Michigan Internet Marketing Club

Saturday, August 1, 2015

3 easy ways to prevent theft on campus

3 easy ways to prevent theft on campus

Back in the day—that is, in the 1970s—college students didn’t have a lot of valuable stuff in their dorm rooms. Sure, there was a bevy of stereo gear ideal for blasting the latest Grateful Dead bootleg cassette, but a would-be thief wasn’t going to easily slip out of a dorm schlepping a pair of giant speakers.

Fast-forward to 2015, and a dorm room is a veritable treasure trove of expensive gear. Two roommates might have more than $6,000 worth of electronics—laptop or tablet, smartphone, gaming system—and other items, such as a musical instrument or a fancy coffeemaker, in their small space.

And apparently a lot of that stuff goes missing.

Theft of personal property is the most common crime on college campuses, according to U.S. Department of Education data. “A university is considered a target-rich environment,” said Jon Barnwell, the police superintendent at Tulane University, in New Orleans. “Students become complacent and leave their iPhone on a table in the cafeteria or leave their room door open. It takes only eight seconds for a thief to enter an unsecured area and walk off with something.”

To prevent theft on campus, follow the advice we got from several campus-security experts:

Step 1: Conceal it

When a valuable item is out of sight, you remove the chances for impulse theft. Concealing such items as phones, passports, headphones, wallets, and jewelry is easy and cheap. Concealment can be as simple as storing a tablet in a drawer or closet or using a decoy product, such as this fake dress with hidden compartments for storing valuables or a book safe to add to your bookshelf.

Word to the wise: Some valuables are better left at home, including expensive or irreplaceable jewelry.

Step 2: Lock it up

A further step to prevent theft on campus is to lock up valuable personal property. An anchor lock system, which attaches a laptop to a stationary object, gives a student the freedom to step out of her dorm room to join a hallway political debate or to leave a study carrel in the library for a bathroom break without having to lug the laptop.

Another deterrent is a portable mini-vault for storing small items in the dorm room. For more security, consider a safe that can be anchored to the floor (if the school allows it) or attached with a cable to a stationary object. University security experts recommend securing a bicycle with a sturdy U-lock, not a cable lock, some of which might be easily cut.

Word to the wise: Add this to the sage advice you give your kid when he or she heads back to school: Even when you just go down the hall to the bathroom or leave the room to follow the aroma of fresh popcorn, lock your door.

Step 3: Register it

Many colleges offer free property-registration programs that are designed to deter or prevent theft on campus. These types of programs not only create a centralized database of who owns what but also provide stickers and security plates that adhere to the registered items and leave a permanent tattoo if removed—signaling to a potential buyer that the item for sale is stolen property.

For example, Bowdoin College, in Brunswick, Maine provides each student with an anti-theft security plate to attach to laptops. Students at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor are urged to register their electronics and bicycles via a secure online system, which then generates a sticker for the item.

Of course, deterrents are not a foolproof way to prevent theft on campus. So don’t forget to check whether your homeowners insurance covers property away from home. If not, consider buying dorm insurance.

—Susan Feinstein

More for students and parents

• How to save money on college textbooks

• Best everyday products for college students

• Best small appliances for college students

• Should you buy college tuition insurance?

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Friday, July 31, 2015

The problem with car insurance premiums

The problem with car insurance premiums

In its new investigation, “The Truth About Car Insurance,” Consumer Reports takes a hard look at auto insurance and the ways companies determine car insurance premiums. We conducted research for two years in which we analyzed more than 2 billion car insurance price quotes from more than 700 companies.

Our investigation found that your credit score—more than your driving record—can determine your car insurance premiums. Other factors unrelated to your driving, such as shopping habits and how likely you are to tolerate rate hikes, can also play a role in what you pay. Many consumers don’t know that insurers are judging them less on their driving and increasingly on socioeconomic factors.

Our analysis of car insurance premiums for eight hypothetical single drivers of varying ages found those individuals who had a good credit score paid $68 to $526 more than similar drivers with a higher score, depending on which state they called home. In one example, in Florida, our group of adult single drivers with a clean driving record and poor credit paid $1,552 more on average than if the exact same drivers had excellent credit and a drunk driving conviction.

We believe that’s unfair. You have a right to know the going rate of any product or service you buy, and you have a right to expect your car insurance premiums are based on meaningful behavior.

The way insurers set prices today is shrouded in secrecy and rife with inequities. We want to change that, and we need your help.

Sign our petition to the nation’s 50 state insurance commissioners, and tell them “Price me by how I drive, not by who you think I am.”
Tweet the National Association of Insurance Commissioners @NAIC_News to tell them you believe your insurance rate should be based mainly on your driving record, not on other factors. Use the hashtag #FixCarInsurance.
Pick up the phone. Call 855-384-6331 to be connected directly to your state insurance commissioner’s office.

