So you’ve decided to join the latest health club craze and add an orbital cross trainer to your at-home routine? As you make your purchase decision on elliptical machines review which features you really need, and which are showy add-ons that you don’t need or won’t use. Home ellipticals can be the best addition to your overall fitness routine because of the ability to vary your training on the machine and because they work your entire body.
Which Elliptical is the Best? The popularity of the cross trainer has grown, and they are a mainstay in most fitness clubs. Cross trainers offer a full body workout in one machine, combining the best of running, stair climbing and cross-country skiing. These machines provide effective, impact-free activity that can suit beginners and seasoned athletes alike. But which model is the best elliptical trainer for your home gym? The following features of home ellipticals should be reviewed to see which would best fit your personal training goals.
Review Stride Length and User Weight Will others in your home use the elliptical as a part of their training also? If so, you should review their needs with respect to stride length, and weight limitations of the machine. An experienced runner will best benefit from the low impact alternative of an elliptical trainer, as will seniors in your home or others with joint problems or a little extra weight.
Compare and Review the Machine's Elliptical Workout Programs Once you get it home, will you use it? The best advantage many ellipticals have, in addition to ease of use, is they offer ways to vary your routine. One of the main reasons people don’t use many machines for very long after purchasing, is boredom with the routines. Many trainers offer a variety of pre-programmed options to alter your workouts. You should review these programs. The better machines also allow changes in incline, intensity and resistance. Reviewers state that perceived exertion is lower when exercising on an elliptical. You may workout longer, because the low-impact of this trainer makes it feel like you are exerting less energy. With variety, and a total body workout that takes less time, along with a perception that you aren’t working out as hard, an elliptical may have a better chance of being used regularly in your home training.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Consumer Review for Hybrid Cars
Have you thought about doing your part in getting involved with saving the earth? What can you do to help fight global warming? You can limit how much energy you use in your home. You can try to stop creating so much garbage and try to recycle. How about buying a new, hybrid automobile?
When considering purchasing a hybrid car, you are joining a growing trend. Consumers are looking for ways to stretch their dollars, and with gas prices as high as they currently are, a hybrid is a great choice. They may be more expensive than their gas-hungry cousins but in the long run you end up saving money through saving on gas and state sponsored tax incentives.
It can be a confusing and daunting task finding what kind of hybrid will fit your needs, so we’re going to help out a little. Here is a look at some of the newest hybrid models for 2007 with a breakdown of each by the respected experts at Car and Driver Magazine:
* Honda Accord - The Accord was the first to exploit the double potential of hybrid technology: reduced fuel consumption combined with improved performance. Honda hybrids are engagingly simple and effective, making this the thriftiest of Accords, as well as the quickest Accord automatic. Highs: Added power, improved mpg, V-6 cylinder deactivation, dual air-conditioning system. Lows: Miniature hybrid operating gauges, electric motor assist limited by batteries, shrunken trunk, hybrid price premium.
* Honda Civic - This isn’t as overtly hybrid as its competition from Toyota, but its gasoline-electric system is simpler, which means fewer things to go wrong. Now in its second generation, the hybrid Civic is more powerful than the first edition and also more fuel efficient. Highs: Rakish new exterior styling, high quality fit and finish, elegantly simple hybrid system, more performance and mpg. Lows: This hybrid is better than its predecessor, but its fun factor lies not in driving but in monitoring mpg.
* Toyota Prius - The Prius has been a huge success for Toyota. It appeals both to environmentalists and people who are concerned with fuel economy. While it gets gas mileage comparable with that of a subcompact, it has the interior capacity of a mid-size car. Plus, it also has a unique look. Highs: Superb gas mileage, especially in the city; futuristic styling; space-efficient interior. Lows: Costs a lot more than many smaller cars that give comparable highway mileage; boring to drive. It also has mediocre dynamics, with slow, numb steering and hard-to-modulate brakes. Its skinny tires are a letdown.
