Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from August 2002

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from August 2002

Prepaid mobile plans come of age.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Lots of people are interested in prepaid mobile phone plans: those who think they're paying too much under a contract, parents who want to keep control of their children's mobile spending, people on a strict budget, or those who'd just like the...

Inkjet printers. (choice cuts).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Buying a printer would be simple if more money meant better performance across the board. But the reality is, finding a printer that's good at everything is no easy task. Our sister magazine, Computer CHOICE, tan thousands of sheets of...

Choice shopper update. (choice cuts).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2002... We've been providing the CHOICE 5hopper service, where we shop for you at good prices, since October 2001. And we're really pleased to see you're taking advantage of it: your use of this service really picked up in April, the latest month's...

Can you help? (choice cuts).(jeans retailers and manufacturers )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... CHOICE is planning to survey of jeans retailers and manufacturers about their corporate social responsibility. We want to find out whether and to what degree, they take on responsibility for the working conditions, remuneration and associated...

Crawling towards sustainable consumption. (choice cuts).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... With world media attention soon focusing on the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, you may ask yourself whatever happens to all the resolutions and recommendations that are drawn up at such gatherings. Ate they...

NUTRIPLAN. (choice cuts).(weight-loss meal-replacement product)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Here's yet another miracle weight-loss meal-replacement product: this one's called NUTRIPLAN. It's another flavoured protein blend you mix with water. The number of meals and snacks you replace with the resulting `smoothie' depends on how...

70% of Australians at risk of stroke. (choice cuts).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2002... Are you at risk of stroke? The July/August issue of CHOICE Health Reader reports that most Australians have at least one risk factor, and some are seriously at risk. Stroke is the third-biggest cause of death in Australia (after heart...

Enron shares, anyone? (World Consumer Snapshot).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Our sister organisation in the US asked in June, "Feeling left out because you haven't lost money in the Enron flameout? There's still time." According to Consumer Reports, Frame-A-Stock, a company that sells "truly unique gifts to give for a...

Unsafe to eat dough. (World Consumer Snapshot).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The fiscal, European kind, that is. Irish Consumer reported earlier this year on a warning from Eugenio Solans--a member of the European Central Bank--that the new euro poses a risk of toxicity. Apparently, the printing ink may cause illness if...

Consumer drives point home. (World Drives Point Home).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... A lucky Austrian recently got what he thought he'd won on a mail order company's scratchie, by suing for it. According to Konsument, the scratched-off number matched the one on the pictured soft-top car--if the numbers match, you can drive...

Prizes you pay for. (your letters).
August 1, 2002... My wife and I ate renovating our house, and have been shopping for an alarm system to protect our new asset. During the early stages of getting quotes, imagine how thrilled we were to be contacted by a large national security firm and told...

Thumps up.
August 1, 2002... * Anne Riddell, via internet, gives a thumbs-up to Mr Fothergill's Seeds, which sent her two packets of annual seeds and, later, two of bulbs, after she contacted them, disappointed in the number of bulbs that had grown from her original two...

Will prepaid save you money? A prepaid service makes you the master of your mobile phone spending--but are there any pitfalls? (Report: prepaid mobile phone plans).
August 1, 2002... IN A NUTSHELL * Prepaid gives you control over your costs and you don't have to commit yourself to a long-term contract. They're a great idea for many people (see Who would it suit?, far right). * Some prepaid deals have reasonably...

Getting a good deal on air travel: how to get good value for your flight dollar, whether at bargain basement prices or for a little bit of luxury at not too high a price. (Price check: air travel).
August 1, 2002... IN A NUTSHELL * Shop around--prices can vary enormously from agent to agent. * Keep a constant lookout for bargains well before you plan to travel. * Beware false economies--late-night or early-morning flights may incur extra...

Finger-lickin' chicken? Frozen chicken products: are they what they say they are, or are you paying for a meal of fat, salt and lots of breadcrumbs? (Food: frozen chicken).
August 1, 2002... IN A NUTSHELL * Are frozen chicken products a healthy dinner option? See Fat, salt and a little more fat, left. * Is that chicken breast really breast of `formed' meat? And what's the difference? We had them analysed to see if you get...

Brands you can count on: you'll never have the luxury of being 100% confident your new appliance won't break down. But choosing a reliable brand could save you time, hassle and money. (Survey: appliance reliability).
August 1, 2002... IN A NUTSHELL * Expensive appliances aren't always more reliable, as our latest survey shows. * Of the appliances covered this time, dishwashers showed the biggest variation in brand reliability. Choose your brand carefully to avoid...