Working together, we can pressure the policymakers to reform the system and help ensure you get a fair price for your car insurance premiums.

This feature is part of a regular series by Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy arm of Consumer Reports. The nonprofit organization advocates for product safety, financial reform, safer food, health reform, and other consumer issues in Washington, D.C., the states, and in the marketplace.

Read past installments of our Policy & Action feature.

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The cheapest gas can be trouble for outdoor gear

The cheapest gas can be trouble for outdoor gear

The price you pay for gas may be what gets you to the pump but when it comes to choosing the right fuel for your mower or other outdoor power gear, there’s another number you should pay attention to—the ethanol content. Most gasoline now contains 10 percent ethanol (E10). But you may see higher blends such as E15, E30, E50, or even E85 percent ethanol gas. The higher blends are often cheaper than E10 but don’t be tempted to buy them for your outdoor gear as any blend with more than 10 percent ethanol can damage your small engine, costing you more in the long run.

This may become more apparent this summer as mowers and other equipment sit idle because it’s either too hot and dry or too rainy and wet to do yard work. Gasoline left sitting in a mower, generator, or anything smaller than a lawn tractor can gum up or “varnish” into a thick goo, especially if the gas hasn’t been mixed with a fuel stabilizer. Ethanol draws water from the gas and can crust up. This makes plastic and rubber parts brittle and freezes up linkages in the carburetor. Some stabilizers are specifically designed to counteract these effects but routine use helps by keeping fuel circulating.

The best way to avoid this problem is to buy gas with as little ethanol as possible but the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute, the industry’s trade group, says that’s not always easy as more blends become common at the gas station. These range from E15, permitted for cars newer than 2006, to E85 (for Flex Fuel vehicles), with some choices in between. Mixes higher than E15 make small engines run hotter, reduce their life, and can even be dangerous.

In recent surveys conducted for the OPEI, 63 percent of respondents said they use the least expensive grade of gas whenever possible and 48 percent of respondents said they fill their gas cans with the same fuel they put in their car. Less than half said they notice the tiny warning label the Environmental Protection Agency says is adequate to warn outdoor-gear owners about E15; fewer still say they notice the ethanol content of what they’re pumping. “The research shows that the American public is woefully unaware and uneducated about ethanol blended fuels, and how to use them,” says Kris Kiser, CEO and President of OPEI.

So what to do? The OPEI recommends that the EPA require stronger wording on labels posted at the pump. Instead of the word “attention,” they recommend using “warning” or “caution” to help consumers avoid misfueling. And in its campaign called “Look before you pump,” the OPEI gives the following tips to protect your investment:

Understand which fuel is appropriate for your equipment.
Read the equipment’s operating manual for specific fueling requirements.
Check the ethanol content and ensure it is the right fuel for your engine.

Need some new outdoor gear?

A gas-powered product that won’t start most likely has a fuel issue, and a trip to the shop—followed up by better upkeep—can be cheaper than buying new. But if you’re already in the market, see our Ratings and buying guides for mowers and tractors, string trimmers, leaf blowers, chain saws, and generators.

—Ed Perratore (@EdPerratore on Twitter)

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Clever Evenflo infant car seat uses tech to combat heatstroke risk

Clever Evenflo infant car seat uses tech to combat heatstroke risk

On average, 37 children die of heat stroke each year after being left in a hot car, according to the Department of Meteorology and Climate Science at San Jose University. Often these deaths have been the result of a change in routine or increased stress factors for a loving caregiver. For several years, child passenger safety advocates have appealed to vehicle and child seat manufacturers to provide technological solutions for these tragic circumstances. Recently, one child seat manufacturer rose to the challenge. (Related “Hot cars: A deadly danger that can happen to anyone.”)

A week ago, Evenflo introduced their new SensorSafe technology aimed at preventing child heatstroke deaths. The SensorSafe technology is integrated with the Advanced Embrace DLX Infant Car Seat’s chest clip and works in conjunction with a wireless receiver that connects to a vehicle’s onboard diagnostic port (OBD-II).

Consumer Reports has purchased the Advanced Embrace DLX Infant Car Seat with SensorSafe technology and will soon test it.

Thus far, here’s what we find promising with this product:

Unlike other solutions, SensorSafe connects your child seat with your vehicle, not an app on your phone.
The SensorSafe chest clip has been crash tested with the infant seat by the child seat manufacturer, unlike aftermarket chest clips, which are not crash tested and thereby not recommended for use by child seat manufacturers or child passenger safety advocates.
Alerts are provided for two situations: if the chest clip is unbuckled while the vehicle is moving, and secondly, upon arrival at your destination, when turning off the engine.
The wireless receiver can work with multiple SensorSafe chest clips in the same vehicle.