* Toyota Camry - f you want to be green but don't want to announce it to other road users, the Camry hybrid is the perfect car for you. It uses the same system of a gas engine and electric motors as the Prius. Gas mileage is improved over a four-cylinder Camry, but it costs MUCH more. Highs: Terrific gas mileage; smooth, seamless power between electric motors and gas engine; excellent interior craftsmanship. Lows: Significant price premium over the non-hybrid Camry; not exciting to drive.
* Ford Escape - The additional electric motors and batteries of the hybrid Escape and Mariner do not degrade the vehicles’ basically terrific packaging. In our hands, a hybrid Escape delivered a respectable 25 mpg, but it’ll take years to save enough gas to pay the $3000 premium over the gas version. Highs: Very good fuel economy for an SUV. Useful and roomy interior. Lows: Slow, turtle-like acceleration thanks to heavy curb weight. It’s big, and carries an extra $3000 Hybrid charge.
When considering purchasing a hybrid car, you are joining a growing trend. Consumers are looking for ways to stretch their dollars, and with gas prices as high as they currently are, a hybrid is a great choice. They may be more expensive than their gas-hungry cousins but in the long run you end up saving money through saving on gas and state sponsored tax incentives.
It can be a confusing and daunting task finding what kind of hybrid will fit your needs, so we’re going to help out a little. Here is a look at some of the newest hybrid models for 2007 with a breakdown of each by the respected experts at Car and Driver Magazine:
* Honda Accord - The Accord was the first to exploit the double potential of hybrid technology: reduced fuel consumption combined with improved performance. Honda hybrids are engagingly simple and effective, making this the thriftiest of Accords, as well as the quickest Accord automatic. Highs: Added power, improved mpg, V-6 cylinder deactivation, dual air-conditioning system. Lows: Miniature hybrid operating gauges, electric motor assist limited by batteries, shrunken trunk, hybrid price premium.
* Honda Civic - This isn’t as overtly hybrid as its competition from Toyota, but its gasoline-electric system is simpler, which means fewer things to go wrong. Now in its second generation, the hybrid Civic is more powerful than the first edition and also more fuel efficient. Highs: Rakish new exterior styling, high quality fit and finish, elegantly simple hybrid system, more performance and mpg. Lows: This hybrid is better than its predecessor, but its fun factor lies not in driving but in monitoring mpg.
* Toyota Prius - The Prius has been a huge success for Toyota. It appeals both to environmentalists and people who are concerned with fuel economy. While it gets gas mileage comparable with that of a subcompact, it has the interior capacity of a mid-size car. Plus, it also has a unique look. Highs: Superb gas mileage, especially in the city; futuristic styling; space-efficient interior. Lows: Costs a lot more than many smaller cars that give comparable highway mileage; boring to drive. It also has mediocre dynamics, with slow, numb steering and hard-to-modulate brakes. Its skinny tires are a letdown.
* Toyota Camry - f you want to be green but don't want to announce it to other road users, the Camry hybrid is the perfect car for you. It uses the same system of a gas engine and electric motors as the Prius. Gas mileage is improved over a four-cylinder Camry, but it costs MUCH more. Highs: Terrific gas mileage; smooth, seamless power between electric motors and gas engine; excellent interior craftsmanship. Lows: Significant price premium over the non-hybrid Camry; not exciting to drive.
* Ford Escape - The additional electric motors and batteries of the hybrid Escape and Mariner do not degrade the vehicles’ basically terrific packaging. In our hands, a hybrid Escape delivered a respectable 25 mpg, but it’ll take years to save enough gas to pay the $3000 premium over the gas version. Highs: Very good fuel economy for an SUV. Useful and roomy interior. Lows: Slow, turtle-like acceleration thanks to heavy curb weight. It’s big, and carries an extra $3000 Hybrid charge.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Precaution By Consumers While Buying Hoodia Supplements
Hoodia Gordonii is one of the widely acclaimed, and truly popular weight loss supplements in the market today. This supplement is effective, yet it is very expensive.
