Government report projects increasing alternative-fuel car choices Government report projects increasing alternative-fuel car choices The latest projection by the U.S. Energy Information Agency forecasts that by 2035, almost half of the cars sold in the United States will be alternative-fuel vehicles. That includes: diesel, flex-fuel, hybrid, plug-in hybrid electric, pure electric, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and fuel-cell vehicles. Most of those sales will be hybrids, according to the forecast. In 2008, alternative-fuel vehicles constituted only 13 percent of overall sales, led by conventional (non-plug-in) hybrids. Today, automakers are looking to introduce the next wave of alternative-fuel cars, required by the upcoming CAFE standards that will raise average fuel economy requirements to 35... Smart back-to-school money moves for grown-ups, part 3 Smart back-to-school money moves for grown-ups, part 3 As we mentioned here yesterday you may be able to deduct your educational expenses if they meet certain criteria. Even if you don't qualify, there are two tax credits and another deduction that could make a return to the classroom easier to afford. • American opportunity credit. This an expanded version of the old Hope credit, available in 2009 and 2010.  If you haven’t completed four years of post-secondary education, you might be eligible to take this credit of up to $2,500.  To do so, you must be working toward an undergraduate degree or “other recognized educational credential,” and you must be enrolled at least half time for at least half of the year. A credit, you’ll recall, is even better than a deduction, since it comes right off the tax you’d owe rather than from the income on which you’re taxed... Q&A: Vitamin D and window light? Q&A: Vitamin D and window light? You've reported that people generally need some sun exposure to maintain adequate vitamin D levels. But does sunlight passing through windows trigger production of vitamin D? — D.P., Baie Verte, Newfoundland, Canada No. Glass blocks ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, the type that stimulates vitamin D synthesis by the skin. To get enough of the vitamin, you probably need to briefly expose some skin to direct sunlight a few days a week during the warmer months––unless you take a multivitamin containing D or consume lots of D-fortified milk plus some fatty fish . (Avoid high fatty-fish intake, which may supply excessive amounts of mercury and other toxins.) However, you can get sunburned through a window... The price of a 3D TV setup: $3,300 for a family of four The price of a 3D TV setup: $3,300 for a family of four Now that Panasonic and Samsung have announced prices for their 3D TV lineups, we’re happy to report that 3D models start as low as $1,700, though bigger sets loaded with bells and whistles could run as high as $6,000 or $7,000. Those prices seems reasonable for a set with the latest technology, likely about what many of us spent for a new flat-panel TV a year or two ago. But unlike those earlier sets, you’ll have to buy some additional gear, such as a 3D Blu-ray player and 3D LCD shutter glasses, if you want to enjoy the 3D experience. Right now you can expect to pay about $400 for a 3D-enabled Blu-ray player, and around $150 for each set of additional glasses beyond the one or two pairs that may come with your TV... Home-Theater Sytems - from Consumer Reports Home-Theater Sytems - from Consumer Reports Most of the Home-Theater systems Consumer Reports tested for the March '10 issue had good or fair sound quality ... though a few did better. Podcast - Home-Theater Systems Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences This machete recall had us in stitches This machete recall had us in stitches When we heard about the recall of a machete because it posed a laceration hazard, we thought it was a parody. Cutting—isn't that what a machete is for? What's next: Candles that catch fire, folding chairs that fold up, steam mops that spurt steam? Nevermind—all those things have been recalled as well. Still, it makes us laugh when something is recalled because it does the very thing it was made to do (but poorly). Now let's cut to the chase: Gerber Legendary Blades has recalled 149,000 Gator Machetes and 6,000 Gator Machetes Jr. because the user's hand can slip off the handle and slide forward across the blade. The company has received five reports of individuals cutting themselves while using the Gator Machete, all of whom required stitches... Daily Dispatch: Jet pack can be yours for $86k; Biking directions added to Google Maps Daily Dispatch: Jet pack can be yours for $86k; Biking directions added to Google Maps Combing through hundreds of blog posts and news articles daily, Dirk Klingner, our technology-trend watcher, sifts through the noise to bring you the tech news most important to consumers. If you have a tip on a story you want to share, leave a comment below. It's 2010 - finally my jet pack is here! ( Gizmag ) Only $86,000 will get you the first commercially available jet pack (right). Kyte Now Offering Broadcast-Quality Live Video Streaming Backpack ( TechCrunch ) ...LivePro is a computer in a backpack connected to six data cards all uploading live video at the same time, balancing the load across three different carriers (Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon)... Will Bank of America's overdraft fee turnaround spark a trend? Will Bank of America's overdraft fee turnaround spark a trend? Starting this summer,  Bank of America will eliminate overdraft fees for debit card purchases by rejecting any transactions at the cash register that exceed a customer’s account balance. The bank’s move goes a step beyond new Federal Reserve rules that also kick in this summer requiring banks to obtain customers’ permission before charging overdraft fees for debit or ATM transactions that would exceed their balance.    