It’s important to note that the SensorSafe technology is currently only compatible with vehicle model year 2008 and newer, traditional gasolines/diesel-fueled vehicles, and only with Evenflo Embrace infant car seats with maximum weight ratings greater than 30 lbs.

For hybrid or stop/start vehicles, contact the Evenflo ParentLink: 1-800-233-5921 (US), 1-937-773-3971 (Canada), or 01-800-706-12-00 (Mexico).

Although this featured seat is sold as a package, the components can be purchased separately and added to the Evenflo Select Infant Car Seat with SureSafe, Evenflo Select Infant Car Seat, and Evenflo LX Infant Car Seat. The chest clip and standard receiver cost $8 and $50, respectively.

The technology looks promising, and we applaud industry efforts to reduce the number of child heat stroke fatalities.

Stay tuned for more detailed testing of the SensorSafe technology by our child seat experts.

See our child seat buying advice and ratings.

—Emily A. Mathews

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You're paying too much on cable-box rental fees

You’re paying too much on cable-box rental fees

Think you’re shelling out too much on cable-box rental fees each month? So do a couple of U.S. senators, who say the lack of choice when it comes to settop boxes means the average U.S. home spends more than $230 a year on rental fees.

Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) collected data from the top 10 pay-TV providers after Congress reversed an FCC ban on boxes with integrated security that essentially makes those boxes proprietary. This was the basis for the failed CableCard initiative, which was designed to loosen the hold pay-TV companies had on those devices and give consumers lower-cost options. In the end, few consumers took advantage of the move: Of the 47 million CableCards that shipped with cable company boxes, less than 620,000 were deployed. Last year, as part of a satellite TV reauthorization bill, Congress lifted the ban against integrated security.

The two senators, however, remain concerned that cable companies have a monopoly on settop boxes, forcing consumers to pay too much for them. Based on their findings, the average household spends nearly $232 a year on cable-box rental fees. Those leasing a single device pay almost $90 a year, or about $7.40 per month. The senators estimate that pay-TV companies rake in nearly $20 billion each year in cable-box rental fees.

Looking for alternatives to your traditional pay-TV service? Learn how to win at TV, which takes a look at all the options.

“Consumers should have the same range of choices for their video set-top boxes as they have for their mobile phones,” Markey said in a joint statement issued by the legislators. “When Congress last year regrettably removed the requirement that cable company services be compatible with set-top boxes purchased in the marketplace rather than rented directly from the provider, we doomed consumers to being captive to cable company rental fees forever.”

“Consumers deserve protection against hidden, hideously vexing fees for set-top boxes,” added Blumenthal. “Consumers deserve competitive options in accessing technology and television – not exorbitant prices dictated by monopoly cable companies.”

There is, however, some hope on the horizon: The FCC is currently working on a successor to CableCard, which will feature a downloadable security system. Do you think you’re paying too much in settop box rental fees? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

—James K. Willcox

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Hot cars: A deadly danger that can happen to anyone

Hot cars: A deadly danger that can happen to anyone

On average, 37 children die of heat stroke each year after being left in a hot car, according to KidsAndCars.org. While it may be hard to imagine, many deaths have occurred when over-stressed parents forgot that their children were in the backseat.

These hot-car tragedies often occur when there is a change in driver’s routine, stress, or a sleeping baby in the back and a parent or caregiver forgets that a child is in the car. Some knowingly leave children “just for a minute” not realizing how quickly the temperature in a car can rise to dangerous levels. Even if it is only 70 degrees outside, a car can quickly heat to more than 120 degrees. Jennifer Stockburger, Consumer Reports’ Director of Operations at our Auto Test Center, says that researchers are working on devices such as weight sensors or heartbeat monitors to detect the presence of a child in the backseat, but nothing currently exists to warn the driver that a child has been left behind.

Here are some tips to help avert a heartbreaking catastrophe and make sure no child is left behind in a vehicle.

Simple rule: Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, not even for a minute. In addition to being dangerous, it is against the law in many states.
Set up cell-phone reminders for yourself to be sure you’ve gotten the children safely to their destination.
Check the car to make sure that all occupants leave the vehicle or are carried out when unloading. If you lock the door with a key, rather than with a remote, it would force that one last look in the car before leaving it.
Always lock your car and keep keys and remotes away from children.
To serve as a reminder, keep a stuffed animal on the front passenger seat when carrying a child in the backseat.
Place something in the backseat that you would need, such as a purse, briefcase or cell phone.
Have a plan that your childcare provider will call you if your child does not show up.
If you see a child alone in a car, especially if they seem hot, call 911 immediately to help get them out.