Consumer Reports articles from May 2007

Consumer Reports archives from May 2007

Have you heard? Learning from our mistake.
May 1, 2007... In these pages, you'll read an article that's unusual for Consumer Reports. It's about tests and results that were wrong. In the February 2007 issue, we published a report on infant car seats that we later withdrew when we learned of...

All-star digital cameras.(Buyers guide)
May 1, 2007... Digital cameras keep gaining new and alluring features such as 2-inch-plus LCDs that display more of the picture, image stabilizers, and versatile zoom ranges. Expect those pluses from any camera in this chart of recommended models in three...

Choxie chocolates from Target.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Can chocolates from a mass merchant have "unique, luxurious, and sophisticated flavor combinations" designed to fit "every taste sensation," as Target has claimed of its Choxie line? In other words, can they be good enough to give for Mother's...

Wireless device that can see where drivers don't.(Virtual Reality Video Labs VR3 VRBCS300W, automotive navigation system)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Cameras that send an image to a dashboard-mounted screen when you shift into reverse are increasingly common on new cars, but since they are often bundled with navigation systems, they can add $2,000 or more to the price. Less-expensive...

A new way to eat your fruit & veggies?(Frito-Lay Flat Earth, fruit and vegetable chips)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Frito-Lay's Flat Earth baked fruit and vegetable crisps, about $3 per 6-ounce bag, promise great taste and a half-serving of real fruit or vegetables per ounce. Our tasters sampled all six varieties-Apple Cinnamon Grove, Wild Berry Patch, Peach...

Wines 10 for $10 (or less).(Buyers guide)
May 1, 2007... The most expensive bottle of wine ever to be auctioned was a Chateau Lafite, supposedly owned by Thomas Jefferson. The cost was more than $156,000. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] But it was rendered undrinkable when its cork slipped in 1986....

The crying game.(RSVP Onion Goggles, kitchen utensil)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... The claim. "For tear-free chopping, mincing, dicing, slicing-fear no onion," says the packaging for RSVP Onion Goggles, whose anti-fog lenses with foam seal are designed to protect eyes from irritating vapors. The check. Seven staffers who...

Retail health clinics: should you walk in or walk on by?
May 1, 2007... It's Saturday afternoon, and you think you have bronchitis. Should you wait until your doctor's office opens on Monday or head to the nearest Wal-Mart, where you can get tested, treated, and have a prescription filled all in about 15...

A silver polish wins the gold medal.(Buyers guide)
May 1, 2007... Which silver polish is tops? We polished tarnished sterling silver spoons and forks and silverplated spoons; judged their appearance; left them for an hour in air containing hydrogen sulfide gas, which tarnishes silver; then polished again. ...

Financial steps.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... The February report "10 Easy Steps to the Simple Financial Life" provided some excellent suggestions for getting one's money matters in order. An 11th easy step deserves mention: signing up for e-delivery of communications like statements,...

Getting HDTV.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... I thought your March article "Get the Best Service" had a very serious omission: free "over-the-air" from your local TV stations. The article portrays subscription services as the only option.When you buy one of the newer model HDTVs with an...

Remember your veggies.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... I wonder how many of your readers know what "cruciferous vegetables" are ("Your Memory: 5 Ways to Keep It Sharp," March). I didn't. It would have been helpful to include examples. But you did lead me to do one of your five recommended...

Airline safety.(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... The March article "An Accident Waiting to Happen?" shows a remarkable misunderstanding of the current state of aviation safety in the United States and worldwide. The FAA and the airlines continually monitor the quality of repair-station...

Corrections.(Correction notice)
May 1, 2007... Our February report on treadmills had incorrect prices for two NordicTrack models: The S3000 is $2,700, and the S1900 is $1,600. Also, both the S1900 and the Horizon Fitness Performance Series PST8 should be CR Best Buys. Our February...

Maytag recalls dishwashers because of fire risk.(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Maytag is recalling 2.3 million Maytag and Jenn-Air brand dishwashers sold between July 1997 and June 2001 because they pose a fire hazard. The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Maytag has received 135 reports of dishwasher fires....

Most & least reliable brands: 950,000 readers tell which products really last.(Product Reliability Survey)
May 1, 2007... Viking gas ranges are promoted as the way to go if you want to cook like a pro, and this chichi brand carries price tags to match. But our exclusive survey data reveal something Viking is unlikely to advertise: Its gas ranges have been among...

