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You wrote "Good God people - think! I'm an electrical engineer who has been driving a gas-electric hybrid since 2002, and if regenerative breaking was able to recover even half the energy, I'd be amazed."

    Prepare to be amazed.

    http://www.teslamotors.com/blog4/?p=58

    Tesla is saying their best case is in the 64% ballpark.

    You claim the insight's sweet spot is 50mph. Have you tried 30 mph? That's where most cars get the best mileage (and how the Tesla went so far).

    Consumer reports just did a piece on fuel efficiency (see http://blogs.consumerreports.org/cars/2009/09/tested-speed-vs-fuel-economy.html) and they didn't even test speeds below 55 mph. The MPG of every single car was increasing as speed went down.

Until I see a graph from consumer reports, I don't believe anything.

Donate time, not money

The only way I have seen to identify the good from the bad is through websites related to solving problems that inevitably arise. I purchased a Viewsonic VX2433 display only after a month of deliberation and review. CNET http://www.cnet.com/ , Anandtech http://www.anandtech.com/ and Consumer Reports http://www.consumerreports.org/ The only way to really budget yourself is through sufficient research. In the end you usually get what you pay for. If you are looking for free stuff then check craigslist.

Wake me up when I can head down to the market and buy a widget made with nanotubes.

This is Slashdot ("news for nerds"). The site you seem to be looking for is Consumer Reports. Everything discussed on that site is available for sale now, and they won't bother you with any of that horrible "science stuff".

The Most recent survey of product reliability I saw put mac's in third place. I see many more faulty macs than I do quality pc machines.

anecdotal evidence is not worth the bits it is written on.

Your second point is the same one I was making. My personal experience is that Macs are very reliable relative to all PCs so his assertion that they were unreliable based solely on his personal perception was a troll. He should have backed it up.

Macs are a great consumer and niche machine. I think the valid knocks against them in the enterprise relate to their manageability in large scale deployments. I was hoping to see whether or not any of that has changed. Even if the tools have improved, I wonder about Apple's willingness to support the kind of slow changing dull uniformity in hardware that the managers of corporate PCs like to see.

As for your first point, please cIte your sources. Some I found are:

Apple # 1 http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2352798,00.asp Apple # 2 http://www.rescuecom.com/RESCUECOM269.html Apple # 2 (tied) in reliability and # 1 in satisfaction http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/electronics-computers/computers-internet/computers/laptop-ratings/brand-reliability.htm

The Consumerist reported that Verizon text messaging is marked up by 7314% when compared to the relative cost of other data transfer services. Prices for text messages have also risen from .10 to .15 to .20 in recent years, even as the costs of data throughput have decreased.

( http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2009/06/text-messaging-rates-overpriced-att-aprint-verizon-t-mobile.html )

The reason for this is simple: Greed and collusion.

Consumer Reports has this to say on the subject:

"As CU has noted, less than four years ago rates to send a text message were 10 cents per text at the nation's four big wireless carriers: AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless. Each company then raised rates to 15 cents, then to 20 cents.

To CU, these text-message rates, along with exclusivity deals for certain cell phones, exemplify the need for âoemore oversightâ into the wireless marketplace, to âoedetermine if government intervention is necessary.â

You can use a Virtual Credit Card number, which is a temporary credit card which is tied to your main CC account. I believe both Visa and Mastercard offer these, or it's issued by the bank who issued your credit card.

Nope, in most states even if you cancel your wireline service the LEC is required or general does provide soft dialtone service meaning 911. It's there for people who get their service cut due to lack of payment but who the state thinks should still have access to emergency services. According to consumer reports the following states have soft dialtone provisions:
* Arizona
* California
* Colorado
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Iowa
* Massachusetts
* Minnesota
* Montana
* New York
* North Dakota
* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* South Dakota
* Utah
* Vermont
* Washington
* Wyoming

Depends on the state, apparently.

