LG Voyager Cell Phone

We think it should be mandatory in every car. It's not a cure-all, but it is an easy-to-adopt safety measure that should halt a runaway car using brakes alone, whether that event is caused by a jammed gas pedal, a stuck linkage, an electrical fault, or by some driver errors. (But, of course, brake-override won't help if the unintended acceleration is caused by someone flooring the accelerator instead of using the brake.)   

Read: "Consumers Union calls for changes to strengthen U.S. car-safety net."

—Jake Fisher and Gordon Hard

Be sure to follow Consumer Reports Cars blog (RSS) and Twitter (@CRcars) to keep up with the latest information and advice, also see our unintended acceleration guide.

Related:
Consumers Union calls for changes to strengthen U.S. car-safety net
Toyota reportedly worked with feds to save $100 million in recalls
Eight things that can dramatically improve auto safety
Five key fixes automakers should make now to reduce unintended acceleration
Unintended acceleration stories wanted
How to tell if your Toyota is affected by the recent recalls
How to stop a runaway car: Don’t pump the brakes

My urine has developed an unusually strong smell. Could it be from the cholesterol-lowering statin I’m taking? —M.A., Gardner, Kan.

Probably not, though a dark-brown color could be a sign of a dangerous statin side effect involving the liver or kidney. The most common causes of strong-smelling urine are insufficient fluid intake, a urinary-tract infection (in which case urine may also be dark yellow), or certain vegetables, such as asparagus or broccoli.

If you think you have an infection—signaled by strong-smelling urine plus the need to urinate frequently or a burning sensation when you go—contact your doctor. If dehydration or diet is the culprit, drinking more water or easing up on odor-producing vegetables should eliminate the smell.

Samsung's 3D glasses.
Photo: Samsung

If you’re willing to leap head-first into 3D rather than gingerly testing the waters with your toes, Samsung has an offer for you: Buy both a 3D TV and a 3D Blu-ray player or 3D HTIB, and you’ll get a free 3D Starter Kit that bundles two pairs of battery-powered 3D glasses with DreamWorks’ Monsters vs. Aliens 3D title.

At a press event this morning in New York City, Samsung unveiled its entire lineup of 3D LCD and plasma TVs, which range in price from $1,700 for a 46-inch LCD with a conventional CCFL backlight to almost $7,000 for a 55-inch LCD model with 240Hz technology and an edge LED backlight. All 240Hz LCDs in Samsung’s lineup are 3D models, and all except one series (the C750 set mentioned above) have LED backlights. 3D TVs immediately for sale are 46-inch (UN46C7000) and 55-inch (UN55C7000) 7000-series models, priced at $2,600 and $3,300, respectively. New 7000 and 8000 ultra-thin plasma 3D sets, which start at $1,800, won’t be available until May.

All of Samsung’s 3D TVs have built-in processors that can render standard 2D content into 3D on the fly. The new C8000-series LCD sets have edge LED backlights that can be locally dimmed, a feature normally reserved for full-array LED models. All 3D models have Internet connectivity, plus Samsung Apps, which provide access to online content, including Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, USA Today, and Vudu, among other.

Samsung BD-C6900, a 3D Blu-ray player
Photo: Samsung

Samsung’s 3D-enabled Blu-ray player, the BD-C6900, is priced at $400. It’s a slim-line player with built-in Wi-Fi and a transparent cover so you can see the disc spinning. The 7.1-channel 3D-enabled Blu-ray HTIB system, model HT-C6930W, is $900, and it includes wireless rear satellite speakers.

For a limited time, you’ll get a free 3D Starter Kit, which includes two pairs of basic active LCD shutter glasses and the Monsters vs. Aliens 3D disc, with the purchase of a Samsung 3D HDTV and either the Samsung BD-C6900 3D Blu-ray Player or the HT-C6930W 3D Home Theater System.

Samsung will also offer two other 3D glasses—a model with Touch of Color accents and a rechargeable battery, and a model designed especially for kids. If purchased separately, the glasses are $149.

Here’s a breakdown of Samsung’s 3D TV lineup, with pricing:

LCD with LED backlights

• UN55C9000 $7,000 55" April 2010
• UN46C9000 $6,000 46" April 2010
• UN65C8000 $5,000 65" July 2010
• UN55C8000 $3,500 55" April 2010
• UN46C8000 $2,800 46" April 2010
• UN55C7000 $3,300 55" March 2010
• UN46C7000 $2,600 46" March 2010
• UN40C7000 $2,000 40" May 2010

Plasma TVs

• PN63C8000 63" $3,800 May 2010
• PN58C8000 58" $3,000 May 2010
• PN50C8000 50" $2,100 May 2010
• PN63C7000 63" $3,500 May 2010
• PN58C7000 58" $2,700 May 2010
• PN50C7000 50" $1,800 May 2010

Panasonic will be officially unveiling its 3D lineup tomorrow, so check back in with our blog for our report. —James K. Willcox

If you’re currently employed or recently retired, your first step is to:

Tomorrow: Deducting your educational expenses.

—Greg Daugherty

Safe ways to transport infants include strollers, handheld infant carrier/car seats, and strap-on carriers. (See our Safety blog post on the safety concerns about some infant slings.)

Here are some safety tips for using strap-on front- and hip-carriers:

• Read the instruction manual and the warnings on the product before you first wear it to make sure you’re using it properly.
• Before using a carrier at any time, take time to put it on properly. Check that the straps are fitted and adjusted correctly, and the buckles, snaps, straps, and adjustments are safely fastened into position and secure.
• Sit down when placing your baby in the carrier and when taking him out.
• After your child is seated in a carrier, with her legs securely in the leg openings, adjust leg openings to the smallest size possible without cutting into her thighs or seat.
• Make sure your baby can breathe easily when in the carrier. His nose and mouth shouldn’t be obstructed in any way, and his chin should not be pressed against his chest, which carries a risk of asphyxiation.
• Don’t transport your child in a carrier on your back unless it’s made to be worn that way. Note that infants who can’t hold their heads up should never be carried on an adult’s back under any circumstances.
• Use the carrier according to the manufacturer’s weight recommendations. To avoid back and neck strain, stop using a front carrier when your baby reaches 20 pounds, or anytime you feel uncomfortable.
• Until your child can hold her head upright (around 6 months old), she should ride facing toward you with head support.

