New phishing email disguised as BBB and the American Institute of CPAs
New phishing email disguised as BBB and the American Institute of CPAs A new phishing email using the Better Business Bureau name and email address has been reported by people across the country. The phishing attempt is the latest iteration in a recent outbreak of scams using the BBB name. In addition to the BBB.org email address, the phishing email also uses the American Institute of CPAs logo and name. Although the email primarily targets accountants, the BBB has received reports of other professionals receiving the emails as well. The email says that the recipients CPA license is being terminated due to tax fraud allegations and encourages them to click on a link and reply to the charges. The link leads to a third party website that downloads a virus on to the recipient’s computer...
LG announces the Optimus 3D Max, its second 3D smart phone
LG announces the Optimus 3D Max, its second 3D smart phone LG has announced its latest Android smart phone with 3D capability. The Optimus 3D Max, which will debut at the 2012 Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona later this week, has the same 3D technology found in the high-scoring LG Thrill (available from AT&T) in our Ratings. The Optimus 3D Max has a larger, 4.3-inch WVGA display and a faster, dual-core processor, and it adds support for NFC ( near-field communication ) technology, which enables the phone to act as a payment device at a small but slowly growing number of store registers. The phone will launch in Korea in March, then roll out in Europe and "other markets." No U.S. carrier was mentioned in the release. It will run Android 2...
Don't be tempted by tax refund anticipation loans or checks
Don't be tempted by tax refund anticipation loans or checks Tax refund anticipation loans or checks may sound like a good deal, but you’ll pay a high price if you take either offer from a tax-prep company. A refund anticipation loan, or RAL, is when a tax-prep company gives you your refund in advance, for what seems like a small fee, but those fees are actually extremely costly. Refund anticipation checks, or RACs, provide short-term loans to clients who don't have the money up front to pay for tax preparation. Because of pressure from regulators and consumer activists, this will be the last tax season RALs are available, in their place, tax-prep companies are offering RACs, although RALs may still be available through non-bank entities such as payday lenders...
Sony PlayStation Vita review
Sony PlayStation Vita review The PlayStation Vita, Sony’s new hand-held gaming device, hit the market today. The question on at least some of our minds, though, is whether we really need a standalone gaming device anymore; the way people think about portable gaming has changed a lot in recent years, with the advent of games on sophisticated smart phones and tablets. But this descendant of the PlayStation Portable, with its advanced controls and expansive games, just may just be able to carve out a niche in the market. The PS Vita ($249 for the Wi-Fi-only version, $299 for 3G plus Wi-Fi) has a 5-inch OLED touch screen, which is perfect for hand-held gaming. The graphics are easily better than those of the Nintendo 3DS , but (despite what you might have heard) they're not quite at the level of the PlayStation 3 console's graphics...
V2V and me: Driving the smart cars of the future
V2V and me: Driving the smart cars of the future The future of vehicle safety depends on talking cars. That is, cars that can communicate wirelessly, sharing data on their speed and positing, giving them the ability to alert drivers of potential dangers. Through vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology, warnings could be triggered by a car slamming on their brakes in front of you, running a red light, or moving into your lane. Instead of dealing with the after effects of an accident, this technology would alert you to prevent a crash from occurring in the first place. I recently had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of various connected vehicles at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) pilot test at a former naval air station in Alameda, California, and experience this promising new technology first hand...
Malware on mobile devices jumps 155 percent since last year
Malware on mobile devices jumps 155 percent since last year Spyware that captures and transfers data such as your GPS coordinates, text records, and browsing history is the biggest malware threat by far on mobile Android devices, according to networking firm Juniper Networks’ 2011 Mobile Threats Report . Spyware made up nearly 64 percent of the malware the company identified in a study of over 790,000 apps. In addition, there was a 155 percent increase in malware across all mobile platforms compared to last year, the report said. You should also beware of SMS Trojans, which accounted for about 36 percent of the malware uncovered. These send text messages to premium-rate numbers owned by the attackers without your knowledge. Fake installers are another illegal money-making scheme, Juniper noted...
Honda recalls 2008-09 Odyssey minivans for power liftgate issues
Honda recalls 2008-09 Odyssey minivans for power liftgate issues American Honda Motors has issued a recall for 45,747 of its 2008 and 2009 model year Odyssey minivans equipped with the power rear liftgate option. The gas-filled struts used to open and close the rear hatch are flawed and may fail to support the lifted door, said the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. According to NHTSA, the flawed struts leak pressurized gas which is needed to keep the large liftgate in the upright position. The defect can lead to unexpected closures of the rear gate, increasing the risk of injury to drivers and passengers who may be under the vehicle's open hatch. Honda, which has identified this recall as S22, will begin next month to notify its minivan owners affected by this safety recall...
