Consumer Reports articles from October 2005

Consumer Reports archives from October 2005

CR's new health-information site.(Consumer Reports website info)
October 1, 2005... "Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it."--Samuel Johnson, 1775 I know something about back pain, and I know where I can find plenty more information. But much of it will...

Laundry detergents: washday winners.(up front: News / Trends / Advice)
October 1, 2005... The big word in the world of laundry detergents, as we've found with dish detergents, is "enzymes." Eighteen of the 29 products we tested--regular liquids and powders, products for use in high-efficiency (HE) washers, and new products for...

It's a PDA! It's a laptop! It's LifeDrive!(Personal digital assistants)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... The Palm LifeDrive Mobile Manager is a personal digital assistant on steroids, and the company calls it the first of a new class of product. Besides the usual PDA talents--appointments, address book, to-do lists, and e-mail--the Palm OS-based...

Yo-yo toys pose new concerns.(Yo-yo balls risk factors)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Yo-yo balls, the rubbery, fluid-filled toys we judged Not Acceptable in 2003 because their elastic cords could wrap around a child's neck and cut off circulation, have morphed into different shapes that hold even more hazards. The fluid...

Whole-wheat spaghetti: good enough to eat?(reports of wheat industry)
October 1, 2005... Sales of whole-wheat pastas are up over the past five years. That's good news from a health perspective: Whole-wheat pasta has more vitamins, minerals, and beneficial compounds called phytonutrients than regular pasta and about three times...

Condo sales are rising, but flippers beware.(up front: News / Trends / Advice)
October 1, 2005... Think house prices are high? Condominiums are coming on even stronger. The National Association of Realtors reports that as of June, annualized sales this year will reach nearly 1 million, an unprecedented number. More significantly,...

Oral thermometers are tops for temps.
October 1, 2005... Flu season is on the way, as is a "burning" question for coughers and sneezers: Which type of fever thermometer is best? We asked 24 adults and 21 children ages 5 to 14 to test eight oral, ear, and forehead thermometers and found: * The...

Taking the plunge.(CLAIM CHECK)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... The claim: With the Jet Plunger for toilets, says www.jetplunqer.com, "a few pushes is all it takes to quickly clear up any clog--with no splashing or mess." Compressed air is pushed through the plunger and down the toilet drain. The...

Correction.(Your Letters)(Correction Notice)
October 1, 2005... In the July report on pressure washers we incorrectly rated the Speed Clean (Wal-Mart) 1054809 unit as good overall. It should've been rated very good with a pressure of 2,800 psi and volume of 2.5 gallons per minute. The cleaning-speed...

Child safety seat that CR rated not acceptable is recalled.(Recalls & Safety Alerts)(Combi USA Inc.)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Combi USA is recalling 6,009 of its Avatar model 8100 series convertible child safety seats for a potentially serious safety flaw CONSUMER REPORTS warned about last May. The recall involves Combi sending Avatar owners a new LATCH strap. When...

'03-05 Nissan Murano.(VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Vehicle speed could slow, and engine could eventually stop, possibly resulting in crash. Models: 125,466 sport-utility vehicles. Hazard exists because wire could break inside alternator, which could prevent battery from charging. If so,...

Guidant pacemakers.(HEALTH PRODUCTS)
October 1, 2005... Guidant pacemakers Could fail. Products: 28,000 pacemakers made 11/25/97 to 10/26/00. Recall involves the following devices and model numbers: Pulsar models 0470, 0870, 0970, 0972, 1172, and 1272; Pulsar Max models 1170, 1171, and 1270;...

Orajel yellow manual toothbrushes for toddlers.(HEALTH PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Brush head could break off and pose choke hazard. Products: 132,000 sold 8/04 to 5/05 at supermarkets and drugstores nationwide. There have been five reports of heads of toothbrushes breaking during use. There have been no reports of...

Aprilaire model 5000 electronic air cleaner.(HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Plastic inner housing and filter are not flame-resistant. If electrical arcing occurs in cleaner, device could catch fire. Products: 67,000 almond-colored air cleaners sold 6/00 to 12/04 via independent heating, ventilation, and...

New & notable: cars to watch in 2006-2007.(SPECIAL AUTO SECTION)
October 1, 2005... With no relief in sight from high gas prices, buyers are again placing a priority on fuel economy, and many new models making it to the showrooms are reflecting a fuel-efficiency shift. Honda hopes to capitalize on this trend. A...

Quick facts: new or redesigned: hits and misses.(SPECIAL AUTO SECTION)(Product/Service Evaluation)
October 1, 2005... Most-improved models Among the approximately 70 vehicles we tested in the past year, a few that were redesigned for 2005 impressed and sometimes surprised us with how much they'd improved over their previous versions. Here's a rundown of...

The problem with new models: think twice about buying a newly designed model in its first year.(SPECIAL AUTO SECTION)
October 1, 2005... When a new model is introduced, the media buzz and marketing hoopla can tempt you to be the first on your block to drive one home. But this can cost you in dollars, time, and hassle. CONSUMER REPORTS' auto-reliability surveys show that...

