Gadget Niche Store

• Team Li-ion received 1 penalty for driving under 45 mph
• Raceabout received 2 penalties for exceeding 70 mph
• TW4XP had 4 penalties for driving under 45 mph

Follow our Auto X Prize coverage here in the Cars blog, as well as in our special Auto X Prize section and via Twitter @CRcars.

—Eric Evarts

See our guide to fuel economy for advice on saving gasoline. Learn about future technologies in our guide to alternative fuels.

 I’m taking an antibiotic, which might be wiping out my body’s helpful bacteria. Should I consider taking probiotic pills or eating yogurt to help restore the beneficial bugs? —C.H., Hinesburg, Vt. 

Possibly, depending on which drug you’re taking, your susceptibility to certain side effects, and your willingness to pay the probiotics price. The most common side effect of antibiotics is diarrhea caused by the loss of beneficial bacteria in the gut, striking anywhere from 5 to 30 percent of patients. The risk is highest with antibiotics such as clindamycin, cephalosporins and penicillins and lowest with aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones. 

Probiotic supplements and fermented dairy products such as many brands of yogurt and kefir all contain live microbes. But only two organisms––the bacterium Lactobacillus GG (Culturelle) and the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii (Florastor)—have proved hardy enough to survive both the digestive acids and the antibiotic onslaught. (Yogurt sold in Europe contains Lactobacillus GG, but yogurt in the U.S. doesn’t.) Both can reduce the incidence of antibiotic-related diarrhea by up to 60 percent. 

To increase the odds of the microbes surviving, take the pills midway between successive antibiotic doses. Note that these supplements have caused systemic infection in a few cases. So avoid them if you have a disease that weakens immunity, such as diabetes, HIV, or certain cancers; if you’re taking corticosteroids long-term; or if you have damaged or artificial heart valves.

—Jeff Bartlett and Mike Leung

Today's electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist:

• Newegg: Fujifilm 10MP Waterproof Digital Camera (Refurbished) for $69.99 [w/ Coupon EMCYVNX23] + $2.99 Shipping
• Crutchfield: Samsung 46" LCD 1080p HDTV for $784.10 [w/ Coupon 3A825] w/ Free Shipping
• SuperBiiz: 10-Megapixel Samsung SL50 $73.94 + free shipping
• Logitech: Logitech S315i Rechargeable Speaker w/ iPod Dock $41.99 + free shipping

Entertainment

• Tanga.com: Weight Watchers Magazine Subscription $2.99 [w/ coupon code: LOSE]
• Dell: Playstation PSP Assassin's Creed Bloodlines Bundle for $169.99 w/ Free Shipping
• Dell: Nintendo Wii Summer 2010 Bundle - Black for $169.99 w/ Free Shipping
• Musicians Friend: Anniversary Sale - up to 88% off on musical instruments

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). Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies for restocking fees and other gotchas.

For general buying advice for many of the products on sale above, check out our free Buying Guides.

As expected, the California Energy Commission voted to kickstart its stalled cash for appliance program by adding four more product categories. The state still has two-thirds of the original $32 million remaining. Rebates for energy-efficient dishwashers ($100), freezers ($50), water heaters ($100 to $750, depending on type) and heating, ventilating and air conditioning units ($200 to $1,000) will be given on products that meet the CEC's qualifying criteria. Eligible models in each category are listed on the state's website.

California's guidelines are pretty stringent. For example, only four of the 48 dishwashers in our recent tests are eligible for rebates. "For dishwashers, we're trying to really stress energy efficiency and encourage people to go beyond the Energy Star rating," says Amy Morgan, a CEC spokesperson.

In other state programs, Maryland will make new rebates available for room air conditioners ($25), freezers ($100) and central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps (both $500) starting tomorrow. And residents of Rhode Island better scramble if they want to claim a rebate—there is less than $20,000 left in that program. Check your state.

The Federal Trade Commission has announced new rules taking effect this fall to protect consumers who may be taken advantage of by companies advertising debt relief services that turn out to do more harm than good, a problem that occurs all too often, as we’ve reported.

Starting on Oct. 27, for-profit companies that sell debt relief services over the phone may no longer charge a fee before they settle or reduce a customer’s credit card or other unsecured debt.  “This rule will stop companies who offer consumers false promises of reducing credit card debts by half or more in exchange for large, up-front fees. Too many of these companies pick the last dollar out of consumers’ pockets – and far from leaving them better off, push them deeper into debt, even bankruptcy,â€� said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. 

Under the new FTC rules, fees for debt relief services may not be collected until:

• The debt relief service successfully renegotiates, settles, reduces, or otherwise changes the terms of at least one of the consumer’s debts
• There is a written settlement agreement, debt management plan, or other agreement between the consumer and the creditor, and the consumer has agreed to it; and
• The consumer has made at least one payment to the creditor as a result of the agreement negotiated by the debt relief provider

The FTC also is more tightly regulating telemarketing by debit relief companies,  with those new rules taking effect even sooner.  As of Sept. 27, the FTC will require debt relief companies to provide more disclosure to consumers,  prohibit companies from making misrepresentations and extend these protections to cover calls consumers make to these firms themselves in response to debt relief advertising.  Whether the new rules will cut down much on the current flood of debt relief TV and radio commercials or direct mail solicitations remains to be seen,  but at least companies will be under pressure to be a bit more honest about what they’re offering.—Andrea Rock

