Choice (Chippendale, Australia) articles from May 2004

Choice (Chippendale, Australia) archives from May 2004

Antibacterial cleaners: healthier?(choice cuts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Despite the message you might get from advertising, using antibacterial cleaning products probably won't reduce your chances of getting sick. A recent study (the first to look at actual sickness levels in the home) found that people using...

Plasma TV Screens.(Correction Notice)
May 1, 2004... CHOICE, March 2004 On page 15 we referred to dots per inch (dpi) when describing the resolution of plasma screens--for example, 1024 x 1024 dpi. This is incorrect: the numbers are the total pixels for the screen--that is, 1024 x 1024...

Minimising wood smoke pollution.(wood heat's environmental aspects)
May 1, 2004... As many of us living in the southern states start getting jumpers and duvets out for the coming months, a reminder that wood smoke from domestic heating is a major source of air pollution in winter and can affect our health and quality of life....

Beating the blues.(websites helping to beat depression)
May 1, 2004... The results of a study of two groundbreaking Australian websites show the internet can play a useful role in the management of depression, reports April CHOICE Health Reader. One of the most effective treatments for milder forms of...

Mercury in fish.(choice cuts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Our food regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), recently warned about the level of mercury in some fish, with advice on species for everyone to eat sparingly, and for pregnant women and young children in particular. While...

Air conditioner star rating changed.(Update)(Correction Notice)
May 1, 2004... CHOICE, October 2003 In our last test of air conditioners we found that the LG LS[T.sub.244][T-.sub.2] didn't meet its claimed cooling efficiency. Our result alerted the Australian Greenhouse Office (AGO), which is responsible for the...

Childsafe blinds and curtains.(choice cuts)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... We all know a plastic bag can turn into a death trap for a baby or young child, but did you know that a blind or curtain cord could be just as dangerous? If it's long, looped and dangling close to the cot or play area where a youngster can get...

Preventing burglaries.(appliance requiring PIN numbers to operate)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... Victorian police have devised a scheme to help reduce the number of burglaries. They'd like to see a new standard introduced for major electrical appliances that would require you to enter a personal identification number (PIN) whenever the...

Another retirement home rip-off?(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I read with interest your recent article about retirement village rip-offs and offer another example of a recalcitrant retirement home operator. When my uncle moved from the retirement village to a nursing home, the village operators...

It's a two-way street ...(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... I'd like to comment on your recent article concerning real estate agents. I'm a qualified real estate representative and I can fully appreciate both sides of the story--so I'd like to know when you'll be doing a 'problems with real estate...

Letter of the month.(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... 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....

Thumbs Up!(your letters)(Letter to the Editor)
May 1, 2004... * Penny Stapley from Birkdale, Queensland, awards a thumbs-up to OLDMAC TOYOTA in Cleveland. In the hot weather recently in Brisbane, Penny became concerned that the coolant Level in her car had dropped significantly and left her car there for...

Supermarket know-how: with today's major supermarkets becoming even bigger businesses, it's important to understand how they sell, sell, sell.(Report: supermarket shopping)
May 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * Don't let loyalty schemes control where you buy--they're pretty poor value for money. Instead go for good specials or, if money's not an issue, a store that's convenient. * And don't let discounted petrol lure you into...

Need to eat and run? if only life were like the ads, we'd be spoilt for choice of delicious, quick--and easy frozen meals. As it is ...(Test: frozen meals)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2004... When you're hungry and want something instant--at least if you inhabit the world of TV--you only have to look in the freezer, open a packet, microwave for a few minutes and the result is delicious, fresh and tasty. Sadly most people live...

Looking for a good deal on a mobile plan? We help you work out what you want, and give you Best Buys for different types of user.(Report: mobile phone plans)
May 1, 2004... Before getting down to dollars, there are a few basic (but important) decisions to make. Do you want to use the GSM or CDMA network? Do you want a service that's prepaid or postpaid (a contract with regular bills)? Do you need (or want) a new...

MedicarePlus: what's in it for consumers?(Health: Medicare update)
May 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * While the new safety net will help a few people, most will never use enough health services to qualify for it and so will gain nothing from MedicarePlus. The scheme does nothing to help restore bulk. billing, a crucial...

Shame, shame, shame.(device that reminds you to wash your hands)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A restaurant owner in the US has invented a device designed to shame patrons into washing their hands after they've been to the toilet. After years of witnessing people not doing so, he developed an electrical device that broadcasts a message...

You asked.(cooking vegetables in microwave)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... A subscriber wanted to know if microwave cooking is bad news, after reading a report in New Scientist. It described a study that concluded steaming is by far the best way to cook vegetables and microwaving the worst, as it eliminated...

Movies on the move: a portable DVD player has lots of uses, from keeping the kids quiet to taking movies to friends.(Test: portable DVD players)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * Sound from the onboard speakers is weak and tinny--you'll need headphones if you don't feed it through a sound system or TV. * Their LCD screens vary in quality, aspect ratio and size and none has a resolution as high...

Beans, please ... be it a meal on its own or a late-night snack, baked beans are a really healthy choice--but which ones taste the best?(Home test: baked beans)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * You don't need to pay more for good baked beans--BI-LO Baked beans in tomato sauce came equal second in our taste test and set us back just 35 cents a can. * Those watching their salt intake can also take heart--our...

Water: a consumer right? Public supply or private profit?(Report: water supply)
May 1, 2004... This article was written for Consumers International (CI), the global federation of 250 consumer orgonisations in 150 countries, by Dr Sothi Rochagan, Cl's Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. The Australian Consumers" Association...

Prepaid funeral protection.(hip pocket)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2004... NSW consumers buying prepaid funeral packages are soon to be better informed and protected under proposals accepted by the state parliament late in 2003. The proposals include annual reporting to fund members, cooling-off periods, uncapping of...

Retirement village update.(hip pocket)
May 1, 2004... Our article on contracts and management practices in retirement villages in the September 2003 issue of CHOICE has caught the eye of the ACCC. If you have a relevant experience you'd like to pass on, please contact the ACCC Infocentre on 1300...

Care needed investing overseas.(Australian Securities and Investments Commissions warns consumers about Prime Forestry Group)
May 1, 2004... The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) recently warned consumers about an unsolicited investment letter from a Swiss organisation, Prime Forestry Group. The letter advertised the opportunity of a tempting 14% return on...

Online grocers: food shopping in the fast lane.(Computing Choice)
May 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * Online grocery shopping is convenient, but you need to pay attention to a few details to make it work well for you. In Australia, online food and grocery stores range from very large supermarkets to small, specialist...

Car repair costs: repairing the damage from a low-speed crash can cost more than 30% of a car's purchase price. Check how your model fares.(Update: low-speed crash tests)
May 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * Low-speed crash tests ore designed to indicate a car's repair costs, not safety. * Overall, repair bills for the 46 models assessed ranged from under $2300 to more than $7500. Each year, NRMA INSURANCE picks a...

Toddler tamers: they're designed to prevent access to danger--but could they be a danger in themselves?(Test: safety gates & barriers)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * On test: Seven walkthrough gates and two step-over barriers. * Only one of the nine products passed all the sections of the British standard we tested them to--yet five claimed to meet it. * The main concerns were...

Convenient chat: digital technology is bringing call security, good sound quality and more and more features to cordless phones.(Test: cordless phones)(Product/Service Evaluation)
May 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * We tested eight digital and four analogue models, All of them are worth considering if they have the features you want. * Digital models offer security from eaves dropping, and usually better sound quality and more...

Drying times ... clothes dryers dry clothes--but some get it done much faster than others.(Test: clothes dryer)
May 1, 2004... IN A NUTSHELL * All the dryers work well, but handy features and thoughtful design set some apart. * There's a big difference in drying time--a full load can take nearly on hour longer to dry between the fastest and slowest 5 kg...

Recalls & bans.(consumer product recalls)
May 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...