Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from June 2004

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from June 2004

Unreliable claims.(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... For many reasons that are generally regarded as good, pharmaceutical companies aren't allowed to advertise prescription medicines directly to consumers. Yet they contrive to do it, and even their own industry body admits it and fines...

Aspirin and asthma don't mix.(choice cuts)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... People who have asthma should avoid aspirin, concludes an Australian study reported in the June issue of CHOICE Health Reader. It suggests that one in five people with asthma are sensitive to aspirin. The study, first published in the...

Most hated invention.(World Consumer Snapshot)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Nearly one in three adults in the US say the mobile phone is the Invention they most hate but can't live without, according to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology survey. In its online newsletter MIT reports that with a score of 30%, the...

Ponies lead the way.(World Consumer Snapshot)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... From Ireland's Consumer Choice comes the news that In the UK Shetland ponies are now being trained to assist blind and partially sighted people, because quite a few people are allergic to or frightened by dogs. The ponies live longer than dogs,...

Dangerous lunchboxes.(World Consumer Snapshot)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... You'd think a lunchbox was better than a paper bag at keeping fruit and sandwiches fresh and protecting them from getting squashed in a schoolbag. But at Baildon Church of England school in West Yorkshire, children were asked last year not to...

Cheap internet: what's the catch?(choice cuts)
June 1, 2004... ADSL broadband provides a high-speed, always-on connection to the internet, and if you're a keen net surfer you've probably noticed Telstra's new 'broadband at dial-up prices' plan for $29.95 per month (plus set-up costs). Telstra launched the...

Pool owner alert.(choice cuts)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... You could face serious health risks if your pool relies solely on silver and copper-based water sanitising systems. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has analysed available scientific evidence and concluded...

Dead end mats.(Update)(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2004... CHOICE, April 2004 On page 6 we said DEAD END MATS for killing cockroaches were available in Action supermarkets in WA. The manufacturer now tells us you can only find them in Action stores in NSW and Queensland. DEAD END MATS also now...

Correction.(choice cuts)(Correction Notice)
June 1, 2004... DISHWASHERS CHOICE, April 2004 In the table on page 47 we listed the ASKO, FISHER & PAYKEL and WESTINGHOUSE dishwashers as not having an anti-flood device. In fact they do have this feature.

Car rental: win for consumers.(choice cuts)
June 1, 2004... CHOICE Money & Rights highlighted in its first issue (April 2004) that AVIS excluded insurance cover for single-car accidents and EUROPCAR excluded cover while the car is reversing. Both companies have informed us they're removing these...

Full body scan: should you have one?(choice cuts)
June 1, 2004... If you tend to worry about your future health--about all the serious diseases that could strike when it's too late to treat them effectively--the ads for full body scans will probably have caught your attention. They've been widely...

Can you help?(diy super fund)
June 1, 2004... DIY SUPER Do you run your own super fund or are you thinking about setting one up? If so, we'd like to hear from you. * What do you see as the advantages of DIY super? * Did your financial planner or accountant suggest it, and if...

Nappy cost comparison.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... As the mother of a baby and a young toddler, I read with interest your article on nappies (CHOICE, April 2004). I noted that your article included the cost of Napisan for soaking cloth nappies plus the cost of a subsequent machine wash with...

Credit file information bungle.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... Regarding your article in the Jan/ Feb 2004 issue, I'm only 20 and have already had difficulty with my credit file report. When I asked for a copy of it, I noticed that it had my previous address as being in NSW. Our family has only ever...

Boiling Billy Publications.(Thumbs Up!)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... * Bill Moroney, via internet, awards a thumbs-up to BOILING BILLY PUBLICATIONS. When an inner-city Perth newsagent refused to replace a camping book that fell apart the first time it was opened, Bill contacted the publisher to let it know about...

Philips.(Thumbs Up!)(Letter to the Editor)
June 1, 2004... * Michelle Bisbal, via internet, awards a thumbs-up to PHILIPS for replacing an out-of-warranty DVD player that had a disk-reading fault with a new player with more features. LETTER OF THE MONTH We want to hear from you--your...