That's not the case with every product. At Consumer Reports we've discovered a long list of greener home goods that actually blend higher performance with a lower price.  Consider these around-the-house standouts:

• Paint. Behr Premium Plus Ultra tops our low-luster, flat, and semi-gloss interior paint Ratings (available to subscribers). With volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of just 50 grams per liter, the paint meets the toughest regional California standards while costing about half as much as some pricier options.
• Mowers. The $200 Fiskars Momentum 317736 manual push mower from the famous scissors brand was a reel winner in our tests. The much-higher priced battery-powered riding mower by Arien—the $3,400 AMP 916002—had zero exhaust emissions. But the tractor's short run time and hefty price were a buzz kill.
• Flooring. EcoTimber Woven Honey and Teragren Synergy bamboo topped our Ratings of solid and engineered flooring yet cost less than some others we tested.
• Refrigerators. In our Ratings, Kenmore’s 7930 top freezer, $960, was very good at maintaining its temperature and excellent in energy efficiency. Among bottom freezers, the $1,700 Whirlpool Gold GX5FHTXV excelled in both.
• Toilet paper. The recycled versions weren’t as strong or soft as the others in our tests, but Marcal Small Steps was very good overall and cost only 8 cents per 100 sheets, compared with 37 cents for the priciest non-green toilet paper.

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.

Groupon Eyes Further Growth with Personalized Deals (Mashable)

...With Personalized Deals, Groupon subscribers in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, Seattle and New York City will receive deals tailored to their personal tastes and previous purchase behaviors.

Google Alarm plug-in notifies you when info is sent to Google (geek.com)

...The Firefox add-in even keeps a running stat about the percentage of websites you visit that include Google tracking bugs.

Details of 100m Facebook users collected and published (BBC)

...Ron Bowes used a piece of code to scan Facebook profiles, collecting data not hidden by the user's privacy settings. The list, which has been shared as a downloadable file, contains the URL of every searchable Facebook user's profile, their name and unique ID.

Android wallpaper app that steals your data was downloaded by millions (MobileBeat)

...The app in question came from Jackeey Wallpaper, and it was uploaded to the Android Market, where users can download it and use it to decorate their phones that run the Google Android operating system. It includes branded wallpapers from My Little Pony and Star Wars, to name just a couple.

Car thieves: Not too bright, please! (VOX)

...This column presents evidence from the Netherlands suggesting that car thieves stay away from cars in unpopular colours because of their relatively low resale value. It argues that driving a car in a bright, uncommon colour such as yellow is a highly effective deterrent against car theft – about as effective as an expensive security device.

The redesigned BMW 5 Series is the first BMW to earn the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick award since the organization added a rollover test to its scoring criteria. The Top Safety Pick award recognizes vehicles for earning the highest score of Good on the front, side, rollover, and rear crash protection. To earn this distinction, vehicles must also have electronic stability control, which is standard on the 5 Series.

The Good rating on the side test of the BMW is an improvement over the previous generation, which only scored Marginal. The 2011 model has standard side air bags.

In the rollover evaluation, the 5 Series earned a Good rating. The 4.04 score means the roof can withstand a force of above four times the vehicle weight.

The 5 Series joins the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Taurus, Hyundai Genesis, Lincoln MKS, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Toyota Avalon, and Volvo S80 in the large car category for Top Safety Picks for 2010.

“This Old House forged a very naturalistic style, where you’re walking through the job site with the guys,� says producer Bruce Irving, who also produced This Old House from 1988 to 2005. “The new show has a radically modern look—all quick cuts and music and boom shots—that’s perfect for the content.�

Among the leading-edge technologies featured are a solar energy system developed by MIT professor Daniel Nocera that delivers power 24/7 and a heat pump that can supposedly squeeze energy out of negative 30-degree air. The show also looks at more here-and-now innovations, including so-called “deep energy retrofitsâ€�, whereby “grandma’s house is insulated and air sealed to the max to bring it into the 21st century,â€� explains Irving.  

Unfortunately, the AHRQ study doesn’t tell us if the patients got their money’s worth. But it’s likely that a good deal of them found little relief. Others probably would have gotten better on their own. And sometimes all it takes is removing your wallet from your back pocket. That’s just how back pain is.

Use our treatment Ratings (available to subscribers) to see when treatment might be necessary, and when it’s best to simply wait the pain out. When treatment is needed, the Ratings can help make sure you get the most for your health-care dollars.

—Kevin McCarthy, associate editor

If you need help treating your back pain, take a look at what worked for our readers and what to consider if you're considering surgery.  

A company called RTC is selling a line of LCD TVs
featuring the brand name of "KISS," the music group.
Photo: RTC

For KISS fans not yet willing or able to confront their own mortality by buying a $4,500 KISS Kasket coffin, there's a new way to show your love for the band: a limited-edition line of KISS-brand HDTVs.

The TVs, manufactured by a company called RTC, are 1080p LCD models with LED backlights and 120Hz technology. The TVs come in 32-, 40- and 46-inch screen sizes, with prices ranging from $800 to $1,400. According to the KISS TV website, the sets have a "diamond-plated look to the casing" and embossed KISS logos on each side; every time you turn on the set, you'll be treated to an eight-second image of the band. Only 15,000 KISS HDTVs will be made worldwide, the website claims.