First hit on Google: http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2009/05/update-about-911-and-disconnected-landlines.html

Is there really such a big difference between "I will have nothing to do with company X and buy from company Y instead" and "I will have nothing to do with party X and will vote for party Y instead"?

When you have only 2 companies to choose from no, there's not much competition there. But when you have a bunch of them you do have competition. Look at cell phones and the service plans for them. A number of companies make and sell cellphones and a number of companies sell services. There's little to no competition for landline phone services but there is for cellphones. Because of this many people don't have landline service, instead they only use cellphones. When I moved a few years ago I went with a cellphone service plan, and I pay less than I would with a landline. Not only that but a big chuck of the tyme I use my phone it's long distance which is included in the service plan.

Falcon

Amen.

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/health/2008/10/high-fructose-c.html or just google hfcs health risks

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/beverages/coffee-tea/coffee-taste-test-3-07/overview/0307_coffee_ov_1.htm

Your are apparently in the minority. CR's taste test found McDonald's coffee was the best.

And most Americans like Budweiser too.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/beverages/coffee-tea/coffee-taste-test-3-07/overview/0307_coffee_ov_1.htm Your are apparently in the minority. CR's taste test found McDonald's coffee was the best.

I trust Consumer Reports to rate food about as much as I trust Cook's Illustrated to rate chainsaws.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/food/beverages/coffee-tea/coffee-taste-test-3-07/overview/0307_coffee_ov_1.htm Your are apparently in the minority. CR's taste test found McDonald's coffee was the best.

Unless something really needs regulating, leave it the hell alone. Food? Fine we need an FDA to make sure our food isn't nasty and contaminated. They probably overstep their usefulness in some cases, and under step it in others, but that's expected.

Unfortunately, industry will stick their noses in when regulations are being written. Wonder why the FDA doesn't have many warning about the mercury in Tuna whereas private consumer groups do?

Let's just say, legally this would be considered hearsay, but it was said that the Tuna industry was literally looking over the FDA'a shoulder when those regs were written.

So, even then, Government is too easily corrupted. Unfortunately, I don't have a better idea.

I'm starting to sound like a Toyota fanboy but I found something worth linking in the end: CR best and worst used cars.

Summary: Toyota is well represented in all "best used" categories. More interestingly the "worst used" list includes:

• 21 american models
• 10 European models
• 1 japanese model

Logical Zebra, I rest my case. Please respond with some statistics if you want to continue this discussion.

For those wondering what different unit to look at, try:

• Wikipedia's comparison
• Consumer Reports' comparison

I personally like the RCA, except for that scanning issue; I have a really big outdoor antenna.

Consumer Reports identifies a loophole in the Energy Star program.

It used to be that marketing and sales reps would pressure print publications to give them favorable reviews. Most of the glossy automobile magazines were entirely PR--this is why Consumer Reports content is so different from those publications, so much more accurate, and so much more expensive. Now people turn to online forums for information. But amazon.com, for instance, is making money from selling the products reviewed on their sites. Given that, there's an incentive to both put their finger on the scale, and also to allow their sellers to do the same. So this is an extension of old practices.

There is a related problem with FOSS. It's amazingly hard to get useful and reliable reviews of FOSS--comparisons that allow one to make intelligent decisions. I've ended up spending literal weeks studying FOSS products because of it. And it's not too difficult to see why. I am posting this anonymously because I don't want to deal with hate mail. There's trolls out there for just about any FOSS product--some who will even mix it in just because they like starting fights. Editorial independence--that is something that has value. In time, I think, we will have to start paying for it in actual money.

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/electronics/2008/07/dtvpal-converte.html

Strangely, your personal opinion doesn't matter as much to me as my own. I drive Toyotas because I find them to be infinitely more reliable than German cars (read - VW's). I use Apple products because I hate unnecessary reboots, bad user interfaces, and bloated software - all of which I find in MS products.
From Consumer Reports (this is not a slam dunk, but you get my point, I'm sure).