Combing through hundreds of blog posts and news articles daily, Dirk Klingner, our technology-trend watcher, sifts through the noise to bring you the tech news most important to consumers. If you have a tip on a story you want to share, leave a comment below.

...These are impressive amounts of software, yet if you bought a premium-class automobile recently, �it probably contains close to 100 million lines of software code,� says Manfred Broy, a professor of informatics at Technical University, Munich, and a leading expert on software in cars. All that software executes on 70 to 100 microprocessor-based electronic control units (ECUs) networked throughout the body of your car.

Lip reading mobile promises end to noisy phone calls (BBC)

...The device, on show at the Cebit electronics fair in Germany, relies on a technique called electromyography which detects the electrical signals from muscles. It is commonly used to diagnose certain diseases, including those that involve nerve damage.

Keep Your Passwords Safe on a Piece of Paper (Digital Inspiration)

...What you need is just a piece that has a unique (per card) combination of secret letters to help you create a unique password for each website. You may use the RAND() function in an Excel spreadsheet to generate unique password cards.

Miso: A Foursquare-Like App for Homebodies (ReadWriteWeb)

...With Miso, instead of checking in to locations outside of your home, like bars, restaurants and events as you do with popular mobile applications like Foursquare, Brightkite, Loopt and Gowalla, the Miso app takes the "check-in" model and uses it to connect people enjoying TV shows and movies. Although you could check-in when watching a movie at a local theater, the app is just as useful to those who tend to stay at home.

Lighter side: New York's PS22 Chorus covers "LISZTOMANIA" by Phoenix (agreggofsociety)

Though parents may be eager to "graduate" their child from a rear-facing infant seat to a forward-facing seat, it potentially exposes their child to greater risk.

A 2007 study published in Injury Prevention, a publication of the British Medical Journal, and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows that the standard advice of turning a baby from rear-facing to forward-facing at one year and at least 20 pounds puts a child at greater risk for severe injury than if they were to remain rear facing. The study states that children up to 23 months old are about 75 percent less likely to die or sustain serious injury in a rear-facing car seat than a forward-facing one.

A rear-facing seat spreads the force exerted on a child's body during a crash more evenly across the entire body; limits the motion of the head reducing the potential for neck injury; and keeps the child more contained within the shell of the child restraint than a forward-facing seat. The benefit of a rear-facing car seat was particularly great, the study found, in side impact crashes. (See our Ratings of infant car seats, available to subscribers.)
 
In Sweden, which has very low child-passenger injury and death rates, children often ride rear-facing up to 4 years of age. (See concerns about keeping older children rear-facing.) The American Academy of Pediatrics and many child-passenger safety advocates have expanded their recommendations to suggest that infants and young children remain rear-facing up to the maximum height or weight limits of their car seats. Most convertible models offer the potential of keeping your child rear-facing until he weighs up to 35 lbs. (See our convertible car seat Ratings, available to subscribers.)

Consumer Reports recommends that all children from birth to at least 23 months of age remain rear-facing in a child car seat that is appropriate to the child's height and weight.

See our full convertible car seats report for more information.

The Bissell Healthy Home 16N5 vacuum, $250.

Vacuum manufacturers make some pretty bold statements about the cleaning ability of their products. So as part of the testing for our continuously updated ratings of canister vacuums and upright vacuums (available to subscribers), we often check out those claims.

The Bissell Healthy Home 16N5, $250 (shown), and the Bissell ProLite Multi Cyclonic 17G5, $200, excelled at cleaning bare floors. But during our carpet-cleaning test, the "Non-Stop Suction" that the Healthy Home 16N5 promised didn't provide cleaner carpets, and the ProLite Multi Cyclonic 17G5's "MultiCyclonic technology" didn't "maximize cleaning," as Bissell touted. Both earned a middle-of-the-pack good in this test.

And while Bissell dubs the Healthy Home "Our best vacuum for filtering out allergens and other debris!" other vacuums did a much better job on our emissions test.

Another recently tested upright, the Hoover WindTunnel Self-Propelled Bagless UH60010, $230, scored better overall than these Bissells. As with other self-propelled vacuums we've tested, however, its fair noise score is nothing to shout about.

For relatively quiet operation, the nod goes to the Electrolux Ultra Silencer Green EL6984A canister, $265. This model is similar to the previously tested Electrolux Ultra Silencer EL6986A, $300, but 55 percent of the plastic used in the unit is recycled.

Also recently added to the ratings are the Hoover Duros S3590 canister, $170, and the Kalorik VC 16107 Cyclone canister, $100. The Kalorik VC 16107 Cyclone felt somewhat flimsy, and during testing a thin clip that docks the wand to the body for storage broke off. Also, its plug of the retractable cord is inconveniently placed near the bottom of the unit, so you have to tip the vacuum to get at it.

—Ed Perratore

Essential information: If you're in the market for a new vacuum, use our free buyer's guide to these cleaning appliances.

—Eric Evarts

Be sure to follow Consumer Reports Cars blog (RSS) and Twitter (@CRcars) to keep up with the latest information and advice, also see our unintended acceleration guide.

Related:
Consumers Union calls for changes to strengthen U.S. car-safety net
Toyota reportedly worked with feds to save $100 million in recalls
Eight things that can dramatically improve auto safety
Five key fixes automakers should make now to reduce unintended acceleration
Unintended acceleration stories wanted
How to tell if your Toyota is affected by the recent recalls
How to stop a runaway car: Don’t pump the brakes

At dinner the other night, my 2-year-old daughter turned to her father and said, with a big smile, "You go away!" A bit surprised, he asked "Now where did that come from?" Without missing a beat, she replied, "From my mouth." And indeed it did, along with a slew of other words, exclamations, and pronouncements that added a lot of color and fun to our dinnertime discussion (as always). She's at that exciting stage when language has really opened up for her, and she can ably express her needs and opinions, as well as make the occasional "joke" (which is what she was doing with her father).

Although quite chatty now, she wasn't an early talker. I clearly remember the worry I felt when her doctor expressed mild concern over her lack of words. As a parent, it's hard not to obsess over such developmental milestones, and you do what you can to help your child learn and grow.

One tool many parents turn to are educational DVDs for babies and toddlers, some of which focus on language. However, a new study suggests that such tools do not actually help young children learn new words or improve their overall language skills.

The study focused on the Baby Wordsworth DVD, which is part of the Baby Einstein series. It uses puppets, videos of children and parents, pictures, sign language, text, and speech to help children learn 30 words, which include common objects and rooms in the house.

Ninety-six children aged 12 months to 24 months participated in the study, and half watched the DVD regularly for six weeks. Parents were told to use the DVD as they would any other type of children's media, allowing them to decide whether they would watch the DVD with their child.

Every couple of weeks, the researchers tested both groups' knowledge of the 30 words featured in the DVD by showing the children pairs of pictures and asking them to point to the one showing the word. The parents were also interviewed about their child's use and understanding of these words.

At the end of the study, there were no differences between the groups in overall language skills, or in the numbers of words understood, words said, or pictures identified.

In an intriguing offshoot of the study, the researchers also asked parents about their child's DVD-viewing history. They found no link between children's language skills and how often they watched DVDs in general. However, they did find that children who had first watched a Baby Einstein DVD at a very young age lagged slightly in their language development. This supports previous research that found children exposed to baby DVDs in the first years of life have lower language abilities between ages 7 months and 16 months.

Researchers can't yet explain these findings but offer a few theories. It might be that parents who are concerned about their child's poor language abilities are more likely to use educational DVDs early on, or perhaps that parents who use these DVDs early are less likely to read to their child or do other things that promote language development. Another possibility is that early viewing of these DVDs may somehow impede language development.

What you need to know. The makers of the Baby Einstein DVDs state that their products are not designed to make babies smarter, but rather to provide parents with tools to expose their children to the world around them. But no doubt many parents purchase these DVDs in the hopes they will advance their child's learning and development. This study suggests that the Baby Wordsworth language DVD doesn't meet these expectations.

However, there is one thing known to boost a child's learning and language skills: time spent playing, reading, and talking with an attentive adult. Screen time just can't compete with quality face time.

—Sophie Ramsey, patient editor, BMJ Group

ConsumerReportsHealth.org has partnered with The BMJ Group to monitor the latest medical research and assess the evidence to help you decide which news you should use.

We're not in a position to say whether Dr. Gilbert's study is realistic or not, but it's clear that better communication, and agreement on just what constitutes unintended acceleration, would go a long way toward identifying possible causes.

Exponent will continue to work with Toyota on investigating potential causes for unintended acceleration, and there is no deadline set for the completion of this work.

—Eric Evarts

Be sure to follow Consumer Reports Cars blog (RSS) and Twitter (@CRcars) to keep up with the latest information and advice, also see our unintended acceleration guide.

Related:
Consumers Union calls for changes to strengthen U.S. car-safety net
Toyota reportedly worked with feds to save $100 million in recalls
Eight things that can dramatically improve auto safety
Five key fixes automakers should make now to reduce unintended acceleration
Unintended acceleration stories wanted
How to tell if your Toyota is affected by the recent recalls
How to stop a runaway car: Don’t pump the brakes

Get money for green home improvements.

Swapping out incandescent lightbulbs with the best compact fluorescent lightbulbs and replacing an old showerhead with a low-flow showerhead are easy, low-cost ways to lower your monthly utility bills. However, the up-front costs for some energy-efficiency-boosting projects can be substantial, such as installing new heating and cooling equipment and windows.

In an effort to spur homeowners to make energy-efficient improvements, municipalities nationwide are turning to Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, bonds. A town issues a PACE bond and uses that money to lend homeowners the money to undertake energy-saving upgrades; the homeowners pay back the loans via a surcharge on their property taxes. Read more about PACE bonds in "10 Questions for . . . Jack Hidary, Chairman of SmartTransportation.org."

The Town of Babylon, on Long Island, New York, has implemented a PACE program, providing up to $12,000 per home for energy-saving improvements that are made based on an energy audit. It's one of eight municipalities participating in the Long Island Green Homes & Buildings Consortium.

Beatmaker
Source: Intua.net

In part one of this blog post, I said apps are integral to creating music or video on an iPhone. Here are the ones I used to create music:

First, I downloaded Beatmaker, by Intua, $20, because it was one of the few that let me play the iPhone like an instrument and program what I wanted it to play. In this app, I mostly used the step and song sequencer features.

In the step sequencer, I chose each instrument (such as a bass guitar), then painstakingly selected individual notes in a four-beat measure to make several different short-pattern sequences. Next, using the song sequencer part of the app, I strung a series of these short sequences together to produce a line of music, such as the bass line in a song. I programmed all the instrument patterns and, after several hours, produced a song with several instruments—drums, bass, guitar and two funky keyboard sounds—playing along with each other.

