Consumer Reports articles from October 2003

Consumer Reports archives from October 2003

Watch your wallet.(have you heard?)(need for stronger laws on credit reports)
October 1, 2003... When Henry Fonda is arrested for a crime he didn't commit in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man," he asks detectives how they plan to clear his name. "It's purely a routine matter," one replies. "But I'll tell you something: It's nothing...

Are you losing money on discount cards?(up front)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Chances are, you have at least a couple of store-discount tabs threaded onto your keychain. Use them carefully If you don't, you could lose hundreds of dollars a year because the discounts don't always register at the register. Although...

Pulp nonfiction.(talk The talk)(printer and copier papers)(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2003... Oddly enough, in this era of electronic communication, Americans now use twice as much writing paper and office bond as they did in 1985. In office-supply chains, you often face an array of printer and copier papers that rivals the selection of...

Fortified water may be too much of a good thing.(up front)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2003... Water with attitude--sweetened, flavored, and bulked up with vitamins and minerals--is one of the hottest drinks around. Products like Hansen's [E.sub.2]O Energy Water and Reebok Fitness Water are appealing even to people who prefer a walk in...

Quick ratings vitamin waters: within groups, in order of calories.(up front)(Illustration)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2003... Quick Ratings Vitamin waters Within groups, in order of calories. Size Product Price (fl. oz.) What's in the bottle Calories...

FCC: cell phones must work with hearing aids.(up front)(Federal Communications Commission)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... The six million people who use a hearing aid or have cochlear implants have always had trouble using digital cellphones, the type that accounts for 90 percent of the market. These phones emit a type of electromagnetic energy that interferes...

Segway technology: what's next?(up front)(Segway Human Transporter)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2003... The Segway Human Transporter is the highfalutin name for an innovative electric scooter that balances itself and responds to body movements to go forward or backward. The Segway has always attracted attention, even when it was code-named Ginger...

Storing summer clothes.(Quick Tips)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... This advice should keep you from exclaiming, "I thought these were clean!" when you remove clothes from storage next spring. * Store clothes in a ventilated area away from furnace vents, which can leak small amounts of exhaust gases that...

For carbon-monoxide alarms, a tester.(up front)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... This month, when you reset the docks for standard time, you're also supposed to change the batteries in smoke and carbon-monoxide (CO) alarms and be sure they are working properly. With most CO alarms, pushing the test button means that you're...

New push to make old window blinds safer.(up front)
October 1, 2003... This month, the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the window-blinds industry are launching a major safety campaign. It's an acknowledgment that earlier efforts didn't fully succeed in preventing children from being accidentally strangled...

Claim check.(up front)(Don't Mop With Dirty Water Again Pine-Sol and other floor cleaner)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2003... The claim: "Honey, you still moppin' with dirty water?" says the ad for the new Don't Mop With Dirty Water Again Pine-Sol cleaner. "Well, don't." The new Pine-Sol claims to pull dirt to the bottom of the bucket, so you don't spread dirty water...

Stopping spam.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Your August report on e-mail spam was informative but didn't address a growing new headache for e-mail users: spoofing. That is, to avoid being blocked by anti-spam software, spammers use other people's addresses as the return address in their...

Malternatives.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... As an of-age drinker, I've enjoyed some of the drinks mentioned in the August Up Front story on "malternative" drinks. And I loved the quote from the president of the Beer Institute, who said, "Awareness of products doesn't create underage...

Lead in garden hoses.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... Your July Up Front article on the safety concerns associated with garden hoses couldn't have been more timely. I had recently purchased a new hose and was baffled by the warning label it carried. After reading your report, I set out to buy a...

Meat irradiation.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
October 1, 2003... "The Truth About Irradiated Meat," in the August issue, does a serious disservice to your readers. As we evaluate the pros and cons of food irradiation, let's keep in mind that there is virtually unanimous agreement in the scientific and...

Correction.(your letters)(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2003... In the August Viewpoint, we identified Sen. Ted Stevens as a Democrat from Alaska. He is a Republican.

Slow cookers could break, spill hot food.(recalls & safety alerts)(Hamilton Beach, Proctor-Silex products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Millions of Hamilton Beach and Proctor-Silex slow cookers are being recalled because the handle on the base could break, allowing the hot food inside to spill out and burn anyone nearby. The manufacturer has received 4,700 reports of handles...

Nickelodeon "Smatter" spray foam.(Children's Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Aerosol can could break apart forcefully, posing a risk of serious injury to anyone nearby. Products: 1.3 million cans sold 2/02 to 6/03 at discount department and toy stores nationwide for about $10. "Smatter" can emits colored foam, in one of...

Kawasaki KFX700 V-Force all-terrain vehicle (ATV).(Vehicles And Equipment)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Throttle-cable adjuster on carburetor could loosen and become stuck. Products: 3,000 ATVs sold 3/03 to 6/03 at Kawasaki dealers nationwide for about $6,500. Vehicle is four-wheel ATV with automatic transmission that came in green or...

'03 Mitsubishi Outlander.(Vehicles And Equipment)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Water could enter front floorboard area under seat, causing electrical corrosion in harness connectors. If so, various failures could occur, including brake lights illuminating falsely or not coming on at all and inability of side air bag to...

'01-'03 Toyota Tacoma.(Vehicles And Equipment)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... On double-cab pickups, fuel could leak from inlet hose and cause fire. Models: 123,360 pickups made 9/00 to 2/03. During side-impact testing, a flange at the rear end of the double-cab body deformed and rubbed against the fuel inlet hose...

