Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from January 2006

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from January 2006

CHOICE's New Year resolutions.
January 1, 2006... Welcome to the first CHOICE for 2006. We're looking forward this year to giving you all the information you need to shop smart and avoid the rip-offs. We'll be investing more in our product tests than ever before. And remember that it's all...

A small step in the right direction.(choice cuts)(Nike Inc. improves employee working conditions)
January 1, 2006... To encourage companies to improve their employees' working conditions in factories around the world, continued pressure from consumers is needed. "Consumer concern is ultimately what companies care about, and what will make the difference,"...

Magnetic washing?(choice cuts)
January 1, 2006... A new take on laundry balls has hit the market. The LIFE MIRACLE Magnetic Laundry System (two magnetic balls, in effect) is claimed to be free of chemicals, safer for your health and the environment, hypo-allergenic, reusable, long-lasting,...

Barbecues.(UPDATE)
January 1, 2006... CHOICE, December 2005 The BEEFEATER Discovery Series 4 Burner (which was in the What to buy list) has been discontinued sooner than expected. It's been replaced by a new model with the same name and similar features, but with a side burner...

Mandatory safety standard for basketball hoops.(UPDATE)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... A new mandatory safety standard was introduced in October last year that addresses the safety hazard relating to basketball rings/ hoops and backboards. As we reported last June, if these rings and backboards are installed on brick walls that...

Childhood obesity.
January 1, 2006... Eight significant early-life risk factors for obesity have been identified, reports the November 2005 issue of CHOICE Health Reader. Researchers in the UK followed a group of 8234 children from birth to the age of seven and tested them for 25...

Are you being served?(choice cuts)(consumer prefernces on computer purchasing)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... Buying a new computer can be daunting. There's a seemingly endless list of models and variations and if you're not absolutely certain what you need, you'll probably end up depending on the not always reliable expertise of a salesperson. In...

Omega-3s in a capsule?(choice cuts)
January 1, 2006... Fish, we're told, is good for us. The omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA in fish help to prevent heart disease, and may have other health benefits (for more on this see Fish from the freezer, page 18). But if you don't like fish or you find it...

eBay problems.(Bay of plenty)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... I'd like to offer your readers a word of caution about buying products through eBay. I recently bought a watch through eBay for just under $1000 from a guy in the Netherlands. As with most eBay transactions, the payment was made through...

Toxic toys.(your letters)
January 1, 2006... At the Brisbane EKKA last year, we bought showbags containing cheap plastic cars and trucks manufactured in China. When we unpacked them, we noticed a smell (something like diesel and solvent) coming from some of the toys, which also felt...

Troublesome termites.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... I applaud the depth of the Finding a good pest manager article (CHOICE, October 2005). It's important that readers recognise that the industry refers to itself as a control service. Despite any effort at perfection, at best the service is not...

Thumbs up!(your letters)
January 1, 2006... Linda Norman, of Port Melbourne, Victoria, awards a 'Thumbs Up' to PTN AUSTRALIA. When her four-year-old son Ben, who suffers from a serious medical condition, damaged his favourite The Lion King CD, distributor PTN sent him a new CD the...

Letter of the month.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 2006... We want to hear from you--your experiences help our research and often let other readers know about seams and rip-offs. Positive outcomes you've had to a complaint you took to a manufacturer, retailer, importer or tradesperson interest us too....

Losing it: can losing weight be as easy as popping the latest pill?(report: Slimming products)
January 1, 2006... IN A NUTSHELL * The evidence behind the weight-loss hype isn't very convincing - despite what you might think the ads are telling you. * As the National Health and Medical Research Council says in its advice to 6Ps: "There is no...

Coffee culture: the long and short of manual and semi-automatic espresso machines.(TEST: Espresso machines)
January 1, 2006... IN A NUTSHELL On test: 12 manual and semi-automatic espresso machines costing $400-$600. Overall these models made better coffee than the much more expensive automatic machines (costing between $800 and $1500) tested in August 2005. ...

