Extra Extra: Consumer Reports Electronics Buying Guide is on sale

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It may be a tad early to start your holiday shopping, but there’s a good chance you’ve at least been thinking about it. Maybe you’ve had a big-ticket gift—like a new TV or home theater—in mind for a while now, but are putting off the purchase till November or December. If it’s sales you’re waiting for, you probably know what you want and how much you’re willing to pay. On the other hand, you might just a teeny bit leery of throwing so much cash at something you know very little about. Which is better: a plasma or LCD TV? Should you upgrade to a Blu-ray player or stick with standard-def DVDs?

If you find yourself in need of expert advice, consider the newest edition of the Consumer Reports Electronics Buying Guide. Inside you’ll find a wealth of information on everything from televisions and computers to smart phones, GPS units, and much more. For each product, the Consumer Reports editors walk you through the basics, explaining what’s available, which features matter, brand profiles, and offering tried-and-true shopping tips.

In addition to product information, the guide offers advice on how to shop smarter, including:

• Netting the best deals online, and protecting yourself when you shop on the Web


• When to repair and when to replace a broken item


• How to haggle effectively


• Finding the best electronics retailer based on our comprehensive annual survey


• How to save—and what to be wary of—with refurbished or open-box products on store shelves


• Where to get free office software, free computer security programs, and more useful freeware

Cell phone use when driving: Federal research cover-up alleged

The New York Times reports today that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) withheld research from 2003 indicating that using a hands-free device while driving provided only a “negligible” safety benefit compared with using a hand-held cell phone. According to interviews with key players, the research was withheld to avoid “antagonizing” Congress and, “to a much smaller degree,” the cell phone industry. You can view the full 266 pages of NHTSA’s report, finally released today, here. Or, to save time, read a summation of the report posted on the Consumer Reports Cars Blog.

The breaking news story comes three days after NYTimes.com hosted a Room for Debate forum, querying panelists, “Should cell phone use by drivers be illegal?” Weighing in was Consumer Reports’ own David Champion, our director of auto testing. While banning all cell-phone use outright “is probably an impractical solution” he wrote, “the best solution in the near term is to warn drivers with public service announcements of the risks involved with cell phone use and make the punishment for crashes caused by cell phone use extremely high.” (Read Champion’s full piece here.)

For the record, while our coverage Bluetooth headsets includes lab tests of voice clarity and other factors for a Ratings (available to subscribers), we do not test—or recommend—the use of Bluetooth handsets or integrated car systems while behind the wheel of a moving vehicle.

What’s your reaction to the news of the NHTSA report? Do you think talking on a cell phone adversely impairs your ability to drive? —Nick K. Mandle

Cell phone crackdown in NY and other places

Don't even think about using your cell phone while driving in New York City on Thursday March 12. That's the warning from the New York Police Department.

NYPD is cracking down on drivers who scoff at New York's traffic law that bans cell phones while driving. And it's not just those that "drive and dial." If you're spotted texting—or even just holding—a cell phone while behind the wheel, be prepared to get pulled over for a $120 traffic ticket.

The move is part of a wave of enforcement of cell phone driving bans, mostly in some of the 23 states that now have laws, such as New Jersey, which last week announced its own crackdown. Legislative debates are also underway in some states, such as Colorado, that do not yet have laws.

The laws and the crackdowns vary in their stringency. For example, exempt from this week’s New York crackdown: Drivers using their phone to call 911 and those who use hands-free options—their cell phone's speakerphone feature, wired or wireless Bluetooth headsets or the Bluetooth connectivity now built into GPS devices such as the Garmin Nuvi 1200 and Nuvi 1300 models, for examples.

According to the New York Times, NYPD issued 195,579 summonses to those caught talking on their cell phones while driving last year. And despite the warning of the coming cell-phone crackdown, "We are confident we will end up issuing a lot of summonses anyway," NYPD spokesman Paul J. Brown told the New York Times.

There's been plenty of discussion about "distracted driving" and cell phones—even among staffers in the Consumer Reports Cars Blog. Not to mention, plenty of discussions about the legality and necessity of New York's (and other jurisdictions') traffic laws banning cell phones. There's even debate over the safety of hands-free talking while driving.

What do you think of cell phone driving bans, and crackdowns? Where are you on the issue of some laws exempting hands-free calling, despite the likes of the Ontario Medical Association weighing in to say that it, too, is dangerous?

—Paul Eng

More electronics for the road

Here’s an update on car-related electronics at CES 2009 in Las Vegas last week, courtesy of our colleagues in the Cars department. (They have since moved on to the Detroit Auto Show, where they are doing some intensive blogging.)