The TVs come in collector's edition packaging, and include free shipping within the U.S. You can buy the TVs via RTC's website, and an extended warranty is offered on the TV; based on the info I saw, it looks like it costs $200 for a five-year plan, though I didn't spend the time to see exactly what was covered. But KISS the band has been touring for 36 years; if the sets last even a third that long, my guess is that buyers will be happy.

—James K. Willcox

Toyota is voluntarily recalling 373,000 2000-2004 Toyota Avalon sedans and 39,000 2003-2007 Lexus LX 470 SUVs for steering problems.

The Avalon recall is to address the possibility that the steering lock bar could break due to improper casting. A crack may develop on the surface and expand after repeated lock and unlock operations. This could eventually lock the steering wheel and increase the risk of a crash.

Toyota will replace the steering column bracket on the vehicles at no charge. The repair is estimated to take two hours. Owners can contact Toyota at www.toyota.com/recall or 1-800-331-4331.

The Lexus recall involves a steering shaft condition on 2003-2007 Lexus LX 470 in which the snap ring on the shaft may disengage when the vehicle has an impact to the front wheels like hitting a pothole.

Lexus dealers will replace the snap ring and install a newly designed component to prevent separation of the steering shaft free of charge. Owners may contact Lexus at www.lexus.com/recall or 1-800-225-3987.

Sadly, fewer Americans learn to drive stick shifts each year, the sales figures of manual-shifting cars continue to dwindle, and the skill of rowing through the gears is fast becoming a lost art. Manual transmissions are disappearing from entire market segments. Today, they’re mostly found in only smaller or sporty cars.

Our tests show that there remains a performance difference between automatics and manuals. One example is our tested Volkswagen Jetta TDI. It was equipped with a dual-clutch six-speed automated manual gearbox, technology that is touted to be very efficient. Thus equipped, the Jetta returned 33 mpg overall in our tests. However, when we later tested a Golf TDI equipped with a conventional six-speed manual, it got 38 mpg overall--matching the fuel economy of Honda’s CVT-equipped Insight hybrid.

But the extra 5 mpg is not the entire difference. Opting for the manual made the car quicker, more fun to drive, and about $1,000 cheaper than the automatic. (The Golf is a hatchback version of the Jetta, and our test cars weighed in within 75 lbs. of each other).

And it isn’t just diesels that benefit. We have tested several similarly equipped vehicles--identical all except for the choice of transmission. (The Mini Cooper/Clubman was the exception; the Clubman is a bit longer and heavier, but both had the same engine.) As the table below shows, getting a manual can yield big improvements acceleration and fuel economy.

There are downsides to stick shifts. Congested traffic conditions can make rowing a manual and working a clutch pedal a tedious chore. Manual transmissions do have a learning curve, but like riding a bike, it becomes natural after a few days. While starting out on hills can be a bit nerve-wracking at first, many modern manuals have a hill-holder function so you don’t roll backwards.

So if you are looking to shave some money off the purchase price of your new car, save fuel, and have a more enthusiastic driving experience, consider doing the shifting yourself with a manual transmission. Buying making this choice, you will help save the manuals.

Today's electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist:

• Buydig: Kodak 12MP Digital Camera - Red for $68.49 w/ Free Shipping
• Walmart: Philips 47" LCD 1080p HDTV for $599 w/ Free Shipping
• Ebay: Panasonic DMP-BD65 Blu-Ray Disc Player $109 + free shipping
• Amazon: HP G42-230US 14-inch 4GB/320GB Laptop $549.98 + free shipping

Entertainment

• Barnes & Noble: BOGO 50% Off Toys & Games [with coupon code W9M4U4U]
• Amazon.com: Rock Band Portable Drum Kit for Xbox 360 for $10

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). Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies for restocking fees and other gotchas.

For general buying advice for many of the products on sale above, check out our free Buying Guides.

New Regulations Bar Debt Settlement Companies from Collecting Fees Unless Consumers Get Relief

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Under new regulations adopted by the Federal Trade Commission today, for-profit debt settlement companies will no longer be allowed to collect fees for their services until they have settled some or all of a consumer’s debt. The new regulations will help curb deceptive and abusive practices in debt relief services sold through telemarketing, according to Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports.

“Most debt settlement companies charge big fees up front even though most consumers don’t get the help they expect,� said Lauren Bowne, Staff Attorney for Consumers Union’s Defend Your Dollars campaign (www.DefendYourDollars.org) “These new rules will help protect consumers who are already drowning in debt from being ripped off by debt settlement companies that fail to provide any relief. But more needs to be done to ensure that the amount of fees charged for debt settlement services are fair.�

Most debt settlement companies market their services through internet, television, or radio advertising. The advertisements typically promise to substantially reduce debt and urge consumers to call a toll-free number to find out more. Once the consumer signs up, the debt settlement company takes its fees over the first half of the contract period. The FTC reports that nearly two-thirds of consumers who enroll in debt relief services, most of which pay an advance fee, end up dropping out of the programs within the first three years without getting the help they paid to receive.

Debt settlement companies usually advise consumers to stop paying their creditors and to instead set up a special account to build savings that will be used in the future to negotiate a settlement. As the consumer deposits savings into the account, the debt settlement company withdraws money to cover its fees even though it hasn’t reached a settlement with creditors. By stopping payments to creditors, the consumer ends up with a worse credit score, additional penalty fees and more interest charges.

