Safety - Black & Decker recalls 670,000 coffeemakers

After getting at least 10 reports of second-degree burns, Black & Decker today recalled 670,000 "Spacemaker" coffeemakers in the U.S. and Canada because the brew basket can shift out of alignment causing hot water to overflow. The company has received 282 reports of hot water overflowing including the burn incidents, according to the U.S. and Canadian recall notices.

The Spacemaker coffeemaker has an under-cabinet mount, programmable digital clock/timer, removable water reservoir, and either a 12-cup glass carafe or an 8-cup thermal carafe. Only model numbers ODC440, ODC440B, ODC450 and ODC460 are included in the recall. The model number is on the back of the coffeemaker.

Made in China, the coffeemakers were sold at major retailers nationwide, including K-Mart, Kohl’s, Target, Walmart, Bed, Bath & Beyond and Amazon.com, from March 2006 through March 2009 for between $60 and $80. In Canada, they were also sold at Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, London Drugs, Sears Canada and Zellers.

The distributor, Applica Consumer Products of Miramar, Fla. is asking consumers to stop using the coffeemakers and contact the company for a free replacement brew basket. Call Applica toll-free at (866) 668-4442 between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm's Web site at www.acprecall.com.

Home & Garden Blog: Carpal tunnel syndrome and yard work

The list of injuries, whether minor or gruesome, you might suffer using outdoor power equipment is extensive. A couple of years ago I wrote about the types of jobs some weekend warriors might want to avoid. (The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission provide safety advice for a range of gear.)

But this year I've encountered an injury not caused by a specific event, say cutting myself with a chain saw or getting dinged by a flying rock spewed by my lawn mower. And while it's more of a nagging injury—for right now—than a devastating one, this problem is no less significant.

I'm talking about carpal tunnel syndrome. Years ago I suffered from this injury, caused by pressure on a nerve in the wrist; mine is primarily in my right hand. My physician prescribed the anti-inflammatory drug Relafen (nabumetone), which, combined with a better ergonomic setup at my desk, remedied the matter.

But this year, the carpal tunnel syndrome and its accompanying pain, numbness, and tingling have come back worse than ever. And the yard work I do—using a lawn mower, string trimmer, and blower vac, not to mention shovels, rakes, pruners, and other hand tools—exacerbates the injury. The Black & Decker CMM 1200 cordless electric push mower I've been using seems to put more strain on my wrist than my self-propelled mower does.

I am trying several different grips on the gear and have adjusted the mower handle, but so far these steps haven't eliminated the carpal tunnel. Next steps? I just ordered a pair of work gloves designed to alleviate the symptoms and am also using stretches and massage. I'm also upping my intake of vitamin B6, as recommended by Orly Avitzur, M.D., a medical adviser to Consumers Union.

I'm keeping my tingling fingers crossed that these moves will work, because the next steps might include drugs and even surgery. As noted on ConsumerReportsHealth.org, "If you have severe carpal tunnel syndrome, you may need an operation right away to prevent more permanent nerve damage."

If you've ever suffered from carpal tunnel syndrome—perhaps specifically caused by your yard and garden work—tell us how you've tried to alleviate the problem by leaving a comment below.—Steven H. Saltzman | e-mail | Twitter | Forums | Facebook

CR Electronics: Why electronics stores "suck"

How can brick-and-mortar consumer electronics stores serve customers better? Let Gilbert Fiorentino, an executive at Systemax (which now owns the Circuit City brand name), count the ways.
[ Photo courtesy of Ed Yourdon (Under Creative Commons) ]

The shopping experience at walk-in electronics stores "sucks," according to a keynote speech at the recent Consumer Electronics Association conference in New York.

No, that messenger wasn't me or someone else from Consumer Reports, talking about how our Ratings of places to buy computers and other major electronics items (available to subscribers) reveal that satisfaction with brick-and-mortar stores lags behind that for online retailers.

Instead, the observation came from someone with firsthand knowledge of electronics retailing: The relatively-new owner of CompUSA's stores and Web site and of the TigerDirect.com and newly-relaunched CircuitCity.com Web sites, too.

In the most colorful presentation at the CEA Line Shows event, Gilbert Fiorentino, the Chief Executive (Technology Products Group) of Systemax, the parent company for CompUSA, said he took over the ailing chain last year determined to improve the experience of shopping for electronics in a store.

"Go into a typical electronics store," he says, "and can you see the product manual? No. Can you find out how many HDMI inputs the TV set has? No, not unless it's on the little card on the shelf in front—and someone hasn't taken that for themselves. Can I even use the TV? No, someone stole the remote control, too."