Daily electronic deals: Hype Audio Eclipse stereo headphones
Daily electronic deals: Hype Audio Eclipse stereo headphones Today's electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist : Tanga.com : Hype Audio Eclipse Stereo Headphones for $14.99 Barnes & Noble : Nook Tablet 8GB 7-in WiFi Tablet $199 Expansys : iTon 49-Key Bluetooth v2.0 Mini Keyboard for $13 free shipping Entertainment Amazon : Buy 2 PS Vita Games, Get a 3rd Video Game Free Amazon : Zumba Fitness Rush - Kinect [Xbox 360] $10 bonus credit $49.96, free ship Walmart : PlayStation 3 Accessory Bundle with Headset, Wireless Controller, Remote, and Dock Station for $40 $3.97 Shipping Neither Consumer Reports nor The Consumerist receive anything in exchange for featuring these deals; the posts are intended to be purely informational. These deals are often fleeting, with prices changing or products becoming unavailable as the day progresses...
Almost Butters - from Consumer Reports
Almost Butters - from Consumer Reports For the March'12 issue, Consumer Reports trained tasters sampled 15 butter alternatives to see which taste best. Almost Butters - CR Podcast Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences
Average gas prices--February 20, 2012
Average gas prices--February 20, 2012 Gas prices continue to rise around the country in most areas compared to the week before . The national gasoline average is $.40 above the price this time last year. Diesel fuel is about $.39 above this time last year. Premium fuel is $3.87, up about seven cents from last week. National regular gasoline prices Price Change from last week Regular gasoline/gallon $3.59 ↑ .07 Diesel fuel/gallon $3.96 ↑ .02 Regional regular gasoline prices East Coast $3.65 ↑ .04 —New England $3.69 ↑ .05 —Central Atlantic $3.67 ↑ .04 —Lower Atlantic $3.63 ↑ .04 Midwest $3.46 ↑ .06 Gulf Coast $3.48 ↑ .05 Rocky Mountain $3.10 ↑ .03 West Coast $3.90 ↑ .17 —California $3...
Fuji recalls women's bicycles for frames that can break
Fuji recalls women's bicycles for frames that can break About 10,500 Fuji Saratoga Women's Bicycles are being recalled by its importer, Advanced Sports Inc. of Philadelphia, PA. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the bicycle's frame can break in the center of the downtube during use, causing the rider to lose control and fall. The company is aware of 12 reports of bicycle frames breaking, including two injuries, a head laceration requiring 20 stitches and scrapes and bruises. The CPSC advises consumers to stop riding the recalled bicycle immediately and return it to any authorized Fuji Bicycle dealers for a free replacement frame. The recalled bicycles are Fuji women's cruiser bicycles, specifically the 2008 through 2010 models of Fuji's Saratoga 1...
RIM releases BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update
RIM releases BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.0 update Today RIM announced a new version of the operating system for the BlackBerry PlayBook : OS 2.0 adds a number of new features and functions to the Consumer Reports– recommended tablet . New features include: Built-in e-mail, calendar, and contacts. The PlayBook now offers a unified e-mail inbox, so you can view all your mail at once, as well as a "social hub" Contacts view that lets you see information from Facebook, Twitter, and so on. BlackBerry Bridge. Demoed at CES 2012, this new feature lets you use your BlackBerry smart phone as a remote control for your PlayBook. (This video shows you some of the functionality you'll get with this feature.) Open On. With a click, you'll be able to open documents, photos, and links that reside on your BlackBerry smart phone on your BlackBerry PlayBook...
B&N releases 8GB Nook Tablet for $199, drops Color reader to $169
B&N releases 8GB Nook Tablet for $199, drops Color reader to $169 Barnes & Noble today heated up the tablet computer market by introducing a new $199 version of its Nook Tablet and cutting the price of the tablet-like Nook Color e-reader to $169. With the price cuts, B&N is now offering a tablet with the same 8GB of storage and $199 price tag as its key competitor, the Amazon Kindle Fire . Formerly, the Nook Tablet was available only at $249 for a 16GB version, which is still being sold at that price. By trimming the price of the Nook Color, the bookseller now offers a device that costs less than the Kindle Fire and offers some of the same basic specs, including a 7-inch LCD color screen and access to an array of apps. The Nook Color is billed as an e-book reader and so is included in our Ratings of e-book readers (available to subscribers)...
Joining the over-40 mpg club: Overachievers that can beat EPA fuel economy ratings
Joining the over-40 mpg club: Overachievers that can beat EPA fuel economy ratings We’ve recently showed that most fuel-efficient cars can beat their EPA highway fuel economy estimates in Consumer Reports measured fuel economy testing. But if you want to hit 40 mpg on the highway, our tests show that you have more options than you might think. Below is a list of recently tested vehicles that returned 40 mpg or better in our 65-mph highway fuel economy testing, but were officially rated for less. Make & Model EPA Highway MPG CR Highway MPG Difference (mpg) Honda Civic LX 39 47 8 Honda Civic EX 39 43 4 Ford Fiesta SE sedan 39 45 6 Ford Focus SE 38 43 5 Toyota Camry Hybrid XLE 38 43 5 Fiat 500 Sport (manual) 38 42 4 Fiat 500C Pop (manual) 38 42 4 Nissan Versa SV sedan 38 40 2 Honda CR-Z EX (manual) 37 45 8 Ford Fiesta SES hatchback (manual) 38 42 4 Mini Cooper (manual) 37 41 4 BMW 335d (diesel) 36 40 4 Ford Fusion Hybrid 36 40 4 Toyota Camry LE 35 41 6 Mazda2 Sport (manual) 35 40 5 Toyota Corolla LE 34 40 6 Scion xD (manual) 33 40 7 If getting that magic 40 mpg on the highway is important to you, this list provides more options...