While debt settlement companies claim they settle millions of dollars in debt for consumers, they have not revealed how much debt remains unsettled. The Better Business Bureau announced that it would stop calling debt settlement services “inherently problematic� if a company could show that it met several conditions, key among them that at least one half of its customers saved as much money as was paid in fees. The GAO reported in April 2010 that two debt settlement trade associations called that standard “unrealistic.�

The FTC’s new regulation banning advance fees will go into effect on October 27, 2010 and takes a key step forward by addressing the timing of the fees. Under the new rules, a debt settlement company will earn fees when it reaches a settlement on at least one of the consumer’s debts that the consumer agrees to in writing. Fees cannot be collected until the consumer has made at least one payment to the creditor as a result of the negotiated agreement.

Fees can be held in a dedicated account before that time but all unearned fees must be returned to the consumer if he or she decides that the debt settlement program is not working out or cancels the program. Debt settlement firms can only require a dedicated account under certain conditions, including that the account must be set up and maintained by the consumer at an insured financial institution. The consumer will be entitled to earn interest on the account and can withdraw the funds at any time without penalty.

Beginning on September 27, 2010, the FTC rule requires that debt settlement companies make certain pre-contract disclosures, including how long it will take to get results and how much it will cost. The new rules cover calls consumers make to debt settlement firms in response to advertising as well as telemarketing calls made by firms. However, the FTC’s new regulation does not apply to in-person sales or to internet-only sales, so Congress or the states will have to act to apply the new rules to those debt settlement contracts.

“The FTC regulations will ensure that debt settlement companies will only get paid if they help consumers but it doesn’t stop them from charging outrageously high fees,� said Bowne. “Now it’s up to state lawmakers or Congress to cap debt settlement fees to a reasonable percentage of the actual savings for consumers.�

Two federal bills (S. 3264 and HR 5387) have been introduced in Congress to limit debt settlement fees to a one-time $50 fee and five percent of the savings from each final settlement.

If your child wears contact lenses, he may be at risk for serious eye infections, especially if they are kept in the eyes too long between cleanings. Contact lenses are at the top of the list of all medical devices that cause injury and send kids to the emergency room, according to a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics. Of the 70,000 emergency-room visits over a two-year period caused by medical-device injuries, 23 percent of those (33,779 cases) were from contact lenses, according to researchers for the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. The majority of the cases were reported in adolescents ages 11 to 21, and injuries included contusions/abrasions, conjunctivitis, and hemorrhage.

It’s hard enough for adult contact lens wearers to adhere to all the advice from an optometrist on proper contact lens care, so imagine how tough it might be for your child to remember all the dos and don’ts. That’s reason enough to supervise your child’s use of contact lenses. The FDA has the following safety tips to share with your child:

• Rub and rinse your contact lenses as directed by your eye-care professional. 

• Clean and disinfect your lenses properly according to the labeling instructions. 

• Do not "top-off" the solutions in your case. Always discard all of the leftover contact lens solution after each use. Never reuse any lens solution. 

• Clean, rinse, and air-dry your lens case each time lenses are removed. 

• Do not expose your contact lenses to any water: tap, bottled, distilled, lake, or ocean water. Never use nonsterile water (distilled water, tap water or any homemade saline solution). Tap and distilled water have been associated with Acanthamoeba keratitis, a corneal infection that is resistant to treatment and cure. 

• Remove your contact lenses before swimming. There is a risk of eye infection from bacteria in swimming pool water, hot tubs, lakes, and the ocean.  

• Replace your contact lens storage case every 3 to 6 months. 

If your child experiences eye discomfort, unusual redness, burning, or any other symptom of irritation or infection: 

• Remove your lenses immediately and do not put them back in your eyes. 
• Contact your eye-care professional right way. 
• Don't throw away your lenses. Store them in your case and take them to your eye-care professional. He or she may want to use them to determine the cause of your symptoms. 
• Report serious eye problems associated with your lenses to the FDA’s MedWatch reporting program.

—Ginger Skinner, Web associate editor

Amazon's new Kindle e-book reader ($189) will ship
on August 27, but is currently available for pre-order
on Amazon's website. (Click to enlarge.)
Photo: Amazon

Amazon today announced a new version of its flagship 6-inch Kindle e-book reader that's lighter in weight, faster on page turns, and longer in battery life. Available today for preorder and shipping on August 27, the device will sell at the same $189 price tag as its predecessor.

There will also be a new, budget Kindle: a Wi-Fi-only version that duplicates the regular version, save for access to the AT&T 3G data network. It will cost $139, which is $10 less than the Wi-Fi-only version of the Nook e-book reader that Barnes & Noble launched last month. (Wi-Fi, a feature of the standard 3G version of the Nook, has also been added to the new standard 3G Kindle, too.)

As expected, the new Kindle also offers other enhancements introduced on the revamped version of its bigger sibling, the Kindle DX, $379, which shipped to buyers this month. Those include the option for a second color, graphite black, after years of all-white Kindles, along with improvements in screen contrast and range of font sizes.