"European makes account for 17 models on the Least reliable list. This includes six each from Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen/Audi."

"Reliability remains a forte for most Japanese brands. Twenty-three of the 33 models in our âoemost reliableâ list are from Japanese automakers. Moreover, weâ(TM)ve predicted average reliability or better for all Honda and Subaru models based on our most recent survey. This yearâ(TM)s forecast shows that domestic models, led by Ford, continue to improve and that there are small improvements in European makes as well."

Actually i think i heard of evidence that the titanium dioxide particles in sunscreens, especially nano particles are harmful.

http://www.ccohs.ca/headlines/text186.html

"With such widespread use of titanium dioxide, it is important to understand that the IARC conclusions are based on very specific evidence. This evidence showed that high concentrations of pigment-grade (powdered) and ultrafine titanium dioxide dust caused respiratory tract cancer in rats exposed by inhalation and intratracheal instillation*"

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/health-fitness/nanotechnology-7-07/nanoparticles-in-sunscreens/0707_nano_sunscreen_1.htm

Lab studies indicate that both of those nano-ingredients create free radicals that damage the DNA of cells and possibly cause other harm as well. And even low exposure to nanoparticles of titanium dioxide can damage the lungs of animals if inhaled

http://locokazoo.com/2008/08/05/the-sun-screen-health-disaster/
http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=6838.php

Consumer Reports talks about some of the cost differences between hybrids and non-hybrids.

You forgot depreciation and federal tax credits. Consumer Reports ran the numbers this month and came up with several hybrid cars that will save money over their non-hybrid equivalents. These were often the same model of car for a true apples-to-apples comparison. They claim that many hybrids will save money after the first year.

There's a nice table of the results, but it's for subscribers. They calculate the total cost of ownership for a five year period, and they come up with $28,250 for the Prius and $29,750 for a Civic LX. The Prius costs $24,170 list and the Civic is $18,430. The Prius has the lowest 5-year total owner cost on the cart.

I think it's fair to assume that gas price inflation will keep pace with the return on a T-Bill, so the interest isn't going to help. It depends a lot on whether we elect another representative from the oil industry as Vice President, but that's a topic for another conversation.

You forgot depreciation and federal tax credits. Consumer Reports ran the numbers this month and came up with several hybrid cars that will save money over their non-hybrid equivalents. These were often the same model of car for a true apples-to-apples comparison. They claim that many hybrids will save money after the first year.

There's a nice table of the results, but it's for subscribers. They calculate the total cost of ownership for a five year period, and they come up with $28,250 for the Prius and $29,750 for a Civic LX. The Prius costs $24,170 list and the Civic is $18,430. The Prius has the lowest 5-year total owner cost on the cart.

I think it's fair to assume that gas price inflation will keep pace with the return on a T-Bill, so the interest isn't going to help. It depends a lot on whether we elect another representative from the oil industry as Vice President, but that's a topic for another conversation.

No, there's plenty of natural gas. Known reserves worldwide are about 172 trillion m^3. One m^3 of gas has about as much energy as one liter of oil (38.4 MJ/m^3 vs 38.6 MJ/l).

So 172 trillion m^3 of gas is the energy equivalent of about 172 trillion liters of oil = 1.47 trillion barrels of oil.

Worldwide oil consumption is about 80.29 million barrels per day, or about 30 billion barrels per year.

So if we could instantaneously convert all our oil consumption into natural gas consumption, the known gas reserves would last us 49 years. There's plenty of gas.

The problem with natural gas is its extremely low volumetric energy density. That makes it expensive to store and transport. It's such a hassle that a lot of oil wells (especially offshore) simply burn any extraneous gas which comes up with the oil, instead of trying to capture and store it. The 3600 psi CNG tank in a Honda Civic GX CNG takes up most of the trunk, and only provides as much energy as 8 gallons of gasoline.

This October's Consumer Reports article "Which affordable hybrids save you the most money?" disagrees with you.