The plant costs as much as $310 USD per kilo, hence it is considered probably the most expensive herb in the market. It's a fact that many supplements today have ingredients that are purported to be made with Hoodia, but are only filled with spurious compounds, and sometimes useless fillers like starch.
Consumers Need To Have Adequate Info About These Supplements
A lot of scientific research on the association between Hoodia and weight loss is rapidly accumulating at present. Although some products tout such unrealistic claims, which lead to consumer confusion and uneasiness, having enough information from reliable sources about the efficacy and safety of the weight loss product is vital to making a well-informed decision on buyers.
There are many related weight loss products on stores today, and more keep coming out every day. All you need to do is just search these under the term 'Hoodia' and you will see thousands of sites that offer these products.
You simply need to verify the truthfulness behind the claims of some manufacturers, who loudly proclaim terrific, yet totally unbelievable weight loss results. With so much hype in the weight loss industry today, how would tell which products are based more on marketing hype rather than real results. In this aspect, you need to check on some Web sites that offer unbiased product reviews and tests, if only to ascertain which ones are telling the truth.
Verify Where The Product's Ingredients Are Sourced From
The hoodia plant predominantly grows in the desert regions of the Southern Africa region, and the officially known area where authentic Hoodia is harvested for commercial use is in the Western Cape regions of Africa.
Since this plant has become an endangered it is a protected plant species, which is regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). CITES is an international organization tasked with regulating the global trade in endangered species, and aims to ensure that international trade in wild plants and animals does not threaten their survival.
As a protected natural resource, this plant can only be sold and exported with an official CITES certificate issued by the South African government. This supplement could not be imported to the United States if it does not have a USDA 'Protected Plant' permit as well as a certificate, or else it would be seized by US Customs and declared as illegal contraband.
Consumers are advised to take extra precaution when buying these supplements, as some manufacturers sell some stuff which is not composed of the real plant compounds. It has even been reported that some products are nothing more but products made up of "unidentifiable plant materials", which include ingredients such as starch, rice powder, yeast and others.
The plant costs as much as $310 USD per kilo, hence it is considered probably the most expensive herb in the market. It's a fact that many supplements today have ingredients that are purported to be made with Hoodia, but are only filled with spurious compounds, and sometimes useless fillers like starch.
Consumers Need To Have Adequate Info About These Supplements
A lot of scientific research on the association between Hoodia and weight loss is rapidly accumulating at present. Although some products tout such unrealistic claims, which lead to consumer confusion and uneasiness, having enough information from reliable sources about the efficacy and safety of the weight loss product is vital to making a well-informed decision on buyers.
There are many related weight loss products on stores today, and more keep coming out every day. All you need to do is just search these under the term 'Hoodia' and you will see thousands of sites that offer these products.
You simply need to verify the truthfulness behind the claims of some manufacturers, who loudly proclaim terrific, yet totally unbelievable weight loss results. With so much hype in the weight loss industry today, how would tell which products are based more on marketing hype rather than real results. In this aspect, you need to check on some Web sites that offer unbiased product reviews and tests, if only to ascertain which ones are telling the truth.
Verify Where The Product's Ingredients Are Sourced From
The hoodia plant predominantly grows in the desert regions of the Southern Africa region, and the officially known area where authentic Hoodia is harvested for commercial use is in the Western Cape regions of Africa.
Since this plant has become an endangered it is a protected plant species, which is regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). CITES is an international organization tasked with regulating the global trade in endangered species, and aims to ensure that international trade in wild plants and animals does not threaten their survival.
As a protected natural resource, this plant can only be sold and exported with an official CITES certificate issued by the South African government. This supplement could not be imported to the United States if it does not have a USDA 'Protected Plant' permit as well as a certificate, or else it would be seized by US Customs and declared as illegal contraband.
Consumers are advised to take extra precaution when buying these supplements, as some manufacturers sell some stuff which is not composed of the real plant compounds. It has even been reported that some products are nothing more but products made up of "unidentifiable plant materials", which include ingredients such as starch, rice powder, yeast and others.
