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In the not too distant past, it was the stuff of science fiction for people to have “smart” homes – those houses that lit up and co-ordinated timers, alarms, coffeemaker and dinner each day as you awoke in the morning and arrived home at night. Today a study by Connected Home Research Council (formerly the [...]

“Made in China”  I search for this phrase daily now as I shop for my family.  When my son was only three, he would search for it on his toys and we would all joke about how everything we owned was made in China.  Now I’m trying to avoid these imported products.  I, like so [...]

So many wonderful new gadgets.  So many user handbooks to read. Some 48% of technology users usually need help from others to set up new devices or to show them how they function.  “Struggles with modern gadgetry mean less engagement with the services they enable,” said John B. Horrigan, Associate Director of the Pew Internet [...]

LG Display Co. Ltd., Sharp Corp. and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd., three leading Asian electronics manufacturers, have agreed to plead guilty to price-fixing and pay a total of 585 million dollars in fines, the US Department of Justice announced Wednesday. South Korea’s LG Display will pay the largest fine, 400 million dollars, the second-highest criminal [...]

On a recent Sat- urday night while my hus- band and I sat watch- ing a movie, my home was invaded by two men looking for a quick steal. I surprised them in action and they ran off empty handed. The first thing I did as they ran away was grab the landline phone we [...]

Name of Product: Certain VAIO TZ-series Notebook Computers Units: About 73,000 Manufacturer: Sony Electronics Inc., of San Diego, Calif. Hazard: Irregularly positioned wires near the computer’s hinge and/or a dislodged screw inside the hinge can cause a short circuit and overheating. This poses a burn hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Sony has received 15 reports of [...]

Once you’ve picked out the perfect new DVD player or television, you need to plan for the disposal of your old ones.  If your outgoing model was made by LG, that task might just have gotten a bit easier.   ”The LG Electronics Recycling Program provides consumers with a free and convenient way of recycling their used, [...]

Best Buy will take and recycle your unwanted appliances free of charge.  One hundred seventeen stores in the Baltimore, San Francisco, and Minnesota areas are welcoming customers to bring in no more than two units per day, per household, for recycling at no charge. Customers can bring in items such as televisions and monitors up to 32-inches, [...]

If you are shopping for a high-def TV, you’ll need to decide which type you’d like. Will you go for LCD(liquid crystal display), plasma, or HD rear projection microdisplay? Let us offer some information and advice to make your decision a little easier. LCD These televisions are thin and lightweight with bright picture contrast. That [...]

Computer keyboards are one of the dirtiest, germiest surfaces in the house. (So is the mouse.) Take a few minutes to clean your keyboard using supplies you probably already have around – just unplug it first. Next, turn it over a trash can and lightly shake out any dirt or dust that has accumulated. Clean [...]

It can hard to find a paper shredder that fits your needs.  Many require a specific size trash can or are too big for household use.  The MailMate which is available at Staples is so compact it can fit on a countertop, in a cabinet or under a table.  Also, the lightweight bin is easy [...]

This may stretch the appliance theme a bit, but since so many of us are switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs to save energy, I think it is worth sharing. According to Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld at Parade Magazine, new research suggests some dangers: Flickering bulbs have been reported to precipitate migraines or even seizures, though [...]

Name of Product: Crafters Square Hot Melt Mini Glue Guns Units: About 253,000 Retailer: Dollar Tree Stores Inc., of Chesapeake, Va. Importer: Greenbrier International Inc., of Chesapeake, Va. Hazard: The recalled glue guns can short circuit, causing the gun to smoke and catch fire. This poses fire, burn and shock hazards to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Dollar [...]

Here’s an idea: A keyboard that doesn’t really exist, or that can exist on any opaque, flat surface. At compactimpact.com, a crazy site that says about itself: Some people think “Compact Impact” stands for a small impact, others consider it as something small with a big impact.   I found this unusual device that projects a [...]

Name of Product: Intermatic DT27 Digital Self-Adjusting Timers Units: 8,500 Importer: Intermatic Inc., of Spring Grove, Ill. Manufacturer: Ewig Industries Macao Commercial Offshore Ltd., of Macau, China Hazard: The recalled timers could have been wired incorrectly, which poses an electrical shock hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: None reported. Description: This recall involves the Intermatic DT27 digital [...]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: C9600 Series Digital Color Printers Units: About 400 Importer: Oki Data Americas, of Mount Laurel, N.J. [...]

The following product safety recall was voluntarily conducted by the firm in cooperation with the CPSC. Consumers should stop using the product immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: 64 Zone Wireless Receivers Units: About 200 Manufacturer: Home Automation Inc., New Orleans, La. Hazard: If the receiver loses power, it could fail to receive the [...]

Name of Product: Toshiba AC Adapters Sold with Portable DVD Players Units: About 142,000 Distributor: Toshiba America Consumer Products LLC, of Wayne, N.J. Hazard: The AC adapters can fail, causing the portable DVD player to overheat, posing a burn hazard to consumers. Incidents/Injuries: Toshiba has received two reports of minor damage to the bottom of [...]