To record a vocal track, I needed another app. So I downloaded GigDaddy, $3, an app that lets you record several simultaneous tracks, import music files and combine various tracks together. But I couldn't edit my piece with GigDaddy until I first exported my "instrumental" song as a .wav file from Beatmaker to my computer. (Check Beatmaker's site for details on this painstaking, intricate process).

GigDaddy (click to enlarge)
Source: Iometrics

Then I imported my instrumental music into GigDaddy and created several vocal tracks by singing into the iPhone's mic. At the beginning of the song, I recorded my voice several times to create an a cappella sound clip, although most of the song has just two vocal tracks. Once I finished the vocals, I left one track open for additional sounds.

At the end of the song [[link to MP3]], which got cut off in the video due to the video editor's limitations, I added keyboard effects created with synthPond and Argon synthesizer apps.

Unfortunately, you can't use two iPhone apps at once, so I transferred the output from each app to my computer, then re-recorded it back to the open track on the iPhone, through the built-in mic. This was one of several workarounds I used in this project.

Next, I mixed down the song, converting this multitrack file into a .WAV file by exporting it to my computer. GigDaddy requires a wireless transfer (since Apple limits your ability to access any of the iPhone's internal file structure). Luckily, I had a wireless router that let me transfer the file. I also needed to export the file to my computer yet again because the video editor couldn't import it directly from within my iPhone. But I'll get into this in my next post.

To hear the finished song, follow the link below:

Hey Ma

I know that there are lots of hardware and software that are better and easier to use than the iPhone to create music. Still, I was impressed that the technology let me create a complex music composition using several apps, right on my iPhone. In my next blog post, I'll describe what apps I used to capture still images and video for the music video.

—Terry Sullivan

General Motors has agreed to reinstate about one-third of the dealerships that it planned to close during bankruptcy last year, as the automaker struggled to reinvent itself through the 2009 auto crisis.

About 1,100 of the dealerships had sought arbitration to be reinstated. In addition, GM also shut down or shed almost 900 dealerships that only sold brands that the company eliminated: Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, and Saturn.

In a notice dated March 5th, the company said it planned to send Letters of Intent to 661 of the dealers, essentially reinstating them. Trade publication Automotive News says anecdotally by talking to dealers, most of the outlets that were reinstated were rural stores and Cadillac dealerships.

Changes in GM’s management have brought in aggressive changes, and the company’s new CEO, Ed Whitacre, is reportedly unwilling to wait for sales to improve. Adding back the dealerships may be one way to boost sales.

The parties faced a Jun 14 deadline from Congress to complete arbitration, and dealers who were rejected in that process would go out of business by October, 2010.

National Automobile Dealers’ Association Chairman Ed Tonkin called the letters “a significant move forward in advancing the state of dealer relations.�

GM and the other Detroit automakers have traditionally had more dealers and fewer sales per dealership than import brands such as Honda and Toyota.

The move will save much-needed jobs, boost local car-sales competition, and provide more convenient access to sales and service. All good things.

—Eric Evarts

Today's electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist:

• Dell Home: Dell Inspiron 15 Intel Dual Core Laptop $399 + free shipping
• OfficeMax: HP Pavilion dv4 14-inch Laptop $549.99 + free shipping
• Logitech.com: Logitech Z-5 USB Omnidirectional Stereo Speakers $44.99 + free shipping
• Best Buy :  Lexmark Multifunction Wireless InkJet Printer for $59.99 + $3.99 Shipping
• Buy.com : Gyration Air Music Remote for PC for $59.99 w/ Free shipping
• Dell : Vizio 55" LCD 1080p HDTV for $1749 w/ Free Shipping
• Newegg:  Seagate Expansion 750GB Portable External Hard Drive + $20 Gift Card $109.99 Free Ship

• Walmart: SHIPPING NOW - Final Fantasy XIII Game (Xbox 360, PS3) w/ $10 Gift Card $59.96
• Superbiiz.com (eWiz.com): Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB Internal SATA Hard Drive $144.99 Free Ship
• Amazon : Mass Effect 2 for PC for $29.99 w/ Free Shipping
• Meritline : Classic Style Controller for Nintendo Wii for $9.99 w/ Free Shipping

Related: Computer Ratings and buying tips; TV Ratings and buying tips; Video game console buying tips video: "Choosing a video game system"; Printer Ratings and buying tips; Speaker Ratings and buying tips.

Neither Consumer Reports nor The Consumerist receive anything in exchange for featuring these deals; the posts are intended to be purely informational. These deals are often fleeting, with prices changing or products becoming unavailable as the day progresses.

These posts are not an endorsement of the featured products or the Web sites that sell them—though some of the sites may be included, and recommended, in our Ratings of retailers for computers and other major electronics (both available to subscribers). Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies for restocking fees and other gotchas.

For general buying advice for many of the products on sale above, check out our free Buying Guides.

YONKERS, NY — Slow job creation continues to drag on the economy, according to the Consumer Reports Index for March.  This month’s findings show that, although the tide of job losses has been stemmed, the level of job creation needed to fuel a consumer recovery has not developed.

Consumer Reports Employment Index stands at 48.7 for March, reflective of net job losses in the prior 30-days and on-par with February at 49.0. Over the past several months the proportion of Americans reporting losing their job in the past 30 days has been on a decline and is now stabilized at 6.0 percent versus 5.7 percent in February.

However, in recent months the proportion of Americans starting a new job in the past 30 days has also dropped, declining to 3.5 percent in February from a recent high of 6.2 percent in September. This may be an indicator that there is a deepening problem in getting the unemployed back to work. The expanding pool of unemployed and the effect this invariably has on the spending habits of the employed seriously restricts economic activity.  Results indicate that labor conditions are poorest in the West, where the employment index dropped 1.2 percent.