The new Amazon Kindle, announced on July 29, 2010,
is about two ounces lighter than the previous Kindle
and is available in "graphite black." (Click to enlarge.)
Photo: Amazon

Based on preliminary use of a Kindle DX we've bought and a preview demo session with the Kindle, Amazon's new readers appear to successfully, if modestly, upgrade what were already fine devices. Side by side with their predecessors, the improvements in contrast and type clarity were just noticeable, as was the shorter page-turn time for the Kindle—which Amazon claims is 20 percent faster.

Amazon also says the new Kindle offers double the battery life of its predecessor, and so will run for a month with the wireless capability off, or 10 days with it on. Also doubled is the reader's capacity; it now holds 3,500 books, Amazon says.

There's also an innovative new optional Amazon case for the device, at a price that was not announced in advance. In addition to offering protection (durability being the top priority of would-be e-book reader buyers, according to one survey), the case also has a pullout light in a corner, and so promises to conveniently offset the nighttime disadvantage of e-ink screen readers like the Kindle compared with units with backlit LCD screens, such as Apple's iPad. (The light does draws its power from the Kindle battery, and so would almost certainly reduce battery life for the reader.)

At 8.7 ounces (8.5 ounces for the Wi-fi version) the new Kindle shaves less than two ounces in weight from its predecessor. But that reduction—along with a slight decrease in depth and width—make the new Kindle seem significantly more portable than its predecessor. Indeed, it's now among the lightest 6-inch readers on the market; the Barnes & Noble Nook, for example, is more than a third (or a full 3-plus ounces) heavier than the new Kindle.

The biggest surprise, and a possible misstep, on the new Kindle: It replaces the five-way navigation joystick used on the second- generation Kindle. Though criticized by some, the Kindle joystick was, we thought, pretty easy to use and fairly intuitive to learn.

In our short preview, e-reader test leader Rich Fisco and I both struggled a bit with the joystick's replacement, a square button surrounded by very thin arrow bars. But our discomfort may in part have been due to having to unlearn the joystick navigation—a problem first-time Kindle buyers would not face.

We'll more fully evaluate navigation, and other aspects of the new Kindle's performance, and report back after we get the device into our labs next month. We expect to complete full tests, and add the device to our Ratings of e-book readers, available to subscribers, in September.

—Paul Reynolds

The Fisher-Price iXL—think of it as an iPod Touch for the younger demographic—is an electronic gizmo for kids ages 3-6 years, according to the manufacturer. It’s a story reader, game player, MP3 player, digital photo album, and more. (I can probably use one of these, myself!) They’re now available online and in stores for $80. (See our latest toy news.)

If you’re a fan of FurReal Friends, the lifelike pets from Hasbro, then you’ll appreciate their new Furry Frenzies. Think of them as the down-sized FurReal Friends of 2010, making them both portable and more affordable. (We’ve tested the larger version in the past—last year, the FurReal Friends’ Biscuit was a big hit with our kid-testers.) Furry Frenzies, for ages 4 and up, will be available in stores and online this fall for $8.

(Note: We haven't tested either of these products.)

—Ina Gozenpud

Related: Toys buying guide, toy safety tips.

The teams approved to advance to the Validation phase are now at a coast down event at Chrysler Proving Grounds. The next step will be dynamometer testing at Argonne National Labs in Chicago in August. Then, the winners will be announced mid September.

Learn more about the Finals testing. See the results from the Knockout phase.

Follow our Auto X Prize coverage here in the Cars blog, as well as in our special Auto X Prize section and via Twitter @CRcars.

—Jeff Bartlett

See our guide to fuel economy for advice on saving gasoline. Learn about future technologies in our guide to alternative fuels.

The Panasonic HDC-SDT750 camcorder can
record home videos in 3D. (Click to enlarge.)
Photo: Panasonic

Panasonic is betting big on 3D. Last night, the company unveiled what it claims is the world's first 3D consumer camcorder, along with a 3D lens for its Lumix SLR-like series of cameras. Both new products would allow you to capture 3D video and still images, which can be viewed on a 3D-capable HDTV, as well as regular 2D content. (Not so coincidentally, Panasonic has several 3D TVs, which we've reviewed, and more are coming.)

That's potentially exciting news. Our engineers have been impressed by 3D video from Blu-ray discs and TV broadcasts displayed on Panasonic's 3D televisions, although I'm less convinced that consumers will rush to create 3D video and still images. However, some of our engineers been have been impressed by the quality of still images from Fujifilm's FinePix Real 3D W1, the first 3D camera, when viewed on the Panasonic TVs.

You'll have to wait for October to check out the Panasonic HDC-SDT750 camcorder, which is priced at $1,400. The 3D G-series lens for Lumix cameras is scheduled to come out by year's end, at a price still to be announced. 3D-enabled Lumix cameras are also in the works.

At the moment, Fujifilm's FinePix Real 3D W1 is the only camera that can capture both 3D still images and video. Sony has several cameras that incorporate its cameras 3D Sweep Panorama system for still images, but not for video.

Like Fujifilm's FinePix Real 3D W1, the HDC-SDT750 camcorder uses two lenses to create stereoscopic images and video—in this case, a detachable 3D "teleconverter" lens that fits over a 12x optical zoom lens. When you take the 3D teleconverter lens off this camcorder, it can capture regular 2D 1080p HD video. You can also shoot still images in either 3D or 2D, as 7.5-megapixel files.