The debut of two eBikes. Designed for urban dwellers, eBikes can either be pedaled or ridden like a scooter thanks to a built-in electric motor. The Ultra Motor A2B ($2,700) weighs 72 pounds and has a top speed of 20 mph in its scooter mode. (Click on image at right for a closer look.) ELV Motors, which makes the bike, estimates that a 160-pound person can ride for 20 miles before the motor’s lithium-ion battery needs recharging (which takes about 3 1/2 hours). ELV motors estimates the A2B’s battery would need to be replaced after 700 too 900 charges. (Cost: $350 to $400.) Schwinn’s Tailwind eBike ($3,200) ups the ante in many respects. At a lighter 50 pounds, the bike can run 25 to 30 miles at 18 to 19 mph. The battery takes only half an hour to recharge. Schwinn claims its battery will last through 2,000 charges, and has reached 6,000 in tests.

Wi-Fi on wheels. While it’s dangerous for a driver to check e-mail or download music on a laptop, passengers can, using Autonet Mobile’s wireless Internet Service Provider. On its 3G network – where available – the router provides download speeds ranging from 400kps to 800kps and upload speeds from 128kps to 300kps. (When not on the 3G network, speed ranges from 50kps-100kps download and 120kps-200kps upload.) Available on Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles since last summer, the routers are available at retail for $400. Professional installation is necessary, and monthly service plans start at $29 per month.

Calling Dick Tracy...

It seems there's always at least one manufacturer at CES trying to strap something on your wrist. Remember the wrist TV of a few years ago? This year it's LG's turn, with what it's hailing as the world's first "market-ready" touch "watch phone." (Click on image at right for a closer look.)

Based on a prototype shown at last year's CES, the 14mm-thick LG-GD910 has a tiny 1.43-in. display with touch-screen controls, which LG says facilitates text messaging. (That should be interesting.) It also features text to speech, which means the phone can "read" text messages to you over its speaker. It supports 3G HSDPA that enables faster data transmission and even allows you to make "video phone calls" using the built-in camera. It's a quad-band GSM phone, so you’ll be able to take it with you if you travel abroad. It also crams in an MP3 player, organizer, and support for Bluetooth technology. Oh, and of course, it tells time. The watch phone will be available worldwide in the second half of 2009 for an undisclosed price.

Ratings: Bluetooth headsets for one and all (ears)

You see it more frequently now. That sharp-dressed man or woman walking down the street, talking, wildly gesturing and maybe even laughing hysterically—with seemingly no one around them.

Blame it on Bluetooth technology.

Wireless headsets are becoming much more affordable and shrinking in size so they're barely noticeable. But Bluetooth headsets are doing more than making cell phone users appear to be (apparently) talking to themselves. They're letting mobile music listeners cut the cord as well.

Consumer Reports has just posted updated Ratings of Bluetooth headsets (available to subscribers). Tested headsets ranged from $30 to more than $100 for the smaller, inconspicuous types. But among those 25 new models, four are stereo headsets for use with phones that have built-in music players.

They're usually heavier than mono headsets, but some of the stereo models (such as the Jabra BT3030, seen at right) feature a wireless remote control, eliminating the need to fumble with your cell phone's MP3 player buttons.

If you're in the market for a wireless headset, check out our latest Bluetooth headset Ratings report to see how mono and stereo wireless headsets fared in our tests. Our Quick Recommendations (available to subscribers) highlight our top picks.

And if you're new to the world of wireless walking and talking, be sure to read our wireless headset buying advice which will help you choose the right model for your needs.

Protect your Bluetooth

For you, a Bluetooth headset offers a safe way to use your cell phone hands-free in the car. For cyberthieves, it's just another security gap waiting to be exploited.

The U.S. CERT (that’s the government's Computer Emergency Readiness Team) just issued a list of tips to help you use Bluetooth devices more securely. Nothing too difficult, and in fact it's mostly common-sense advice.

Two practices stand out. First, disable your Bluetooth device when you're not using it. And when you do enable it, use it only in hidden, or "not discoverable", mode .

You can get other Bluetooth security tips and learn more about setting up a good password for your Bluetooth and other devices at the U. S. CERT site:

http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/tips/ST05-015.html

—Donna Tapellini

Macworld 2008: Add to your iPhone; handsfree talk

Besides printers, scanners, and networked storage solutions, which you always expect to find at Macworld, the focus this year seemed to have shifted towards new 3rd-party peripherals revolving around iPhone. Dozens of new headset, headphones, and docking options have recently become available to support Apple's new flagship product.

Macally, a long time provider of Mac peripherals, offered Tune Pro and FlexTune. Designed for the iPod, TunePro is an audio minisystem with a flat-panel appearance and includes an alarm clock—perfect for the nightstand; FlexTune is a small but very versatile charger and speaker set for both iPod and iPhone. What was interesting about the latter was the way the speakers could slide laterally so the iPhone could be rotated to landscape mode for video viewing, to minimize the device's footprint on an office desk.