The Consumer Reports Trouble Tracker Index has shown improvement over the past several months, falling to 52.3 in March from 53.4 in February, continuing a downward trend from September 2009 (68.7). The key financial difficulties faced by consumers this month continue to be the inability to afford medical bills or medications (14.3%), and credit card increased interest rates, penalty fees, etc. (10.1%).  This month, the North Central region of the U.S. saw an uptick in financial difficulties to 50.0 up from 43.1 in February.

“Though we are seeing modest gains in consumer confidence, led by the Trouble Tracker, pointing to a decline in financial difficulties, without improvement to the employment picture consumers will be reluctant to engage in the recovery,â€� said Ed Farrell, a director of the Consumer Reports National Research Center. “Once we begin to see job creations, a return to a solid, sustainable retail growth will emerge, and the consumer recovery will be more attainable.â€� 

The lack of engagement with the economy is reflected in Americans’ spending habits. The Consumer Reports Past 30-Day Retail Index for March, reflective of February activity, is at 11.1, virtually unchanged from the prior month (10.9).  This number stands firmly at pre-holiday levels, indicating that consumers are once again hunkering down. The Next 30-Day Retail Index, reflective of planned purchases for March, at 7.3, is below pre-holiday levels and marks the lowest levels tracked since August 2009 (7.5). The softness in this index points to a hesitancy among consumers to commit to spending in this uncertain economy.

The Consumer Reports Index report, available at www.ConsumerReports.org, comprises five key indices: the Sentiment Index, the Trouble Tracker Index, Stress Index, the Retail Index, and the Employment Index. Here are the key findings:

Consumer Reports Sentiment Index:  44.8

• Consumer Reports Sentiment Index remains unchanged from the prior month, 44.8 versus 43.9, respectively. Sentiment is up from a year ago versus today, but the overall gain has been modest, 41.9 versus 44.8, respectively. The most optimistic consumers are between the ages of 18-34 (54.8), household income of $100,000+ (50.9). The most pessimistic were households with an income of less than $50,000 (43.4) and Americans 65 or older (38.3).

The Sentiment Index captures respondents’ attitudes regarding their financial situation, asking them if they are feeling better or worse off than a year ago. When the index is greater than 50, more consumers are feeling positive about their situation. When it is below 50, more consumers are feeling worse. The Sentiment Index can vary from a high of 100 to a low of 0.

Consumer Reports Trouble Tracker Index: 52.3

• Clear wording. The quiz should provide clear and concise wording on what the results mean and put them in perspective for you.
• Reputable sources. A quiz should provide a guide to where the information comes from. The best sources are government health agencies, or trustworthy independent sources, such as the Mayo Clinic or the Cleveland Clinic.
• Realistic claims. A good quiz will tell you its results are not a diagnosis, and that you should discuss any health condition with a doctor. Other quizzes may say it’s for educational purposes only, or even for entertainment. Don’t take these very seriously. If a quiz purports to estimate your risk for a disease or health condition be wary unless you know you can trust the source, and don’t rely on the numbers to guide your treatment until you verify their accuracy. It may be worth discussing with your doctor, but don’t make health-care decisions based on the results of an online quiz.
• Advertising or sponsors. If there’s an ad for a drug next to a quiz for a health condition, that’s an immediate warning sign. By putting a quiz or a calculator between you and an ad, the advertiser hopes you ultimately forget who is actually providing the advice. These are like Venus flytraps designed to lure you in and then ensnare you. You’ll never see an advertisement on a Consumer Reports quiz, because we don’t take ads from anyone. And you can be certain that when we use a quiz to communicate information the answers are backed up by solid information.

But behind this positive finding a significant trend is emerging. In recent months the proportion of Americans starting a new job in the past 30 days has also dropped, declining to 3.5 percent in February from a recent high of 6.2 percent in September. As a result, though the index remains unchanged, there is a deepening problem in getting the unemployed back to work.

The Consumer Reports Past 30-Day Retail Index for March, which reflects the purchases consumers made in February, is at 11.1, virtually unchanged from the prior month (10.9).  This number stands firmly at pre-holiday levels, indicating that consumers are hesitant to do any spending in this uncertain job market. Of all the categories that comprise the Past 30-Day Retail Index, only spending on major appliances and personal electronics showed modest gains.

The Next 30-Day Retail Index, which reflects the purchases consumers plan to make in March, is at 7.3, which is below pre-holiday levels and marks the lowest levels tracked since August 2009 (7.5).

Consumer sentiment is up from a year ago versus today, but the overall gain has been modest (41.9 versus 44.8, respectively). The level of stress consumers feel they are under is down compared to prior months. The Consumer Reports Stress Index is now at 57.7, down from 59.9 in February and 63 in December.

“We believe that improvements in both the Employment Index and a return to solid, sustained improvement in the retail indices, along with a continued decline in the economic difficulties faced by consumers will signal the start of the consumer recovery,� says Ed Farrell, a director of the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

The Consumer Reports Index, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, is a monthly telephone and cell phone poll of a nationally representative probability sample of American adults. A total of 1,258 interviews were completed (1,008 landline phones, 250 cell phones) among adults aged 18+. Interviewing took place between February 25-28, 2010. The margin of error is +/- 2.8 points at a 95% confidence level.—Mandy Walker

I’ve heard that regularly examining my testicles is a good way to check for cancer. How often should I do that, and what’s the proper technique? —E.H., Burlington, Vt. 

Monthly self-exams are an easy way to help men spot cancer and other testicular disorders early, when they’re most treatable. That’s particularly important for men at high risk of that otherwise uncommon cancer because of a family history of the disease. 

The best time for the exam is during or after a shower or bath. One at a time, gently but firmly roll each testicle between the thumbs and fingers of both hands, feeling its entire surface through the skin of the scrotum. Normal testicles should generally feel firm but not hard, and they’ll have some minor irregularities. Contact your doctor if you feel pain, tenderness, or swelling, which may signal infection or fluid buildup, or any hard lumps, which may indicate a cyst or cancer.

