No surprise: Cardio machines overestimate your calorie burn
It may not come as a huge surprise that treadmills, elliptical trainers and other fitness machines overestimate the number of calories burned. But you might raise your eyebrows at the margin of error — especially if you’re relying on a machine’s calorie counter for your weight-loss strategy. According to a recent segment on Good Morning America, treadmills and stair steppers overestimate by about 12% each. That might not make a huge difference if you’re only walking for a mile or so. But it starts to add up. If you’re walking for an hour and the machine says you’ve burned 450 calories, you’ve really burned 400. But even that isn’t too bad compared to elliptical trainers, which in the GMA study proved off by a whopping 42%.
Boys’ Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings Recalled by Brand Evolution Due to Strangulation Hazard
The hoodies have drawstrings through the hoods that pose a strangulation hazard to children.
Telebrands Recalls Scarves with Microwaveable Heat Packs Due to Fire and Burn Hazards
The heat packs can overheat when heated in a microwave oven, posing a fire and burn hazard to consumers.
Girl’s Hooded Jackets with Drawstrings Recalled by Regaliti Due to Strangulation Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Burlington Coat Factory
The jackets have a drawstring through the hood, which can pose a strangulation hazard to young children.
Byer California Recalls Girl’s Jackets with Drawstrings Due to Strangulation Hazard
The drawstrings on the neck and waist of the jacket can pose a strangulation or entrapment hazard to children.
They’re here: 3D TVs, Blu-ray players hit retailers’ shelves
In separate press events in New York this week, Samsung and Panasonic officially announced that 3D-capable TVs and Blu-ray players are now on sale, with even more models expected over the coming months. Despite the hoopla and some rosy projections over how many sets will be sold this year and in years to come, there’s still more than enough skepticism to go around. Some new bumps in the path to 3D have also surfaced, such as concerns that Samsung’s first 3D Blu-ray players might not actually be able to show content in 3D. For now, at least, we have a clearer picture of what 3D will actually cost early adopters, and that’s a mixed bag.
Should you buy cell phone insurance?
You probably know someone who’s dropped their cell phone in the toilet, left their iPhone in a cab or experienced some sort of cell phone mishap that left them disconnected. Would these people have benefited from an insurance plan? In most cases, insurance won’t actually save you any money by the time you pay the premium and deductible. Experts say you can probably skip the insurance, but offer tips on how to protect yourself in case you do lose or destroy your phone.
AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint work with Asurion, a third-party insurance company. Their plans cover phone loss, theft and damage, including water damage. A manufacturer’s warranty typically lasts one year from the date of purchase and is more limited, covering some product malfunctions, but not a drop in the pool. Warranties also generally don’t protect against loss or theft.
Golden opportunities: A look at sunless tanners
Increasing concerns about the sun’s intensity have caused many consumers to turn to sunless tanners. These products, which promise to supply consumers with a safer, temporary, faux tan, are currently available in lotions, gels, foams and sprays, in both professional and at-home formulas.
Gerber Legendary Blades Recalls Machetes Due to Laceration Hazard
The saw side of the machete can stick in wood during use, and if the user’s hand slips off the handle and slides forward across the machete blade, this poses a laceration hazard.
Photo-editing software: Picture-perfect choices for every photographer
Whether you’re a beginner with your digital camera or a seasoned, DSLR-wielding professional photographer, there’s an almost dizzying array of photo-editing software available to get any image looking its best. Choices include powerful and challenging-to-use packages that help pros fine-tune the most minute details and easy-to-use photo editors that still have an ample enough bag of tricks to handle most general photo-editing tasks. Best of all, as our freshly-updated report on photo-editing software reveals, cost and power don’t always go hand-in-hand.