Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from December 2004

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from December 2004

On the herbal bandwagon ...(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Everyone says juice bars are a great idea, and in their basic concept they are. Finally you can get a before-your-eyes-fresh juice or smoothie as a quick snack instead of some fat-and-sugar-filled piece of junk food from the usual kind of...

Christmas with your computer.(choice cuts)
December 1, 2004... Now that computers are such a common feature in Australian households, our sister publication, Computer CHOICE, has compiled a list of websites and online tools that'll help you get ready for Christmas. There are links to sites with paper...

Dud ads for air conditioners.(choice cuts)
December 1, 2004... Finding the right air conditioner model for your needs can be daunting enough without being faced with misleading or confusing advertising. FALSE GREEN CLAIMS In October 2004, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)...

Pedometers.(Update)(Product/Service Evaluation)
December 1, 2004... CHOICE, October 2004 Thinking of buying someone a pedometer for Christmas? Hoping to stave off the effects of holiday season indulgence? 10,000 Steps (an extension of the 10,000 Steps Rockhampton project) was recently rolled out...

Clothes dryers.(Update)
December 1, 2004... CHOICE, May 2004 * In the table on page 46, based on information from the manufacturer we said the WESTINGHOUSE LD503A, LD352A, and LD353A had the following features: reverse tumbling, a drying rack, and a cold/no heat setting. The...

Dodgy drill and other unsafe power tools.(choice cuts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... As home renovation season goes into full swing over the summer break, don't get caught out with a dangerous and dodgy power tool. The NSW Office of Fair Trading this year found a number of cheap, unapproved tools--which failed multiple...

Older but wiser.(choice cuts)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Anti-aging quackery and hucksterism are part of a multimillion-dollar global industry, taking advantage of gullible and vulnerable people. And most internet sites that sell anti-aging treatments are a con. Those are the conclusions of a US...

The law sides with vulnerable consumers.(choice cuts)
December 1, 2004... Have you ever succumbed to the persistent sales spiel of a door-to-door salesperson and bought something you didn't need? If you're sound in mind and body you can probably imagine how much more vulnerable disadvantaged consumers are in these...

Digital cameras.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2004... CHOICE, October 2004 In the table on pages 12-13 some of the overall scores were incorrectly calculated from individual component test scores (image quality, ease of use, etc). Correct calculations mean the overall scores are slightly...

Mercury in fish.(Correction)(Correction Notice)
December 1, 2004... CHOICE, September 2004 On page 4 we said tuna was on a list offish species to avoid eating because of unsustainability as well as on a List offish to avoid (particularly by pregnant women) because they contain too much mercury. While...

How not to phone home.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... After reading Phoning home (CHOICE, September 2004) I went to the Nobelcom.com website and, after reading all the information provided, decided to order a card over the internet, giving them my credit card details for the purchase. I was...

More on Tassie scallops.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... In September 2004 CHOICE published an article on Sustainable seafood (CHOICE Cuts). This article was based on the 2002-2003 Fisheries Status Reports, put out by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, that was relied on in a...

Letter of the month.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... We want to hear from you--your experiences help our research and often let other readers know about scares and rip-offs. Positive outcomes you've had to a complaint you took to a manufacturer, retailer, importer or tradesperson interest us too....

Electrolux Australia.(Thumbs Up!)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... ELECTROLUX AUSTRALIA gets a thumbs-up from John Hall. When a WESTINGHOUSE fridge and wall oven--both around 18 months out of warranty--developed problems, ELECTROLUX promptly dispatched a technician and all parts were replaced at no charge.

Martec.(Thumbs Up!)
December 1, 2004... Lisa Delany gives a thumbs-up to MARTEC, which replaced a faulty new ceiling fan that had been in storage for two years and so was out of warranty, without question or even requiring proof of purchase.

Juicy secrets: don't be seduced by the trendy marketing--many supplements sold in juice bars aren't worth paying extra for.(Investigation: juice bar supplements)
December 1, 2004... Juice bars are springing up all over the place. You can choose a drink from the menu or pick your own fruit and veg combination, and then they get juiced or blended on the spot, guaranteeing freshness. And this is great: for years we've been...