Conclusion: "Despite their higher price, many models pay off after only a year" and some models "can save more than $4,000 over five years."

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2008/10/affordable-hybrids/overview/affordable-hybrids-ov.htm

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You also complain that hybrids have "weaker engines than the cheaper gas car," forgetting that electric motors have much better torque than gasoline engines (eg. even diesel locomotives use electric motors) so higher horsepower isn't needed.

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Finally, a reply to your battery FUD: http://tech.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=954363&cid=24883785

Yeah, it really is garbage

I mean, why would a greater propensity to roll, a larger passenger cage more prone to buckling, a higher, more exposed profile, and a larger mass which carries more energy (which is then transferred into the passenger and provides more challenge to the structural integrity on impact) be less safe!

Consumer Reports had an article on this a year ago.

28% - Your monthly mortgage payment (including property taxes and insurance) shouldn't exceed 28 percent of your gross monthly income.

How else would you explain the lackluster reviews of cars such as the BMW 3-series, that seem to win award after award in nearly every automotive journal on the shelves?

What lackluster reviews? BMW 3-series gets top marks in every category (membership required) and the new wagon gets a good score but loses points for controls, cup-holder design, a small interior, and the need for premium fuel. I'm not sure why you're so personally offended by such an honest review, but maybe it would help you to know most CR readers don't focus much on the final "score" but rather look at the pros/cons and consider which are important to them.

Your post really comes across as a pompous attempt to be a "car guy" but real "car guys" (1) don't get their panties in a twist over a CR review and (2) don't drive BMW's.

How else would you explain the lackluster reviews of cars such as the BMW 3-series, that seem to win award after award in nearly every automotive journal on the shelves?

What lackluster reviews? BMW 3-series gets top marks in every category (membership required) and the new wagon gets a good score but loses points for controls, cup-holder design, a small interior, and the need for premium fuel. I'm not sure why you're so personally offended by such an honest review, but maybe it would help you to know most CR readers don't focus much on the final "score" but rather look at the pros/cons and consider which are important to them.

Your post really comes across as a pompous attempt to be a "car guy" but real "car guys" (1) don't get their panties in a twist over a CR review and (2) don't drive BMW's.

Another issue that I didn't see after skimming this article, as well as part one of the series, is that many of the third party ink cartridges don't contain as much ink as the name brand. Consumer Reports tested a bunch of inks, and found that most of the cheapest inks were actually more expensive per page than the brandname ink. Which inks fared well varied from printer to printer.

Unfortunately, it looks like the full article is only available to subscribers, and there are just a few short blubs summarizing the results available to everyone.

Ethanol is viable, and it's already a reality here at Brazil. My car can run on both ethanol and gasoline, but since Ethanol is about 30% CHEAPER I almost never put gasoline on it.


And since E85 gas gets about 30% less MPG than gasoline, the price per mile is about the same. Since straight ethenol is even lower MPG, your cost per mile may be slightly more for ethenol than gasoline. Run a tank of each and calculate the cost per mile instead of the cost per gallon/liter and post the results.

Here is a link to a test between 10% and 85% ethenol blended in gasoline.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/news/2006/ethanol-10-06/tests-of-ethanol-vs.-gasoline/1006_ethanol_test_1.htm

"On a trip" is when hybrids gain their least advantage. It's stop-and-go driving where they shine. This is important since most miles driven in the US are now stop and go.

July 03, 2007
Supreme Court lets manufacturers set minimum prices
Decision reverses 1911 ruling -- what does it mean for consumers?

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/shopping/2007/07/supreme-court-l.html

I thought so, too. Then I read this review of the EEE PC. I was with them right up until this bit:

For more advanced tasks, consider getting a full-fledged laptop with a dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and Windows Vista.

First, what does "more advanced tasks" actually mean? I could use an EEE PC for programming, ssh access, and, I'm sure, many other things that this reviewer has never heard of.