A spoonful of sugar ... pharmaceutical companies are finding sneaky--but effective--ways of getting around laws that prevent direct advertising of prescription medicines to the public. Should we be worried?(Report: advertising drugs)
June 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * You need good-quality information about medicines, presented in a balanced end unbiased manner. In this article we examine the way pharmaceutical companies have taken on the task of letting consumers know about their drugs,...

Recording TV programs: confused whether to replace your old VCR with an HDR (or PVR), DVDR or DVD/HDR? Read on for enlightenment.(Test: DVD and hard risk recorders)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * On test: eight machines for recording TV programs--DVD recorders, a DVD player with a hard disk, and hard disk recorders. * All the machines in the test are technically good. So decide what you want the new addition to...

Food ... or medicine? Good health out of a packet? Don't believe it.(Report: Health claims on food)
June 1, 2004... "Fibre actively working to maintain a healthy digestive system"... "Omega-3 for early brain and eye development... "Low GI for better long-term health". These are just a few of the exaggerated claims we've found on food labels. For some...

Someone else's debts?(debt collection survey )(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Following our article on problems with the credit reporting system in CHOICE, Jan/Feb 2004, we recently conducted an online and phone survey (with the NSW Consumer Credit Legal Centre) about debt collection. As in the credit reporting...

Come out on top at tax time.(hippocket)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Another financial year is nearly over--it's time to get your finances on track. Doing your taxes might seem like a burden, but it pays to know how to get the most out of your return. So what can you do next financial year to minimise tax costs...

Car hire traps for older drivers.(hippocket)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Ken Taylor and his wife Marilyn recently rented a car from THRIFTY. While the contract was in Marilyn's name, both wanted to drive. However, when Ken, 75, who's been a licensed driver for over 50 years, showed his licence at the counter he was...

Masses of mobiles: with the choice of mobile phone models larger than ever, we help you find the best model for you.(Test: GSM mobile phones)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * Most of the 38 phones tested do their main job--taking and making phone calls--OK. The trick is to get one within your budget that has the features you want, and is available with a plan that's right for you. * To help...

Do mobiles kill mice? Our New Zealand sister magazine Consumer analysed the current state of research into potential health effects of mobile phones. Here's a summary of its findings.(Report: Mobile phone safety)
June 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * After many years of studies, there seems to be no consistent, conclusive evidence that reasonable use of a mobile phone can harm your health. The potential health effects of mobile phones have been extensively studied,...

Sweet secrets.(foodbites)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... RIBENA Blackcurrant Fruit Drink might seem the obvious choice if you had to pick the healthiest option for kids from the selection of fruit drinks on the right. After all, we're told the blackcurrants in RIBENA "contain four times the Vitamin C...

Soft drink = soft bones?(foodbites)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Soft drinks have been linked to fat kids, but now, putting another nail in the soft-drink coffin, a recent study has found that the more soft drink teenage girls drink, the less dense their bones are. The study's authors think the most...

Fast-food future?(foodbites)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Would you ever have expected to hear this from a fast-food giant? McDONALD'S CEO, Guy Russo, told us: "We've made the decision to be part of the solution to the obesity problem by creating healthier choices and improving nutrition information,...

Cook's knives: a good cook's knife is essential in a well-equipped kitchen. We tested 18 to find the ones that cut well and stay sharp.(Test: 20 cm cook's knives)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * On test: 18 cook's knives with blades around 20 cm, ranging in price from $12 to more than $200. * Most of the knives in the test scored very well in the cutting tasks; a third of them were also quite resistant to...

Not quite the big chill? When it comes to fridges, size really does matter.(Update: fridges)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * The 200-299 L fridges we tested this time are comparatively energy-inefficient, and their temperature performance isn't that good. * It may be worth considering a better fridge from the slightly larger 300-375 L...

Cheap and cheerful: fancy design and a high price don't guarantee better heating performance--the two cheapest models in our test came top.(Test: column heaters)(Product/Service Evaluation)(Buyers Guide)
June 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * A fan-assisted model distributes the heat more evenly in the room. * As explained in CHOICE, April 2004 (page 4), we tested heaters later than usual this year to make sure we could buy the latest models--but this means...

Recalls & bans.
June 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...