipment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Steering could partially fail, leading to loss of control and possibly crash. Models: 824,000 cars made 1/1/96 to 10/31/97, including the following: '96 Pontiac Grand Prix; '96 98 Buick Regal; '96-97 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme; '97-98...

'98-01 General Motors cars.(Vehicles And Equipment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Faulty ignition switch could cause fire in steering column. Models: 1.8 million cars, 337,000 of which were sold in Canada, including the following: '98-01 Chevrolet Cave liar and Pontiac Sunfire made 3/97 to 4/01, and '98 Pontiac Grand Am,...

Dangerous supplements: still at large.(CR Investigates)(Cover Story)
May 1, 2004... If you can buy it at a clean, well-lighted store, if it's "all natural," it's not going to do you serious harm, right? That's what many Americans assume about dietary supplements. But while most supplements are probably fairly benign, CONSUMER...

The new photography.
May 1, 2004... Fun, fast, affordable Since its inception, digital photography has been criticized for harboring expensive cameras and supplies along with daunting processes needed to produce finished prints. Manufacturers are now mitigating those...

Digital cameras: simpler & cheaper.(The New Photography)
May 1, 2004... Although digital cameras outsell film cameras, 69 percent of American households still don't own a digital. One reason is cost. Even with falling camera prices, switching to digital photography runs at least a couple of hundred dollars up...

Scanners: new life for photos.(The New Photography)
May 1, 2004... Continuing improvements in scanners have made it cheaper and easier to turn photos into digital images that you can enhance, resize, and share. More for the money. For about $80--what could get you only a basic scanner last year--you can...

Software: shaping and storing.(The New Photography)
May 1, 2004... Digital cameras and scanners invariably come with computer software that you use to enhance your photos, resize them, and prepare them for printing. But you may want to buy a separate third-party program rather than depend on the bundled...

Printers: photo finish.(The New Photography)
May 1, 2004... Recent advances in technology could make it a red-letter day if you're in the market for an inkjet printer. Among the latest trends in the category: You're more likely to get excellent photo quality at faster speeds. In our latest tests,...

Off-brand printer inks: false economy.(The New Photography)
May 1, 2004... It's easy to feel like a chump when you pay top dollar for brand-name printer-ink cartridges. That's especially true when you see off-brand cartridges selling for enticingly low prices at office-supply superstores and dozens of Internet sites....

Don't get taken by hidden fees.(Financial Services)
May 1, 2004... When you take out a loan, the very first thing you shop for is a low interest rate. When you purchase a stock or a mutual fund, you look at returns. When you buy a life insurance policy, you want to know about the payoff. What you might not...

Cordless drills: power for less.
May 1, 2004... High-voltage power at a low-voltage price is the biggest news at your local cordless-drill aisle. You'll also find faster-charging batteries, stud finders, and other features as marketers refine America's best-selling power tool. While...

Cribs: basic is best.
May 1, 2004... When you're shopping for a crib, you'll be tempted to buy the showiest model and accessories such as bumper guards and quilts that say your nursery is fit for a prince or princess. Resist the temptation. For safety's sake, the more basic...

Lawn tractors: prime cuts at a low price.
May 1, 2004... Heated competition among the big-box stores has lowered the price of a well-equipped automatic tractor to as little as $1,350. That's several hundred dollars less than comparable machines three years ago. Big-name brands are also piling on...

Traveling with a weak dollar.(CR money)
May 1, 2004... Neglect to factor the dollar's exchange rate in your travel budget this summer, and you could be in for the sticker shock of a lifetime. Although you may be able to snag a cheap airfare to an overseas vacation spot, the cost of hotel rooms,...

One way to pay doesn't pay.(Did You Know?)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... When abroad, it's best to carry a "mixed purse," according to Tom Tucker, senior vice president for Travelex Americas, a division of Travelex. The reason: Not all establishments in all countries accept all payment methods. And you may need...

New sex-aid drug's effects last longer.(CR health)
May 1, 2004... The latest drug approved for treating erectile dysfunction, tadalafil (Cialis), has been dubbed the "weekender" because it's effective up to 36 hours, compared with the 4-hour duration of its competitors, sildenafil (Viagra) and vardenafil...

Heartier grape juice?(names & claims)
May 1, 2004... "Concord grape juice might help promote healthy, wide arteries," claims Larry King, Cable News Network talk show host, in a radio ad for Welch's 100 Percent Grape Juice. "And healthy arteries get more blood to your body when and where you need...

Whooping cough on the rise.(Did You Know?)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Despite high vaccination rates, cases of whooping cough (pertussis) in infants age 4 months or younger have been rising, according to the Dec. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. Infants aren't adequately protected...

The hybrid grows up: the redesigned Toyota Prius gas/electric hybrid tops four midsized sedans.(Affordable Family Cars)
May 1, 2004... Achieving 44 mpg overall in our tests and with near-zero emissions, according to the California Air Resources Board, the redesigned Toyota Prius hybrid car scored well enough in our testing to be named our Top Pick in the Green Car category in...

Increase testing for mad cow disease.(View point: the consumers union perspective)
May 1, 2004... Since the discovery of a case of mad cow disease in Washington state last year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has failed to take one of the most important steps needed to protect public health: greatly increasing the testing of animals at...

Baby's bed.(then & now)
May 1, 2004... When we tested cribs in 1971, we emphasized safety and rated models that were among the best of the day. But that was before mandatory and voluntary safety standards existed. We found cribs with slats so flimsy that they snapped during testing,...

Don't read this while skydiving.(Selling it: goofs / glitches / gotchas)
May 1, 2004... Here, a lineup of warnings that seem to exist a) because consumers are a little dimmer than we'd like to think, b) because a lawyer or two got invoiced, or c) to bring a smile to Selling It readers:

Grape gripe.(Selling it: goofs / glitches / gotchas)
May 1, 2004... A truck driver who favors juice stopped at a minimart near Tallahassee and picked up bottles with the labels at right. Same price, same size, and the look alike grapey labels implied that he was getting the same stuff. But when the trucker...

Spending a penny? Try these.(Selling it: goofs / glitches / gotchas)
May 1, 2004... Nowadays, bank checks printed with animals, rainbows--are all sorts of images from nature. But this is the first time we've seen a check that features a call of nature. Yes, that's an outhouse, Asked whether the company, Designer Checks, gets a...

You shoulda seen the one that got away.(Selling it: goofs / glitches / gotchas)
May 1, 2004... On the box Van de Kamp's Crispy Fish Portions look golden and puffy. In person they're pretty much the same. So why is an Ohio reader complaining? Cut a portion open and you'll see. Fish accounts for only part of it; the rest is breading.