Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from April 2008

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from April 2008

Energy incentives must start right now.(Comment)
April 1, 2008... The problem of climate change calls for fair and meaningful solutions. CHOICE has joined forces with the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) and the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), and we're urging the new government to...

Cloned animals coming to dinner: Americans are getting ready to eat cloned animals, but are we?(CLONED MEAT)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Ever had a steak so tender and juicy you wish you could eat that exact steak every time? Well, it may not be too far away, with the Food and Drug Administration in the US concluding recently that meat and milk from...

Independent advice is hard to find.(financial advice)(Company overview)
April 1, 2008... Research by FSI Consulting, a company that provides consultancy services to the financial industry, claims that only about 11 financial advisers in Australia can legally call their services 'independent', 'unbiased' or 'impartial'. Under the...

TiVo heading to Australia this year.(AD-FREE TV)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Seven Network has announced plans to introduce the TiVo video recorder in Australia later this year. First released in the US in 1999, TiVo is a personal video recorder (or PVR) that can record free-to-air TV...

The safest child car restraints are ... which child car restraints go beyond what the standard requires and provide the best possible protection?(CHILD CAR RESTRAINTS)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Of all the car restraints on the market, which ones are both safest and easiest to use? The three types of child restraints--child seats, booster seats and baby capsules--sold in Australia must meet the Australian Standard, which is one of...

Have your say on health reform: the Federal Government has promised to reform parts of our health system. CHOICE wants to make sure it knows what consumers want.(SETTING THE AGENDA)
April 1, 2008... Do you want to have your voice heard on health reform and help set CHOICE's agenda for lobbying government? If so, we want to hear from you. It's an exciting time in health. The new Labor Government has promised to end the blame game...

Not so eco credit card: what's the point of an 'eco' card that only offsets your toeprint, while charging you high interest rates at the same time?(CARBON OFFSETS)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Be wary of credit cards offering to reduce your carbon footprint. Spend $7200 per year with GE Money's new ECO MasterCard and the company claims to organise carbon offsets for the annual greenhouse gas emissions of...

Are you a wine snob? If you buy expensive wine, congratulations--new research says you're likely to enjoy it. However, it may all be in your head.(TASTE TEST)
April 1, 2008... Reckon you know your wine? Belong in the 'you get what you pay for' camp? We hate to burst those bubbles, but it seems it's more a case of your wallet influencing your taste buds rather than the quality of the wine. New research in the US...

Smelly breath, healthy heart.(HEART HEALTH)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's long been known that eating garlic can be beneficial for the heart, and we're now closer to understanding why. Researchers from Alabama found that red blood cells convert compounds in garlic into hydrogen...

Correction: dishwashers, February 2008.(Correction notice)
April 1, 2008... In the table on page 42, the ease of use score for the MIELE G 1243SC should have been 70%, and its overall score 80%. These scores mean it rated highly enough to be in the What to buy list and profiled--it will be in the next dishwasher...

Know your rights.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Last year, CHOICE awarded the mobile phone industry a Shonky for its confusing mobile phone plans. Now the ACCC has produced a fact sheet explaining what consumers can do when they're having problems with mobile phone handsets. To get a copy,...

Pizza gets the tick.
April 1, 2008... You can expect to see the Heart Foundation's red tick in an unlikely place--a pizza menu. Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar, in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, is the first to earn the Foundation's blessing, with six of its pizzas containing a third of...

Petrol commissioner appointed.
April 1, 2008... The Federal Government has appointed the first petrol commissioner to oversee the ACCC's monitoring of fuel prices. Pat Walker, former Commissioner for Consumer Protection in WA, will provide an annual report on the regulator's findings.

Watt's the score?(Multifunction Energy Meter MS6115)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you're looking for ways to slash your energy bills (and reduce your carbon footprint), a power meter is cheap, easy to use and lets you measure the energy use and running costs of your appliances. You simply plug...

Face the pressure.(MEASURE TYRE PRESSURE)
April 1, 2008... Driving with underinflated tyres uses more petrol, adversely affects your car's handling and may lead to tyre damage--all very good reasons to keep all your tyres (including the spare) inflated at the pressure recommended by the manufacturer....