Testicular cancer is rare—about 8,250 in the U.S. men get testicular cancer each year. Read more about what happens when you have testicular cancer and find out which treatments work best (subscribers only). 

• No company could deny you health insurance for a pre-existing condition, or drop your coverage if you get sick.
• Insurance companies wouldn’t be able to cap the amount of care you may need for a serious illness, or stop paying your claims and leave you with devastating medical bills.
• All your recommended preventive care would be completely covered without any deductibles – colonoscopies, mammograms, etc.
• If you buy on your own, you would get the same choice of coverage that members of Congress get.
• If you have decent coverage now through your job, you keep it. But if your employer drops your health insurance, or makes you pay more than 8 percent of your income on your premium, you could get help to buy your own policy in an insurance "shopping mall," or "exchange."
• If you hit a rough financial patch—a layoff or dramatic drop in your income—you could get help to buy your own policy through tax credits. The less money you have coming in, the cheaper the policy.
• Kids could stay on their parents' policies until they turned 26.
• Small businesses would get tax credits for up to 50 percent of their cost of providing coverage to their workers.

• Insurers would have to spend 85 percent of your premium dollar on your health care  (80 percent if you buy your policy on your own or are in a small group) or they would have to refund you the difference. That means more of what you pay would actually go for medical care, not to CEO salaries and overhead.
• Insurance companies would have to describe their policies in plain language, clearly listing what they charge, and what they’ll cover, so you can easily comparison shop on the Internet.
• And they would have to be upfront about how they’ll treat you if there’s a dispute, including clearly explaining your rights.

—Jim Guest, president, Consumers Union

Combing through hundreds of blog posts and news articles daily, Dirk Klingner, our technology-trend watcher, sifts through the noise to bring you the tech news most important to consumers. If you have a tip on a story you want to share, leave a comment below.

Four in five believe Web access a fundamental right (Reuters)

Respondents in the United States were above the average in believing the Internet was a source for greater freedom and they were also more confident than most in expressing their opinions online...Of the 27,000 surveyed, more than half agreed that the "Internet should never be regulated by any level of government anywhere."

Best Buy turning hundreds of stores into 3D TV meccas this month (ZDnet)

Google Stats Get Animated with Public Data Explorer (PCMag)

Google on Monday launched a new Labs feature that will let average users turn complex data sets into intuitive, animated charts...Google Public Data Explorer is an experimental feature that will allow people to explore various data sets – from unemployment in the U.S. to education statistics in California.

MIT Researchers Discover New Electricity Production Method (Daily Tech)

>Now, a team of researchers at MIT have announced that they have made a new breakthrough for producing electricity with carbon nanotubes. The discovery may one day lead to a myriad of new devices such as sensors the size of dust that can be dispersed in air to monitor the environment or the tech might lead to implantable devices that produce their own power. The researchers discovered a phenomenon that was previously unknown that produces powerful waved of energy that shoots though carbon nanotubes, producing electricity.

Gasoline prices continue to climb higher compared to the week before. The national gasoline average is $.81 above the price this time last year. Diesel fuel is $.86 above this time last year.

Source: Energy Information Administration, 3/8/10. Figures rounded to the nearest cent.

For more information on saving fuel see our reports on how to get the best gas mileage and where to find the cheapest gas.

Toyota has black boxes in its modern vehicles, though the carmaker has historically made access to crash data captured by the devices difficult to obtain. In fact, during testimony at the recent Congressional hearings, the company admitted it had only one laptop in America capable of reading the data. Toyota officials then said they would facilitate wider access to allow authorities to wade through data. Other car companies use formats that can be more easily read by a tool manufactured by a third-party supplier.

To help explain black boxes and the role in the ongoing Toyota safety investigations, Consumer Reports Managing Editor, Autos, Jon Linkov recently spoke on Fox News. (View the Fox News video.)

Learn more about Consumer Union's position on event data recorders.

Here are some recent baby-and-child related stories from The Consumerist:

Salmonella In Common Food Additive Leads To Recall Of Pretty Much Every Food Ever
Thanks to salmonella contamination in the HVP paste at Basic Food Flavors, Inc. in Las Vegas, the FDA has recalled every food containing the product, ranging from salty snacks to salad dressings to soup and gravy mixes. The list of recalled foods containing the product is still growing, and encompasses familiar brand names ranging from Walmart's Great Value brand to McCormick to Trader Joe's. Read the full post.

Zero Nutritional Difference Between Campbell's "Healthy" Tomato Soups And Regular, Just Higher Price
A new ABC7 investigation shows Campbell's "Healthy Request" and "Low Sodium" tomato soups contain the same nutrients and exact same amount of sodium as regular tomato soups, but they cost more. "Eek! Waiter! There's a scam in my soup!" Read the full post.

Will You Wear A $600 Disney Dress Based On One Of Its Movies? How About In 5 Years?
The future of Disney merchandising will hit a lot more demographics than the mostly kid-oriented stuff of today, if Disney has any say over it. Disney has already angered theater chains by shortening the theatrical release window on its new movie-like product Alice in Wonderland, cutting into theaters' profit models in order to bump up the DVD release date. But CNBC notes that it's also launching the "most wide-ranging array of consumer products ever" for a Disney flick--and that includes thousand dollar necklaces, nail polish, and dresses that cost as much as $600. Read the full post.

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The latest reel mowers we've tested.

Reel mowers appeal for a number of reasons, including the financial savings (no gas to buy), maintenance-free use (beyond the occasional need to sharpen blades), and cardiovascular exercise they provide, not to mention the emissions they don't produce. But when push comes to shove, so to speak, a reel mower might not be the best choice for everyone.