It’s also quite a contrast from overdraft policy changes Bank of America introduced last summer , when it began charging  $35 “sustained overdraft” fees on top of the initial $35 penalty. Even after the bank modified its rules last fall so that overdraft fees would only be charged when a customer was more than $10 overdrawn, the penalties still could add up to $280 for a $11 overdraft that any wasn’t repaid within five days... Video: What to do if your car suddenly accelerates, and what not to do Video: What to do if your car suddenly accelerates, and what not to do " /> Sudden, unintended acceleration has been made into the great terror of the American highways and byways, though drivers can quickly and easily regain control of a car should it experience this rare, though admittedly frightening event. The high-profile example of the runaway Toyota Prius in the San Diego area this week highlights the need for all drivers to know how to put the vehicle in Neutral. Monday afternoon, Jim Sikes called 9-1-1 to report that his Prius accelerator was stuck. He was speeding in excess of 80 mph on a highway and eventually crested 90 mph. (Read: " Toyota Prius investigated after high-speed sudden acceleration incident ... Hot pockets? Make that burning Hot pockets? Make that burning After the Snuggie and its doggie doppelganger, we hoped that the days of goofy garments would end. But sure enough, something even sillier hit the shelves—a scarf with warming pockets. Apparently, the pockets were too hot to handle as the scarves were recalled today after several microwaves were destroyed heating the "cuddly" wrappers. Called Therma Scarf , the polyester scarves have pockets on each end with microwaveable heat packs composed of flax seeds. Just pop them in the microwave ... and call 911. The maker, Telebrands, has received seven reports of the scarves or packs overheating, including five fires, three of which resulted in property damage to the microwave. Two of the incidents were in Canada... The first Panasonic, Samsung 3D TVs: Looking good! The first Panasonic, Samsung 3D TVs: Looking good! If you’ve been following the news, you may have heard that 3D TV is finally here—and based on our very early experiences, it appears well worth the wait. We're now testing the first 3D sets to hit the market , and the preliminary results are impressive. These TVs produce compelling, realistic three-dimensional images that can duplicate the excitement you’d get in a movie theater. In fact, though we’re still in the midst of our first tests of new 3D TV from Panasonic and Samsung , we can unequivocally say that these TVs produce the best 3D effects we’ve ever experienced from a consumer television, and represent a significant leap in the capability of a home TV set. In our labs, we’re testing two 46-inch (7000- and 8000-series) Samsung LCD sets, which include LED backlights and 240Hz technology... Pringles and ready-to-eat meats part of huge processed food recall Pringles and ready-to-eat meats part of huge processed food recall The company at the center of a burgeoning processed food recall continued to make and sell a flavoring agent after learning salmonella had been detected in its Las Vegas plant, according to the Washington Post . Reporting on inspection records from the Food and Drug Administration , the Post wrote that, "Basic Food Flavors tested surfaces near food-processing equipment throughout its plant twice in January and once in February, and each time the samples showed salmonella contamination." Yet the company continued to ship hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) and make more of it without taking measures to stem the contamination, the FDA records showed. This news comes as the FDA is adding multiple HVP-enhanced foods to its recall list —a list that is expected to grow exponentially in the coming days... Do Baby Wordsworth DVDs help your baby talk? Do Baby Wordsworth DVDs help your baby talk? Although quite chatty now, our daughter wasn't an early talker. I clearly remember the worry I felt when her doctor expressed mild concern over her lack of words. As a parent, it's hard not to obsess over such developmental milestones, and you do what you can to help your child learn and grow. One tool many parents turn to are educational DVDs for babies and toddlers, some of which focus on language. However, a new study suggests that such tools do not actually help young children learn new words or improve their overall language skills. The study focused on the Baby Wordsworth DVD, which is part of the Baby Einstein series. Ninety-six children aged 12 months to 24 months participated in the study, and half watched the DVD regularly for six weeks... Current Toyota acceleration-related recalls Current Toyota acceleration-related recalls There has been too much confusion this week related to Toyota recalls. With the reporting on the second-generation Toyota Prius high-speed unintended acceleration event near San Diego Monday, many reports suggested that Toyota was issuing a new recall of the Prius. However, the 2004-2009 Prius was already included in the floor mat entrapment recall announced in November, 2009. And the floor mat was not thought to be a factor in the San Diego incident , nor one that occurred in New York on Tuesday, involving a woman driving a Prius into a stone wall. Since many motorists have confusion about the current recalls , we have itemized them in the chart below. It indicates all Toyota vehicles affected by both sticking accelerator and floor mat entrapment recalls... Will my employer drop my coverage? Unlikely. Will my employer drop my coverage? Unlikely. Critics of health-care reform say that it would leave employers with little incentive to continue to offer health coverage to their workers. Here’s their argument in a nutshell. Under President Obama’s proposal, if you work for a company with 50 or more employees, your employer would be able to choose between continuing to offer health benefits or paying a penalty of $2,000 per full-time employee   (not counting the first 30 employees).   