Smarter Living - Courant.com

Kevin Hunt: West Hartford Doctor Challenges GE On `Sabbath Mode' Oven

Kevin Hunt - The Bottom Line — Tue, 29 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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A two-year-old gas oven sits, like new, in the kitchen of a residence retired pediatrician and neonatologist Robert Harris of West Hartford uses only on Friday nights and Saturdays for the Jewish Sabbath.

Home Decorating: Price Tag As Inspiration

By KORKY VANN, kvann@courant.com — Sun, 27 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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When decorating a room, those HGTV designers always suggest starting with an inspiration piece. A distinctive painting, interesting textile or fabulous piece of furniture, they say, can provide direction for style and color palette.

Google should let users phone for assistance

By DAVID LAZARUS, Los Angeles Times — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

If there's one issue that consistently cheeses off consumers, it's being unable to get a human being on the phone when you have a problem with a company.

Roof color and energy savings

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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Q: Will light-colored roofing keep my house cooler?

Subway tops taste-tests of fast-food breakfast sandwiches

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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Egg sandwiches that are tasty and nutritious are hard to come by in most fast-food chains. Consumer Reports recently tried egg sandwiches from Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Starbucks and Subway -- and deemed Subway's Egg White and Cheese on Mornin' Melt Flatbread most tasty.

Consumer Reports: Honda CR-V Edges Mazda CX-5 In Tests

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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With its large back seat, easy access and ample cargo space, the family-friendly Honda CR-V narrowly topped the Mazda CX-5 in Consumer Reports' recent head-to-head small SUVs tests.

Review: DISH's DVR That Skips Commercials

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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We can already hear the mashing of teeth at TV networks, local stations and advertising agencies. Recently, DISH satellite TV activated a new feature for its latest Hopper whole home HD DVR system which allows users to automatically skip all commercials on recorded prime-time network programs.

Best gaming desktops, big and small

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Whether you want a multi-thousand-dollar behemoth or a tidy little tower for less than $1,000, these recent gaming desktops represent some of the best PCs available.

If You're Selling A Timeshare

Sat, 26 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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>> Beware of any reseller that contacts you by phone or mail. Find out where the reseller is located and check for complaints with the Better Business Bureau, that state's attorney general's office and consumer protection agency.

TBL: Morris Man Pays $1,600 To Reseller In November, But Timeshare Unsold

Kevin Hunt - The Bottom Line — Sat, 26 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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With the possible exception of mold, mice and in-laws, nothing is more difficult to get rid of than a timeshare.

Kevin Hunt: Bottom-Fishing The Web For Cheap Deals In Home Theater Surround Sound

By Kevin Hunt , Tribune Newspapers — Fri, 25 May 2012 19:32:00 GMT

The art of the electronics deal isn't such an art anymore. The sales aggregators, websites like Techbargains.com and Dealnews.com, direct your cursor to the best online discounts, overstocks, closeouts and end-of-season specials.

Best Travel Apps: Don't Leave Home Without The Public Bathroom Finder

By KORKY VANN, kvann@courant.com — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:16:00 GMT

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Want to have a fun, hassle-free, deal of a summer vacation?

TBL: Is Ticketworld Scalping Concert Tickets?

Kevin Hunt - The Bottom Line — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:47:00 GMT

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Consumers put up with a lot, but nothing torques them off quite like confusing, misleading or inequitable pricing, whether it's concert tickets, bagels or even a single banana.

Amtrak Conductors Turn To iPhones For Ticket Check-Ins

Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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Amtrak's railway system is getting a makeover, Apple style.

Consumer Reports: Getting The Best Deal On Cable Bundle

Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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Many of us love to hate our home telecom provider, according to Consumer Reports.

What To Look For In A Roofer's Bid

Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

Q: What kind of detailed info should be on a roofing company's bid to replace a roof? I have noticed on bids I have received that they list the total amount it will cost, but do not show price of materials or labor. Is this common or should you ask for this. Also the bids are very general like a form letter and they filled in the blanks. Is this standard?

Consumer Reports: How To Use Facebook Privacy Controls

Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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Nearly 13 million U.S. Facebook users do not use, or are not aware of, the site's privacy controls, according to a recent Consumer Reports investigation on Facebook and privacy. As a result, users are potentially exposing personal information beyond their network of Facebook friends.

How to reduce impulse-buying temptation

Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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How to reduce impulse-buying temptation:

Savvy Shopper: Why 'Contactless' Purchasing Is So Dangerous

By KORKY VANN, kvann@courant.com — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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I'm wary of credit cards. A few too many spontaneous purchases and my budget is blown. But lately, even for a frugalista like me, impulse shopping is just too easy.

Franklin Ave. Restaurant Fails Twice, Shut Down, Before Passing Inspection

Kevin Hunt - The Bottom Line — Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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HARTFORD — At its best, the city's new ordinance requiring restaurants to post letter grades from their most recent health inspection informs the public and encourages high kitchen-hygiene standards.

Review: Media Preview Utility For Windows

Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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Lots of videos have built-in thumbnails in Windows Explorer, so you can see a quick preview of each file — but this only works with popular video formats that work natively in Windows. Media Preview is a small utility that adds preview thumbnails to nearly every video format you can think of.

When You Really Don't Own The App

Sat, 19 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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The apps on your smartphone or tablet are all bought and paid for, right? They may be paid for, but it doesn't necessarily mean you own them.

How To Get Vinyl LP From A Turntable Directly To Your iPad

Kevin Hunt - The Electronic Jungle — Fri, 18 May 2012 15:22:00 GMT

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The annual Record Store Day has almost single-handedly revived the vinyl LP, with sales reaching almost 4 million in 2011 after dropping below 1 million five years ago. For last month's Record Store Day, 300 new-issue vinyl LPs arrived in independent record stores across the country at a wholesale cost of almost $6 million.

TBL Field Test: Fiskars Max, The World's Weirdest-Looking Reel Mower?

Kevin Hunt - The Bottom Line — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:51:00 GMT

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I love the smell of lawn-mower gas fumes in the summer, the sweaty-snug fit of industrial foam earplugs, dodging the machine-gun fire of sticks and rock fragments from a mulching blade, dust clouds clinging to nose hairs and, of course, the season's most invasive allergens.

Savvy Shopper's Pillow Fire A Wakeup Call

Korky Vann — Sun, 13 May 2012 04:00:00 GMT

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As a homeowner, I'm mindful of fire safety. I don't smoke, overload outlets, run electrical cords under carpets, store old turpentine-soaked rags in the basement or leave candles unattended.