Trends In Packaging Designs For Consumers
How can you utilize packaging design trends to connect with the consumer?
1) Find out what package attributes appeal to the customer you are targeting. If it is a harried homemaker shopping for your product then convenience of use had better be at the top of the list. Those over 50 are seeking convenience too but issues like the size of print on the package and ease of use top their priority list. Make sure your package employs the characteristics that appeal to your target market.
2) Understand how the package will be used. Families no longer sit and eat a meal with everyone at the same time. There are special diet requirements or dieting in general in most households. It’s not uncommon to serve different meals to different individuals. Package sizes will vary accordingly. EX: People who travel a lot buy sample or trial size packages because they are small and easy to deal with
3) Know your customers current buying trends. Several years ago, we went through the supersized phase. There are still a lot of supersized packages; however, buying trends are changing to smaller sizes in general. To package smaller does not mean less profit, in many cases it means more. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for convenience, ease of use and a smaller quantity. Remember the three premium baking potatoes in a package cost almost the price of a 5 lb bag. If you live with just one other person, do you really need 5 lbs of potatoes?
4) Keep abreast of new packaging technologies. Creative, new products have the advantage in the marketing world even if their technology is not new. Several years ago, Metedent took the world by storm with the duel aperture dispensing mechanism. Recently hosts of new cleaning products have revived interest in this type of dispensing. Look for innovate ways to combine two products into one package.
5) Watch where people shop. There is a shift from traditional retailers to new and innovative store formats. The convenience store, once considered a low-end marketer, has now transitioned into store that provides premium products at a premium price. This evolved from the hurry up and go mindset demonstrated in today's shopping habits. Recent studies are showing that consumers no longer make one big trip and stock up but make several trips a week and get just what is needed at the moment at the most easily accessible retail outlet. EX: The grab and go cups of snack foods convenience stores are now offering. This category did not exist a couple of years ago.
6) Keep pace with "hot button" packaging issues. This includes legislation too. People do really care about the environment and the amount of excess packaging. There is a move afoot to expand the number of vegetable-based plastic materials used in food packaging. If packaging consumers give these products their endorsement, look for other new products to surface. Legislation can change packaging mandates overnight. There have been "bottle bills," surcharges and bans that prohibit the use of certain packages. EX: Several fast food companies are test marketing corn-based plastic packaging materials. Ex: Ban on juice boxes in Maine and aerosol cans in Chicago.
7) Security in packaging is becoming increasingly important. This will continue to come into focus as more people become concerned about product integrity. One major security scare could force everyone to change their packaging methods immediately. Look for new tamper evident and security devices that can be incorporated into your packaging. Cost efficiencies are now making many of these devices more affordable and will soon become mainstream.
8) Competition of various packaging materials is increasing. From the imports that are readily available to the merger and acquisition mania that is taking place, keep current on your chain of supply globalization. Certain products such as plastic bags that used to be the mainstay of American manufacturing have now gone offshore. Ethic diversity both her and abroad is demanding that all packaging be multi-lingual and people really don’t care where the product packaging is manufactured.
9) External influence of power players. The big box retailers are driving packaging procedures and policies at retail. Mandates from these companies such as RFID tracking are in their infancy. This type of requirement could become mandatory overnight. If you want to do business with companies such as Home Depot and Wal-Mart, you will need to include the design and selection of your packaging materials as per their demands and others will follow suit.
Remember, the customer depends upon you, the designer, as a resource. They expect you to keep up with packaging trends and technologies and provide the latest and greatest innovations the industry has to offer. If you cannot connect with the consumer through package design, do not expect your products to fly off the shelf.
JoAnn Hines the Packaging Diva has been on TV, traveled to China, worked with the SBA and spoken at the White House (twice). Why do they seek her out? Because she knows how to package products so that people will buy them. When Faith Popcorn made her business trend predictions for 2006, she called JoAnn to find out what was going on in the world of packaging. Businesses large and small call upon her to solve their packaging problems.
