Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from January 2007

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from January 2007

More pages, new look.
January 1, 2007... If your copy of CHOICE looks and feels different this month, that's because it is. First, we've given you eight extra pages--a total of 60--with more tests, reports and regular columns than before. We've managed to do this without raising...

Behind the Vista hype.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Get ready for heaps of hype as the Microsoft marketing machine kicks into gear to promote Vista, the latest version of the Windows computer operating system. Due for release at the end of January, Vista is designed to give your PC a major...

Bye-bye, Bankcard.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Australia's oldest bank-issued credit card scheme, Bankcard, has stopped operating. All Bankcards were withdrawn from use before 31 December 2006. Bankcard was launched in 1974 as a joint venture between nine Australian banks. Because of a...

A sad loss.(Dr John Hirshman)(In memoriam)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... We were saddened by the passing of Dr John Hirshman, a long-time voting member and ex-councillor of the Australian Consumers' Association, on 20 June 2006. Dr Hirshman had a distinguished career in public health, working for 16 years with...

Toppling TVs a big risk for kids.(Standards Australia)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... A significant number of injuries and even deaths have been caused by TVs failing onto children, both in Australia and overseas. We've reported on this previously in CHOICE, but it seems it's a bigger problem than you might think. Children...

Don't be (mis)led up the garden path.(Good Environmental Choice Australia)
January 1, 2007... It's easy for a manufacturer to give the wrong impression about a product's 'environmental friendliness'. For example, a company may promote a single quality of the product that's environmentally preferable (such as using less water) but...

Stainless steel cutlery rusting?
January 1, 2007... Can stainless steel cutlery be safely washed in the dishwasher? And if it says dishwasher-safe, why do I still get rust spots on some knife blades? Do I have to go 'top-of-the-range' and pay big bucks or will reasonably priced stainless steel...

Aloe to the rescue.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... The healing properties of aloe vera are promoted in many products, especially for after-sun care, as it Provides cool, soothing relief to sunburnt skin. The US Consumer Reports on Health reports on test-tube studies that have shown the...

Music everywhere.(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... If your Speedos or bikini don't have a belt to clip your MP3 player to, you might be interested in one of the gadgets our German counterparts reviewed: a pair of sunnies with inbuilt MP3 player. They look pretty cool with their silver-coloured...

Sparkling wine.(CORRECTIONS)(Correction notice)
January 1, 2007... CHOICE, December 2006 In the table that accompanied our artide on sparkling wine and champagne (page 20), the price and score columns were printed incorrectly for the JACOBS CREEK Reserve Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2004. It received a score of...

Plasma TVs. CORRECTIONS).(Plasma TVs. CORRECTIONS)
January 1, 2007... CHOICE, December Z006 In the table on page 34 the resolution of the PHILIPS 42PF9531/79 was incorrect. Its resolution is 1024 x 1080 pixels.

High-definition confusion.(YOUR/letters)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... I have recently been looking at high-definition TVs and have noticed that the adverts are very misleading. They regularly advertise high-definition (HD) TVs that are really TVs with an HD screen but an analogue tuner. Surely we need to get some...

Changing statements.(YOUR/letters)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... When my July Westpac credit card statement arrived it looked different somehow. When I looked for the total balance owed I had trouble finding it. Then I realised that what was different about the statement was that the running balance had...

More info on aged care.(YOUR/letters)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... I am writing to make you aware of a resource that was not acknowledged in your article Regarding nursing homes (CHOICE, September 2006). www.agedca reonline.com.au is an online directory of aged care providers across Australia. The website...

Ketta, via email, would like to give a 'Thumbs up' to SUNBEAM.
January 1, 2007... Ketta, via email, would like to give a 'Thumbs up' to SUNBEAM. When she accidentally 'blended' a teaspoon she'd left in her blender she snapped the shaft. She called customer care and 'fessed up that the problem was her fault, and was delighted...

Simon, from Clayton, Victoria, recently received a SAMSONITE High Sierra daypack as a gift, but one day when he was using it and pulled one of the straps it came away from the bag.
January 1, 2007... Simon, from Clayton, Victoria, recently received a SAMSONITE High Sierra daypack as a gift, but one day when he was using it and pulled one of the straps it came away from the bag. He took the bag into SAMSONITE, which replaced it with a new...

Letter of the month.(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... We want to hear from you--your experiences help our research and often let other readers know about scams and rip-offs. Positive outcomes you've had to a complaint you took to a manufacturer, retailer, importer or tradesperson interest us too....

Out of service: complaints about mobile phones are at an all-time high.(Cover story)
January 1, 2007... Having your $900 mobile phone break down after a week is bad enough, but how would you feel if the shop gave you incorrect and misleading information about your warranty rights, refused to give you a replacement and left you phoneless for over...

Wedding belles: on your wedding day you'll probably be faced with more camera lenses than Nicole Kidman going to the Oscars--how will you find the perfect dress at the perfect price?
January 1, 2007... Your wedding day: you may have dreamed bout it for years and certainly will have invested plenty of time and effort into organising it once you and your partner decided to say "I do" And there's plenty to get done: guest lists, invitations,...

Fat, fatter, fattest: ten foods that'll make your kids fat faster.(Statistical data)
January 1, 2007... OK, yet another article on childhood obesity. And maybe your kids aren't fat anyway. But you might still be surprised at just how many flab-forming kilojoules some of the foods specially aimed at kids can pack in. And on average Aussie...

