Consumer Reports articles from September 2002

Consumer Reports archives from September 2002

Digital denials.(digital entertainment restrictions)
September 1, 2002... The wonderful world of digital entertainment has begun to give consumers some nasty surprises. Take the class-action lawsuit filed against five major record companies in June by two Californians. They say that the CDs they bought were...

Safety alert: wired glass.
September 1, 2002... The last day that Jarred Abel could play ball normally was Jan. 28, 2001. The University of Oregon junior had joined some friends in a pickup basketball game at the campus's recreation center in Eugene. As Jarred left the gym, his left hand...

Tailgate treats.(George Foreman Wheel It and Grill It GP100SIL; Thermos Grill 2 Go 4656110)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2002... A bucket of cold fried chicken may not be your idea of great food for a tailgate party. And you don't want to tote a charcoal grill to the stadium and deal with the hot coals afterward. What's the alternative? Two new, widely promoted...

The 4-1-1 on 529 college plans.
September 1, 2002... Many middle- and upper-income families can benefit greatly from a 529 college savings plan. Named for a section of the tax code, 529 plans allow savings to accumulate tax-free and be withdrawn free from federal taxes when used for qualified...

One year later.(bioterrorism protection)
September 1, 2002... After almost a year of frenetic effort assessing our nation's vulnerability to a terrorist attack, significant steps are being taken to increase public safety. In mid-June, President Bush signed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism...

Home is where the network is.(Special Home Computing Section)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2002... If your household is among the 23 million nationwide that have more than one personal computer, it may be time to consider networking them. If the phrase "networking your home" brings up images of goofy home-automation concepts like the...

Broadband Internet: worth the switch?(Special Home Computing Section)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2002... Tens of millions of consumers now have broadband Internet service--DSL (digital subscriber line), cable-modem, or satellite connections that are always on and much faster than traditional 56k dial-up. If you're not one of them, what are you...

What you don't know about desktops can cost you.(Special Home Computing Section)(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2002... A computer's brand name matters little when it comes to speed and storage; nearly all of the computers we've tested in the past few years have been plenty fast, with amply sized hard drives. But unless you're careful, you can still waste money...

Printing without compromises.(Special Home-Computing Section)(Hardware Review)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2002... If you're starting to get into digital photography or your old inkjet is beginning to show its age, it may be time to shop for a new printer. Most major-brand inkjets we've tested recently produce high-quality color photos and cost no more than...

Best bowls.(cereal)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2002... If you glimpsed certain cereal boxes or TV ads earlier this year, you may have thought that the road to a sleek physique is paved with flakes and puffs. To lose up to six pounds, promotions for Special K and Smart Start advised, follow the...

The perils of buying your own policy.(The Unraveling of Health Insurance, part 2)(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2002... If you live in the wrong state, have any type of illness, or are too young (for Medicare), too rich (for Medicaid), or too broke (to pay steep premiums), you might be shut out of the health-insurance market. None of those factors will stop you...

Heartburn: picking the right remedy.(antacids)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2002... From the old "plop plop, fizz fizz" Alka-Seltzer ads to recent commercials for Surpass antacid gum with animation reminiscent of Monty Python's Flying Circus, marketers have long been making light of heartburn. They've portrayed the need for...

Disc jockeys.(portable CD players)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2002... There are more reasons than ever to spring for a portable CD player this year or to replace the relic you've been toting around for a decade. Among them: More value. Models that play standard audio CDs alone (including discs burned using a...

Frozen assets.(home freezers)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2002... If you buy boxloads of burgers at a warehouse club or like to keep a few weeks' worth of dinner fixings on hand, the 4- to 6-cubic-foot freezer compartments in most refrigerators may seem positively lilliputian. A separate freezer can give...

Vacuum cleaners.(Product Updates)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2002... WHAT'S NEW More lower-priced models. A growing number of vacuums that sell for less than $100 have helped lower the average price of a vacuum cleaner to about $175, compared with $250 three years ago. Low cost often means few features....

Field of dreams: we tell you how to finance a midlife career switch.
September 1, 2002... It's not unusual for people in their 40s, and 50s to dream about ditching their jobs and heading back to school to train for something new. But retraining while earning a living and fulfilling family obligations over a multiyear period could...

Family-friendly pickups.(Chevrolet Avalanche, Ford F-150 SuperCrew, Dodge Ram Quad)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2002... Crew-cab pickups--models with four regular doors and room for five or six people--represent the latest trend in truck design. In the last few years almost every major truck maker has released at least one crew-cab model. We tested compact...