Daily electronics deals: HP dm1-4170us Intel Core i3-2367M 11.6-inch laptop
Daily electronics deals: HP dm1-4170us Intel Core i3-2367M 11.6-inch laptop Today's electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist : HP : 11.6" HP dm1-4170us Core i3-2367M laptop, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD $474.99, free ship NewEgg : Altec Lansing FX3022 Speakers $74.95, free ship Dell Home : Dell Optiplex 390 Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz Quad-Core Desktop Computer (4GB/500GB) $499 Neither Consumer Reports nor The Consumerist receive anything in exchange for featuring these deals; the posts are intended to be purely informational. These deals are often fleeting, with prices changing or products becoming unavailable as the day progresses. These posts are not an endorsement of the featured products or the Web sites that sell them—though some of the sites may be included, and recommended, in our Ratings of retailers for computers and other major electronics (both available to subscribers)...
Coming soon: vehicles that talk to one another
Coming soon: vehicles that talk to one another Imagine being stopped at a busy intersection. It looks clear to safely make a left turn. You pull out, then CRASH. From seemingly nowhere, a speeding car rams into you. This situation happens everyday in cities across America, but there is emerging technology that could make this a rare occurrence. So, let’s imagine the scenario again. This time you hear a beep and see a red light on the dash warning that a car is rapidly approaching and you won’t be able to safely turn. You remain at the stop sign, wait until the vehicle passes, and then proceed when it’s safe to do so, thereby avoiding a potential crash. Sounds like science fiction? It’s not, and this technology is closer to reality than you think...
CR Examines Smarter Cars That Could Prevent or Minimize Up To 80 Percent of Crashes
CR Examines Smarter Cars That Could Prevent or Minimize Up To 80 Percent of Crashes CR impressed by new technology, says it’s worth pursuing YONKERS, NY — An ambitious new safety system that is being developed by government, universities and automakers is featured in Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto Issue. Instead of protecting against the aftermath of a vehicle crash, the system is designed to prevent vehicle crashes from occurring in the first place. And the magazine—a staunch advocate of stronger safety features for drivers for eight decades, from seat belts to air bags to electronic stability control—is impressed by this technology. Here’s one way the system can help drivers: Imagine that you’re approaching an intersection at 30 mph with a green traffic light ahead...
Questions for a Financial Adviser - from Consumer Reports
Questions for a Financial Adviser - from Consumer Reports To get the most value from any financial plan, you need to spend time with the adviser. Here are some questions you need to ask. From the February '12 issue of Consumer Reports. Adviser Questions - CR Podcast Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences
Nissan recalls 2012 Altima and Versa cars for air bag problems
Nissan recalls 2012 Altima and Versa cars for air bag problems Nissan North America is recalling a small number of 2012 Nissan Altima and Nissan Versa sedans for issues with their side curtain air bags, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The Nissan vehicles were made with air bag initiators that contain an incorrect mixture of propellants that may not inflate the safety devices during a collision. Similar issues have been identified by NHTSA and other manufacturers. Earlier this month, NHTSA announced a recall of 2011 Toyota RAV4 SUVs for side curtain air bag problems. Honda also recalled 2012 Crosstour and Civic vehicles while Subaru recalled 2012 Legacy and Outback vehicles for similar air bag issues. For this current NHTSA recall, Nissan is expected to notify affected owners of recalled Altima and Versa sedans on Feb...
Recall: Ganz dancing teapots due to burn hazard
Recall: Ganz dancing teapots due to burn hazard Ganz U.S.A., of Cheektowaga, N.Y. has recalled about 2,100 of its Dancing Teapots in the U.S. and 170 in Canada because the handles get extremely hot when the teapot is in use, creating a burn hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada reported. No incidents or injuries have been reported in relation to this recall. The recall involves Ganz ceramic teapots that are tilted to appear as if they are dancing, which came in blue, yellow, green, orange, pink and black. The 32-ounce teapots are about 10 inches tall and 8 inches wide, and have SKU number ER19252 and UPC 661371626062 printed on a sticker on the bottom of the teapot. Manufactured in China, the recalled teapots were sold for about $30 at tea and coffee specialty stores, gift stores, drug stores, kitchen supply stores, hospital gift shops and other retailers nationwide from December 2011 through January 2012...
Breaking Medical News
Want to Lose Weight? Try Teamwork
A new study shows that teammates who shed at least 5% of their initial body weight during a weight loss competition were likely to be on the same teams...
Spring Allergies Strike Early This Year
Got a stuffy nose, sore throat, watery eyes, or throbbing head? In February, those symptoms are usually caused by a cold or the flu, but this year, the culprit could be allergies...
Telltale Signs of Autism as Early as 6 Months
Differences in brain development may be evident as early as age 6 months in children who go on to develop autism, according to new research...
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