Pocket memories.(Kaiser Baas digital photo keyring; AV Labs digital keychain)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Designed to hang off your keys and show pocket-sized photos of loved ones, these tiny digital photo frames can store about 70 images and show them on a 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm screen. While there are a few versions around, we tested the KAISER BAAS...

Slow cookers.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... "A dish that practically cooks itself--it's hard to believe, but with a bit of preparation at the start of the day you can come home to a meal that's ready when you are." CHOICE's home economist was full of praise for the slow cookers she...

Fridges.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... In our latest test, CHOICE's testers have finally found a small fridge (less than 300 L in capacity) that does its job well. For some years manufacturers have been putting all their best technology into larger models and neglecting smaller...

Gas heaters.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Gas is a cheaper and more environmentally friendly way to heat your home, compared with electricity. CHOICE's test results now cover virtually all the unflued gas heaters on the market, in sizes suitable for heating small rooms right up to the...

Short-changed on warranty?(Letters & Emails)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... In May 2007 I bought a $300 XtremeMac alarm clock audio system for my iPod from Myer in Melbourne. Seven months later it broke--but it turned out the warranty was only 90 days. I rang Myer and the person I spoke to told me that they didn't deal...

Waxed fruit.(Letters & Emails)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] First, how do you find out if there is wax on citrus fruit? Second, how can the wax be removed? Mike Bendrikson, NSW CHOICE explains Citrus fruit is often waxed to stop moisture loss while in storage. It...

Out-of-date models?(Letters & Emails)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... I'm beginning to wonder how you select the models you choose for testing. * From your washing machine test results I bought the highly rated Electrolux Ultra Silencer EWF1495, then had to wait five weeks before delivery--no-one stocks it....

Liz of Victoria was impressed when she received a call from the fraud department of her bank, the Police Credit Co-Op.(Thumbs up!)
April 1, 2008... Liz of Victoria was impressed when she received a call from the fraud department of her bank, the Police Credit Co-Op. They were checking on a particular transaction she'd made (legitimate as it turned out)--paying off a credit card account she...

Woodcarver Tony Nesbitt was disappointed when a stress crack developed across the casing of the motor head of his Arbortech Power Carver.(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... Woodcarver Tony Nesbitt was disappointed when a stress crack developed across the casing of the motor head of his Arbortech Power Carver. He contacted Arbortech to ask about the availability of spare parts, and a week later a complete motor...

When the Ausgum outdoor table Craig Boutlis bought from Harvey Norman arrived, it had minor damage and stood too low for the non-standard chairs he'd ordered to be pulled in.(Thumbs up!)(Brief article)
April 1, 2008... When the Ausgum outdoor table Craig Boutlis bought from Harvey Norman arrived, it had minor damage and stood too low for the non-standard chairs he'd ordered to be pulled in. Harvey Norman promptly sent a cheque for $200 to cover the cost of...

Gift vouchers.(LETTER OF THE MONTH)(Letter to the editor)
April 1, 2008... I was given a gift voucher for a massage (valued at over $100) for my birthday last July, and it had an expiry date of January 2008. For various reasons I hadn't been able to use it, so I contacted the salon to request an extension. They said...

The business of giving: how much of your donation do you think is gobbled up by charities' expenses or commercial fundraisers' fees and profits? CHOICE's survey shows fewer than 20% of us are confident about where our dollars end up.(Comparing Charities)(Cover story)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As Australians, we're a pretty charitable lot. Nearly nine out of 10 adults give to charity; the average annual donation is more than $400. The median donation is $100--half of those who donate give more than that....

Food from the farm: should you trade in your supermarket trolley for food straight off the farm? CHOICE investigates farmers' markets, which bring food straight from the paddock to your life.(Food Farmers' markets)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A local market is a great way to spend a leisurely weekend morning browsing for fresh produce and gourmet goodies, and a farmers' market sounds doubly appealing--a real connection to where the food comes from and how...

Not-so-brilliant diamond deals: for Jess and Daniel, buying an engagement ring was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Our CHOICE investigation came across a host of other jewellery buying traps and rip-offs.(Jewellery Diamonds)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While Jess and Daniel from Sydney were shopping around for an engagement ring, they saw a beauty in a jeweller's store window. The one-carat diamond ring was marked as being discounted from $12,000 to only $7000....

