Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from April 2003

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from April 2003

Selling excess.(Editorial)
April 1, 2003... It's fascinating that the only thing you're guaranteed to get more of when you buy a very expensive moisturiser is excessive packaging (Pampering YOUR FACE). You're certainly not guaranteed to get a moisturiser you'll like better--our 300-odd...

Can you help? (choice cuts).
April 1, 2003... BUYING A NEW CAR If you're in the market for a new car, you want as much information as possible on the model you're interested in. How will it behave in different road situations? Do the features work well, and what's it like for space...

Improved memory? Forget it. (choice cuts).(Ginkgo bilboa examined)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... A popular herbal supplement, ginkgo biloba, promoted as a 'memory-enhancing agent', has failed to live up to its claim. According to the March issue of CHOICE Health Reader, if you're over 60 and still of sharp mind, you're unlikely to benefit...

Customer service or rip-off? (choice cuts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... When Lesley Kirby, of Caringbah, NSW, received a letter from the company that had sold her a safety switch (residual current device) some time earlier, alarm bells started to ring. It was a notification that 'Jeff' would be in her area on a...

Fire danger. (choice cuts).(campfire burns in children)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The March issue of CHOICE Health Reader also reports that most campfire burns in children aren't caused by accidents while the fire is burning, but as a consequence of putting it out with sand rather than water. The next morning kids playing on...

Recall of all water-based triforine garden sprays. (Stop Press).(Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority also cancels registration of these sprays)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Following an investigation sparked by the findings of our test of garden sprays (CHOICE, December 2002), the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (formerly the National Registration Authority), the government body...

Antivirus software. (choice cuts).(12 antivirus progams evaluated with NORTON Antivirus 2003 being judged as the best)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... With almost one in every 200 emails worldwide containing a virus, it's essential to practise good computer hygiene. So installing effective antivirus software is vital. Computer CHOICE evaluated 12 antivirus programs for its March/April...

Games consoles as DVD players. (Update).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In December 2002 we tested the MICROSOFT Xbox and SONY PlayStation 2 as DVD players. We also bought a DVD kit (including a remote control) for each console at an extra cost of around $50 each, but unfortunately neither of these kits lets you...

Emergency: dial 000, don't SMS. (choice cuts).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The Australian Communications Authority has reissued a warning not to rely on the short message service (SMS) in an emergency. The authority has become aware that some security and fire alarm products have come onto the market that use SMS...

Financial planners. (Correction).(Correction Notice)
April 1, 2003... CHOICE, Jan/Feb 2003 COMMUNITY AND CORPORATE FINANCIAL SERVICES appeared in our results as 'poor' for failing to provide the client with an Advisory Services Guide (ASG). The client has since found an ASG from the planner. With ASIC, we've...

Digital camcorders. (Update).
April 1, 2003... CHOICE, Jan/Feb 2003 In the table we said that our Best Buy, the SONY DCR-TRV18E, doesn't have AV and S-video input connections. This information, while confirmed by Sony before publication, is wrong. The model in fact has both AV and...

Higher-capacity rechargeables--even better value. (choice cuts).(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... When we published the results of our endurance test of rechargeable batteries (CHOICE, June 2002), the three top models (all of them nickel-metal hydride, or NiMH, batteries) had already been replaced by the following higher-capacity models:...

An insurance travel bug. (your letters).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... Like many people these days we have children living in different countries. We plan to visit a daughter in the USA and a son in the UK later this year. We'll be leaving another three children in Australia when we go. Our concern is this:...

Good service. (your letters).(Letter to the Editor)
April 1, 2003... My husband had a slice of Helga's Bread with Vegemite and discovered a thin dark piece of wire. No damage done, but we thought it prudent to contact both companies. Kraft told us it would immediately send an envelope for us to return the...

Thumbs up!
April 1, 2003... * Tracey McTeare (a CHOICE staff member) awards a thumbs-up to the Electronics Boutique at Miranda, NSW, whose sales staff dissuaded her from purchasing a graphically violent and racy Playstation 2 game that her 11-year-old nephew was trying to...

... You want fries with that? Or maybe you'd like to 'upsize' your meal and really push the fat, salt and sugar right over the top? (Nutrition: fast food).
April 1, 2003... IN A NUTSHELL * Fast food has to take at least some of the blame for an increasingly fat Australia. * Healthier choices are the exception rather than the rule at the big chains--but there are some out there. * Upsizing may be good...