The camcorder simultaneously records two images through the two lenses, one for the right eye and one for the left eye, each 960 x 1080 pixels. The two images are played back on the TV screen side-by-side, like the commercial 3D recordings and broadcasts we've seen. When the TV is viewed with 3D glasses, the images are three-dimensional. However, on the camcorder's 3-inch touchscreen LCD or its viewfinder (rare on camcorders these days), they appear in 2D. With the Fuji camera, you can see 3D on the built-in display and a related digital photo frame, but the quality is nowhere near as good as on the TV.

The camcorder also has video-editing software for editing 3D images and video and a 5.1-channel audio recording sound system. It features a manual ring for adjusting focus and other settings. It stores video and photos on flash memory cards and is compatible with the newest high-capacity cards, the SDXC cards.

Panasonic 3D Lumix SLR-like lens

In addition to the 3D camcorder, Panasonic has also announced plans to reconfigure its SLR-like, G-series Lumix camera line to include a 3D feature. It also plans to produce a 3D G-series lens by the end of 2010.

However, no new SLR-like camera bodies, specifications for this new lens or product pricing have been announced at this time. (SLR-like cameras have large image sensors and the ability to set many manual settings and manual focus, but are much smaller than SLRs and don't have a through-the-lens viewfinder.)

Panasonic claims that its new systems will be superior to Fujifilm's "two lenses and two CCD" format and Sony's NEX-cameras 3D Sweep Panorama system, both of which Panasonic says have trouble capturing moving objects. The company says its 3D lens will allow for "instant 3D shooting, without distortion or time lag between left and right images—even when shooting moving objects."

We'll see how these claims hold up when we get both products into our labs.

What do you think of 3D photography and video? Would you like to see this feature on more camcorders and digital cameras? Or do you think it's a gimmick? Weigh in below.

—Terry Sullivan

Front and back views of the Samsung Vibrant, a Google Android-powered smart phone available on T-Mobile.
Photo: Samsung

Samsung's Vibrant and Captivate, the first two of five Galaxy S line of phones that run on the 2.1 version of Google's Android operating system, have recently launched. I spent a day using press samples of both phones, which I found quite fast, and their touch-screen displays seemed responsive. However, I did find some minor drawbacks.

The Vibrant is available from T-Mobile, while the Captivate is on AT&T. Both phones, which cost $200 with a two-year contract after rebates, are identically equipped even though they have slightly different casings (the Vibrant has iPhone 3G-style rounded corners trimmed with a chrome-like bezel, while the Captivate has sharper edges reminiscent of a thin BlackBerry Storm).

Standout features of both include an ultra-sharp super 4-in. Super AMOLED touch screen, a speedy Samsung 1GHz Hummingbird processor, a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video recording, and, like the iPhone 4, a 6-axis, motion-sensing accelerometer that, in theory, should turn the phone into a highly responsive gaming controller.

Here are some of my other first impressions. My observations apply to both phones, except where noted.

Front and back views of the Samsung Captivate,
a Google Android-pwoered phone available on AT&T.
Photo: Samsung

Great interface. Samsung's TouchWiz 3.0 interface does a fine job of bringing out the best features of Android 2.1 (no word yet on when either phone will get the upgrade to version 2.2, aka Froyo). Thanks to a responsive display that can interpret advanced gestures, it's easy to quickly access the phone's many applications. Dots at the top of the screen let you quickly jump to any of seven customizable home screens. A Feeds and Updates widget shows not only your Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter accounts on one screen, but allows you also to simultaneously update all three with a single post. Another cool widget presents all important contacts on a virtual Ferris wheel that you can "rotate" by swiping your finger up or down. And, as with Palms, you can see appointments from multiple sources (Exchange Server, Facebook, etc) on one customizable calendar.

Multiple keyboards. Both phones give you a welcome choice of three types of virtual keyboards for data entry. There's a no-frills Samsung keyboard along with an Android keyboard that adds unrivaled predictive-text options and the ability to perform voice searches and message dictation, and a Swype keyboard that allows you to type words quickly and accurately without lifting your thumb off the screen.

Bluish display. In general, the phones' 4-inch 480 x 800-pixel displays were more than sharp enough for viewing text, photos and Web pages, though they were not quite as sharp as the screens on the iPhone 4 or the Motorola Droid. What's more, Web pages and photos seem to have a bluish tint—even after I turned off the phones' default power-saving setting.

Also, at the risk of being a nitpicker, the phone's default display timeout setting of 30 seconds is way too short. In fact, the phone's display seems over-eager to shut off, often blanking out while I was in the middle of an operation. And when I revived the display from the off position, it would shut off again within seconds if I didn’t launch a program or perform some other task. Adjusting the timeout period to a minute seemed to solve most of these problems without any noticeable effect on battery life.

One cool visual extra: The Vibrant came preloaded with the blockbuster movie Avatar, which looked great on the phone's generously proportioned screen.

Versatile camera. I'll leave it to CU's image engineers to scientifically assess photo and video quality. In the meantime, I can report that the 5-megapixel digital cameras worked well, with plenty of controls, such as tap-to-focus and a bevy of shooting modes to make the most of your efforts. Ditto for the video camera, which has the ability to shoot in 720p at 30 frames per second (fps).

The cameras offer plenty of options for distributing your pictures and videos. Besides sharing them via e-mail or multimedia text messages or posting them on Picasa, you can beam them to a computer or printer via Bluetooth or wirelessly stream them to any HDTV that supports the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standard. (On Samsung products, this feature is called Allshare.)

