If you don't have an Internet-connected television or Blu-ray player but would still like access to the growing amount of content available online, a separate streaming media player is an easy, inexpensive ...

It's rare for a cell phone to explode or seriously overheat—but if it does, it can cause a fire or leave serious burns. Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports, today joined a call by Sen. ...

Q: I'm concerned about the security of my financial account usernames and passwords that I must enter to use Mint.com. Can I trust it to store them on their server? And can I trust it with my financial ...

A federal court in California ruled on May 21 that consumers may suffer financial harm if they buy products they're misled to believe are on sale. The ruling, involving a lawsuit accusing Kohl's department ...

For an article on 401(k) retirement plans, Consumer Reports is interested in hearing from people age 60 and over who find their 401(k) balances inadequate. It doesn't matter why. It could be that you started ...

Samsung today showed us four intriguing versions of its flagship Galaxy S 4 smart phone that are designed to appeal to niche markets. The new models include the Zoom, the first smart phone camera with ...

Samsung today announced the 20-megapixel Samsung Galaxy NX, which is the first mirrorless (a.k.a. SLR-like) camera with 3G/4G connectivity, the same wireless networking system found on smart phones. It ...

If you don't subscribe to a pay TV service, you may not be able to get streaming access to next year's Super Bowl. That's the word from a Fox Sports VP, who told a sports business conference that the network......

Many companies have tried to build an elegant tablet that's the right combination of look, feel, and functionality. Not many have succeeded. But my first look at the new 10.1-inch Sony Xperia Tablet Z ...

While LED LCD TVs seem to get all the attention, and certainly the lion's share of sales, 2013 is actually turning out to be something of a renaissance for plasma TVs—at least in terms of picture quality. ...

Last week at E3, the video-gaming industry's biggest trade event, the console war between the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One heated up considerably. A lot more information has surfaced since we did our first ...

In the new 13.3-inch Toshiba Kirabook ($1,600), Windows users finally have a laptop that comes close to and even bests the Apple MacBook Air in some ways, though it falls short in others. The Kirabook ...

Cash may still be king, but its grip on the kingdom is increasingly threatened by payment technologies, some old and some new. Debit cards continue to gain popularity because you can use them anyplace ...

While streaming-video services seem to get all the love, there are still plenty of good reasons to get a Blu-ray player, especially since many models combine the excellent high-definition picture quality ...

Action camcorder Want video of snorkeling or windsurfing? Enter action (or sports) camcorders. They're compact, rugged, and often waterproof, and they attach to clothes, helmet, or handlebars for hands-free ...

Smart phones, tablets, and laptops do lots of things well, but providing great sound quality usually isn't one of them. The small speakers in many of these devices produce audio that you could charitably ...

You're forgiven if an ad for "the world's most portable desktop" confuses you. But don't be surprised if claims like that pop up more frequently, because computer manufacturers are beginning ...

You have to love those Bed Bath & Beyond coupons. The housewares retailer not only gives you 20 percent or $5 off a single item for in-store purchases, but its coupons also never expire, no matter the ...

Q: My children have many small electronics that operate on rechargeable batteries (MP3 players, laptops, handheld video game consoles). They play them until right before the charge runs out. They then ...

A recent seizure of an estimated $1 million in counterfeit designer clothes and electronics in Louisiana underscores why you need to be on the lookout for not-so-fabulous fakes. In a joint operation on ...

It's fitting that Saturday, just one day before Fathers Day, has been designated World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, a day to consider all the ways we can protect older dads--and moms--from victimization. ...

With smart-phone theft reaching epidemic proportions, a coalition of more than 50 law enforcement agencies, scholars, consumer advocates—including Consumers Union, the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports—and ...

Whether you're taking an epic vacation or staycationing, the right apps can help make your summer more fun, and safer, too. We found five that we love. Pocket (free, iOS and Android) can help make a trip ...

LG and Pantech, two companies that barely made a blip in the smart-phone world until recently, are churning out noteworthy models that earn high scores in Consumer Reports Ratings. Two of their most recent ...