Consumer reports' dream car: the features that count.(SPECIAL AUTO SECTION)
October 1, 2005... If we were to conceive a car from scratch, what qualities would it have? We would want a car that meets essential safety needs, has a well-designed interior, is well mannered and agile on the road, and provides good performance while getting...

Fuel economy: why you're not getting the mpg you expect.(miles per gallon)
October 1, 2005... For years, automakers have been criticized for producing vehicles that get so-so gas mileage. But as gas prices climb and consumers seek more miles per gallon, it turns out that fuel economy is much worse than it appears--50 percent less on...

Get the most for your miles.(FREQUENT-FLYER PROGRAMS)
October 1, 2005... Earning frequent-flyer miles has become something of a national pastime, with Americans having racked up some 55 million free flights by flying as well as buying everything from contact lenses to condominiums. Cashing in those miles, however,...

Repair or replace it? CR's guide to having products fixed--or not.
October 1, 2005... If you've found it frustrating to get a product professionally repaired, you're not alone. Our latest "fix it or nix it" survey shows that the process is full of roadblocks, and a hefty number of readers simply give up. Couple costly,...

Cordless phones: the evolution continues.(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... Cordless phones are borrowing more and more from their wireless cousin, the cell phone. Features that have migrated to some cordless models include phone books, distinctive ring tones, color displays, and the folding flip-phone design for...

Door locks: tougher than ever.
October 1, 2005... There are basically two kinds of burglars: skilled professionals, often with tools, who check out a neighborhood before deciding which homes to target; and opportunistic thieves, who may simply kick doors until they find one that gives way....

Air cleaners: some do little cleaning.(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... Even the best air cleaners could be a frivolous investment, according to medical experts. Our tests also show that a few produce significant levels of ozone, an irritant that can worsen asthma and decrease lung function. Market leader...

Vacuums: style vs. performance.(Buyers Guide)
October 1, 2005... Major brands are marketing vacuums that look as if they escaped from the latest Star Wars flick. But as we found, high-tech doesn't guarantee high performance around the house. Sanyo's robotically styled Dirt Hunter upright looks as...

Freezers: some left us cold.(tips of choosing a freezer)
October 1, 2005... You might assume that any new freezer will keep your food frozen. But we found three that failed this basic test. Two of the three models that failed our tests, because they reached temperatures well above 0[degrees] F, were made by...

Drug-resistant infection: cutting your risk.(prevention of drug resistant Staphylococcal infections)
October 1, 2005... Drug-resistant staphylococcus bacteria, which once threatened mainly the sick and elderly in hospitals and nursing homes, have spread beyond the institutional walls. They're now striking young, healthy people at a growing rate. The bugs,...

HIV strains get tougher.(AIDS (Disease) drug therapy)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... About 15 percent of the HIV strains infecting newly diagnosed patients are already resistant to one or more classes of AIDS drugs. That trend could undermine the efficacy of the multidrug regimens that have often held the disease in check....

Prescription drugs: the facts about Canada.(Money)
October 1, 2005... Even though the practice is illegal, Americans in droves have been importing prescription drugs from Canada. Last year, an estimated 2 million U.S. citizens spent $800 million on medicines purchased from Canadian pharmacies by fax, phone, or...

Outdoor sports: upscale roadsters porsche holds the top spot in a contest among seven open-air sports cars.
October 1, 2005... Roadsters are the athletes of the convertibles class. These two-seaters are generally quicker, more agile, and often more expensive than your everyday ragtop. They are sports cars best suited for carving up winding roads on warm, sunny...

The history of consumer reports.(consumer product news)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... In February of 1936, a dedicated band of professors, journalists, engineers, and labor leaders founded Consumers Union--an organization dedicated to providing information on products and services, educating the public, and as the charter...

Fuel-economy claims need a reality check.(automobiles fuel economy standards)
October 1, 2005... With the average price of gasoline approaching record highs--$2.37 a gallon in August, up about 49 cents a gallon from a year ago--consumers more than ever need accurate information on the fuel economy of the cars and trucks they buy For...

Come to our annual meeting and tours.(View point: THE CONSUMERS UNION PERSPECTIVE)(Calendar)
October 1, 2005... Visit our labs and meet our experts on Saturday, Oct. 22, during our annual meeting and tours at our National Testing and Research Center, 101 Truman Ave., Yonkers, NY. The meeting begins at 10 a.m. If you'll be coming for a tour only, please...

Money talks.(public spending )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Lately, readers have been seeing red about green. To sum it up, they're annoyed by how much money costs. For example: 1. The set of five $2 bills "at face value" from the U.S. Monetary Exchange ("not affiliated with the U.S. Government or...

Ready, world?(gunclocks)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... "Everyone who spies this gleaming little gun clock in its strapped holster is bound to comment," says the catalog copy. Yes, the nice police officer may ask you for the time.

Truth in advertising?(law firm advertising)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... The money we save you is typically less than our fees. The boast above appeared on a flyer from a legal firm.

Connect the dots.(selling it: Goofs / Glitches / Gotchas)
October 1, 2005... Sure, little compares, unless it's "spotting" a lone leopard.

Freudian slops?(postcards price hike)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2005... Below, the return address of a postcard sent to a California reader. The flip side said that the local solid-waste authority "recently approved a rate increase of approximately 7.12%."