Fish from the freezer: most frozen fish products are low in heart-healthy omega-3 fats--and they don't work out as cheap as you might think.(Test: Frozen fish products)
January 1, 2006... IN A NUTSHELL * Most frozen fish products won't do much to boost your intake of omega-3 fats. The fish that's used is usually white fish (often hoki or hake), which is low in these fats. * Although quick and easy to prepare, even the...

Home theatre in a box: there's more to sound than amps.(TEST: Home theatre systems)
January 1, 2006... IN A NUTSHELL * Speakers are still the weakest link in most systems. * These are reasonably powerful systems, but there's a noticeable difference in sound quality between them. * Setting up is often complicated and time-consuming....

Lucky dip: what's the best-tasting hummus in the supermarkets?(TEST: Hummus)
January 1, 2006... IN A NUTSHELL * On test: 19 hummus dips widely available in supermarkets. * The flavour and texture of different hummus products vary hugely, but our taste test produced two clear favourites. It's handy to have a dip or two in the...

Almost mobile: the latest in digital cordless phones--including SMS-compatible models.(test: cordless phones)
January 1, 2006... IN A NUTSHELL * Although all the phones in the latest test are reasonable, five out of the 13 are just a bit better. * You can send and receive text messages (SMS) to and from five of the tested cordless phones--but at this stage only...

On your scooter: mobility scooters offer independence to people with a limited ability to get around--but you need specific skills to use one.(Report: mobility scooters)
January 1, 2006... IN A NUTSHELL * Hand strength, balance, good vision and hearing, and the ability to concentrate and react appropriately are some of the skills you need to drive a mobility scooter. * Independent Living Centres (ILC) around Australia...

Cleaning up: you don't have to pay a lot to get a good vacuum cleaner.(test: cheap vacuum cleaners)
January 1, 2006... IN A NUTSHELL * On test: 13 vacuum cleaners under$250. * These cheap vacs didn't pick up dirt from carpet quite as effectively as some more expensive models in previous tests, but a higher price isn't a guarantee of better performance,...

0% helps Christmas credit blues.(hip pocket)
January 1, 2006... Are you suffering from Christmas credit blues after spending on presents and ceLebrations? If you're sure you can pay off the balance within the next few months, a credit card with a 0% balance transfer offer might be able to help. All the...

Invest in index funds and save.(hip pocket)
January 1, 2006... The next issue of CHOICE Money & Rights will be examining index funds as a cheap way to invest in Australia's top Listed companies. With index funds, the fund manager chooses a portfolio of shares that match a benchmark index such as the...

Clean at a price? Is it unrealistic to expect a dishwasher to be hard on dirt but easy on water and power?(UPDATE: dishwashers)
January 1, 2006... IN A NUTSHELL * Some dishwashers achieve energy and water efficiency at the expense of good washing and/or drying performance, but there are some good all-round models available. * Of the 13 new models tested, only two made it into the...

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, yes, no ... maybe.(food standards)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2006... The regulations governing country of origin labelling have been under review by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), and as a result the specific country of origin of fresh produce will now have to be stated on the product, rather than...

Healthy snacks for kids?(food bites)
January 1, 2006... Only a quarter of the too kids' lunchbox snacks we looked at a year ago met all CHOICE's healthy nutrition criteria (CHOICE, Jan/Feb 2005). So we're very interested in the new 'nutritious snacks' criteria developed for UNCLE TOBYS by the...

You say buk choy ...(food bites)
January 1, 2006... We're lucky to have a great range of Asian vegies available to us these days, but do you find that one greengrocer's buk choy looks like another's choy sum? And what's the difference between pak choy and gal choy? Help is on the way,...

Lights on, but nobody's home; timers can make life a little more convenient. But which type should you get?(TEST: Power timers)
January 1, 2006... IN A NUTSHELL * On test: 21 rotary and electronic power timers costing between $5 and $40, for accuracy and ease of use. * Most are fairly accurate and quite easy to use--which type you choose depends on what you want to use the timer...

Recalls & bans.
January 1, 2006... 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 RecallsAustralia website: www.recalls.gov.au. If you don't have web access, call the Product...