Second, and most important: Why the fuck are they recommending Windows Vista? I was curious, so I found this other page, with these gems:

Windows Vista offers an array of improvements over XP aside from visual enhancements, new multitasking features and simpler home-network setup....

And, of course, no mention of the downsides -- of why you'd want to keep XP. (Well, there's a sort of casual mention of "If Vista does nothing for you, you can still buy a new PC with XP", but no mention of the insane number of bugs that still exist in Vista.)

Microsoft offers three versions of Vista

No, it offers four.

Mac OS is considered by many to be easier to learn and use than Windows, and it's more secure against online threats because it's less of a target for malware writers.

Not to bring up the old debate again, but the fact that there is a debate is worth some mention, at least, right?

Linux, a free operating system with source code anyone can modify, is most appropriate for users who aren't intimidated by technology.... The only things you won't find are sophisticated 3D games.

Doom 3 isn't sophisticated? What about the new Unreal games?

Or did they mean "sophisticated" in the artsy/intellectual sense? As in, say, Neverwinter Nights, Neverball, Wesnoth, and the like?

I'm not claiming the situation is good for Linux gaming. But to claim there are no sophisticated games for it, even if we're all willing to ignore Wine/Cedega, is factually untrue. By "factually untrue", I mean it's in the realm of 2+2=5. Even for very large values of 2, that statement is wrong, and always will be.

You'll need additional software to access other file formats such as MP3 or iTunes.

No mention that it's free and easy to download/install this software. Oh, and it does seem to support mp3s out of the box.

As for Linux, you'll need more than just a casual knowledge of operating systems, because the interface is not entirely graphical.

That's a nonsensical statement. It's "not entirely graphical" in the same way that Windows and OS X are -- I can still run cmd.exe or Terminal. If they mean that you may occasionally have to do things with the commandline, well, that's also untrue -- and they must know this, having used Ubuntu.

If all you do is Web browsing and e-mail you can probably get by, but if you use a wide variety of applications, you're better off passing on Linux.

If all you do is Web browsing and e-mail and word documents and finances and web development and education and PDF reading and listening to music and creating music and putting music on your iPod and basic camera and photo scanning/editing and CD/DVD burning and scanning/OCR and Skype and instant messaging and IRC..... *inhal

I thought so, too. Then I read this review of the EEE PC. I was with them right up until this bit:

For more advanced tasks, consider getting a full-fledged laptop with a dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, and Windows Vista.

First, what does "more advanced tasks" actually mean? I could use an EEE PC for programming, ssh access, and, I'm sure, many other things that this reviewer has never heard of.

Second, and most important: Why the fuck are they recommending Windows Vista? I was curious, so I found this other page, with these gems:

Windows Vista offers an array of improvements over XP aside from visual enhancements, new multitasking features and simpler home-network setup....

And, of course, no mention of the downsides -- of why you'd want to keep XP. (Well, there's a sort of casual mention of "If Vista does nothing for you, you can still buy a new PC with XP", but no mention of the insane number of bugs that still exist in Vista.)

Microsoft offers three versions of Vista

No, it offers four.

Mac OS is considered by many to be easier to learn and use than Windows, and it's more secure against online threats because it's less of a target for malware writers.

Not to bring up the old debate again, but the fact that there is a debate is worth some mention, at least, right?

Linux, a free operating system with source code anyone can modify, is most appropriate for users who aren't intimidated by technology.... The only things you won't find are sophisticated 3D games.

Doom 3 isn't sophisticated? What about the new Unreal games?

Or did they mean "sophisticated" in the artsy/intellectual sense? As in, say, Neverwinter Nights, Neverball, Wesnoth, and the like?

I'm not claiming the situation is good for Linux gaming. But to claim there are no sophisticated games for it, even if we're all willing to ignore Wine/Cedega, is factually untrue. By "factually untrue", I mean it's in the realm of 2+2=5. Even for very large values of 2, that statement is wrong, and always will be.

You'll need additional software to access other file formats such as MP3 or iTunes.

