Cigarette companies have conspired for decades to defraud and mislead the public about the health risks of “light” and “low-tar” cigarettes, a federal appeals court said yesterday. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that a federal district judge was right to ban the terms from appearing on cigarette packages. Under the ruling, cigarette companies may soon be required to issue a public mea culpa admitting that they were killing people when they said cigarettes were safe and non-addictive.
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Federal Court: Cigarette Makers Are Liars And "Low-Tar," "Light" Cigarettes Are Dangerous
By 5.23.09
Lutron Brightens Up Your Day With Good Customer Service
By 3.2.08
Peter noticed that several of the 25 Lutron Maestro dimmers he installed three years ago while renovating his 120 year-old home had started to fail. The dimmers were expensive, $30 a pop, so Peter sent them back to Lutron expecting some sort of response. Soon after, one of Lutron’s product managers called with a seemingly innocuous question…
Intermatic Replaces Your Functioning Timer Free Of Charge, As A Precautionary Measure
By 9.15.07
Reader Ryan installed an Intermatic Wall Switch Timer to control the lights on his porch, but was forced to reset the unit when the lights began to flash inexplicably. Ryan called Intermatic to make sure the problem wasn’t indicative of a larger issue that could, say, burn down his house. He was blindsided by Intermatic’s response.
Which Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Is Right For You?
By 4.15.07
Popular Mechanics compared an incandescent bulb to seven compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to see which was brightest performer. The light emitted was rated after participants examined “colorful objects, faces, and reading materials.” The good news? Every CFL outperformed the incandescent bulb.
The results surprised us. Even though the incandescent bulb measured slightly brighter than the equivalent CFLs, our subjects didn’t see any dramatic difference in brightness. And here was the real shocker: When it came to the overall quality of the light, all the CFLs scored higher than our incandescent control bulb. In other words, the new fluorescent bulbs aren’t just better for both your wallet and the environment, they produce better light.
Compared to incandescent bulbs, CFLs use up to 75% less electricity, last ten times longer, and save up to $30 over the life of the bulb. Though each CFL had its strengths and weaknesses, the overall winner was the N:Vision Soft White bulb. — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