Using the Vibrant, I was able to successfully beam the Avatar trailer to a Samsung TV in our labs. The video quality of the clip was comparable to what you'd see on YouTube. Videos we shot ourselves, however, sputtered to a halt after a few seconds. I couldn't get the Allshare feature to work at all with the Captivate. But these glitches are probably isolated to these pre-retail models.

Bottom line: The Galaxy S line appears to be a worthy competitor to the high-scoring Android models from Motorola and HTC in our Ratings. I'll have more on these Galaxy S twins as they make their way through our labs. In the meantime, check out our recently updated Ratings of smart phones (available to subscribers)

—Mike Gikas

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.

Amazon Now Connects to Facebook, Suggests Gifts for Friends (ReadWriteWeb)

...Amazon has added connectivity to Facebook in order to provide product suggestions based on likes and favorites pulled from the social graph.

B-Schools All A-Twitter Over Social Media (Bloomberg Businessweek)

Harvard Business School (Harvard Full-Time MBA Profile) and Columbia Business School (Columbia Full-Time MBA Profile) have joined a growing list of business schools that are adding courses on social media to their MBA curricula, addressing the corporate demand for social-network-savvy employees.

Microsoft Street Slide: it's electric! [video] (engadget)

...Microsoft Research has developed a rather nifty solution it calls Street Slide. Zoom out of your panoramic bubble and the street is presented as a dynamic, multi-perspective "strip" giving you an instant visual summary of the surroundings -- similar to viewing the entire street from a distance.

EWG Tests Find High BPA Loads on Receipts (Environmental Working Group)

Laboratory tests commissioned by Environmental Working Group (EWG) have found high levels of the endocrine-disrupting chemical bisphenol A (BPA) on 40 percent of receipts sampled from major U.S. businesses and services, including outlets of McDonald's, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, WalMart, Safeway and the U.S. Postal Service.

Find the Actual Signal Strength on your BlackBerry (digital inspiration)

...Hold down the ALT key on your BlackBerry and type the letters NMLL in the same sequence -- the bar graph indicating signal strength will convert into real numbers indicating the exact strength in dBm.

But if the price gives you the jitters, consider that Eight O’Clock Coffee topped our Ratings of 100 percent Colombian coffees (available to subscribers) and costs about $6 per pound. Using a good coffeemaker doesn’t hurt either.

The legislation is a pared-down version of the comprehensive energy bill that died last week in the Senate. In addition to paying for HomeStar, it will do the following:

• Remove the current $75 million liability cap on economic damages from an oil spill.
• Assist the Department of the Interior in restructuring its drilling oversight mechanisms.
• Increase the per-barrel oil tax that feeds the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which can pay for economic damages resulting from an oil spill.
• Incentivize the production of electric and natural gas vehicles.

Recent headlines from The Consumerist:

United Airlines Forgets About 9-Year-Old Passenger
Next to Disney World, the one place children want to spend the day is the kids lounge at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, right? Just ask the 9-year-old who was left there for eight hours because a United Airlines employee forgot about him. Read the full post.

McDonald's Last Airbender Toy Dangerous If Wrapped Around Neck?
According to the Connecticut Consumer Protection Commissioner, a bracelet that comes with the "Last Airbender" Katara toy could be dangerous if your child wraps it around his/her neck. That's what allegedly happened to one CT toddler. His mother says he passed out after the bracelet cut off the blood to his head. Read the full post.

Are You Ready For The Return Of Bratz Dolls?
After a 2008 court ruling found that the creator of the Bratz line of dolls had stolen the idea from Mattel (or rather, from himself, when he was working for Mattel), all Bratz products were supposed to be destroyed, and Mattel had the right to take over the brand and do whatever it wanted with it. A judge put the mass annihilation on hold, and today an appeals court overturned the initial ruling, meaning your local toy store may soon be carrying the next generation of the once-popular dolls. Read the full post.

Barbie Can Now Spy On Your Enemies For You
We talked about Bratz, so it's only fair that we give Barbie some space today. Especially this Barbie, the Video Girl Doll. While this piece of plastic looks like any other Barbie doll, it harbors a secret: a hidden camera in a pendant around her neck, which can record up to 30 minutes of video. Read the full post.

Related on ConsumerReports.org:

• Consumer Reports tests McDonald's glasses for cadmium
• How to buy safe toys for babies and children
• Latest toy news

Now, if I could just remember my kindergarten teacher’s name....

—Greg Daugherty

Greg writes the “Retirement Guy� column each month in our Consumer Reports Money Adviser newsletter.

A Giant Cuttlefish (Sepia apama) shows off its
ability to display an entire spectrum of color on its
skin in Whyalla, South Australia during the filming
of the IMAX® film Under the Sea.
Photo: IMAX

Warner Bros.' Home Video division has teamed up with both LG Electronics and Sony to give buyers of those companies' 3D Blu-ray players—and some other 3D gear—a free IMAX 3D movie.

Under one deal with LG, if you buy an LG BX580 or BX585 3D Blu-ray player you can a mail-in coupon to get a free copy of IMAX Under the Sea 3D. Those that buy any LG 3D Blu-ray player, 3D Blu-ray home-theater system, 3D front projector or 3D TV can get IMAX Space Station 3D either via mail-in coupon or as an inside-the-box pack-in. For more information about the promotion, or to get the mail-in coupon, visit LG's promo website. (Adobe Acrobat or similar software required to view the coupon.)