Looking for doctor right: everything you need to know to help choose the right GP for you.
January 1, 2007... The relationship you have with your doctor can be one of the most crucial in your life, particularly if you have a chronic condition or develop a serious illness. Your GP will co-ordinate your care and refer you for tests and to specialists,...

Feel the burn: crosstrainers offer a low-impact, full-body workout in the privacy of your home.(test: CROSSTRAINERS)(elliptical trainer)(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2007... It's not a pair of sports shoes or a cranky gym instructor--a crosstrainer is an exercise machine that can be used at home. For those who have the discipline to exercise at home, home gym equipment such as a crosstrainer offers lots of...

Maps with gaps.(test: PORTABLE CAR GPS)(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2007... Judging by the flood of new models from ever more brands, car GPS is a booming market. We looked at six new models that all use more up-to-date mapping data than those in our last test (CHOICE, July 2006). Despite this, while they all...

Pump up the volume.(test: MASCARA)
January 1, 2007... Magnascopic! Full dimension! Wonder volume! Turbo boost! The descriptors fly thick and fast for mascaras supposedly able to 'volumise' (thicken) your lashes to degrees never seen before. To find out which of the mascaras marketed as...

Totally useless!(Survey)(Statistical data)
January 1, 2007... Will the whizbang new kitchen appliance--still in its original carton sporting remnants of holly and tinsel--be condemned to the back of the cupboard for years to come? Joined by the odd wedding present that's never seen the light of day since...

Low-impact sound.(Product/service evaluation)
January 1, 2007... "The whole point of a home theatre system is to have cinema-type sound in your lounge room. None of the products in this test (priced between $749 and $900) s going to manage that if your room is much bigger than a bathroom. What it's...

Good health! Is low-carb beer really any better for you than regular beer?(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... Carlton and United Breweries claims that, "With 70% less carbohydrates than a regular beer, PURE BLONDE is a smart choice for beer lovers who want to maintain a healthy lifestyle but don't want to sacrifice on taste." But unless cutting carbs...

McDonalds new McOil.(McDonald's Corp.)(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... It's excellent news but somewhat scary to contemplate that by reducing the amount of artery-clogging trans fat in its deep-frying oil from around 8% to less than 1%, McDonalds will remove 415 tonnes of trans fat from Australia's food supply in...

Beans for the bone-idle.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... HEINZ has taken convenience food to a new level with the development of a readymade baked beans 'toastie'. If opening a can of baked beans, heating them and pouring them on a piece of toast seemed too much of a bother for you before, this is...

Home free: cordless phones masquerading as mobiles?(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2007... Cordless phones are extremely popular these days. Thanks to the whenever, wherever abilities that mobile phones have given us, when we're at home the idea of being rooted to one spot using a landline doesn't appeal much any more. And with...

Kiss of death.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... It made news headlines around the world when a Canadian teenager allegedly died from an allergic reaction brought about by a kiss from her boyfriend, who'd eaten peanut butter on toast hours earlier. As it turns out, her death was actually...

What's up, doc?(Making decisions about tests and treatments)
January 1, 2007... Good communication can really make a difference to our health. Our chances of getting an accurate diagnosis, the right treatment and a good understanding of what's happening to us, all depend on communicating well with the doctor. But not...

Nutrigenetics vs crystal ball.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... If you've ever wondered what the future holds for your health and have discounted consulting a crystal ball, the emerging science of nutrigenetics could well be of interest to you. As science unravels more information on how genes...

Family tree software: think you've got convict blood in your family? With a little family history research, you can find out.(Product/service evaluation)
January 1, 2007... A family tree program creates a sophisticated database that records your family history and can be used to analyse it in a variety of ways. CHOICE Computer (Nov/Dec 2006) tested 11 family tree programs for ease of use, performance and range...

Dishing the dirt.(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2007... "All the products were good and we'd be happy to use any of them," said one of the participants in our latest dishwasher detergent trial, and many others agreed. It seems that with dishwasher detergent, there's very little noticeable difference...

Cleaning up.(test: DISHWASHERS UPDATE)
January 1, 2007... CHOICE sees a lot of dishwashers and few models do everything equally well: better washing, for instance, will tend to mean longer cycle times, and better drying often means lower energy efficiency. Nevertheless, we found three newly tested...

Battery power.(Buyers guide)
January 1, 2007... As readers of CHOICE will be well aware, the number of portable, high-tech gadgets that run on batteries has increased dramatically over the past few years. In response to all these power-hungry devices, battery manufacturers have come up with...

Used car safety: used car safety ratings assess how well a model protects its driver and other road users in a crash.(Statistical data)
January 1, 2007... Many new car models offer sophisticated crash design and a range of safety equipment, such as front, side and head airbags, and intelligent restraint systems. But what if you're looking at an older car? The latest used car safety ratings...

Our campaign priorities.
January 1, 2007... CHOICE has been campaigning for. consumers since 1959. What we've achieved is set out in Where would you be without CHOICE?, available on choice. com.au or by phoning us (02 9577 3399). With limited resources we have to choose our campaigns...

Idolising weight loss.(Brief article)
January 1, 2007... XENICAL, an effective weight-loss medication for some very overweight/obese adults, became available as a 'pharmacist only' drug in 2003--which means you can buy it over-the-counter at a pharmacy without a prescription. Permission for...

Recall/bans.
January 1, 2007... Nowadays there are so many products recall 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...