Foods to lower your cholesterol: milks, yoghurts or spreads that are enriched with plant sterols can help lower your cholesterol--but they're expensive. So which ones give you the most bang for your buck?(Food Plant sterols)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] More and more products that claim to help lower your cholesterol are showing up on supermarket shelves. Where previously this added benefit was offered by spreads alone, you can now get yoghurts and milks that do the...

Ease into retirement: the 'Transition to Retirement' rules allow older workers to access their super before they retire. But you need to know the facts first.(Money Superannuation)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If you're 55 or over you can access your super to start an income stream without having to retire. This change came in under the Transition To Retirement rules, which have been in effect since July 2005. Previously...

Left high and dry: in our regular update of home and contents insurance we reveal the inconsistencies in flood cover and explain why it's worth shopping around.(Insurance Home and contents)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A few months ago, severe weather caused floods that affected about two thirds of Queensland. At the time of writing, more than 2700 people who had moved out or been evacuated were returning to their homes and...

Package deal: many of the goods we buy need to be protected by packaging. But have things gone too far? CHOICE looks at how much is too much.(Home Packaging)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From gourmet chocolates to beauty products, almost everything we put in our shopping basket seems buried under layers of packaging. Consumers are actively contacting CHOICE to ask why so many products appear...

Big TVs for big rooms: CHOICE has 106cm TVs on test and finds that higher definition means you can sit closer, but doesn't necessarily produce a better picture.(Test 106 cm TVs)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] All nine of the TVs in this test have a diagonal size between 102 and 107 cm, can produce a genuine high-definition (HD)image and have a digital HD tuner as well as an analogue tuner. They range in price from $1999...

Top cooktops: they're not just a pretty face--radiant ceramic cooktops are good at cooking too.(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When it's time to update your cooktop, chances are you'll go gas if you can: it's cheap, fast, responsive and green. If you're going electric, the options range from the old-fashioned (but effective) radiant coils to...

Setting records: these PVRs are still on their training wheels--and at around $1000, you'd expect more.(Test Twin-tuner HD PVRs)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As we're nearing the final stretch to the Beijing Olympics, a high-definition (HD) personal video recorder (PVR) with two tuners may seem a worthwhile purchase, allowing you to catch all the sporting highlights at...

Portable cots: CHOICE tested 10 portable cots for safety and ease of use. Seven are safe enough to recommend.(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a travel cot, playpen or spare bed for little guests, portable cots are very versatile. But three of the 10 cots on test didn't meet important safety sections of the Australian standard. Accessory to injury...

Drying: it's a gas! Are gas dryers worth buying? To reduce your carbon footprint, yes.(Test Clothes dryers)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If buying a clothes dryer only springs to mind when it's been raining for a week and you have no dry towels, your purchase may well be determined by price. But if you plan on getting more than the odd run from your...

Cooking rice the professional way: Jasmine, basmati, sushi, arborio, brown or white--a rice cooker's the answer if you feed lots of people.(Test Rice cookers)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] You don't need a rice cooker for perfect rice, but preparing it on the cooktop or in the microwave (see page 59) can be trickier and messier. A rice cooker makes it easier, especially for large amounts of rice. You...

Handle with care: we were pretty tough on these small suitcases--and some couldn't handle the pace.(Buyers guide)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Choosing hand luggage for your next trip isn't as simple as just picking the most stylish one. You need first to ask: how much do I want to spend? What type will suit my needs in terms of how often I use it? Will it...

Recalls & bans.(List)
April 1, 2008... 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 Product Recalls Australia website: www.recalls.gov.au. If you don't have web access, call the Product...

ISPs pressured to become copyright police: a small but highly influential industry body is attempting to make your internet service provider its de facto detective. As well as the privacy issues, there may be additional costs--and guess who's likely to foot the bill for that?(INTERNET POLICE)
April 1, 2008... Watch out. If certain music industry representatives have their way, internet service providers (ISPs) will be made to monitor your use of the internet--all in an attempt to prevent copyright infringement. One proposal being pushed in...

Which complementary medicines work?(EVIDENCE WANTED)
April 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] If complementary medicines work, they can be good alternatives to other forms of treatment. However, recent research found that, since 1996, more than 1000 weight-loss drugs have been approved by the Therapeutic...