Yokohama Tire is recalling nearly 11,000 of its Avid Touring S vehicle tires due to "improper geometry," according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The production flaw could lead to cracks in the tires' sidewalls and a sudden loss of air pressure, increasing the risk of a crash, said the agency.

Only one size—215/65R16 98T SL—of the all-season tires are being recalled, and no deaths or accidents have been reported to the NHTSA or the Yokohama company.

Consumer Reports has tested and rated the Yokohama Avid Touring S tires. And while we found its dry braking performance "impressive," there were much better performing all-season tires in our Ratings. See our free online tire buying guide for help in choosing the correct tires for your vehicle.

Yokohama says it will contact affected owners and dealers on Oct. 20 and replace the defect Avid Touring S tires for free.

For more information, consumers can call the Yokohama Tire Corp toll-free at 800-423-4544.

Source:
Recall: Yokohama Avid Touring S tires - Sidewall    Campaign #: 12T025000 [NHTSA]

Today is Energy Star Day, which kicks off two weeks of events celebrating the program's 20th anniversary. With help from Energy Star, American families and businesses have saved nearly $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, says Lisa Jackson, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. And she'd like consumers to take a pledge to save even more.

Consumers can take the pledge to make such low-cost changes as replacing a few incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs or LEDs or to make a big investment such as installing a new water heater. Energy Star also encourages homeowners to seal leaks with weatherstripping or caulking, something that their experts and ours say results in immediate savings.

We agree that the country is a much more efficient place thanks to Energy Star. Whether you're shopping for a clothes washer, computer, refrigerator, or room air conditioner, the Energy Star label is an instant reminder that energy efficiency should be part of your decision process. Energy efficiency is a vital part of Consumer Reports appliance and television tests—we let you know how much it costs to run a refrigerator or TV set per year and which appliances use more energy than others, or more than they should.

Over the years we've had our quibbles with Energy Star. In a 2008 investigation, "Energy Star Has Lost Its Luster," we exposed the fact that some Energy Star-qualified refrigerators were using significantly more energy than stated on their yellow EnergyGuide label. And we've argued that lax qualifying standards have, at times, resulted in product categories in which most of the models on the market carry the Energy Star label. But the program continues to tweak and tighten its regulations resulting in more energy-efficient products.

Energy savers can share their stories on the Energy Star website or play games with the Lorax. And at Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, we've partnered with Green America in a contest called "America's cutest lil' energy savers." Catch your kid saving energy, post the video on YouTube and you're eligible to win $250. Here's the rules. Contest entries are due October 22 and judging begins the next day.

Common label terms to ignore on creams, cleansers, makeup and more

YONKERS, NY — Plenty of beauty products make claims that sound official but actually hold no legal definition. The November 2012 issue of ShopSmart magazine, from Consumer Reports, decodes 15 common label terms used on beauty products, including five that shoppers should ignore. 

“Only a few claims used on cosmetics are regulated and the government doesn’t review labels before products hit store shelves,” said Lisa Lee Freeman, editor-in-chief of ShopSmart. “We’ve given shoppers the straight scoop to help them differentiate between an actual benefit and a marketing term on beauty shelves.”

Just Ignore These Claims

1.  HYPOALLERGENIC

• Where it can be seen: Lotions, shampoos, conditioners, hair sprays, and deodorants.

• What it sounds like it means: The product won’t cause allergic reactions.

• Why it’s bogus: The FDA website lists the definition of this term as “whatever a particular company wants it to mean.”

2.  NATURAL

• Where it can be seen: Acne treatments, lip balm, hair products and more.

• What it sounds like it means: The product is made of fresh, safe ingredients from nature—not synthetic ones.

• Why it’s bogus: “Natural” holds no regulatory definition. And just because something isn’t man-made doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe (consider poison ivy, poisonous mushrooms, or hemlock.)

3.  LIFTING

• Where it can be seen: Facial creams, eye gels, makeup, and masks.

• What it sounds like it means: It will reverse sagging or drooping.

• Why it’s bogus:  According to dermatologists, a formal dermatologic treatment such as a heat-generating ultrasound, is usually needed to boost collagen production.

4.  100% PURE

• Where it can be seen: Facial cleansers, masks, creams and balms.

• What it sounds like it means: The product is clean and contaminant-free.

• Why it’s bogus: This is a general term that doesn’t necessarily say much about the product’s contents. However, there is one exception—products with just one ingredient, such as 100 percent aloe vera, should be purely that one ingredient.

5.  FOR SENSITIVE SKIN

• Where it can be seen: All kinds of personal-care products.

• What it sounds like it means: The product was specially formulated for and tested on sensitive skin.

• Why it’s bogus: The manufacturer may have minimized the use of irritating ingredients such as fragrances, but there’s no way to know for sure.

About Consumer Reports:
Consumer Reports is the world’s largest independent product-testing organization. Using its more than 50 labs, auto test center, and survey research center, the nonprofit rates thousands of products and services annually. Founded in 1936, Consumer Reports has over 8 million subscribers to its magazine, website, and other publications. Its advocacy division, Consumers Union, works for health reform, food and product safety, financial reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace.

About ShopSmart magazine:
Launched in Fall 2006 by Consumer Reports, ShopSmart draws upon the publication’s celebrated tradition of accepting no advertisements and providing unbiased product reviews. ShopSmart features product reviews, shopping tips on how to get the most out of products and “best of the best” lists. It’s ideal for busy shoppers who place a premium on time. ShopSmart has a newsstand price of $5.99 and is available nationwide at major retailers including Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway and Publix. ShopSmart is available by subscription at www.ShopSmartmag.org.  

Even though the new Windows 8 operating system is all about placing a tablet interface on your computer, it's a pretty sure bet that not every Windows 8 computer will have a touchscreen. In fact, the Acer Aspire V5-571-6891 is probably typical of the new laptops that most people will buy over the next few months.

This 15-inch laptop weighs 4.9 pounds; it uses a less-expensive Intel Core i3 processor, has a standard 500GB hard drive instead of a more-costly solid-state drive, and uses 6GB of memory. It's will be available now from Costco, for $500.

Most notably, instead of a touchscreen, this Aspire has an enhanced touchpad that recognizes a number of new finger gestures for Windows 8. The result: You won't get the full Windows 8 treatment, where you move seamlessly from display to keyboard to touchpad and back. But the touchpad adds enough to make the Windows 8 experience adequate.

For example, swipe the touchpad from the left with one finger to scroll through open apps, or use four fingers to "pull down" from the top of the touchpad, and you'll move between the tiled interface and the traditional desktop. Relevant gestures also worked in any of the apps we tried, and presumably that will be the case with all Windows 8 apps.

A big selling point for Windows 8, according to Microsoft, is how quickly it resumes from sleep. We timed that on this Acer laptop and found that it did indeed resume faster than two similarly configured Windows 7 laptops. But take that with a grain of salt—the older laptops resumed in 2 seconds, the Acer in 1 second. In the same informal tests, we found that the Acer's shutdown took 15 seconds, compared to 11.

Microsoft removed the Start button in Windows 8, replacing it with the tile interface of the Start screen, where you'll find tiles representing your programs and apps. It also hid the Power button in a Settings menu that requires several steps before you can turn your computer off. If that bugs you, don't worry: Acer added its own "power" button to the Desktop screen. It lets you lock the computer, turn it off, restart, or put it in sleep or hibernate mode.

We'll be putting more Windows 8 machines through their paces, so check back soon. And see our free laptop buying guide at ConsumerReports.org.

Related:
Windows 8 brings tablet features to PCs, but it's not for everybody

For a long time, wireless speakers meant having to trade satisfying sound for the convenience of untethered speakers. Not any more. In our first-ever comprehensive testing of both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi speaker systems, we found several models that delivered very good sound that can rival some home stereo speaker systems—and a few with designs that will appeal to your eyes as well as your ears.

Wireless stereo speaker systems are an alternative to wired docks—a way to get music from your computer to the speaker without a physical connection. They may also be a great option if you have an iPhone 5 or other Apple device that uses the new Lightning connector, which doesn't work with docks and cables outfitted with the older connector unless you buy an adapter.

While the best systems don't ask you to trade sound quality for the convenience of going wireless, you will pay a premium for the privilege: The tested models range in price from about $200 to $700. Two—from Bose and Monster—can run on battery power and are designed for portable use.

Bluetooth or Wi-Fi?
Most of the models in our Wireless Speaker Ratings—the Bose SoundLink, Edifier Spinnaker, JBL OnBeat Xtreme, and Monster Clarity HD Micro—use Bluetooth. Two others, the Altec Lansing inAir 5000 and the Klipsch Gallery G-17 Air, use Wi-Fi, specifically Apple's AirPlay technology. The Sonos Play:3 uses Wi-Fi to create a proprietary mesh network, where each device acts as a repeater to extend the network's range. And one model, from Samsung, covers all the bases with support for Bluetooth, AirPlay, and DLNA (which lets you share content among devices on a network).

Each has its advantages and drawbacks. Bluetooth is supported by many portable devices, including both Apple and Android phones and tablets. But you can stream from only one device at a time, within a 30-foot range, typically limiting it to the same room as the speaker.

Apple AirPlay has a significantly longer range, and you can stream from an iPod, iPhone, or iPad to one speaker in the same, or another, room. (A computer running iTunes can feed up to six speakers as long as they're on the same network.) But AirPlay is Apple-centric, so you'll need a special app to make it work with an Android device.

Sonos' mesh network is more flexible; since every speaker acts as a transmitter, it can stream music from different sources to different rooms (up to 32) over a very wide range. But the Sonos network is computer-based, so you'll need an accessory to use it with a mobile device.

Here's what our tests showed:

Give up wires, not good sound. A few models in our test delivered full, rich sound that can rival home-theater-in-a-box and soundbar speakers systems, and all but one were at least good.

Some are very easy to use. In general, Bluetooth models were a bit easier to set up, because pairing took fewer steps than connecting via Wi-Fi. But a few had poorly marked controls, and two were tough to set up if you had to use the manual rather than an app.

They don't have to be plain or boxy. While several models have conventional rectangular cabinets, others sport more striking designs, such as the horn-shaped Edifier Spinnaker (above) or the boom-box-style JBL, which has a unique X-shaped design that supports a rotating iPod/iPhone/iPad dock.

Features vary. The Sonos can wirelessly stream songs directly from dozens of online music services, such as Pandora and Spotify, The Samsung has a retractable "dual" dock that works with iPhones, iPads, and iPods with the old-style connector, as well as Samsung's own Galaxy S II and III Android smart phones and its hybrid Galaxy Note tablet/phone. Others can be customized with optional colored covers or grills. A few have integrated iPod docks or built-in auxiliary inputs for connecting other gear.

To get the full Ratings and detailed test results, visit our new Wireless Speaker Ratings, which are available to subscribers. And if you currently own a set of wireless speakers, let us know which models you're using and well you like them.

In our experience, the Toyota RAV4 EV has proven to be smooth-running and powerful, with an impressive range.

Over the next three years, the company plans to make and sell only 2,600 examples of this all-electric SUV. At $49,800, it may be expensive for a smallish front-drive-only model ($39,800 after tax rebates in California), but it sure is fun.

Understand that this is not some hurry-up conversion phoned in at the eleventh hour. Rather, the RAV4 EV is a well thought out, thoroughly developed, and altogether impressive effort. Unlike most EVs we've seen thus far, this is a serious, substantial vehicle, not merely a runabout on a short leash. In fact, the claimed 100-mile range is quite realistic and could potentially be longer based on our experience.

Toyota lent us a RAV4 EV for a few days last week. (Read: "Toyota RAV4 EV demonstrates the potential for an electric SUV.") This RAV4 EV traveled on highways with its lights, air conditioning, and miscellaneous accessories on, which tend to tax any EV range, and it lasted 99 miles before the battery was depleted. Admittedly, the last few miles produced some white knuckles as we compared the remaining range with the miles yet to cover, an anxiety familiar to any EV driver and even more so when first becoming accustomed a vehicle and its trip computer.

It took our 240-volt charger less than six hours to replenish the battery, a charge that pumped 40.6 kWh of juice into the RAV's big 41.8-kWh drive battery. All things considered, that was quick. The RAV EV uses a Tesla battery pack and beefy Tesla 10- kW on-board charger that enables charge times comparable to what we've been getting on other electric vehicles with a battery half the size. Power consumption worked out to about 2.4 mile/kWh, which translates to the equivalent of 82 mpg. If that sounds less impressive than some EVs, consider that the RAV4 EV weighs roughly 4,150 pounds, delivers eye-opening acceleration, and provides more interior space than most current battery-powered vehicles.

The RAV4's electric motor is rated at 154-hp, a bit less than the lighter, four-cylinder version. While that may not sound like much power, the EV produces abundant torque (218 pound-feet in Normal mode, 273 in Sport). It's the torque—all of which is available instantly—that produces the exhilarating thrust. Furthermore, power delivery is linear, smooth, and quiet.

The torque numbers in Sport mode are comparable with a Nissan 370Z sports coupe, and goosing the throttle pedal to flatten out the countryside can be habit-forming. But this is a speed addiction that comes without guilt, since not an ounce of fossil fuel is consumed. Depending on the source of the electricity, the RAV4 EV has the potential for the only carbon emission coming from you, exhaling.

Plugged toilets are memorable, for all the wrong reasons. And it's the number one problem on the minds of consumers when they buy a toilet, according to a nationally representative poll that plumber manufacturer Kohler shared with Consumer Reports. Second on the list was cleanliness inside the bowl after flushing. Clogged toilets are also pretty important to us and the most heavily weighted part of our toilet tests.

To test toilets, we flush a measured mix of baby wipes, sponges, plastic balls, and tubes to see whether they will clog. We found major differences in flushing ability, even across models of the same brand. Though several Kohler single-flush models aced our tests, the Devonshire K-3488 was at the bottom of our Ratings. Some models' bowls were cleaner than others after flushing. Think twice about toilets where the drain hole in the bowl is deep. Our testers found that the relatively small water spot that results is less able to resist stains and odors than the larger water spot that typically occurs with shallower drain holes.

Our latest evaluations include a drain-line carry test that measures how far the flushed water and simulated waste move in one, two, and three flushes. With some toilets, the water carried the waste to the end of a 75-foot pipe in just one flush. But others fell far short of that, even after multiple flushes. This is important if you've experienced drain-line clogs in the past.

Fortunately, all models in our most recent toilet tests scored excellent on liquid waste removal, a first. Previously some dual-flush models had been mediocre at removing liquid waste in the partial flush mode, though they did a fine job of flushing solid waste in the full-flush mode.

—Celia Kuperszmid Lehrman

If you're buying a new TV over the next couple of months, you can expect to see a lot of promotional activity focused on price—especially as we get closer to Black Friday. You may be tempted by a model from a lesser-known brand, especially if it's priced well below comparable major-brand sets. But getting the cheapest set for the money doesn't always turn out to be the best deal.

If you check out our latest TV Ratings, you'll see that the highest-rated sets in each screen-size category are almost always from one of the major brands. TVs from LG, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony have consistently earned an excellent score for HD picture quality; other models from these brands have been at least very good. Vizio TVs have also typically also done very well, with either very good or excellent picture quality and a lot of features for the price.

The new batch of Ratings also includes TVs from lesser-known brands, such as Coby, Haier, Insignia, Magnavox, RCA, Sanyo, TCL, and Westinghouse. Some of these brands—Insignia, Maganvox, and Sanyo, for example—have been somewhat inconsistent performers; some sets have done well enough to earn a Recommended designation, and a few have even been CR Best Buys. But other sets from these companies and other secondary brands haven't fared as well.

While few sets these days earn "fair" or "poor" grades for high-def picture quality, even a "good" score is below average, as most of the sets in our TV Ratings have very good or excellent picture quality. We believe the ability to deliver a consistently clear, sharp picture is one of the fundamentals for a TV that will serve as the main set for your family. It may not be as important in a secondary set for another room of the house, where it won't be watched as critically.

Consider reliability and repair
There are some other things to consider with off-brand TVs. One is how easy it is to get the TV repaired in a timely manner. Major brands typically invest in parts and service networks, so there's a greater likelihood that you'll be able to get the TV serviced by an authorized repair center. (Try explaining to a seven-year-old that he can't watch "Pokemon" for a month, because the TV had to get shipped across the country for repair and wait for parts to arrive from China.)

Once again, most major brands do well in our surveys, with only 4 percent needing repair on average. Although some secondary brands had reliability records comparable to the major brands, one—Westinghouse—was considerably more repair-prone than most. But note that several off-brands brands simply don't sell enough TVs to get captured in these reliability surveys, so we can't report on their reliability.

Finally, consider the manufacturer's warranty, which could be shorter with an off-brand TV. Most of the TVs in our Ratings carry one-year parts and labor warranties. But a few secondary brands, including Coby, Magnavox, and RCA, have shorter 3-month labor warranties.

We all like to get a great deal when we buy something, and TVs are no exception. But getting the right TV for your needs will ultimately engender the greatest satisfaction, especially if you plan to own the set for a good number of years.

If you've purchased a TV from a lesser-known brand, let us know if you've been satisfied with your purchase, and whether its been repair-free.

October is when the Nobel Prizes are announced. And while the newly announced winners in medicine, physics, chemistry, and literature may or may not pique your interest, a study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine about the prizes just might, especially if you're a fan of chocolate.

The study, "Chocolate Consumption, Cognitive Function, and Nobel Laureates," found a close correlation between a given country's overall chocolate consumption and the per-capita number of Nobel laureates from that country.

"Chocolate consumption enhances cognitive function, which is a sine qua non for winning the Nobel Prize," note the study authors, who add, "it remains to be determined whether the consumption of chocolate is the underlying mechanism for the observed association with improved cognitive function."

If you have a sweet tooth and want to try to boost your own brain power, find out which chocolates took the prize in our taste tests.

Source
Chocolate Consumption, Cognitive Function, and Nobel Laureates [NEJM]

Several years ago, Medicare came up with an idea that seemed like a no-brainer: Stop paying hospitals to treat infections that patients pick up while they are in the hospital. That, the agency hoped, would both save money and cut back on preventable infections. Unfortunately, a new study suggests that effort has not yet translated into fewer hospital-acquired infections, or saved much money.

The study, published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, focused on two common infections: bloodstream infections from contaminated central-line catheters, and urinary tract infections associated with urinary catheters.

Researchers analyzed data from 398 hospitals in 41 states. There were significant decreases in infection rates right before and right after the policy was implemented, in October 2008. But since then, the policy seems to have had no effect, good or bad.

One possible reason for the non-effect of the non-payment policy? The researchers speculate that some hospitals may have simply changed the way they report the problems, saying that people arrived at the hospital with the infections rather than picking them up when they were patients.

Also, the financial disincentive may just not be big enough to matter, so hospitals haven't bothered to make additional investments in practices that would lower infection rates. "The cumulative estimated savings was $20 million a year," says Lisa McGiffert, head of Consumers Union's Safe Patient Project. "That's small potatoes for Medicare," she says.

While this study found financial disincentives did not reduce hospital-acquired infections, it has some limitations: these hospitals may not be representative of all U.S. hospitals; the researchers did not include information on privately insured patients; and the CMS policy may have raised awareness of hospital-acquired infections in other, non-measured ways, such as greater awareness of infection rates.

For more on hospital infections and steps you can take to protect yourself, see our full hospital Ratings (available to subscribers) . And read our report How Safe Is Your Hospital?

Source
Effect of Nonpayment for Preventable Infections in U.S. Hospitals [New England Journal of Medicine]

With winter temperatures expected to be near normal, most households will be spending more to heat their homes than last season when temperatures were mild. The pocketbook pain will be especially acute for the six percent of homes that heat with oil—average expenditures for those households are forecast to be higher than any previous winter on record, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, and almost 20 percent more than last year.

Crunching the numbers, it's not the price of fuel but the drop in the mercury that will account for most of the cost of heating as actual prices aren't that much higher than last year. But east of the Rockies it's projected to be 20 to 27 percent colder than last winter. Because of that, heating bills are expected to rise 20 percent for heating oil customers, 15 percent for natural gas customers, 13 percent for propane customers and 5 percent for electricity customers, according to the EIA report.

Now, before the first snowflake flies, is a good time to prepare for the frigid months ahead. In addition to tightening the envelope of your home by caulking and weatherstripping, you can shave a lot off your utility bill by installing a programmable thermostat. That way you're not heating the house when you're not in it.

Early versions of these energy-saving devices could be a bit tricky to use but in our recent tests we found that they're becoming more intuitive. Some will save you money right out of the box because they come pre-programmed with the routine of a typical family. But you can fine-tune yours to match your schedule either day-to-day or by weekdays and weekends.

Consumer Reports recently tested 30 thermostats of which 10 were top picks. And while some of the best models cost $250 to $300, we named the $70 Lux TX9600TS a CR Best Buy because it was easy to use and has a good display. We also found three models that were excellent overall by Venstar, Honeywall and ecobee. Venstar also had the lowest-scoring unit, the Venstar Wireless Remote T1100RF, so don't buy by brand alone.

Consumer Reports has found that the emergency interior trunk escape lever on the 2013 Lexus ES and GS can easily snap off during use, potentially leaving a trapped occupant without any way to escape.

From the 2002 model year on, all cars with trunks have included a trunk entrapment safety release that glows in the dark and allows a person to open the trunk lid from inside. This simple feature helps mitigate a rare but potentially tragic situation. And usually all it takes is a tug on the handle to open the lid.

While not a regular part of our test program, we have found, quite by accident, that the release on some Lexus models can easily snap off when used. And worse, it is impossible to escape from inside the trunk once the lever has snapped off. As the father of two young boys who love exploring every car I bring home and enjoy trying to fit into every small opening possible, this is of particular concern.

Both my four- and eight-year-old boys already want to be car testers like Daddy and when they saw such a lever for the first time, they wanted to know what it was. I decided to tell them and explained how to use it if they ever needed to. Of course, they then insisted on "testing" it themselves while I stood by. When they have tried this before, the boys would easily find the release lever and promptly emerge triumphant. However, that was not their experience with our 2013 Lexus ES 350 test car. My 4-year-old's small hands snapped off the lever that opens the lid. He was not able to escape from the trunk until I opened it from the outside.

Consumer Reports owns two other Lexus sedans: the ES 300h and the GS 350. I tried the ES 300h myself and noticed that when the lever was pulled straight or toward the passenger side of the vehicle, it worked fine. However, when pulled toward the driver's side, the plastic surround acts as a fulcrum and snaps the emergency release handle off easily, preventing the trunk from opening. As shown in the video below, the Lexus GS 350 test car shares the same mechanism and fails in the same fashion. We spot checked many other vehicles in our testing program and did not find any with similar issues. Toyota shared that Lexus IS may use the same release design and be prone to the same problem; we were unable to confirm, as we don't have an IS in the fleet.

We have notified both Lexus and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about this problem.

The government safety agency said [it] "is aware of the issue and is evaluating available information to determine if additional action is warranted."

A representative from Toyota, which builds Lexus models, said, "Upon hearing the information from Consumer Reports, we immediately began investigating the durability and ergonomics of the emergency trunk release lever. This is an active investigation and we cannot provide more details at this time."

We hope a correction is quickly made on the impacted Lexus models. And if your kids are anything like mine, make sure you don't let them play in the trunk and that you leave your car locked when unoccupied.

Type on the screen of the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite e-book reader is exceptionally crisp and stands out in unusually sharp contrast to its background, according to our tests. And, true to Amazon's claims, the illumination from the screen's built-in LED lights aid reading in almost all light conditions.

The Paperwhite's screen was only a little more readable than those of some other top-performing readers, most of which (like the Paperwhite) have e-ink screens that yield a better reading experience, at least for e-books, than the LCD screens of tablets and smart phones. And some of the Paperwhite's competitors—including the Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight, which also has LED lights—scored better than the new Amazon model in some tests.

Our Ratings have been updated to include the Paperwhite in both its $180 4G-connected and $120 Wi-Fi-only versions. If you are planning to buy either device as a holiday gift, you might want to order soon; Amazon is currently reporting a 4- to 6-week backlog due to "popular demand."

We've also added the Sony Reader PRS-T2 to our latest e-book reader Ratings. It's a new $130 touchscreen model from a brand that helped pioneer e-books, though it now attracts much less buzz in the category than Amazon and Barnes & Noble models.

On first impression, Kindle Paperwhite is an able GlowLight challenger

As fall heralds in cooler weather, it's time to think of ways to save on your utility bills by conserving energy around the house. Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumers Reports, and the nonprofit Green America, are holding an online video contest for parents and kids to show how they save energy at home.

You can show how your family is energy-efficient by submitting a video of your children --and pets-- at CutestEnergySavers.org. You have until October 22 to enter. Online voting starts October 23. Prizes include a $250 grand prize, a free subscription to Consumer Reports, and a free Green America membership. For more details watch the video below.

One way you can program energy savings into the winter months is by installing a programmable thermostat. That way you're not heating the house when you're not in it. We've tested 30 thermostats, of which 10 were top picks in our Ratings.

Replacing even a few incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs or LEDs will help you save on energy. Plus our appliance and television tests reveal how much it costs to run a refrigerator or TV per year, and which appliances use more energy than others—or more than they should. For more energy-saving advice read 15 energy-saving tips, and test your energy IQ.

"Saving energy at home is something that every family member can play a part in, no matter how young," says Shannon Baker-Branstetter, policy counsel for Consumers Union. "This contest is a fun way to be creative and show off how you stay energy efficient, which is good for the planet and good for your wallet."

Sources:
America's Cutest Lil' Energy Savers [Consumers Union]
Green America and Consumers Union to Launch "America's Cutest Lil' Energy Savers" Energy-Efficiency Contest [Green America]

Dishwashers have eased the chore of cleaning up after a meal but even the best performing models can't settle family arguments over how to load the machine. In fact, 40 percent of Americans fight over how to load the dishwasher, according to a survey from Bosch home appliances. Here are the top five bones of contention.

Pre-rinse or not. In the survey of 2,000 adults, 61 percent said they argue over whether dishes should be pre-rinsed before being put into the dishwasher. Consumer Reports says don't bother. Pre-rinsing your dishes can easily waste more than 6,000 gallons of water per household each year. Better to just scrape off the loose food.

Pack it or run two loads. Forty-one percent of respondents argue over whether to pack the dishwasher full or to run two smaller loads. Women were more inclined to pack the machine. For best results, make sure the water has room to circulate around each dish or implement and take care not to block the spray arms.

Knife points up or down. Almost as many folks—39 percent— disagree over whether the tips of knives should point up or down. In this case, it's a matter of safety as it's better to grab the base of the knife, not the blade. But silverware cleans equally well placed either way.

Location, location. While some respondents think it's okay to load the dishwasher willy-nilly, a third of those asked prefer to put glasses and cups on the top rack and plates and other dishes on the bottom rack. Bosch recommends that whatever the location that each item be separated by dishwasher tines.

Plastic placement. One-third of those asked debate about where to place plastic—on the top rack where it's less likely to melt or anywhere there's space. Many dishwashers, including Bosch, have concealed heating elements that help prevent plastic containers from melting.

The survey also exposed the excuses that 38 percent of men give for not loading the dishwasher: they cooked dinner; they're too lazy or their time is too important.

In Consumer Reports dishwasher tests, Bosch holds the top three spots followed by some good performers from LG, Miele and KitchenAid. The top machine, the $700 Bosch Ascenta SHX3AR7[5]UC, is a CR Best Buy. It was excellent at washing and energy efficiency, easy to use and very good at noise, which is a point of pride for the company.

This week's recall of 7.43 million Toyotas for a faulty power window switch that could catch fire has been billed as one of the largest in history. But how big is it really?

It didn't even make the top 10, ranking only 16th on a list of the 21 largest recalls in the United States, according to data tracked by the Center for Automotive Safety. This Toyota recall impacts 2.5 million vehicles, making it about about half the size of the larger of Toyota's two recalls for unintended acceleration in 2009.

Looking at their entire recall list, several facts stand out:

• Recalls didn't start until 1969, with the founding of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
• Ford Motor Company has the three largest recalls, by far, on the list, due to electrical components - ignition switches in 1981 and cruise-control switches in 1999 - that were installed across the company's entire lineup.
• The solution to the largest recall in history, for Ford transmissions that failed to engage Park, amounted to no more than dealers installing a warning sticker. Well, I feel so much safer with that sticker on board.
• The industry has made an awful lot of progress since General Motors downsized its "A-body" lineup in 1978 that included the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and El Camino. The '78 A-Body amassed perhaps the three most alarming recalls, for collapsing front suspensions, jamming steering mechanisms, and wheels and axles falling off. (My father drove three and could have vouched for several of these maladies.)
• The latest Toyota recall is nearly 20 percent larger than Toyota's 2009 recall for sticking accelerators; the company's parallel floor mat recall didn't make the list.
• Other than the Toyota recalls, foreign companies are not well represented on the list. That's not to say they are without blemishes on their record, just that the scale didn't reach Top 10 proportions. For example, Japanese automakers had some problems with seat-belt buckles in the 1980s. And Volkswagen had one recall that mirrored Ford's problems with installing a single faulty component (windshield wipers) across its entire lineup for many years.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a safety investigation into the 2005 Honda Pilot sport-utility vehicle after a consumer complained the SUV would suddenly stop without touching the brake pedal.

Safety engineers with the Office of Defect Investigations at NHTSA believe the possible fault with the SUV's anti-lock brake systems may be tied to the electronic stability control, or ESC. The control system, standard on the 2005 Honda Pilot, automatically activates when sensors detect slippage or other unstable movement.

ODI has identified 185 related complaints in its database, but there have been no reported injuries or accidents due to the odd brake behavior. ODI investigators will work with Honda engineers to determine if an official safety recall of the estimated 88,000 Pilots are needed. In 2006, Honda modified its system with a fault detection algorithm and other countermeasures, but NHTSA advises that the newer ESC modulator is not backwards compatible.

If you have a vehicle safety issue, you can complain to the NHTSA on its website: www.SaferCar.gov. Also, read Consumer Reports' advice on how to file an effective vehicle safety complaint.

Sources:
Investigation: 2005 Honda Pilot - Anti-lock brakes    Action #: PE12028 [NHTSA]
Government Investigates 88,000 Honda Pilots for Faulty Brakes [NY Times Wheels Blog]

Investigators with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have opened a preliminary evaluation into 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe sport-utility vehicles after receiving reports that the steering column may come apart, resulting in a complete loss of steering capability.

NHTSA's Office of Defect Investigation has received one report from a consumer alleging a steering column fastener became loose in their Hyundai Santa Fe. The SUV was nearly two-years old with 33,000 miles. The ODI says it has also received a report from Hyundai of a similar incident with another 2011 Santa Fe.

There have been no injuries or accidents reported with either of the incidents reported to NHTSA. Engineers with ODI and Hyundai will work jointly to determine the cause of the Santa Fe's steering problems and, if necessary, an official safety recall will be issued.

Sources:
Investigation: 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe - Steering column    Action #: PE12029 [NHTSA]
NHTSA investigating steering problem in Hyundai Santa Fe [Associated Press via ABC Action News]