During our recent testing of gas and electric walk-behind and riding lawn mowers in Fort Myers, Florida, we reviewed the Scotts 2000-20 ($140), Fiskars Momentum 317736 ($200), and Easun NaturCut Classic ($220) reel mowers (left to right in photo).

Enough is enough with making viewers pay the price when contract negotiations between networks and TV providers hit a tough patch.

So say our advocacy colleagues at Consumers Union (CU), the parent company for Consumer Reports, after many New York City-area Cablevision subscribers lost the ABC network for much of Sunday, including part of the Academy Awards broadcast. Shut off at midnight by ABC, service was restored some 14 minutes into the broadcast, after the companies announced they’d made progress in resolving their dispute over payments from the cable carrier to the network for carrying ABC.

As the broadcast approached, the FCC was reportedly in touch with the companies, and issued a statement Sunday saying that “consumers should not suffer due to the inability of these two companies to successfully negotiate a deal.â€� Senator John Kerry, chairman of the Senate Communications Subcommittee, also weighed in, urging the companies to avoid making consumers suffer "collateral damage" from the dispute. 

Pressure from Washington likely helped prompt the companies to settle, as did a barrage of invective from viewers on forums and social media.

But given the serious outcome of this incident, CU says the FCC now needs to do more and earlier in such situations. Our advocates say that program access rules at the FCC should contain a better process to resolve such “carriage disputes� between cable companies and independent programmers. According to CU, the agency needs to develop guidelines with such tools, such as arbitration and a negotiation deadline, to ensure cable companies and content owners negotiate in good faith.

The Oscars fiasco surely won't last such dispute. Fox and Time Warner already went to the brink of a blackout in late December but settled their disagreement in the nick of time. In another case, Cablevision stopped running the Scripps' channels—Food Network and HGTV—for several weeks in January.

Most such disputes follow the same sorry pattern. After rumblings such as statements carried on cable-guide channels, the dispute breaks out into the likes of full-page ads in major newspapers—as with the dueling full-page ads in the Wall Street Journal late last week by ABC and Cablevision. Both sides invariably implore viewers to weigh in on a dispute whose complexities likely elude them, and where which side is at fault, and why, feels like none of their concern. Yet viewers are urged to act, in part because on side or the other threatens an interruption of service. 

With any luck, the PR fallout from the ABC-Cablevision clash will dissuade other companies from escalating such disputes so publicly and so intrusively. But I wouldn’t bet on it. As channel owners seek to recoup revenues being lost by a declining advertising market and cable companies continue to raise rates with impunity, consumers are likely to see these disputes more frequently and they will only result in rising monthly costs. As our CU colleagues say, it may be time for greater regulatory muscle to combat the apparent dysfunction between TV providers and content providers.

—Paul Reynolds

Kwikset is suing Schlage for patent infringement.

An open-and-shut case?

Kwikset Corporation is taking Schlage Lock Company, LLC to court, having filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware.

Along with patent infringement, Kwikset, which makes the Kwikset SmartKey, contends that Schlage is making false and misleading advertising claims by calling its SecureKey "10 times more secure" than other lock products. Schlage has filed a response denying any wrongdoing.

"Kwikset will be as vigilant about protecting our rights to intellectual property as we are about protecting the public," said Brent Flaharty, vice president of marketing for Kwikset, in a March 2 press release.

John Evans, vice president of marketing and product management for Schlage, defended the SecureKey in a March 4 press release, saying the "product includes neither of the claimed features covered by the two Kwikset patents, and we are confident that the statements used in the sale and advertisements of our products, in their entirety, are correct."

At issue are rekeyable door locks. Kwikset and Schlage each sell a door lock you can rekey for temporary access to guests and contractors and then rekey again when they no longer need access to your home—without having to change the lock. The Kwikset SmartKey hit the market before the Schlage SecureKey.

"Why couldn't Honda just build an Accord wagon? Instead, we have this jacked-up hatchback thingy."

Interestingly, a vast majority of our sodium comes from packaged foods and restaurants, not home cooking. Thomas Farley, M.D., New York City’s health commissioner, recently visited Consumers Union while publicizing the National Salt Reduction Initiative, a coalition of public-health organizations and city and state health departments. Its goal is to work with manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the amount of sodium in the food they make and serve by 25 percent over the next few years. A similar effort already under way in the United Kingdom has cut sodium content there by 40 percent in some products.

—Ronni Sandroff, Health and Family editorial director

See our full coverage of the 2010 Top Picks, including profiles on the 10 models and videos.

Visit the annual auto issue special section for quick access to the latest Ratings, articles, and videos.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10
Photo: Panasonic

Panasonic has just expanded its Micro Four-thirds camera line to four models by adding two new models: the Lumix DMC-G2, which replaces the G1, and Lumix DMC-G10. Both are 12-megapixel cameras with large Live MOS sensors (like those SLRs use) and accept interchangeable lenses. Panasonic was the first to introduce this new kind of digital camera two years ago, one that combines key SLR features—a large image sensor and interchangeable lenses—with the smaller size and weight of a point-and-shoot. It's a category that appears to be on the cusp of getting very hot, particularly since Samsung and Sony said they plan to join Panasonic and Olympus in creating such a small interchangeable-lens type of camera.

The two Lumix models are compatible with SD, SDHC and the new higher capacity SDXC memory cards. Both shoot RAW in addition to JPEGs, can capture HD-resolution video, and offer live-view on a 3-inch LCD with a 460,000-dot count, which should make the display very clear. They also have popup flashes, will ship with a 14-42mm f/3.5-5.8 zoom lens, and run on rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2
Photo: Panasonic

Here are some of the specs that distinguish the pricier G2 from the G10:

• The G2 includes a touchscreen 3-inch LCD that can also swivel. The LCD also has some unique focusing features; you can use the touchscreen LCD to help you shoot better photos and video as well as for its face detection and subject-tracking features. The G2 also has a higher quality HD-video setting, called AVCHD Lite, which should produce smoother video footage. Its viewfinder is the same as the G1's, with a very sharp 1,400,000 dots.
• The G10 is a stripped-down version of the G2, which doesn't include the AVCHD Lite settings, swiveling LCD, or very high dot-count in the electronic viewfinder. The G10's viewfinder is only about 200,000 dots, which is what you'll find on Panasonic's superzooms. But the G10 is just a bit lighter than the G2.

