Choosing the right in-car entertainment system for your family

Posted on September 4, 2011 by admin

Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

If you take driving vacations with young children, that familiar refrain of “are we there yet” has probably long since lost its comical charm. Fortunately, technology can come to the rescue with in-car entertainment packages that will keep young minds engaged for hours on end. But with a bewildering array of available features and prices ranging from $100 to more than $2,000, settling on the right product for your progeny can be a difficult choice. Continue reading →

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Luxury Car Comparison

Posted on August 3, 2011 by admin

In my younger days, I used to sneer at the bourgeoisie in their BMWs and the mucky-mucks in their Mercedes-Benz. But as the years go by, I’ve learned to appreciate the little luxuries in life, not to mention the lines of a superbly crafted car.

The problem is, the pragmatist in me would never permit such a purchase unless I could be convinced of its value. With that in mind, we set out to find the best buy in a luxury sedan over $50,000. What follows are our impressions and the informed opinions of Canada’s top consumer car gurus. Continue reading →

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Small Car Comparison

Posted on July 30, 2011 by admin

We Canadians are big on small cars, but that doesn’t mean we’re willing to sacrifice comfort, safety or value. Fortunately, we don’t have to. There are dozens of fun and frugal sub-compacts to choose from at dealer lots.

“I think these cars are phenomenal,” says Dave Redinger, host of The Neighbourhood Mechanic on AM740 radio in Toronto. “This is where the market is going and they are definitely worth the money.” Continue reading →

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Going that Extra Hypermile

Posted on May 12, 2011 by admin

As an automotive writer, I get to drive a lot of new cars and most of them are either quite fancy or very frugal. But once my test drives are over, I slide back behind the wheel of my own aging SUV. And as fuel prices rocketed up this year, I found myself wondering what I could do to numb the pain at the pumps. Continue reading →

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Taking TV into the 3rd Dimension

Posted on January 2, 2011 by admin


Imagine Avatar popping off the screen in real 3D, right in the comfort of your own living room. No sticky floors, no jockeying for elbowroom and no one kicking the back of your seat.

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So what type of Smartphone are you?

Posted on December 27, 2010 by admin

Syndicated technology columnist Marc Saltzman can’t imagine being without his smartphone. He calls it his “digital Swiss Army knife.” The iPhone is currently the world’s top seller, but when you add up all the models running Google’s Android operating system, they’re collectively beating Apple. So which one is best for you?

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To Buy New or Used. That is the Question.

Posted on June 28, 2010 by admin

That new car smell is strangely alluring, but do you really need to buy something right off the showroom floor? Well, about one and a half million Canadians do just that each year, but even more of us seem to prefer the used car fragrance of carpet shampoo and deodorizers. The question is, who’s the smarter shopper?

“If you buy only with your head, you would always buy used,” declares George Iny, president of the Automobile Protection Association. “New costs more, and not just in the initial outlay, but also in the steep depreciation that occurs.”
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Take Out Da Noise with These Headphones

Posted on May 21, 2010 by admin

The product:

ATH-ANC3 QuietPoint™ Noise-Cancelling In-Ear Headphones

What it claims to do:

According to the manufacturers:
“The ATH-ANC3 employs patented technology that detects environmental noise via miniature microphones incorporated into each ear bud, and applies a corresponding sound-cancelling signal.  To achieve its superior performance in blocking 85% of outside noise, the ATH-ANC3 utilizes active noise cancellation over a wide frequency range unlike some in-ear headphones that actively cancel low frequencies only.”

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Pre-Loved Cars you can Trust

Posted on May 8, 2010 by admin

Smiling Sammy’s Used Car Lot may claim the best prices in town, but how do you know if the vehicle you’re buying hasn’t been around the block one too many times? Sure it looks solid and drives okay, but somehow Sammy’s personal guarantee of quality doesn’t quite ease your apprehension. If this sounds familiar to you, then maybe you should be looking at buying a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) car.

CPO vehicles are backed by the original manufacturer and sold through its network of dealers. Typically, these are late-model, low-mileage cars that have passed through a rigourous inspection process. Some even come with extended warranties offering additional guarantees beyond the normal factory protection. But there is a premium to be paid for these vehicles and not everyone agrees the higher price is always justified. “You should expect to spend at least $300-500 more for a certified used car, but the question is, is it worth it?” asks Phil Edmonston, author of the Lemon-Aid Used Car Guide.
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Does this Towel really Provide a Light Load?

Posted on May 5, 2010 by admin

The product:

LightLoad Towels

Possible uses:

Quick clean ups while on the road.

What the manufacturer claims that it does:

Space Savers: Put a handful of Lightload Travel Towels in your pocket and still have room for your keys and money. Lightload beach and TravelTowels are also the only travel and sports accessory and outdoor gear towels in the world that fit easily in your pocket with room to spare!

Multipurpose: Lightload Travel Towels have thousands of uses unlike any other product. Also known as “a cool tool”, people include Lightloads travel accessory towels in their hiking equipment, backpacking accessories, camping gear, hunting gear, fishing gear, golf accessories, travel accessories, outdoor activities gear, etc. for different reasons. You can buy things like a fire starter, coffee filter and first aid cloth separately and spend more money or buy a Lightload travel towel which is all of the above and save.

Super absorbent: Lightloads are the most super absorbent outdoor sports towels that are made. Each outdoor sports towel is much more absorbent than cotton towels absorbing more than 9 times its weight in water. This makes it the ideal sports towel for camping , hiking equipment and survival kits.

Consumer Couple tried out the towel.
Continue reading →

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