1) Find out what package attributes appeal to the customer you are targeting. If it is a harried homemaker shopping for your product then convenience of use had better be at the top of the list. Those over 50 are seeking convenience too but issues like the size of print on the package and ease of use top their priority list. Make sure your package employs the characteristics that appeal to your target market.
2) Understand how the package will be used. Families no longer sit and eat a meal with everyone at the same time. There are special diet requirements or dieting in general in most households. It’s not uncommon to serve different meals to different individuals. Package sizes will vary accordingly. EX: People who travel a lot buy sample or trial size packages because they are small and easy to deal with
3) Know your customers current buying trends. Several years ago, we went through the supersized phase. There are still a lot of supersized packages; however, buying trends are changing to smaller sizes in general. To package smaller does not mean less profit, in many cases it means more. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for convenience, ease of use and a smaller quantity. Remember the three premium baking potatoes in a package cost almost the price of a 5 lb bag. If you live with just one other person, do you really need 5 lbs of potatoes?
4) Keep abreast of new packaging technologies. Creative, new products have the advantage in the marketing world even if their technology is not new. Several years ago, Metedent took the world by storm with the duel aperture dispensing mechanism. Recently hosts of new cleaning products have revived interest in this type of dispensing. Look for innovate ways to combine two products into one package.
5) Watch where people shop. There is a shift from traditional retailers to new and innovative store formats. The convenience store, once considered a low-end marketer, has now transitioned into store that provides premium products at a premium price. This evolved from the hurry up and go mindset demonstrated in today's shopping habits. Recent studies are showing that consumers no longer make one big trip and stock up but make several trips a week and get just what is needed at the moment at the most easily accessible retail outlet. EX: The grab and go cups of snack foods convenience stores are now offering. This category did not exist a couple of years ago.
6) Keep pace with "hot button" packaging issues. This includes legislation too. People do really care about the environment and the amount of excess packaging. There is a move afoot to expand the number of vegetable-based plastic materials used in food packaging. If packaging consumers give these products their endorsement, look for other new products to surface. Legislation can change packaging mandates overnight. There have been "bottle bills," surcharges and bans that prohibit the use of certain packages. EX: Several fast food companies are test marketing corn-based plastic packaging materials. Ex: Ban on juice boxes in Maine and aerosol cans in Chicago.
7) Security in packaging is becoming increasingly important. This will continue to come into focus as more people become concerned about product integrity. One major security scare could force everyone to change their packaging methods immediately. Look for new tamper evident and security devices that can be incorporated into your packaging. Cost efficiencies are now making many of these devices more affordable and will soon become mainstream.
8) Competition of various packaging materials is increasing. From the imports that are readily available to the merger and acquisition mania that is taking place, keep current on your chain of supply globalization. Certain products such as plastic bags that used to be the mainstay of American manufacturing have now gone offshore. Ethic diversity both her and abroad is demanding that all packaging be multi-lingual and people really don’t care where the product packaging is manufactured.
9) External influence of power players. The big box retailers are driving packaging procedures and policies at retail. Mandates from these companies such as RFID tracking are in their infancy. This type of requirement could become mandatory overnight. If you want to do business with companies such as Home Depot and Wal-Mart, you will need to include the design and selection of your packaging materials as per their demands and others will follow suit.
Remember, the customer depends upon you, the designer, as a resource. They expect you to keep up with packaging trends and technologies and provide the latest and greatest innovations the industry has to offer. If you cannot connect with the consumer through package design, do not expect your products to fly off the shelf.
JoAnn Hines the Packaging Diva has been on TV, traveled to China, worked with the SBA and spoken at the White House (twice). Why do they seek her out? Because she knows how to package products so that people will buy them. When Faith Popcorn made her business trend predictions for 2006, she called JoAnn to find out what was going on in the world of packaging. Businesses large and small call upon her to solve their packaging problems.
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