While you're scoping out a range of gifts for your dad, consider certain practical things that are ideal to give at any time of the year, especially for fathers of a certain age. • Home fixes for better ...

Yesterday at the E3 video-game show, we spent most of the day with Microsoft and the Xbox One, the company's upcoming next-generation video game console. The visuals were jaw-dropping—clear, sharp, and ...

Eager to get your paws on a new Microsoft Xbox One or Sony PlayStation 4 game console this fall? Walmart.com is already starting to accept pre-orders for the new systems, which will compete head-to-head ...

AT Sony's E3 event last night, anticipatory gamers got their first sighting of the new console, which had been announced at a February press conference sight unseen. The PS4 is a black parallelogram: sleek ...

Apple today unveiled its upcoming iOS 7 mobile operating system, which includes a more-elegant-looking interface and a unique poison-pill approach to thwarting device theft. In the fine tradition of platforms ...

At Microsoft's E3 press event today, the company announced a couple more details for its upcoming Xbox One gaming console: Most important to anticipatory gamers, the console will ship in November, and ...

The company isn't making much noise about it, but T-Mobile has a prepaid option that is surprisingly inexpensive: unlimited data for $30 a month. And our Consumerist colleagues discovered that it's not ...

In a recent survey, we asked subscribers about how they use their mobile devices. One finding: Twenty-eight percent of tablet owners said children 17 or younger also used their tablet. Some portion of ...

Q: When I signed up in 2001 for my ­checking account, they offered "free checking for life." In 2012, they started charging fees. How can they do that? —Gary Bortner Plymouth, MN A: Bank fees ...

If you frequently send money internationally, it may be comforting to know that federal regulators have strengthened the rules governing money transfer companies such as Western Union. The new rules, issued ...

As our recent survey of more than 16,000 Consumer Reports subscribers shows, the airline you choose will determine how friendly (or not) you'll find today's skies. People who booked flights on our top-rated ...

With all the hubbub around the end of school, graduations, and plans for the summer, Father's Day can sometimes get lost in the shuffle. (Psst. It's June 16.) To ensure that the dads in your life get the ...

For the two of you unfamiliar with the term, "showrooming" is the practice of going to a brick-and-mortar retailer to get an eyes-on experience with a product before ultimately buying it online. ...

You might remember stock splits from Back in the Day, when we listened to compact disks and received bills by mail. It's that accounting device where a corporate board decides to turn your 100 shares of ...

Redbox Instant, the fledgling streaming-media service from Redbox (Coinstar) and Verizon, will get a boost this summer when it becomes available on several of Roku's streaming set-top boxes. Redbox Instant ...

When's the last time you checked your privacy settings on Facebook? If it was more than a few months ago, you might want to check again: Facebook frequently updates how its settings work, so you may inadvertently ...

If you've checked through our most recent TV Ratings and don't see a model or series you're considering, we might be checking it out right now. Here are the HDTVs currently being tested in our labs. Among ...

If you've checked through our most recent TV Ratings and don't see a model or series you're considering, we might be checking it out right now. Here are the HDTVs currently being tested in our labs. Among ...

Based on our latest nationally representative survey of adult Internet users, Consumer Reports projected that 1.6 million American consumers were victims of smart phone theft in 2012. A variety of possible ...

The Canon EOS Rebel series of entry-level DSLRs has always performed well in our Ratings. I've recently spent some time with the new 18-megapixel Canon EOS Rebel T5i with the 18-55mm kit lens, which we'll ...

Q: Is it possible to overcharge a laptop? —James Maxim Cuba, NY A: Laptops we've tested have "smart chargers" that monitor the battery level and stop charging when it's full. What's more, it's ...

More than 18 months ago, Google Wallet was launched on the Sprint cellular network amid hoopla that payment-by-smart-phone technology at cashiers nationwide would replace your plastic debit and credit ...

The fact that Google Glass is months away from launch hasn't dimmed speculation about what the most-anticipated tech product of 2013 will be like to use when it actually lands in stores (late this year, ...

Summer is already here—at least according to the unofficial Memorial Day calendar kick-off—and you need a travel vacation. But, you haven't planned much in advance, and in this tight economy, you can't ...