Biometric passports for Aussies? (word on the street).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Legislation under consideration by the US Congress would require all countries that don't need a visa to visit the US (which includes Australia) to introduce biometric identifiers in passports in order to keep their `visa waiver' status. ...

Walking on air. (word on the street).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Sitting for long periods of time, as you would on a long-haul flight or a long bus or car ride, increases the risk of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). But taking short occasional walks is said to decrease the risk--easy enough if you're in the car...

Computing on the move. (word on the street).(Philips Detachable Monitor)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Mobile phones, portable computers, wireless keyboards--pretty soon someone will decide that what we really need is a portable toaster for brekkie on the go. Looming closer on the horizon is the PHILIPS Detachable Monitor, a wireless device that...

Fine print strikes again. (hip pocket).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Chris and Michelle Mellios from Melbourne decided to refinance their existing mortgage to cover renovations. Chris describes their initial experience with RAMS as pleasant. "We were told (in conversation and correspondence) that there...

High time for better fee information. (hip pocket).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... The Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) recently released a guide to good disclosure of transaction account fees. It's supposed to help banks, credit unions and building societies follow five principles of good disclosure of...

What does the prize disguise? (hip pocket).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Insurance company customers were recently sent forms that looked distinctly like sweepstake entries. It appeared that all they had to do was fill in their bank account details and they were in with a chance to win. What the form didn't...

3WD strollers: three-wheeler or jogger strollers are bulky and tricky to get into a car, but good for jogging. Unfortunately, not all models are safe. (Test: jogger strollers).
August 1, 2002... IN A NUTSHELL * During our tests the front wheel broke off the KIWI Espresso, and we found the VALCO Marathon's seat isn't properly secured to its frame. See What about the test?, page 31, for more, plus descriptions of lesser faults we...

Choice books.(Tap the Hidden Job Market)(Sydney for Kids)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... TAP THE HIDDEN JOB MARKET Finding the jobs that are not advertised "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You'll see, it'll be the beginning of a whole new career." This was just one of many cliches recited by well-meaning...

Consumer Bookshelf.
August 1, 2002... NEGOTIATING WITH YOUR SCHOOL A simple and understandable system for solving problems when your child has troubles at school. CODE: NWYS $20.00 WHAT IS THE MATTER WlTH BOYS? "Offers practical techniques for coping with the...

McDonald's in hot oil. (food bites).(claimed cooking oil was vegetarian)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... McDonald's in the US has found itself in a spot of bother over the vegetable oil used to cook its french fries and hash browns. For the past 10 years these have been advertised as vegetarian, as US stores started cooking them in vegetable oil...

E-lollies? (food bites).(Cadbury Trebor 24-7)(candy looks like ecstasy tablets)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... You've probably seen ads for TREBOR 24-7 loilies if your kids haven't already brought them home. Their packaging looks like a pill box, out of which you pop them just like pills, and if that's not enough for some people, the lollies also bear...

Food allergy vs intolerance. (food bites).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... What's the difference? You have a food allergy when your immune system reacts to certain food. The reaction usually occurs in minutes, and generally what happens is that your body creates antibodies to the food. When these antibodies react with...

Avoiding viruses: computer viruses are getting sneakier, so make sure your defences are up to scratch. (Computing choice).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... IN A NUTSHELL * If you use the internet, you may need to update your antivirus software as often as twice a week to be safe. * How do you find what you need? See Where to find the info, below left. New computer viruses take...

Cooking with gas: two Australian-made models are best at cooking. (Test: gas cooktops).
August 1, 2002... IN A NUTSHELL * On test: to four-burner stainless steel gas cooktops. All cooked pretty well at both low and high temperatures (see How well do they cook?, left, for more). * A flame-failure protection feature is important for safety...

Vacuum flasks: if you're out in the cold, wearing chunky gloves, you'll appreciate a flask that keeps stuff nice and hot and requires as little fiddling about as possible. (Test: vacuum flasks).(Statistical Data Included)
August 1, 2002... IN A NUTSHELL * On test are 26 stainless steel vacuum flasks ranging in price from $17 to around $70--and our What to buy list covers the whole price range. * Some models retain heat better than others, and there are marked...

Recalls & bans.
August 1, 2002... THE PRODUCT: Blundstone has recalled the following styles of Blundstone Safety Footwear (sizes 10, 10.5, 11 and 12 only), with box dates from 22-APR-02 to 30-APR-02 (inclusive), sold from April 22 to May 5, 2002: * Black elastic-sided...