Franzus/travel smart international adapter plugs.(Home Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Plug could come apart, posing electrocution and shock hazards. Products: 29,000 adapters sold 4/02 to 6/03 at retail stores nationwide and by catalog for $10 to $40. Adapter is black or white plastic and bears the names of specific...

Toad lawn ball sprinkler.(Home Products)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Water pressure could build inside sprinkler, causing it to explode and injure anyone nearby. Products: 4,000 green, frog-shaped sprinklers sold 8/02 to 6/03 at pharmacies and flower, garden, and gift stores nationwide for $25 to $30. Label...

UWATEC Smart dive scuba computer.(Sporting Goods)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Alert-signal system may not work properly and computer screen could freeze. If so, inaccurate information regarding water depth, tank pressure, and ascent rate could pose risk to diver. Products: 6,000 UWATEC Smart PRO and Smart COM dive...

Stop thieves from stealing you.(CR Investigates)(identity theft)
October 1, 2003... At a time when your good name and credit are used to judge you as a never before--from whether you'll get that next job to the rates you'll pay for insurance policies--your good name and credit have never been more at risk. Identity...

5 tips for buying that new car: expert advice from David Champion, director of auto testing and The Consumer Reports New Car Price Service.(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2003... [1] Learn the lowest cost Get the Consumer Reports Wholesale Price Here's the real key to your deal: you must find out what the dealer paid for the car so you can negotiate the price you'll pay for it. You have to find out this...

The 2004 cars: CR's take on the new & redesigned models.
October 1, 2003... More than 50 new or redesigned models are being introduced for 2004. After January 1, they will be joined by early-release 2005 models. As usual, the automakers will herald their new releases with an all-out advertising assault. To help you see...

Driving blind.
October 1, 2003... Every year, children are injured and killed because drivers don't see them while backing up. According to Kids and Cars, a nonprofit group that wants to improve child safety around cars, backover incidents last year killed at least 58...

Air cleaners: behind the hype.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2003... Concerns about allergies and indoor air contaminants, coupled with heightened worries over terrorism and diseases like SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome), have spurred brisk sales of air cleaners. Last year, consumers bought 3.4 million...

Time to switch drugstores?
October 1, 2003... If you're among the 47 percent of Americans who get medicine from drugstore giants such as CVS, Eckerd, and Rite Aid, here's a prescription: Try shopping somewhere else. The best place to start looking is one of the 25,000 independent...

HMO or PPO: picking a managed-care plan.(health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization)
October 1, 2003... The news ain't great. Health-care costs have spiraled upward--about 12 percent on average in each of the past two Fears--and employers, who foot most of the bill, are planning to pass some of that increase to you. Some 78 percent of 1,124 large...

Cordless phones: versatile mobility.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2003... It's easier than ever to have a phone where you want one. The newest breed of cordless phones lets you put a handset in any room in the house, even if no phone jack is nearby. However, manufacturers still offer a bewildering array of...

Borrowing trouble with an adjustable-rate mortgage.(money)
October 1, 2003... The conventional wisdom is simple: When interest rates are low, homeowners should lock in the bargain with a long-term, fixed-rate mortgage. Rates today continue to huddle around 6 percent. So why are one in seven borrowers signing up for an...

Fortified foods: too much of a good thing?(health)
October 1, 2003... It sounds like a healthy, bone-protecting breakfast: three-fourths cup fortified Total cereal (1,000 milligrams of calcium), 8 ounces fortified Parmalat Skim Plus milk (400 mg of calcium), and 8 ounces Tropicana Pure Premium Calcium orange...

Did you know?(health)(effectiveness of smallpox vaccines)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... If you had a smallpox vaccination 35 or more years ago, you may still have significant immunity to the disease, a recent study suggests. Scientists from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that when exposed to smallpox vaccine...

New wrinkle in antiwrinkle creams.(names & claims)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... "Amino-peptides have been proven to naturally regenerate damaged skin," claims a recent magazine ad for Olay's new Regenerist line. Pentapeptides, synthetic forms of five amino acids that occur naturally in the skin, are among the products'...

Exploring inner space: minivans * with a roomier, improved interior, the Toyota Sienna becomes our top choice.(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2003... In advertisements and brochures, there isn't a lot that distinguishes one minivan from another. Nearly all models offer seating for at least seven people, second- and third-row seats that can be folded or removed for more cargo space,...

Cars should be made safer for children.(View point: the consumers union perspective)(Editorial)
October 1, 2003... Promising technologies are emerging, or exist, to make vehicles safer for children. Consumers Union is pressing the auto industry, Congress, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to give serious consideration to them in three...

Number, please.(Then & Now)(changes in telephone set consumption since early 1980s)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... Until AT&T's breakup In the early 1980s, most Americans had known only Bell System telephones. So when we tested phones In 1984, buying your own was a new experience. Consumers faced unfamiliar designs and features on the nearly 200 brands...

Less bountiful, and other tales of downsizing.(selling it)(consumer products companies selling smaller packages of products at same prices)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... 1 The shrinking of yogurt containers from 8 ounces to 6 ounces continues. What intrigued a Pennsylvania reader about the Wegmans downsize was that the supermarket actually boasted about the price. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 Pampers will...

No free lunch ... or dinner.(selling it)(Holiday Inn rates)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... A Holiday Inn leaflet made a special offer: Book under the hotel's "Free Dinner" rate and get one dinner coupon, worth up to $24 per night ($12 per person), for every night of a stay, Sounded nice, but a reader who tried it wasn't happy. We...

Ready, world?(selling it)(Forcefield sells carrying cases that double as bullet protection)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2003... "It is a sad state that in our current society crimes committed by persons with guns are continually occurring." That comment comes from Forcefield, whose Web site mentions "well-publicized random shootings in its pitch for carrying cases that...