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%.
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.
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.
The best of the best-dressed lists
From the glitzy gowns to the eye-popping bling, where can you see the best coverage of Oscar fashion?
E! Live from the Red Carpet delivered a full two hours of minute-by-minute coverage of the 2010 Oscars. In case you missed it, you can go online to see a recap of more than 40 memorable red carpet moments on video. Play the “Red-Carpet Pose Off” and pick who you think looked more stylish. Sandra Bullock vs. Sarah Jessica Parker? Charlize Theron vs. Cameron Diaz? You decide.
The Shake Weight looks ridiculous, but can it tone your arms?
A phallic, gyrating device made especially for women? No, this isn’t a sex toy. It’s the Shake Weight, the latest As Seen on TV fitness product to take the nation by storm. Although the Shake Weight hasn’t received many favorable reviews, it has been the butt of countless YouTube spoofs and TV parodies, including a particularly funny and much-talked-about segment on the Ellen DeGeneres show.
Wine clubs: Worth it or not?
Wine is big business in the U.S., where per-capita consumption has steadily been rising for more than a decade. It’s no wonder that wine of the month clubs — be they affiliated with publications like The New York Times, or offered by retailers or wineries — are proliferating. But are wine clubs worth the money, and if so, how can you choose the best wine club?
Weak spots: Are you ruining your multivitamins?
Attention multivitamin mavens: Storing products in the wrong place can quickly degrade their healthful ingredients, according to a new study from Purdue University. In their evaluations, experts found that kitchens and bathrooms can be particularly problematic areas due to their extra heat and humidity. Plus, contrary to popular belief, tightly-sealed containers don’t always help. “That’s because opening and closing a package introduces humidity and moisture each time, changing the atmosphere within the container,” explains Lisa Mauer, lead author of the study.
What to do if you’ve been cheated
We really didn’t need official confirmation, but we now have it: Scams, schemes and other ways to separate you from your bankroll are on the rise. According to its latest report, the Consumer Sentinel Network — an online database that compiles consumer complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Better Business Bureau, Internet Crime Complaint Center, Identity Theft Assistance Center, PhoneBusters, the postal service, and other organizations in the U.S. and Canada — received over 1.3 million complaints in 2009, and that number is expected to grow as other organizations report in. Identity theft is the most common type of fraud, but it’s far from the only kind.