Finally: cheaper insurance? Beat high sales commissions by buying online.(Report: travel insurance)
December 1, 2004... Independent research by CHOICE's new Money & Rights magazine has revealed just how expensive Australian travel insurance can be. One factor contributing to this high cost is commission rates for companies like the insurance agents and...

Sparkling wines for all occasions: you can drink bubbly to celebrate an occasion, or just because ...(Test: sparkling wine and champagne)
December 1, 2004... It's the drink of love and romance, of joy and celebration--the drink you pour to mark an occasion. But what if there's no special event on the horizon and you just don't want to wait to hear the corks pop? Well, you're not alone if you...

Christmas nuts: some you invite, some invite themselves, and some you bring home with the shopping. Which nuts should make it onto your Christmas list this year?(Test: cashews and other nuts)
December 1, 2004... There are always plenty of nuts around at Christmas, and when it comes to the ones you put on the table (rather than seat around it), our taste test of cashews revealed some good-value winners. We asked around 250 of our Home Testers to try...

Sausage sizzle, anyone? Looking to splash out on a new gas Barbie this summer? Whether you want a large trolley version or a smaller, more portable model, we've got the bases covered.(TEST: gas barbecues)
December 1, 2004... On test were seven metal-trolley barbecues, most with four burners (the WEBER Genesis has three), and three single-burner portable models. The trolley barbecues were priced around $1000 (they ranged from $650 to $1300)--the most popular price...

Sweet warning.(food bites)(tagatose)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... If you have an intolerance to fructose--a naturally occurring fruit sugar that's also made artificially for use as a sweetener in foods and drinks--you now need to be even more vigilant when reading food labels. Tagatose, a new ingredient...

Lettuce be safe.(food bites)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Who'd have thought the source of a food poisoning outbreak could be the seemingly innocuous lettuce? That's what health chiefs found on investigating 144 cases of salmonella poisoning in the UK earlier this year. It seems that people got...

Waiter, there's fish in my wine!(food bites)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Many people who suffer from allergies or asthma have long had to be careful about which wine they drink, as they react to certain commonly added ingredients, such as the preservative sulphur dioxide (preservative 220). Asthma sufferers may find...

Slap it on: painting a room or two this summer? Our interior paint buying guide will help.(Tests: interior paint)(Buyers Guide)
December 1, 2004... The colour is up to you, but how do you pick a quality interior paint that'll cover in as few coats as possible and be easy to clean and keep looking good? Do you use price as a guide or do you just buy whatever brand the shop has? To make the...

It's a knockout! Although cockroaches seem to be developing resistance to certain insecticides, we still found some products that land a knockout blow.(Test: cockroach killers)
December 1, 2004... They crawl around at night and hide by day. Their diet and table manners are generally offensive. You don't like them, and they don't like you much either. We're talking about one of Australia's most unwanted house guests--the dreaded...

Floored for choice ... choosing flooring is an important part of home building or renovation--what are your options?(Buying guide: timber and tile flooring)
December 1, 2004... When you're building or renovating, elegant flooring that's also practical can add substantial value to your home, in addition to looking and feeling great. Because flooring has a major influence on the feel and mood of a room, it's important...

That's entertainment? Most of the cheap home theatre systems on test don't give you much bang for your buck.(Test: home theatre systems)
December 1, 2004... The predator creeping up from behind, the car ranging from left to right across the screen, the building that explodes on your right--cinema gives you a wealth of audio experiences that complement the action up onscreen. So with the growth of...

Used car safety: in the market for a used car? No doubt you want a safe one ...(Cars: safe buying)
December 1, 2004... Choosing a safe car model could mean the difference between getting out of an accident with a fright or with a serious injury. Many new models offer sophisticated crash design and a range of safety equipment, such as front, side and head...

Recalls & bans.
December 1, 2004... 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 web access, call the Consumer Safety...

About choice.(Editorial)
December 1, 2004... The Australian Consumers' Association is a non-profit, non-party-political organisation established in 1959 to provide consumers with information and advice on goods services, health and personal finances, and to help maintain and enhance their...