Reports by Consumers

Expensive In Ireland

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:52:57 -0500

A consumer reports on higher prices for iPods and GPS devices in Ireland.

Just to take the iPod as an example. A 16GB iPod touch will set you back $399 (€253). In Ireland it is €369. Even if you knock off the 21% tax the Irish price is 20% more than the US one.

Gadget Recycling

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:53:01 -0500

Look for an easy consumer electronics recycling solution in a city near you soon!

The United States Postal Service recently announced a 10 city trial run of a free recycling program for used electronics.

HSBC Does An HMRC

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 09:55:34 -0500

This consumer reports on another loss of personal information by a bank.

HSBC says the data lost is not considered sensitive to the point of putting customer bank accounts at risk. Are they kidding? Armed with this knowledge it is pretty easy to ‘break’ over the phone call in security measures.

Wearable Electronics

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:39:44 -0500

This consumer reports on the emerging wearable electronics market.

Every year, the world's major consumer electronics exhibitions showcase apparel with built-in gadgetry and equipment that can be used to adorn various parts of the body, and predictions are made that wearable electronics is a market set to take off.

$200 Blu-ray Players Expected

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:39:44 -0500

Good news in the consumer electronics world as Blu-ray prices are expected to drop by next Christmas.

Zoran demonstrated multimedia processors for both Blu-ray and HD DVD at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in January. "While we have proceeded cautiously during the format wars, planning to go as the market and our customers direct, going forward we will fully support Blu-ray," said Dave Pederson, vice president of corporate marketing.

Priority Banking

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:38:31 -0500

This consumer reports on financial products available at Russian banks.

But there’s a Russian bank called Expobank which is doing things the other way round. It recently released a calendar, as most people sometimes do before the start of a year, featuring some of their female banking staff in various degrees of undress.

Pimped Out Television

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 16:38:21 -0500

This consumer reports on installing the new flat screen television.

So Jen finished up the painting. I must say that adding a bit of paint made this place feel more like home. We hung our LCD television on the wall, and it looks pimp.

The First Coffee Mug That Needs Anti-Virus

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 16:42:04 -0500

Toaster on the Internet? This consumer reports on coffee mugs on the Internet!

We've got toasters that communicate with the net, coffee makers that can communicate with the net, and now...your travel mug? Well, that's the concept, anyway, of the Yuno Coffee Mug by Yanko Design. Do we really want a travel mug to be able to betray us when Skynet hits?

Logitech Harmony One

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:40:00 -0500

Click through for the review of the Logitech Harmony One.

If you’re not familiar with the Harmony series of universal remotes, then my friend, you are totally missing out. These remotes are incredibly easy to program (thanks to the software based wizard programming), support nearly every consumer electronics device known to man (ok.. maybe not every but it feels that way!), and easily manages any complicated home theater setup.

Growing Inside The Box

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 13:42:59 -0500

This consumer reports on fruit grown to fit in your refrigerator.

Is it all for style, or is it at all practical? As with many other practices in Japan, lack of space is a real issue that needs to be addressed. A fat, round watermelon can take up a lot of room in a refrigerator, and round melons roll around on the refrigerator shelves. It's easier to pack, transport and store squared melons.

Use Digital Camera Reviews

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 23:54:11 -0500

In some parts of the country, this is good news:

The very first thing you want to do is make sure that the digital camera reviews you are using are independent and not have anything to do with the manufacturer. Probably the best place to get good unbiased digital camera reviews is in the Consumer Reports magazine either at the news stand or online. Consumer Reports has earned an excellent reputation as an unbiased testing group that will get you the answers you are looking for without any interference from the manufacturers.

Warning Labels

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 12:39:53 -0500

This consumer reports on the usefulness of warning labels.

One has to read this one and wonder how many other products might interfere with breathing if caught in windpipe.

BPA Free Sippy Cups

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 02:36:24 -0500

This consumer reports on the problems of BPA products, and some BPA-free sippy cups.

So…what is the verdict? Who wins the safe sippy cup celebrity death match….muhawaaa! The Foogo by Thermos wins the first round in our household but the Klean Kanteen is very close behind. My kids really liked the kid friendly design of the Sigg bottles but mom likes durability more. Born Free is a good option in plastic but a little to high maintenance for me.

Sling Media, SlingPlayer, Slingbox, Oh My!

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:39:55 -0500

Consumers with TiVO may want to check out this report on the Slingbox.

Let’s start from the beginning, what is a Slingbox and what does it do. Imagine the ability to watch your television from any online computer in the world. (Plus the ability to watch your TV from many portable devices.) Imagine the idea of not only watching your TV, but watching your recorded events from your Tivo, or DVR. Now imagine the possibility of tuning your TV or setting your DVR to record an event from any online computer in the world. This and even more is what you can accomplish with the Slingbox and their software and accessories. It does this with the help of what they call SlingStream Technology.

Dishwasher Training Offered

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 02:36:06 -0500

This consumer relates a humorous story about the family dishwasher.

Sometime in junior high school, our dishwasher broke in my home. It was never really addressed. Then, a long time later, I was informed that it had been fixed. The problem was that I was legally old enough to drink alcoholic beverages by this time.