Skullcandy offers creative designs that appeal most to a younger crowd. They recently introduced the iPhone FMJ headset. They also offer full-featured wireless headphones. Most of their prices are under $100, except for the high-end phones, which retail for $169.95.

Ultimate Ears offered four models of high-quality headsets for iPods and iPhones: the Custom, the Triple.fi, the Super.fi, and the Metro.fi for the style conscious.

I briefly stopped by Xtreme Mac as well, and saw a wide variety of good-sounding, aesthetically-pleasing docking stations, speakers, and clock radios, most notably the Luna X2 and the Tango X2. They also offered nearly a dozen varieties of cases, pouches and protective covers for iPods and iPhones.

One of the more interesting presentations I attended was from Altec Lansing, who said their new T612 iPhone dock and speaker system (Click on the image at left for a closer look.) is the first to be "Apple certified", meaning Apple agrees to sell them in Apple stores. Apparently such certification is difficult to attain, as Apple has very tight engineering standards regarding specific emissions and GSM shielding. Capable of both desk and wall mount, the sound is very rich and clean. It is also backward compatible with dockable iPods.

CES 2008: Wireless innovations for portable devices

Most of the buzz about wirelessness at the Consumer Electronics Show has been generated by products and technologies that seek to liberate HDTVs and other components that are usually connected by cables. But there have also been interesting announcements in traditionally unwired product categories. Here are three examples, from cameras, music players, and cellphones respectively:

Eye-Fi SD memory card. Some newer cameras have built-in Wi-Fi connections that enable them to wirelessly upload their photos to PCs, Macs and online photo and social networking sites over a home network. Now, any camera that accepts an SD memory card can have that convenience with the $100 Eye-Fi, a 2gigabyte SD memory card with a built-in Wi-Fi radio. (Click on image at right for a closer look.)

To receive photos in this mode, your computer must be turned on and running the Eye-Fi Manager software, a simple download from www.eye-fi.com. The card and software also allow any Eye-Fi-enabled camera to upload photos directly to 17 online sites, including KODAK Gallery, Shutterfly, Wal-Mart, Snapfish, Photobucket, Facebook, Webshots, Picasa Web Albums, SmugMug, Flickr, Fotki, TypePad, VOX, dotPhoto, Phanfare and Sharpcast. Eye-Fi is available now at Amazon.com, Buy.com, Walmart.com and other retailers.

Sennheiser MX W1 wireless stereo headphones. Even wireless stereo Bluetooth headphones have wires—the ones that connect the left and right speakers. Not the MX W1. (Click on image at left for a closer look.) The two-piece MX W1 uses a new wireless technology called Kleer, which, unlike Bluetooth, permits left and right speakers to link wirelessly. The headphones' twist-to-fit design keeps them securely and comfortably in the ear. Another advantage Kleer has over Bluetooth is that it transmits lossless 16-bit, 44KHz-sampled digital audio, the same quality that is recorded on a CD. Bluetooth, on the other hand, compresses audio prior to transmission, which degrades sound quality.

The MX W1 includes a small Kleer transmitter, about the size of a matchbox, which plugs into the headphone jack of your music source. The transmitter also allows you to link a second set of MXW1 headphones to share your tunes with a friend. The MX W1 also comes with a carrying case that doubles as a charger for the earphones and transmitter, allowing you to recharge the headphones up to three times without plugging it into a wall outlet. Sennheiser says playback time on a single charge is about three to four hours. The MX W1 will be available in May 2008 for a whopping $599.

Iqua Sun bluetooth headset. In what may be a first in mobile electronics, there's now a portable device that draws on the sun for power. The Iqua Sun BHS-603 (Click on image at right for a closer look) is a solar-powered Bluetooth wireless headset that will be available later in January for $100. About two inches in length and weighing under an ounce, the headset incorporates a photovoltaic cell that Iqua claims will use any available light, indoors or out, to charge its battery. The company claims the Sun delivers up to 12 hours of talk time, depending on available light; standby time, it says, can be infinite. In case your life isn't sunny enough, the device does come with a wall charger and the option to recharge via your computer's USB port.

—Mike Gikas and Paul Reynolds

Headphones for the Holidays: More good choices

Headphones are a popular holiday buy, but most advertised models seem to cost $100 or more. If you're shopping for a set, but are resistant to spending so much on a purchase that's likely to be used on the go, and liable to be lost or damaged, our updated tests offer sweet music.

We found new choices in good-sounding headphones of practically all types for under $100. Those supplement the recommended models in our last full Ratings (available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers). Many of those older models, including those we recommend, remain available.

For more help in buying headphones, check our free buying advice, which includes a rundown of two hot headphone types: Noise-canceling models that use sound processing to reduce, though not to cancel entirely, ambient noise to the ear; and wireless headphones, which you can use with a Bluetooth-enabled music phone, laptop, or other device.

Here's some of the best values from our new tests: