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Three things to look for when buying sunscreens
May 23, 2013 9:30 AM

Buying sunscreens without first checking our sunscreen Ratings could leave you red in the face—and elsewhere on your body, too. Here's what you need to know before you buy any sunscreen.

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Should I buy a new or used Subaru Forester?
May 23, 2013 9:00 AM

We just finished testing the redesigned 2014 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium, and the overall test score for the popular small SUV shows it did not disappoint. In fact, it outscored the previous Forester 2.5X Premium by eight points. But, is buying used the smarter move?

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Risk of sudden death rises when infants sleep with parents
May 23, 2013 8:00 AM

Newborns who sleep in the same bed as their parents are five times more likely to die suddenly than those who sleep in a separate crib, according to a new study published in a British medical journal. The study, which looked at 1,472 cases of sudden infant death syndrome in the United Kingdom, reinforces a recommendation that the American Academy of Pediatrics has made for the past 20 years that infants are safest sleeping in their own bed.

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With consumer confidence up, will stock returns follow?
May 22, 2013 3:30 PM

Headed into the Memorial Day holiday, stocks, as measured by the Standard & Poor's 500 index, have returned more than 17 percent to investors in 2013. And consumer confidence is finally ticking upward as well. The Consumer Reports Index is sharply higher this month, and is now at a level not seen since 2008. Other confidence indexes show an increase as well, but far from the giddy levels of 1999 and 2000.

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Xbox One versus PlayStation 4: How the new consoles stack up so far
May 22, 2013 2:30 PM

The next generation of video-game consoles is almost upon us. Since some details on the upcoming Sony PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Xbox One have been revealed, we wanted to speculate how the two stack up against each other so far.

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Video: Toyota Tacoma is a fine workhorse but lousy family vehicle
May 22, 2013 2:00 PM

Serving as an alternative to full-sized pickup trucks, the Toyota Tacoma is well suited to handling cargo hauling and fairly challenging off-roading. But as we were reminded with our recent crew-cab test truck, the Tacoma makes for a lousy family vehicle.

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Superhero car seat doesn't leap to the top of our ratings
May 22, 2013 1:30 PM

Even kids who usually squirm in their car seats might jump at the chance to sit in the lap of a superhero like Batman or such cartoon characters as Dora the Explorer or SpongeBob SquarePants. And thanks to KidsEmbrace they can. For $160 you can buy toddler booster seats imprinted with those characters as well as race car driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. But when the testers at Consumer Reports tried to install the fanciful KidsEmbrace seats, they were not amused.

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Bought prescription eyeglasses online? Tell us your story
May 22, 2013 1:00 PM

Lots of websites sell eyeglasses these days. Many offer substantial discounts compared with the likes of eyewear chains (LensCrafters, Pearl Vision) and doctor offices and independent shops, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars off a complete pair of glasses.

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Two Troy-Bilt riding mowers drive to the top of our tests
May 22, 2013 12:00 PM

The best you can hope for when shopping for a riding mower is a solidly built, top-performing machine that doesn't leave you feeling clipped on the price. This year, in fact, we have two such models in our lawn tractor tests—a pair of zero-turn-radius mowers from MTD's Troy-Bilt brand that we named CR Best Buys.

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We saved money buying car tires, and you can too
May 22, 2013 11:00 AM

We typically buy tires in bulk for our tire test program, ordering upwards of almost 1,000 tires a year. To spot check our advice and current tire buying, we recently purchased and had mounted three sets just as any consumer would. We found that it is possible to get a good, convenient deal, and our experts will show you how.

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Is the HP Officejet Pro the fastest inkjet printer ever?
May 22, 2013 10:00 AM

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, I saw a prototype for one of HP's newest all-in-one printers, which HP claimed would be able to print pages about as quickly as laser printers do—making it the fastest inkjet printer out there. HP also said that although the printer cartridge would be expensive, it would last a long time and actually save you money.

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Guide to the best small SUVs
May 22, 2013 9:00 AM

Small SUVs are one of the hottest vehicle categories. Their good fuel economy, easy access, all-weather traction, and plenty of passenger and cargo space make them an appealing choice for many car buyers. In this crowded segment, it can be challenging for consumers to determine which one is best to buy. That's where we come in.

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7 great geeky gifts for grads
May 22, 2013 8:00 AM

Know someone who's collecting a degree this year? All graduates deserve a reward for making it through school (and before they have to face the rather scary job market that awaits them). Here are some electronics suggestions that should put a smile on any grad's face.

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Why your parents' appliances cost more to run than yours do
May 21, 2013 4:30 PM

If you're shopping for new appliances, you might hear the argument that energy-efficient models don't perform as well as their power-hungry counterparts. Or that you'll have to spend more for maximum efficiency. A report out today from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and the Appliance Standards Awareness Project refutes both claims, and it does so with a deep analysis of real data, including more than 20 years' worth of findings from Consumer Reports' test labs.

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Microsoft Xbox One: An 'all in one' entertainment system for TV, video, and of course, games
May 21, 2013 3:30 PM

At an event today called, appropriately, Xbox Reveal, Microsoft announced the next generation of the Xbox, the first new version in eight years: It's an "all-in-one" entertainment system called the Xbox One. Not only has the console's architecture changed both inside and out, but improvements have been made to the Kinect and the remote control, and new entertainment options abound, says the company.

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