When we saw a preview of the G2 and G10 at PMA, there was one section of the camera that I thought needed improving: The graphical interface and menu structure. I felt Panasonic needed to take heed of what companies like Apple are doing with interfaces on its iPhone, to produce a cleaner, less cluttered graphical interface.

The older Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 and the DMC-GF1 both remain in the product line. Although pricing has not yet been set, we're guessing the G2 touchscreen model will run around $800-900, and the more entry-level G10 about $500-600. Both models should be available in late May or early June.

—Terry Sullivan

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• Toys R Us : Buy One Game Get One $20 Off (Wii, XBox360, PS3)
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Related: Computer Ratings and buying tips; DVD & Blu-ray player Ratings and buying tips; Pocket camcorder guide; TV Ratings and buying tips; Video game console buying tips and video: "Choosing a video game system"; Digital camera Ratings and buying tips.

Neither Consumer Reports nor The Consumerist receive anything in exchange for featuring these deals; the posts are intended to be purely informational. These deals are often fleeting, with prices changing or products becoming unavailable as the day progresses.

These posts are not an endorsement of the featured products or the Web sites that sell them—though some of the sites may be included, and recommended, in our Ratings of retailers for computers and other major electronics (both available to subscribers). Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies for restocking fees and other gotchas.

For general buying advice for many of the products on sale above, check out our free Buying Guides.

Most of us don’t like surprises when it comes to our cars, especially the kind that leave us stranded on the highway in bad weather. For the Annual Auto Issue, the editors of Consumer Reports produced advice on how to avoid unwelcome surprises like blowouts, dead batteries, blown fuses, and broken drive belts, and suggest how to deal with them if they do happen. Below are the highlights from “Unwelcome Surprises� on how to prevent these problems.

1. Dead Battery: Although the effect of a drained battery often shows up on cold mornings, it’s the high temperatures of summer that usually do the most damage. So a battery can fail at any time. Be sure to have the battery and alternator tested as part of an annual inspection. (See our car battery buying advice and ratings.) 

2. Flat tire or blowout. Many tire problems result from underinflated tires that overheat, due to low tire pressure. Keep all tires, including the spare, properly inflated to the automaker’s recommended pressure by checking them monthly. Also, inspect the tire sidewalls for bulges or cracks. (See our tire buying advice and ratings.)

3. Fluid Leak. Check the car’s fluid levels regularly, using your owner’s manual as a guide. Look for leaks on the pavement where you park. Black drips are oil; green, orange, or yellow are coolant; and brown or reddish oily drips can be transmission or brake fluid. Any of those can spell trouble and warrant a trip to the mechanic to inspect your car.

4. Worn out wipers or no fluid. Consumer Reports’ auto testers have found that wipers usually degrade in their first six months so it’s best to replace them twice a year. Wipers that have done well in Consumer Reports’ tests include the Valeo 600 Series, RainX Latitude, Anco 32 Series, and Michelin RainForce. Stash spare wiper blades and a gallon of nonfreezing washer fluid in the trunk. (See our windshield wiper buying advice and ratings.) 

5. Blown fuse. When a fuse goes, it can disable a critical electrical system, such as the headlights, defroster, or antilock brake system, any of which could lead to an accident. What to do. You can’t prevent an electrical problem, but a blown fuse should be the first thing you check if one happens. Consumer Reports recommends carrying a selection of spare fuses and a fuse puller in the car. Fuse kits range from $5 to $20 and can be purchased at auto parts stores. Be sure to check your owner’s manual to make sure the fuses you buy are the correct amp rating and size. If the same fuse blows repeatedly, have a mechanic inspect the system.

6. Broken drive belt. It can disable the car’s water pump or alternator, leading to engine overheating and battery failure. And when it comes to maintenance, belts are easy to forget. How to prevent it. Consumer Reports advises periodic checks under the hood. If a belt has cracks or the rubber is fraying or feels brittle, it should be replaced. If there’s a lot of slack in the belt, the underside is shiny, or you hear squealing while driving, it should be adjusted or repaired. Most drive belts should be replaced after about 60,000 miles.

7. Locked out. Some carmakers provide a valet key or a plastic key for emergency use. If your spare key won’t fit in your purse or wallet, consider a magnetic box for $5 to $10, which you can hide beneath the car or behind the license plate. Often a dealer can cut a door key for much less than a locksmith would charge. Telematics services, such as GM’s OnStar, can unlock a car remotely.

Read the complete article “Unwelcome Surprisesâ€� and visit our guide to car maintenance. 

Does eating fruit and vegetable skins provide nutritional benefits? —Y.Y., Amherst, Mass.

Yes, but there may be hazards, too. Skins tend to be fairly high in insoluble fiber, which can lower the risk of some digestive disorders, and they’re loaded with phytonutrients, which may help prevent many diseases. But conventionally grown produce is usually coated with tiny amounts of pesticide residues. With certain items––apples, bell peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, peaches, pears, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes––the pesticides may be trapped under a layer of wax. Whether it’s harmful to consume those residues is not clear.

For maximum safety, particularly with children, you could scrub produce in a highly diluted solution of liquid dish detergent, which should remove most of the pesticides and wax. Or you could peel it––especially apples, peaches, and pears, which may be waxed and have particularly heavy residues. Alternatively, choose organically grown produce, which harbors very little or no residue. Organic produce should still be washed to remove other contaminants.