Technology

Consumer Reports names top ten Electronics of 2012 for performance and innovation
[Nov. 9, 2012] While Consumer Reports tested more than six hundred smart phones, tablets, TVs and more for its December Annual Electronics Issue, only ten standout products made the short list for performance and innovation.

Consumer Reports reveals top gadgets of summer
[Jul. 10, 2012] Even as handheld devices have become more versatile, the average person will likely be carrying around more than one of them this summer. The August issue of Consumer Reports includes a special “tech to go” feature, which includes more than 150 CR Recommended tablets, smart phones, e-book readers, tablets, and other mobile devices, as well as a guide to keeping those gadgets from being damaged at the beach or near water.

Consumer Reports finds Verizon FiOS best overall of widely-available TV, Internet, and phone bundle providers
[Jul. 2, 2012] There are few TV, phone, and Internet providers that manage to please subscribers on all counts, and those that do don’t typically serve a lot of consumers. Verizon FiOS, which is available in portions of 12 mostly Eastern states, Washington, D.C., southern California and Texas, was cited as highly rated among providers offering all three services, based on the latest subscriber survey on telecom providers from the Consumer Reports National Research Center. However, WOW, a regional telecom provider serving four Midwestern states, was also top-rated.

Eight in 10 young drivers say texting behind the wheel is dangerous, yet nearly a third admit to doing it
[May 12, 2012] While the vast majority of young drivers aged 16-21 agree that texting, using smart-phone apps, or accessing the Internet while driving is very dangerous, nearly a third (29 percent) admitted in a Consumer Reports survey that they had, in fact, texted while behind the wheel in the past month. Forty-seven percent reported that they had made a phone call without a headset while behind the wheel, even though nearly two-thirds (63 percent) acknowledged that the behavior was perilous.

13 million US facebook users don’t use privacy controls and risk sharing updates beyond their “friends”
[May 3, 2012] Nearly 13 million U.S. Facebook users do not use, or are not aware of the site’s privacy controls, according to a new Consumer Reports investigation on Facebook and privacy, potentially exposing personal information beyond their network of Facebook friends. The report also revealed that a projected 4.8 million people have posted about where they planned to go on a certain day, a potential tip-off to burglars, while 4.7 million have “liked” a Facebook page about health conditions or treatments, details that insurers might use against them.

T-Mobile G2x tops Consumer Reports’ ratings of camera features on smart phones
[Jun. 29, 2011] Smart phones are quickly elbowing aside basic point-and-shoot cameras as the device of choice for sharing everyday experiences. In Consumer Reports recent tests of 45 smart phone cameras, the T-Mobile G2x, $250, stood out with very good still images overall and was among the best for video quality. The report is featured in the August issue of Consumer Reports and online at ConsumerReports.org and includes Ratings of stand-alone cameras and camcorders, advice on how to choose and solutions for tough photo problems.

Consumer Reports' five must-sees at CES 2011
[Jan. 6, 2011] The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show officially starts on Thursday and the electronics editors at Consumer Reports have identified five product categories they’re eager to see at this year’s show.

Consumer Reports finds that E-Tailers continue to dominate ratings of electronics stores
[Nov. 7, 2010] Electronics items are now as likely to be bought online as in walk-in stores according to the latest Consumer Reports Annual Electronics Buying Survey. And, for the third year in a row, websites received many of the top scores in the Ratings of electronics retailers. High-scoring sites included BHPhotoVideo.com, Crutchfield.com, Amazon.com and Newegg.com.

Elon Law Review's fall 2010 symposium to explore transparency, secrecy and the Internet
[Sep. 26, 2010] Several of the nation's top scholars in Intellectual Property law, technology and the Internet will gather on October 29 at Elon University School of Law to explore how the Internet impacts public access to information and how society balances the desire for increased access to information with the need for secrecy, privacy and control.

Consumer Reports compiles list of useful smart-phone apps for motorists
[Jul. 12, 2010] Consumer Reports provides a list of useful smart-phone apps for drivers, tested for the major smart-phone platforms, in the August issue of the magazine. Some of the apps are free. The full list is available in the August issue of Consumer Reports. The reports are also available to subscribers of www.ConsumerReports.org.

Consumer Reports finds that streaming online movies directly to TV is ready for prime time
[Apr. 10, 2010] Getting online content on TV is easier than ever. A growing number of Internet-capable TVs and Blu-ray players allow consumers to stream video from the Web to the big screen via a broadband connection. Consumer Reports latest Ratings of TVs and Blu-ray players that can stream movies online includes more than 20 sets from $1,000 and four players from $150. Lab tests also revealed that set up and access to online content was easy and picture quality was decent if not quite up to the claimed resolution.

Consumer Reports finds that fiber-optic providers are leading choices for Internet, TV, and telephone service
[Jan. 21, 2010] Fiber-optic service providers for Internet, TV and phone services scored tops overall in Consumer Reports latest survey of telecom services. Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse, whose networks are fiber-optic based, received top scores for Internet and TV service and were among the better phone providers. Results of Consumer Reports survey of some 69,000 reader experiences with telecom services are featured in the magazine’s February issue.

Consumer Reports finds that fiber-optic providers are leading choices for Internet, television, and telephone service
[Jan. 15, 2009] Consumers looking to cut costs without sacrificing satisfaction for Internet, television, and telephone service should consider bundling with Verizon FiOS or AT&T U-verse. In Consumer Reports’ latest survey of major telecom providers and bundled services, featured in the February issue, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse, whose networks are fiber-optic based, were the most consistently satisfying providers for their Internet, television, and telephone services.

Consumers Union says Congress should consider delay of digital TV transition
[Jan. 12, 2009] Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, said Congress should consider delaying the February 17 transition from analog to digital TV broadcasts.