No mention that it's free and easy to download/install this software. Oh, and it does seem to support mp3s out of the box.

As for Linux, you'll need more than just a casual knowledge of operating systems, because the interface is not entirely graphical.

That's a nonsensical statement. It's "not entirely graphical" in the same way that Windows and OS X are -- I can still run cmd.exe or Terminal. If they mean that you may occasionally have to do things with the commandline, well, that's also untrue -- and they must know this, having used Ubuntu.

If all you do is Web browsing and e-mail you can probably get by, but if you use a wide variety of applications, you're better off passing on Linux.

If all you do is Web browsing and e-mail and word documents and finances and web development and education and PDF reading and listening to music and creating music and putting music on your iPod and basic camera and photo scanning/editing and CD/DVD burning and scanning/OCR and Skype and instant messaging and IRC..... *inhal

I beg to differ... there was an article here on /. a while back about spoofing the RFID chip in a carkey and here is another example

There is no balance in safety legislation; the government simply legislates -- on a whim -- how we must behave for our own good. Think about it logically: Should you be FORCED to wear a seatbelt when driving a car, when I'm perfectly free to drive a motorcycle? It doesn't make sense. The government has arbitrarily mandated the personal safety of a behavior that is already safe compared to some other legal alternatives.

It's like mandating that no bathtub can be more than 2 inches deep (to keep you from drowning, don't you know) but keeping showers legal, despite the far greater likelihood of fatal shower slip-&-fall injuries.

As long as there are people like you who think giving up rights is okay as long as we don't give up too many (as in your ridiculous PATRIOT ACT example), freedom cannot exist.

And this doesn't even touch on the free market arguement: the ridiculousness of Honda being allowed to sell motorcycles (the most dangerous vehicles on the road), while not being allowed to sell cars without a shoulder belt.

The really funny part is that their service is pretty much a scam... I've read up on them and apparently some of their policies are a little suspects, such as clause that do not allow you to return merchandise, cancel an order, or even (get this), terminate your membership! And where did this information come from? Try Consumer Reports. DirectBuy is just another company with its head in the sand. Personally, I can't wait to see if this will end up in court.

Since there is no '+1 Extremely Insightful but Caustic Sarcasm' for this, I'm glad the current moderators have treated you well...that's some funny stuff you write!

"Seriously, that's what consumer reports and the Internet are for."
Good point. The problem has had various attempts towards a solution for ages: guilds, unions, certifications, licenses, etc., but it's kind of like catching rainwater with a net.
'Word of mouth'(good or bad) advertising carries more weight with most people than some ad on TV as there seems to be a level of trust. Consumer Reportshttp://www.consumerreports.org/cro/index.htm, and some internet sites have a good rep for good info-easy to access.

I'm flabbergasted that people still buy antibacterial soap. For years I've known that antibacterial soap isn't any more effective then normal soap, and I fear the super-bacteria being created by this soap.

Here's an article from consumer reports in 2004:

Don't bother with antibacterial cleaners

I went to Target last week to look for bulk containers of liquid hand soap. It was **all** antibacterial soap, normal soap didn't exist.

We see that according to last year's figures he's implicated in about around $7.8 billion dollars in malware damage, in the U.S. alone, per year. So if the U.S. really is succumbing to IIS like the original post claims, then there is concrete economic harm as a result.

Even if there are some costs in the transition over to OS X, Debian, Kubuntu, OpenBSD or whatever, it would still be a significant net gain for the US to drop the last remaining Windows machines.

But you should at least Buy them, and even then you're running about the same risk as betting both red and black on roulette.

Dam...hate to reply to myself, but one more solid link from Consumer Reports:
Link

http://www.consumerreports.org/

Once it's locked, anyone trying to pull your credit report will be denied (unless you authorize unlocking it before they try to pull the report). Inability to pull your credit report should result in an automatic denial for things such as opening a bank account or credit card, stopping any identity theft before it happens.