In most cases, paying the penalty would be cheaper than the cost of offering health coverage. So, critics say, employers would drop coverage. But is that what would really happen?   Probably not, because it doesn’t happen today when employers have even less of a financial incentive to offer health benefits... Small business and health-care reform Small business and health-care reform Many small employers have a tough time getting a good deal on health coverage under the current system, especially if they have employees who are older or in less- than-perfect health. They tend to pay more for worse coverage than large employers. All that would change under health reform, thanks to three key features: New tax credits to help make coverage cheaper Exchanges to make it easier to offer coverage and provide a richer array of choices for employees Exemption from the employer penalties that larger firms face if they don’t offer health coverage to their workers. If you have a small business, the effects of health reform depend on how exactly how small you are. Here’s the scoop: If you’re self-employed, with no employees… In almost all states, you would shop in the exchange as an individual and, depending on your income, you might be able to qualify for the tax credits being established for individuals and families... Inside Consumer Reports Test Labs: Tersano Lotus LWT100 water filter Inside Consumer Reports Test Labs: Tersano Lotus LWT100 water filter Tersano Lotus LWT100, $150. In our 2007 report on water filters , a number of issues—including clogging, leaking, and concerns over ozone—led us to make the carafe-style Tersano Lotus LWT100 a not recommended product. Read all the details in this look at the Tersano Lotus LWT100 . In May 2008, production was halted on the LWT100. In July 2009, Tersano came out with an updated version of the LWT100, which we've tested for our May 2010 review of water filters, which will be on ConsumerReports.org and on newsstands in early April. In our preliminary testing, the updated LWT100 has done an excellent job of removing lead and chloroform from contaminated water without sacrificing cartridge life or flow rate... "Walkability" improves your health "Walkability" improves your health Whether I vacation in an urban or wilderness area, I always seem to walk enough every day to need a rest before dinner—without formally setting off to "exercise." I find it more fun to use my feet to go somewhere than to move in place on a treadmill or circle a track. What I lose in speed by dodging slippery rocks on a mountain path or pedestrians in a city, I make up in length of activity, easily forgetting the time when the surroundings are interesting. The "walkability" of your surroundings can have an impact on your weight and activity levels. One study of nearly half a million adults in the Salt Lake City area found that a 6-foot man weighed about 10 pounds less if he lived in a walkable neighborhood... FCC urged to ban service outages during TV-channel disputes FCC urged to ban service outages during TV-channel disputes The ABC-Cablevision debacle of last Sunday , in which some New York-area viewers missed part of the Academy Awards broadcast due to a fee dispute between the companies, has sparked a formal call for the Federal Communications Commission to prevent networks from imposing such service interruptions during future disagreements. A host of TV services—led by Time Warner Cable and including Cablevision and DirecTV—joined late yesterday with public interest groups Public Knowledge and the New America Foundation to petition the FCC to create a new process for resolving contract disputes between broadcasters and TV providers. The new process, the petition says, should include a requirement that broadcasters continue to provide signals to TV providers while they are negotiating “in good faith” to reach an agreement on payments and other terms of transmission... Roofing companies get peak interest from inquiring consumers, according to Better Business Bureau Roofing companies get peak interest from inquiring consumers, according to Better Business Bureau Roofers got a lot of BBB interest from consumers. There's mixed news in the Better Business Bureau's recently released national complaint and inquiry statistics for 2009 . In a possible sign that their business has picked up, roofing companies drew 2,168,635 Better Business Bureau inquiries from consumers checking on the roofers' standing, up from 1,898,823 inquiries a year earlier. Roofers also earned a dubious distinction as the construction-related business with the highest number of consumer complaints in 2009, with 7,050 complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau. Roofing companies ranked 21st among all businesses, with general contractors in 25th place...