Don't get stuck: changing banks can be easy--simply follow our step-by-step checklist. People who've done it say it's definitely worth it. (Money: changing banks).(step by step guide to changing banks)
April 1, 2003... IN A NUTSHELL * We asked CHOICE subscribers who'd changed banking services to tell us about their experiences and received a whole boxful of letters. Thanks to all of you who responded. * Your main reasons for changing accounts were...

Pampering your face: do you have to break the bank for a moisturiser that feels and smells good. (Trial: moisturisers).(profiles of the top seven moisturizers as chosen by 300 testers)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IN A NUTSHELL * In the trial: 47 moisturisers for your face, ranging in price from as little as 20 cents for 50 mL to a whopping $93. Our trialists found several good ones for well below $10 for 50 mL. * Seven products stood out from...

Anyone for a cappuccino? Do domestic espresso machines cut it in the coffee-making stakes, or should you leave it to the experts? (Test: espresso machines).(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IN A NUTSHELL * The cheapest machine in our test made the best-tasting coffee, while an expensive one made the worst. And other expensive models made only average coffee, according to our expert tasters. * What's the difference between...

Suds 'r' us? Lots of us still do the dishes the traditional way, so we put 33 grease and grime busters to the test.(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IN A NUTSHELL * Three dishwashing liquids stand out for value among the top performers, which are otherwise quite expensive: see left. * Using double the amount of a cheap detergent' won't necessarily double the number of plates you...

Qantas surcharge not fair. (hip pocket).(surcharge on credit card transactions)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Qantas is planning to start charging a 1% surcharge on credit card transactions in July, but doesn't intend to lower its fares. It's introducing the new charge as a consequence of the Reserve Bank of Australia's credit card reforms, which...

On-the-ball consumers save $700,000. (hip pocket).(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... When Michelle from Queensland received her monthly VISA statement in December last year, she was unpleasantly surprised to see an increase in her annual fee to $95. While ANZ had informed her of the fee increase, Michelle wasn't due to pay...

Taxed to the hilt. (hip pocket).(campaign to reduce contributions tax and superannuation surcharge)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... How many times is your super taxed? We all pay 15% on contributions, 15% on earnings and another 15% on final payouts. If you earn over $85,000, you have to pay the superannuation surcharge as well. We've been working hard to encourage the...

Film still fine: non-digital cameras are still worth buying. (Update: compact cameras).(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IN A NUTSHELL * Compacts are generally cheaper than digital cameras to buy--but the more expensive they are, the less attractive they become compared to digital. * While all take acceptable pictures, some are very good. *...

Home laser printers: cheap black and white printing. (Test: laser printers).(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IN A NUTSHELL * The SAMSUNG ML 1210'S print quality is equal to that of more expensive printers. * Check what's in the box. Of the printers we bought, only the LEXMARK came with a parallel cable, and the CANON Laser Shot LBP-1120 had...

Driver: 1, pedestrian: 0: most of the small four-wheel drives tested offer good crash protection for both driver and passenger--but you don't want to be a pedestrian who gets hit by one. (Drivelines).(automobile evaluations)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... The latest round of high-speed crash tests released by the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) looked at a number of small four-wheel-drives (so-called soft-roaders). Thanks to good safety design, including standard dual airbags,...

No fan--no fun: get a convection heater with a fan--or you're likely to end up with cold feet. (Test: convection heaters).(electric convection heaters)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IN A NUTSHELL * Models without a fan are much slower to heat up a room, and don't distribute the heat as well as models with a fan. * Only one of the tested models has a tilt switch that turns the heater off when it falls over. We...

TVs for any room: be it your main TV or a second (or third) for another room in the house, we've found some 51 cm models that should please everyone. (Test: 51 cm TVs).(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IN A NUTSHELL * There are some new players in the TV market, as well as the return of an old name, RANK ARENA--we look at how they compare to some established brands. * How 'flat' is flat? Many of the claimed flat-screen models were...

Cordless goes flash: more choices and options, from a range of good models. (Test: cordless phones).(analogue and digital phones)(Product/Service Evaluation)
April 1, 2003... IN A NUTSHELL * One model has sound quality problems, and is best avoided. * Some models have quite limited talk times--see the table, page 46. * Digital phones offer more security from eavesdropping, and some models have more...

Recalls & bans.
April 1, 2003... Nowadays there are so many product recalls we may not be able to print all of them in CHOICE. For comprehensive recall information go to the Federal Treasury website: www.recalls.gov.au. If you don't have a web access, call the Consumer Safety...