The deal with Sony provides a coupon for the IMAX Deep Sea 3D title to anyone buying any Sony 3D Blu-ray player, 3D TV or set of 3D glasses.

Both IMAX Under the Sea 3D, an undersea adventure narrated by Jim Carrey, and Space Station 3D, a journey to the International Space Station, will play in 2D or 3D. The third title, Deep Sea 3D, is an exploration of some of the most exotic creatures of the sea narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. This title will only play in 3D.

—James K. Willcox

So, how do you choose the best type of bike to ride? Think about the route you will travel. If there are hills, be sure the bike has a very low gear (a third chain ring), which makes it easier to pedal up an incline. The bike should also be relatively lightweight. Look for fittings so you will be able to add things like racks (to put your stuff), water bottles (to keep you hydrated), and fenders (to keep you clean).

—Rich Handel, project leader and guest blogger, Consumer Reports

To find out which bikes are best for your wallet and your riding style, see our Ratingsof 14 bikes (available to subscribers). And get more free buying advice and information on features on our sister site, ConsumerReports.org.

One key requirement of the law is that cruise ships carrying U.S. citizens and entering U.S. waters must provide at least one crew member who has been trained and certified by the U.S. Coast Guard in the "prevention, detection, evidence preservation, and reporting of criminal activities in the international maritime environment." Among the other components of the legislation:

• Cruise ship railings must be at least 3.5 feet tall;

• Ships must stock specific medications and sexual evidence collection kits;

• Cruise lines must maintain log books and promptly report deaths, missing individuals, and alleged crimes committed by passengers and crew members.

Some cruise lines already adhere to several of these provisions. However, cruise lines that fail to comply with the new rules will face civil and criminal penalties. Further details are available at Govtrak.us, and Thomas.gov, two government Web sites that catalogue pending and passed legislation.

Not willing to let the Chevrolet Volt grab all the attention yesterday for its pricing, Nissan announced more details on when its Leaf hatchback will be available to the nearly 17,000 people who placed early reservations for the electric car. The first Leaf will be turned over in December to drivers in Arizona, California, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington; these states represent 55 percent of the total reservations. In addition, these states are part of the EV Project--an electric vehicle infrastructure program partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to bring charging stations to these areas. The early reservations are expected to morph into firm orders in August.

Next, the Leaf will be available in Texas and Hawaii in January, then Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. in April 2011. The rest of the states will rollout beginning next fall through the end of 2011.

Nissan also announced that the lithium-ion battery will have an eight year, 100,000-mile warranty, matching the protection offered for the upcoming Volt.

Through the reservation process, Nissan has been able to reveal other details on what future Leaf drivers want:

• The most popular color is blue with 30 percent of the reservations for that shade. Silver comes in second with 26 percent.
• Seventy-five percent chose the SL trim level, which includes a rear-view camera, solar panel spoiler, fog lights, and automatic headlights.
• About three-quarters of the people who placed reservations own a single family home and 68 percent have attached garages, helpful for home charging.

Nissan is still continuing to accept reservations through its Web site for a $99 (refundable) fee.

For more on the Leaf, see our related reports:
Video: Nissan Leaf gets a soundtrack
Pricing: 2011 Nissan Leaf electric car

You reported in April that mineral oil can lower vitamin D levels. Do olive or other oils pose the same risk? —C.L., Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

No, because they don’t interfere with the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients in the gut. Unlike animal fats or vegetable oils, mineral oil—which is made from petroleum—isn’t digested by the body; rather, it passes unabsorbed through the gut and out the bowel, taking with it any of the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) that have hitched a ride.

In contrast, vegetable or fish oils and their dissolved vitamins are digested in the intestine and absorbed into the body. In fact, cod-liver oil is an excellent source of vitamin D, and many vegetable oils contain vitamins E and K.

Today's electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist:

• Newegg.com: 2TB Western Digital Elements USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive for $110 with Free Shipping
• Newegg.com: ASUS RT-N12 SuperSpeedN Wireless N Router for $30 with Free Shipping
• Beach Camera: LG 47" LCD 1080p HDTV for $745.20 [w/ Coupon CBEACHCAML] w/ Free Shipping
• Amazon: Sanyo HD Camcorder 14MP Camera with 12x Optical Zoom for $158.10 [w/ Coupon EGC20B2B] w/ Free Shipping
• Buy.com: TrendNet WiFi N Wireless Router $24.99 Shipped
• TigerDirect: Samsung ML-1665 Laser Printer $49.99

Entertainment

• Amazon.com: National Geographic MP3 Album Sampler Download for Free
• Newegg: Bioshock 2 (Xbox 360) for $20 with Free Shipping
• Borders: 33% Off One List Price Item [w/ Coupon BRJ8060W] + Printable
• Best Buy: Guitar Hero World Tour PlayStation 3 Game for $9.99 + $2.99 Shipping
• NewEgg: Bioshock 2 $19.99 + free shipping
• Amazon: Assassin's Creed II $14.99

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). Price shouldn't be your only criterion. Be wary of lower-priced deals that seem too good to be true, and check return policies for restocking fees and other gotchas.

For general buying advice for many of the products on sale above, check out our free Buying Guides.