Costco vs. Sam's Club: new reasons to join or switch.
May 1, 2007... Gallon jars of mayonnaise and 30-roll packs of toilet paper have made warehouse clubs seem appropriate mainly for platoon-size families focused on staples. But if you haven't joined, you could be missing out on a widening range of...

How to fix the top 10 lawn problems: and keep them from coming back.
May 1, 2007... Tougher, more resilient grasses and better ways to fend off crabgrass and other weeds and pests should make it easier than ever to get a lush, healthy lawn. So why do so many people still have lawn problems-and how do you get rid of them? ...

Growing great grass; Readers and experts tell us what works--and what doesn't--for a show-off lawn.
May 1, 2007... Striking the balance of care needed for a successful lawn takes a bit of research and some practice. More than 6,000 online subscribers nationwide told us about how they mow, water, and fertilize, and how happy they are with their lawn's looks....

Mowers & tractors: faster and friendlier.(Buyers guide)
May 1, 2007... Regular mowing is as vital to a healthy lawn as watering, fertilizing, and weeding, because slicing off too much at a time harms the grass. A bumper crop of easier-starting mowers and wider-cutting tractors is trimming some of the work from...

How our car seat tests went wrong: the missteps we made and some lessons we learned.
May 1, 2007... Aseries of misjudgments and a key misunderstanding between Consumer Reports and an outside laboratory led to the publication of erroneous crash-test data in our recent report on infant car seats, an expert investigation and interviews with...

Turn LPs, tapes, photos, and home movies into CDs, DVDs, or computer files.(sound and image processing software and equipment)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... They're analog artifacts in a digital world: the LPs, cassettes, and videotapes you accumulated during the last century. You cherish them, even if you don't play them anymore. This report helps you turn analog recordings into easier-to-use...

Beyond the basic box.(refrigerators)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... Refrigerator manufacturers are hot for your dollar as they load up their latest models with more style and conveniences in an effort to surpass the more than 11 million units they sold two years ago. [ILLUSTRTION OMMITED] Most major...

Simple, effective options.(water filters for home use)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... A flood of new filters is making it easier than ever to remove impurities from your tap water. In fact, our tests found two Best Buys that cost less than $60. What's at stake might be more than just good taste. Want to know what's in your...

Diet plan when to see a nutritionist.
May 1, 2007... Fifteen years after the introduction of the first federal Food Guide Pyramid, aimed at helping people make more healthful dietary choices, Americans are fatter than ever and many are confused about just what they should eat and drink. Some...

Anti-aging shots can be harmful.(safety when planning plastic surgery)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... After receiving anti-wrinkle injections of cooking oil to her buttocks, a 46-year-old Castroville, Calif., woman died of organ failure. A beautician, who had charged about $1,400 to administer the series of shots, pleaded no contest to...

Special [K.sub.2]O Protrein Water.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
May 1, 2007... Losing up to 6 lbs. in 2 weeks just got easier! claims a newspaper ad for Kellogg s Special [K.sub.2]O Protein Water. Sold in four-packs for $6, each 16-ounce bottle of 50-calorie, fruit-flavored water contains 5 grams of protein from whey,...

Travel insurance: why you rarely need it.
May 1, 2007... Since the horrors of 9/11, the travel insurance industry has grown rapidly.Americans now spend more than $1 billion annually on its products, with about 30 percent of travelers purchasing one type of coverage or another, up from just 10 percent...

GROWING UP.(sport-utility vehicles and minivans)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2007... SMALL SUVS VEHICLES IN THIS CLASS ARE GETTING LARGER,WITH SOME EVEN ADDING THIRD-ROW SEATS. Just as vehicles in other classes have grown in size and power over the past several years, so too have the models in this relatively young small...

Watch out for costly credit-card practices.
May 1, 2007... For more than 25 years, Cathy Roper, an accountant from Missouri, has paid her credit-card bills and loans on time. So she was shocked to learn that her bank had cut her card limit to less than her outstanding balance, then charged her a fee...

Guess the test.
May 1, 2007... For the past year, we've shown photos from our archives and asked you to guess what we were testing. We've received more than 10,000 entries-some included poems, limericks, and photographs that made us smile.You've been good sports, and we...